The Sicilian Tytalus, Vezzini, was known for his subtle mastery of intrigue and politics. He often managed to arrange foppish noblemen to duel one another, but found more often than not, he was not pleased with the outcome of the duel. Thus, he went to his laboratory to see if he could subtly rig the results of fights or duels. He took time perfecting the spell so that the weapon would not leap from the wielder's hand, and look like the attack was natural. Vezzini enjoyed casting this spell in response to someone performing a skilled parry, making it look insufficient.
The Sinister Duelist's Inconceivable Thrust (Rego Terram 20)
R: Sight, D: Momentary, T: Individual
This spell was designed to subtly interfere with duels and fights. The caster targets a weapon he can see, held by another or laying near the focus of their ire. The weapon will jump point-first towards the intended victim, attacking using Perception + Finesse. If unattended, the damage is as per the weapon, wielded with Strength +3. Should the targeted weapon be held by someone at the time, they may chose to add +2 to their strength for the attack, or instead subtract their strength if they resist the strike. When cast by Vezzini of Tytalus, the spell is accompanied by the scent of red wine.
(Base 4, +3 Sight, +1 for delicate control)
Side Effects table (1d10)
1 Exaggerated Sigil: In addition to the scent of wine, both the wielder of the weapon and the target feel a sudden, heady sense of being drunk for a moment. This does not actually create any game penalties, but Vezzini's shield grog, a drunk, rather enjoys having the spell cast on his weapons.
2-3 Minor Flaw: The thrust of the targeted weapon tends to follow the gestures of the caster, giving onlookers a chance to notice the magus doing something strange before the amazing, unexpected attack.
4-5 Minor Side Effect: The spell seems to grab a glittering flash of light, drawing attention of anyone paying even the remotest attention to the duel, making the inconceivable strike look exceptionally classy.
6 Minor Benefit: When casting the spell on a wielded weapon, the magus can gain a sense of the skill of the wielder, within 2 levels of Ability.
7 Major Flaw: This spell tends to create a sudden, unexpected stress the targeted weapon. Roll two botch dice, and should it be confirmed, the weapon will break or crack. Exceptionally durable weapons can roll one or even zero botch dice. Shoddy blades would roll three or four.
8 Major Side Effect:
9 Major Benefit: The spell's precision and skill can be used for defense as well as offense, should the caster desire it. The targeted weapon can deflect a single incoming attack that round with a defense total of Quickness + Finesse -3. The wielder of the weapon can also dodge, if desired, though cannot use their own weapon skill.
10 Fatal Flaw: Should the spell target a held weapon, the attack total and damage are both reduced by the wielder's strength, if positive, unless they were prepared to act along with it instead of their normal action that round.