Reaching for Things You Shouldn't (Class: Wizard)

Another remix of Loch's immaculate Wonder-Worker, meant for a theoretical all-wizards game in the style of gnome comic Witch Hat Atelier.

ghst410

Mage

Start with: Traveling clothes, your Grimoire (1 Slot), three non-taboo Implements of your choice (see below), a light pocket knife. 

A - Crown, Spellcasting, +1 MD
B - Enchantment, Second Sight, +1 MD
C - Specialization, +1 MD
D - Artifice OR Gramarye, +1 MD

Crown
Like most living beings, you have a Crown, which is an invisible extension of your anima, or soul.

Unlike most living beings, your Crown extends [templates] * 10 paces around you, allowing you to cast spells onto anything that you can see within it. Spell effects that would leave your Crown falter and fail unless otherwise stated.

All spells you cast must originate within your Crown. 

Spellcasting
You can cast spells by combining a Word with up to [templates] Implements. You start with the knowledge of 2 Words, rolled randomly from the d60 list below.

Your Words are kept in your Grimoire. You can only use Words if you have a physical representation of them on your person (usually in, say, your Grimoire). Having a Word inked or branded onto your body bypasses that restriction, but marks you as a maleficar, an outlaw mage.

Words can be found in Grimoires of other spellcasters or in places where mages congregate or once congregated, but also inscribed on walls of ancient ruins or innards of powerful Monsters. When in a Libram, a place of great knowledge, you must roll randomly for the Word from its list.

It takes 2d6 days of downtime and uninterrupted access to the source of a Word to copy it into a Grimoire. A Grimoire has no practical limit on the number of Words it can contain. 

New Implements must be found in the world, or bought from artisans, which are available in most towns with a heavy mage presence.

Addendum: Magic
To cast a spell, dedicate a number of Magic Dice (MD) to it and roll them. They return on 1-3 and expend on 4-6, as usual, and are replenished at the start of each day after a night's sleep.

A given spell has [sum] points of power - dealing [sum] damage, reducing [sum] damage, etc.

Things beyond just damage allow creatures with the same or more HD than you to save. 

If you roll doubles when casting a spell, a Mishap occurs. Consult the following table, using the [value] shown on the doubles to determine the specific Mishap:

1. Fizzle - The spell fizzles out in a harmless, but messy and noticeable burst of [word].
2. Scatter - The spell affects a different target from the intended one, chosen at random.
3. Mangle - [word] is twisted into a different, related Word that weakens the intended effect.
4. Backfire - The spell works as intended, but you take [dice]d4 damage as [word] lashes back at you.
5. Overflow - Immediately add another MD to the spell, potentially causing additional Mishaps or Catastrophes. If you have no MD left to add, take 1d6 damage instead.
6. Reversal - The spell produces the opposite of its intended effect, and [word] is replaced with the appropriate opposite Word if possible. 

Kamome Shirahama

If you roll triples, the spell causes a Catastrophe in addition to any intended effects as its magic grows too wild to control. In that case, you must choose how the Catastrophe manifests:

• Transformation - Suffer [value] cosmetic changes themed around [word], with every third total change also granting a [word]-related ability. Reaching 10 total changes results in your body being fully consumed by magic as you permanently transform into a Monster.
• Desolation - Afflict an area within [value] bowshots around you with [word]. The effect is always disruptive (if not outright harmful) and long-lasting (if not permanent), creating a notable local landmark.
• Incarnation - Embody the magic into a new type of Monster of the [word] with [value] HD. Note that this creates a type of Monster and not necessarily a singular specimen, meaning that it will be permanently unleashed onto the world unless immediately taken care of.

Naturally, causing a Catastrophe marks you as a maleficar, provided it can be traced back to you.

Enchantment
Instead of simply casting spells, you may now use them to enchant items.

To enchant an item, cast a spell with a Word and chosen Implements onto it like you normally would by rolling MD. Enchantment takes 1 hour per MD used.

MD used for enchanting are indefinitely invested into the item and do not return to the mage's pool until they are reclaimed by the mage at any point afterwards or the item is destroyed, ending the enchantment in either case. Spent MD remain spent upon being reclaimed.

If an enchantment must grant a numerical bonus beyond obvious utility, use [dice].

Rolls of doubles during enchanting cause an Enchantment Mishap to occur, which is determined using its own table:

1. Breakdown - The enchantment fails and the item breaks, remaining unusable until fixed.
2. Outburst - The spell cannot be contained within the item, and is resolved as if cast normally.
3. Binding - Invested MD fuse with the item and can only be reclaimed by destroying it.
4. Drift - [word] is twisted into a different, related Word that weakens the intended effect.
5. Awakening - The item gains sentience and a colorful personality befitting of [word], and may refuse to cooperate in the case of a conflict of interests.
6. Curse - The item gains a malevolent downside, utilizing [word] to hinder its user in some way.

