Character Options; With Spell and Sword

A collection of cantrips and feats to bring more magic to the arcane adventurer's life...

A History of Magic: Illusion Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)

Contents

Previously: The History of Illusion

The Subschools of Illusion: Figment, Glamour, Phantasm, Shadow.

Figment: A figment spell creates a false object or sensation. All who perceive the figment perceive the same thing, not their own slightly different versions of the figment. (It is not a personalized mental impression.) Because figments are unreal, they cannot produce real effects the way that other types of illusions can, and generally fail if this inability becomes obvious. Darkness, invisibility, message, sending.

Glamour: Like a figment, a glamour creates an image that others can see, but also affects the minds of those who see it or are caught in it. While glamours are no more able to deal physical damage than the figments they are based on, their mind effecting component may prevent this from being readily apparent, even allowing them to deal psychic damage.

Phantasm: A phantasm spell creates a mental image that only the caster and the subject (or subjects) of the spell can perceive. This subschool is the portion of the school closest to its parent tradition. The results of these spells are personalized mental impressions completely within the minds of the subjects. Unlike a other types of illusion, there is no fake or semi-real image or anything to actually see, so third parties viewing or studying the an area with an individual under a phantasm have no way to perceive the illusion. While phantasms can deal damage it is nearly always psychic damage.

Shadow: A shadow spell creates something that is partially real from extradimensional energy. Such illusions can have real effects. Damage dealt by a shadow illusion is the same type as would be dealt by a real object.

Selected Spells:

Gremlins

Illusion cantrip (phantasm)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

You build a mental image of the target being plagued by small creatures darting about at the corner of their vision and taunting the target of this spell. If the target attempts to look directly at these tormentors, the creatures vanish. Often it seems they have just gone around corners, behind objects, or into containers, even if these actions would not actually conceal them or allow them to fit. While startling and distracting, these creatures do not actually harm the subject, though they may become persistent and possibly menacing if ignored.

Both you and your target must make a Wisdom saving throw or become incapacitated until the end of your next turn.

Animate Shadow

1st level illusion (shadow)

Casting Time: 1 action (ritual)

Range: 5 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

Through your illusion magic you convert your shadow into a Shadow (per the Monstrous Manual), except that its type is Construct, its alignment is neutral, and its strength drain attack does not raise additional Shadows. This creature appears in your space or an unoccupied spaces that you can see within range. The summoned creature is friendly to you and your companions and disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or when the spell ends. It obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any commands, it defends itself from hostile creatures, but otherwise takes no actions. In combat, the summoned creature has its own turn.

For the duration of the spell you cast no shadow.

Spectral Arms

1st level illusion (glamour)

Casting time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 hour

You create a illusory weapon copy of a melee or ranged weapon with which you have proficiency. You wield this weapon as if it were a normal version, but use your Intelligence for attack and damage rolls and it deals psychic damage rather than the weapon's normal type. You may appear to sheath the weapon, but intentionally dropping or giving it away ends the spell immediately. If you are unwillingly disarmed the weapon immediately returns to your hand, however.

If the weapon chosen is a ranged weapon it comes with one piece of ammunition per round, while thrown weapons reappear in hand once per round after an attack.

Enemies that can see through visual illusions, such as those with truesight, are immune to this spell.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher the duration increases by 1 hour per additional slot level above 1st. 

Perfidious Enchiridion

2nd level illusion (glamour)

Casting Time: 1 action (ritual)

Range: touch

Components: V, S

Duration: Permanent

You confuse the contents of a single page worth of writing you have scribed so that it appears to be some form of foreign or magical writing. When you cast this spell you can specify individuals that are unaffected by any or all of the effects that you choose. You can further refine the trigger so the spell activates only under certain circumstances or according to physical characteristics (such as height or weight), creature kind (for example, the writing could be set to be read by aberrations or undead), or alignment. You can also set conditions for creatures that may read the text, such as those who say a certain password.

