Shadow fury (co): Use this ability to add the speed of both your weapons (main hand and left hand) to your damage score. This ability can only be used once per combat.
Shadow speed (mo): When rolling for your attack speed, all results of can be changed to a .
Shatter (co): If your damage score causes health damage to your opponent, you can also shatter them. This reduces their armour by 2 for the remainder of the combat. You can only use shatter once per combat.
Shock! (co): If your damage score causes health damage to your opponent, you can also electrocute them with the shock! ability. This inflicts 1 extra damage for every 2 points of armour your opponent is wearing, rounding up. You can only use shock! once per combat.
Shock treatment (mo): If an ally falls in battle, you can use shock treatment to restore them back to 10 health. This also removes all passive effects on that hero. This ability can only be used once per combat.
Shunt (co): If your damage score causes health damage to your opponent, you can also shunt them. This reduces their speed by 2 for the next combat round. You can only use shunt once per combat.
Sidestep (co): (see Dodge). You can only use sidestep once per combat.
Sideswipe (co): (see Retaliation). You can only use sideswipe once per combat.
Silver frost (mo): Use silver frost to ‘freeze’ your opponent’s attack speed dice, forcing them to use the same dice result in the next combat round. You can only use silver frost once per combat.
Siphon (mo): All of your opponent’s results become a when rolling for their damage score.
Skewer (co): Instead of rolling for a damage score, you can skewer your opponents. Roll 1 damage die and apply the result to each of your opponents, ignoring their armour. This also lowers their speed by 1 for the next combat round. You can only use skewer once per combat.
Slam (co): Use this ability to stop your opponent rolling for damage when they have won a round. In the next combat round only, your opponent’s speed is reduced by 1. You can only use this ability once per combat.
Slick (co): If you win a round, you can use the total of your attack speed dice for your damage score (adding your brawn as normal). You can only use this ability once per combat. (Note: you cannot use modifier abilities to alter these dice results once they are used for your damage score.)
Snake strike (pa): (requires a snake in the left hand.) Before the first combat round begins you may automatically inflict 2 damage dice to a single opponent, ignoring armour. This will also inflict any harmful passive abilities you have, such as bleed and venom.
Sneak (mo): You may change the result of one of your opponent’s speed dice to a . This ability can only be used once per combat.
Spirit mark (co + mo): When your damage score causes health damage to an opponent, you can also mark them with an ancestral rune. In subsequent combat rounds, the mark allows you to increase your damage score by 2 against this same opponent for the remainder of the battle. Allies also benefit from this modifier. Spirit mark can only be used once per combat.
Spirit ward (mo): Cast this spell any time in combat, on yourself or an ally, to raise armour by 6 for one combat round. Spirit ward can only be used once per combat.
Stagger (co): If your damage score causes health damage to your opponent, you can stagger them. This lowers their armour to zero for the next combat round only. You can only use stagger once per combat.
Steadfast (pa): You are immune to knockdown. If an opponent has this ability, you can ignore it.
Steal (mo): Use this ability any time in combat to automatically raise one of your attributes (speed, brawn, magic or armour) to match your opponent’s. The effect wears off at the end of the combat round. You can only use steal once per combat.
Stone rain (co): Instead of rolling for damage after winning a round, you can cast stone rain. This will automatically inflict 1 damage die to a single opponent, ignoring armour. In each consecutive round, stone rain will double its damage on the same opponent. (In the second round, you would roll 2 damage dice, the third round 4 damage dice.) If you use another ability (of any type) or lose a round, stone rain ends. This ability will last up to three rounds (4 damage dice). It can only be cast once per combat.
Stone skin (co): Instead of rolling for a damage score, you can activate stone skin. This lowers your speed by 2. Stone skin can be removed at any time by winning a combat round and choosing not to roll for damage. While in stone skin:
If an opponent wins a combat round, roll a die. On a or result, their blow glances off your stone skin and they do not roll for damage.
You cannot use any abilities other than trample. Passive abilities that have already been applied (such as bleed) will continue to damage opponents.
Suppress (mo): Reduce the result of your opponent’s attack speed by 2 for one combat round. Suppress can only be used once per combat.
Sure edge (mo): If your hero is equipped with an axe, sword, dagger or spear, you can use sure edge. This adds 1 to each die you roll for your damage score for the duration of the combat.
Sure grip (mo): All results can be changed to a result when rolling for your attack speed.
Surefooted (mo): You may re-roll all of your hero’s speed dice. You must accept the result of the second roll. Surefooted can only be used once per combat.
Surge (co): A powerful attack that increases your magic score by 3. However, in the next combat round you must lower your speed by 1. This ability can only be used once per combat.
Stun (sp): (see Webbed). You can only use stun once per combat.
Swarm (co): Instead of rolling for a damage score, you can unleash a swarm of bugs. Roll 1 damage die and apply this to a single opponent, ignoring armour. In the next combat round only, their speed is lowered by 1. This ability can only be used once per combat.
Sweet spot (pa): Before a combat begins, choose a number 1–6. Each time your opponent rolls a die with this result when rolling for attack speed, they automatically take 2 damage.
Thorn armour (co): Use this ability to raise your armour by 3 for one combat round. It also inflicts 1 damage die, ignoring armour, to all your opponents (roll once and apply the same damage to each opponent). This ability can only be used once per combat.
