Runic magic

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This article is about a system of magic used in Ultima Underworld and Ultima Underworld II. For other uses, see Runes (disambiguation).

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Runic magic is a system of spell casting which employs mystically charged rune stones rather than traditional reagents. It appears in Ultima Underworld and Ultima Underworld II.

Description

Although runic magic is a common arcane system on a number of worlds, it only functions in Britannia believed to be at places where the inter-dimensional barriers are worn thin, allowing the etheric properties of other planes to bleed through. Unlike traditional Britannian magic, it does not require reagents or a spellbook, drawing its power instead from the innate powers of rune stones and the precise gestures performed by its caster. While runic magic requires no indurable materials and offers a flexible system of devising incantations, the reliance on gesturing makes it at times unpredictable, and inexperienced mages may be injured should they botch the casting of a runic spell.

History

Runic magic first came to the attention of Britannians when Sir Cabirus attempted to establish a colony in the Stygian Abyss. As they explored the chasm, the mages of the settler group encountered a number of specially-prepared rune stones which had been imbued with magical energy, and from them they were able to infer the workings of runic magic. Later, this obscure art would become a topic studied in depth by the magician Nystul, who would reason that the success of runic spellweaving was related to the relative strength of inter-dimensional barriers.

It appears that runic magic has long been the standard method of spellcraft on other worlds. Tarna, Rhiannon, Talorus and the realms which house Killorn Keep, Scintillus Academy and the Pits of Carnage all appear to use rune-based casting as their primary magical system.

Required Materials

Rune Stones

Main article: Rune stones

Rune stones lie at the core of runic magic, as its very name already shows. Each of these potentized stones has a rune carved on one of its faces, corresponding to one of twenty-four traditional Words of Power. (There were no Xen or Zu stones available to the Avatar at least.) In runic magic, these runes are positioned in appropriate combinations of up to three characters between the fingers of the hand, such that they spell out the words of power needed to invoke a spell.

Fabrication of such stones, at least the simpler ones, does not need a mage, as shown by their industrial production on Talorus. The more powerful ones, especially the Flam and Vas stones, are highly valued.

for locations of the rune stones in the games see: Rune stones/Locations

Rune Bag

In order to utilize the powers of rune stones, however, they must be stored in an appropriately prepared receptacle. These rune bags will hold only such stones, and cannot be used as containers in any other capacity. Of note is that a rune stone cannot be permanently removed from the bag once inside it, and that duplicate rune stones are lost to the caster as they merge with stones of the same word of power. Thus if a spare rune stone is needed for another task, it should not be put into the rune bag.

• 

  A full set of rune stones

• 

  Discovering a rune bag and rune stones

Mana

In order to cast a runic spell, the player needs to have enough mana in their mana pool, indicated by the blue flask in the bottom-right of the screen. The mana required for each spell is equal to three times the spell's circle. First circle spells require three points of mana, seond level spells require six points of mana, and so on. Mana is deducted from the player's mana pool immediately as the spell is cast, even if the desired effect is not achieved. For example if a missile spell is cast without adequate space to create the missle, or a targeted spell is not provided an appropriate target, the mana is still spent in casting the spell.

Game Mechanics

In order to cast a runic spell, the player needs to select the correct combination of runes for a particular spell and click on the rune panel. So long as the spell is of a circle from which the player is able to cast (equal to one half of the character's current level rounded up), success is then determined by Casting skill. Spellcasting can either succeed, fail or backfire. A backfired spell means that the mana required for the spell is drained, but instead of the desired effect taking place, the player is physically injured.

