The Sorcery of Sorcery! 4: The Crown of Kings

The wrap-up posts for The Crown of Kings were supposed to start last weekend, but get this: the book is enormous and quite complex. My prep work took a bit longer than I expected, so I'm posting this a week-and-bit late. Anyway, I have some time off work and pretty much everything else to do with life, so I might try to make up the post that I missed during the week.

This is the final part in a series covering the use of magic in the Sorcery! epic.  I'm going to cover the spells and artefacts in The Crown of Kings, and I'll try to do some analysis of the series as a whole.

SPELL COMPONENTS:

Below is a list of the spell components that can be found in and around the Fortress of Mampang:

• Goblin Teeth for the GOB spell - Two are found in the Mucalytic's chamber
• A Vial of Glue for the GUM spell - Taken from the slain Sightmasters
• A Medicinal Potion for the DOC spell - Given to you by Colletus
• Pebbles for the POP spell - Three are found in the Jib-Jib's cave
• Sand for the MUD spell - Taken from the slain Sightmasters
• Nose Plugs for the NIF spell - Traded by the She-Satyrs
• A Cloth Skullcap for the TEL spell - Given to you by Colletus
• A Black Facemask for the GAK spell - Found in the Archmage's prison tower
• A Jewel of Gold for the GOD spell - Sold by the Mampang merchant
• A Gold-Backed Mirror for the KIN spell - Sold by the Mampang merchant
• A Potion of Fire-Water for the PEP spell - Traded by the She-Satyrs
• Stone Dust for the ROK spell - Found in the Jib-Jib's cave
• Yellow Powder for the NIP spell - Traded by the She-Satyrs (although it's orange, so it's debatable whether it should work), sold by the Mampang Merchant
• A Staff of Oak Sapling for the FIX spell - Found outside the third Throben Door
• A Brass Pendulum for the NAP spell - Traded by the She-Satyrs
• A Jewel-Studded Medallion for the ZEN spell: Sold by the Mampang Merchant
• A Pearl Ring for the YAZ spell - Traded by the She-Satyrs
• A Sun Jewel for the SUN spell - Traded by the She-Satyrs
• A Bracelet of Bone for the KID spell - Found in the Mucalytic's chamber
• A Ring of Green Metal for the ZIP spell - Taken from the slain Sightmasters
• An Orb of Crystal for the FAR spell - Traded  by the She-Satyrs, sold by the Mampang merchant
• Holy Water for the RES spell - Given to you by Colletus, given to you by Javinne the blind beggar

All of the encounters where you can find spell artefacts can be hit in a single run without much trouble, and it should be possible for someone who has played all four books to obtain all of the spell components.  Technically all of them were available by the end of the last book, but trading with Fenestra on a two-for-one basis didn't seem like a particularly efficient way of getting everything (unless you had a big stockpile of goblin teeth to get rid of).

SPELL COMPONENTS FOR THE WHOLE SERIES:

This is a list of every spell component, and all of the places they can be found during the Sorcery! epic. I've arranged them in order from most common to least common.

• Sand
• Taken from Alianna in The Shamutanti Hills
• Sold by dwarves in Khare
• Gifted by gnomes in Khare
• Taken from Bakland Horsemen in The Seven Serpents
• Taken from Klattamen in The Seven Serpents
• Found on a forest path in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Taken from the Sightmasters in The Crown of Kings
• Goblin Teeth
• 4 sold by the Cantopani trader in The Shamutanti Hills
• 8 taken from goblins at the Schanker Mines in The Shamutanti Hills
• 6 sold by the gnome in Khare
• Traded by Fenestra (unspecified amount) in The Seven Serpents
• 2 found in the Mucalytic's chamber in The Crown of Kings
• Medicinal Potion
• Sold by the Cantopani trader in The Shamutanti Hills
• Gifted by gnomes in Khare
• Found in the chainmaker's shop in Khare
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Gifted by Colletus in The Crown of Kings
• Pebbles
• 4 are gifted by Alianna in The Shamutanti Hills
• 3 are gifted by gnomes in Khare
• 5 are found on a forest path in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by Fenestra (unspecified amount) in The Seven Serpents
• 3 are found in the Jib-Jib's cave in The Crown of Kings
• Orb of Crystal
• Found after defeating the Moon Serpent in The Seven Serpents
• Sold by the Black Elf caravan in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by the She-Satyrs in The Crown of Kings
• Sold by the Mampang merchant in The Crown of Kings
• Beeswax
• Tree near Cantopani in The Shamutanti Hills
• Sold by dwarves in Khare
• Sold by the gnome in Khare
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Bamboo Flute
• Sold by the Cantopani trader in The Shamutanti Hills
• Sold by the gnome in Khare
• Taken from the snake charmer in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Giant Teeth
• 1 sold by the Cantopani trader in The Shamutanti Hills
• Taken from a dead giant (unspecified amount) in The Shamutanti Hills
• Sold by the gnome in Khare
• Traded by Fenestra (unspecified amount) in The Seven Serpents
• Vial of Glue
• Found in the chainmaker's shop in Khare
• Gifted by Alianna in The Shamutanti Hills
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Taken from the Sightmasters in The Crown of Kings
• Cloth Skullcap
• Sold by the Dhumpus merchant in The Shamutanti Hills
• Taken from the chainmaker in Khare
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Gifted by Colletus in The Crown of Kings
• Black Facemask
• Taken from Vangorn in Khare
• Taken from black elves in Khare
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Found in the Archmage's prison tower in The Crown of Kings
• Gold-Backed Mirror
• Taken from the Firemaster's tent in Khare
• Taken from the Flayer's house in Khare
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Sold by the Mampang merchant in The Crown of Kings
• Stone Dust
• Taken from the Baddu-Beetle's pit in The Seven Serpents
• Found on a forest path in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Found in the Jib-Jib's cave in The Crown of Kings
• Sun Jewel
• Taken from the Mantis Man in Khare
• Taken from Klattamen in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by the She-Satyrs in The Crown of Kings
• Bracelet of Bone
• Taken from the Mantis Man's hut in Khare
• Won in the cabinet of fortune in Khare
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Found in the Mucalytic's chamber in The Crown of Kings
• Holy Water
• Taken from the snake charmer in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Gifted by Colletus in The Crown of Kings
• Gifted by Javinne in The Crown of Kings
• Yellow Powder (this goes on the cusp between two and three, because the She Satyr powder is orange and probably not effective)
• Taken from Renfren in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by the She-Satyrs in The Crown of Kings
• Sold by the Mampang merchant in The Crown of Kings
• Nose Plugs
• Gifted by Alianna in The Shamutanti Hills
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by the She-Satyrs in The Crown of Kings
• Galehorn
• Gifted by Shadrack in The Seven Serpents
• Sold by the Black Elf caravan in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Staff of Oak Sapling
• Gifted by The Sham in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Found by the third Throben Door in The Crown of Kings
• Brass Pendulum
• Sold by the Black Elf caravan in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by the She-Satyrs in The Crown of Kings
• Pearl Ring
• Sold by the Black Elf caravan in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by the She-Satyrs in The Crown of Kings
• Green-Haired Wig
• Gifted by Lortag in Khare
• Taken from Bakland Horsemen in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Jewel of Gold
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Sold by the Mampang merchant in The Crown of Kings
• Potion of Fire Water
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Traded by the She-Satyrs in The Crown of Kings
• Jewel-Studded Medallion
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Sold by the Mampang merchant in The Crown of Kings
• Ring of Green Metal
• Traded by Fenestra in The Seven Serpents
• Taken from the Sightmasters in The Crown of Kings

