Category Archives: Celestial & Arcane

Spell Variations: Wizards’ Panache

The Color of Magic was an excellent article from Dragon Magazine issue no. 200 by Dan Joyce. I particularly liked it because it showed how the real game isn’t about rules and dice rolling–it’s about story and wonder. It explained how the mechanics of various spells (do damage, heal, improve AC, etc.) are really all the same, it’s how the spells are perceived that make the real difference. Additionally, I have found it a useful technique to tweak certain spells that seem “broken” for a particular campaign.

Here are some spell books that were put together based on that article. The first one is especially an attribute to the article: Maximus the Black’s Book of Darkness.

The Book of Darkness

First level

Shield (Phase blur). The spell causes the caster’s appearance becomes a shadowy and blurred with the appearance of no substance. Other creatures have a harder time seeing the caster as his shadow flickers, making him harder to hit.

Darkness. Standard spell.

Magic missile (Black disc). This spell fires a disc of darkness at one enemy within range with the standard effects. The disc(s) are nearly invisible in dungeon settings with little light.

Second level

Continual darkness. Standard spell.

Invisibility (Darkwalk). This spell cloaks the caster in darkness, allowing the caster to hide in shadows as long as he doesn’t attack or cast a spell.

Third level

Fly (Shadewing). This spell causes shadowy wings to sprout from the back, allowing the caster to fly. These wings have no substance.

Hold person (Darkhold). This spell causes thin, wispy hands made of darkness attempt to grab and hold targets at their location. Victims who fail their saving throw, may also not be moved by another. Another save may be made by the victim whenever someone tries to free them to see if they can break away from the spell.

Lightning bolt (Black ray). This spell fires a ray of darkness, starting from the caster and extending up to 60′ away. It does not bounce off of walls.

Fourth level

Dimension door (Shadowblink). This spell transports the caster, leaving an area of darkness in his shape behind that lasts for 2 rounds.

Wall of ice (Wall of darkness). Blocks sight, but does not cause damage. Any creatures crossing it must save vs. spells or be blinded instead.

Book of the Elements

This next book was an attempt to create elemental versions of some spells, and would be a good addition to the combined spell books of Illfrith and Imran from the article.

First level

Sleep (Chill). All targets within area of the spell will suddenly feel cold shiver and fall asleep within 1d4 rounds as the feeling overtakes them. Unaffected creatures feel the cold for 1d4 rounds as well, but suffer no effects.

Protection from evil (Whirlwind). This spell creates a small whirlwind of force that surrounds the caster that deflects some damage and blocks enchanted creatures.

Magic missile (Shocking grasp). This spell shocks one creature within range without any other visible sign of an attack.

Shield (Stoneskin). The caster’s skin becomes harder and changes to resemble stone.

Third level

Lightning bolt (Cone of cold). This spell creates a cone of cold that starts at the caster, extending up to 60′ away and is 30′ wide at the far end. It does not bounce off walls.

Fourth level

Wall of fire (Electromagnetic barrier). This spell calls forth a shimmering curtain of electrical force which blocks site. Creatures attempting to pass through take lightning damage.

Fifth level

Hold monster (Bands of ice). With this spell the caster attempts to trap the targets targets with bands of ice. If the save is made, the target breaks free.

Chi Powers

First of all, this system may seem a little complex at first, but try to read it and see where it’s going. If it’s too much, simplify to suit your needs, but try to keep game balance (either through the rules, or through who obtains chi powers).

Chi (Ki) Powers

Chi powers increase by (level – level_you_learned_power)/2

Chi powers is an ability added for OD&D, providing much of the same kinds of ideas that psionics/sorcerors do. As psionics in D&D3, chi powers are considered to be equivalent of magic and are subject to similar restrictions (dispelled by dispel magic, cancelled by anti-magic, blocked by anti-magic shell, etc).

The maximum number of chi powers a character can have is equal to one fourth their level (rounded down) + INT bonus. It is possible for a character to not be able to learn any chi powers! In fact, until level 4 only people with above average intelligence will be able to learn chi powers.