Lore

“

In the first years of our settlement here in the Abyss, our mages have learned much about the nature of magic in this most strange place. What is written below is meant for the guidance of those pilgrim mages who may wish to join our company, lest you bring with you those items of great expense which will be useless to you here. (Many thanks to Seer Danlock, who has advised me in places where my natural gifts and learning failed me.) The magically-attuned among our original colonists quickly discovered that the rules of magic as known in the rest of the world do not apply to our new underground home. As any student of our world’s history must be aware, many titanic and dramatic events have unfolded in the vicinity of the Great Stygian Abyss — indeed, the chasm and the isle itself originated in energies arcane! Our foremost mages believe that the release in past times of enormous mystic energies here has worn the dimensional fabric thin, allowing the laws of other worlds to mingle with and even negate certain of the mystic principles. Firstly, the casting of magic while within the Abyss does not require the use of reagents. Bring no sulfurous ash, ginseng, spider silk, nightshade, black pearls, blood moss or garlic — you will have no need for arcane ingredients in our community. Secondly, new colonists should leave behind their spellbooks. We have discovered a way to cast magic which works only in the Abyss, and which does not require the user to carry a cumbersome tome with him. There are, scattered among the corridors in the depths, special stones charged with mystic potency. Each of these stones is inscribed with a rune identifying its nature. These rune stones are similar in function to the syllables of magic used in ordinary Britannian magic. Any spell can be cast by a mage who possesses the rune stones pertaining to that spell, unless the caster lacks the experience to utilize the spells of that Circle. Thirdly, rune stones can only be used when they are placed in a suitable receptacle. Our seers have enchanted special bags for this purpose, and will provide you with a rune bag upon your arrival. Fourthly, mages in the depths must develop proficiency in the physical gestures associated with spell-casting. We have noted spell failures here when all other conditions have been satisfied, and we attribute these disappointments to a lack of casting skill on the part of the wizard. Lastly, it is just as important for a Runic Mage to possess Mana as it is for any other Britannian Mage, for this is the power which must be channeled into all wizardry. The mystic energy is restored when a mage sleeps, or sometimes by the use of arcane objects such as scrolls. – from Memoirs of Sir Cabirus (Ultima Underworld)

“

In the practice of runic magic, there are no reagents to act as physical ingredients to the spell, and no magic syllables to be spoken. The principal component of runic sorcery is the runestone, a small rock inscribed with one of the twenty-four known runes. Each of these runes has its own significance, a particular meaning and application, which when combined with other runes becomes articulated in a spell, a focused release of magical energy which accomplishes a particular effect on the world. The casting of the spell is accomplished through a complicated set of hand gestures. Even if a runic mage obtains all the correct runestones for a given spell, the appropriate gestures may yet be beyond his or her skill. It is a mastery of this element of the casting process that separates the accomplished mage from the neophyte. Currently, runic magic is still too weak, too alien to the known laws of Britannian magic to be effective. If, however, there were to be another weakening of the interdimensional walls, the knowledge might become useful. However, if this were to occur it would be impossible to foresee how the rules of runic magic might alter, which spells would become easier or more difficult to cast, and whether new spells might become possible. – from A Safe Passage Through Britannia (Ultima Underworld II)

Spells

Runic spells can be easier to remember if one knows the runestone meanings.

Below are listed the known runic spells which feature in Ultima Underworld (UW1) and Ultima Underworld II (UW2):

Undocumented Spells

Many of the spells in the Underworld games are listed in the accompanying documentation, but some are undocumented and must be discovered in game. The following tables list both documented and undocumented spells for convenience.

For a list of undocumented spells and their in-game locations, see sub-article: Undocumented spells.

Discrepancies

There are several discrepancies in the spells between UW1 and UW2:

• Some spells are in one game and not the other.
• Some spells are in both games but in different circles.
• Some spells are in both games but are cast with different rune combinations.
• Some rune combinations cast different spells in different games.
• Some spells are in both games but function differently in either game.
• Spell descriptions may differ between the two games's manuals.
• The two games's manuals have slightly different categories and different critera for categorizing a spell.

