Sunday, March 31, 2019

Blades! Serrations! Spikes! Oil!


COMBAT AND INVENTORIES
When combat is initiated, each character rolls and adds their wisdom modifier. Characters act in descending order.
All characters are considered proficient enough with a weapon to wield it without penalty. The attack bonuses of martial classes represent their superior training and puissance.
    Nonlethal damage can be inflicted by unarmed strikes and some weapons. Nonlethal damage never kills the target, and if they are reduced to 0 hp, they are simply knocked unconscious. A character who doesn’t attack or cast a spell in a round may convert 1d4 nonlethal damage into fatigue.
    When dealing damage, add your strength modifier to the listed weapon damage when using a melee weapon and add your dexterity modifier to the listed weapon damage when using a ranged weapon. Unarmed attacks only do strength modifier damage.
    A big part of armed combat should be characters attempting to get a one-up on enemies, and so circumstantial bonuses to hit should be common.
    As you recall, when you attack, you subtract your opponent’s AC. Whenever you want to grapple, trip, push, or sunder, instead subtract your opponent’s attack score.
    Some parts of a combat zone might be considered difficult terrain, such as a marsh or gravelly footing. Movement through such places is at half speed, and if you move more than five feet adjacent enemies may make a free attack against you.

Weapon Type
Inventory Slots
Damage
Notes
Cost (gp)
Light
1
1d6/-
Throw
4
Medium
1
1d6/1d8

6
Heavy
2
-/1d10
Must have space
10
Polearm
3
-/1d10
Attacks foes 10 ft. away, not adjacent.
8

Weapon Type
Slots
Damage
-1 to hit every...
Cost (gp)
Sling
1
1d6
20 ft.
2
Bow
1
1d6
30 ft.
12
Crossbow
1
1d10
40 ft. Takes 1 round to load.
72

Armor Type
Inventory Slots
AC Bonus
Dex skill penalty
Cost (gp)
Light
0
+2
0
5
Medium
1
+4
-2
20
Heavy
3
+6
-4
100
Shield*
1
+1
0
6
*Shields are held in one hand, cumulative with other armor, and add 2 to parry and bodyguard rolls.

Armor Modification
Effect
Cost (gp)
Ceramic
Takes up one less inventory slot, damaged more by sunder maneuvers
-/5/20/2
Spikes/serrations/blades
May deal 1d6 in grapples, easily caught.
-/8/30/4
Thief’s Oil
Illegal. Negates dex skill penalty. Must be reapplied every week of use.
-/4/12/-
Gaudy
-
20/80/400/24
Lead
Takes up one more inventory slot, advantage against radiation
20/20/40/10
Pneumatic
Additional -4 dex skill penalty, +1 AC, carry two extra inventory slots
300/400/500/-
Asbestos
Take -1 fire damage
20/20/35/20

Supernaturalistic Analysis!

WIZARD (scholar, shaman, philosopher, alchemist)


1
Spells, familiar, cantrips, +1 language point
1 slot per day
2
Second Magnitude
2 slots per day
3
Learned, +1 language point
4 slots per day
4
Third Magnitude
7 slots per day
5
Learned, +1 language point
10 slots per day
6
Fourth Magnitude
15 slots per day
7
Learned, +1 language point
20 slots per day
8
Fifth Magnitude
27 slots per day
9
Learned, +1 language point
34 slots per day
10
Sixth Magnitude
43 slots per day


