4.2.25 Life support enchantments

Enchantment nature: Life support

Magical skill used: Air, Death, Earth, Life, Stasis, Water; Stasis magic is best.

Characteristic used: WP

Description: A life support enchantment allows the caster to change the nature of a character's talents/disabilities for the duration of the enchantment, e.g. so that the character is better able to survive in circumstances that would otherwise be dangerous (e.g. water breathing).

Power: There are three different effects that can be achieved through life support (Underwater survival, Immunity to poisons, Suspended animation). The power of a life support enchantment determines how strong the life support effect is, as follows:

Power Underwater survival Immunity to poisons Suspended animation
1 Can hold breath for twice as long as normal.
2 Can hold breath for five times as long as normal.
3 Can hold breath for ten times as long as normal.
4 Can travel to depths of 10 metres without suffering damage from pressure. Immune to any slow-acting nerve poison, slow poison or minor disease. Can slow metabolism so that eating, drinking and oxygen needs are reduced to one-twentieth of normal.
5
6 Can extract oxygen from the water (breathe water) indefinitely. Immune to any normal nerve poison, infection or normal disease. Does not need to eat/drink.
7
8 Can travel to any depth (pressure tolerant). Immune to the effects of all diseases, drugs or poisons. Can slow metabolism to such a degree that appears to be dead.
9
10 Does not need to breathe.

The minimum Power of a life support enchantment is 1.

Finesse: The finesse of a life support enchantment determines how many different effects can be applied to the same life support enchantment. A finesse zero enchantment will cover one effect only (e.g. underwater survival only). Each additional effect requires +2 finesse (e.g. an enchantment covering underwater survival, immunity to poison and suspended animation would require a finesse of at least 4). If the enchantment is to be flexible, so that the target can choose which elements of the enchantment to apply at any point of time, there is a further increase of +2 to the finesse.

Applying life support to a willing stationery target is normally automatic provided the caster can see the target. If a target is not willing to be the recipient of life support or is a moving target, the caster must make an attack dice roll with a basic value equal to the Finesse of the enchantment to pick up the target in the life support enchantment.

Limitations: The magical skill used limits what kind of life support the caster can perform. The referee should apply discretion, but the following list may help.

Skill Life support restrictions:
Air Breathe gases. May only create the effect of Immunity to poisons. Any immunity obtained relates only to poisons, diseases etc. that are inhaled, and the effects of the enchantment work only if the target is in an atmosphere (i.e. not underwater or in vacuum). Maximum Finesse is zero. At Power 10, can survive even if all oxygen has been removed from the atmosphere.
Death Feign death. May only create the effect of Suspended animation. Maximum Finesse is 2 (allowing varying of effect). At Power 10, can survive even if all oxygen has been removed from the atmosphere.
Earth Hibernation. May only create the effect of Suspended animation. Maximum Finesse is 2 (allowing varying of effect). At Power 10, can survive even if all oxygen has been removed from the atmosphere.
Life Suspend animation. May only create the effect of Suspended animation. Maximum Finesse is 2 (allowing varying of effect). At Power 10, can survive even if all oxygen has been removed from the atmosphere.
Stasis Life support. Only the caster can be given the life support. Area of effect and range must be 0. At Power 10, can survive even if all oxygen has been removed from the atmosphere.
Water Water breathing. May only create the effect of Underwater survival. Maximum Finesse is zero. At Power 10, can survive underwater even if all oxygen has been removed from the water.

Examples:

Ben Ruben, a holy man, has a Stasis magic skill of 4 (with no specialism in life support) and a WP score of +5 1/2. He falls into the sea and wishes to temporarily be able to breathe water. He, therefore, seeks to cast a life support enchantment with Power 6, Finesse 0 (underwater survival only), Range Self (i.e. 0), Concealment 3 (the enchantment will be inobvious), Duration 1 hour (i.e. 3), Area of effect Single target (i.e. 0), Investment 0 = Difficulty 12 in total. His basic value is 4 + 5 1/2 = 9 1/2. Because he is swimming (sinking) at the time, he casts the enchantment without any preparation, gestures or words. He decides to roll 3D + 1/2; he rolls a 5, 4 and a 3, giving a dice roll result of 12 1/2. The enchantment succeeds with no adverse effects.