Continuing with previews for the forthcoming Magic: Deeper Secrets, this collects spells shared on the FASA Discord — a low and high Circle spell for each Discipline. Hopefully you find something interesting here.

Thank you for everything!

Morgan “Panda” Weeks
Earthdawn Line Developer

Elementalist

Ice Barrier

Threads: 0
Weaving: 8/15
Casting: 6
Range: Touch
Duration: Rank rounds
Effect: Creates a barrier of ice
Water-Cold. This spell creates a half-circle of ice for protection. The spellcaster throws a handful of water where they want the barrier to appear and makes a Spellcasting (6) test. If successful, the ice freezes into an unmoving barrier which protects whoever is inside from attacks in a half-circle (three horizontal directions on a hex-grid). The barrier is clear and prevents other spells from passing through it on both sides as any other solid object. It has a Death Rating of 30; excess damage beyond the Death Rating has no effect.
Most spellcasters use this to protect themselves from being attacked from behind or to create an area of temporary reprieve to heal a fallen ally.
Success Levels: Increase Duration (+2 rounds)
Extra Threads: Increase Duration (+2 rounds), Increase Effect (+10 Death Rating)

Elemental Redoubt

Threads: 4 (ritual; see text)
Weaving: 16/21
Casting: 20
Range: Touch
Duration: Elementalist Circle days
Area of Effect: See text
Effect: Creates a fortress
Earth. Ritual. This ritual creates a stone fortress. The spellcaster carves their personal glyph into a series of stones while weaving the threads. Each Thread Weaving test (or equivalent) takes 30 minutes. While weaving threads, the spellcaster Names up to their Elementalist Circle characters and declares a command word or phrase. The spellcaster places the stones on the ground in front of them, arranging them to indicate the internal structure of their redoubt, and makes a Spellcasting (20) test. If successful, a stone fortress emerges from the ground. This ziggurat is 20 yards tall and has a 30 × 30 yard base. It’s surrounded by 10 yard tall and 2-yard thick crenelated stone walls which can be accessed from within. The exterior of the wall is 40 yards long × 40 yards high and has no obvious entrance. Characters Named while weaving threads can state the command word and a 4-yard square entry opens on the closest wall until they pass through. If the character wishes for more characters to pass through first, they must wait outside of the wall. Another character can close an opening on the closest wall with the command word if necessary. The exact details (location of ramps and entrances, etc.) are unique to each spellcaster and remain consistent. Increasing the area affects the dimensions of the ziggurat and walls equally. The fortress is unfurnished.
Success Levels: Increase Duration (+2 days)
Extra Threads: Increase Duration (+2 days), Increase Area (+10 × 10 yards), Increase Area (+10 yards high)

Illusionist

Papers Please

Threads: 1
Weaving: 7/12
Casting: 10
Range: Touch
Duration: Rank minutes
Effect: Creates false documentation
Illusion. This spell causes official documentation, symbols of authority, etc., to appear authentic and appropriate. The spellcaster shuffles briefly through some objects, selects one, and makes a Spellcasting (10) test. If successful, the affected object appears as it should based on the observer’s expectations. A bundle of associated papers is one object, but travel papers for multiple people are multiple objects. The object must be the appropriate size and shape, or it requires an additional success (for example, a rock requires an additional success to look like a badge of authority, but any papers suffice to appear as a cargo manifest).
Inspecting an affected object gives the inspector a Sensing test using the appropriate ability. If the story provided about the documentation doesn’t match what the inspector expects to be present (whether the inspector is correct in their expectation or not), the inspector is granted +5 to the Sensing test for each major detail that doesn’t match and would typically raise a red flag. When the spell is cast on an appropriate forgery, the spell’s Sensing Difficulty gains +1 for every point above 10 on the Detection Difficulty.
Success Levels: Increase Duration (+2 minutes)
Extra Threads: Increase Duration (+2 minutes), Increase Duration (hours), Additional Target (+rank)

