Tuesday 13 July 2010

Level 2 Magic Spells

A couple of notes:

I've done my usual thing of combining spells, making less useful ones more useful, and curbing some spells that can be used in an un-fun way. No more pettifogging legalese question-asking with Augury; no more plot ruination with ESP if you don't want it (Detect Thoughts). Also note that some cleric spells are folded in here. They're not out of reach for clerics, though, depending on the options in your campaign.

The spells with a (+) are not actually spells, but ... what should I call them? Modifiers? Meta-spells (ugh)? Codicils? Pervulsions? You don't memorize them, but they go on your list of known spells. You can roll them when you level up, and learn them out of books. They represent the ability to memorize a spell at 1 level higher and improve its effect somehow. The spell still is the same spell, so by the rules I discussed last time you can't have a level 1 Sleep and a level 2 super-Sleep memorized at the same time. Taking this approach has let me trim a lot from the higher level spell lists, which is good because I go to a d12 table after 3rd level.

I actually like these ultra-brief descriptions. They have that white box feel. They call up the image of a referee ruling on the fly, players thinking up their own uses, wizards experimenting and trying to "break" some spell they only have a scribbled note describing. If you write all of the details down people are going to find their way to them and some of the fun is gone. The fruits of the Internet, I guess, even more ridiculous now than in 1979 to try and forbid your players to read the DMG or Monster Manual.

Any final product I release will probably have more specific notes on implementation, but I expect an experienced game-runner should be able to hold their own with these brief notes, especially with some knowledge of the original and fuller descriptions in O and AD&D.


1
Augury
Orange
30’
3 min
None
Get literal yes/no answer to up to 10 word question, 1/6 chance of being wrong
2
Complex Illusion
Purple
30’
30 min
(Int)
Illusion in 2 senses, with motion/ speech; save if depicting living being
3
Conjure Wind
Red
90’
30 min
(Str)
All in 90' x 30' area save to advance (man size) or hold position (smaller); bipedal beings fall on failed save
4
Detect Thoughts
Orange
30’
3 min
(Wis)
Detect presence of self-aware beings; they save or you overhear 3 random words
5
Fear
Green
30’
3 min
(Wis)
One mammal must save or flee
6
Find Dangers
Orange
30’
None
None
Detect presence of danger from inanimate things in up to 4 10’ squares
7
Flaming Sphere
Red
30’
10 rounds
(Dex)
Rolls at 5’/round doing 2d4 damage in 5’ square
8
Hiding Place
Silver
0
30 min
None
Create extra-dimensional hiding place for up to 6 human-sized beings
9
Improved Spell (+)
Gray
-
-
-
Adding 1 to spell’s level, can triple range, or double effect or duration
10
Invisibility
Purple
30’
3 hr
None
Being or object up to 10’ square stays invisible until it attacks or casts
11
Levitate/Root
Yellow
30’
3 min
(Con)
Raises a willing being 100’, unwilling 30’ (3d6 fall damage); rooted being can’t move legs or be knocked down
12
Lock/Unlock
Yellow
0
1 day
None
Locks an opening magically, or opens a magic or normal lock
13
Multiply Matter
Blue
0
Perm
none
Doubles up to a 3’ cube of raw non-precious mineral or vegetable matter
14
Shatter
Red
30’
None
*
Item up to 1’ thick breaks; save as creator if magic item
15
Locate Object
Orange
90’
None
None
Caster becomes aware of direction of specific object or object type
16
Summon Familiar
Silver
0
Permanent
(Int)
Summons small creature who can communicate with caster, gives 1-4 extra HP while alive, caster permanently loses 1 HP if killed
17
Tonguetie/
Tongueloose
Green
90’
3 min
(Wis)
Strikes victim dumb (no casting) or makes victim babble
18
Triggered Spell (+)
Gray
-
1 day
-
Adding 1 to spell’s level, it’s triggered automatically by event
19
Web
Blue
0
1 day
(Str)
Creates binding webs in 3 10’ cubes or 30’ square sheet; save to move 5’
20
Zone of Silence
Purple
0
30 min
None
20’ radius moving zone that blocks sound coming out

2 comments:

  1. What effect does Augury have if reversed?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Um ... get a wrong yes/no answer ... 1/6 chance of being right? :)

    ReplyDelete