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arcane_spells

Arcane Spells

Arcane spellcasters do not need to “prepare” spells. Casting a spell requires a spellcasting check, at least one free hand, and some magic components or a focus. Spells are more or less powerful, noted by spell level. Failing the check triggers a mishap with unintended consequences, and the spellcaster can’t attempt spells of that spell spell level again until they take a safe rest.

All scholars know and can cast 3 cantrips. These are rote, simple, relatively weak spells that the PC has mastered. They require no spellcasting check or components and can always be used.

Spellcasting PCs know a number of spells based on the PC’s and spell level. Known spells can be cast by the spellcaster. When the spellcaster gains a level they can choose a spell they know and replace it with another spell of the same level that they have learned to cast.

PC Level1st2nd3rd4th5th
11
22
331
442
553 1
654 2
755 3 1
855 4 2
955 5 3 1

The columns relate to the spell level, while rows are class level. A level 4 caster would know four 1st level and two 2nd level spells.

Casting a spell generally requires an Active action, although some can be cast as a quick action. It is possible to cast several spells a round, but only 1 can be an Active action spell, the remaining must be quick actions (1 for a quick action, a second if you give up movement). Each spell in the spell lists defines its requirements, duration, and whether the spellcasting check is a magical attack requiring the check to beat the target's defense (e.g. 10 + the target’s relevant modifier) to be successful. Each spell, apart from Cantrips and Rituals, is either marked C for Spell Casting Roll needed, or A for casting roll that must exceed target's defense rating, or R for spell that can only be cast as a ritual. If the spell is marked S it will inflict its effect even on disembodied spirits.

Spells often require components: certain words, movements, or materials in order to trigger the spell’s magical effects. These are described in the spell lists. You can safely assume these components requires two supply for each spell level. Depending on the spell, each casting will consume these components.

Spellcasters can cast any known spell as a rite or ritual. This takes 1 hour per spell level of concentration, but doesn’t require a check.

Some spells last as long as concentration is held. Only one spell can be concentrated on at a time. Taking damage, making checks, or other distracting tasks may break concentration.

General Spells

Arcane spellcasters of all archetypes may choose to learn spells from this list. It includes descriptions for the most common forms of magic, but often the execution of these spells vary widely from one archetype to another.

Cantrips

  • Bend Favor - You briefly charm someone
  • Discern Magic - You sense the location of all nearby magic
  • Dowsing - You learn the direction to the nearest ground water, buried metals, gemstones, or gravesites
  • Flickerheat - You weakly transfer heat
  • Ghostly Hand - You move up to 10lbs 30’ away with your mind
  • Ghost Sight - By taking an action and concentrating, the spellcaster can sense any nearby incorporeal spirits and demons (S)
  • Illumination - Creates torchlight from your hand. Concentration
  • Legerdemain - You may perform subtle illusions
  • Read Aura - You vaguely learn target's mood, motivation, and health
  • Whispermind - You send a brief psychic message and get a response from 1 target up to 120' away

First Level

  • Arcane Aegis - Deflect magic attacks as a Quick action (C)
  • Dazzle - Disable weak monsters in a 15' cone (C)
  • Fulmination - Creatures in a 15-foot cube originating from you knocked prone 10' away taking 1D8/3 levels rounded up thunder damage (A)
  • One Among Many - You blend in with the crowd (C)
  • Phantom Punch - A successful magic attack does 1D10+INT damage and knocks target prone (A,S)
  • Prophecy - Ritual prophecy may be called on for advantage 3xday (R)
  • Sleep - 2HD/level worth of targets in 30’ fall asleep. (A)
  • Terror - Target flees the spellcaster (A)
  • Witchfire - 1D6/2 levels rounded up lightning on magic attack within 30' with optional continued damage (A)

Second Level

  • Candle Calling - Communicate with others across the world (C)
  • Charm - One creature with a common language within 30’ obeys a single-sentence suggestion (A)
  • Empower - Target gains advantage on Strength checks and deals extra 1D4 (C)
  • Evil Eye - On a successful magic attack, the target is cursed (A)
  • Fall as a Feather - As a Quick action up to the spellcaster's level targets in 60' takes no damage from falling (C)
  • Hypnotic Invisibility - The spellcaster becomes invisible to one sentient creature (A)
  • Knock - A mundane door, lock, or trap in line of sight opens or disarms (C)
  • Noxious Cloud - 20' radius cloud stuns and obfuscates (C)
  • Quiet - Used to silence sound or create illusionary noises (C)
  • Shield Aura - The spellcaster creates cover for themselves and anyone standing within 5' (C)