Each chi power has various levels which can be obtained by a character. A character can use a chi power at the strongest level he/she has obtained or may use any of the lower levels.

Chi powers often need no verbal or somatic components (unless otherwise stated), but are still a form of magic in a less traditional sense.

Any character is allowed to learn these powers if they are taught by a Chi Master (someone who has obtained level 10 or higher in one or more powers), but how it enters the game is entirely up to the DM.

Each chi power is usable once per day.

Notes About Chi Power Descriptions

Complexity: refers to how easy it is for one to gain a chi Level. Each time the ability is used, roll percentile against this number (adding Intelligence and Wisdom bonuses) and if the number is higher than the complexity, they have successfully gained a level. The DM should determine that frivolous use of the power only to gain a level automatically fails.

Description: the general function of the Chi Power, and various details which apply to all levels.

Each Chi Power different levels of skill, and details that go with each…

Level: each level adds something to the power’s functionality or strength, or both. When learning a new ability, the user starts with level 1 in that power. Each use of a power (at highest possible level) may increase the level for that power (see “Complexity” above). The maximum Chi Level attainable is equal to half the character’s level + WIS bonus.

Powers

Chi Blast

Complexity: 20
Description: A basic attack power, doing increased damage as level increases. The range is 60′ at the highest level the character can use, and increases by 120′ for each lower level used.
Level:
1 – 1 (dmg)
2 – 1d3
3 – 1d4
4 – 1d6
5 – 1d8
6 – 2d6
7 – 2d8
8 – 2d10
9 – 4d6
10 – 4d8
11 – 4d10
12 – 8d8

Chi Heal

Complexity: 20
Description: One of the simpler chi powers, /chi heal/ heals one creature by touch. The amount healed varies by level.
Level:
1 – 1
2 – 1d3
3 – 1d4
4 – 1d6
5 – 1d8
6 – 2d6
7 – 2d8
8 – 2d10
9 – 4d6
10 – 4d8
11 – 4d10
12 – 8d8

Chi Elements

Complexity: 50
Description: This is an elemental attack power, allowing the user to summon aid from the elements; these may include fire, earth, air, water, or any elements from his environment such as ice, lava, smoke, lightning, etc. These can be used to attack anything within 80′. An appropriate save (vs spells) will reduce any damage by half, but should be rolled vs each element and bonuses considered. The user chooses which element(s) to summon when casting. This spell requires the user to move his/her arms.
Level:
1 – 1d4 dmg from one element
2 – 1d6 dmg from one element
3 – 1d8 dmg from one element
4 – 1d6 dmg each from two elements
5 – 1d8 dmg each from two elements
6 – 1d10 dmg each from two elements
7 – 1d8 dmg each from three elements
8 – 1d10 dmg each from three elements
9 – 1d12 dmg each from three elements
10 – 1d10 dmg each from four elements
11 – 1d12 dmg each from four elements
12 – 1d20 dmg each from four elements

Chi Mind

charm, control, confusion

Chi Motion

blocking, teleporting, telekinesis, slow, stun

Chi Sight

light, infravision, ultravision, invisibility

Chi Protection

absorbsion, AC

Druid Spell List

First Level

  1. Cure Light Wounds (Cleric 1)
  2. Detect Danger
  3. Faerie Fire
  4. Locate
  5. Predict Weather
  6. Purify Food and Water (Cleric 1)

Second Level

  1. Heat Metal
  2. Obscure
  3. Produce Fire
  4. Snake Charm (Cleric 2)
  5. Speak With Animal (Cleric 2)
  6. Warp Wood

Third Level

  1. Call Lightning
  2. Growth of Animal (Cleric 3)
  3. Hold Animal
  4. Protection From Poison
  5. Striking (Cleric 3)
  6. Water Breathing

Fourth Level

  1. Control Temperature 10′ Radius
  2. Plant Door
  3. Protection From Lightning
  4. Speak With Plants (Cleric 4)
  5. Sticks to Snakes (Cleric 4)
  6. Summon Animals

