A collection of cantrips and feats to bring more magic to the arcane adventurer's life...
Showing posts with label Wizard. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wizard. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
Thursday, September 1, 2016
New Arcane Tradition: Battlemage
A rare tradition,
battlemages are instructed in the use of arms and armor so that they can engage
in close quarters combat while wielding their arcane powers. Sometimes
considered a dwarven answer to the Bladesinger, these armed and armored wizards
seek out combat and bend their magic to empowering attacks against their foes.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
New Arcane Tradition: War Wizard
Trained to be living
siege engines and weapons of mass devastation, War Wizards have developed
skills to lay waste to vast tracts of a battlefield. Unlike other
combat-focused spellcasters, such as bladesingers, battlemages, or even
eldritch knights, warlocks, and sorcerers, War Wizards spend no particular time
training in close combat. Instead they rely on their spells to devastate their
foes from afar. They achieve this through the application of metamagic,
twisting the arcane forces at their command to greater potential. While this
tool is similar to that used by Sorcerers, its expression by these weavers of
devastation is far more formulaic in its development and use.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
New Arcane Tradition: Defilers (D&D 5e)
Best known for its origins on a distant and desolate world, this dark practice has metastasized across the prime material through the work of various dark powers and the even stronger force of human avarice. To say that there are those who consider the practice of this arcane tradition is an evil act is to understate the level with which they revile it. While defiling magic is rooted in necromantic practices, the manipulation of life and death, many necromancers consider the level of wanton destruction practice of this path represents a stain of so deep it undercuts the value of achieving that power. They recognize that, unchecked, these abilities would swiftly turn even the most verdant of world into a gods-forsaken, magic hating wasteland like the world from which this tradition hails. The reaction of druids, rangers, green knights, and most sane creatures is nearly beyond words. They condemn this path with a passion that would dim the sun, carving paths of blood and holy wrath through nearly any obstacle to annihilate so much as suspected practitioners of it.
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
New House Rule; Wizard's Magical Primacy (D&D)
As the sole class to rely almost solely on spells for their power, vs sorcerers and warlocks who have increased physical combat ability and a variety of innate magic or divine casters who are highly capable in physical combat, wizards are the primary caster in D&D. Further, where other casters have specific constraints to their magic use, either representing sponsor influence or thematic style to their learning, wizards, at large, specifically reject these constraints in favor of seeking greater understanding. To represent these things;
Wizards can use spells from all spell lists.
Wizards can use spells from all spell lists.
~~*~~
Thursday, June 9, 2016
A History of Magic: Illusion Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)
Contents
Spectral Arms
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
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.
Tuesday, June 7, 2016
A History of Magic: The History of Illusion (D&D)
Contents
The earliest
illusion magic appears to have been failed attempts at conjuration. As we all
know matter is an extremely dense repository of energy. While modern
researchers can have detailed formulae by which to calculate exactly what these
ratios are it took substantial trial and error for early conjurers to realize
how much energy exists in even the smallest sliver of matter. Some of these
early experiments proved capable of producing phantasmal results. Ghost images
of the desired objects and effects. The majority of these effects were
disregarded as outright failures while others would provide the ultimate
groundwork for the basic conjurations we know today. A few, however, lived on
as minor tricks, demonstrations, and even the occasional practical joke.