In the following tables:

• The Games column tells which game(s) a particular spell is in, and whether it is documented (known) or discovered (found).
• Spells in different circles are listed in both circles, the Games column refers to the other circle if the spell is not in that circle for that game.
• Spell descriptions come from whichever manual better decribes them. If the documented descriptions are inaccurate or ambigious, a user provided description is given. Undocumented spells have user provided descriptions.
• Spells that are different between games are noted in the description column.
• Spells are categorized similar to the UW2 system:
  • Duration: A spell that stays active for a certain period of time. For those spells the icon in the spell shelf is shown as well for easy identification.
  • Missile: A spell that launches a missle that will be fired from an aiming cursor.
  • Targeted: A spell that needs the user to select a target by touch, either out in the 3d world or in the inventory. The target must be within arm's reach unless a telekinesis spell is active.
  • Instantaneous: A spell that has an immediate effect, no duration, and no user targeting needed.
  • Permanent: A spell that creates an effect that lasts until changed by something else.

Spells of the First Circle

	Spell	Words of Power	Type	Description	Games
					UW1	UW2
	Bounce	Uus Des Por	Duration	Allows the caster to rebound into a jump at the end of a fall		found
	Create Food	In Mani Ylem	Instantaneous	Creates a piece of fresh food	known	known
	Detect Trap	Wis Jux	Targeted	This spell informs the caster of any non-magical traps on an object		known
	Leap	Uus Por	Duration	This spell increases the height and distance of its caster’s jumping ability	found	2nd Circle
	Light	In Lor	Duration	Provides illumination greater than that of a torch but less than a lantern	known	known
	Locate	Bet Wis Ex	Instantaneous	Reveals the mage's location on the map		found
	Luck	Bet Ort In	Duration	In combat, this spell improves the odds in the caster’s favor		known
	Magic Arrow	Ort Jux	Missile	This spell fires a magic arrow at an opponent. Can also be used to toggle switches.	known	known
	Resist Blows	Bet In Sanct	Duration	Temporarily grants the caster the same protection as wearing head-to-toe armour	known	known
	Stealth	Sanct Hur	Duration	Briefly prevents you from making any noise, making it less likely that creatures will notice you	known

Spells of the Second Circle

	Spell	Words of Power	Type	Description	Games
					UW1	UW2
	Curse	An Sanct	Duration	(unverified) decreases defense skills of opponents in combat	found
	Cause Fear	Quas Corp	Instantaneous Targeted	This spell can cause an opponent to lose heart and flee UW1: Auto-targeted, UW2: User targeted	known	known
	Deadly Seeker	Ort Wis Jux	Missile	This spell releases a projectile that tracks down and strikes an opponent		known
	Detect Monster	Wis Mani	Instantaneous	Informs the caster as to the presence of nearby creatures	known
	Dispel Hunger	Quas Mani Ylem	Instantaneous	Causes the caster to feel "well fed"		found
	Jump Leap	Uus Por	Duration	Increases height and distance of jumps. Called "jump" in manual and "leap" in game.	1st Circle	known
	Lesser Heal	In Bet Mani	Instantaneous	Heals the caster's minor wounds	known	known
	Rune of Flame	In Flam Jux	Permanent, until disturbed	Creates an enchantment on a fixed location which will burst into flames should anything disturb it		known
	Rune of Warding	In Jux	Permanent, until disturbed	Creates an enchantment on a fixed location which will report to the caster should anything disturb it	known
	Slow Fall	Rel Des Por	Duration	Allows the caster to fall slowly and to avoid injury when jumping from great heights	known	known
	Valor	Quas An Corp	Duration	Improves a casters abilities in combat (20% weapon proficiency increase)		found

Spells of the Third Circle

	Spell	Words of Power	Type	Description	Games
					UW1	UW2
	Bleeding	Jux Mani	Targeted	Causes a targeted enemy to lose blood, causing it injury		known
	Conceal	Bet Sanct Lor	Duration	Obscures the caster to others	known
	Cure Poison	An Nox	Instantaneous	Removes any toxins in the caster's blood	5th circle	known
	Dispel Rune	An Jux Ort	Targeted	Removes a magical rune such as a Rune of Flame or a Rune of Stasis		known
	Lightning	Ort Grav	Missile	Hurls a bolt of arcane electrical energy at a foe	known	known
	Night Vision	Quas Lor	Duration	Allows the caster to see without the benefit of a light source, distance equivalent to lantern	known	known
	Repel Undead	An Kal Corp	Instantaneous	Causes undead to flee in terror, unless being cornered		found
	Speed	Rel Tym Por	Duration	Decreases the speed of others thereby making the caster relatively faster	known	known
	Strengthen Door	Sact Jux	Permanent	Spikes a door	known
	Thick Skin	In Sanct	Duration	Thickens the caster's skin to protect from blows.	found	4th Circle
	Water Walk	Ylem Por	Duration	Allows the caster to walk on water	4th Circle	known