Starting Skills: any one expertise, library science and spellcraft.
Spells: You can learn any spells you study, whether from scrolls, tomes, or supernaturalistic analysis. This requires a skill test depending on the type of study it is. If you fail the skill test, you must wait until you level up to try again for that spell effect. All spells you know are recorded in writing, which you consult each day. When you consult your spellbook, you decide which spells you will be able to cast that day and how many times you can cast each one. For each casting of a starting-level spell, you must commit one spell slot. Later magnitudes cost a number of slots equal to their magnitude.
Familiar: Every wizard has a resource which they use to study with. This can include a called magical animal, a created homunculus, a willful magic item, or the workbook of a prior wizard. Regardless of its form, a wizard can study with their familiar, conferring a +2 to all research rolls and teaching the wizard a spell of their choice from the wizard spell list once per level, with no roll required. The form of the familiar has an additional ability:
  • Magical animal: It’s a loyal pet!
  • Homunculus: It’s loyal and intelligent but blind when more than 100’ from the wizard!
  • Magic item: grants the craft skill!
  • Workbook: grants the implicature skill!
If the familiar is killed or destroyed, the wizard experiences painful hallucinations for a number of hours equal to their level.
Language Point: As students of ancient lore, wizards acquire language points periodically. These work just like any other language points, (see languages article) though they are typically applied to traditional scholarly tongues or exotic speech.
Magnitudes: While a wizard can learn a spell regardless of their power, they cannot cast spells of a higher magnitude than their level allows
Learned: You may learn a skill from the following list: implicature, diligence, craft, expertise, psychology.
Daniel Romanovsky
SPELLS AND SPELL RESEARCH
A spell is a mystical invocation which requires a caster to speak magic words and make gestures with at least one hand. It’s impossible to cast a spell when muffled or grappled, you get the idea. Beyond this, some spells requires concentration, both in the sense of mental focus and the concentration of magical energies into the magic user. A spell that requires concentration requires active mental focus as well as a lack of physical restrictions— concentration spells cannot be cast while wearing armor. Often, concentration spells last for as long as a magic user can focus on them. Multiple concentration spells can be maintained at once, but this is a balancing act. Most spells can be cast in one turn.
When a spell requires a target to test a primary attribute, that test gets a penalty equal to the magnitude of the spell. Some spells note that they are “cantrips” next to their magnitude. This indicates that a spell can be used any number of times a day. This means a prepared caster need only ever prepare it once, and a spontaneous caster only needs to expend spell slots the first time the spell is cast. While only spells up to the sixth magnitude are listed in this book, this is only the start of a powerful spellcaster’s magical journey. More powerful forces exist, but they must be researched by a magic user of at least 12th level.
All spells have at least one “domain,” a descriptive tag that might apply to the spell. Not all domains listed will apply to each casting of a spell. For instance, a spell that could summon a demon or an angel would have both the “demon” and “angel” tag, even though a specific casting of the spell would only have one or the other. If a magic user is restricted in which domains they can learn, this restriction applies to the casting of the spell as well. So a sorcerer who only casts spells of the demon domain cannot use such a spell to summon an angel.
A few domains have some special effects worth nothing. Spells of the ritual domain always require at least a minute to cast, as well as the use of chalk diagrams, totems, or other preparations. Spells of the ward and place domains also require at least a minute to cast, and are tied physically to one location.
While the magic listed in the class spell lists and signature moves is vast, it is only a taste of what magic users can do. With time and resources great magical projects can be completed even by relative novices, provided they have an idea of how the spell in question works. Wizards especially are apt to the scientific constructions of magical effects, but binders and priests can receive instructions from their benefactors, sorcerers have the raw power to effect their desires, and loresages are all about the slow, inexorable flow of power. Errants and initiators might have a hard time.
Magic users can invest their power into simple items, or even craft artifacts of their own. Many magic items will have a listed time it takes to create the item in question. A magic user must be able to cast a spell of equal magnitude to the item. It is not uncommon for low-level magic users to daisy-chain smaller magic items into something as impressive as a high-magnitude item. In general, each hour of magic item construction and research costs about 2 gold, though many magic items also involve further expensive components.
Different skills may be useful in the casting of spells. (Indeed, wizard schools formally group magic by the specializations required to learn them.) Spellcraft is the architecture of magic-stuff itself and is useful for wards, specialized effects, and overcoming specific problems, like making a fire spell work underwater. Implicature, in addition to being useful to contracting with outsiders, is the skill necessary to string together words of power. Diligence can confer mastery of difficult-to-replicate triggers, like a complicated hand motion (sleight) or precise chords (perform.) Diligence and craft are required to create artifacts. Library science is useful for studying extant techniques.

