Tag: Magic

Wizard Spells in Dungeon Crawl Classics

I’m really trying not to mod the shit out of DCC, which is hard because I love tinkering with rules (which should be obvious from reading this blog or any of my previous blogs).

However, a particular aspect of the magic system rubs me the wrong way and it has to go.

Wizards in DCC have a very limited number of spells they are allowed to know. As in, a level one Wizard could have books with 500 spells in them, but can only cast four of them. Not four in a day and the next day can study and switch them out. No, they know the same four spells forever, unchanging. Those other 496 spells collect dust, never to be used.

How does that make sense? How does that go with Appendix N which DCC constantly trumpets the virtues of?

Screw all that. It isn’t fun. The Wizard already has a pretty crappy lot in life; spells have a good chance of hurting them (temporarily or permanently), patron bonding is arguably more hurtful than helpful, they have few hit points and armor makes it harder to cast spells. On top of all that, they can never learn new spells?

It’s almost like the rule is a mistake, but apparently it’s made it through four printings and the official DCC forums say it’s for real.

Furthermore, the rules say a Wizard can not cast spells higher than their level chart indicates. So a level one or two Wizard can not cast spells higher than level 1.  A level three Wizard can not cast spells higher than level 2.

But later on in the magic section it says spells of higher level CAN be cast, but it is more dangerous. It doesn’t say exactly how or why it’s more dangerous, but I have to assume it’s because the Spell Check is higher and the Wizard being of lower level doesn’t have as good of a bonus to cast as a higher level Wizard would.

Not only that, but non-magic characters can cast magic, albeit with mandatory Luck burning, but still. If a Warrior can cast a spell at all, then a first level Wizard should be able to cast a 5th level spell (with all the associated penalties).

So, here is my very simple rule change.

A Wizard character can know any number of spells. The number they can memorize is equal to the number indicated on the Wizard chart in the class description. So a level one Wizard can memorize four spells, regardless of the level of those spells. A level two Wizard can memorize 5 spells, and so on.

Spells that are available to be memorized must be researched and a check roll must be made, as is written in the rules. A character isn’t just automatically going to have access to a spell just because they have a grimoire or scroll in their possession.

When a Wizard character successfully checks to learn a spell that is in their possession, it goes into their pool of available spells to choose from. If the check fails, they must wait until they reach the next level of experience before attempting to learn the spell again.

Example:

So a level one Wizard has their normal four starting spells from level 1. In the course of an adventure they find a spell book with two level 2 spells in it. For brevity, we’ll assume that the adventure ends with the Wizard making it to a town or other safe area to rest for an indefinite amount of time. During this down time, the Wizard studies the spell book and attempts to learn the two spells contained within. The fail the attempt at learning the first spell, but succeed in learning the second spell. 

Now, the first level Wizard can memorize a total of four spells per day, but has five spells to choose from. The fifth spell being a level two spell means it is more difficult to cast, and therefore more dangerous to the Wizard, but gives them another spell casting option.

Man, I think that is a simple rule change. Yeah, it’s more like DnD, but it also makes sense.

 

Spells of the Yon Gorilla People

Yon player characters have limited access to magic spells. These spells reflect their culture, religion, and environment.

Yon are gifted a single spell every level of experience from their god, Oogam. The exact spell is rolled randomly or chosen, but the maximum level of the spell is half the level of the caster, rounding up.

Yon magic costs 2 Hit Points per level of the spell. Magic is draining and tiring to the caster. A level 1 spell will cost 2 hit points, a level 2 spell will cost 4 hit points, and level 3 will cost 6 hit points, and so on. There is no limit to the number of times a day spells can be cast, other than hit points.

The following list contains the spells available to the Yon character. Spells with descriptions are new, spells without description are from the LotFP Rules & Magic book (Grindhouse edition). Yon have a close relationship with Giant Bees, using honey and wax for a variety of uses.

Spell Level One

  1. Melt Bee’s Wax: Range: Touch. Duration: Instant. The caster can instantly melt bee’s wax in their hand, or within a hand held container.
  2. Bee’s Wax Glue: Range: Touch. Duration: Instant. Turns bee’s wax into a powerful adhesive and sealant, able to glue together most types of material. 
  3. Bless
  4. Detect Evil/Good
  5. Protection from Evil/Good
  6. Purify/Spoil Food and Drink
  7. Light
  8. Comprehend Languages
  9. Feather Fall
  10. Mending
  11. Message
  12. Sleep

Spell Level Two

  1. Friend of Bees: Range: Self. Duration: One ten minute Turn per level of the caster. Bees of all types (but not wasps or other stinging insects) regard the caster as a friend and will not attack. They will allow the caster access to their hive and to remove wax and honey. 
  2. Create Candy: Range: Touch. Duration: Permanent. Caster can create hardened candy out of honey. Great for sore throats and a variety of other common ailments. Can turn up to one pound of honey into candy per level of experience.
  3. Cure Light Wounds
  4. Delay Poison
  5. Heroism
  6. Resist Cold
  7. Silence
  8. Detect Invisible
  9. Force of Forbidment
  10. Speak With Animals
  11. Wall of Fog
  12. Wizard Lock – uses bee’s wax as a component.

