Peer
This article is about a spell. For the Ultima VI character, see Peer (NPC).
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The spell Peer – in the older times of Ultima IV called View – provides the caster with a map of the immediate vicinity.
Spell Description[edit]
If the mage needs a quick overview of the current surroundings, Peer offers that insight. It shows an overhead view of the area around the mage in the form of a magical map. This map helps wise spellcasters to properly orient themselves if lost in the wilderness or deep within a dungeon. However, it does not warn the caster of the nature of any nearby enemies. For that task, the Wizard Eye spell should be employed to spy out possible enemies.
The spell has the same effect as peer gems (as well as the magical mapping helms found in Ultima II).
History[edit]
For the longest time, it was only possible to use magical items to get a magical overview of the surroundings. It was not until the last Age of Darkness in Ultima III that the spell Vieda allowed to do such without having to rely on special items. With the founding of Britannia, that magic was further developed in the Peer spell as we know it (previously known as View).
Of note is that by the Age of Armageddon the spell had lost much of its usefulness. During that time, it could only show the position of the mage on the world. Even though that also worked while being underground – something a sextant logically could not accomplish – it was far less useful than its earlier incarnations.
Lore[edit]
| “ | The lands that we now call Britannia in honor of the wise and just influence of Lord British are vast in scope and hold many uncharted regions. Although cartographers have traveled all the circumference of the main continent, many internal tracts have yet to be accurately recorded, while there are numerous islands rumored to exist to the southeast with nary a chart to show their location. Here the practitioner of the mystic arts has a great advantage over the wanderer or seafarer in that the View spell may be woven when the need arises. The View incantation is of middling difficulty and involves the use of hallucinatory Nightshade and powerful Mandrake Root. Mandrake lends power to the enchantment while Nightshade provides a mystic overview of all the land within the range of a simple Blink spell. Simply blend the reagents and speak out the name of the region through which you travel. – from The Book of Mystic Wisdom (Ultima IV)
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| “ | Travelers in Britannia tell of magical gems that transport the vision of one gazing into their depths to a viewpoint thousands of feet above the land, like that of an eagle suspended in flight. It is illusion and reality. The change of viewpoint is illusion, but the knowledge provided is real. Powerful mages can replicate these miraculous effects through magic. In Quas Wis requires only two ingredients to create its illusion. Only the most powerful mandrake root will work for this spell; and only the most convoluted stems of nightshade. Mix the two in the dark of night with seven drops of cold spring water. Let the moisture evaporate, then place the shimmering powder in a cloth sack. When intoning In Quas Wis, cast the powder high to view the world about as if from the air. If cast within a towne, building or dungeon, all the detail of that level is revealed. – from The Book of Lore (Ultima V)
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| “ | Reveals the world and the caster’s place in it as though peering through an eagle’s eye. – from Compendium (Ultima VI)
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| “ | This spell gives the Mage a look at the entire world as well as showing his location in it. – from The Book of Fellowship (Ultima VII)
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Trivia[edit]
- The spell was omitted from the C64-port of Ultima VI.
- In Ultima VII a sextant and map of Britannia have the same effect, the spell essentially having become useless.
Gallery[edit]
See Also[edit]
| Ultima IV Spells | |
|---|---|
| Awaken ☥ Blink ☥ Cure ☥ Dispel ☥ Energy Field ☥ Fireball ☥ Gate Travel ☥ Heal ☥ Iceball ☥ Jinx ☥ Kill ☥ Light ☥ Magic Missile ☥ Negate ☥ Open ☥ Protection ☥ Quickness ☥ Resurrect ☥ Sleep ☥ Tremor ☥ Undead ☥ View ☥ Wind Change ☥ Xit ☥ Y ☥ Z | |
| Ultima V Spells | |
|---|---|
| 1st Circle | An Nox ☥ An Ylem ☥ An Zu ☥ Grav Por ☥ In Lor ☥ Mani |
| 2nd Circle | An Sanct ☥ An Xen Corp ☥ In Wis ☥ In Xen Mani ☥ Kal Xen ☥ Rel Hur |
| 3rd Circle | In Flam Grav ☥ In Nox Grav ☥ In Por ☥ In Zu Grav ☥ Vas Flam ☥ Vas Lor |
| 4th Circle | An Grav ☥ Des Por ☥ In Sanct ☥ In Sanct Grav ☥ Uus Por ☥ Wis Quas |
| 5th Circle | An Ex Por ☥ In Bet Xen ☥ In Ex Por ☥ In Zu ☥ Rel Tym ☥ Vas Mani |
| 6th Circle | An Xen Ex ☥ In An ☥ In Vas Por Ylem ☥ Quas An Wis ☥ Rel Xen Bet ☥ Wis An Ylem |
| 7th Circle | In Nox Hur ☥ In Quas Corp ☥ In Quas Wis ☥ In Quas Xen ☥ Sanct Lor ☥ Xen Corp |
| 8th Circle | An Tym ☥ In Flam Hur ☥ In Mani Corp ☥ In Vas Grav Corp ☥ Kal Xen Corp ☥ Vas Rel Por |
| Ultima VII Spells | |
|---|---|
| Linear | Awaken ☥ Douse ☥ Fireworks ☥ Glimmer ☥ Help ☥ Ignite ☥ Thunder ☥ Weather |
| 1st Circle | Awaken All ☥ Create Food ☥ Cure ☥ Detect Trap ☥ Great Douse ☥ Great Ignite ☥ Light ☥ Locate |
| 2nd Circle | Destroy Trap ☥ Enchant ☥ Fire Blast ☥ Great Light ☥ Mass Cure ☥ Protection ☥ Telekinesis ☥ Wizard Eye |
| 3rd Circle | Curse ☥ Heal ☥ Paralyze ☥ Peer ☥ Poison ☥ Protect All ☥ Sleep ☥ Swarm |
| 4th Circle | Conjure ☥ Lightning ☥ Mark ☥ Mass Curse ☥ Recall ☥ Reveal ☥ Seance ☥ Unlock Magic |
| 5th Circle | Charm ☥ Dance ☥ Dispel Field ☥ Explosion ☥ Fire Field ☥ Great Heal ☥ Invisibility ☥ Mass Sleep |
| 6th Circle | Cause Fear ☥ Clone ☥ Fire Ring ☥ Flame Strike ☥ Magic Storm ☥ Poison Field ☥ Sleep Field ☥ Tremor |
| 7th Circle | Create Gold ☥ Death Bolt ☥ Delayed Blast ☥ Energy Field ☥ Energy Mist ☥ Mass Charm ☥ Mass Might ☥ Restoration |
| 8th Circle | Armageddon ☥ Death Vortex ☥ Invisibility All ☥ Mass Death ☥ Resurrect ☥ Summon ☥ Swordstrike ☥ Time Stop |