Sand

Sand is the basis of all things, the building blocks of the world. You can master the foundations upon which everything else is resting.

Sand magics is somewhat similar to Conjuration magics, but with much less control and affecting much larger and heavier objects.

	Target	Difficulty
	Dry earth, sand		0
	Dirt, gravel, soil		5
	Clay, cement, sandstone		10
	Rock, brick, concrete		15
	Mud, lava, bedrock, reinforced concrete		20

The difficulty of the beneficial effects of this schtick is the target's Constitution rating. Solid earth resists magic, even that of a sand mage. Effects that affect or depend on the environment are more difficult to invoke on hard, solid ground than on shifting sand. If the ground is soft, shifting, dry sand, the difficulty is zero, and the Outcome is doubled.

A Backlash with Sand magic reduces your Toughness by one for the rest of the session.

Sand Effects

This is but a sample, as this schtick is well-suited to ingenious stunts by creative sorcerers.

Craft Sand

You can create simple objects out of sand, that will perform as if they were basic metal items. In this way, you can create basic arms and armor. Use environmental difficulties, the duration is minutes equal to the Action Result.

Dig

You can move prodigious amounts of sand, and huge amounts of earth or even stone. Use the environmental difficulties, each point of Outcome moves a cubic meter of earth in a minute. If the earth is to be worked with precision, you will work slower. As long as you succeed, your Sorcery does the work of a number of men equal to your Sorcery Action Result. Keeping this up is a continuous action.

Man of Stone

For a single Magic point, you can change yourself into a rock. You are immobile in this form, but you are also very hard to recognize. You can use your Sorcery as a magical Dodge. You also get armor adds equal to your Magic attribute.

For a cost of three Magic points, you can change your substance into that of an earth elemental. This is like the rock, above, only it can move. Your reflex attribute is halved in this form, however.

Passwall

You can create an opening through sand, earth or stone. Use environmental difficulties, the Outcome must exceed the thickness of the barrier (in meters), or nothing happens. The portal remains open a number of Sequences equal to the Outcome. It does not affect structural integrity.

Quicksand

You can turn the ground into a treacherous trap, an area of loose soil that appears normal but will not support anyone who is substantial. It costs a Magic point to create Quicksand.

Use environmental difficulties: the trap remains for a number of hours equal to the Outcome. A Perception or Intrusion roll vs. your Sorcery is required to detect the quicksand before falling into it, with a +3 bonus if looking for traps.

Anyone caught by the trap are encased in earth and cannot escape for the spell's duration. They will not suffocate (or starve), though their companions may well give them up for dead. Vigorous digging reduces duration by the number of man-hours spent.

Sand Elemental Master

With Elemental Master, you can dominate sand elementals and expect them to do your bidding, if they are not dead-set against you. You can communicate with the elementals, and speak their language fluently. Use Sorcery instead of your Charisma for purposes of dealing with them. The elementals fear and respect you and will not attack you without provocation.

Summoning and controlling elementals is governed by the Sorcery schtick Summoning.

Sense Elemental
You can sense the presence of any sand elementals within a hundred meters times your Sorcery action value. You only know that they are present until you can see them, whereupon you can sense their health and general well being. Sensing an elemental in this fashion requires a Sorcery check against it's Willpower. This must be done subtly, or the target will sense your scrying.

Sand Protection

You are protected against the harmful effects of sand. Whenever you would take damage from sand, subtract your Magic from the damage dealt to you. This is not armor or Toughness, and cannot be bypassed as such. Attacks that deal no damage, but have an effect dependent on Outcome (such as Quicksand) have their Outcome reduced instead. You can even survive on the elemental plane of sand.

Sand attacks include Elemental Aura and Blast variants of Animate Object and other effects using metal, earth or stone to do damage. It also includes falling objects, vehicle accidents and being crushed by massive objects or cave-ins. It does not include mundane weapons made of metal.

Sand Walk

You can move across shifting sands, uneven floors or even quicksand without discomfort or trouble. You can confer this ability on a number of comrades equal to your Magic attribute for a Magic point.

Traps made of or built into sand, earth or stone store can be bypassed using this movement, using your Sorcery as Intrusion. You will not discover the trap, but neither will it notice you.

Stonesight

You can perceive what is behind barriers of sand, earth or stone. This allows you to find buries treasures, traps and hidden doors with ease.

Spot Hidden
As long as the things you are searching for are concealed in sand, earth or stone, you can use Sorcery instead of Intrusion to spot it.

See Through Stone
Use environmental difficulties, with a minimum difficulty equal to the thickness of the barrier in meters. Small or hard-to-spot objects might require an Outcome to find.

Wall

You create a wall of sand or dense earth. The wall has a length equal to your Sorcery Action Result, and can curve or bend as you wish. The sum of it's height and with cannot exceed your Magic attribute. You cannot create it beneath anyone or anything in particular. It must be created in contact with the ground or solid foundations. It costs a Magic point to try and create a wall. Use environmental difficulties. The wall lasts a minimum of one hour per point of Outcome, but if built of solid materials, it may last for ever. The wall can be used as a road, bridge, dam or for some other purpose.