Design Phase, Turn 3Heat Vision Visione del Calore Observation With Low-Infrared (OWL-I)
Based on our plentiful experience messing with light, we have come up with this remarkably simple evocation. It creates a small panel in front of the user's eyes, which takes IR photons which pass through, normally not visible to the human eye, and adds some energy. In fact it adds just enough energy that really hot things shine bright blue, while very cool things glow a dull red. This allows a user to make out the area around him as it's all radiating dim infrared even at night (in sufficiently warm regions, anyway. The colder it gets, the harder it is to see), and quite clearly make out brightly-shining humans and vehicle engines and gun barrels, etc.
How did we get such precise energy addition? We made the evocation and then lowered the energy until campfires stopped permanently blinding Mages carefully raised the energy until it reached the desired visual intensity for accurate perception of humans and the terrain and whatnot.
Design: Observation With Low-Infrared (OWL-I) [E Hard] (5)
"For the last time," Senior Magineer Happerry Nicodemo says, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Thomas Young and August Fresnel
clearly demonstrated the interference and diffraction of light in the early nineteenth century. Light is
wave based! There are no photons! That's not a thing! Stop trying to make it a thing!"
Observation With Low-Infrared (or OWL-I, for short) is our first evocation, and is by no means a simple spell. The evocation takes advantage of our limited experience playing with light-based magicks and performs some rather complex functions - perhaps a bit more complex than what would be ideal for an evocation. The spell sections off a circle roughly the size of a Mage's hand in the air a few inches from their face. Light which passes through this circle is phase-shifted to higher frequencies, which would make some frequencies of non-visible light visible to the naked eye. Thankfully, our Magineers managed to catch a rather critical flaw in this function and limited the phase-shifted light to only the upper portion of the infrared light spectrum. This prevents other forms of light from being accidentally phase-shifted (such as ultra-violet rays into x-rays, for example). Additionally, some rather clever Magineers managed to ensure that the spell circle only operated on light coming in from the outwards-facing side, preventing the circle from illuminating the users face.
The spell works surprisingly well, despite the complex nature and our relatively limited experience with light manipulation. Further-away objects appear dimmer, and closer objects appear brighter. Cooler objects appear red, while warmer objects appear blue. In total and near-darkness, this is a massive boon. There are a few issues, however; the circle is visible to others, meaning anyone 90-135° off to the side and behind the user will be able to see the circle of phase-shifted light. The circle is not terribly bright, and resolution can be fuzzy. The range is thoroughly unimpressive, with a detection range of about 40 meters for human-sized targets (note: "detection" range is not the same as "recognition" range). The performance is also correlated to the ambient temperature, with warmer weather degrading performance noticeably.
Despite these short-comings, it is functional, zero-cost night vision, and it beats Kálmán Tihanyi's invention of infrared anti-air cameras by a solid fifteen years. The spell is complex, but barely - and I do mean just
barely - manages to stay within the realm of "Competent" for our Mages. More complex variants will undoubtedly increase the required skill level, though off-loading parts of the spell into equipment would likely keep it at more manageable levels.