My Imaginary Friend

Threads: 6
Weaving: 18/23
Casting: 20
Range: Touch; 100 yards
Duration: Illusionist Circle days
Effect: Creates an illusory entity
Figment. Ritual. This spell creates an entity for the spellcaster to act through. The spellcaster spends time designing its appearance, outlining it with chalk, and adding details as they weave the threads. Each Thread Weaving test (or equivalent) takes 30 minutes. They make a Spellcasting (20) test. If successful, the entity becomes real, in some ways, but not so much in others. It’s a figment with a featureless and ghostly form most of the time. However, the spellcaster can choose to inhabit this form as a Standard action when it’s adjacent to them. When inhabited, it takes on the intended appearance and the spellcaster can control it (including speaking), use non-physical talents (e.g. First Impression, but not Great Leap), and perceive through it as though it’s their body while it’s within range. However, they cannot cast spells through it. When inhabiting it in this way, it appears real and isn’t easy to discern as a figment, though it cannot interact physically by default. If the spellcaster intends to impersonate someone with the entity, they must use Disguise Self and Mimic Voice to actually sell the impersonation, but the entity will have the correct form. This allows the spellcaster to impersonate Namegivers which might otherwise be outside of their abilities.
Regardless of the form inhabited, the spellcaster uses their attributes at all times. If they use a form with different movement methods, they use that form’s default movement abilities and speed.
For 1 Karma Point as a Free action at the beginning of the round, the inhabited figment becomes real and they can physically interact with things, cast spells, use physical talents, etc. for one round (until the end of the round). This must be used in consecutive rounds to weave threads to cast a spell. However, during this time any damage inflicted on the entity is suffered by the spellcaster.
While inhabiting the entity, the spellcaster is unaware of their surroundings and largely helpless. Leaving the entity requires a Standard action and can be done anywhere. Though this requires them to go pick it up at a later time if they want it back, allowing the duration to expire, or dissipate the entity, effectively ending this spell. They may only dissipate an entity when leaving it.
The spellcaster may have Illusionist Circle instances of this spell at one time.
Success Levels: Increase Duration (+2 days)
Extra Threads: Increase Duration (+2 days), Increase Range (+100 yards)

Nethermancer

Pattern Spike

Threads: 0
Weaving: 7/12
Casting: TMD
Range: 20 yards
Duration: Instant; 2 rounds
Effect: WIL+3/Mystic and -2 to an Action test (see text)
This spell drives a mystic spike into the target’s pattern, disrupting it, and leaves a trailing thread to the spellcaster. The spellcaster uses both hands to pull at the target as though manipulating a skein, forms a point with the fingers of one hand and drives it into their other palm, then makes a Spellcasting test against the target’s Mystic Defense. If successful, the Effect test determines how much damage is inflicted and the spellcaster can inflict -2 as a Free action to one test the target makes by the end of the next round. This can be used after the Action test result is determined. However, it must be used before any subsequent effects from that test are determined. For example, once a Damage test result is determined, the penalty cannot be applied to the Attack test that caused it. If the penalty is not applied by the end of the next round, it is lost.
Success Levels: Increase Effect (-2 to Action test)
Extra Threads: Increase Duration (+2 rounds), Increase Effect (+2 Effect Step), Increase Effect (-2 to Action test), Increase Range (+10 yards), Additional Target (+1)

Breach the Astral Gates

Threads: 3
Weaving: 14/19
Casting: 20
Range: Touch
Duration: Rank minutes
Area of Effect: 20-yard radius
Effect: Removes the barriers between realms
This spell removes the distinction between the astral and physical realms in the area. The spellcaster chants while weaving threads, silvery glyphs appearing in the air before them outlining a gate, then kicks down the gates and makes a Spellcasting (20) test. If successful, the astral and physical realms briefly become the same. This twists the landscape in strange ways — greater astral corruption increases this effect, making the environment considerably more malevolent. Dual-natured entities are forced into one body if both are within the affected area. Damage is resisted with the highest of the target’s Physical or Mystic Armor regardless of the normal resistance, and Astral Sight and Awareness are interchangeable. Effects that allow the user to disappear into astral space (e.g. Step Through Shadow) have no effect, while those which store things in astral space (e.g. Astral Pocket) appear as a mundane counterpart. This applies to other abilities which may differ or affect only one realm — this list cannot be exhaustive for obvious reasons.
The gamemaster may want to include some interesting environmental effects from the merging of worlds in this fashion, particularly if the corruption level is Tainted or Corrupt. Examples could include corruption manifesting as black, crystalline briars which inflict Step 4 damage when a character moves adjacent to them (no armor reduces the damage), or as dripping ichor from trees in the area and casting spells inflicts penalties or damage — additional successes can be spent to reduce these effects.
Success Levels: Increase Duration (+2 minutes)
Extra Threads: Increase Duration (+2 minutes), Increase Area (+4 yards)