WIZARD SPELL LIST
Wizards can learn any spell they study, but the one spell they learn from their familiar each level must be from the wizard spell list.
Spell Name
Domains
Magnitude
Effect
Affinity
Charm, item
First
You imbue a mundane item with desirability to bargain with one target. They must test wisdom or wish to possess the item, by trade or by force. This is not an absolute desire.
Alarm Ward
Ward
First
You lay an invisible magical line. Anything that disturbs it causes it to emit a shrill shriek. This spell requires concentration.
Burning Ward
Ward, fire
Second
You lay an invisible magical line. Anything that disturbs it causes it to ignite in flame, dealing 2d6 damage. It has a 50% chance of burning out. You can cast this spell at fifth magnitude to negate the burn-out chance. This spell requires concentration.
Bestow Immunity
Metamagic, enchantment
First (cantrip)
One target is immune to damage from your spells. This lasts one hour.
Bleeding Rune
Rune, blood
First
You lay a sigil that, when activated, creates a gallon of tainted blood. The default activation for the rune is contact with magic, but you may alter this with the spellcraft skill. This spell requires concentration.
Calling Rune
Rune
Second
You lay a sigil that, when activated, pulls towards you. If the object weighs less than 10 pounds, it travels up to 300 ft. Heavier objects may move a lesser distance. The default activation for the rune is contact with magic, but you may alter this with the spellcraft skill. This spell requires concentration.
Chilling Rune
Rune, cold
First
You lay a sigil that, when activated, chills the surrounding area. Anything directly touching the rune takes 1d6 cold damage. Each time it activates, there is a 50% chance it burns out. The default activation for the rune is contact with magic, but you may alter this with the spellcraft skill. This spell requires concentration.
Control Winds
Wind, flight
Fourth
For ten minutes, you may control the air around you. This can be used to toss you or a target up to 30 ft. in any direction. Unwilling targets may test dexterity to avoid this.
Create Animal
Conjuration, animal
Third
You summon a 1 HD animal that is well-disposed to you. It is not a temporary summon, and requires all the normal living conditions of a typical animal of its type. You can this spell at a higher magnitude to increase the HD by one for each magnitude. This spell requires concentration.
Create Earth
Conjuration, earth
First
You create mud or hard earth, enough to slick a 10 ft. by 10 ft. area or to create cover.
Create Gas
Conjuration, gas
Second
You create enough flammable hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, propane, or butane to disperse through a 10 ft. cube of space. With no method of capture, the gas quickly dissipates.
Create Iron
Conjuration, metal
Third
You create up to 20 pounds of iron. There is some latitude to shape the iron, but cannot make a sharp edge.
Create Swarm
Conjuration, animal
Fourth
You summon a 1 HD swarm that is well-disposed to you. It is not a temporary summon, and requires all the normal living conditions of a typical animal of its type. You can this spell at a higher magnitude to increase the HD by one for each magnitude. This spell requires concentration.
Create Water
Conjuration, water
First
You create up to 1 gallon of water per level you possess. If this is at least five gallons, you fire this as a spurt to initiate combat maneuvers from up to ten feet away.
Citation
Research
Second
You designate a portion of a text. In the margin, the name of the source the text is given. If firsthand information or invented, it will say so. This spell is unstable when applied to poetry, fiction, and other artful works.
Copy Spell
Metamagic
Second
When another caster performs a spell, you may imitate it in the following round. In addition to the spell slots spent casting this spell, give up a spell of the same or comparable magnitude. This spell requires concentration.
Deconstruct Device
item
Second
You deconstruct one complex item, making as much progress as a layperson with the appropriate tools would make in one hour.
Deconstruct Spell
metamagic
Third
Over the course of one minute, you physically tear apart a spell. If it is currently afflicting a person, this is physically damaging. Spellcraft or other skill tests may be required. The result is the constituent magic-stuff of the spell. This provides a bonus to understand the spell. This spell requires concentration.
Dispel divination
dispel
Second
All divination spells before you end. Attempts to divine events around you in the past may also retroactively fail. If they were cast by a higher-level caster, you must make a spellcraft test, modified by their level, to succeed.
Dispel emotion
dispel
First
All emotion spells before you end. If they were cast by a higher-level caster, you must make a spellcraft test, modified by their level, to succeed.
Dispel enchantment
dispel
First
All emotion spells before you end. If they were cast by a higher-level caster, you must make a spellcraft test, modified by their level, to succeed.
Domain Shift
Metamagic
Third
The next spell you cast loses and gains one domain of your choice. Damage type and other effects may change. This spell requires concentration.
Drill
Force
First (cantrip)
Punch a small hole in anything as hard as stone or softer. Takes one minute per foot.
Earth to Iron
Earth, metal, transmutation