Progress: (0/10)(4)
Type: Evocation
Experience: Competent
Cost: 0
Army: Poor. "I can't help but feel such skills would be more useful if they were under my direct command. Mages basically operate as Army soldiers, anyways." -General Feo
Navy: Poor. "We would be better off if we had a few more ships. Maybe they'd be more useful in a dockyard, welding plate together." -Admiral Cesena
Political: Neutral. "I can't really afford to spend much money on so few, but all they've accomplished thus far is only due to my funding. I hate to take credit for their work - really - but I don't really see any alternative." -King Gioffre II
Public: Ambivalent. "They're just soldiers, right? What's the big deal? They shoot guns and take orders like anyone else." -Random Citizen
Sorceries
Soaring Memory of Crystal Mind, Version 4: Created by one of the junior members of SPELLS in an attempt to modify his memory and perform better in school and updated by the 208th for intelligence gathering. Maps the cone of vision through a monocle onto a sheet of pigment-laden paper. Resolution is impressive despite the small size of the photos. Requires a monocle to cast, and operates by re-arranging the pigments of the paper slotted into the monocle. Requires a second casting to clear. [Rookie] [1]
Svanire: Invisibility, sort of! Bends incoming light 150 meters away around the user in an omnidirection sphere. Focus is a cheap Tournaline carefully cut and set within a heavy set of copper wires and an expensive set of engraved plates, which the user hangs from their chest like a backpack worn in reverse. Casting takes a great deal of focus from the user, though they can still walk and talk while casting. Mana consumption can be quite high, limiting use to 1 hour for an Experienced Mage. User can not see while casting. [Experienced] [12] [<50% Complete]
Galilei Lensing v2: 8x brass binoculars. Casts a field of Mana tracers out from the main lens in a bent cone. The cone curves proportionally to the sliding engraved rail system on the side of the binoculars, which currently allows a curve of a radius between 5 and infinite kilometers (i.e. at a 45° angle, the binoculars grant sight range of 10 kilometers). Light bends back along the tracers towards the binoculars, giving line of sight beyond the horizon. Top and bottom sections of the image can't be focused at the same time, but a double-back curve on the lower edge of the lens helps even out the difference. Significantly drains Mana. A Rookie-level mage can perform observation for an hour, with an additional hour per level. [Rookie] [4]
Gauntlets of Force: Largely leather in nature, with engraved steel rings implanted into the fingertips and palms. The rings are connected to one another with copper wires, trailing down the backs of the fingers and terminating in another steel ring that goes around the wrist. The ring around the wrist is the most heavily engraved, and handles most of the flow and direction of input Mana. Holds up to rough use. Left Gauntlet controls the movement and direction of the object being cast upon, and the right controls power. Possible to use other equipment while casting, but multi-tasking becomes difficult. Can complete tasks such as throwing a ball into a bucket or punching a dummy. Range of 15 meters. Max force is limited to manipulating around 650 Newtons (or about 150 pounds). As the distance and force increases, so does Mana consumption. Does not stop bullets. [Competent] [5]
Evocations
Snap-Lighter: A brief conjure of flame, for lighting pipes and cigarettes. Mana is channeled by snapping one’s fingers while casting, causing a match-sided blue flame to appear on the users thumb. Runs entirely off Mana, though the spell is intended to only last a short period of time. Caster is advised to wet their thumb before casting in order to prolong the time the flame can appear before burning the thumb. [Rookie]
Observation With Low-Infrared (OWL-I): Infrared Night Vision. Creates a circle a few inches from the Mage's face, which phase-shifts infrared light into blue/red visible light. Detection extends out to 40 meters, with recognition much shorter. Resolution is fuzzy, and the picture isn't very bright. Warm weather degrades performance, and the circle is visible to others if they are behind the user. [Competent] [<50% Completed]
Enchantments
Lucky Rabbits Foot: A preserved rabbits foot, using a rather convoluted weave of magic. Effects seem dubious, but through rigorous testing it is revealed to subtly move the wearers foot just enough to avoid stumbling over unseen rocks or stubbing toes on furniture. Further testing reveals it performs an on-going analysis of the users gait and compares the projected footfall with the terrain immediately ahead. Replenishes naturally while in close proximity to a mage, but will otherwise run dry within an hour. [Rookie] [4]