Fifth Level

  1. Anti-plant Shell
  2. Control Winds
  3. Create Food (Cleric 5)
  4. Dissolve
  5. Insect Plague (Cleric 5)
  6. Pass Plant

Sixth Level

  1. Anti-animal Shell
  2. Create Normal Animals (Cleric 6)
  3. Find the Path (Cleric 6)
  4. Summon Weather
  5. Transport Through Plants
  6. Turn Wood

Seventh Level

  1. Creeping Doom
  2. Earthquake (Cleric 7)
  3. Metal to Wood
  4. Summon Elemental
  5. Survival (Cleric 7)
  6. Weather Control

Elf Spell List

First Level

  1. Charm Person (MU 1)
  2. Detect Magic (MU 1)
  3. Light (MU 1)
  4. Locate (Druid 1)
  5. Predict Weather (Druid 1)
  6. Read Languages (MU 1)
  7. Read Magic (MU 1)

Second Level

  1. Continual Light (MU 2)
  2. Detect Evil (MU 2)
  3. Entangle (MU 2)
  4. ESP (MU 2)
  5. Locate Object (MU 2)
  6. Obscure (Druid 2)
  7. Warp Wood (Druid 2)

Third Level

  1. Clairvoyance (MU 3)
  2. Create Air (MU 3)
  3. Dispel Magic (MU 3)
  4. Hold Animal (Druid 3)
  5. Hold Person (MU 3)
  6. Protection from Poison (Druid 3)
  7. Water Breathing (MU 3)

Fourth Level

  1. Charm Monster (MU 4)
  2. Confusion (MU 4)
  3. Growth of Plants (MU 4)
  4. Hallucinatory Terrain (MU 4)
  5. Massmorph (MU 4)
  6. Plant Door (Druid 4)
  7. Summon Animals (Druid 4)

Fifth Level

  1. Anti-plant Shell (Druid 5)
  2. Conjure Elemental (MU 5)
  3. Contact Outer Plane (MU 5)
  4. Feeblemind (MU 5)
  5. Hold Monster (MU 5)
  6. Pass Plant (Druid 5)
  7. Woodform (MU 5)

The Priest’s Codex

Originally published by March 2001, the Priest’s Codex contains a collection of custom spells created by authors at Heroes Only. All of these spells have been used and tested within the gaming environment, but of course you should consider their effects on your own campaign before adopting them.

This list of spells is updated from time to time, with the “last modified” timestamp appearing at the end of the article.

First Level Spells

Refresh 1

Author: Angelo Bertolli
Range: touch
Duration: 6 turns
Effect: This spell will refresh a creature who is hungry, thirsty, and/or tired. They will be able to act, think, and fight with complete ability for the duration of the spell.

Third Level Spells

Sacrifice 1

Author: Angelo Bertolli
Range: touch
Duration: permanent
Effect: This spell allows the cleric to transfer any desired number of hit points from himself to the target. The reverse of this spell, drain life, allows the caster to drain 1d6+1 hp from a creature, with a successful attack roll. The hit points are transfered to the cleric through healing. This is considered a chaotic act.

Fourth Level Spells

Regeneration

Author: Everett Bradshaw
Range: touch
Duration: 1 turn per level
Effect: For the duration of the spell, the recipient of this spell will regenerate lost hit points at the rate of 1 per turn. Multiple uses of this spell can also regenerate limbs. This spell has no effect on creatures with 0 hp or less and cannot regenerate fire or acid damage.

Fifth Level Spells

Sanctuary

Author: Angelo Bertolli
Range: touch
Duration:
1 turn
Effect: After casting this spell, the creature automatically takes half damage from all manner of attacks from creatures of different alignment than the cleric. The creature is surrounded by a faint aura of light when this spell is in use.


