Today’s spell, specifically its ability to shift dramatically in functionality depending on the amount of skill and energy invested in it, was inspired by this post at The Dragon’s Flagon.

Ride the Wind

This spell depends on the caster being on good terms with at least one local wind-spirit, preferably several. When a caster enters a new geographic region they must spend some time, and probably other resources, establishing good relations. Thereafter, they may attempt to call on the spirits for a variety of favors:

• Cloud cushion: On falling from a height, one may call for help and be wafted to the ground at safe and mostly gentle speeds on a cushion of air.
• Levitation: One may ask to be raised or lowered (at about one arm’s length per second) to almost any height or depth. Horizontal motion can be achieved by pushing or pulling on nearby objects.
• Sky Road: One may walk or run on the air as easily as on the ground, changing direction and ascending or descending at will. This is just as much work as normal running or walking.
• Flight: The winds carry one effortlessly as a swallow in flight… well, a person-sized, slightly ungainly swallow that can also hover in place and ascend vertically. Overall it’s very impressive.

The base cost of any version of this spell is one point of fatigue, and the base difficulty is d3. For Levitation, increase the cost by one strain per hour and the difficulty by one step from the base; for Sky Road, one strain per ten minutes and two steps from the base; for Flight, one strain per minute and three steps. If others besides the caster are to receive the spirits’ aid, the cost is multiplied by the number of people, and the difficulty increased by a single step. If the caster has not properly established relations with the local wind-spirits, all uses of this spell have double the costs and a difficulty two steps higher.