Fulcrum Armor V4: A canvas trench coat lined with steel wire. Comes with a hood and a collar that buttons up over the nose. Redirects force around and through the coat, exiting on the opposite side to which it was applied. Steel wire handles most of the stress, but canvas will rupture around impact and exit locations. Does poorly against multi-impact weapons such as shotguns or shrapnel. Can be turned off when not in use. Can maintain its enchantment for more than 48 hours when on standby mode, and run down a Rookie's Mana Pool in 8 hours when active. [Rookie] [6]
Thaumic Radio v2: An AM radio, capable of communicating in Morse Code. Range extends out to 4 kilometers. Small enough to be worn as a backpack, with a long, swishy antenna. Converts Mana to electrical energy to replace the battery. Vacuum tubes are replaced with magical logical components. Goes staticky with every time the wearer takes a step. Prone to breaking down, but operators are described as "bizarrely seductive". [Competent] [8]
Trench Broomstick v2: A modified Sava '00, to which King Gioffre II has turned a blind eye. Magically operated modified straight-bolt turns the gun into a semi-automatic. A subtle magic auto-kinetic enchantment on the barrel allows the user to maintain accurate sights to whatever he's looking at. Casts a pair of Mana Tracers downrange to perform accuracy improvements. User must manually adjust for range, drop, wind speed, etc. [Rookie] [6]
Misc Magical Equipment
Focus Talisman, Version “Bear”: A modern Mage’s talisman, used to help direct a Mage’s magic into Sorceries. The contraption is a little bit bigger than an open hand and features intricate inner workings that blend the magical and mechanical. Physical appearance represents a bird cage, with the bars joining together in a central point. The device allows a Mage to focus her Mana through a well-understood means and redirect it into a secondary means of spell direction, such as a wand or circle. The device is a bit like an intricate net, helping capture unfocused magical energy from a Mage. This reduces the amount of Mana needed to perform a given spell and helps a Mage split their focus between two spells, but each Focus Talisman must be hand-crafted by skilled non-combat Mages, making it quite expensive. Enchantments must be maintained daily. Delicate and prone to breaking. [10]
Wooden Wand: Carved from broom handles, fence posts, and any other scrap of wood that can be found. Used to assist in Direction during spell-casting, allowing the user to more efficiently spend their Mana and apply their Will. Generally engraved with lines and symbols by the user. Used for casting low-level Sorceries, with a penalty to effectiveness. Generally, a wand should be specialized to whatever spell is being cast, but this works in a pinch. [0]
Mundane Weapons
Sava ’00: Bolt-action rifle, firing 0.333 caliber rounds out of a 5-round internal box. Named after the King’s father, may God rest his soul. Manufactured in the homeland, and a shining example of our people’s technical skill. The Sava ’00 is standard-issue to all infantrymen, and a single round will kill just as well as a lightning zap (as magic detractors will quickly point out). The wooden body cradles a rifled barrel fitted with lugs for bayonets. It’s light and wieldable, but cycling the bolt causes loss of sight picture. Prone to jamming as the bolt wears out. [5]
Pavle Sidearm: Standard-issue sidearm, 0.35 caliber. Remarkably cheap and easy to use, but unreliable. The slide is prone to jamming in place, and the sights are more of a suggestion than anything used for accurate fire. Comes with an eight round magazine. [1]
Bottiglia Artillery Shells: 3" naval artillery shells. Percussion fuses with HE payload. [1]
Freccette: 5g darts. About 8" long, made of simple iron with a "+" shaped tail and pointed tip. [1]
Misc
Mage Uniform ’14: Standard mass-produced infantry uniform, adapted for mages. Warm and sturdy, and made mostly out of scratchy wool. Brown trousers and overcoat with a drab green undershirt. Boots are oiled leather and come up to the ankle, with cloth wraps that go up past the calf. A belt around the waist holds ammo and supplies, although there’s not a lot of room. A fashionable cloth cap keeps the head warm. A set of fancy, billowing robes that go over top marks the wearer as a Mage, though the hem drags in the mud and the sleeves snag on everything. Does not protect against bullets or shrapnel. [0]
Budget: 25
Svanire | (3/16)(3) | 3 Dice Spent | [Experienced] | [12] | Sorcery
Observation With Low-Infrared (OWL-I) | (0/10)(4) | 3 Dice Spent | [Competent] | [0 ] | Evocation
Magia e Scienza unite per la VittoriaMurano 1 | Competent | Artillery Spotter | -none-
Torcello 2 | Competent | Artillery Spotter | -none-
Burano 3 | Competent | Footsoldier | -none-
Unit 4 | Rookie | -None- | -none-
2 Dice left.
Author
Topic: Wands Race 2: The Great War - Abbraccio (Read 22587 times)