Spells of the Fourth Circle

	Spell	Words of Power	Type	Description	Games
					UW1	UW2
	Flameproof Resist Fire	Sanct Flam	Duration	This spell briefly grants a partial resistance to damage from flame. Called "Resist Fire" in UW1 manual, "Flameproof" everywhere else	known	known
	Frost	In An Flam	Instantaneous	Throws multiple iceballs at the foes surrounding the caster		found
	Heal	In Mani	Instantaneous	This spell heals the caster of even grievous wounds	known	known
	Levitate	Hur Por	Duration	Briefly allows you to rise vertically into the air	known	5th Circle
	Missile Protection	Grav Sanct Por	Duration	This spell renders the caster invulnerable to most missiles, and offers protection from others	5th Circle	known
	Poison	Nox Mani	Instantaneous	Poisons all nearby creatures, hostile or not.	known
	Poison Weapon	Nox Jux Ylem	Duration	This spell envenoms the caster’s weapons		known
	Remove Trap	An Jux	Targeted	This spell negates a non-magical trap	known	known
	Study Monster	Wis Mani	Targeted	This spell gives the caster knowledge about a creature		known
	Thick Skin	In Sanct	Duration	Thickens the caster's skin to protect from blows.	3rd Circle	found
	Water Walk	Ylem Por	Duration	Allows the caster to walk on water	found	3rd Circle

Spells of the Fifth Circle

	Spell	Words of Power	Type	Description	Games
					UW1	UW2
	Cure Poison	An Nox	Instantaneous	Removes any toxins in the caster's blood	known	3rd circle
	Fireball	Por Flam	Missile	Hurls a flaming missile at a targeted creature	known	known
	Levitate	Uus Hur Por	Duration	Allows the caster to move upward and downward in a fixed spot	3rd circle	known
	Mending	Rel Sanct Ylem	Targeted	Repairs damaged equipment. Restores others, such as refilling a lantern		found
	Missile Protection	Grav Sanct Por	Duration	Renders the caster invulnerable to missile weapons	known	4th circle
	Name Enchantment	Ort Wis Ylem	Targeted	This spell reveals the true nature of the object on which the spell is cast	known	known
	Open	Ex Ylem	Targeted	This spell unlocks a locked door or chest	known	known
	Rune of Stasis	In Tym Jux	Permanent, until disturbed	Creates a floating rune. Any foe touching it is immobilized		found
	Smite Undead	An Corp Mani	Instantaneous Targeted	Delivers a crushing blow to a single undead being UW1: Auto-targets nearest, UW2: User targeted	found	known
	Telekinesis	Ort Por Ylem	Duration	Allows the caster to manipulate or pick up a single item at a distance	6th circle	known

Spells of the Sixth Circle

	Spell	Words of Power	Type	Description	Games
					UW1	UW2
	Charm	Quas Rel Wis	Targeted	Renders a hostile enemy friendly		known
	Daylight	Vas In Lor	Duration	This spell provides bright illumination for extended periods of time	known	known
	Gate Travel	Vas Rel Por	Instantaneous Targeted	UW1: Allows you to travel instantly to a moonstone UW2: When cast on one moonstone, this spell takes the caster instantaneously to another moonstone	known	known
	Greater Heal	Vas In Mani	Instantaneous	Restores the caster to full health	known	known
	Invisibility	Vas Sanct Lor	Duration	Renders the caster invisible	7th circle	known
	Map Area	Wis Ex	Instantaneous	Maps the area surrounding the mage. The scope of the mapping in proportion to the mage's experience		found
	Paralyze	An Ex Por	Instantaneous Targeted	Prevents a targeted creature from moving UW1: Auto-Targeted, UW2: User targeted	known	known
	Sheet Lightning	Vas Ort Grav	Instantaneous	Summons an electrical storm to sweep the area	found	known
	Telekinesis	Ort Por Ylem	Duration	Allows the caster to manipulate or pick up items at a distance	known	5th circle

