PHBR4 - The Complete Wizard's Handbook

Can't speak after sunset (except to Similarly, if a natural disaster wiped the sameskill-or one of a smallnumber
cast spells). out all traces of Amazon society in his of skills-then you might require it of all
world, he can disallow the Amazon kit. characters who take this kit.
Wealth Options: The Wu Jen starts
with the normal (ld4 +I)x 10gp. Creating New Kits Weapon Proficiencies:Often, certain
types of wizards tend to favor certain
Racesr Normally, a Wu Jen must be Using the kits above as guidelines, types of weapons. Others select their
human. The DM may make exceptions many new kits can be created. If the weapons from a wide range of choices.
in his campaign, elves and half-elves If the wizard described in your kit
being the most likely choices. DM has a certain type of wizard that he
seems to prefer one or two weapons
Note: For more detailed information would like in his world, he should de- more than others, note this in the kit.
about the Wu Jen, along with addi- sign a Wizard Kit for that personality.
tional spells, weapons, and proficien- Keep in mind, however, that all wizards
cies, see Oriental Adventures. The DM To design a Wizard Kit, the DM share certain weapon restrictions-see
may need to make some adjustmentsto
adapt the descriptions and statistics to shouldconsider the following questions Chapter 5.
A D & W 2nd Edition rules. about the wizard and his role in the Nonweapon Proficiencies: As with
campaign.
Recording Kits on the weapon proficiencies, many wizards
Character Sheet Description:Whats this wizard like? tend to have certain skills in common.

To record a wizard kit on characte Is he drawn from 4 specific literary, For instance, it would be hard to imag-
record sheets, follow these steps: ine a Patricianwho wasn't skilledin Eti-
How is he re- quette. Therefore, one or two
1.In the space where the character's
school is recorded, add the name of his What kinds of activities does this nonweapon proficiency slots can be
wizard kit. wizard tend to perform in a
campaign-is he a bold man of action? given free of charge to characterstaking
2. When recording the character's A withdrawn scholar? An impulsive
Nonweapon Proficiencies, add the bo- show-off?What is his relationshipwith thiskit. If appropriate,the proficiencies
nus proficiencies the character receives the other characters-is he friendly, dis-
from hi$ wizard kit. Mark the bonus tanced, wary, impassive? can come from the Priest, Rogue, and
proficiencies with an asterisk to indi- Warrior listings. Normally, the cost in
cate that they are free. Preferred and Barred Schools: Are
there certain types of specialties that slotsfor non-wizardproficienceswould
3. Make notes about the character's seem especially appropriateto the wiz- be higher, but this can be ignoredwhen
special benefits and hindrances and ards described in your kit? If so, note kits are being given free.
other pertinent information in any them as preferred schools. Are there
available space on the sheet. other specialists that seem particularly Equipment: If a wizard is known for
inappropriateto your kit?Note them as
Modifying the Kits barred schools. using certain types of equipment, re-
quire that such a character have this
The DM is encouraged to modify the Secondary Skills:If using the Second- equipment before the campaign begins.
If some but not all wizards of this type
kits to more accurately represent the ary Skills system, you need to decide if use the same equipment, then it needn't
history, cultures, and eventsof his cam- this Wizard Kit requires such a skill. If
paign world. However, he should not there isn't a particular secondary skill or be required; instead, simply list it as
violate the nature of the kit; males skillscommonto all wizards of thistype,
shouldnot be allowed to be members of then do not require a secondary skill. recommended equipment.
the Amazon kit, nor should Patricians But if all membersof a Wizard Kit share SpecialBenefits: Although not neces-
be allowed to be necromancers. Com-
mon sense must prevail. sary, most Wizard Kits should have
some specialbenefit. Any kind of bene-
However, if there are no oriental or fit is acceptable, but it should relate to
eastem-styled cultures in his world, the the way this wizard operates in fiction,
DM is free to disallow the Wu Jenkit.
mythology, or similar source material.
Possible benefits could include:
Bonuses to reaction rolls, particu-

larly from certain categoriesof people.
Bonuses on wizard proficiency

uses, especially in specifically defined
situations.

