Spell:Cirrus Skiff

Source: Book of the Emerald Circle by Brian Hon/Limited Reagent

Cost: 15m, 1wp

Circle: Emerald

Type: Simple

Keywords: Component, Commitment (5m), Obvious

Duration: Varies or until dismissed

The sorcerer whistles and calls from the sky a small white cloud (it will not appear without access to the sky). The cloud descends and waits patiently for the sorcerer to step onto it, then it ascends into the sky and travels at the sorcerer's direction. The cloud carries the sorcerer at a long-distance travel speed of 90 miles per hour. It can carry (Essence x 100) pounds of passengers or cargo, although each 100 pounds of such reduce its flight speed by ten miles per hour. If reduced to a flight speed of zero, the cloud collapses (as described below when all its health levels are filled with damage).

In combat, the skiff is treated as a Control Rating 0 mount with +(Essence) bonus dice to all Ride rolls to maneuver it, although it is not compatible with Charms or other powers that affect mounts. It can take 45-yards-per-tick Dash actions and 10-yards-per-tick Move actions, and can change direction as easily as a man on foot. Each 100 pounds of cargo or passengers imposes a -1 internal penalty to Ride rolls to maneuver, its Dash speed is reduced by five, and its Move speed by one. The skiff cannot fly above the highest cirrus clouds—about 12 miles (or 20,000 yards) above sea level. The cloud offers no protection from any environmental effects, however, so flying at great heights is not recommended without other means of protection. The cloud is controlled via thought, so the sorcerer must stay awake and vigilant to travel upon his skiff, even if the act is not strenuous.

The major downside of the Cirrus Skiff, however, is that the cloud slowly sublimates away as it travels through the air. It has (Willpower x 2) health levels, and it takes one unsoakable health level of damage per hour in flight. When half those health levels are gone, its flight speed is halved (after accounting for weight) and its Control Rating increase to 3. When all its health levels are filled, the cloud sputters, uncontrollable, descending at a rate of 10 yards per tick (or 20 miles an hour) until it reaches the ground, scattering puffs of vapor upon the surface, and gently dropping off the sorcerer (and his cargo and passengers, if any), at which point the spell ends. This is the only way the cloud can take damage; it is otherwise an invalid target for attacks. Its health levels can never be regained in any way.

The sorcerer can debark his cloud before it naturally disintegrates. If he wishes to end the spell early, he may whistle once again and the cloud flies away. Otherwise, the cloud waits patiently wherever the sorcerer last left it. While it is not traversing the air, the skiff does not take automatic damage.

Component: The sorcerer is required to whistle as a vocal component. If he cannot make this sound, the spell cannot be cast.