Magnetic Ballista

	Magnetic Ballista
Abbreviation:	MAB
Prerequisites:	Anther's Call and either Tingle, Arc Light, or Gar Zeng
Signature:	Yes
Spell Slots:	3
Mana Type:	Elemental Magic
Spell Type:	standard / targeted
Difficulty:	intermediate
Prep (min/max):	15 / 100
Skill Range (min/max):	80 / 800
Valid Spell Target:	Self, PC
Duration (min/max):	2 minutes / 10 minutes
Justice:	no
Corruption:	no
Description:	Magnetic Ballista allows you to shape the surrounding earth, rock, and mud into a potent siege engine known as a ballista. It uses a powerful natural force known as 'magnetism,' much like a giant lodestone. Be careful when it fires, for this force has a remarkable affect on metal armors and could pull small individuals to the ground! Luckily, a talented mage can reshape the ballista, rubbing it into a different shape that will not generate such a large area effect." "The ballista comes into existence loaded. Once it has fired the caster must continually maintain it, loading it magically each time. With a powerful enough ballista, however, you may be able to load an extra rock into the loading arm. Your ability to create this device will be based on your skill with utility magics, though all attacks by the Magnetic Ballista are derived from your skill at targetting magic. The caster may destroy his ballistae at any time by BREAKing them apart. The caster may also manually direct a ballista at a target by POINTing it at the desired victim.
Effect:	Puncture damage, Impact damage, Creates a ballista that fires rocks.
Example Messaging:	You gesture. The bedrock rumbles and lurches as crumbling dirt and cracking stone solidify into a heavy earthen ballista. Roundtime: 1 sec. The earthen ballista grinds and rotates until it faces a <creature>. A heavy earthen ballista shudders slightly and makes a noisy thrumming as it launches a large rock at a <creature>! Small splatters of blood fly out from the chest, struck dead center by the speeding large rock! BREAK: With a sharp blow, you disrupt the spell pattern holding the earthen ballista together. Roundtime: 2 sec. A heavy earthen ballista loses its cohesion and crumples into a pile of debris. FOCUS: You focus your magical senses on a heavy earthen ballista. The earthen ballista has a definite magical pattern, which apparently holds it into its shape. You recognize the pattern as Elemental magic. It is apparently a manifestation of Earth Manipulation magic from the Magnetic Ballista spell. You feel as though you could LOAD the earthen ballista, readying it for another shot. Also, you could RUB this earthen ballista to make it generate a magnetic pulse area effect when it fires. This earthen ballista was created by you. You sense that the earthen ballista is sustained by a magical pattern which should remain intact for about 4 roisaen. Roundtime: 17 seconds. You notice several weak points in the ballista's construction. With the proper amount of force applied at one of these points you could BREAK it, ending the spell prematurely. LOAD: You lay your hand upon the earthen ballista, allowing your magical senses to drift through your fingertips and seep into its very depths. Near the point where the ballista meets the natural earth, you notice several normal rocks which will serve well as ammunition. Mentally grasping the nearest portions of the magic pattern, you coax them to seek one and draw it inside the ballista. The earthen ballista grinds with the sound of stone on stone as a large rock rises up from within it and sets itself atop the launching device. Roundtime: 2 sec. POINT: Placing your hand on the earthen ballista, you focus your magical senses deep within the pattern binding it together. With a minor adjustment, you pull the spell matrix subtly until it recognizes a <creature> as its new target. The earthen ballista grinds and rotates until it faces <creature>. Roundtime: 3 sec. RUB: Deftly, you rub your hand across the earthen ballista, reshaping it subtly so the magnetic pulse it generates is focused only where it is facing. Roundtime: 5 seconds. Deftly, you rub your hand across the earthen ballista, reshaping it subtly so the magnetic pulse it generates flares up with every single shot. Roundtime: 5 seconds. UNLOAD: You brush your hands across the earthen ballista, allowing your magical senses to drift through your fingertips and seep into its very depths. You deftly manage to switch the polarity of the earthen ballista briefly, causing the large rock loaded inside to hop out of the device and land harmlessly on the ground. Roundtime: 2 sec.
Devices/Tattoos:	No devices or tattoos documented.

Notes

• You cannot cast more than 1 in a given location. Other WMs can still add more to an area, but only one each.
• Rubbing the ballista is an arcana check which switches the 'jerk forward' effect from aoe to single target only. It no longer suffers an accuracy penalty from doing this.
• The initial shot is now the same as all the other shots.
• Ballistae no longer suffer from duration issues due to weather or ground conditions. The type of ballista that arrives is just for flavor and will last as long as any other type (though generally durations are a bit shorter). They still can't be cast in certain depths of water.
• Once a ballista switches to a new target, it will fire quicker than before.
• The range of ballista firing speed is a little longer between shots (based on potency). Maximum firing speed is accomplished well before 100% potency is reached.
• You can now dual load the ballista when you cast the spell at higher Potency. It will not fire both shots at once, but it will let you get two shots off in succession without having to load in between. The level of Potency required for this feat is less than the level that was required for the auto-load feature.
• Failed loading (arcana check) has a larger random aspect to it, and a RT. Loading RT can be reduced further than before through skill.
• LOAD, FOCUS, POINT, RUB and UNLOAD all require a free hand.
• Any Warrior Mage can load the ballista, which takes a tiny amount of mana.
• A ballista triggers the first strike mechanic when it is pointed at a target.
• The original caster can POINT a ballista with no target to clear its target.
• The original caster can UNLOAD a ballista, which is only useful when it auto-loads and you don't want to watch it fire rocks into the air every 10 seconds.
• MAB is considered a signature spell, so it will not be reflected by Aether Cloak, though it's targeting will be degraded.

Cantrip Interaction

Reinforce Stone will bolster the duration of a ballista:
You gesture at the earthen ballista, and it glows briefly. Focusing your cantrip on the earthen ballista, you examine its magical pattern and attempt to reinforce the elemental structure where it is crumbling. After your manipulations, you sense that the duration of the earthen ballista has been extended from about 5 roisaen to about 11 roisaen.
You sense that your manipulations of the earthen ballista will prevent casting this cantrip on it for about 10 roisaen.
Roundtime: 1 sec.

This will also add a line to the FOCUS:
You sense the lingering pattern of the Reinforce Stone cantrip binding the elemental lattice together. The pattern should fade in about 10 roisaen, after which you will once again be able to cast the cantrip on the earthen ballista.

Max duration with cantrip is 20 minutes, with 14 minutes until you can recast the cantrip.