The Grimoire

[grodog]

I like the Boon of Juniper, on a couple of levels:

- that it has environmental conditions on casting (outdoors)—in particular this gives it a ritualistic feel to me, and I can see building something like this for AD&D druids with Call Lightning as it’s baseline
- with that ritualistic feel, I can see needing this spell as part of a series of spells cast to do something greater/bigger: you cast this and some other spells as part of a ritual to open a gate, to summons demon, to enchant an item, to slay a sacrifice, etc.

Allan.

[Ancalagon]

I like the Boon of Juniper, on a couple of levels:

- that it has environmental conditions on casting (outdoors)—in particular this gives it a ritualistic feel to me, and I can see building something like this for AD&D druids with Call Lightning as it’s baseline
- with that ritualistic feel, I can see needing this spell as part of a series of spells cast to do something greater/bigger: you cast this and some other spells as part of a ritual to open a gate, to summons demon, to enchant an item, to slay a sacrifice, etc.

Allan.

The Boon of Jupiter (as in the Roman god, Jupiter) would definitely be a druid spell in my game homebrew setting... if druids had survived the Roman conquest. It could easily be a cleric spell for deities with thunder, lightning, weather in their portfolios.

Interesting idea about using The Boon of Jupiter as part of a series of spells to do something bigger. The series of spells could be spread out over specific times and locations for whatever the ritual is to accomplish so as to leave lots of opportunity for adventuring... perhaps to acquire necessary items for the ritual found only in certain locations... just thinking out loud here....

[Ancalagon]

Anyone else have something to add to The Grimoire?

[grodog]

Anyone else have something to add to The Grimoire?

I’ve done a few new illusionist spells, another pair of gate-related ones, and some new clerical spells. Will get them out of my design journal over the weekend

Allan.

[Captain_Blood]

Dark Flash (Strobe)
2nd level Wizard/Illusionist for Castles & Crusades

CT: 1
R: 20 ft radius
D: 1 round/level
SV: constituion
SR: yes
Comp: V, S, M

Creates a strobe effect using magical darkness. Anyone inside the area of effect is subject to a field of magical darkness that rapidly shifts between the prime material and ethereal planes. The effect causes observers to lose line of sight, provided the target is moving, and provides concealment versus ranged and melee attacks regardless of where the attack originates from. This affect is active in both the prime material and ethereal planes. Has a 50% chance to cause an individual magic missile to miss. At 6th level the spell causes minor disorientation (concentration interrupted) in all sighted individuals who fail a constitution save. At 10th level the spell causes all observers who fail a constitution save to suffer violent stomach upheaval, preventing any sort of attack for 2 rounds. At 15th level all observers who fail the save are stunned for two rounds. At 20th level the effect increases again and a failed save indicates any observers are completely incapacitated for 2 rounds.

[grodog]

Good one!---I particularly like spells that have multiple options and increase in breadth/scope as the level of the caster increases =)

Allan.

[Ancalagon]

Very interesting, Cap'n! Would be cool to see that one used in play...

[Ancalagon]

Here is one I made for AD&D (converted from Rolemaster) back in the day to use as a part of a combo attack which I'll explain below.

Lacerate (Necromantic)

Level: 1
Range: 6" + 1"/level
Duration: Instantaneous
Area of Effect: One creature
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 segment
Saving Throw: 1/2

Explanation/Description: By means of this spell, the magic-user causes a cut(s) to open upon the target creature at range as if inflicted by a dagger. A to-hit roll is not required (q.v. Magic Missile). One such cut is created for every 4 points of damage inflicted by the spell. The damage caused by lacerate is 2 hit points per caster level with a successful save v spells by one-half. Armor and shield provides no protection against the magical lacerations. N.B. The enchanted rings of protection can reduce the overall damage from the spell by one point for each plus of protection granted. E.g. A 5th level magic-user casts lacerate against a fighter wearing a +2 ring of protection. The fighter fails the saving throw v spells so that 10 hit points of damage would be suffered. However, since the fighter is wearing the +2 ring, the total damage delivered by the spell is reduced by 2 points. The fighter actually suffers 8 hit points of damage as 2 cuts magically appear on his body, one for every 4 points inflicted by the spell. A person wearing 2 rings of protection would gain the benefit of the strongest (i.e. the protection factors would not sum). The material component of the spell is the magic-user's athame which must be slashed/thrust towards the target creature and is not consumed by the casting of the spell.

I decided to adapt the Rolemaster version of the spell to AD&D to combine with another spell, Beltyn's Burning Blood, from the 2e Forgotten Realms hardback. Basically, Beltyn's Burning Blood ignites the open wounds on creatures for additional damage over X number of rounds. Lacerate was a good way for a magic-user to open wounds on foes without having to get within melee range.

[grodog]

Anyone else have something to add to The Grimoire?

I’ve done a few new illusionist spells, another pair of gate-related ones, and some new clerical spells. Will get them out of my design journal over the weekend

Ha! Nearly a year later....

