Spell Components for the GLOG

 

Material components for spells in D&D are annoying, but the idea is a flavorful one. A wizard throwing a handful of magical powder into a spell feels right. Unfortunately a lot of attempts to fix this are more complicated than I’d like.

Here’s a simpler way to do it: material components work like scrolls:

“Scrolls: If you cast a spell from a scroll, you can choose to burn the scroll. If you do, add +1 MD to your roll. This MD does not return to your pool.”

Re-flavored, this becomes:

Spell Component

You need to have the relevant component in your inventory in order to cast the associated spell. If you choose to use up your entire stock, add +1 MD to your roll. This MD does not return to your pool.

As with normal scrolls in GLOG, non-spellcasters can use a spell component to cast a spell, but because they don’t have any Mana Dice of their own to power it they’ll always use up the whole stock.

A spellbook under this system is a collection of notes and drawings. It helps you keep track of what spell components you’ve identified.

Note: This system works better if you have a fairly tightly curated list of spells.

Where to Find Spell Components?

In the dungeon. You distribute them like treasure, replacing the potions and spell scrolls that you’d otherwise sprinkle about. Because any character can use them for the basic effect, everyone has some incentive to look for them. Herbs and mushrooms are essentially hidden treasure, like a potion hidden under a loose floorboard. Monster parts are just personal treasure with a different flavor.

Magic shops and herbalists in town probably sell a few basic ingredients, but for the rest you’ll need to explore mysterious forests and crawl around in dungeons.

Rare Components

Everyone knows you can use cureleaf to heal an ordinary wound, but the horn of a unicorn contains more potent healing magic.

A lot of spell components need to be reasonably available for this system to work, but part of the appeal of material components is finding rare or exotic ones. So what should they do? Three easy options:

1. Contain 2 or more MD: the unicorn horn can be used to cast an extra-strength version of the cure spell

2. The component is reusable – effectively it has its own pool of MD. The unicorn horn can be used to heal many wounds, but if you use it too much its light will fade.

3. The component has a better spell: cureleaf = cure light wounds, unicorn horn = restoration, remove curse, or raise dead

A Wizard & 20 Spells

 

Wizard

Starting Equipment: Spellbook, writing supplies, notes & drawings, magical curio

For every Wizard template you have, you gain +1 Magic Dice (MD)

A | Choose Hat, +2 Spells

B | Identify +1 Spell

C | Grow Wand, +1 Spell

D | Counterspelling, +2 Spells

Mana Dice: Whenever you cast a spell, you choose how many MD to invest into it (minimum 1). The result of the spell depends on the number of [dice] and their [sum]. If a MD rolls a 1-3, it returns to your pool to be used again. Otherwise, you lose it until you are able to recover them through meals or by resting back in town. When you run out of Magic Dice, you become Miserable until you recover at least one MD. You can’t cast spells without Magic Dice.

Spell Slots: you can memorize a number of spells per day equal to your Spell Slots. You can cast memorized spells quickly, without the use of your spellbook. Each time you take a long rest (bedding down for the night, a visit to town, etc), you can study your spellbook to change the spells you have in your spell slots.

Spells Known: these are all the spells that you have in your spellbooks

Spellbook: Each book contains 10 spell slots.

A: Choose Hat: There are two competing schools of magicians. Each school identifies its members by the distinctive headgear worn by its practitioners, and so they are known as the Pointed Caps and the Brimhats. Your character can choose to belong to one of these two traditions, which determines the spell list you roll on for new spells you learn by leveling up. You can learn other spells by discovering them in the course of play or being taught by a magician from the opposing school.

You also get a hat. Apart from the presence or absence of a brim, you can decorate your hat however you want.

The Pointed Caps study magic in the Reform tradition. Their magic is careful and orderly, and they believe that the purpose of magic is to heal and protect. They have a reputation for being courteous, kind, and wise.

Pointed Cap Spell List

1. Light

2. Cure

3. Illusion

4. Protection

5. Barrier

6. Magician’s Bauble

7. Sleep

8. Magic Circle

9. Circle of Frost

10. Invisibility

11. Summon

12. Aqueous Orb
    

The Brimhats study the ancient magical texts of fallen kingdoms. Their magic is flashy and chaotic, and they believe that the purpose of magic is to delight and entertain. They have a reputation for mystique and danger.