Thorn cage (co + pa): Instead of rolling for a damage score, you can cast thorn cage. It automatically encases one opponent in a cage of thorns, inflicting 1 damage die (ignoring armour). It also inflicts 1 point of damage to the same opponent at the end of each combat round for the duration of the combat. Thorn cage can only be used once per combat.
Thorns (pa): You automatically inflict 1 damage to all of your opponents, at the end of every combat round. This ability ignores armour.
Time shift (sp): You may raise your speed to match your opponent’s for three combat rounds. You cannot play another speed ability until time shift has faded. This ability can only be used once per combat.
Tome raider (pa): Using the monocle you are able to unlock the hidden secrets of the arcane. You may automatically add 2 magic to each spell book in your possession.
Toxicology (pa): You are immune to all delirium, disease and venom effects.
Trample (co): Instead of rolling for a damage score, you can trample. Roll 3 damage dice and apply the result to each of your opponents, ignoring armour. You can only use trample once per combat.
Tranquillity (pa): You may heal 2 health a round when you use the meditation ability, instead of only 1.
Tremor strike (sp): Make the ground beneath your enemies’ feet tremble. This lowers opponents’ speed by 2 for two combat rounds.
Trickster (mo): You may swap one of your opponent’s speed die for your own. You can only use trickster once per combat.
Turn up the heat (pa): Increase the damage caused by fire aura by 1. Allies in team battles also benefit from this increase.
Underhand (mo): If you get a double when rolling for attack speed but your result is lower than your opponent’s, you can use underhand to automatic
ally win the round. Underhand can only be used once per combat.
Unstoppable (mo): When an opponent wins a combat round, you may spend 5 health to automatically win it back and roll for damage. You can only use unstoppable once per combat.
Vampirism (mo): When you inflict damage to your opponent you can heal yourself for half the amount of health your opponent has lost, rounding up. You can only use vampirism once per combat.
Vanish (co): (see Dodge). Use vanish to turn invisible for several seconds, avoiding your opponent’s damage for one round. You can only use vanish once per combat.
Veil (co): Use this ability when you have lost a combat round to avoid taking damage from your opponent’s damage score. You may also increase your speed by 1 for the duration of the next combat round. You can only use veil once per combat.
Venom (pa): If your damage dice/damage score causes health damage to your opponent, they lose a further 2 health at the end of every combat round for the remainder of the combat. This ability ignores armour.
Vindicator (pa): You may use your double-punch ability twice in the same combat and add 2 to the result each time.
Volcanism set (pa): If your hero is wearing all three items from the volcanism set (head, gloves and chest) then you may use the volcanism ability. This allows you to use back draft, fire aura, sear and fire shield (if available) without counting them towards your quota of hexed abilities.
Volley (co): Instead of rolling for a damage score, you can use volley to shower your enemies with arrows. Roll 1 damage die and apply the result to each of your opponents, ignoring their armour. You can only use volley once per combat.
Vortex (co): Instead of rolling for a damage score, you can cast vortex – a spinning whirlwind of dark energy. At the start of each subsequent combat round, roll a die. On a or result, you have been hit by the vortex and must lose 2 health. A result of or higher, each opponent is hit instead and must lose 2 health. Once cast, the vortex stays in play for the rest of the combat. The die result cannot be modified.
War paint (mo): The runes on your body give you greater protection and strength. You may raise your brawn or armour score by 3 for one combat round. You can only use war paint once per combat.
Wave (co): Assault your enemies with a wave of mental energy. This does damage equal to your current magic score, ignoring armour. You can proportion this damage amongst any/all of your opponents, but no single opponent can take more than half of your magic score, rounding up. You can only use wave once per combat
Weaver (pa): Each time you play a combat ability, you may heal 2 health.
Webbed (sp): This ability reduces the number of dice your opponent can roll for attack speed by 1, for one combat round only. You can only use this ability once per combat.
Wild child (mo): You may add 1 to your die result, when using the ley line infusion ability.
Windblast (sp): (see Webbed.) You can only use windblast once per combat.
Wisdom (mo): Use any time in combat to raise your magic score by 2 for one combat round. You can only use this ability once per combat.
Wish master (sp): You can cast this spell at the start of a combat round to grow into a giant. Your speed is lowered by 1 but your magic and armour are increased by 2 for the remainder of the combat. Wish master can only be used once per combat.
Wither (co): Instead of rolling for a damage score, you can cast wither. This inflicts 2 damage dice to a single opponent, ignoring armour. It also reduces their brawn or magic score by 1 for the remainder of the combat. You can only use wither once per combat.
Also by Michael J. Ward from Gollancz:
DestinyQuest Book 1:
The Legion of Shadow
A Gollancz eBook
Copyright © Michael J. Ward 2012
All rights reserved.
The right of Michael J. Ward to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in Great Britain in 2012 by
Gollancz
The Orion Publishing Group Ltd
Orion House
5 Upper Saint Martin’s Lane
London, WC2H 9EA
An Hachette UK Company
This eBook first published in 2012 by Gollancz.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 0 575 11879 9
All characters and events in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor to be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
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The Heart of Fire Page 72