Notes:

  1. This spell was featured in the Basic Fantasy Olde Dungeoneer’s Almanack 2008. You can download the original document with full credits here: Basic Fantasy Spells Supplement

The Wizard’s Codex

Originally published by February 2001, the Wizard’s Codex contains a collection of custom spells created by authors at Heroes Only. All of these spells have been used and tested within the gaming environment, but of course you should consider their effects on your own campaign before adopting them.

This list of spells is updated from time to time, with the “last modified” timestamp appearing at the end of the article.

First Level Spells

Chill 1

Author: Angelo Bertolli
Range: 10′
Duration: 2 rounds
Effect: This spell does 1d4 points of damage to one creature within range. Furthermore, the creature must save vs paralysis or suffer -1 to melee hit and damage rolls for 1d6 rounds. A large heat source nearby gives a +2 to save. The caster may use this spell on one target up to 2 rounds after casting.
Author Notes: Another classic spell concept (also known as Chilling Touch). This one is modeled more after the spell Ice Knife from an adventure in Dungeon Magazine #47.

Keepsake

Author: Jeff Querner
Range:
touch
Duration:
permanent
Effect: When keepsake is cast on your magic book, it disallows use of your book by anyone not mentioned in the spell casting. The spell can even allow you to distinguish which spells which people may or may not look at. If someone attempts to read your spell without your authority (decided when you cast the spell), a note appears saying “naughty, naughty.” However, keepsake does not stop anyone from destroying the spell book.

Mana Shield

Author: Jeff Querner
Range: 0
Duration: 6 turns
Effect: Protects the caster, effectively giving him 2d4 extra mana hp for the duration of the spell. Damage is taken from the mana shield first. Despite the nature of the spell, multiple spells are not cumulative.

Power

Author: Angelo Bertolli
Range: ?
Duration: ?
Effect: This spell is totally unpredictable, doing something weird and different every time, or may do nothing at all. The DM really should determine the effect as randomly as possible (though effects should be weird and unexpected, not necessarily powerful).
Author Notes: This spell is a tribute to the spell of the same name from the classic game Eamon. It’s the all-purpose magical tool that DMs can provide to do “special things” in adventures. For example, I had one adventure where a magical doorway would only open a portal (dimension door) when this spell was cast upon it.

Stoneskin 1

Author: Angelo Bertolli
Range: 0
Duration: 1 turn
Effect: Protects the caster against attacks by turning the his/her skin hard and stone-like. The caster gains a -2 bonus to AC vs melee and hand-thrown attacks, and a -4 bonus to fired missles. (No bonus vs. giant missiles like thrown boulders.)
Author Notes: Just your classic stoneskin spell, as found in many RPG settings. In particular, the SMAUG MUD comes to mind.

Second Level Spells

Acid Splash

Author: Angelo Bertolli
Range: 90′
Duration: instant
Effect: This spell fires one or more missiles of acid. The total damage the spell inflicts is 3d6 points of damage. The caster must decide before casting the spell how many missiles to fire, and the total damage will be distributed among them evenly (rounded down, even to zero). Each creature that takes damage may make a save vs spells for half damage. Creatures made of stone are not affected by this spell.
Author Notes: The idea of this spell came from the spell of the same name in Wizardry 7 [2].

 

Electrapulse

Author: Angelo Bertolli
Range: 60′
Duration: instant
Effect: This spell fires a charge up to 60′ away that bursts into a pulse of electrical energy with a 10′ diameter. The electrapulse does 4d4 points of damage with a save vs spells for half damage. Creatures resistant to lightning automatically take half damage and may make a save to take no damage.
Author Notes: I went through a phase where it bothered me that there weren’t any attack spells on level 2 and that low level wizards hardly ever had anything to do in battles. I also thought spells with fixed damages were more appropriate to the game than ones that grew with the caster’s level.

Flame Bolt

Author: Angelo Bertolli
Range: 30′
Duration: instant
Effect: This spell shoots a bolt of fire at one creature up to 30′. The flame bolt does 2d10 points of damage with a save vs spells for half damage. Creatures resistant to fire automatically take half damage, and may save to talk no damage.