Rolls of triples cause a Catastrophe like they would during spellcasting.

Second Sight
You gain the ability to see Crowns.

This allows you to identify fellow mages and other spellcasters and tell how powerful they are at a glance, as well as see incorporeal beings (like spirits, whose bodies and Crowns are essentially one and the same) and recognize the presence of other living creatures (for example, you could tell if someone is in a pitch black room with you, but not who it is).

Specialization
Select one Word you know and one Implement in your possession.
Spells you cast that use this Word or this Implement retain MD on rolls of 1-4.

Artifice
You can now create Implements. 

To make an Implement, you must take a mundane object and ritualistically prepare it over 3d6 days of downtime. The object becomes an Implement, gaining the appropriate effect. If there is no effect already associated with this type of object, you may suggest a new one.

You automatically gain specialization with every Implement you make.

Gramarye
Once, at any point after taking this template, you may invent a new Word.

This can be any Word from the lists below that you haven't encountered yet, or you may propose an entirely new one. In either case, you gain specialization with this Word, and may cast spells with it even if it's not present in physical form on your person.

It only takes 1d6 days for you to inscribe your Word onto a physical object. Even if you choose not to, others will be able to learn it by cutting you open and transcribing it from your internal organs.

pseudokap

Words

A Grimoire taken from another mage will usually contain 1d3 Words. A Libram can offer the knowledge of 4-8 Words, often vaguely linked by a common theme.

1d60 Words:

1. Slime
2. Ice
3. Vermin
4. Paper
5. Courage
6. Crystal
7. Silk
8. Confusion
9. Rain
10. Invisibility
11. Rope
12. Fish
13. Fungus
14. Mending
15. Smoke
16. Song
17. Healing
18. Light
19. Water
20. Wax
21. Silence
22. Clouds
23. Acid
24. Fire
25. Wood
26. Soil
27. Gold
28. Web
29. Gravity
30. Sand
31. Embers
32. Steam
33. Snow
34. Heat
35. Oil
36. Iron
37. Birds
38. Ash
39. Plants
40. Awe
41. Whisper
42. Echo
43. Dream
44. Waves
45. Stone
46. Frost
47. Silver
48. Joy
49. Lightning
50. Livestock
51. Mist
52. Growth
53. Mud
54. Calm
55. Wind
56. Mechanism
57. Roar
58. Shadow
59. Flowers
60. Clay

This is not an exhaustive list, and many other Words can be found in the world.

1d20 Taboo Words:

1. Flesh
2. Hunger
3. Ruin
4. Phantasms
5. Charm
6. Chaos
7. Disease
8. Memory
9. Pain
10. Fatigue
11. Poison
12. Fear
13. Sorrow
14. Beholding
15. Ghosts
16. Decay
17. Bone
18. Void
19. Rage
20. Blood

Casting spells that utilize taboo Words, as well as their mere presence within one's Grimoire, marks the person in question as a maleficar.

Conner Fawcett

Implements

Implements take up 1 Inventory Slot unless otherwise stated.

1d20 Implements with Direct Effects:

1. Wand - Create or conjure [word] at a distance.
2. Rod - Make a strike charged with [word].
3. Staff - Fire a cone-shaped blast of [word]. 2 slots.
4. Sword - Cut through [word]. 2 slots.
5. Orb - Get a vision of nearby [word], or something in nearby [word].
6. Censer - Affect all in your Crown with [word]. 
7. Horn - Drive out all [word] from your Crown. 
8. Jar - Draw in [word], sealing it within. Contains 1 thing at a time.
9. Hammer - Break [word] with a strike.
10. Veil - Become invisible to creatures of [word], and [word] itself. 
11. Lantern - See through [word] in your Crown.
12. Mask - Speak and ask questions of [word] for a time.
13. Alembic - With an hour’s work, distill a Potion of [word]. 2 slots.
14. Spindle - With a touch, mend something with [word], or [word] itself.
15. Fan - Move [word] within your Crown. 
16. Chain - Contain or immobilize [word], holding it in place. 
17. Key - Create a path through [word], allowing for harmless passage.
18. Bell - Animate [word] or a construct of [word] to obey simple commands.
19. Scissors - Separate [word] from something, or something from [word].
20. Chalk - Summon a spirit of [word]. Consumable, has 6 uses.

Consumable implements vanish upon use, necessitating finding or buying more.