Third Level

  • Apparition - Creates an illusion up to 10’ in size (C,S)
  • Banishment - On a successful magical attack, a demon, devil, or fey is driven back to their home plane (A)
  • Caustic Bullet - An acidic sling bullet rockets into the target of a magical attack taking 1D6 acid damage/level (A)
  • Counterspell - As it is cast, break up an enemy's spell with a Quick action (C)
  • Dispel Arcanum - Remove one spell or effect (C)
  • Flurry - 1D6/level cold damage in 15' diameter, check for half damage (C)
  • Hex - Deal 1D6/level extra damage whenever a target is harmed (A,S)
  • Locate - Find nearby creatures and things (C)
  • Mind Reading - Learn someone's thoughts (A,S)
  • Scorch - 1D6/level fire damage in 30' line, check for half damage (C)
  • Whelm - 1D4/level psychic damage in 30' cone check for half damage (C,S)

Fourth Level

  • Dementia - Targets in an area temporarily lose their minds (A)
  • Dream - Travel into the spirit world as your body sleeps (C,S)
  • Induce Terror - Frighten mortals and break morale (A)
  • Mirrored Duplicity - Create illusory duplicates of yourself (C)
  • Sculpt Element - Conjure or control air, earth, fire or water (C)
  • Steel Skin - Make an ally resistant to nearly all damage (C)
  • Truesight - You and 1 ally/lvl ignore darkness, illusions, and invisibility (C)

Fifth Level

  • Antimagic Aura - All magic near the caster is supressed (C)
  • Deadly Mist - Targets of magic attack in 20’ radius area take 2d6/lvl poison (A)
  • Domination - Control a creature through a telepathic link (A)
  • Doom - Curse a target with death (A)
  • Empyrean Warriors - Summon the ghosts of fallen heroes (C)
  • Infernal Call - Summon a demon to question or serve (C)
  • Shadow Monsters - Summon illusionary creatures to fight and interact (C)
  • Stars in Alignment - Gain advantage on spellcasting checks for one hour (C)

Archetype Spells

The separate archetypes of scholars may choose to learn their spells from the appropriate archetype list below in addition to learning from the list of spells found above. Each scholarly archetype has one spell available at each spell level.

Druidic Verses

  1. Nature's Entanglement - Plants sprout to impede movement (A)
  2. Imbue Passionate Strength - Provides renewal and strength to an ally touched (C)
  3. Spirit of Travel - Masks you and your companions from detection (C)
  4. Silvertoungue - Your lies become reality in your target's mind (A)
  5. Polymorph Other - Your target is a frog now (A)

Hermetic Formulae

  1. Arcane Arrow - Magic bolt deals 1d4/level force damage (A)
  2. Word of Paralysis - A human target within 30' is paralyzed (A)
  3. Lightning Stroke - Bolt line 100' long and 5' wide 1d6/lvl lightning damage (A)
  4. Theurgy - Three allies gain +1/level temporary hit points and an additional attack (C)
  5. Blizzard - Each creature in a 60' cone hit by a successful magical attack takes 1d8/level cold damage (A)

Kabbalist Charms

  1. Kavanah - You bestow +4 temporary hit points for 1 hour (C)
  2. Call Ibburim - You may summon a friendly ghost to help (C)
  3. Animate Golem - You create a servant of clay (R)
  4. Scrying - You create a disembodied magical eye view remotely (C)
  5. Gilgulim - You reincarnate someone recently dead once you locate a suitable new body (R)

Runecaster Runes

  1. Blunt Weapon - On a successful magical attack one armed target per level within 30' has his normal weapon broken (A)
  2. Still Spears - As a quick action, gain +5 armor class until your next turn (C)
  3. Protect Warrior - Increase the magical defense and AC by +3 of 1 target touched for 1 minute (C)
  4. Stop Hatred - All targets within 30' have no wish to fight for 1min/level. Requires Concentration (A)
  5. Soothe the Seas - For 24 hours the wind and waves are pleasant and blow the direction you wish (C)

Sufi Trances

  1. Zikr - You gain resistance to piercing and slashing damage for 8 hours (C)
  2. Semazen - As a quick action, you get +4 DEX as long as you keep moving (C)
  3. Dhikr - Your melee weapons do an extra 1/level thunder (C)
  4. Sama - As a quick action you can fight spirits and demons as you would mortals (C)
  5. Eijlatan - As a quick action you and one ally get an extra Move action, +2 AC, and an extra attack (C)

Zoroastrian Hymns

  1. Spiritual Flame - A 15' cone of fire does 1D8/level fire (A)
  2. Aura of Asha - While you concentrate, all within 30' can't lie (A)
  3. Flame of the Faithful - All in 20’ radius take 1d6/lvl radiant (A)
  4. Vohu Manah - While you concentrate all your hench within the 30' fight better (C)
  5. Divine Immolation - All beings in 20' radius from you take 2D6/level radiant (A)

Atlantean Blasphemies

These spells may be found during the campaign, or taken by NPC spellcasters. They may perhaps be learned by the player characters, but many of these spells carry with them severe consequences. For every spell learned, you automatically gain a one point increase in corruption. Each time you cast one of these spells, the demons within you may make a corruption check to determine if the infection increases.