SPELL USES:

Every single spell is available for use from the beginning of this book. I've arranged them below starting those that are most often useful, ending with those that are used the least.

Spells Used 7 Times:

• DOC
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level after meeting Farren Whyde
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level before confronting the Jib-Jib
• Adds 2 to your Stamina while fighting Throg, but adds 4 to her Stamina as she snatches the bottle
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level before the first Throben Door.
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level before the swinging rope in High Xamen
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level at the courtyard pillory
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level at the magnetic pole in the courtyard

Spells Used 5 Times:

• FAR
• Shows you a vision of yourself battling the Archmage's guards
• Shows you an image of a mountain trail in a crevasse
• Shows you a vision of someone crossing the Chamber of Night bearing a white candle
• Shows you an image of the magnetic pole in the courtyard.
• Shows you an image of Farren Whyde in his chamber

Spells Used 3 Times:

• HOW
• Tells you that the Jib-Jib presents no danger
• Guides you to the key to the first Throben Door.
• Warns you that the swinging rope in High Xamen is dangerous
• NIF
• Allows you to escape from the Black Elves
• Makes Naggamanteh set you free, and tell you the secret of the third Throben Door.
• Kills the Mucalytic
• POP
• Damages the Black Elves before you fight them
• Damages Naggamanteh before you fight him
• Allows you to frighten off some of the guards in the courtyard
• RAZ
• Cast just before meeting the Spiny Ones, allows you to deal double damage during your next battle
• Allows you to deal double damage when fighting the guards near the first Throben Door
• Allows you to deal double damage when fighting the guards in the courtyard
• TEL
• Allows you to trick a Red-Eye into killing his friends with his eye-beams
• Allows you to completely avoid the blows of one of the Sightmasters
• Lets you know that Naggamanteh is very proud of his dungeon.
• ZAP
• Destroys the Netherworld Demon before it can fully form.
• Blows open the door to the Spiny Ones' chamber.
• Opens the lock on the courtyard pillory without needing a Skill test

Spells Used 2 Times:

• DIM
• Incapacitates one of Mampang's four gate guards, but allows him to wound you once.
• Incapacitates one of the guards in the captain's office
• DOZ
• Allows you to escape from the Skunkbear, or deducts 3 from its Skill if you fight it.
• Reduces the Mucalytic's Skill by 4 points
• DUM
• Incapacitates one of Mampang's four gate guards
• Knocks out one of three Birdmen
• GOD
• Lets you escape from the Birdmen
• Causes the Captain of the Guard to release you
• HOT
• Destroys the Netherworld Demon before it can fully form.
• Kills the Birdman in High Xamen
• KIN
• Makes duplicates to help you fight the Red-Eyes
• Makes the Jib-Jib leave its cave
• PEP
• Lets you break the lock on the pillory without a Skill test
• Allows you to get past the She-Satyrs
• SUN
• Knocks out or kills the Mucalytic
• Allows you to get through the chamber of Goblin Mutants
• SUS
• Warns you that the magnetic pole in the courtyard is dangerous
• Tells you that the She-Satyrs have no trap planned for you

Spells Used 1 Time:

