Spellcasting is not a main feature in Savage Empire. In fact, there are only nine spells to cast, and unlike most other Ultimas, none of the spells are essential to finish the game. The unimportance of spellcasting is further emphasised by the fact that the Avatar is no longer the main spellcaster, who is sometimes aided by his fellow companions; in Savage Empire, the Avatar cannot cast spells at all, while Triolo casts all the spells.
The Avatar is in a totally new land, and has no experience with its magical arts. Triolo, on the other hand, has been in Eodon for a while, but only knows a few of the basic incantations, which might explain why there are so few spells.
A spell is cast when an offering is made to a spirit. This is done by using the totem of the corresponding spirit, and selecting an offering to be made to that spirit.
Spirits[]
There are three main spirits invoked in spellcasting:
Aphazz, symbolised by the totem of a Gorilla skull, is the spirit of emotions and strength. With the right offerings, Aphazz bestows blessings of well-being, vigor and charming of enemies.
His spells generally are meant to be supportive, without directly being battle spells. They include healing wounds, granting protection and charming the enemy.
Motazz is the spirit of battle and aids only those who are in mortal combat. Motazz is represented by the totem of a Jaguar skull, and provides a different advantage in combat depending on what offering is made to him.
His spells are very battle-oriented and either send beasts to battle, weaken the foes or strengthen the own party.
Heluzz, patron of the wise, is the spirit of knowledge and visions. When the right offerings are made to a Human skull, the totem of Heluzz, the invoker is provided with increased awareness of his surroundings.
All his spells deal either with better preciption of the surroundings, like making light, detecting enemies or getting an overview of the surroundings.
There is also a fourth spirit: The great Fabozz, known only to the Urali Tribe, is the spirit of nature and animals. Since only the Urali know whether Fabozz grants any powers to those who worship him, whatever power he may give is available only to the Urali, and Triolo has no access to it. Moreover, there is no known totem of Fabozz, other than the big head statue, which is too large to carry around. The most powerful shamans are often heard invoking the name of Kukuzz when healing people. There is no known totem of Kukuzz, and his magic is restricted to the shamans Balakai (Barrab), Kunawo (Pindiro) and Intanya (Kurak), who will heal anyone who is injured with the magic of Kukuzz.
Offerings[]
Offerings work quite like reagents do in the mainstream Ultima series. There are three different offerings that can be made to each spirit. Since only one offering can be made at a time, there are only three spells for each spirit, making a total of nine spells.
Chocolatl has a strong flavour and smell, and is used to calm animals and bring light. This makes chocolatl an ideal offering to make in underground places where illumination is required, and in battle when an animal may be required to fight by your side.
Can be recognised by outsiders as chocolate.
Pinde is used to help guide the spirits and produce visions. It provides benefits including a bird's-eye vision of the caster's location, healing and an advantage in battle.
Yopo is a powerful powder used in appeasing spirits. When offered to the right spirits, it provides advantages such as awareness of nearby enemies, protection and an advantage in battle.
Spells[]
| Totem | Chocolatl | Pinde | Yopo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heluzz | Light | Eagle Eye | Detect Hostile |
| Aphazz | Charm Enemies | Heal | Protection |
| Motazz | Summon Animal | Curse Enemy | Battle Frenzy |