Alchemists' Toybox- Gunpowder; House Rule: Gunpowder and Magic (D&D 5e)

Contents

Any arcane spellcaster who uses a form of gunpowder as a component in a spell or uses a component or focus covered in black powder, intentionally or unintentionally, risks losing control of their magic in a surge of energy. They must succeed on an Intelligence (Arcana) check with a DC of 13 plus the spell’s level or experience a Wild Magic Surge (per the sorcerer Wild Magic ability). If a scroll is strewn with black powder using it forces you to make a Wisdom saving throw or suffer the Wild Magic Surge, in this case results that do not apply result in a Scroll Mishap (DMG 140).

Sprinkling a cartridge worth of gunpowder into a potion, or mixing it with magical dusts or powders, forces a roll on the Potion Miscibility table (DMG 140).

If you have proficiency in the Arcana skill, you can spend a minute and a cartridge worth of gunpowder to detect the presence of magic within 30 feet. Any barrier blocks this effect, but visible creatures or objects that bear magic allow an Intelligence (Arcana) check against DC 13 to determine the school of magic. Doing this does not cause issues with either scrolls or potions.

Next: Gunpowder Weapons

~~*~~

New Research Downtime action: Discovering Formulae (D&D 5e)

While some adventurers might rely on discovering formulae for crafting magical items among the plunder of their fallen foes, others prefer to be more proactive. By using the Research downtime action a character can seek a formulae for the creation of a magic item.

House Rules: Using Fate Assessment and Declaration rules in other systems (FATE, Cypher System, D&D 5e)

House Rule; A version of the Declarations rules for FATE are available as part of the Cypher system.

This is an expansion of the existing rules for spending XP to gain short/medium term benefits. Rather than gaining a skill or ability you declare a certain thing about the area, environment, or world to be true. This should have something to do with the nature of the character. For example, a character with the History skill might state that the decor of a palace dates is more than a hundred years old and that suggests a particular place where weapons would be displayed, and thus creates a place the characters can find arms in the heat of the moment, while a character who Employs Magnetism might determine that the table hidden under a tablecloth is made of a ferrous metal. Obviously, declarations cannot be made that relate to things already known to be false, such as trying to place such a weapons display in a location where the characters previously looked for them without success. While, generally, this will cost the player 2 experience points as a short/medium term benefit some declarations with more lasting significance may instead be 3 point long term benefits. Only rarely will a declaration will be instant, such as a fighter declaring that an opponent in the middle of an open ballroom has stepped directly below a chandelier.
GMs have the right to veto any suggestions that seem out of scope (or ask the player to revise them), especially if the rest of the group isn’t buying into it, or they can veto with an offer for the character to make an appropriate skill check to get alternate similarly useful information instead. Finally, the GM can simply veto by giving the player an experience point, as a player refusing a GM intrusion.

House Rule; A version of the Assessment and Declaration rules  are available in D&D.

The player can declare their character "notices" or "remembers" some piece of knowledge. Based on the obscurity of that knowledge the GM sets a DC and the player makes an Intelligence roll. Depending on the nature of the declared item, they may add their proficiency and other bonuses based on skills. For example, recognizing the god to which a now-defiled altar was once sanctified would be an Intelligence (Religion) roll or a warrior may use Intelligence(History) to know the background, and a particular weakness, of a fighting style an opponent uses.

If the DM has already determined a piece of information a player wants to declare, they treat the roll normally but provide the predetermined answer on a successful roll. Similarly, if a player attempts to determine information that the DM has not pre-decided after a successful roll the player may determine the answer as if they had made a declaration at the outset. As always, DMs have the right to veto any suggestions that seem out of scope, specifically asking the player to revise them, especially if the rest of the group isn’t buying into it.

Such pieces of information can be used to provide advantage or force disadvantage on a roll taken that they might influence. Only the character who made the discovery can use benefit unless they specifically share the information with another. After being used once it cannot be used again by any character with the party until after the character which used it takes a short rest.

~~*~~

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: The History of Illusion (D&D)

Contents

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.

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: The History of Enchantment (D&D)

Contents

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.

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: The History of Transmutation (D&D)

Contents

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.

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: The History of Conjuration (D&D)

Contents

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.

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: The History of Abjuration (D&D)

Contents

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.

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: The History of Evocation (D&D)

Contents

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.

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: The History of Necromancy (D&D)

Contents

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.

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).

A History of Magic: The History of Divination (D&D)

Contents

Previous: Introduction

The first recorded acts of formalized magic were divinatory, granting the ability of mortals to extend their perceptions beyond their purely physical senses. While I hope, some day, to discover the origins of these abilities I suspect that, initially, they were much like the limited arts of the sorcerer or warlock; instinctual or granted through outside influence rather than learning, research, or practice. They initially provided little in the way of increased awareness. However, the exertions of those who dedicated themselves to learning about these gifts, and turning these gifts to learn about the universe around them, proved these abilities sufficient for their recipients to make the fundamental discoveries necessary to set us on the path to our modern understanding of the art. Two of those discoveries stand out among the rest.