• DOP
• Opens the door to the Spiny Ones' chamber
• FOF
• Allows you to escape from the Red-Eyes
• FOG
• Allows you to get through the chamber of Goblin Mutants
• GAK
• Frightens off the She-Satyrs
• JIG
• Allows you to get past the She-Satyrs
• KID
• Allows you to leave without fighting Throg
• LAW
• Allows you to escape from the Spiny Ones at the cost of 2 Stamina.
• MUD
• Slows down the Marble Ram, allowing you to avoid it without making a Luck test
• NAP
• Puts Valignya to sleep
• NIP
• Allows you to escape from the Sightmasters, or add 3 to your Attack Strength if you fight them
• RAP
• Lets you speak with the guards near the first Throben Door
• RES
• Brings Farren Whyde back to life
• ROK
• Turns the Mucalytic to stone
• SAP
• Allows you to escape the Birdman in High Xamen
• SIX
• Gives you a chance to escape from the Spiny Ones
• WAL
• Allows you to get past the rockslide and into Mampang
• WOK
• Adds 2 to your Attack Strength against Mampang's gate guards
• YAP
• Lets you communicate with the Jib-Jib
• YAZ
• Allows you to escape from the Birdmen with a successful Luck test
• ZED
• Takes you back in time to confront the Archmage
• ZIP
• Allows you to escape from the guard captain

Spells Used 0 Times:

• DUD, BIG, FAL, FIX, GOB, GUM, HUF, MAG, YOB, ZEN

As you'd expect, with such a wide variety of spells the results are a little more spread out here,  A lot spells come in handy once or twice, but there are few that break away from that. The two most used spells, DOC and FAR, are rarely applicable to your current situation.  I also had to make some judgment calls here, because there are quite a number of situations where spells are immediately useful but still lead to your death.  I've tried not to include those, although a few may have slipped through.

SPELL USAGE IN THE WHOLE SERIES:

Now I'm going to go through each spell one by one, showing all the times they are useful through the whole series and assessing them all.

DOC (used 17 times)

• Cures the family in the plague village in The Shamutanti Hills
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level at the crypt entrance in Khare
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level in the Shrine of Courga in Khare
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level before fighting the Barbarian in Khare
• Cures Vangorn's poison in Khare
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level in the Gnome's shop in Khare
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level inside the crypt in Khare
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level while fighting the Earth Serpent in The Seven Serpents
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level before crossing Lake Ilkala, or you can use it to get the Ferryman to agree to a free trip in The Seven Serpents
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level inside the ruined temple in The Seven Serpents
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level after meeting Farren Whyde in The Crown of Kings
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level before confronting the Jib-Jib in The Crown of Kings
• Adds 2 to your Stamina while fighting Throg, but adds 4 to her Stamina as she snatches the bottle in The Crown of Kings
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level before the first Throben Door in The Crown of Kings
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level before the swinging rope in High Xamen in The Crown of Kings
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level at the courtyard pillory in The Crown of Kings
• Restores your Stamina to its initial level at the magnetic pole in the courtyard in The Crown of Kings

DOC is the clear winner in terms of the numbers of times it can be used in the series, with 17 separates instances, but that number on its own is a little misleading.  There are only 5 medicinal potions to be found in the series, so that's a pretty hard limit.  The books are generous about when you can use them (especially The Crown of Kings) but those uses in total are fairly few.

HOW (used 12 times)

• Tells you to use the DOP spell to open the locked door in the Schanker Mines in The Shamutanti Hills
• Warns you not to enter the dark passage in the Schanker Mines in The Shamutanti Hills
• Warns you to avoid the Ogre's room in the Schanker Mines in The Shamutanti Hills
• Tells you not to attack the weird two-tailed Serpent near the Elvin village, and to let it guide you instead in The Shamutanti Hills
• Warns you to run from the Mantis Man in Khare
• Gets you safely past the trap at the entrance to the crypt in Khare
• Lets you know that the fish fountain is not dangerous in Khare
• Warns you that the Black Elf is leading you into a trap in The Seven Serpents
• Warns you to steer clear of the whirlwind in The Seven Serpents
• Tells you that the Jib-Jib presents no danger in The Crown of Kings
• Guides you to the key to the first Throben Door in The Crown of Kings
• Warns you that the swinging rope in High Xamen is dangerous in The Crown of Kings

HOW is almost always a good idea to cast whenever it comes up.  If you're ever confronted with a mysterious situation, or something unknown, it's a good bet that this spell will tell you whether you should avoid it.

SUS (used 11 times)

• Prevents death and lessens chance of injury when falling into the pit in the Schanker Mines in The Shamutanti Hills
• Gives you a chance of surviving the flooded room in the Manticore's labyrinth, at the cost of your provisions and any other inventory items that would be spoiled by water in The Shamutanti Hills
• Warns you not to enter the dark passage in the Schanker Mines in The Shamutanti Hills
• Allows you to safely escape the home of Vangorn the Murderer in Khare
• Gets you safely past the trap at the entrance to the crypt in Khare
• Warns you that the Mantis Man is dangerous in Khare
• Warns you that the hieroglyphics in the ruined temple are dangerous in The Seven Serpents
• Warns you that the Snake Charmer's music is enchanted in The Seven Serpents
• Warns you the the Deathwraith is an illusion in The Seven Serpents
• Warns you that the magnetic pole in the courtyard is dangerous in The Crown of Kings
• Tells you that the She-Satyrs have no trap planned for you in The Crown of Kings

SUS serves much the same purpose as HOW, and to be honest they could quite easily have been consolidated. Both of them are good at telling you what to avoid, and if they'd been combined they'd easily be the most-used spell in the books.