Bonuses to hit and/or damage, es-
pecially against certain categoriesof en-
emies, or in special circumstances.

50

Special resistances, such as an im- Wealth Options: Does the wfzkird may be made to help you design new
have less or more starting gold than kits. The DM or playerscan design rtew
munity or bonus to saving throws other characters?Are there any restric- kits appropriate to the character types
tions as to how his starting gold must be they would like to play. However, if a
against specific magical attacksor e y e s spent? player designs his own kit, he should
of magic. check all details of the kit with his DM.
Races: Note any variations for wiz- The DM may make changes, or he may
Special rights in the culture in ards of specific races. Are any races disallow the kit altogether.
which the character normally travels barred from the kit? Does any race re-
(such as immunityfrom prosecution or ceive special benefits, proficiencies, or SUE! Kits
hindrances when taking this kit?
free lodging on demand). Here are a few ideas that might be dw
Special Hindrances: One or more Notes: If there are any additionalde- veloped into new kits:
tails about the kit, explain them fully.
special hindrances should be imposed Dragon Master (a wizard with a spe-
which limit the characteras much as his You can also adapt kits to other cial affinity for dragons and the magic
classesby adjustingthe skills, weapons, they use)
special benefitshelp him. proficiencies, benefits, and hindrances.
Possible hindrances include: A campaign might include Academi- Outlaw Wizard (a wizard who is
cian Priests or PatricianWarriors. rightly or wrongly wanted by the law)
Penalties to reaction rolls, espe-
cially from certain categoriesof people. Wizard Kit Creation Sheet Spiritualist (a wizard with a special
interest in ghosts, spirits, and extra-
Penalties to hit and/or damage, At the end of this book is a blank Kit planar phenomena)
particularly against certain categories
or enemies, or in special circumstances. Creation Sheet. Copies of this sheet Nomad (a rootless wizard with no
permanent homeland)
Restrictions from learning certain

nonweapon proficiencies.
Special restrictions in the culture

in which the charactersnormally travel
(for instance, the wizard is prohibited

from owning property or is punished

I

51

Tcialty, interesting variety of low- tudes, motivations, and outlook, and The Altruist
how he is most likely to function in a
level sp lls, a nice set of proficiencies, typical campaign. In some cases, sug- Character Description: The Altruist
gestions are given as to what types of is a selfless humanitarian, his actions
and a ki from the previous chapter. players might find this particular per- fueled by a passion for justice. The Al-
sonality type the most enjoyable to truist regards his magical skills as a spe-
iRead to adventure? Not quite. cial gift to be used to promote the
Play. common good, and he devotes his life
There's ore to role-playing a wizard to the welfare of others. He is admired
than cas ing spells, checking proficien- Best Suited For: Some personality by the oppressed, scorned by oppres-
cies, an swinging a staff at the bad types are more appropriatefor certain sors, and respected by all.
guys. In this chapter, we present sug- alignments than others, and some are
gestions' for role-playing techniques more appropriate for certain kits than Because his goals are simple and his
that will help your character come to others. This information is provided values are unambiguous, this personal-
life, I here. ity type is a particularly easy one to
play. It is a good choice for characters
Wizai -1 Personalities These are only recommendations, of beginning players. Experiencedplay-
not hard and fast rules, and using align- ers, however, may find him a bit bor-
vides descriptions of ments and kits other than the ones sug-
rsonalities drawn gested might require some imaginative ing, and the DM should be aware that
t them all and see rationaleon the part of the DM and the
player. For instance, an Entertainer/ an entire party of Altruistscan lead to a
hould think about what Savage Wizard could exist, but he will lifeless campaign.
would he be bold or cau-
probably be rare in a typical campaign Best Suited For: Any kit is appropri-
personality types listed ate for the Altruist. Obviously, this
world. Novice players are advised to type of character should be of good
Charakter Description: This section remain within the alignment and kit alignment, lawful good being the most
describe1 the character's general atti- recommendations in this section. frequently encountered.