1d20 Implements with Modifying Effects:

1. Antique Pentacles - Spend 1-to-1 to increase [sum]. Consumable. Start with 10.
2. Linen Tunic - Increase [sum] by 3 as long as your bare skin is in direct contact with the earth.
3. Spark-split Branch - Affect up to [dice] extra targets, but reduce [sum] by the number of targets.
4. Gearwork Dial - Delay an effect for up to [sum] minutes, setting a condition upon which it triggers. You don’t need to be conscious for it to trigger. If the time passes without it triggering, the effect simply doesn’t occur.
5. Bullhide Belt - While the belt is buckled, the [sum] of spells affecting you is lowered by 3.
6. Furled Bloom - Spells overspill to things near them. Consumable. Start with 6.
7. Silvered Mirror - The next spell that affects you is deflected back at its source. Consumable, has 2 uses: cracks on first use, then shatters into pieces.
8. Cricket Brooch - Increase [sum] by 1 for each day spent without sleep.
9. Albatross Feather - Replace [word] in this spell with gale. Consumable. Start with 6.
10. Flint Arrowhead - Imbue the spell into a projectile, like an arrow or a slingstone, that you must immediately fire. The spell is cast on impact. Consumable. Start with 6.
11. Communion Chalice - You may add your MD to spells of those who drank from this chalice, as long as you're within each other's Crowns. You both suffer Mishaps and Catastrophes.
12. Beeswax Candle - When lit, anything illuminated by the candlelight is considered to be inside your Crown. Consumable. Start with 3.
13. Hush Scarf - While wearing this, your spells are no louder than a whisper, and people in your Crown must save to realize that their effects originate from you.
14. Twin Rings - As long as you wear one, its twin produces a [templates] pace wide "bubble" of your Crown around itself. If the twin ring is worn by another, you share each other's Crowns.
15. Thrumming Diapason - The spell's effect repeats [dice] rounds in a row. 2 slots.
16. Horn Cane - Allows you to affect horned animals you can see, even if they’re not in your Crown.
17. Sun Medallion - Increase [sum] by 2 when in direct sunlight. Moonlight and starlight versions also exist.
18. Scrivener's Ink - Spend 10 minutes to inscribe a sigil on a surface as you cast the spell. The spell takes effect when the sigil is touched, even outside your Crown. MD used to cast the spell remain invested until the sigil is activated. Consumable, has 3 uses.
19. Beast Familiar - A loyal animal companion. Has its own Crown of 5 paces around it, which counts as yours as long as the familiar trusts you. Any 1 HD animal can be a familiar.
20. Enchanting Salts - Used to substitute MD during enchantment, allowing to enchant items permanently without investing own MD. Consumable, required quantity scales with MD used for enchanting: a 1-slot lockbox (1 MD), a barrel (2 MD), a cart (3 MD), a ship's hold (4 MD).

As with Words, the Implements list is not exhaustive, and others may exist.

1d12 Taboo Implements:

1. Bone Dagger - Cut yourself with this dagger, adding damage you take to [sum].
2. Mage Femur - Add 4 to [sum] if harming another spellcaster. 2 slots.
3. Leaden Coils - Reduce your Crown to [template] paces as long as you wear them, making it invisible to those who can see Crowns.
4. Patchwork Poppet - The body of the last person whose blood was spilled on it is considered to be inside your Crown, at any distance.
5. Bronze Needles - Snap one in half to allow your spells to affect the inside of living creatures. Consumable. Start with 6.
6. Black Powder - Causes [word] to violently explode. Consumable. Start with 6.
7. Dried Tongue - When you see another mage use a Word, you can mangle that Word into a related one. Consumable, has 6 uses, then burns to ash.
8. Onyx Tablet - Infuse a corpse with [word], giving it motion and a strange power. You command the resulting shamblers. 2 slots.
9. Horvat's Nails - Your Crown also originates from any body, living or dead, that has 3 or more of these nails in it. You start with 8.
10. Funerary Brazier - Replace [word] in this spell with ghostflame. Ghostflame is pale in color and burns things without sound, light, smoke, or heat. 2 slots.
11. Cracked Hourglass - Spend years off your life 1-to-1 to increase [sum], growing visibly older.
12. Ritual Paint - Transform yourself or another into [word] or a creature of [word] for a time. Consumable, has 6 uses.

Needless to say, possession of taboo Implements marks the owner as a maleficar.

Heikala

Addendum: Mage Robes
Mage robes are comprised of a set of well-made robes decorated with charms, talismans, and esoteric patterns, commonly accompanied by a traditional pointy hat. A mage who dons them at the start of the day gains an extra MD that lasts until they are removed, usually before going to sleep.