Brimhat Spell List

1. Light

2. Blinding Flash

3. Thunderclap

4. Illusion

5. Stinking Cloud

6. Summon

7. Blue Ruin

8. Magic Circle

9. Butterfly Blizzard

10. Form Familiar

11. Transmute

12. Explosion
    

Unaffiliated magicians, informally known as Hatless or Hooded magicians, study whatever magic crosses their paths. They are generally assumed to be less serious, trustworthy and capable than a magician from either of the two Hatted schools.

Unaffiliated magicians roll 1d20 on the primary spell list for all of their spells.

B: Identify: by closely examining an object for a turn, you can determine whether or not it is magical and get a rough idea of what flavor of magic it has.

C: Grow Wand: You learn the art of growing a wand from a cultivated sprig of some magical plant. 

A wand has a number of stored MD. You can spend these MD when you cast a spell from a wand, in addition to your own MD. These MD do not return to your pool (or the wand's pool). You can choose, when you study your spells, to invest 1 MD into the wand. You can only do this once per day, and you take d6 nonlethal damage from the strain. The MD invested in the wand is permanently added to the wand's MD bank. Each day, you can add another MD to the bank, as above. Storing a MD reduces your total for the day, but you regain them through the usual methods (nutritious food or extended rest).

Wands occupy 1 inventory slot and can hold up to 3 stored MD. A wand with 4-6 MD grows into a staff, occupying 2 inventory slots.

With a week’s worth of work and 1,000 g in magical reagents, you can grow a wand capable of storing 1 MD. Each magical plant, mineral, or other component you supply for use in the creation of your wand saves you it’s value in sp. When you create your wand, you may choose to modify it in one of the following ways:

• Power Wand: This wand helps you achieve more powerful magic, but uses mana more quickly. When casting a spell while holding your wand, use d8s for Mana Dice.

• Focus Wand: This wand helps you to create more delicate, focused magic, but is less powerful than others. When casting a spell while holding your wand, use d4s for Mana Dice.

You can further enhance your wand with additional time and materials, to a maximum of 6 MD. This takes a number of weeks equal to the new maximum MD the wand will be capable of storing. The cost in materials doubles for each additional Magic Dice (2,000 for 2 MD, 4,000 for 3 MD, 8,000 for 4, etc.). A wand with 4+ MD grows large enough to be called a staff.

D: Counterspelling:  You have learned to unravel the spells of lesser magicians. When another magician casts a spell, you may react with a counterspell. Spend any amount of MD and compare your [sum] with the target’s. If yours is higher, you counter the spell. If you lose, you suffer non-lethal damage equal to the difference. Determine the effects of a successful counterspell by checking your [sum] on the table below.

[sum]

1-3. Fizzle. The spell winks out of existence, never to be seen again

4-5. Redirected. Point the spell at a new target of your choice.

6-7. Frozen. The spell is trapped just beyond the caster's fingertips. Anyone who touches it suffers its effects. It disappears in d6 rounds.

8-9. Illusory. It looks like the spell happened, but it's really just an illusion.

10-11. Delayed. The spell will take effect in d6 rounds, at the location of the original target.

12-13. Drained. The spell loses 2 dice of potency

14-15. Deflected. The spell changes to a new target at random.

16-17. Stuttered. The spell loses 1 die of potency.

18-19. Transmuted. The spell becomes another spell at random.

20+. Countered. The spell winks out of existence, never to be seen again

Spells

Splittable: When you cast a splittable spell, you can choose to cast multiple copies simultaneously. Each copy of the spell must have a different target, and each copy must have casting dice invested separately. However, dice are pooled when considering mishaps and dooms.

For example, a wizard with 3 dice in his casting pool could cast knock on two different doors

simultaneously. They might invest 1 die towards one door and 2 dice towards another, but they cannot invest 2 dice towards each door, because they don't have enough dice in their casting pool.

Sustainable: When you cast a sustainable spell, you can choose to have the spell last indefinitely. However, casting dice invested in the spell will not refresh until you choose to dispel it.