At the end of each round in which an individual gives the enchanted text more than a cursory examination, attempting to translate it or reading it aloud for example, they suffer 1d4 psychic damage and must make a Wisdom save or take a level of exhaustion.

A History of Magic: Enchantment Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)

Contents

Previously: The History of Enchantment

Enchantment Subschools: Charm, Compulsion.

                Charm: A charm spell is a subtle manipulation, changes how the subject views you or others, typically making it see you as a good friend.

Compulsion: A compulsion spell forces the subject to act in some manner or changes the way her mind works. Some compulsion spells determine the subject’s actions or the effects on the subject, some compulsion spells allow you to determine the subject’s actions when you cast the spell, and others give you ongoing control over the subject.

Selected Spells:

Fundamental Compulsion

Enchantment cantrip (compulsion)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: touch

Components: V, S, M (a chip of moonstone)

Duration: Instantaneous

You violently forge a psychic link with your target. Your target makes a Wisdom saving throw. If they fail you they take up to 1d4 psychic damage. You may choose to deal less than the damage rolled, to a minimum of 0.

Further, during your next turn you may target the same individual with this cantrip and either using a range of 120 feet or dealing double damage on a failed save. If you use either of these benefits and the target succeeds at their save you suffer 2d4 psychic damage.

This spell's damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 5th level (2d4), 11th level (3d4), and 17th level (4d4).

Soothing Touch

enchantment cantrip (charm)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (a small piece of fur or sprig of mint)

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 round
You attempt to suppress strong emotions in a humanoid. Your target must make a Charisma saving throw; a creature can choose to fail this saving throw if it wishes. If a creature fails its saving throw, choose one of the following two effects.
You can suppress any one effect causing a target to be charmed or frightened. When this spell ends any suppressed effect resumes, provided that its duration has not expired in the mean time.
Alternatively, you can choose to make a target indifferent about creatures of your choice that it is hostile toward. This indifference ends if the target is attacked or harmed by a spell or if it witnesses any of its friends being harmed. When the spell ends the creature becomes hostile again, unless the DM rules otherwise.
In either case after the spell ends, during their turn, the creature realizes that you used magic to influence its mood and may become hostile towards you.

Next: The History of Illusion

~~*~~

More of those evolutionary cantrips. I very much like these and can see a clear place for them in broader play, though. I have a fondness for the idea that a wizard who wants to deeply specialize should be able to shape those always-used abilities around that speciality. I've also leaned in a little on giving rules teeth to some of the things I discussed in the history section. 

A History of Magic: Transmutation Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)

Contents

Previously: The History of Transmutation

Transmutation Subschools: Alteration, Metamorphosis.

Alteration: Alteration spells render physical changes on a material object, possibly improving its physical nature or granting it metaphysical properties.

Metamorphosis: Like all transmutations, these spells impose a physical change on a living creature. These spells change the nature of a living object, changing its form and possibly granting it greater abilities or new ones. At their most powerful metamorphic spells can make creature into an object, but still preserving their mind.

Selected Spells:

Talons

Transmutation cantrip (metamorphosis)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V, S, M (a bird's claw)

Duration: 1 minute

You transform your hands into wicked, birdlike claws. While under the effect of this spell you lack the manual dexterity to cast spells with somatic components. However, you can you make swift, slashing strikes in battle. You may choose to use Dexterity instead of Strength with your unarmed attacks, roll d4 slashing in place of your normal damage with such attacks, and, when you use the Attack action you can make one unarmed strike as a bonus action.

This attack's damage die changes when you reach 5th level (1d6), 11th level (d8), and 17th level (d10).

Dweomerwright

Transmutation cantrip (alteration)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: touch

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You touch a nonmagical weapon. Until the spell ends, that weapon becomes a magic weapon. It grants no bonus to hit or damage, but does effect creatures which are resistant or immune to nonmagical weapons.

