Subject: RE: Secret Spells
From: [email-masked] (Geoffrey Edward Fagan)
Date: 5 Feb 90 17:44:22 GMT

Here are the secret spells of Ding Shu, the mysterious Sorcerer of the East. 
  (born John Smith, but found that Oriental mages had a fiercer reputation...)

Ding Shu's Marvelous Chopsticks (Conjuration/Summoning)

Level: 9
Range: 120 yards
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 round/level
Casting Time: 6
Area of Effect: See below
Saving Throw: None

        This spell functions only in campaigns which  use  the  optional  rule 
concerning  hovering at death's door.  It brings into existence a pair of huge 
chopsticks, 30 feet long, which attacks all targets with the caster's THAC0 as 
if they were AC 10 (dexterity modifiers do apply,  however).  Victems weighing 
more than 2 tons are immobilized by the chopsticks,  while lighter victems are 
actually swept off their feet and may be deposited, within the same round,  at 
any  point  in  the  spell's  range.  Those who successfully roll to bend bars 
manage to free themselves, but they may suffer falling damage as a result. 
        Most probably, the caster will choose to deposit his victems in a gar- 
gantuan mouth which appears above his head.  This mouth can hold one  creature 
of size L, two of size M,  or four creatures of size S.  Each round it "chews" 
its contents for 10 points of damage each,  until they reach a hit point total 
between 0 and -10.  At this point it "swallows" them into  the  astral  plane, 
and is prepared to receive another victem.  Normally,  persons reduced to such 
a hit point score would die in a matter of minutes, but in the timelessness of 
the astral plane,  they may remain unconscious but barely alive for  thousands 
of years. Naturally, the material component is a pair of chopsticks. 

Ding Shu's Draconian Holocaust (Invocation/Evocation)

Level: 9
Range: 60 yards
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Instantaneous
Casting Time: 9
Area of Effect: 900 to 5,400 square feet
Saving Throw: 1/2

        This spell has the same effect as a swooping Celestial Dragon, spewing 
forth its fiery breath.  The spell affects all within a swathe  30  feet  wide 
and  from  30 to 180 feet long.  All victems within the area of effect receive 
130 points of damage, reduced by 10 for every 30 foot segment of length beyond 
the first.  Thus a 180 foot swathe would inflict but 80 points  of  damage  to 
each  character  within  it.  Casting  requires  the scale of a fire-breathing 
dragon. 

Mental Ledger (Alteration)

Level: 9
Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Permanent
Casting Time: See below
Area of Effect: The caster
Saving Throw: None

        This  spell  actually enables the wizard to record spells in an unused 
portion of his brain,  just as he would in a spell book.  He can record  three 
spell levels per wizard level, and he must re-cast mental ledger every time he 
wishes  to change which spells are recorded.  The material component is a dia- 
mond worth at least 5,000 gold pieces.  Casting time is one hour per spell per
level added to or deleted from the ledger. 

============================

As long as I'm on the subject of secret spells, here are the others from my 
DM's grimoire, those these are not intended to be rare.  In particular, I've 
tried to expand the schools of Abjuration (Protection from Cantrips is 
cuurently the only second level abjuration spell), Necromancy (presently an 
unplayable specialty), and Divination (plenty of spells, but not adventure 
material).  This material will be continued in two subsequent postings, 
"Spells for Cops" and "RE:Necromancers."

Incidentally, the Forgotten Realms supplement FR6, Dreams of the Red Wizards, 
expands all of the schools of magic, often by making clerical magic available 
to mages (at equal or lower spell level), or, in the case of Abjuration, with 
very specific protection spells (along the line of protection scrolls), Prot. 
from Werewolves, for example.  The best new spells were for schools that are 
already overflowing. 

First-Level Spells
------------------

Find Water (Divination)

Range: 1 mile, depth 10 feet/level
Components: S, M
Duration: 2 rounds/level
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: 20x arc
Saving Throw: None

        When  casting  this  spell,  the diviner grasps two ends of a Y-shaped 
twig.  The remaining end twists around  to  point  in  the  direction  of  the 
nearest  source  of  fresh water within the spell range.  The branch can twist 
but twenty degrees,  and then the diviner will feel a tug in the direction  of 
the water.  The diviner can specify a minimum amount of water to seek (greater 
than the amount in a human body, for example). 