Reactive: can cast in response to another creature’s action, outside of the usual turn order.

1. Waterball

R: Near D: [dice] rounds

Conjure an orb of water about [sum] feet across, which floats in the air about three feet off the ground. If you spend your turn concentrating, you can cause it to move up to 30’ in a direction of your choosing. Anything smaller than the sphere in its path is caught up inside; creatures can save vs. REF to avoid it or to escape.

You can cause the orb to burst at any time, dumping its contents, or to hurl the orb. A hurled orb deals [sum] bludgeoning damage to whatever it hits, and half that much to anything still inside of it.

2. Barrier

D: [dice] rounds R: close Splittable, Sustainable, Reactive

A barrier of force surrounds the target. The barrier can be attacked; it breaks when [sum] points of damage are dealt to it.

3. Blinding Flash

R: close (1D), near (2D), far (3D) T: sighted creatures D: varies Reactive

If [sum] is equal to or greater than a creature’s HD, it is befuddled for 1d6 rounds. If [sum] is three times the creature’s HD or more, it is stunned for a round, then blinded for 1d6 rounds. If [sum] is five times the creature’s HD, it is stunned for 1d6 rounds, then blinded for 1d6 rounds. If you shout a warning before you cast the spell, you can give your friends (and any intelligent enemies) a Save to resist.

Blinded: cannot see, automatically fails checks that require sight, makes attacks at disadvantage, attacks against it made with advantage.

4. Blue Ruin

R: near T: creature

Fire a bolt of acidic blue magic. Target takes [sum] damage, and [sum-4] damage over the next 2 turns unless washed.

5. Butterfly Blizzard

R: close (1D), near (2D), far (3D) T: self D: [sum] rounds

You create a whirling, brightly coloured swarm of butterflies that cloaks you completely. Any ranged attacks fired into our out of the swarm automatically miss. Attacks that target an area (such as a dragon's fire breath or a circle of frost) are not affected. Creatures other than the caster who end their turn inside the swarm must Save or be befuddled for 1 round. Butterflies dissipate into colored motes when the spell ends.

6. Circle of Frost 

R: self T: near

A ring around the magician is exposed to a sudden burst of frigid cold. Creatures in the area take [dice]d4 cold damage, water freezes, and everything that fails its Save is frozen to whatever surface they were touching. Boots are frozen to the ground, keys are frozen in their locks, etc. Attempting to break loose is a free action that can be attempted once per round, and requires a successful opposed Fortitude test. The ice has a Fortitude of 10 + [dice]x2. The area gradually returns to its normal temperature over the course of an hour.

7. Cure

R: touch T: creature

Target creature heals [dice] Wounds and [sum] HP, but gains [dice] Fatigue. If you invested 2 or more dice, you may instead cure the target of poison. If you invested 3 or more dice, you may instead cure the target of petrification or disease. If you invested 4 or more dice, you may reattach a severed limb, assuming you still have the limb handy

8. Explosion 

R: far T: [dice] adjacent creatures

Does [sum] fire damage. 

9. Form Familiar

Duration: [sum] hours

The magician transmutes a source of calories into a quasi-living magical servant. To create the body, take as many portions of food as desired and add up their combined Energy (dried rations contribute 0.5). Then distribute these points into the familiar’s HP, Attack/Defense, Save, Move, and physical ability scores as desired. 

The magician can use the familiar’s senses and directs its movements, but cannot move their own body while doing so.

The familiar also gains [dice] abilities.

• Fly: the familiar gains a fly speed and +1 Move per point past the first

• Swim: the familiar gains a fly speed and +1 Move per point past the first

• Fleet: the familiar gains +2 Move per point

• Armor: the familiar reduces incoming damage of a particular type (Slashing, Piercing, or Bludgeoning) by 1 per point spent

• Attack: the familiar gains an attack that deals 1d4 damage. Increase the damage die by one stage per point spent

10. Illusion

R: far T: [dice]x10' diameter D: concentration+[dice] rounds

You create an illusion of whatever you want. It has one sensory property per die (e.g. 1D can make a sound or a silent image, 2D can make an image and accompanying sound, etc). You can move the illusion within range.