ZAP (used 11 times)

• Kills the blind Goblin in the Schanker Mines in The Shamutanti Hills
• Kills the Wolfhound in the Elvin village in The Shamutanti Hills
• Allows you to finish digging holes faster if you take the job in Dhumpus in The Shamutanti Hills
• Kills one of the Goblins outside of the Schanker Mines, and may cause the other two to flee in The Shamutanti Hills
• Frees you from the south gate prison in Khare
• Frees you from the slave ship in Khare
• Kills the Golden Snake in The Seven Serpents
• Frees your leg from the rocks when fighting the Earth Serpent in The Seven Serpents
• Destroys the Netherworld Demon before it can fully form in The Crown of Kings
• Blows open the door to the Spiny Ones' chamber in The Crown of Kings
• Opens the lock on the courtyard pillory without needing a Skill test in The Crown of Kings

This is one of the six spells that are singled out in the rules as being the most useful. It performs quite admirably, with some instant kills (including the final enemy of the series) and at least one instance where it saves you from failing your mission.

RAZ (used 11 times)

• Opens Alianna's cage in The Shamutanti Hills
• Increases damage dealt when fighting the blind Goblin in The Shamutanti Hills
• Increases damage dealt when fighting the Goblins outside of the Schanker Mines in The Shamutanti Hills
• Increases damage dealt when fighting your painted double in Khare
• Increases damage dealt when fighting the Chainmaker in Khare
• Increases damage dealt when fighting the Flying Fish in The Seven Serpents
• Increases damage dealt when fighting the Rock Demon in The Seven Serpents
• Increases damage dealt when fighting the Water Serpent in The Seven Serpents
• Cast just before meeting the Spiny Ones, allows you to deal double damage during your next battle in The Crown of Kings
• Allows you to deal double damage when fighting the guards near the first Throben Door in The Crown of Kings
• Allows you to deal double damage when fighting the guards in the courtyard in The Crown of Kings

The most reliably useful combat spell, you can always count on it to increase your damage when you need it.  It requires beeswax, so its use can be limited, but if you go through Khare you can obtain enough beeswax to last your entire mission. Always worth casting, unless you're really low on Stamina, and even then it can be a life-saver.

WOK (used 10 times)

• Creates a shield in the fight with the Troll Sentry (giving it a -2 Attack Strength penalty) in The Shamutanti Hills
• Creates a shield in the fight with one of the Elvins you meet before their village (giving it a -2 Attack Strength penalty) in The Shamutanti Hills
• Protects you from being pelted with acorns by Elvins in The Shamutanti Hills
• Creates a shield in the fight with the Ogre in the Schanker Mines (giving it a -2 Attack Strength penalty) in The Shamutanti Hills
• Reduces the Living Corpse's Attack Strength by 2 in Khare
• Reduces the Flayer's Attack Strength by 2 in Khare
• Reduces a Harpy's Attack Strength by 2 in Khare
• Reduces the Water Serpent's Attack Strength by 2 in The Seven Serpents
• Protects you from falling rocks while fighting the Earth Serpent in The Seven Serpents
• Adds 2 to your Attack Strength against Mampang's gate guard in The Crown of Kings

Like RAZ, this is a very good all-purpose combat spell that can be relied on to reduce your opponent's Attack Strength (or add to your own in book 4).  It's usage starts off strong in the first book, and tapers off by the end.

FOF (used 9 times)

• Protects you from the Bandits outside Cantopani in The Shamutanti Hills
• Allows you to survive the flooded room in the Manticore's labyrinth in The Shamutanti Hills
• Protects you from getting sick in the plague village in The Shamutanti Hills
• Blocks the Manticore's stinging tail in The Shamutanti Hills
• Protects you from being pelted with acorns by Elvins in The Shamutanti Hills
• Allows you to flee from the Snattacats in The Seven Serpents
• Protects you from the Golden Snake in The Seven Serpents
• Protects you from falling rubble in the ruined temple in The Seven Serpents
• Allows you to escape from the Red-Eyes in The Crown of Kings

This is another one of the spells that the rules say are the most useful, and it starts out pretty well. For a spell that creates an impenetrable force field, though, it falls off pretty quickly after the first book. There are plenty of situations where it could be useful, but the series rarely gives it the opportunity.

TEL (used 9 times)

• Reveals that Vangorn is trying to poison you in Khare
• Reveals that the Mantis Man is not a statue in Khare
• Reveals that the Firemaster's hut is trapped in Khare
• Allows you to recover your most valuable possession from the Orclings in Khare
• Warns you of the nature of the Red-Eyes in Khare
• Warns you that the old Black Elf is leading you into a trap, but can be swayed with gold in The Seven Serpents
• Allows you to trick a Red-Eye into killing his friends with his eye-beams in The Crown of Kings
• Allows you to completely avoid the blows of one of the Sightmasters in The Crown of Kings
• Lets you know that Naggamanteh is very proud of his dungeon in The Crown of Kings

For a spell that's not used at all in the first book, this one performs admirably after that, giving you insights into some key situations.  It also has my favourite spell usage of the whole series, when it's used against the Red-Eyes in book 4.