Inaudibility (Illusion/Phantasm)

Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 hour/level
Casting Time: 2
Area of Effect: Creature Touched
Saving Throw: Negates

        This  spell completely masks all sounds made by the recipient:  bodily 
functions such as breathing and sleeping as well as sounds  made  by  striking 
another  object  (walking,  for example).  Any object held by the recipient is 
likewise silenced.  Objects thrown, dropped,  or knocked over by the recipient 
are  not under the effect of the spell,  however,  and these may make noise at 
the ends of their trajectories.  An unwilling victem receives a  saving  throw 
against this spell.  The material component is a bit of cotton. 

Protection from Rain (Abjuration) (from Warhammer FRP)

Range: 0
Components: S, M
Duration: 1 hour/level
Casting Time: 1
Area of Effect: The caster
Saving Throw: None

        After casting this spell,  the wizard will remain dry even if standing 
in  the midst of a torrent.  The caster is protected from splashes and falling 
drops,  but he is not protected from more concentrated bodies such as puddles. 
The water will simply bead and flow down an invisible field which surronds the 
caster and his clothing at a distance of about one inch.  An oiled leather rag 
is the material component of this spell. 

Wizard Glue (Enchantment) (from Alchemist in Best of Dragon, vol. 3)

Range: Touch
Components: S, M
Duration: Permanent
Casting Time: 1
Area of Effect: 20 sq. feet/level
Saving Throw: None

        Wizard glue will hold one relatively flat surface to another, a mirror 
to a wall for example.  The strength of the bond is 20 pounds per level of the 
wizard,  up to 120 pounds.  Dispel magic will end the spell, and a strength of 
10 or greater can break a  20-pound  bond.  A  strength  of  12  can  break  a 
40-pound bond,  a strength of 14 can break a 60-pound bond,  and so forth.  If 
the item held by the glue is brittle,  it may be shattered in the  separation.  
Honey is the material component of this spell. 

Second-Level Spells
-------------------

Protection from Enchantment (Abjuration)

Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 round/level
Casting Time: 2
Area of Effect: Creature touched
Saving Throw: None

        The  recipient  of  this spell is partially immune to magical forms of 
sleep, charm,  and fear.  He automatically receives a saving throw even if one 
is  not ordinarily permitted,  and if one is permitted,  he saves at +4.  Note 
that this spell will not free the recipient from any  enchantment  already  in 
force, nor will it protect him from natural drowsiness or femenine guile. Also 
note that protection extends only to actual charm spells, such as charm person 
or  charm  monster,  not to enchantment/charm spells as a class.  The material 
component is a lapis lazuli or more potent stone. 

Resist Paralysis (Abjuration)

Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 round/level
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: Creature touched
Saving Throw: None

        For  the duration of this spell,  the recipient is immune to all forms 
of paralysis, including gaze attacks, paralytic poison,  and hold spells,  but 
it  does  not negate paralysis already in effect.  The material component is a 
feather and an infusion of tea and ginger (to be consumed by the recipient). 

Sonic Barrier (Abjuration)

Range: 0
Components: S, M
Duration: 1 turn/level
Casting Time: 2
Area of Effect: 10-foot-radius sphere
Saving Throw: None

        This spell creates an invisible, spherical barrier through which sound 
cannot pass.  The barrier remains centered on the caster,  enabling an assault 
group to move in absolute silence without giving up inter-communication.  How- 
ever, sound cannot pass into the barrier either, making the party deaf for the 
duration.  The material component is a glass globe. 

Wound Closure (Necromancy)

Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: Permanent
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: Creature touched
Saving Throw: None

        This  spell closes the wounds of the recipient to prevent bleeding and 
infection,  incidentally curing 1-4 hit points of damage.  All of the victem's 
wounds will be closed by a single casting, but further application is possible 
to  increase the healing effect.  The spell can be used on corpses to disguise 
the cause of death,  but it does not work  on  non-corporeal  or  extra-planar 
entities. 

