MAGIC
Tracing the Origins of Magic in Hyborian War
(A work in progress)

The Black Death - When prepared, the Black Death spell is cast on any enemy army which marches in to invade one of your provinces where the spellcaster is stationed. Casting this spell places extreme strain on the life energy of the spellcaster and thus may only be cast a limited number of times in a spellcaster's lifetime. The Black Death is a form of virulent plague which will slay between 20% and 50% of the enemy troops as they march to meet your forces in battle. The Black Death spell may not be used offensively and only works in defense of provinces under your control.

“I have three hundred pikemen, four hundred Bossonian archers, and perhaps fifty men who, like yourself, are skilled in woodcraft. They are worth ten times their number of soldiers, but there are so few of them. Frankly, Conan, my situation is becoming precarious. The soldiers whisper of desertion; they are low-spirited, believing Zogar Sag has loosed devils on us. They fear the black plague with which he threatened us — the terrible black death of the swamplands. When I see a sick soldier I sweat with fear of seeing him turn black and shrivel and die before my eyes.

Source: Beyond the Black River
Robert E. Howard

“Conan, if the plague is loosed upon us, the soldiers will desert in a body! The border will be left unguarded and nothing will check the sweep of the dark-skinned hordes to the very gates of Velitrium — maybe beyond! If we cannot hold the fort, how can they hold the town?

Source: Beyond the Black River
Robert E. Howard

"Should King Nimed and his sons die naturally, in a plague for instance, Tarascus would mount the throne as the next heir, peacefully and unopposed."

Source: The Hour of the Dragon
Robert E. Howard

THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON had birth in war and pestilence and unrest. The black plague stalked through the streets of Belverus, striking down the merchant in his stall, the serf in his kennel, the knight at his banquet board. Before it the arts of the leeches were helpless. Men said it had been sent from hell as punishment for the sins of pride and lust. It was swift and deadly as the stroke of an adder. The victim's body turned purple and then black, and within a few minutes he sank down dying, and the stench of his own putrefaction was in his nostrils even before death wrenched his soul from his rotting body. A hot, roaring wind blew incessantly from the south, and the crops withered in the fields, the cattle sank and died in their tracks.

Source: The Hour of the Dragon
Robert E. Howard

"I've dreamed many evil dreams," he said, "and most of them were meaningless. But by Crom, this was not like most dreams! I wish this battle were fought and won, for I've had a grisly premonition ever since King Nimed died in the black plague. Why did it cease when he died?"

Source: The Hour of the Dragon
Robert E. Howard

"No! The black plague's no common pestilence. It lurks in Stygian tombs, and is called forth into being only by wizards. I was a swordsman in Prince Almuric's army that invaded Stygia, and of his thirty thousand, fifteen thousand perished by Stygian arrows, and the rest by the black plague that rolled on us like a wind out of the south. I was the only man who lived."


Source: The Hour of the Dragon
Robert E. Howard

Reincarnation - The reincarnation spell is only usable on one of your characters who has died on the previous turn. If the spell is successfully cast, it will bring the dead character back to life at the same age as when he died. The reincarnation spell places a tremendous drain upon the spellcaster and a character may only cast it a limited number of times in his lifetime. A reincarnated character will not regain used-up spells.

"Ishtar!" he gasped. "It is Xaltotun!-and he lives! Valerius! Tarascus! Amalric! Do you see? Do you see? You doubted me- but I have not failed! We have been close to the open gates of hell this night, and the shapes of darkness have gathered close about us -- -aye, they followed him to the very door -- but we have brought the great magician back to life."

Source: The Hour of the Dragon
Robert E. Howard

Fire Wall - This spell causes a wall of flame to leap up in obedience to the will of the spell caster. A firewall can engulf and destroy entire ranks of charging soldiers in an instant!

Through their tales ran the name of Natohk like a crawling serpent. At his bidding the demons of the air brought thunder and wind and fog, the fiends of the underworld shook the earth with awful roaring. He brought fire out of the air and consumed the gates of walled cities, and burnt armored men to bits of charred bone.

Source: Black Colossus
Robert E. Howard

The Open Hand - Knowledge of this spell signifies membership in the dread Open Hand Society. A master of the Open Hand of power can break down strong doors and kill instantly.

"The Heart, by Crom!" he muttered. "He was carrying it under his mantle. He stole it. He burst that door by his magic, and slew Beloso. He was a priest of Set."

A quick investigation confirmed at least part of his suspicions. The jewel was not on the Zingaran's body. An uneasy feeling rose in Conan that this had not happened by chance, or without design; a conviction that the mysterious Stygian galley had come into the harbor of Messantia on a definite mission. How could the priests of Set know that the Heart had come southward? Yet the thought was no more fantastic than the necromancy that could slay an armed man by the touch of an open, empty hand.


Source: The Hour of the Dragon
Robert E. Howard

Earth Demon - The Earth Demon spell is a very potent and terrifying form of magic! With a word of command, the holder of this spell may summon the very power of the earth to do his bidding, causing the earth to shake, cliffs to topple onto the armies of his enemies and the walls of fortifications to come crashing to the ground in the space of a moment. The Earth Demon spell is only effective in mountain, hill, or fort terrain.

He staggered as the walls of the tent swayed drunkenly. Afar over the thunder of the fight rose a deep bellowing roar, indescribably ominous.

"The cliffs reel!" shrieked the squire. "Ah, gods, what is this? The river foams out of its channel, and the peaks are crumbling!

The ground shakes and horses and riders in armor are overthrown! The cliffs! The cliffs are falling!"

With his words there came a grinding rumble and a thunderous concussion, and the ground trembled. Over the roar of the battle sounded screams of mad terror.

"The cliffs have crumbled!" cried the livid squire. "They have thundered down into the defile and crushed every living creature in it! I saw the lion banner wave an instant amid the dust and falling stones, and then it vanished! Ha, the Nemedians shout with triumph! Well may they shout, for the fall of the cliffs has wiped out five thousand of our bravest knights-hark!"

Source: The Hour of the Dragon
Robert E. Howard

Magic Sleep - With this spell, a character can call upon a child from the chilling outer void (a being whose very touch can paralyze the body and numb the mind). If successful, the spellcaster may command this creature to touch the commander of an enemy army. The commander touched in this fashion will become paralyzed and useless for the duration of the battle.

"It was there, in the comer," muttered the king, tossing his lion-maned head from side to side in his efforts to rise. "A man-at least he looked like a man-wrapped in rags like a mummy's bandages, with a moldering cloak drawn about him, and a hood. All I could see was his eyes, as he crouched there in the shadows. I thought he was a shadow himself, until I saw his eyes. They were like black jewels.

"I made at him and swung my sword, but I missed him clean- how, Crom knows-and splintered that pole instead. He caught my wrist as I staggered off balance, and his fingers burned like hot iron. All the strength went out of me, and the floor rose and struck me like a club. Then he was gone, and I was down, and- curse him!-I can't move! I'm paralyzed!"

Pallantides lifted the giant's hand, and his flesh crawled. On the king's wrist showed the blue marks of long, lean fingers. What hand could grip so hard as to leave its print on that thick wrist? Pallantides remembered that low laugh he had heard as he rushed into the tent, and cold perspiration beaded his skin. It had not been Conan who laughed.

"This is a thing diabolical!" whispered a trembling squire. "Men say the children of darkness war for Tarascus!"


Source: The Hour of the Dragon
Robert E. Howard


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