Shaman

Sparrow Raid

Threads: 1
Weaving: 9/14
Casting: TMD
Range: 10 yards
Area of Effect: 6-yard radius
Duration: 2 rounds
Effect: Harries and causes damage to insects
Spirit. This spell summons a swarm of sparrow spirits to harass an opponent. The spellcaster throws their arms wide, spins, chirps loudly, and makes a Spellcasting test against the highest Mystic Defense of opponents in the area. If successful, a flock of sparrow spirits fly from the spellcaster’s sleeves and engulf opponents. Opponents in the area are Harried and their Movement Rate is halved.
If any opponents in the area are insects, insect spirits, or similar (black mantises, jehuthras, spider spirits, etc.), the tiny bird spirits peck and tear at them in a frenzy of chirps and aggression. Such opponents also suffer Damage Step 8 each round. Armor doesn’t protect against this damage.
Success Levels: Increase Duration (+2 rounds)
Extra Threads: Increase Duration (+2 rounds), Increase Effect (+2 Effect Step), Increase Area (+2 yards)

Imbue Spirits

Threads: 3
Weaving: 14/19
Casting: 10
Range: Self
Duration: Rank rounds
Area of Effect: 20-yard radius
Effect: Empowers spirits
This spell empowers spirits who willingly aid the spellcaster. This includes free spirits who aid the magician, summoned by the Summon talent or the summoning keyword, or with the spirit keyword. The spirit is willing if the spell has the spirit keyword. The spellcaster covers their fingers in water, draws their personal glyph on their forehead, flicks it into the air, and makes a Spellcasting (10) test. If successful, the water sparkles with an ethereal light and hangs in the area. All spirits who come to their aid willingly gain +3 to Attack, Damage, and Defenses, and spells with the spirit keyword gain the benefit of an extra thread. This extra thread doesn’t count toward the maximum number of extra threads. These benefits only apply while the spirit is within the area, which moves with the spellcaster.
The spellcaster must be entered into a Spirit Pact (The Adept’s Journey: Mystic Paths, p. 187) to cast this spell.
Success Levels: Increase Duration (+2 rounds)
Extra Threads: Increase Duration (+2 rounds), Increase Effect (+2 to Attack, Damage, and Defenses), Increase Area (+10 yards)

Wizard

Travelog

Threads: 2
Weaving: 5/10
Casting: 6
Range: Touch
Duration: Rank hours
Area of Effect: 2-yard radius
Effect: Records thoughts and experiences.
This spell records the spellcaster’s experiences and/or dictations. The spellcaster writes their Name on the intended record for this spell (e.g. a book, folio, scroll, etc.) with their finger and makes a Spellcasting (6) test. If successful, they choose which of the two records they wish to have documented: dictation or experiences. Dictation must be preceded and closed by an indication to begin and stop recording, such as “Scribe” and “Stop.” Experiences are recorded in the third person as though by someone with a wry sense of humor who doesn’t necessarily think highly of the spellcaster. This method is unpopular with Wizards who openly wonder why it even exists. The indicated record must be within the area from the spellcaster to have information entered with this spell. The report is magically entered in the selected record using a medium of their choosing (e.g. chalk, charcoal, ink, etc.) in the spellcaster’s handwriting.
Success Levels: Increase Duration (+2 hours)
Extra Threads: Increase Duration (+2 hours), Increase Area (+2 yards)

Immovable Object [Inanimate]

Threads: 0
Weaving: 13/18
Casting: 10
Range: 10 yards
Duration: Rank minutes
Effect: Wizard Circle+20
This spell renders almost all efforts to move an inanimate target useless. The spellcaster reaches out to the target with one hand and slams their other hand to the ground, gripping the ground, and makes a Spellcasting (10) test. If successful, the target takes on a dull, metallic cast and any attempt to move or knock them down is resisted — the Difficulty or originating action result (as appropriate) is compared against the Effect Step. This may not be cast on a target currently controlled by someone else (e.g. holding a weapon). The affected object can still be destroyed, just not moved — an affected door cannot be opened normally, but can still be destroyed, leaving an opening. Any increases to the spell’s Dispel Difficulty increase the Effect Step by the same amount.
If the resistance fails (the Effect Step is equal to or less than), the affected target is moved and the effect on them ends. Clearly, it wasn’t immovable after all.
This spell may be stored in the same spell matrix as Immovable Object [Animate].
Success Levels: Increase Effect (+2)
Extra Threads: Increase Duration (+2 minutes), Increase Effect (+2), Increase Range (+10 yards), Additional Targets (+1)