~ In Combat Situations: Each person- In Combat Situations: The Altruist is
ality type approaches combat situa- a courageous, aggressive combatant.
tions in a slightly different fashion. He is as selflesson the battlefieldas he is
Some might charge straight ahead with in all other walks of life; if an Altruist
their weapons swinging, while others has a single protection from evil spell,
might hold back to size up the enemy he will cast it on the most vulnerable
before committing to a course of member of his party, using it on himself
action. Some might cast their strongest only if he's absolutelycertain that all of
spells first, others might hold them in his companions are safe. He attacks
reserve. This section details each per- honorably and with mercy, accepting
sonality type's combat style. the surrender of his opponents when-
ever possible. He assumes leadership
In Role-PlayingSituations: This sec- roles if necessary, though he seldom
tion explainshow the character is likely seeks them.
to react when encountering NPCs.
These suggestions should be used as In Role-F'Iaying Situations:The Altru-
guidelines when role-playing conversa- ist is polite, even-tempered, and thought-
tions, including interrogations, inter- ful. He has little patience for liars and
views, and small talk. This section will cheaters, and NPCswho exploit the help-
also give an idea how the character less are especially repugnant to him.
might interact with the other player Most NPCs, except those of evil align-
characters. ment, admire and respect the Altruist's
strong moral code, but some NPCs may
see him as self-righteous and pompous.

52

The Brooder neutral. The Brooder can use any kit, may even share nls aeepest thoughts
but the Academician, the Mystic, and with a companion who has been kind
Character Description: The Brooder the Wu Jenare especially good choices. and caring.
is tormented with self-doubt; he wor-
ries about his relationshipwith the rest In CombatSituations: The Brooderis The Commander
of the universe, where he fits in with the an excellent fighter. Cowardice is un-
rest of mankind, and the meaning of his known to him; since he doesn’t believe Character Description: The Com-
own existence. He may dwell for days his own life is particularly precious, he mander is a natural leader who exudes
on the ramificationsof some seemingly fights as if he has nothing to lose. He is authority. This may be due to his up-
insignificant action. If he makes a calm and clear-thinking in times of cri- bringing, his training, his innate ten-
wrong decision or a decision he per- sis, using his spells to their maximum dencies, his birth order (these types
ceives as being wrong, he may become effectiveness. If necessary, he will un- tend to be first-born), or any combina-
consumed with self-loathing, spiraling hesitatingly risk his life for a friend. tion of these factors, but whatever the
into a deep depression that can persist reasons, taking charge comes automati-
for weeks. Holding himself to impossi- If the Brooder is preoccupied with a cally to the Commander. He is decisive,
bly high standards, the Brooder is con- past mistake or a depressing philosoph- imposing, and inspiring.
tinually disappointed with his ical revelation, he may be slow to join a
performanceas a wizard, a citizen, and The safety of his companions is of
as a human being. battle. Likewise, if the Brooder is in a paramount importance to the Com-