LAW (used 8 times)

• Temporarily controls the snakes in the pit in the Manticore's labyrinth in The Shamutanti Hills
• Allows you to avoid battle with the random creatures that attack by night (this can happen multiple times, but I've only counted it once) in The Shamutanti Hills
• Allows you to avoid battle with the Skunkbear in The Shamutanti Hills
• Stops the weird two-tailed Serpent near the Elvin village from attacking you in The Shamutanti Hills
• Allows you to get the Mantis Man's locket and safely escape in Khare
• Saves you from fighting the Nighthawks in The Seven Serpents
• Forces the Bear to leave you alone in The Seven Serpents
• Allows you to escape from the Spiny Ones at the cost of 2 Stamina in The Crown of Kings

Another spell that was called out as being very useful in the rules, this one doesn't live up to the hype.  It starts well in book 1, but tapers off quickly.  It only works on non-intelligent creatures, so by the time you get to Mampang it's not much use against that place's crafty denizens. (Although, the one time it is useful in book 4 it gets you out of an otherwise deadly situation, so props for that.)

HOT (used 8 times)

• Kills Alianna's Wood Golem in The Shamutanti Hills
• Kills one of the three Elvins you meet before their village in The Shamutanti Hills
• Injures the Manticore in The Shamutanti Hills
• Gets you through Khare's south gate in Khare
• Kills the Moon Serpent in The Seven Serpents
• Kills the Golden Snake in The Seven Serpents
• Destroys the Netherworld Demon before it can fully form in The Crown of Kings
• Kills the Birdman in High Xamen in The Crown of Kings

For a spell that's patterned after "fireball", the go-to offensive spell of Dungeons & Dragons and its many associated games, HOT doesn't get used all that much.  When it does come out, though, it's an almost guaranteed instant kill.  It's just a shame that the books don't give you more opportunities to use it.

DIM (used 8 times)

• Allows you to escape from the Ogre in the Schanker Mines, or gives it a -4 Skill penalty if you opt to fight it
• Reduces the Skill of the Bristle Beast.
• Allows you to steal from the Flayer.
• Has a chance to take one Harpy out of the fight.
• Removes one of the Horsemen from the following battle
• Reduces the Skill of the illusory Deathwraith, and causes it to act confused in battle
• Incapacitates one of Mampang's four gate guards, but allows him to wound you once.
• Incapacitates one of the guards in the captain's office

A spell to confuse your enemies that will generally take one out of the fight. It seems to be most useful when your confronted with multiple foes.  The rules call it out as being somewhat unreliable, as it makes its target act erratically, but that only happens in one instance where the spell is successful.

FAR (used 8 times)

• Allows you to spy on Fenestra from outside her lair in The Seven Serpents
• Allows you to avoid the Snattacats in The Seven Serpents
• Gives you some cryptic hints while fighting the Earth Serpent in The Seven Serpents
• Shows you a vision of yourself battling the Archmage's guards in The Crown of Kings
• Shows you an image of a mountain trail in a crevasse in The Crown of Kings
• Shows you a vision of someone crossing the Chamber of Night bearing a white candle in The Crown of Kings
• Shows you an image of the magnetic pole in the courtyard in The Crown of Kings
• Shows you an image of Farren Whyde in his chamber in The Crown of Kings

This spell is pretty high up there in terms of the amount of times it's useful, but those times are rarely relevant to your current situation, and in only one case is it practical.  Of the five images you can glean in book 4, three of them are worthless.  This one's a bit of a waste.

GOB (used 7 times)

• Helps you fight the Wolfhound in the Elvin village in The Shamutanti Hills
• Impresses the Elvins, allowing you to leave their village unmolested in The Shamutanti Hills
• Helps you fight the Manticore in The Shamutanti Hills
• Summons a Goblin who will investigate the Mantis Man or his hut in Khare
• Summons Goblins to help you fight the Harpies in Khare
• May free you from the Stranglebush in The Seven Serpents
• Helps you fight the Marsh Goblins in The Seven Serpents

This one's not bad early on, but ultimately goblins are pretty weak, and not all that much help against more powerful foes. This is borne out by it's lack of effectiveness in the final book, where the stronger denizens of Mampang aren't much fussed by them.

YOB (used 7 times)

• Helps you fight the Hill Giant in Lea-Ki (either inside or outside the cave) in The Shamutanti Hills
• Helps you fight the Manticore in The Shamutanti Hills
• Summons a Giant to fight the Bronze Statue in Khare
• Gets destroyed by pursuing Red-Eyes, but still allows you to escape them in Khare
• Summons a Giant to fight the Barbarian in your place in Khare
• Summons a Giant to free you from  the Chainmaker's net in Khare
• Moves rocks to free your leg while fighting the Earth Serpent in The Seven Serpents

A giant is a much stronger foe than a goblin, and you'd think there'd be more situations where you could use one.  That's not really the case, though, and its usage is also limited by the scarcity of giant teeth to be found (although there's one bit in The Shamutanti Hills which leaves the amount of teeth you can harvest up to your own discretion).

POP (used 7 times)

• Temporarily drives off the snakes in the pit in the Manticore's labyrinth in The Shamutanti Hills
• Damages the Living Corpse in Khare
• Frees you from the south gate prison in Khare
• Kills all of the Marsh Goblins in The Seven Serpents
• Damages the Black Elves before you fight them in The Crown of Kings
• Damages Naggamanteh before you fight him in The Crown of Kings
• Allows you to frighten off some of the guards in the courtyard in The Crown of Kings

A fairly effective combat spell. It's limited by your supply of pebbles, but those are fairly plentiful.  It's a rare case of a spell that's available from book 1 but is at it's most useful in book 4.

