Bard Sigurd's Spells:

These spells were devised by Sigurd, a Human Bard from Eusdria (and Master Horolo's first apprentice), whose genius at magical invention could have made him a powerful Wizard had he not chosen to become a Bard.

Always and Forever
Level: 5
Range: touch
Duration: permanent
Effect: prepares an item to receive permanent enchantment
This spell is the Bardic equivalent of a Permanence spell, specifically designed for enchanting magical items, or living beings, with music. The spell is very difficult, taking 12 hours to cast and requiring three separate Intelligence Checks (1 per every 4 hours). If any one of these is failed, the spell is ruined, and the item to be enchanted cannot be used for this purpose again. If successful, however, the item may hold whatever spell is required (most typically a Songs of Life spell), and permit that spell to be recast once per day, per week, or per month, as specified in the original casting.

Note: the above casting-time is for the default "once per week" result. To cast an effect from the item once per day, inflict a -2 penalty to the Intelligence Check; for once per month, allow a +2 bonus. When Always and Forever is successfully cast on an item, roll 1d6; this is the number of spells which may be laid upon the enchanted item. If it is a living being that is enchanted, the result is always 1.

Enchanted musical instruments must be played to trigger their effects; human beings must sing to activate their enchantment. If the item enchanted is non-musical (a statue, for instance), some other means of activation must be found.

Songs of Life
Level: 4
Range: variable
Duration: variable
Effect: 1 song
This is a metamagic, a spell which includes any number of sub-spells. Songs of Life are songs, or pieces of music, which incorporate some form of spell effect in their structure. When creating a spell using this metamagic, the caster may either select a normal Magic-User spell effect (that he knows) of level 1 -3, or research a unique effect of his own (see the Rules Cyclopedia chapter on researching new spells). The spell is bound up with one particular song or tune, which may be memorised by any musical spellcaster as a 4th-level spell. The Spellsong is cast as normal.

Most Songs of Life are designed to be played on a specific instrument, and may or may not include vocals. A variant version must be designed is a different instrument is used, although this takes one quarter of the time and cost of originally creating the Spellsong.

Example Songs of Life are as follows:

- The Lover Who's Faithful and True - this country ballad, played on a violin and sung, casts a Charm Person effect on one member of the opposite sex to the musician. The duration and other effects are otherwise normal. The song must be played for 1 Turn to activate the magic.

- A Cloak of Shadows - this disturbing tune, played on a flute, causes the caster, or one person or object within 10' of the caster, to become Invisible. The effect is permanent until broken, as normal. The song must be played for 2 Turns to activate the magic.

- The Faery Ring - this haunting melody, played on a lap harp (or any kind of harp) and sung, causes one person (other than the caster) within 20' to Levitate, as per the spell. The target Levitates under the control of the caster. The effect lasts for upto 1 Turn, and requires the caster to play continuously to maintain it.