state of mind where the differences be- mander, and he feelspersonallyrespon-
Obsessed with perfection, the tween good and evil seem especially sible for their actions. The Commander
Brooder tends to be an extremely ambiguous, he may decline to partici- is not alwaysthe leader of hisparty-he
skilled spell caster and combatant. His pate in a fight. Usually the Brooder can understands that a leader cannot func-
mindis sharpand his actions are precise be roused to battle by a firm request tion without able followers-but he al-
and correct. Although he usually suc- from the party leader or the gentle urg- ways tends to act like one, issuing
ceeds at whatever he attempts, his ac- ings from a trusted companion.Even in orders, taking charge, and showing ini-
complishments seem to bring him little the depths of despair, the Brooder will tiative whenever others are slow to act.
fulfillment or joy. not stand idle and allow harm to come
to his companions. Players selecting this type of charac-
Not surprisingly, the Brooder’s out- ter should be prepared to make most of
look on life is dismal. He believes the In Role-Playing Situations: In most the decisionsfor the group. If a player is
struggle between good and evil can encounters with NPCs, the Brooder uncomfortablewith this role, he would
never be won; it will continue to claim will remain quiet and distracted, leav- do better to choosea different personal-
victims on both sides for all eternity. ing most of the talking to his compan- ity type.
Friendship is valued but transient; a ions. He is loathe to offer his opinion,
friend today can be an enemy tomor- and seldom cares to hear the opinions Best Suited For: Lawful and neutral
row. Acts of courage and selflessness of others. Most of the time, he is simply are the most appropriatealignmentsfor
are admirablebut ultimately futile. Ex- apathetic. Most NPCs perceive the Commanders. Characters of evil align-
istence is a tragic joke-men are only Brooderto be emotionlessand preoccu- ment might demonstrate good leader-
puppets in the hands of incomprehensi- pied, and keep their distance. Sensitive ship, but are too self-centered to fit the
bly cruel gods. NPCs might feel sorry for him. natureof thispersonality. Chaoticchar-
acters usually lack the necessary disci-
Because the Brooder seldom voices The Brooder’s attitude can be ex- pline needed for leadership.
his opinions, this personality is a good tremely frustrating to his fellow player
choicefor playerswho tend to be quiet. characters. Since he keeps to himself A Commander can take the Amazon,
Conversely, the Brooder is a nice most of the time, usually his compan- Anagakok, Militant Wizard, Patrician,
change of pace for players who nor- ions will only be able to guess what he’s PeasantWizard, SavageWizard, or W u
mally take charge. thinking or feeling. Jenkit. Academicianstend to be too an-
alytical and Mystics are too self-
Best Suited For: Becausethe Brooder Some PCs may attempt to befriend absorbed. Most Witches will have
tendsto reject moral absolutes, he grav- him. Kindness and patience will even- difficulty gaining the complete trust of
itates toward neutral alignments, par- tually break through a Brooder‘s shell. their parties, though Witch Com-
ticularly neutral good and chaotic Although he may not show it, the manders are certainly feasible.
Brooder feels friendship deeply, and