Spells of the Seventh Circle

	Spell	Words of Power	Type	Description	Games
					UW1	UW2
	Ally	In Mani Rel	Permanent	Causes the targeted creature to attack the last enemy it saw the caster attack	known
	Enchant Item	Vas Ort Ylem	Permanent	Can enchant weapons and armor. Also improves an already existing enchantment. If it fails, the item is destroyed.		found
	Fly	Vas Hur Por	Duration	Allows the caster to fly	known	8th circle
	Invisibility	Vas Sanct Lor	Duration	Renders the caster invisible	known	6th circle
	Magic Satellite	Ort Por Grav	Permanent, until it attacks	Creates a magic satellite near the caster which attacks nearby foes		known
	Confusion Mass Confusion	Vas An Wis	Instantaneous	Causes all foes to become befuddled Called "Confusion" in UW1, "Mass Confusion" in UW2	known	known
	Portal	Vas Ex Ylem	Instantaneous	Transports the caster seven feet forward		known
	Reveal	Ort An Quas	Instantaneous	Reveals hidden objects and concealed doors	known	known
	Shockwave	Jux Hur	Instantaneous	Creates a wave of destruction around the caster		known
	Summon Daemon	Kal An Mani	Instantaneous	Summons a hostile daemon which immediately attacks the caster		found
	Summon Monster	Kal Mani	Instantaneous	Summons a random critter in front of the caster, usually in a mellow state	found
	Tremor	Vas Por Ylem	Instantaneous	Creates a vast upheaval, causing the ground to quake and rocks to fall	8th circle	found

Spells of the Eighth Circle

	Spell	Words of Power	Type	Description	Games
					UW1	UW2
	Armageddon	Vas Kal Corp	Permanent	Ends all life everywhere, trapping the caster in a dead and desolate world	found	found
	Flame Wind	Flam Hur	Instantaneous	This spell unleashes a storm of fireballs in front of the caster	known	known
	Fly	Vas Hur Por	Duration	This spell allows the caster to fly through air for a time, and then glide gently to the ground	7th circle	known
	Freeze Time	An Tym	Duration	This spell stops the flow of time for all save the caster	known	known
	Iron Flesh	In Vas Sanct	Duration	This spell greatly increases resistance to damage	known	known
	Restoration	Vas Mani	Instantaneous	This spell restores the caster to full health, wakefulness and satiation		known
	Roaming Sight	Ort Por Wis	Duration	This spell allows the caster to move his or her point of view at will, regardless of physical constraints	known	known
	Smite Foe	Vas Jux Mani	Instantaneous	Heavily damages the targeted foe. Only works on living creatures, not magical constructs or the undead.		found
	Tremor	Vas Por Ylem	Instantaneous	Creates a vast upheaval, causing the ground to quake and rocks to fall	known	7th circle

Trivia

• The only obtainable rune bag in Ultima Underworld is among Alfred's remains on the first level.
• UW1 has exactly one undocumented spell in each circle.
• UW1 has exactly six spells in each circle, five documented and one not.
• UW2 has exactly eight spells in each circle, most having two undocumented per circle, except the third and sixth with one each and the seventh with three.

See Also

• Spells in Ultima Underworld
• Spells in Ultima Underworld II

References

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Magic Systems
Sosaria	Sosarian magic
Britannia	Britannian magic ☥ Britannian spells ☥ Ascension magic ☥ Rituals ☥ Ultima VII (SNES)
Serpent Isle	Serpent Isle magic ☥ Serpent Isle spells
Pagan	Pagan magic ☥ Pagan spells ☥ Necromancy ☥ Tempestry ☥ Theurgy ☥ Sorcery ☥ Thaumaturgy
Other	Runic magic ☥ Runic spells ☥ Savage Empire magic