Here's a spell I created over the summer, that my players didn't find while exploring around a lich's lair in the Astral Plane:

Oshon Yanthû's Temporal and Material Encapsulation (Evocation—Conjuration, Alteration)

Level: 3 Magic-User (Savant 2?), (Cleric of Celestian 4)
Range: 0 or touch
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: Up to 1” radius/3 levels of caster OR 1 person + 1 per 4 levels of caster
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 6 Segments Magic-User, 8 segments Cleric
Save: None

Description: Oshon Yanthû's Temporal and Material Encapsulation creates a bubble of native space-time normality within the Astral Plane, which allows designated spell casters within the area of effect to reset and regain spells via prayer and/or memorization. Given that the passage of time is essentially meaningless in Astral space, the duration of the spell completes when all designated casters have completed their memorization activities.
Oshon Yanthû's Temporal and Material Encapsulation will affect creatures travelling in the Astral Plane via silver cord (c.f., Astral Spell), or creatures travelling with their physical bodies (via gate, psionic Probability Travel, etc.), but not both. The caster’s own Astral travel method determines which other casters may benefit from the spell. In neither case does the spell enable contact with or access to deities or their agents, or to other planes otherwise normally inaccessible from the Astral.

Notes:
1. Oshon Yanthû's Temporal and Material Encapsulation carries some risk for all Astral spell casters:
a. For silver-corded casters, the spell risks snapping their silver cord, calculated at 1% x the highest-level spell memorized (no risk/effect upon any non-spell-casters designated within the area of effect).
b. For physical Astral travelers, the spell subjects them to the passage of time at normal memorization rates (see DMG page 40), including both time for sleep/rest, and prayer/memorization time. So, they get hungry, tired, etc. as time passes.

2. If cast while upon the Prime Material Plane instead of the Astral Plane, then Oshon Yanthû's Temporal and Material Encapsulation suppresses the effects of time-related spells and effects within its area of effect, including haste, slow, aging (by spell-casting or ghost touch, etc.), staff of withering, potion of speed, etc.

The material component is a ribbon of the finest, stiffened black silk, inscribed with mercurial or platinum ink; it must be one foot long per level of the caster, at a cost of 50gp per foot. Twisted into a Möbius strip, it is consumed during the casting. For clerics of Celestian, their holy symbol (a black circle with seven stars) is also required, but neither the holy symbol nor the ribbon is consumed in the casting.

Enjoy!

Allan.

[grodog]

I've got oodles of custom spells I've written over the decades, including some gate-related ones posted to my blog at https://grodog.blogspot.com/2017/05/the ... art-2.html. I also shared another gate-themed spell in TTS#2---"The Multi-Faceted Portal-Penetrating Gaze" (I was trying to go with a more effusive Vance-like name ).

And here it is:

The Multi-Faceted Portal-Penetrating Gaze (Divination)

Level: 4 Magic-User
Range: 4” + ½” per level
Duration: 2 rounds + 1 round/level above 11th
Area of Effect: One portal
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 8 segments
Saving Throw: None

Explanation/Description: The Multi-Faceted Portal-Penetrating Gaze enables the caster to examine portals in detail, as well as to peer through to the other side of gates, teleporters, color pools, and similar planar portals. When cast, one or more applications of the spell are selected by the caster; one option is included in the casting per seven levels of the caster—i.e., one option for magic-users at 7th-14th levels, two options at 15th-21st levels, and all three options at 22nd level or higher. A caster can select the same option multiple times, if desired (for example, if a gate leads to many possible destinations).

Discern Destinations: this dweomer infallibly identifies destination(s) for a gate, teleporter, or other portal by destination type and name (in their order of activation and frequency if more than one destination exists); each paired data set requires four segments of concentration to obtain:
• Destination Types: Inner Material Plane, Inner Elemental Plane (includes the Para-Elemental Planes), Ethereal Plane, Astral Plane, Outer Plane. Demi-planes are also detected as a distinct class of destination type.
• Names standard planar nomenclature, if applicable—i.e., the spell informs the magic-user that the portal leads to Oerth, The Leaden Cathedral, or Nessus.
When received together, the spell provides the data in pairs: “Outer Plane; Nessus” or “Inner Material Plane; Oerth” or “demi-plane; The Leaden Cathedral” (using the examples from above).

Peer Beyond the Veil: using this variation, the magic-user scries the arrival-side location for the gate or portal, revealing an area ½” radius per level of the caster above 7th (i.e., ½” radius at 7th or 8th level, 1” radius at 9th level, 1 ½” radius at 10th level etc.). The scrying sensor can be detected by creatures within its area of effect if they are of sufficiently high-level and/or very intelligent (see crystal ball on DMG p. 141 for detection chance by non-casters, and Detection of Invisibility Table on DMG p. 60 for spell casters). A higher-level caster may opt to scan initially in a smaller area, then increase the scope of space revealed by the spell, if desired (such an adjustment transitions over one full round of duration).

Regard the Portal: this casting informs the caster about the nature of the portal being examined, specifically:
• portal type: teleporter, gate, color pool, planar rift, etc.
• whether is active or inactive
• whether it is permanent or temporary
• whether it is one-way or bi-directional
Each attribute of the portal requires two segments of concentration to know; a caster may opt to gather fewer than all four attributes to conserve spell duration, if desired.

The material component is a multi-faceted eye from either an astral deva, ice devil, phoenix, or ultrodaemon, as well as a violet sapphire of at least 1000gp value. Both are consumed in the casting.

Allan.