Arcane Mark

1st level transmutation (alteration)

Casting Time: 1 action (ritual)

Range: touch

Components: V, S, M (special ink)

Duration: Permanent

This spell enables you to etch your personal rune or mark, which can consist of no more than six characters, upon any substance (even stone or metal) without harm to the material upon which it is placed. When you place this mark, the writing can be visible or invisible. If an invisible mark is made, a detect magic spell or other effects which allows the perception of the invisible, such as see invisibility or the truesight ability likewise allows the user to see an invisible arcane mark. To such vision it appears to glow and be visible, though not necessarily understandable.

The mark can be removed as an action by a touch from the caster. If an arcane mark is placed on a living being, normal wear gradually causes the effect to fade in about a month.

A wizard targeting an item, creature, or location carrying one of their arcane marks on it benefits from an established magical link. Similarly, using an item which a caster has placed their arcane mark on to target that caster provides the same benefit. For example; If you have cast an arcane mark on a location where you are attempting to teleport you count as possessing an “associated object," while attempting to scry on a subject whose arcane mark you have in your possession counts as a “body part, lock of hair, or the like," etc. 

Carapace

1st level Transmutation (metamorphosis)

Cast: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (a piece of turtle shell)

Duration: 1 hour

You touch a willing creature who isn’t wearing armor and it grows a thick protective shell which lasts until the spell ends. The target’s base AC becomes 16 + its Dexterity modifier. However, the target’s Dexterity and Charisma scores suffer a -2 penalty for the duration. Due to the random and irregular nature of the grown carapace the target cannot don armor while this spell is in effect.

Wings of Flight

2nd level Transmutation (metamorphosis)

Cast: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (a pair of remex from a single bird)

Duration: 10 minutes

You touch a willing creature. The target grows a large set of wings for the duration of this spell. Fully opening these wings requires an area as large as if they were one size larger than they normal. Thus, a medium creature would be unable to use them in a 5' hallway. If able to open their wings fully, they gain a flying speed of 60 feet. Further, as a reaction, if you fall and can unfurl your wings you can set your rate of descent to 60 feet per round and, if you land while falling in this manner, land on your feet taking no damage.

While the transformation does not require concentration to maintain, flying or preventing falls with it does. If a flying character loses concentration they begin to fall unless they have another means to stop themselves. They are similarly subject to other effects that will cause flying creatures to fall (PH191). However, these effects do not end the spell, and they can resume concentration with a bonus action. When the spell ends the target reverts back to their natural form, falling if they are still aloft.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a slot of the 3rd level or higher you can target on additional creature for each slot above 2nd.

Next: The History of Enchantment

~~*~~

I think I've made it painfully obviously that I think that transmutation needs a machete-style amputation, and intended to go all in for it- hacking out chunks that I've never felt fit into transmutation despite being there for multiple editions across decades. But, this shouldn't be taken to mean that I think the transmutation school needs *weakened*. It simply think it needed focused as transmuters often lack a "feel" that goes beyond that of generic wizards. With this conception transmuters suddenly have at least a couple competing, clear, and, hopefully, compelling visions.
While I've generally gone for "evolutionary" spells throughout this, here I wanted to specifically make a demonstration of what I think truly transmutative versions of spells that exist in the school would look like. While I made clear that I think "Fly," as written, should be elsewhere, transmutation, as I'm redefining it, remains perfectly capable of providing that effect. In fact, with the limitations placed I think it's easy to justify it being a lower level spell, on par with Spider Climb.

A History of Magic: Conjuration Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)

Contents

Previously: The History of Conjuration

Subschools of Conjuration: Creation, Summoning, Teleportation

Creation: A creation spell manipulates matter to create an object or creature in the place the spellcaster designates. If the spell has a duration other than instantaneous, magic holds the creation together, and when the spell ends, the conjured creature or object vanishes without a trace. If the spell has an instantaneous duration, the created object or creature is merely assembled through magic. It lasts indefinitely and does not depend on magic for its existence. Tenser’s Floating Disk, Bigby’s hands, acid, poison.