Second
You turn up to 20 pounds of earth or mud to middling-quality iron.
Earthworks
Earth
Fourth
You may raise and lower earth or stone within 30 ft. of you by up to 4 ft. This choice may vary in different parts of the area, though details may require a spellcraft check. This spell requires concentration.
Electric Rune
Rune, electricity
Third
You lay a sigil that, when activated, sends a bolt of lightning 20 ft., dealing 2d6 damage in a line. It has a 50% chance of burning out. You can cast this spell at sixth magnitude to negate the burn-out chance. This spell requires concentration.
Elemental shift
Metamagic, water, earth, fire, wind, metal
First
The next spell you cast loses and gains one domain of your choice. Damage type and other effects may change. Choices are restricted to the following domains: water, earth, fire, wind, metal. This spell requires concentration.
Fabricate
conjuration
Fifth
Create up to 20 pounds of items. A craft check may by needed if details are required. This spell requires concentration.
Fire blast/water blast/wind blast/earth blast
Fire, water, wind, earth
Second
You throw a bolt of a magical element up to 50 ft. Make a ranged attack to deal 2d6 damage.
Fireball
fire
Fourth
You throw a bursting bead of fire up to 50 ft. All characters within 15 ft. of the center must test dexterity or take 4d6 damage. Saving inflicts half damage. This spell requires concentration.
Force Rune
Rune, force
Second
You lay a sigil that, when activated, sends a nearby item moving in a specified direction, as though it was pushed hard by a strength 16 human. The default activation for the rune is contact with magic, but you may alter this with the spellcraft skill. This spell requires concentration.
Gist
Research, divination
Second
You get a surface reading of one target book or mind. While there is little in the way of specifics, you get the general idea of what’s goin’ on in there. Minds may test intelligence to notice your intrusion.
Golem
Earth, life, rune, transformation
Fifth
You imbue a humanoid clay figure with life. It is loyal but has its own intelligence separate from your own.
Grow Ooze
Life, ooze
Second
Over the course of at least three days, you grow a living ooze creature in a test tube. It is mindless and attacks living things when not fed flesh or fungus.
Grow Specimen
Life, animal, flesh, blood, heart, bone
First
Over the course of at least three days, you grow a stillborn animal in a jar.
Hydrokinesis/
Hydraulics
water
Fourth
You wrench water through the air. All foes within 15 ft. of you must test dexterity or take 2d6 damage and two points of fatigue. You may move unattended objects five feet. This spell requires concentration.
Hypothetical
Divination, charm
Second
The target tests wisdom. If they fail, you may divine what their emotional response would be to an action you take in the next minute. This spell requires concentration.
Impress
Enchantment, metamagic
Second
As you cast this spell, immediately cast another and sacrifice another spell of equal or greater magnitude. You invest the spell into an ally, allowing them to cast it themselves, once before the end of the day. This spell requires concentration.
Index
research
First (cantrip)
Put a series of books, records, or similar things into a simple order that you devise.
Intangibility
Transformation, soul, shadow
Fifth
For ten minutes, you cannot touch or be touched by any physical thing. You may slip through walls and similar things unimpeded. This requires concentration.
Invisibility
Transformation, shadow
Third
For ten minutes, you cannot be seen. This spell requires concentration.
Iron to Lead
Transmutation, metal
Third
You turn up to 20 pounds of iron to lead. This spell requires concentration.
Irradiate Gold
Metal, radiation
Sixth
You irradiate up to 20 pounds of gold, enough to fuel a large magical engine for a week or create one Wicked Petard. This spell requires concentration.
Lead to Silver
Transmutation, metal
Fourth
You turn up to 20 pounds of lead to middling-quality silver. This spell requires concentration.
Lightning Rod
Electricity, nature
Fourth
You call a bolt of lightning down somewhere in sight. All characters within 5 ft. of the center must test dexterity or take 4d6 damage. Saving inflicts half damage. This spell requires concentration.
Magic Missile
Force
First
Deal 1d6 damage to one target within 30 ft.
Magic Pockets
Dimensions, item
Third
For the next 24 hours, connect two containers with a magical space. Anything put in one container can be fetched from the other. This spell requires concentration.
Magic to Antimagic
Transmutation, metamagic
Sixth
You turn up to 20 pounds of magic-stuff into an opalline substance that negates nearby magics. (see magic items chapter.) This spell requires concentration.
Measure
Research, divination
First (cantrip)
Learn the temperature, mass, or volume of any discrete object you can see.
Memorize
Research
Second
For the next hour, you gain an eidetic memory. This spell requires concentration.
Mental model
Illusion, divination
Third
You will your mind to become like someone else. For the next ten minutes, attempts to read your mind instead detects this false persona. Additionally, roll advantage on psychology tests. This spell requires concentration.
Mummy
Necromancy, healing, ritual
Fourth