DOP (used 6 times)

• Opens Alianna's cage in The Shamutanti Hills
• Opens the locked door in the Schanker Mines in The Shamutanti Hills
• Opens the door to the Ogre's room in the Schanker Mines in The Shamutanti Hills
• Opens Khare's south gate in Khare
• Frees you from the south gate prison in Khare
• Opens the door to the Spiny Ones' chamber in The Crown of Kings

A spell that opens locked doors should be more useful, but DOP never comes through when you need it: most of the doors that require keys don't open to it, or are locked with more powerful magic.  The only door that it opens in the final book leads to a place you definitely don't want to go.

GAK (used 6 times)

• Causes the Bristle Beast to faint from fright in Khare
• Allows you to get any stolen gold back from the Red-Eyes and escape in Khare
• Allows you to escape the Red-Eyes in Khare
• Frightens the Klattaman Champion into fleeing in The Seven Serpents
• Deducts 2 from the Attack Strength of the three Klattamen in The Seven Serpents
• Frightens off the She-Satyrs in The Crown of Kings

This spells does alright considering it can't be cast during the first book.  Unfortunately it's pretty irrelevant in the final book as well, so its usefulness is very much relegated to the middle of the series.

MUD (used 6 times)

• Allows you to flee from the Bronze Statue in Khare
• Kills the Red-Eyes but also makes your stolen gold irretrievable in Khare
• Kills the Chainmaker in Khare
• Lets you safely take the gold piece from the fish fountain in Khare
• Helps you climb out of the pit while fighting the Earth Serpent in The Seven Serpents
• Slows down the Marble Ram, allowing you to avoid it without making a Luck test in The Crown of Kings

This one can be cast a fair bit, but if memory serves it fails more often than it's useful.  It's very satisfying to cast against the Red-Eyes, though, and its use against the Chainmaker is one of the Analander's more callous acts of the series.

NIF (used 6 times)

• Allows you to escape from pursuing Red-Eyes in Khare
• Breaks up the fight between the Sprite and the Pixie in Khare
• Forces the Firefox to flee in The Seven Serpents
• Allows you to escape from the Black Elves in The Crown of Kings
• Makes Naggamanteh set you free, and tell you the secret of the third Throben Door in The Crown of Kings
• Kills the Mucalytic in The Crown of Kings

Not bad for a spell that's not used in book 1, but one of those usages above is completely worthless (the sprite/pixie encounter in Khare).  It can net you some absolutely vital information in book 4 though.

BIG (used 5 times)

• Scares off the random creatures that attack by night, or doubles your Skill in the ensuing battle (this can happen multiple times, but I've only counted it once)
• Doubles your Skill when fighting the Hill Giant in Lea-Ki (this fight can happen in two different place, but I've only counted it once)
• Allows you to finish digging holes faster if you take the job in Dhumpus
• Drives off the trio of Elvins you meet before their village, or doubles your Skill in the ensuing battle
• Doubles your Skill while fighting the Baddu-Beetle

This spell isn't used much, but when it works it effectively doubles your Skill score.  I don't understand why this one wouldn't get trotted out every time you get into a fight in the wilderness.

DOZ (used 5 times)

• Slows Alianna's Wood Golem, giving it a Skill penalty of -4 in The Shamutanti Hills
• Dazes the Manticore, stopping it from stinging with its tail and giving it a -4 Skill penalty for 4 rounds if you attack straight afterward The Shamutanti Hills
• Reduces the Skill of the Slime Eater in Khare
• Allows you to escape from the Skunkbear, or deducts 3 from its Skill if you fight it in The Crown of Kings
• Reduces the Mucalytic's Skill by 4 points in The Crown of Kings

A decent mid-tier combat spell that's pretty good when it works, but is ineffective more often than not.

DUM (used 5 times)

• Makes the Troll Sentry drop its halberd, giving it a -4 Skill penalty in The Shamutanti Hills
• Makes the Hill Giant in Lea-Ki drop its club, giving it a -3 Skill penalty in The Shamutanti Hills
• Reduces the Attack Strength of your chosen fighter in the fight at the festival, but there's a chance you might cast it on the wrong one in Khare
• Incapacitates one of Mampang's four gate guards in The Crown of Kings
• Knocks out one of three Birdmen in The Crown of Kings

Of the six spells that the rules say are the most useful, this one is probably the least useful.  It works a couple of times in book 1 and 4, but most of the time when you cast it it's ineffective.

GUM (used 5 times)

• Stops the rolling boulder in the Manticore's labyrinth in The Shamutanti Hills
• Allows you to easily kill the Bristle Beast in Khare
• Lets you escape from Vangorn the Murderer in Khare
• Removes one Snattacat from the following battle, if you are Lucky in The Seven Serpents
• Allows you to avoid the Firefox in The Seven Serpents

This one doesn't come out a lot, and only on one occasion is it in a situation that's truly life-saving. It's also limited by the amount of glue vials you can find. There are four, but two of those aren't found until book 4 and late in book 3, where they are effectively useless.

