Magic       

Both Tolkien's and Ultima's Runes are inspired from the Viking's Runes. As I've studied those while reading "the Lord of the Rings", it didn't take me long to know how to translate Ultima's runes, using each pannel and graveyard from Ultima and applying the Viking's runes. Then I've done some word matching to fill the blanks.

There are 8 spell levels (or circles) and 6 spells available by level.
3 spells are hidden in the game, I've put those in white in the list.

In Ultima 5 (has in U4), you need to have spell prepared by mixing their reagents (M command). If you mistake the reagents, you'll make poison, acid, or bomb, hitting one or more of your characters. Correct mixing will result in a number of available spells that may be seen in the inventory (Z command).

Magic points are equal to Intelligence for both Avatar and mages,
but half for bards.

Back

 

Note:
Load the Tolkien Dwarf Runes to see the Ultima's Runes correctly (drop the ttf in your windows\fonts directory). At the Ultima Archive you will find a font for the runes and also a chart in gif format.

 

Rune Letter Syll. Meaning
a A An Negate
b B Bet Small
c C Corp Death
d D Des Down
e E Ex Freedom
f F Flam Flame
g G Grav Energy
w H Hur Wind
i I In create
J - -
k K Kal Invoke
l L Lor Light
m M Mani Life
 
Rune Letter Syll. Meaning
n N Nox Poison
o O - -
P P Por Mouvement
Q Quas Illusion
r R Rel Change
s S Sanct Proctection
t T Tym Time
u U Uus Up
V Vas Great
h W Wis Knowledge
z X Xen Creature
y Y Ylem Matter
x Z Zu Sleep
 
Rune Diphtong
T TH
EE
E NG
q EA
S ST

 

Scroll Spell Effect
l An Lor Great Light
rw Rel Hur Change Wind
is In Sanct Protection
ia In An Negate Magic
ih In Quas Wis Peer
kzc Kal Xen Corp Summon
ims In Many Sanct Resurrect
at An Tym Time Stop
 
Potion Effect
Yellow heal
Red cure poison
Green poison
Orange ?
Black invisibility
Blue awaken
Purple ?

 

Circle
(level)
Spell Effect Time Reagents Comments
1st An Nox cure poison anytime Ginseng, Garlic so usefull
An Zu awake combat Ginseng, Garlic usefull after beeing
Grav Por magic missile combat Ash, Perl  
In Lor light noncombat Ash no more torchs ?
Mani heal anytime Ginseng, Silk the only heal castable in combat
An Ylem nearly disappear dng/combat Garlic, Moss make object diseappear .. The only things for which it could be usefull is Town gates at night, and fireplaces which need to be cross, but it doesn't work on those
2nd An Sanct unlock anytime Ash, Moss got no more keys ?
An Xen Corp repel undead combat Ash, Garlic do you fear undeads ?
In Wis locate noncombat Nighshade better get the sextant
Kal Xen call animal combat Silk, Mandrake want a pet for combat ?
Rel Hur wind change noncombat Ash, Moss better get the HMS plans
In Xen Mani create food noncombat Ginseng, Garlic, Mandrake only 1 food is created !
3rd In Flam Grav wall of fire dng/combat Ash, Silk, Pearl  
In Nox Grav wall of poison dng/combat Silk, Pearl, Nightshade  
In Por blink anytime Silk, Moss how usefull in underworld
In Zu grav wall of sleep dng/combat Ginseng, Silk, Pearl  
Vas Flam ball of flames combat Ash, Pearl  
Vas Lor great light noncombat Ash, Mandrake why not
4th An Grav dispell field anytime Ash, Pearl so usefull in some dungeons
Des Pos downward move dungeon Moss, Silk accelerator for dungeon moves
In Sanct protection anytime Ash, Ginseng, Garlic  
In Sanct Grav protection field dng/combat Silk, Pearl, Mandrake  
Uus Por upward move dungeon Moss, Silk accelerator for dungeon moves
Wis Quas reveak combat Slik, Mandrake not so usefull
5th An Ex Por magic lock anytime Ash, Garlic, Moss so useless
In Bet Xen insect swarn combat Ash, Silk, Moss the animal pet isn't enough ?
In Ex Por magic unlock anytime Ash,Moss usefull depending on the place
In Zu sleep combat Ginseng, Silk, Nightshade at least a powerfull spell
Rel Tym quickness combat Ash, Moss, Nightshade great too ! couple both sleep and quickness and you'll blast everything
Vas Mani great heal noncombat Ginseng, Silk, Mandrake Full heal, but beware not available in combat !
6th An Xen Ex charm combat Silk, Pearl, Nightshade  
In An negate magic anytime Ash, Garlic, Mandrake tell me if you use it
In Vas Por Ylem tremor combat Ash, Moss, Mandrake not so powerfull, don't strike every present creature, previous version of tremor where better
Quas An Wis confuse combat Mandrake, NightShade  
Wis An Ylem xray noncombat Ash, Mandrake don't know where to use it
Rel Xen Bet polymorph in rat combat Ash, Silk, Mandrake, Nightshade it work !!!!.
7th In Nox Hur poison wind combat Ash, Moss, Mandrake I used to use it, but no more
In Quas Corp fear combat Garlic, Mandrake, Nightshade so many XP running away !!!
In Quas Wis peer noncombat Mandrake, Nighshade don't have any gem ?
In Quas Xen clone combat Ash, Silk, Ginseng, Moss, Mandrake, Nightshade reagents are false !! does always blast my head
Sanct Lor invisibility combat Moss, Mandrake, Nightshade rings are better
Xen Corp kill combat Pearl, Nightshade oh yeah !!!
8th An Tym time stop anytime Garlic, Moss, Mandrake I prefer the scroll
In Flam Hur flame wind combat Ash, moss, Mandrake not so powerfull
In Mani Corp resurrect noncombat Ash, Garlic, Silk, Moss, Mandrake but you'll be at 1 XP!
In Vas Grav Corp cone of energy combat Ash, mandrake, Nightshade  
Kal Xen Corp summon combat Garlic, Silk, Moss, Mandrake yeah ! what a pet !
Vas Rel Por gate travel noncombat Ash, Pearl, Mandrake accelarate your moves ! great !

 

Note:
It appears that the price for reagents depends on several factors (level, quantity you have, ...). Thus at the Lyaceum's Herbalist, I've found Moss at from 58 to 76, and Mandrake from 46 to 60.

 

Reagent Town # Price   Town Reagent # Price
Ash Skara Brae 14 18 Cove Silk 2 8
Yew 12 15 Moss 2 11
Ginseng Moonglow 10 26 Pearl 2 11
Skara Brae 8 20 Nightshade 1 14
Yew 8 20 Mandrake 1 22
Garlic Moonglow 6 23 Lycaeum Moss 4 76
Yew 8 20 Nightshade 1 45
Silk Cove 2 8 Mandrake 1 60
Moonglow 4 15 Moonglow Ginseng 10 26
Yew 2 10 Garlic 6 23
Moss Cove 2 11 Silk 4 15
Lycaeum 4 76 Nightshade 1 15
Skara Brae 6 39 Mandrake 1 17
Yew 4 26 Skara Brae Ash 14 18
Pearl Cove 2 11 Ginseng 8 20
Skara Brae 6 23 Moss 6 39
Nightshade Cove 1 14 Pearl 6 23
Lycaeum 1 45 Yew Ash 12 15
Moonglow 1 15 Ginseng 8 20
Mandrake Cove 1 22 Garlic 8 20
Lycaeum 1 60 Silk 2 10
Moonglow 1 17 Moss 4 26