Prismatic Orb

Author: Angelo Bertolli
Range: 90′
Duration: 1 round
Effect: Creates an orb of randomly changing colors which can be fired at one creature within range. The color the orb happens to be when it strikes the color (determined by the table below) determines the effects of the orb. The DM may add colors and effects to this table.
[easytable]
1d8,Color,Effect
1,Red,”2d8 fire dmg, save for half”
2,Orange,save or be charmed for 1d4 rounds
3,Yellow,save or be confused for 2d4 rounds
4,Green,save or be slowed for 1d4 rounds
5,Blue,”2d8 lit dmg, save for half”
6,Violet,”save or pain for 2d4 rounds (-1 AC, saves, hit/dmg)”
7,White,”2d8 cold dmg, save for half”
8,Black,save or blind 1d4 rounds
[/easytable]

Third Level Spells

Riding Disc

Author: Jeff Querner
Range:
Duration:
Effect: A larger version of Floating Disc that can support 2 (heavily laid down) or 3 people. The disc moves 15 feet a round.

Fourth Level Spells

Absorb

Author: Jeff Querner
Range: 0
Duration: 1 hour
Effect: Absorbs 1 point per die from all damage taken.

Magic Mirror 1

Author: Jeff Querner
Range: 10′
Duration: 1 turn per level
Effect: Turns a reflective surface within range into a magic mirror through which the caster can view other creatures or areas. The caster must name the area or creature. The caster and any other creatures viewing the mirror will be able to see the images, but only the caster will hear sound from the viewing. Detection and vision spells can be cast into it, allowing the caster to detect magic, see invisible, etc in the area he is viewing.

 

Meteor

Author: Angelo Bertolli
Range: 120′
Duration: instant
Effect: This fires a meteor at a target, doing 1d6 points of damage per level of caster of impact damage (with a save for half). It then explodes into a fireball of diameter 15′, doing another 1d6 points of fire damage per level of caster to all creatures within that area (with a save for half).

Fifth Level Spells

Dream 1

Author: Jeff Querner
Range:
special
Duration:
special
Effect:
This allows the caster to visit and communicate with another creature through the victim’s dream. The caster must have met the creature, and must name the creature, but the spell is otherwise unlimited by distance. This spell does not cause the victim to fall asleep: if the victim is not sleeping the spell fails. If the victim knows the dream is spell induced and does not wish to have the dream, he can make a save vs spells to wake up. Within the dream the caster may visit the victim, communicate with the victim, or even attempt to attack the victim in the dream. However nothing in the dream has any real effect, and the victim wakes up if killed in the dream.

Sixth Level Spells

Infinite Image

Author: Jeff Querner
Range: 0
Duration: 2 hours
Effect: An advanced version of mirror image that creates 3d4 images instead of 1d4.

Steal Items

Author: Jeff Querner
Range: 240′
Duration: instant
Effect: Takes 1d4 random items from the person it’s cast on. The spell might affect items the victim is equipped with or carrying. The spell places the items in the wizard’s backpack or bag.

Ninth Level Spells

Nexus

Author: Angelo Bertolli
Range:
30′
Duration:
permanent
Effect: When this spell is cast upon a creature, it “shuffles” its abilities scores. The victim may save vs spells to avoid the effects. This dreaded attack is non-reversible, and can cause special problems for characters with minimum attribute requirements (DM’s discretion). One method of randomly determining the shuffle is to roll 1d6 for each attribute and swap that attribute with the number of the attribute indicated by the roll. It is possible to end up with the same attributes. This spell is almost useless against monsters because most monsters are considered to have the “average” score for all their abilities (DM’s discretion).
Author Notes: Another unoriginal attempt at spell writing on my part–inspired by certain monster attacks in the free game Angband.

Tenth Level Spells

Spells of this circle are generally unattainable by mortals without sufficient aid from greater powers.


Notes:

  1. This spell was featured in the Basic Fantasy Olde Dungeoneer’s Almanack 2008. You can find a more complete compendium of spells in the Libram Magica.