Summoning: A summoning spell instantly brings a creature or object to a place you designate. If the spell has a duration other than instantaneous when the spell ends or is dispelled the summoned creature or object is instantly sent back to where it came from. One result is such spells often have protections involved for the target of the summons, keeping their spirit from being destroyed if they are slain and restoring them to full health when returned all as part of the ongoing magic. Some summoning spells, referred to as Calling spells, provide none of these protections for the target and caster. Generally these spells have an instantaneous duration, locating a distant subject as normally and then physically teleport them to their new location without additional safeguards and bindings.

Teleportation: A teleportation spell instantaneously transports one or more creatures or objects a great distance. The most powerful of these spells can cross planar boundaries. Unless otherwise noted teleportation spells are like calling spells; the transportation is one-way and not dispellable.

Selected Spells:

Summon Stone

Conjuration cantrip (creation)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

You create a piece of unworked, non-magical, generally worthless rock no larger than your fist.
You can double the size of this rock or the number of rocks created when you reach 5th level (2 rocks or double the size), 11th level (4 rocks or up to approximately the size of your head), and 17th level (8 rocks or up to approximately the size of your torso).

Conjure Minor Elemental

1st level Conjuration (summoning)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 5 feet

Components: V, S M

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

You summon a single elemental creature of challenge rating 1/2 or less that appears in your space or an unoccupied spaces that you can see within range. The summoned creature is friendly to you and your companions and disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or when the spell ends. It obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any commands, it defends itself from hostile creatures, but otherwise take no actions. In combat, the summoned creature has its own turn.

Next: The History of Transmutation

~~*~~

Summon Stone was one of the first spells that I created for this project, along with the proto-flame bolt. I've already talked about how the point of these spells is to show an evolution of the underlying concepts, not to be particularly useful. However, that doesn't mean that these spells don't have use. For example, the ability to create essentially unlimited amounts of unworked, mundane, cheap rock is unlikely to break the game. On the other hand, this is exactly the sort of very simple thing that both underscores the conjurer as a "creator of things from nothing" and provides a creative player a tool which, if they can find creative applications, becomes more powerful than the sum of its parts.

I originally wanted the conjure minor elemental spell to be a cantrip, part of my intent to make cantrip forms of each of the schools major components. Summoning is one of the trademarks of the conjuration school. In fact, prior to 3e, the school was called Conjuration/Summoning. But, for all the reasons that the DMG explicitly says that cantrips should not heal, cranked up to 11, that just wouldn't work. Meanwhile, this is what drove the creation of the elemental wisps, my contribution to filling this gaping hole in the monsters available both for DMs and summoners.

A History of Magic: Abjuration Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)

Contents

Previously: The History of Abjuration

Abjuration Subschools: Banishment, Binding, Negation, Shielding, Warding.

Banishment: Spells that cast out entities, physically or metaphysically, causing the magic in the space where they exist, or even within them, to reject them.

Binding: Essentially the inversion of banishment spells, these spells imprison or contain. They may cause the subject to be physically locked into a space (ie; Imprisonment) or to have their powers turned back upon them.

Negation: The second subschool to arise, and the source from which much of the banishment subschool would, in turn, evolve. Spells from this part of the tradition are focused on the manipulation of magic with relationship to energy, rather than physical or spiritual forms. This subschool includes spells that counter, undo, or cause to fail such as Antimagic Shell or Counterspell.

Shielding: The first results of outer path work on defensive magic, and the namesake of the early shield mages. This subschool represents the creation of the variety of barriers used to protect themselves both in research and adventuring. These effects are produced by weaving ambient magic into various forms.

Warding: A derivative of shielding, these effects are turned inward to be released when triggered.

A History of Magic: Evocation Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)

Contents

Previously: The History of Evocation

The Subschools of Evocation: Air, Earth, Fire, Force, Water.

Air: Those who focus on the elemental powers of air most directly express their power through applications of lightning and thunder.