Through a mystical embalming process, you prepare a body to serve as a guardian of a specific place. It is mindless but may follow complex instructions. Leaving its designated place makes it increasingly dumb and clumsy.
Mutation (any)
Ritual, radiation, transformation
Second
Pick physical, skill, or domain. The target gets a random sorcerer mutation of that type. This lasts for 12 hours.
Peruse
Research, divination
Fourth
You get an in-depth reading of one target book or mind. You may pursue specific lines of inquiry or merely wander. Minds may test intelligence to notice your intrusion.
Planeshift
Dimensions
Sixth
You rocket through the void to another dimension, with some degree of control. This spell requires concentration.
Ponder
Divination, ritual
Sixth
Ask a question. You will get an answer, though some questions require some wait time. This spell requires concentration.
Postmortem
Necromancy, healing, divination
Second (cantrip)
You detect the cause of a recent body’s death, and divine information about any marks, magical auras, and similar things on it. You may choose to preserve it so that it does not deteriorate for at least a year.
Pure force
Force
First
You push, pull, or direct a movement with the force of a strength 16 human. This can be used to make a combat maneuver check at a range of up to 50 ft., with a bonus of +3. This spell requires concentration.
Quickcast
Metamagic
Sixth
Cast a third-magnitude and second-magnitude spell that you know for free. This spell requires concentration.
Radioactive blast
Radiation
Fifth
You throw a bolt of radiation up to 50 ft. Make a ranged attack to deal 2d6 damage. Damaged enemies must test constitution or become terminally ill. This spell requires concentration.
Radioactive Ward
Ward, radiation
Fourth
You lay an invisible magical line. Anything that disturbs it causes it to burst with radioactive energy, dealing 2d6 damage and mutating their form, provoking a roll on the death and dismemberment table. It has a 50% chance of burning out. This spell requires concentration.
Redact
Ritual, speech
Sixth
Name a creature by their true name. They explode. This spell requires concentration.
Resist Dispel
Dispel, metamagic
Third
Whenever a foe would dispel a spell you’ve cast, you may cast this spell to ignore it. This spell requires concentration.
Seal
Rune, conjuration
First (cantrip)
Magically impresses your personal sigil. Can jam doors or give spirits attempting to break their prisons disadvantage on rolls.
Silver to Gold
Transmutation, metal
Fifth
You turn up to 20 pounds of silver to gold. This spell requires concentration.
Skeleton
Necromancy, bone, ritual
Skeleton
You clean and polish a cadaver’s bones, imbuing them with fell power. This creates loyal mindless undead.
Speak with Devices
Speech, item
First
You may use use craft to bargain and gossip with devices, as per the implicature and rumor skills. This spell requires concentration.
Speak with Magical creatures
Speech, animal, emotion
Second
You may use use expertise (myth) to bargain and gossip with magical creatures, as per the implicature and rumor skills. This spell requires concentration.
Speak with Magic Items
Speech, item
First
You may use use craft or spellcraft to bargain and gossip with magic items, as per the implicature and rumor skills. This spell requires concentration.
Summon elemental
Summoning, fire, water, wind, earth
Second
You summon a loyal, bumbling elemental of your choice for 1 hour. You can cast this spell at higher magnitudes to keep the elemental around for an additional hour per spell slot invested. This spell requires concentration.
Summon specimen
Summoning, flesh, blood, bone, ritual
First
You summon a small dead animal for 1 hour of study.
Teleport
Dimensions
Fifth
Transport yourself and up to four companions to any place you’ve been before. This spell requires concentration.
Thrumming armor
Metamagic, enchantment, item
Third
For the next hour, you may concentrate while wearing light armor.
Wardline
Ward
First (cantrip)
You lay an invisible magical line. This has no inherent ability, but can carry a magical charge or send out a magical signal based on simple activation.
Wardsight
Ward, divination
First (cantrip)
For the next hour, see any invisibile wards, wardlines, or runes.
Warming Rune
Ward
First
You lay a sigil that, when activated, warms the area. Direct contact with the rune deals 1d6 fire damage. The default activation for the rune is contact with magic, but you may alter this with the spellcraft skill. This spell requires concentration.
Wyrding Ward
Ward, divination
Third
You lay an invisible magical line. Any living thing that disturbs it must test intelligence. If it fails, you learn its name, can ask any one question about it, and may target it with a divination spell. Upon activating the ward has a 50% chance of burning out. You can cast this spell at sixth magnitude to negate the burn-out chance. This spell requires concentration.
Telekinesis
Force
Fourth
For the next ten minutes, you may manipulate objects up to 60 ft. away as though you were holding them. This spell requires concentration.
True Name
Speech
Fifth
When you cast this spell, you offer the full name of one target. If you do, you may summon the target to you and they get disadvantage against your spells for an hour. This spell requires concentration.
Uncomprehending Speech
Speech
Second
For the next hour, you may speak any one language fluently, but you do not understand other speakers. This spell requires concentration.