Previously: Enchantment Subschools and Selected Spells
The earliest
illusion magic appears to have been failed attempts at conjuration. As we all
know matter is an extremely dense repository of energy. While modern
researchers can have detailed formulae by which to calculate exactly what these
ratios are it took substantial trial and error for early conjurers to realize
how much energy exists in even the smallest sliver of matter. Some of these
early experiments proved capable of producing phantasmal results. Ghost images
of the desired objects and effects. The majority of these effects were
disregarded as outright failures while others would provide the ultimate
groundwork for the basic conjurations we know today. A few, however, lived on
as minor tricks, demonstrations, and even the occasional practical joke.Thursday, June 2, 2016
A History of Magic: Enchantment Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
A History of Magic: The History of Enchantment (D&D)
Previously: Transmutation Subschools and Selected Spells
As research
on the inner path developed into necromancy its practitioners were intimately
aware of the power the energy they used had over living beings. As this
awareness expanded, they discovered a variety of ways that the nature of the
links between living creatures could be manipulated to produce sympathetic
effects. One of the earliest innovations, long before the discovery of the
negative energy plane as a source of power, was the means to influence the mind
of living creatures.Thursday, May 26, 2016
A History of Magic: Transmutation Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
A History of Magic: The History of Transmutation (D&D)
Previously: Conjuration Subschools and Selected Spells
It has been suggested several times that Transmutation is the lost art of
positive necromancy, or its direct descendant. The rampant growth and
metamorphosis of positive energy mediated and controlled. The historical
record, however, disputes this. The first efforts in transmutation were
expressions of elementalism contemporary with the initial experiments in
creating matter. Both groups grew from the earth and water focused expressions
of elemental force in material form. While their contemporaries sought the
creation of matter these individuals instead worked to change that which
already existed in hopes that they could produce more dramatic effects for less
energy.Thursday, May 19, 2016
A History of Magic: Conjuration Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
A History of Magic: The History of Conjuration (D&D)
Previously: Abjuration Subschools and Selected Spells
It appears
that the earliest conjuration spell was an elementalist’s attempt to give form
to energy pulled from the elemental plane of earth, producing a rock. These
early experimenters came predominantly from the earth and water focused
elementalists, seeking to greater harness the power of their elements of
interest. Ever since, conjuration’s focus since has unrelentingly been on the
conversion of energy to matter. Initially this represented the creation of new
items from unformed energy, and this remains a significant subschool even
today. As the shield mages came to prominence these proto-conjurers found
themselves with a surfeit of other-planar entities intensely interested in patronizing
them. It is not without significant irony that some of the very first contracts
by which modern conjurers summon were established by shield mages in efforts to
prevent such incursions. However, with little coaching, these magicians became
quite able to engage in the callings and summonings of their own.
Thursday, May 12, 2016
A History of Magic: Abjuration Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)
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.
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
A History of Magic: The History of Abjuration (D&D)
Previously: Evocation Subschools and Selected Spells
The earliest
outer path practitioners largely eschewed concerns regarding control and
finesse in their craft. Consequently, a winnowing began to occur as the most
powerful of their number began to experiment with what we would recognize as
the earliest attempts at third level evocation spells. This encouraged a new
level of care among their number. Coinciding with a renaissance in the inner
path due to the breakthrough discoveries of the energy planes, a new group of
outer-path researchers began working with inner path formulations for
manipulation and control of magical power.Thursday, May 5, 2016
A History of Magic: Evocation Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)
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.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
A History of Magic: The History of Evocation (D&D)
Previously: Necromancy Subschools and Selected Spells
The outer path, while later to arise than the inner path, developed much
more quickly. Focused on elemental energies the result was an abundance of relatively
safe power. In comparison to practitioners of the inner path these outer path
students were able to simply seek out larger fonts of their desired energy and
channel it with near abandon. In fact, the popularity of fire as an easily
constructed, drawn, and enlarged source of energy is influential in the
thoughts of evokers even today. While they risked physical and metaphysical
injury doing so, such concerns were nothing compared to the violent reactions
of positive and negative energy to the mortal form and spirit. The result was
swift access to still greater flows of energy through channels to the elemental
planes.Thursday, April 28, 2016
A History of Magic: Necromancy Subschools and Selected Spells (D&D)
Contents
Previously: The History of Necromancy
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.
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
A History of Magic: The History of Necromancy (D&D)
Previously: Eddies in Time and Space
While much time has been spent and ink spilled examining the moral and
ethical implications of the “dark art,” little has been directed at the
questions of its origins or true nature. Most understand necromancy to be
exactly what it is named; the study of death and the dead. However, it appears
that has not always been the case. While the formulae from this era are basic
to all modern magic, necromantic manipulations trace back to those of the
“inner path” most clearly.
Thursday, April 21, 2016
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