53

In Combat Situations: A Com- he experiencefor thi trouble, and is forever making- the-prob-
type, mid-level and high-level char
mander is a master tactician and superb ters (especially those with high Wis- lems of othershis own. At the sametime,
strategist. In combat, his mind is con- dom scores) are the best choices to be the Counselor is a shrewd judge of char-
stantly at work, looking for weaknesses Counselors. acter and is usually the first to spot a
in an enemy’s defense, weighing attack charlatan or a duplicitousIWC.
options, considering the best positions Best Suited For: Because a Coun-
for friendly forces, and deciding when selor’s relationship with others is based In a campaign, the Counselor is eve-
to withdraw and when to press ahead. on trust, charactersof good alignments rybody‘s best friend. He always has
Even if someone else is actually in are best suitedfor this personalitytype, time to hear his companions’ problems,
charge, the Commanderinevitably will especially lawful good characters. Cha- no matter how trivial, and serves as
otic good characters can function as source of both comfort and sage advic
be issuirlg orders and attempting to
Counselors as well, although this type The lntimidatoi
boost his party’s morale. of Counselor will be guided more by his
own personal philosophies than by any Character Description:Many believe
In RolpPlaying Situations: Unless he accepted standards of law and moral that the wizard is the most powerful of
is outraaked or asked to refrain, the values. Neutral characters tend to be all mortals-the Intimidator is cor-
Commander will presume to speak for too selfish; it is unlikely that other char- vinced of it. Radiatingpower and c o d
the group in N P C encounters. He will acters would turn to them for advice. dence, the Intimidator faces all
negotiate a group rate for the party at Evil Counselors are not likely to be ac- challenges head on. There‘s no oppo-
an inn, a,ttd speak to the local authori- cepted in a party whose members are nent too tough and no obstacle too dif-
ties about recruiting extra men for an mostly good and/or lawful.
anticipated battle. Depending on his ficult for him. His access to magic
manner, NPCs may see the Com- Any kit can be adapted to this per-
mander as either arrogantor accommo- sonality type. The Academician is a makes him superior to all others-at
dating, but they will always be logical choice, but the Mystic and Wu least he believesthis to be fact. His reac-
impresseql with his self-confidence. Jenalso make good Counselors(the Wu tion to commonpeople-that is, people
Jenhas much eastern wisdom to offer, who cannot cast spells-ranges from
The Counselor while the Mystic is eager to sharehis in- sympathyto impatience, but as long as
sights into the human condition). they acknowledge his superiority, he
Charadter Description: The Coun- can tolerate them.
selor is a learned man of calm self- In Combat Situations: The Coun-
assurance who typically serves as an selor is a veteran of many battles, but Usually, this amount of confidence
advisor tD rulers, administrators, mili- because he is likely to be of advanced evolves over many years, so most In-
tary men, and adventurers. years, he is not the best physical com- timidators are mid-level or high-level
batant. He most likely will remain in a wizards. But an especially powerful or
A Coynselor is typically older than protected position, probably near the an especially arrogant lower-level wiz-
back of the party or in a good vantage ard might easily be an Intimidator.
other adventurers and is usually more point from which to cast spells.
experienaed, but could also be a youn- A n inflated ego alone is not
ger chardcter with a special talent for The Counselor is also an excellent ne- enough-this personality type is pri-
understahding human nature or a natu- gotiator, Whenever possible, he will try marily intended for wizards who are in
ral empathy. to seek common ground with an aggres- fact more powerful than their contem-
sor in an attempt to avoid combat. The poraries. To qualify as an Intimidator,a
A man1of integrity and great dignity, Counselorseldomtakes the role of a mil- wizard should have higher than normal
itary leader, but usually functions as the scoresin at least two abilitiesother than
he is respected not only for his knowl- leader’s chief advisor and consultant. Intelligence (for instance, a wizard with
edge, but also his insight into human Strength and Charisma scores of 12 or
behavior, He believes in moderation In Role-PlayingSituations: All but the more would be a good candidate for an
and justiqe, and has a helpinghand and most mean-spirited and evil-hearted Intimidator). However, even if a char-
kind word for all. NPCs will respect the Counselor for his acter lacks exceptional abilities, he
wisdom and compassion. The Counselor might still be an Intimidator if he has a
The Cqunselor is a good choice for will never turn his back on a person in reputation as a no-nonsense aggressor
players who like to play thoughtful, and has the personality to match.
even-tenipered characters who are
more apt to be advisors than leaders.
Since novice and low-level characters