FIX (used 5 times)

• Allows you to escape from the Bear in The Seven Serpents
• Deducts 1 Skill point from the Flying Fish in The Seven Serpents
• Forces the Ferryman agree not to charge you any gold in The Seven Serpents
• Frees you from the Stranglebush in The Seven Serpents
• Protects you from rocks while fighting the Earth Serpent in The Seven Serpents

FIX comes out with all guns blazing in book 3, but by book 4 it's completely worthless.

JIG (used 5 times)

• Allows you to avoid combat with Alianna's Wood Golem in The Shamutanti Hills
• Allows you to avoid combat with the Bandits outside Cantopani in The Shamutanti Hills
• Allows you to escape from pursuing Red-Eyes in Khare
• Allows you to escape from the Slime Eater in Khare
• Allows you to get past the She-Satyrs in The Crown of Kings

Starts the series well (and may actually be the first spell you ever cast) but it's irrelevant by book 3, and its one use in book 4 is probably not something you want to do.

KIN (used 5 times)

• Allows you to get any stolen gold back from the Red-Eyes and escape in Khare
• Allows you to escape the Red-Eyes in Khare
• Creates a duplicate to fight the illusory Rock Demon in The Seven Serpents
• Makes duplicates to help you fight the Red-Eyes in The Crown of Kings
• Makes the Jib-Jib leave its cave in The Crown of Kings

For a spell that can duplicate your opponent, this one's never as effective as it ought to be, and it can get you outright killed in book 4.  The mirror that it requires can be very fragile as well.

SAP (used 5 times)

• Reduces the Skill of your painted double in Khare
• Reduces the Skill of the Chainmaker in Khare
• Reduces the Klattaman Champion's Skill by 3 in The Seven Serpents
• Reduces the Skill of one of the Horsemen to 1 in The Seven Serpents
• Allows you to escape the Birdman in High Xamen in The Crown of Kings

Considering that this spell was inexplicably ignored in book 1 it does okay overall.  It's not used a lot, but it can be fairly effective.

SIX (used 5 times)

• Impresses the Elvins, allowing you to leave their village unmolested in The Shamutanti Hills
• Gives you a chance to escape the Skunkbear in The Shamutanti Hills
• Distract's the Living Corpse's head in Khare
• Allows you to recover up to six stolen possession from the Orclings in Khare
• Gives you a chance to escape from the Spiny Ones in The Crown of Kings

This one does okay as a defensive spell in the first half of the series before tapering off.

WAL (used 5 times)

• Stops the rolling boulder in the Manticore's labyrinth in The Shamutanti Hills
• Allows you to escape from the Ogre in the Schanker Mines in The Shamutanti Hills
• Allows you to escape from the Manticore without a battle in The Shamutanti Hills
• Lets you escape from Vangorn the Murderer in Khare
• Protects you from the Flying Fish in Khare
• Allows you to get past the rockslide and into Mampang in The Crown of Kings

This is one of the supposed six most useful spells, but it really isn't.  More often than not it's force field is ineffective, and it perhaps should have been combined with FOF.  It does get extra credit for getting you out of fighting the Manticore though, and it's also the only way into Mampang if you don't meet Colletus the Holy Man.

GOD (used 5 times, or maybe 3)

• Makes the Klattamen leave you alone in The Seven Serpents (I didn't think you could get the Jewel of Gold at this point, but perhaps I missed one somewhere.)
• Stops the old Black Elf from leaving you staked out on the plains in The Seven Serpents (ditto).
• Makes the Ferryman agree to ferry you for free in The Seven Serpents
• Lets you escape from the Birdmen in The Crown of Kings
• Causes the Captain of the Guard to release you in The Crown of Kings

The first two items on the list above are a bit dubious, because I don't think you can find the Jewel of Gold before meeting Fenestra.  Regardless, this spell doesn't get used much, and it's most vital use is probably against the guard captain in book 4.

DUD (used 4 times)

• Impresses the Elvins, allowing you to leave their village unmolested in The Shamutanti Hills
• Gets you past the guards at Khare's north gate in Khare
• Can be used to trade with the Gnome shopkeeper in Khare
• Frees you from the slave ship in Khare

Mildly useful in the first half of the series before it drops off a cliff. As you'd expect, it's at its most effective against the greedy denizens of Khare.

HUF (used 4 times)

• Defeats the Air Serpent in The Seven Serpents
• Defeats the Earth Serpent in The Seven Serpents
• Disperses the whirlwind in The Seven Serpents
• Adds 2 to your Skill while fighting the Fire Serpent, and protects you from its special attack in The Seven Serpents

Much like FIX, this one was super-effective in one book, and not used anywhere else.  It's the real star of book 3 though, defeating two of the Seven Serpents and giving you an advantage against a third.

KID (used 4 times)

• Gives your chosen fighter a free attack in the fight at the festival.
• Distracts the Snake Charmer long enough for you to loot his pit
• Frightens the Klattamen into giving you their possessions
• Allows you to leave without fighting Throg

Occasionally useful, but never in any vital situations.

SUN (used 4 times)

• Reduces damage dealt to your chosen fighter in the fight at the festival.
• Allows you to escape from the Baddu-Beetle
• Knocks out or kills the Mucalytic
• Allows you to get through the chamber of Goblin Mutants

This one isn't used all that often, but I have to give it props for getting you out of the fight with the Baddu-Beetle, because that thing really sucks.

