Stormbringer - Chaosium, Cassandra's Sonic Shock Wave

"Farewell, friend. I was a thousand times more evil than thou!". There are few items that overshadow the characters in the story. Even Tolkien's One Ring could not do it. Stormbringer does this. It did it so well that Chaosium chose to name the first version of their game based on Elric after his sword. They correct this in the fifth edition of the game.

This is the rulebook from the first edition box set that I picked up a few years ago at HPB. I had the big box version of Stormbringer at one point but I may have sold it at some point so I was glad to get this back. Until they changed the name to Elric! all of the versions were basically tweaks of the first edition with rules added from previously released supplements. There were minor changes but nothing too major so any of the first four editions would give you the basic feel of the first edition. As most of their games are this was based extensively off of the Basic Role Playing system.

Looking back on it this game more so than D&D/AD&D should have been the game caused the out roar on demons since the whole magic system is basically based on summoning them in the earlier edition. In the end this is a system worth picking up. I remember spending quite a bit of time playing around with the demons one could summon and yet somehow I am not a practicing Satanist....take that Rona Jaffe.

Spell:

Cassandra's Sonic Shock Wave

Level: Third
Range: None
Duration: Instantaneous
Ares Effect: 6" Radius
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 3 Segments
Saving Throw: Halves

When this spell is cast it causes a wave of sonic vibrations to emanate from the caster. These will extend out in a 60' radius and will run the entire length of sound spectrum. This wave will cause three points of damage per level of the caster to those caught in the area effect who have not taken necessary precautions. In addition to the damage those affected will be deafened for 1d4 rounds and stand a 50% chance of being stunned for a like period of time. Those who make their save will only suffer half the specified damage and be deafened for just 1d2 rounds with no chance of being stunned.

This spell will also have an effect on non-living objects that are not in the possession of an individual. There is a base 10% chance plus 2% per level of the caster that any item in the area of effect will be shattered by the vibrations the wave causes in the items. Magical items that could be effected subtract a base 20% from the chance of this happening. Items with magical bonuses will subtract an additional 5% per plus. Even if affected the magic item is still entitled to a saving throw versus crushing blow.

The material components of this spell are a tuning for, a crystal rod of not less than 25gp in value and an undamaged feather from an Androsphinx. None of the items are destroyed in the casting of the spell.

Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.