Earth: Geomantic practices are rarely considered among those discussing evocation. The earth-based magics of evocation seeming dwarfed by the physical conjurations or manipulations of transmuters. Even among evokers, the flash of pyromancers or even aero and hydromancers is enough to overwhelm the geomancer. However, the practice persists even outside that required to generate raw force energy. Generally geomantic power is manipulated slowly and subtly, like any influence of the stone from which it is drawn. However, it also has the potential to generate potent effects over such fundamental forces as gravity.

Fire: The stereotypical evoker focuses on fire, though this is by no means the only focus within the tradition. One of the benefits of the influence of the sub-school, however, is the ranging applications that have been discovered for what might otherwise be dismissed as a purely destructive energy. For example, pyromantic evokers are the source of the ubiquitous light spell and regularly create dizzying pyrotechnic displays for events and celebrations.

Force: While the pyromancer is the stereotype, the prototypical evoker is far more balanced in their use of elemental energies. At the core of their practice they bring these energies together to generate raw magical energy such as that discharged freely in magic missile. More controlled applications of such telekinetic manipulation are the various forms of levitation and flight, including feather fall.

Water: The clearest expression of hydromantic evocation is through the use of cold.

A History of Magic: Necromancy Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)

Contents
Previously: The History of Necromancy

The Subschools of Necromancy: Animation, Destruction, Healing, Spiritualism.

                Animation: Called the blood path among many practitioners of necromancy, this subschool is what most modern sensibilities associate most clearly with the entire tradition; the raising of corpses and manipulation of the undead state. While it does little to settle most people’s sensibilities on the subject, it is worth noting that the vast majority of animation spells do not manipulate spirits or souls in any way, restricting itself to the application of energy to tissue in order to achieve its effects.

                Destruction: Sometimes referred to as necromantic battle magic, necromancers refer to schools in this subschool as the blood path. It represents the direct application of negative, and very rarely positive, energy to a subject to achieve a direct effect. The results are such spells as Disrupt Undead, Chilling Touch, Vampiric Touch, Finger of Death, Power Word Kill.

Healing: The use of positive energy, generally to heal creatures or even bring them back to life. These include any spell with the word heal or healing, cure spells, False Life, Regenerate, and Resurrection.

                Spiritualism: Referred to as the ash path or ectomancy, these spells manipulate the spirit or soul through the application of necromantic energy. Some of the most representative spells are those such as Soul Jar and Reincarnate, though a number of the more horrifying ways to raise the dead arise from this subschool.

A History of Magic: Eddies in Time and Space (D&D)

Contents

Previously: Divination Subschools and Selected Spells

A History of Magic: Divination Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)

Contents

Previously: The History of Divination

The Subschools of Divination: Gnosis, Revelation, Scrying, Spacial, Temporal

Gnosis: A gnostic spell calls information from far sources. The links formed are similar in nature to scrying links. However, instead of connecting to a given place or time they connect to pools, streams, and eddies of information. The sense of whether these contacts are other-planar entities, messages from future selves, or some disembodied wellspring of universal knowledge varies from caster to caster, spell to spell, and even casting to casting. Throughout history it appears, much to the frustration of specialists diviners accustomed to drawing answers from the universe, never to have been definitively resolved.

Revelation: The original practice of formalized magic, revelatory spells detect, uncover, or perceive directly. These are detection spells. Often described as a sense or sight, they can reach through most types of matter to some degree, uncovering things that might otherwise be hidden.

Scrying: A scrying spell creates an extradimensional link to a distant place. Where the link reemerges into the real world it opens an invisible portal, a magical “sensor” that sends information back directly to the caster’s mind.

Spacial: Both scrying and gnostic spells rely on the manipulation of the fabric of reality to create extradimensional linkages. It is the students of the spacial and temporal sub-schools who have pushed the understanding of magical power over space and time through their efforts to understand these links. Spectacular failures in their intended goal, which would behave in a manner similar to the Arcane Gate spell, they have instead provided advances in magic. This subschool forms extradimensional spaces (eg Demiplane, Rope Trick, and Mordankainen’s Magnificent Mansion) 
Temporal: Similar to the spacial subschool, by overpowering extradimensional links such as those used in gnostic and scrying spells, the spells of this subschool create eddies and effects in time (Slow, haste, contingency, temporal stasis, time stop).