First Level

  • Ache - All in 15' radius take 1D10 necrotic and may be disoriented (A)
  • Avasculate - A ray does 3D6 Necrotic damage (A)
  • Brainfood - Gain access to a dead creature's memories (R)
  • Create Imp - This ritual can be used to create a demonic servant (R)
  • Demonic Hammers - Target takes 2D6 bludgeoning and is pushed 5' (A)
  • First Circle Necromancy - This ritual turns a dead body into a lesser guardian corpse (R)
  • Mordant Vomit - Puke 1D12/3 levels acid damage at target within 5' (A)
  • Razor Spiral - All within 15' at the beginning of your turn take 1D8 slashing (C)
  • Synesthesia - Victims' senses are overwhelmed making them easier to hit (A)
  • Torment - Victim writhes in pain for as long as you chant (A)

Second Level

  • Climb as a Spider - You can climb walls like a spider (C)
  • Command Swarm - Create and control a Vampire Spider Swarm (R)
  • Create Spawn - This ritual creates more powerful demonic servant (R)
  • Levitate - You hover in the air (C)
  • Miasma - You summon the vapors of hell 4D6 poison CON check for half (C)
  • Second Circle Necromancy - This spell turns dead bodies into guardian corpses or legion of the damned (R)
  • Shadowfield - Blanket a 15' foot radius sphere in magical darkness. 1 min/level. (C)
  • Shroud - You become invisible to the mortal world, but attract unwanted attention from the spirit world (C)
  • Unspeakable Song - All within 15' take 3D8 necrotic damage and a level of exhaustion for as long as you sing (A)

Third Level

  • Asphyxia - A creature that shares a language with you stops breathing (A)
  • Create Hell Stalker - This ritual is used to create a Hell Stalker (R)
  • Drink Life - Your touch inflicts 3D6 necrotic damage and heals you for half as much (A)
  • Husk - 2D10 damage, stun, and stress to mortals in 10' radius (A)
  • Mold the Flesh - The spellcaster permanently takes on the ability to breathe water, appear like someone else, or create wicked natural weapons. (R)
  • Third Circle Necromancy - Animate dead bodies into 25 HD of guardian corpses or Legion of the damned (R)
  • Unspeakable Yellow Sign - All within 30' may be stunned and/or take 5D8 necrotic damage and gain exhaustion for as long as you concentrate (A)

Fourth Level

Fifth Level

  • Enslavement - On a successful magical attack against a mortal human, the spellcaster may command the target to do whatever tasks they wish including harm themselves. This effect continues until the spellcaster dies or an appropriate dispel magic or exorcism is performed on the enslaved target. (A)
  • Finger of Doom - One target or object you touch melts and/or dies. Requires a magical attack. (A)
  • Fifth Circle Necromancy Bind the spirit of a dead sorcerer to its mummified corpse, creating an undead necromancer (R)

Evil Rituals

  • Army of Darkness - raises all the dead bodies within 5 miles, not buried in consecrated ground, as an army of Legion of the Damned (60% lesser, 30% regular, 10% greater)
  • Firestorm - (Numbers 16:35) Create gouts of flame and ash from the heavens that cremate hundreds of men
  • Plague Wind - (Numbers 16:47-49) Poison an entire settlement with a deadly plague
  • Shake the Bones of the Earth - (Numbers 16:30-33) Create an earthquake that swallows civilizations whole
  • Whisper My Name in Fear - If somebody utters the spellcaster's name, they immediately and unfailingly learn this person’s name, location, identity (e.g. farmer, nobleman, gang member, etc.), in what context his name was spoken (e.g. hostile, reverential, in awe, plotting, etc.), and also the names and identities of this person’s interlocutors.
  • Curse Servant - The soul of a servant already in your employ who displeases you is transformed into a mundane household item they use the most, forcing them to spend eternity in your service.
  • Curse Soldier - The soul of a soldier in your employ who displeases you is transformed into a mundane suit of mail wielding a two-handed weapon.

Design Notes

I've stayed with the D&D heritage of only making damage spells for odd level spells. The second and fourth level spells are aimed mostly for utility/abjuration/travel. The BIG exception to that will be the blasphemies, which I want to make sure have the most TEMPTING 2nd and 4th level spells available.

  • Duration - I've been using the duration of “one fight,” but it occurs to me that this is pretty vague. I really mean that the spell should be cast immediately BEFORE the fight or during the fight and it should end as the fight ends. I may go back and change “one fight” to be “the longer of one fight or one minute.”

I think I may create some “hidden” spells that the PCs may find in books every now and again. They might not necessarily be great, but at least provide scrolls to be cast once or twice.

arcane_spells.txt · Last modified: 2020/03/18 14:33 by andrew