MAG (used 3 times)

• Allows you to escape from the Spirit of Mananka in the Elvin village in The Shamutanti Hills
• Protects against the Firemaster's trap and allows you to steal his treasure in Khare
• Dispels the illusory Deathwraith in The Seven Serpents

I'd have expected a spell that protects you against magic would be more useful.  It's particularly odd that it never comes in handy in the final book, especially when your ultimate enemy is a sorcerer.

RAP (used 3 times)

• Gets you past the guards at Khare's north gate in Khare
• Allows you to communicate with the Marsh Goblins in The Seven Serpents
• Lets you speak with the guards near the first Throben Door in The Crown of Kings

It doesn't come up much, but it can be absolutely vital to defeating the Serpent of Time in book 3.

FAL (used 2 times)

• Allows you to fall safely into the pit in the Schanker Mines in The Shamutanti Hills
• Maybe protects you against falling out of a tree while fighting the Fire Serpent in The Seven Serpents (it's ambiguous)

This spell has one explicit use, and another that's very much open to interpretation. It's definitely one of the least useful spells in the series.

ROK (used 2 times)

• Removes three Snattacats from the battle that follows if you are Lucky, one if you are Unlucky in The Seven Serpents
• Turns the Mucalytic to stone in The Crown of Kings

A spell that doesn't come up all that often.  It's a rare case of a spell whose material component is more numerous that the amount of times it can effectively be used.

FOG (used 2 times)

• Allows you to escape from the Spirit of Mananka in the Elvin village in The Shamutanti Hills
• Allows you to get through the chamber of Goblin Mutants in The Crown of Kings

This one can be cast fairly often, but because it's only effective indoors it rarely works.  Funnily enough, I don't think the book with the most indoor locations - Khare - ever gives it as an option.

NIP (used 2 times)

• Allows you to flee from the Marsh Goblins in The Seven Serpents
• Allows you to escape from the Sightmasters, or add 3 to your Attack Strength if you fight them in The Crown of Kings

I expected more from a spell that has you sniffing powder to increase your speed.  (Yes, I know it's probably a reference to snuff, but I doubt that's where most people's minds go to these days.)  It has exactly two useful castings, and one of those takes you away from an encounter that's vital to surviving the book.

YAZ (used 2 times)

• Allows you to escape from the Snattacats in The Seven Serpents
• Allows you to escape from the Birdmen with a successful Luck test in The Crown of Kings

This invisibility spell isn't available until late in the game, but it never gets used that much considering you're on a stealth mission.

YAP (used 2 times)

• Allows you to communicate with the Golden Snake in The Seven Serpents
• Lets you communicate with the Jib-Jib in The Crown of Kings

Of all the dangerous animals you meet in this series, you can only use this spell to effectively communicate with two of them: the mostly harmless Golden Snake and the completely harmless Jib-Jib.  Couldn't this one at least have gotten you out of fighting a bear or something?

PEP (used 2 times)

• Lets you break the lock on the pillory without a Skill test in The Crown of Kings
• Allows you to get past the She-Satyrs in The Crown of Kings

Now that I look at these, they're both negative.  Breaking the prisoner out gets you killed, and missing the encounter with the She-Satyrs makes it very difficult to get into Mampang.  This is among the worst spells in the series.

ZIP (used 1 time)

• Allows you to escape from the guard captain in The Crown of Kings

You can't get the ring of green metal required for this until late in the series, so it isn't used much. It's one use gets you past a potentially deadly encounter though.

NAP (used 1 time)

• Puts Valignya to sleep in The Crown of Kings

This one is ineffective on multiple occasions, but on the one time it does work it gets you vital information for passing the second Throben Door.

RES (used 1 time)

• Brings Farren Whyde back to life in The Crown of Kings

You can only bring one person back from the dead in this series, and that's Farren Whyde.  Doing so is vital to beating the final book though, if you happen to miss allying with the Samaritans of Schinn.

ZED (used 1 time)

• Takes you back in time to confront the Archmage in The Crown of Kings

This spell only gets used once, but boy, what a use.  This spell doesn't belong on this list, to be honest.  It's a vital part of the plot, set up from the beginning of the series as a mystery, and one that pays off big at the end.  Plus it kills Jann the Minimite, so it gets huge bonus points for that.  (Although, if you've gone back in time and never went to the prison tower, you never cast the ZED spell in Jann's presence, so he's probably still alive in there.  Ah well, at least he remains locked away forever, where he belongs.)

ZEN (used 1 time, possibly)

• Allows you to lift the Earth Serpent and destroy it in The Seven Serpents

If I'm correct, this is undoubtedly the most useless spell in the game.  It's one effective casting is pretty good, but I'm pretty sure that you can't actually find the required jewel-studded medallion before you meet the Earth Serpent.  I'll give it the benefit of the doubt, but it seems to me that this spell can't ever be used effectively. (This, of course, ignores the possibility of being looped back to an earlier point in the series by the ZED spell.  The books don't say what happens to your equipment, so it could be that you go back with everything. A rewrite of the series that takes this possibility into account would be fun.)

Whew, I'm done!  I don't have anything else in particular to add, except to say that the information I've compiled above does something of a disservice to the magic system in Sorcery.  As much as it's great when one of your spells succeeds, it can be equally entertaining when they fail, and a big part of the fun is trying different options to see what effect they have.  I didn't track the failures, as that would have been even more work, but it would be interesting to the success/failure ratios for each.

NEXT: I'll give my final thoughts on The Shamutanti Hills, do an Exploring Titan, then I am done with my years long sojourn with Sorcery. It'll be nice finally get back to playing through the books.