Spell Spotlight:

Intangibility


Intangibility Stats:

Spell Rank: Dreamweaver (Rank 6)
Incantation: Aldis, Polydria, Otiophae (Fate, Spirit, Unbound)
Description: Renders the user intangible. Can be applied to the whole body or only certain parts.
Magic Skill:

Intangibility

is taught through The Arcane Arts at Hero Rank (Rank 7) though it can be mastered sooner.

Intangibility Details:

Intangibility

can only be cast on the user. They are required to focus their magic inwards to their chest and recite the incantation. The incantation is spoken in Eldalair, the ancient elven language of Eldathren. When successful, the body glows white and turns translucent. Objects can pass through the caster while the

Intangibility

magic is maintained or they can run through walls. However, the control of this spell is highly difficult and should be kept brief. If the spell fails while passing through an object, the caster can fuse with it and most mages do not survive this.

Intangibility in Other Lore

Intangibility

comes in many forms when featured in other stories and media. Some magical or supernatural beings become intangible through other means. Phasing through objects is the most common form of intangibility seen. If a person transforms into a mist cloud, they do become intangible for a moment. Below are several examples of intangibility magic seen in popular media and folklore.

Dungeons and Dragons

While a spell called

Intangibility

doesn't exist in Dungeons and Dragons, there are many spells and creatures that have similar characteristics. An example spell is 'Gaseous Form', a 5th edition spell to transform a target into a misty cloud for up to 1 hour. The target becomes resistant to non magic damage and can slip through narrow spaces. 'Misty Steps' is a firm favourite for D&D builds, allowing the caster to teleport themselves across the room by surrounding themselves with a silver mist. In doing so, they become intangible during that brief moment, not provoking any form of attack as they pass by enemies. Elemental beings in the tabletop game are partly intangible, especially when it comes to physical damage like piercing, bludgeoning or slashing attacks. Air, fire, earth and water elementals are quite difficult to overcome with melee combat strategies.

Spirits and Ghosts

In many stories and media,

Intangibility

is a characteristic of ghosts and spirits of the dead. They are seen gliding through walls and able to hide themselves in objects or people. In fact, in some ghosts, such as the Poltergeist, they are uniquely characterised for having the opposite ability, able to interact with the physical world. Shinigami in the anime/manga classic, Death Note, are regularly depicted phasing through walls and floors, sometimes even lingering somewhere between. Harry Potter regularly features ghosts wandering the halls of Hogwarts Castle, moving through walls, windows and doors with ease.

Superheroes and Villains

There are several instances of superheroes and supervillains capable of

Intangibility

. This includes Superman's nemesis, Lex Luthor and Enchantress.
Marvel features Loki using his abilities as the trickster god to create illusions to this effect. Quicksilver, Doctor Strange and Vision also display instances of using Intangibility. In most instances, this appears as running through walls to evade from or chase another person.

Have you ever used Intangibility for your character?

Would you find this spell useful for your character?
Do you think your character would struggle to cast the spell?
Where would it help your character the most?