54

~ imeaning children, incompetent bum- In
cmary tends to let the other player
Best Suited For: The Inkmi blers, or outright irritants. characters do most of the negotiating
suited to any alignment, though char- and interacting with NPCs. He may
actersof neutral and chaoticalignments The Mercenary take a more active role if he suspectsan
might make better egomaniacs; neutral NPC has information about a treasure
good, neutral evil, chaotic good, and Character Description: The Merce- or about any of his other personal inter-
chaotic neutral are all appropriate nary sees the adventuring life as a ests. Otherwise, there are no restric-
choices. means to further his personal wealth. tions for the Mercenary-he can bc
He may accept a job with a party at a humorous and personable, introvertec
Any kits that suggest aggressive, set salary or might agree to take a fixed and serious, or arrogant and obnox
grim charactersare good for the Intimi- share of any treasure the party finds. ious, as determined by the player.
dator, with the Savage Wizard and the Any interest he has in the party's goals
Militant Wizard being obvious choices. are secondary to his pocketbook. The Mystery Man
More passive types, such as the Mystic
and Academician, are less appropriate Not all Mercenaries are interested in Character Description: The Mystery
for the Intimidator. money. Some may be interested in ac- Man is a genuine enigma. Surrounded
quiring souvenirsfor their personal col- in a veil of secrecy, his motivations, his
In Combat Situations: The Intimida- lections, while others may wish to goals, and the details of his background
tor loves nothing more than a good hoard magical devices or fatten their are kept hidden from even his closest
fight. He is a shrewd, dangerous oppo- spells books. In all cases, however, the companions. He favors dark clothing
nent bent on extinguishingevery one of Mercenary's first interest is in himself. and speaks only when necessary; his
his enemies. words are often cryptic or vague, sug-
A Mercenary is not necessarily a gesting that the Mystery Man knows
Although he does not attack reck- far more than he chooses to reveal.
lessly, the Intimidatorprefersto face off criminal or a thief-he prides himself
with the most formidable opponent on in his professionalism and has no N o one is certain why the Mystery
the battlefield. Where some wizards shame about his interest in wealth and Man behaves as he does. Perhaps it is
might use fireball to frighten a group of materialpossessions. Since his motiva- due to an oath to an ancestor, or per
opponents by sailing it over their tions are straightforward, the Merce- haps it is a neurotic compulsion. What
heads, the Intimidator would scare nary is a good personality type for ever the reason, the Mystery Man i
them by firing it directly at their leader, novice players. clearly determined to operate on hi
incinerating him. own terms. Consequently, the Mysteq
Best Suited For: The Mercenary is Man is a good personality type fo
In Role-Playing Situations: The In- best suited for neutral alignments, par- players who feel comfortable with off
timidator is accustomed to getting his ticularly neutral good and lawful neu- beat characters.
way. If reason fails, he will threaten, tral. Lawful good characters are less
frighten, or otherwise intimidateNPCs inclined to exploit others for personal Best SuitedFor: The Mystery Man is
to get their cooperation,unless a player gain, while evil characters are more perfectly suited for neutral alignments,
character companion intervenes. likely to turn to criminal activitiesto in- especially neutral good and lawful
crease their wealth. tral, but any alignments are poss
The Intimidator is a man of few
words. He knows that a snarl or a stare This personality type is suitable for The Mystery Man's reason for ma
can be a much more effective way to co- any kit. taining his veil of secrecy
erce uncooperative NPCs than long
speeches or kind words. Needless to In Combat Situations: The Merce- an appropriatealignment
say, the Intimidator is not especially nary is a good, professional combatant. if he has taken an oath to avenge t
adept at delicate negotiations. He takes orders well, offers strategic
suggestionswhen asked, and fightsval- death of his spouse, he might be lawful
In a campaign, all player characters iantly alongside his companions, How- good. If hismagicalaptitude makeshim
will respect the Intimidator, but he's ever, he will not volunteer for
likely to associate only with player dangerous missions, nor will he unnec- feel like an outcast from society, but he
characters he sees as peers, such as essarilyrisk hisneckunless he gets extra still identifieswith order and orga
high-level warriors and other wizards. pay or there's a chance of recoveringan tion, he might be lawful neutral.
The Intimidatorwill tend to be patron- especially desirable treasure. concealshis identitybecausehe is an
izing and condescending to the rest of
the party, treating them as well-