  Note: A recent posting suggested that mages be able to cast healing spells 
  using d6's instead of d8's.  I believe the above spell description shows my 
  opposition to that approach (see also DMGv2 p. 43), unless you intend to do 
  away with clerics as a PC class.  From a game mechanics standpoint, such an 
  approach would destroy the balance between priest and mage, but there is a 
  campaign background reason as well: Pseudo-midieval medical knowledge would 
  be atrocious.  Clerical healing is a gift from God or the gods, relatively 
  omniscient and omnipotent fellows, but magical curing would depend upon the 
  mage's understanding of the body and its functions.  Thus you might find a 
  wizard who can pull the edges of a wound back together, as described above, 
  but you could not find one who could stimulate the replication of tissue of 
  various injured organs, insure an increased blood supply to the affected 
  regions, metabolise fat and increase respiration to enrich said blood, etc.
  You certainly could not find a mage to cure diseases before microbes are 
  discovered.  Just my tuppence' worth.

Fourth-Level Spells
-------------------

Broom (Enchantment)

Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 hour/level + 1d6 hours
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: Broom touched
Saving Throw: None

        A witch uses this spell to enchant her broom with the power of flight.  
The broom flies with a movement rate of 30, minus 1 per 14 lb.s above 182 lb.s 
which it is carrying,  and it can climb and turn at an angle of 30 in response 
to the verbal command of its mistress.  While the enchantment lasts, the witch 
can summon the broom from up to 300 yards away.  The material components are a 
broom, which is not used up by the casting, and a feather, which is.  The long 
casting time is necessary to set the command words, but if the spell is recast 
on an already enchanted broom, it has a casting time of 3. 

Eighth-Level Spells
-------------------

Power Link (Necromancy)

Range: 10 yards
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 turn/level
Casting Time: 10
Area of Effect: Creature Touched
Saving Throw: Negates

        This  spell  creates  a link between the caster and the victem through 
which magical energy can flow.  Thus the wizard can cast  spells  centered  on 
the  recipient,  as if he were a projected image.  Also,  the wizard can route 
malevolent spell side-effects,  such as magical  aging,  to  the  victem.  The 
material components of the spell are a chip of jet, an herbal tea of spearmint 
and devil's dung,  and a wooden disc.  The recipient must be  an  intelligent, 
living native of the wizard's home plane. 

Teleport Block (Abjuration)

Range: 10 yards/level
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 hour/level
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: 1000 cubic feet/level
Saving Throw: See below

        This  spell prevents teleportation into or out of the region specified 
by the caster,  which may be of any shape and any size,  up to 1000 cubic feet 
per level of the abjurer.  No character can enter or leave the region by means 
of dimension door, teleport, or other-planar travel.  Teleportation within the 
region  is not restricted,  and teleport without error has a chance of success 
equal to 1% per level of the caster,  though it has the same chance of failure 
as a regular teleport attempted under normal conditions. A full wish will also 
provide transportation across the boundary, as of course will walking, riding, 
and  flying.  Any  attempt to teleport or dimension door across the block will 
automatically fail; all memory of the spell will be lost;  and the caster must 
make  a system shock check or be killed by the shock of the rebound.  Attempts 
at trans-planar travel will also fail,  but not in so dramatic a fashion.  The 
material component is a glass globe. 

============================

A recent post asked suggestions for a necromancer character class, and I agree 
with one of the follow-up articles that the best necromancer would simply be 
the specialist mage described in the PH, with suitable expansion of the spells 
of that college.  Never-the-less, I refer you to Best of Dragon, vol. 4, for a 
non-player class called the Death Master, an appellation that suits the necro-
mantic wizards of the present rules equally well.  The additional spells below
are in the main adapted from that article, and together with the some of the 
spells of the Forensic Wizard (see previouis posting) should expand the school 
sufficiently to compete with the other specialties.  In particular, I have 
tried to make sure that at every spell level, there is a necromancy spell that 
is suitable for use in combat, so that the specialist's ability to memorize 
one extra necromancy spell per level would indeed be an advantage. 

Spells of the Death Master
--------------------------

Wither (Necromancy)

Level: 1
Range: 30 yards
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Instantaneous
Casting Time: 1
Area of Effect: 100 sqare feet/level
Saving Throw: See below

        This  spell  kills  all normal vegetation within an area of 100 square 
feet per level of the caster,  who determines the shape of that  area  at  the 
time of casting.  Trees receive a saving throw of 11,  and special plants such 
as treants suffer but 1d6 points of damage.  The material component  is  acid, 
sprinkled  over  the  whole area of effect.  Casting time is exclusive of this 
administration. 