11. Invisibility

R: touch T: creature D: [sum] rounds (1D)/minutes (2D)/hours (3D)/days (4D)

Target becomes invisible. Unwilling targets get a save each round. Save to stay invisible when attacking.

12. Light

R: near T: point D: (sum) rounds (1D)/minutes (2D)/hours (3D)/days (4D)

Create magical light that illuminates within (sum)*10'. If in the same space as a creature, it can blind them (save negates, save ends). Can move the light within range.

13. Magic Circle

Inscribe a circle with an implement of your choice, which takes one turn per 10’ diameter, and specify Forbiddance or Binding. Things with certain properties cannot enter (Forbiddance) or leave (Binding) the circle. You can choose [dice] properties. Each property can be [sum] words long. The magic lasts for as long as the circle maintains its integrity (footsteps might break a circle drawn in sand, rain wash away a circle drawn in ink, etc)

14. Magician’s Bauble

R: touch D: [dice] hours

Conjures a small colored glass ball. It will attempt to follow your commands to the best of its ability. If thrown at a target, it will get +10 to hit (and deals 1d6 damage). It can also be asked to trip targets when they run past, jump off a shelf when a certain person enters the room, etc. Limited to [sum] small hops or actions. Lasts [dice] hours or until the gem runs out of actions.

15. Protection 

R: touch T: creature D: [sum] turns

Specify a damage source (fire, swords, birds, etc.). Reduce all incoming damage from that source by [dice] for the spell’s duration.

16. Sleep

R: near T: creature D: 10 min Splittable

Target falls into a magical slumber, and can't be awoken by anything less vigorous than a slap. Non-alert, unaware targets are not allowed a Save. Can affect creatures up to [sum] HD. If [sum] is at least 4 times the creature's HD, the duration becomes permanent (until woken) the creature no longer needs to eat or drink while sleeping,

If you also invested 3 [dice] or more into this spell, the duration becomes permanent, and you can set the only condition that will cause the creature to awake (the sunrise before the apocalypse, true love’s kiss, etc.). 

17. Stinking Cloud

R: far D: [dice] minutes

Creates a cloud 20’ in diameter. Anything within the cloud saves each round or is horribly sickened. Each turn a Sickened character can choose to spend their turn retching, or to act normally. If you retch, you take no damage and make no actions. If you act normally, test Fortitude or take 1d6 non-lethal damage. Damage from being Sickened is reduced by 1 for every round that has passed outside of the cloud. The condition ends after a character takes 0 damage from its effects.

18. Summon

Each stage of the Summoning ritual requires a separate casting.

Conjuring: if [sum] is 11+ the magician safely summons the elemental and can attempt to bind it. If the [sum] is 10-, the elemental arrives free to do as it pleases. Add +1 for every appropriate ritual preparation and offering.

Binding: when binding a willing, defeated, or successfully conjured spirit, generate its Loyalty through [sum]/2 (round up). Binding a spirit requires a physical token that represents the bond, such as a ring, lamp, coin, or lacquered card.

Summoning: summoned elementals draw their strength from their magician’s mana. Each time an elemental is called, it has HD equal to [dice] spent to summon it. An elemental’s damage starts at 1d4 and increases by one die stage per additional HD.

Commanding an Elemental: spirits must obey the letter, but not the intent, of all commands given to them by their summoner. However, each time the elemental is

• Commanded to exert its Power

• Commanded to violate its Taboo

• Made to feel humiliated, angry, afraid, or offended

Make a Loyalty test (1d20 + Loyalty), usually against a DC of 16, or it breaks free of its summoner’s control and is able to do as it pleases until the following sunrise. Addressing the elemental in formal language, providing a sacrifice, or making a novel and persuasive argument all add +1 to the roll.

Elementals:

1. Gnome

HP: [sum] Move 4

Disposition gentle & careful

Defense 10, DR 6 against slashing & piercing  Attack crushing

Power: Geurgy. A gnome can dig, mine, quarry, and otherwise move earth twice as fast as a group of well-equipped workmen equal to 2xHD

Power: Stoneshape. Can assume the form of a boulder, door, mantelpiece, etc.