In addition to their spellcasting utility, mage robes also serve as uniform and status symbol both, making their wearer appear unmistakably as a mage, with onlookers reacting accordingly.

Addendum: Maleficars
Mages who engage in dangerous magic and forbidden practices are called maleficars, and are considered outlaws of the highest order. Identification, apprehension, and prosecution of suspected maleficars falls under the purview of Wardens of the Sovereign Curia of Conduct and Rectification.

Maleficence is punished by Abdicatio, or Un-Crowning - the removal of all magical ability.

 

***  

This class is meant to be less setting-specific and more setting-defining, hence the number of additions compared to the original. By extrapolating its features, it should be easy enough to get a world where:

• All magic is defined through Words.
• All magical items are made using the enchantment process outlined above.
• Dungeons and other adventure-worthy sites have come to exist as a result of past Catastrophes...
• ...and so have all monsters, whether made by wizards or from wizards.

In short, think of a world where "a wizard did it" is the expected explanation for everything.

 

These Bygone Words (Ritual Magic for GLOG)

One of the most interesting features of Beyond the Wall is its magic system. Specifically, all magic in the game is divided into Cantrips (small and flexible, but risky), Spells (reliable, but limited), and Rituals (big, slow, and with potential side effects). Here is my attempt at adapting the latter for GLOG.

Mechanically, it draws heavily and combines elements from both Sam Sorensen's Ritual Elements in GLOG Magic and Xeno's Ritual Magic rules.

InkYami

What is a Ritual? 

A Ritual is a type of magic separate (but not too dissimilar) from a regular Spell. Rituals are defined by the following:

• They are slow to perform, requiring hours at a time to be completed, making them better suited for periods of downtime. 
• They are big, able to create long-lasting or even permanent effects, or affect a large area.
• They are powerful (which is different from just being big), having a higher [sum] on average and a lesser chance of Mishaps or Dooms if performed with more [dice].

Rituals cannot be performed using MD. Instead, they use Ritual Dice, or RD:

• Unlike MD, RD are d8s, and are always spent upon casting a ritual (since they don't belong to anyone in particular, more on that later).
• Like MD, RD can still cause Mishaps and Dooms*, which affect everyone who takes part in a Ritual.

* personally, I'd recommend using Practitioner's Backfires instead, appropriately scaled up for the Ritual

Note: Since RD are d8s and not d6s, the chance to roll doubles or triples is lower compared to MD. This should make the idea of performing a Ritual with more [dice] more enticing.  

Each Ritual requires certain Components to be performed at 1 RD. It is assumed that all listed Components are consumed by the Ritual unless stated otherwise, in which case the Component will have "(reusable)" next to it.

Additionally, each Ritual requires [dice] hours to be performed, and at least one person to conduct it. While multiple people may take part in a Ritual, only one of them is considered to be the main ritualist.

Note: These rules assume that anyone is able to perform a Ritual as long as they know it and have the required Components, whether they have spellcasting abilities or not. In fact, this can be the only type of magic available in a low-magic setting. On the other side of the spectrum, you may restrict conducting Rituals to only spellcasters, providing them with an extra tool at their disposal outside of MD.

Finally, while Rituals don't accept extra MD like Spells do, their power can be increased by completing certain ritual Preparations. 

Ritual Preparations

 For each of the following that's true, +1/2 RD may be added to the Ritual:

• A ritual participant has spellcaster templates** (+1/2 RD per template, applies for all participants)
• The ritual is conducted on hallowed or desecrated ground (e.g. temple, graveyard)
• The ritual is conducted under the light of a full moon, or the dark of a new moon
• The ritual is conducted at a significant natural landmark (e.g. mountaintop, heart of the forest)
• The ritual is performed as part of an important festival or holy day
• Candles, incense, or other ceremonial fires are lit and maintained around the ritual site
• Glyphs and runes are etched into the floor or drawn in chalk or charcoal
• At least 5 people other than the ritualist are present and take active part in the ritual
• At least 1 slot of silver arcane implements is set up (e.g. bell, dagger, mirror)
• At least 1 slot of mystically significant animal parts is set up (e.g. tiger skin, bat wings, newt eyes)
• At least 1 slot of ritually preserved body parts is set up (e.g. human skull, heart in a jar, severed hand)
• The ritualist dons purpose-made and elaborate ritual garb (e.g. robe, mask, ceremonial paint)

** to account for half-caster classes, let's consider any template that grants +1 MD a spellcaster template 

For each of the following that's true, +1 RD may be added to the Ritual:

