Preview the Totem School of Magic in Bestial Forces

Callista had fought unearthly creatures before she took her place in the magical labyrinth. Who vanquished the minotaur of Alexandria, if not her? Who defied the wraiths beneath Olympus, if not her? But this creature was something different. She could feel the totems’ power throbbing through the labyrinth, prodding at her with inhuman malevolence. And the guardian of the totems was closing in. She turned her head, only to see the ghostly snake, the guardian, emerging from the stone wall, its fangs dripping spectral venom.

Unleash the creatures into your wizard duels with Bestial Forces expansion! Soon, you’ll be able to summon minotaurs, genies, boggarts, and more, bringing new levels of wild magic to your games of Wiz-War.

There’s plenty of new magic to tantalize new wizards in Bestial Forces. Our first preview illustrated the Mythology school of magic, including plenty of creatures and relics from ancient myths. The second preview focused on the school of magic devoted to just one creature: the mighty dragon! Today, however, we’ll explore the sector-spanning prowess of totems with the Totem school of magic.

In addition, the rules (pdf, 2.1 MB) for Bestial Forces are now online. Download the rules and prepare to learn the secrets of the creatures!

Wood, Stone, Spirit

You’ll find six unique Totem creations within this school of magic, and although their exact effects can vary, all Totems share a few things in common. These creations can only be placed in an empty square adjacent to the casting wizard, and they last as long as you choose to maintain the spell. Although the range for creating one of these Totems is limited, its effects extend to everything in its sector. This potency comes at the cost of fragility: these Totems requires only one damage or one crack to destroy.

One of the Totems you’ll find in this school of magic is the far-sighted Spirit of the Owl. While you cast a spell in the same sector as your Spirit of the Owl totem, you have line of sight to all objects, wizards, and creatures in your current sector, allowing you to target anything that dares enter your domain. Another potent protection for your own sector could be the Sprit of the Serpent Totem. Whenever another wizard enters or starts his turn in the same sector as your Spirit of the Serpent, his speed is reduced by one and he takes one point of magical damage. Yet another Totem grants your temporary spells infinite energy! While you stay in the same sector as your Spirit of the Raven, you may choose not to remove energy from any number of your temporary spells during your Time Passes phase, allowing you to maintain them as long as you wish.

Strength in Numbers

As more totems are created, the power of other cards in this school of magic increases. This school of magic introduces a new energy card with Spiritual Infusion. The energy value of Spiritual Infusion is equal to one plus the number of Totem cards in play. As more Totems enter play, the energy level of Spiritual Infusion can quickly skyrocket, even reaching as high as fourteen energy – enough power to kill a wizard in one hit with some spells.

You’ll gain another powerful ally with the addition of the Totem Spirit. This creature is also a Totem, and its ethereal nature allows it to move through both walls and doors. In addition, the Totem Spirit may attack any adjacent wizard or creature, inflicting magical damage equal to the total number of Totems in play, including the Totem Spirit itself. In a labyrinth packed with Totems, the Totem Spirit’s attacks could prove deadly.

Finally, you’ll sometimes need more than the inherent abilities of your Totems to defend your treasures. By casting Wrath of the Ancestors when a wizard picks up a treasure in your home sector, you force that wizard to take magical damage equal to two plus the number of your maintained Totem spells, punishing anyone foolish enough to trifle with your treasures.

Call Upon the Spirits

Tap the power of the totems and the other schools of magic included in Bestial Forces. Bestial Forces will soon be available at your local retailer! Prepare to unleash a host of creatures into your wizard duels by downloading the rules from the Wiz-War support page.

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