Report on Aeromancing, Volume 1

Report on Aeromancing, Vol. I

Aeromancing is the art of reaching into the very structure of a spell to alter its elemental components to the element of electricity. Spells with elemental components often greatly benefit from the almost instantly conducted, deadly force of lightning, increasing the damage dealt and lowering the time at hand to evade the spell. Also Aeromancing, due to its very deep and intense study of elemental spells (mostly Conjurations and Evocations) allows a deeper understanding of said spell schools for a swifter and more powerfull usage even of non-elemental spells. As there is no standard treatise on Aeromancing known to the author, this book will fill the gap and presents her research on casting cantrips to 3rd Circle spells in the fashion of an Aeromancer. A second Volume will then deal with the alteration of more advanced spells, but more experiments are needed for that.

Cantrips We start with the lowest circle spells, known to all users of magic: The cantrips. The two Evocations flare and light are not affected, as they yield no elemental component, except that recipients of a flare spell report a somewhat brighter flash. This probably lies in the characteristic of lightning to emit bright light. The electric nature of electric jolt enabling to draw the electric power from the very air, channelizing it through the body and releasing its power. This process of channeling charges up the casters body, making it dangerous to touch the magus at this moment, as an electric shock is released.

The two Conjurations of this circle, Acid splash and ray of frost can be successfully altered by using a very basic pattern of electrical substitution.

1st circle Looking at the Evocations of the first circle, one will notice, that neither Magic Missile nor Shelgarns Persistent Blade can be subject to Elemental Alterations. Burning Bolt, Ice Dagger, Horizikaul's Boom and Snillocs Snowball can successfully be altered in their elemental constitution, but while the Burning Bolt (possible due to its weak basic design) and Horizikauls Boom (oddly) do not gain in power, the both ice spells greatly benefit from an elemental substitution, gaining an increase of roughly one fifth in strength, which is even more than expected. On the Conjuration side, Benign Transposition and summon creature show no potential of being elementally altered, even though the author is very curious to see if the same applies to summoning elementals. Grease becomes more slippery. Hail of stones and the lesser Elemental Orbs increase in their destructive power an estimated fifth and the latter spells can be changed in their elemental structure with relative ease. One spell however deserves special mentioning, as it is neither conjuration, nor evocation, but still elemental: Burning hands. This particular spell can be altered to become electrical hands, but all of its other features stay the same.

2nd circle The 2nd Circle Evocations (like Snowball Swarm, Fireburst and Agannazzars Scorcher) can be altered in their elemental structure, except for Darkness, leading to an increase in destructive power by roughly one fifth, with the notable exception of Combust, which seems to benefit significantly less from an elemental substitution. This might be because of the subsequent burns the victim suffers, which seems to be a quality that lightning cannot reproduce. The Conjurations of this circle however show irregular patterns. The strings of a web are en par in their immobilizing power with a first circle grease. This is odd as glitterdust is more difficult to dodge as expected with its more complex nature compared to first circle spells. Another strange exception is the Acid Arrow which was expected to increase in destructive capacitiy by turning into a lightning bolt, but no increase was notable at all. This is probably due to the same reasons as Combust.

3rd circle The third and last circle dealt with in this book offers some of the most famous evocation spells. Fireball and Ice Burst can be altered, but at a higher difficulty due to the sheer amount of elemental power they produce. It is notable, that the quickness of lightning energy seems to increase the velocity of the respective explosion. making them more damaging and harder to evade. The Aeromancer can use his understanding for electric energy to increase the Power of a Lightning Bolt by channeling it through her own body, analog to electric jolt and electric loop. Serpents Sigh can be altered as well, but due to its crude and autodestructive nature, the author discourages its use.

From the school of Conjuration the Flame Arrow Spell had raised high expectations, as it is very concentrated and thus powerfull, but there was only a very slight increase notable, casting it in the fashion of aeromancing. Lastly the Stinking Cloud benefits - in line with other Area targeted conjurations (except for web) - from the general deepened knowledge of studying the very structure of evocations and conjurations and its nauseatic capacity increases slightly, though no other changes are notable.

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The biggest difficulty with Electrical alterations is that of all elements lightning is the most fugitive and its brief existence makes it hard to create lasting effects. 4th circle spells - next to their already very complex nature - tend to create more lasting effects, which need a constant stream of energy to be supported (like elemental shield) or are almost inseparable from their element (like the long lasting blazes of a wall of fire or the massive ice rocks created by an ice storm). But as almost no problem is unsolvable, surely there will be ways to grasp even those spells and with enough understanding alter their very element. This will be the content of the second Volume of the Report on Aeromancing.

~~ N'esrim ~~ Magus of the Ebony Order of the Moon