New Spells: the Wizard's Armory (D&D 5e)

New Spells: Conjurer's Toybox (D&D 5e)

Conjurer's Trick 

conjuration cantrip (wizard)

Casting time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S

Duration: Instant

With a flourish and a word of power you pull a single, otherwise mundane object from thin air. The object can be as finely wrought or made from as fantastic of material as you like, but cannot be larger on any one side than 3 feet and the value and weight of the object determines how long it can last before vanishing back into the aether. During its existence the object appears and behaves normally; chalk can write sling bullets can be used as ammunition. But, at the end of its span, any ongoing effects from that object end. So an individual who ate bread created this way becomes hungry again and gains no nutrition and things tied or suspended with rope are free or falling. To determine the maximum time these items persist use the shorter time for their value or weight.
Individuals who select the School of Conjuration as their Arcane Tradition benefit from extended durations.

Maximum Value	Maximum Weight	Maximum Duration	Conjurer
1 copper piece	1 lb	1 hour	4 hours
1 silver piece	5 lbs	10 minutes	1 hour
1 gold piece	10 lbs	1 minute	10 minutes
1 platinum piece	25 lbs	1 round	1 minute
Unlimited	Unlimited	Impossible	1 round

Conjurer's Step

conjuration cantrip (wizard)

Casting time: move or action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (a geometric solid, usually a sphere or cube, with silver etching worth 100 gp. This focus is not consumed in the casting.)
Duration: instant

This cantrip instantly teleports you and up to 100 lbs of equipment on your person up to 10' to a destination you select which must be within your direct line of sight. If you make an error, such as attempting to teleport into a solid object due to an illusion or other miscalculation, make a Wisdom save. If you fail this save you suffer 3d10 force damage and must continue to save again immediately until you succeed or die. On a success you are displaced a sufficient distance back towards your starting point that you are no longer intersecting solid matter.
You can cast this spell twice in a round; once as your move and once as your regular action. If you do this you may choose to add the distances together and make a single teleport.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 1st level or higher, the distance you can cross increases by 10' per slot level.

Sustenance

level 1 conjuration (ritual)
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Self
Component: V, S
Duration: instant
You can create food, water, or shelter. Make an Intelligence roll depending on the environment. (DC 10 for abundant food and water sources or mild area. DC 15 for limited food and water sources or harsh environment. DC 20 for very little if any food and water sources or hostile environment). If successful you produce 1d6+the character's Intelligence Modifier food (in pounds), water (in gallons), or shelter (square feet). Compare these to the Food and Water Needs under Foraging (DMG 111). The food is bland but nourishing, and spoils if uneaten after 24 hours. The shelter is ramshackle and collapses after 8 hours. The water is clean and doesn’t go bad.

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New Cantrips; Non-combat skill bonuses (D&D 5e)

New Spell: Manipulate Life (D&D 5e)

necromancy cantrip
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Component: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

You target two creatures which you must touch (one can be yourself) who must both must be willing, restrained, or incapacitated. One of the creatures suffers a point of damage and the other regains one hit point. If the damage is prevented or reduced in any way no benefit is gained by the other target.
This spell has no effect on constructs.

~~*~~

New Spell: Clear Sight (D&D 5e)

divination cantrip
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Self
Component: V, S
Duration: 1 hour
For the duration you can add your proficiency bonus to Perception rolls. If you are already trained in the Perception skill this doubles your effective proficiency bonus for that skill for the duration.

~~*~~

New Spell: Pierce Shadows (D&D 5e)

Divination Cantrip (Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V, S, M (an amethyst)

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes.

You gain Darkvision out to 40' for the duration.

~~*~~