Spell Level Three

  1. Bless Food: Range: 10 feet. Duration: Permanent. Blessed food is impervious to spoiling magic and doubles the length of time that the food would spoil normally.
  2. Seal Wound: Range: Touch. Duration: Instant. The caster uses melted bee’s wax to seal open wounds. This will stop bleeding and stabilize a wounded individual. The wounded person also heals an additional hit point every 24 hours. 
  3.  Dispel Magic
  4. Magic Vestment
  5. Remove Curse
  6. Sacrifice
  7. Army of One
  8. Gust of Wind
  9.  Light, Continual
  10. Locate Object
  11. Speak With the Dead
  12. Turn Undead

Spell Level Four

  1. Honey Medicine: Range: Touch. Duration: Permanent. Turns honey candy (level 2 spell) into medicinal lozenges. Works the same as Cure Disease and heals d6 Hit Points.
  2. Detect Lie
  3. Divination
  4. Neutralize Poison
  5. Protection from Evil, 10ft radius
  6. Spell Immunity
  7. Charm Monster
  8. Protection from Normal Missiles

Spell Level Five

  1. Commune
  2. Cure Serious Wounds
  3. Dispel Evil
  4. Insect Plague
  5. True Seeing
  6. Hold Animal/Monster/Person

Spell Level Six

  1. Find/Lose the Path
  2. Heal
  3. Word of Recall
  4. Legend Lore
  5. Holy Word
  6. Control Weather
Art by Kolsga

    Magic Users 2.5

    Much like the Fighter, I’ve smooshed all the magic classes together into a single class. Except for Illusionists, because I don’t like Illusionists and they have no place in the setting I’m developing. Also Bards. Bards can suck it.

    While the title of this class is Magic User, you can write in whatever you want on your character sheet; Wizard, Cleric, Druid, Summoner, Magus, whatever.  You will notice that Clerics do not automatically know every spell of a given level. Why should they? They need to study and memorize prayers and keep a prayer book just like a Wizard needs to study and memorize spells and keep a spell book.

    Spells will either be condensed into a single list, or players can choose to go with one of the traditional lists. I’m seriously considering incorporating magic Circles from Palladium Fantasy. I think it would add something cool and different. On the other hand, it would also add a level of complexity, which is what I want to avoid. So ignore that bit for now.

    Anyway…

    Prime attribute: Player’s choice of Intelligence or Wisdom
    Hit Die: d4
    Abilities:

    • Starting Spells: 3 level one, 2 level two, 1 level three.
    • Cost to cast: 1 Hit Point per spell level, per level of current Encumbrance.
    • Note about Class Skills: unless chosen/rolled from the list below, the Magic User has a base of 18 on any skill check. Level bonus does not apply, although attribute modifiers do apply.

    Humans choose two of the following abilities every level of experience, non-humans choose one:

      1. Increase Hit Die by one type. So your d4 is now a d6. Hit points are not re-rolled.
      2. Increase a Prime attribute by 1 point, up to racial maximum.
      3. Natural Aptitude: Learn a spell equal or less than your own level. No research needed.
      4. Decrease casting cost by 1 HP, after multiplication. Minimum casting cost of 1 HP. So, if you’re lightly encumbered and have this ability, your cost to cast a spell is 2 HP per spell level, -1. 
      5. Create Scroll (as per LotFP). Roll this again and the cost and time is reduced by 10%
      6. Create Potion (as per LotFP). Same as number 5.
      7. Your hand eye coordination is better than average: +1 to hit.
      8. Enlarge: Range and Area of effect of spells is increased 25%
      9. Power: Duration of spells is increased 25%, and damage is +1
      10. Reach: Spells with a range of Touch can be extended 5 feet from the caster.
      11. Cantrips: Learn two Level 0 spells. These cost 1 HP regardless of encumbrance level.
      12. Saving Throw bonus: +1 to all non-prime saves.
      13. Duck and Move: +1 to Armor Class
      14. Retroactive Magic Detection: Detect magic used in past 24 hours in a 30 square foot area, with a Wisdom check.  Roll this again and you can determine what spell was cast. Roll it again and you can detect if a magical creature or magic user of 5 HD or higher passed through. Roll it any more times and you get a +1 to your attribute check.
      15. You automatically see the aura of any creature of 1 HD or less.  Roll again and this increases to 2 HD or less.
      16. Enchant Object: Magic rings, wands, talismans, etc. Same as number 5.
      17. Pick or roll an ability from the Fighter or Specialist ability lists. This is your chance to multi-class!
      18. Choose a class skill from the following list: Climb (STR), Decipher Script (INT), Listen (WIS), Swim (CON), Move Silently (DEX), Hide (DEX), and Language (INT). Class skills receive a bonus equal to your level, as well as attribute modifiers. 
      19. Choose a 1st level spell that you already know. You can cast this spell 1x per day at no hit point cost. 
      20. Counterspell: When another magic user casts a spell against you, or anyone within 10 feet of you, you can roll a save vs magic to counter it, and send the spell back at its caster. Every time you re-roll this, you get a +1 to your save.