Death Armor (Necromancy)

Level: 2
Range: 0
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 round/level
Casting Time: 3
Area of Effect: The caster
Saving Throw: None

        While  this  spell  is in effect,  any creature who touches the caster 
with exposed flesh (to cast a spell,  for example) will suffer 1d8  points  of 
damage.  The  spell will not protect the necromancer from damage,  nor does it 
have any effect on an armed opponent, but it will affect undead, and the death 
master adds one point to damage inflicted with his bare hands. 

Soul Safe (Abjuration/Necromancy) 

Level: 3
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 day/level
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: One creature
Saving Throw: See below

        With this spell, the Necromancer stores the soul of the recipient in a 
piece of jet,  the material component.  While his soul is  thus  protected,  a 
character  suffers a penalty of -2 to attack rolls and saving throws,  he does 
not heal naturally,  and magical healing functions on him at only half  normal 
efficacy.  If the character is slain by undead while under the effects of this 
spell,  however,  his soul cannot be corrupted and forced to  rise  as  undead 
itself (though the body can still be animated as a zombie or skeleton). If the 
soul safe is destroyed,  or if the spell expires, the soul will return (across 
any distance) to its body,  unless that body is dead,  in which case  it  will 
journey to its final resting place.  This spell affects only races with souls: 
dwarves, halflings, and humans. 

Hand of Time (Necromancy)

Level: 4
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 5-8
Area of Effect: Creature Touched
Saving Throw: Negates

        After casting this spell,  the death master's hand will bear a baneful 
curse,  for  the  next creature he touches (possibly requiring an attack roll) 
will instantly become 4d10 years older.  The spell lasts for 1 round per level 
of the caster or until discharged, and it cannot be reversed. 

Create Ghast (Necromancy)

Level: 6
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Permanent
Casting Time: 2 hours
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None

        This spell creates up to one ghast per six levels of the  caster,  and 
these  ghasts  will  follow the commands of their creator to the best of their 
ability.  Each ghast is formed from the corpse of a human slain by a ghoul  or 
ghast who has not yet risen as a ghoul itself.  These corpses are the material 
components of the spell.  As implied above, humans killed by a ghast will rise 
as ghouls to follow the pack. 

Create Mummy (Necromancy)

Level: 7
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Permanent
Casting Time: 4 hours
Area of Effect: One corpse
Saving Throw: None

        This spell creates one mummy from the corpse of a human  of  at  least 
7th  level fighting ability.  The mummy follows orders to the limit of its low 
intelligence, but it must remain within one mile of its place of origin, so it 
is primarily useful only as a guardian.  The corpse  of  the  potential  mummy 
must be properly embalmed with the appropriate proficiency (q.v.). 

Life Leech (Necromancy) Reversible (appears in Forgotten Realms Kara-Tur)

Level: 8
Range: Special
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 8
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: +

        This spell allows the death master to steal 2d6 years  from  a  victem 
and  add  them to his own life.  The victem must be human and of a level equal 
to or greater than that of the caster.  If the victem is of lower  level,  the 
number of years transferred is multiplied by the victem's level and divided by 
the  necromancer's.  Since  the victem must be in the center of a pentegram at 
the completion of the casting, it is useful to have him held or immobilized in 
some way.  The reverse spell works in the same fashion, except that the caster 
ages 2d6 years while the  recipient  becomes  younger.  In  either  case,  the 
material components are a black candle,  a white candle,  a drop of blood from 
both parties, and a specially prepared glass screen. 

Summon Wraith (Conjuration/Summoning, Necromancy)

Level: 8
Range: 10 yards
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 round + 1 round/level
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: 10-foot cube
Saving Throw: None

        This spell is identical to the fifth-level spell summon shadow, except 
that it conjures up one wraith for every three levels the death master has at- 
tained.  These monsters are under the control of the  wizard  until  they  are 
slain or until the spell expires, but if the wraiths are turned, they continue 
to  serve  in  any capacity which does not require them to confront the cleric 
who resisted them.  The material component is a bit of jet. 

Happy Halloween,

        Geoffrey Fagan ([email-masked])