Taboo: Destruction. Gnomes hate violence of any sort and must be forced to harm any creature or object.

2. Imp

HP: [sum] Move 6

Disposition mocking & cruel

Defense 12, Attack fire

Power: Ignite. An imp can choose to set aflame any object it comes into contact with. An imp’s touch will ignite anything a torch (1 HD) / campfire (2 HD) / bonfire (3 HD) / housefire (4 HD) would

Power: Flame Shape. An imp can produce sparks, dark or colored smoke, and shape fire and smoke into images.

Taboo: Patience. Self-control and inhibition are alien ideas to an imp, and summoners must compel them to hold back or wait.

3. Elf

HP: [sum] Move hover and fly 10

Disposition distant & haughty

Defense 16, Attack none

Power: Track. An elf can track any creature or object it has smelled before, so long as the trail is no more than HD days old

Power: Wind. An elf can conjure a wind strong enough to blow out a torch (1 HD) / power a sailboat (2 HD) / knock a man down (3 HD) / capsize a ship (4 HD)

Taboo: Rudeness. Unless compelled, an elf will never act against a member of high society or someone who has demonstrated politesse or kindness in its presence

4. Fairy

HP: [sum] Move 5; swim 10

Disposition malicious & charming

Defense 12, Attack water bullet

Power: Shape Water. At one HD: (a) propel a small boat, (b) carry a small item through the water, (c) allow someone to swim at 2x speed, (d) force someone to swim at half speed. 

Power: Spring. A fairy can create a number of gallons of water equal to its HD

Taboo: Ugliness. All fairies love music and beauty, and will not willingly harm a musician, artist, beautiful person, or work of art

5. Wisp

HP: [dice] Move fly and hover 2

Disposition bitter & angry

Defense 10, Attack none

Power: Possess. A wisp can animate the mortal remains of any creature if it has more HD than the creature had in life as a wight. The wight gains all the attributes and abilities, but not knowledge or talents, of the beings they possess.

Taboo: Kindness. Wisps are creatures of pure malice and must be coerced to help any creature other than the summoner.

6. Merlish Sapling 

HP: 2x[sum] Move 0

Disposition quiet & kind

Defense 0, DR 4 from everything but magic, fire, and axes Attack none

When summoned, the merlish sapling grows to the size of a sapling (1 HD) / large bush (2 HD) / tree (3 HD) / ancient tree (4 HD). If summoned indoors, it grows in all dimensions to fill the available space.

Power: Put Forth Fruit. A merlish sapling can produce a number of magical fruits, flowers, insects, and herbs equal to its HD

Power: Tree of Poetry. Any creature who hears the merlish sapling when it begins to sing must Save or be compelled to sit still and listen. Flying creatures will land or circle it. The caster is not immune to this effect. The effect is broken if line of sight is broken, if something startles a target, or if the target sees signs of obvious danger. Groups of statistically identical NPCs should make their Saves as a group.

Taboo: Banality. A merlish sapling will not willingly bloom for those who do not appreciate its gifts, or who would use them for base or banal ends. A sapling might wither away, though tended with the best of care, in a king’s palace, yet bloom magnificently in the garret of a poor musician.

19. Thunderclap

R: far T: creature D: 0

Target takes 1d6 damage. All creatures within [dice]x10' of the target are stunned for 1 round and deafened for [sum] rounds. If [sum] is greater than 12, the effect is permanent. If you shout a warning before you cast the spell, you can give your friends (and any intelligent enemies) a Save to resist.

Deafened: cannot hear, automatically fails tests that require hearing

20. Transmute

R: touch T: object or creature D: permanent, dispellable

Turns one inanimate object into another thing of the same kind. Water could be turned into wine, a fruitcake into a cheesecake, or a broken clock into a working clock. Water could not be turned to stone, and a fruitcake could not be turned into a sword (at least, not a functional one). The maximum size of the object depends on how many dice are invested in the spell: 1D: human-sized, 2D: horse or wagon-sized, 3D: dragon- or tavern-sized, 4D: ship- or bridge-sized.