• The ritual is conducted during a solstice, equinox, eclipse or other major astronomical event
• The ritual is conducted at a place of power, like a circle of standing stones
• A living animal of mystical significance is present (e.g. white raven, horned hare, three-eyed toad)
• At least one entire skeleton belonging to a human, monster, or large animal is set up
• A truly rare and genuine arcane implement is set up (e.g. crystal ball, scrying mirror, cast iron cauldron)
• At least 1 slot of unique natural material is set up (e.g. chunk of meteoric iron, ancient fossil) 
• At least 20 people other than the ritualist are present and take active part in the ritual
• The name of a powerful being you've established contact with before is invoked, like that of a demonic patron (the being might refuse to contribute unless an agreement is reached first)

Multiples of any specific Preparation don't count unless mentioned explicitly. A single ritual Preparation cannot count for multiple entries (e.g. a skeleton and its skull, a living animal and its parts).

Neither of the above lists is exhaustive and other ways to gain RD may exist in the world.

Conducting a Ritual

Firstly, the ritualist must have access to the Ritual itself, by either having it in written form or by learning it like you would a Spell. In fact, Rituals can be found in most places you'd expect to find a Spell, like dusty old grimoires and ancient clay tablets.

Then, all required Components must be gathered and desired Preparations made to determine the number of available RD (rounded down). It should then be decided how the available RD will be used.

Instead of adding RD directly to the Ritual, you may instead do the following per 1 RD left unused:

• Stabilize the Ritual, ignoring 1 potential Mishap (but never a Doom)
• Decrease the time required to perform the Ritual by 1 hour (to a minimum of 1 hour)

At last, once the Ritual is completed, all added RD are rolled like you would roll MD, determining [dice] and [sum] and causing Mishaps on doubles and Dooms on triples as usual.

If a Ritual is interrupted before completion, it harmlessly fizzles out, its Components still consumed. 

*** 

sarcoma 

Example Rituals

All of the below Rituals are adapted from Beyond the Wall.

Mage Armor
Components: blood of one tortoise, [dice] * 5 silver coins.
Protective runes are drawn upon a willing target's skin in tortoise blood and molten silver coins are poured on it, harmlessly evaporating into smoke upon contact. While the target remains unarmored, it has +[dice] * 2 AC for 1 month or until it takes [sum] total damage, whichever comes first.  

Gather Mists
Components: incense, the tail feather of a bird of prey.
As the incense is burned, the ritualist chants and performs elaborate gestures, completing the ritual by swallowing the feather. After that, dense, billowing fog rolls into the area of a [dice] mile radius centered at the ritual site. The mist obscures the vision of anyone caught inside, preventing them from seeing further than an arm's reach. This mist lasts for [sum] hours and is unaffected by weather.

Goodberry
Components: [dice]d4 fresh berries, pure spring water, unused leather pouch stitched by the ritualist.
The ritualist imbues the berries with powerful curative magic by washing them with pure water and storing them in the leather pouch. Anyone who eats one immediately heals 1 HP. If left uneaten, the berries spoil after [sum] days.

Staff of Might
Components: an ordinary cudgel/staff/walking stick, a length of oak, ram horn, mortar and pestle (reusable).
The ritualist crushes the horn with mortar and pestle, sprinkles the dust onto the provided piece of wooden equipment, blessing it with names of power. Then, a length of oak is burned, the smoke imbuing the weapon with the tree's strength. 

For the next [sum] days, the weapon gains a +[dice] to-hit, deals +1 damage, and counts as magical for all intents and purposes.

Steed of the Sorcerer
Components: never-before-used harness and saddle of black leather.
The ritualist repeatedly utters the name of the steed, beckoning it. At the end of the ritual, a ghostly 3 HD horse with a black coat and eyes like fire arrives at the ritual site, and is then equipped with the harness and saddle. 

The steed is faster than any ordinary horse, moves in complete silence, and is utterly fearless and loyal to the ritualist, allowing no other to ride it. It fades into the mist together with its harness and saddle after [dice] days or if it's brought to 0 HP, whichever comes first.

Unseen Servant
Components: a piece of wood/bundle of sticks/straw, pure spring water, ritual knife (reusable).
The ritualist crafts a small humanoid figure out of the provided material, etches runes into it with a knife, and then plunges it in pure spring water. Finally, the figure is consigned to the fire, and the servant is summoned. 

An unseen servant is an invisible and incorporeal spirit that mindlessly obeys the ritualist. It can lift and carry up to [dice] slots, open doors, and do simple menial tasks like cleaning. It cannot fight or move more than [sum] * 5 feet away from the ritualist, and disappears after [dice] days.