55
II

caped criminal, he might be lawful or more than matched by his naivete. He often results in inappropriate and inef-
neutral evil. has seen littleof the world outside of his fective tactics; the Neophyte is likely to
homeland; when encountering new cul- charge his opponents head-on, regard-
Any of the kits can be adapted to the tures or experiencingnew situations, he less of their size or strength, or fire mis-
Mystery Man. may be confused and intimidated or cu- sile weapons at anything that moves.
rious and impulsive. Since he tends to He might seem to cast spells at random,
In Combat Situations: Typically, the overestimatehis abilities and underesti- sometimes squandering his most pow-
Mystery Man listens impassivelyto the mate dangers, he constantly gets him- erful magic on relatively defenseless
orders of his leaders, then fights as he foes. As an inexperienced spell caster,
chooses. The Mystery Man can be self into trouble. Still, his cheerful he is not familiar with sophisticated
counted on to do the unexpected; as a outlook and youthful enthusiasm en- casting techniques; for instance, when
battle gets underway, he may suddenly dear the Neophyte to his companions, faced with a charging wolf pack, he’s
vanish, then abruptly appear in the and he is a welcome member of any more likely to use magic missile on a
midst of an opposing force. He might party, even if his friends usually have single wolf instead of casting it on a
use control undead to command un- their hands full looking after him. nearby cliff-face to cause an avalanche,
dead creatures to lift him to their shoul- thus destroying the entire pack.
ders and carry him into battle. He Hopefully, the Neophyte will not be
mightsummon shadow for a whispered naive forever. With experience comes Assuming his companions can keep
conversation, dismiss the shadow, then wisdom, and with wisdom comes so- him from accidentlykilling himself, the
use light to make himself glow while he phistication. As a campaign progresses, Neophyte graduallylearns from experi-
attacks an opponent. the Neophyte should temper his impul- ence, becoming a more skillful combat-
sivenesswith caution and his brashness ant as he matures. Eager to learn, a
While his fighting style is eccentric, it with maturity. Therefore, thispersonal- Neophyte will make a good student to a
is startlingly effective. Opponents are ity type is only a temporary one-at more experienced comrade. An older
usually baffled by the Mystery Man’s some point, the character will abandon and wiser PC wizard might wish to take
tactics or are intimidatedby his manner the role of the Neophyte and grow into a Neophyte under his wing to show him
and appearance. For these reasons, the a different personality. The road from the ways of the world.
Mystery Man is a first-rate combatant. innocence to maturity is a fascinating
one, making the Neophyte an excellent In Role-Playing Situations: Gener-
In Role-Playing Situations: The very choice for novice wizards and begin- ally, the Neophyte does not know how
presence of the Mystery Man is enough ning role-players. to act around NPCs, particularly those
to make many NPCs uncomfortable. older than him. He might be shy and
While he usually lets his companionsdo Best Suited For: The entire range of say nothing, or he might blurt out
most of the talking, NPCs often are so neutral and good alignments are open something inappropriate.Figures of au-
intimidated by the Mystery Man that to the Neophyte. Characters with evil thority intimidate him, smooth-talkers
they are quick to cooperate just to get alignments should be avoided-they take advantage of him, and attractive
rid of him. Many NPCs of the opposite aren‘t trusting or naive enough to make membersof the opposite sex reduce him
sex find that the Mystery Man’s veil of enjoyable Neophyte characters. to a blathering, stammering idiot.
secrecy makes him intriguing and ex-
tremely attractive. Since all wizards begin their careers The Neophyte tends to accept people
as novices, any kit suits the Neophyte, on face value; he never guesses that a
While polite and considerate to his friendly stranger might be picking his
companions, the Mystery Man has no although the serious-minded Wu Jen pocket. Friendly, personable NPCs will
interest in socializing with them. find the Neophyte charming and amus-
and Academician are less likely to ex- ing; impatient, businesslike NPCs will
The Neophyte hibit the Neophyte’s enthusiasm and find him exasperating and annoying.
impulsiveness.
Character Description: The Neo- The Obsessive
phyte is a young, low-level wizard: an In Combat Situations: The Neophyte
inexperienced novice anxious to begin has probably experienced little combat Character Description: The Obses-
his life as an adventurer and excited in his life, especially the life-threatening sive is motivated by a single, all-
about the prospects ahead. variety. Although understandably ner- consuming goal. This goal might be
vous, he is also determined to do his
However, the Neophyte’seagernessis best and prove to his comrades that he
is not just a child who needs to be pro-
tected. Unfortunately, this attitude

learninsa particular spell, locating a between him and his goal; he wants The Showmancasts spells with a flair.
them out of the way as quickly as possi- He considersboth opponentsandalliesas
long-lost mentor, acquiring a particular ble. Negotiation makes him impatient; potential audiences. If a spell requires a
he would rather blast his adversaries to short phrase for its verbal component,
m w item or artifact, or avenging bits with a fireballthan waste time talk- he’ll incorporate the phrase in a song or
ing. That does not mean that the Obses- poem. If a spell requireshim to point at a
thedeath of a loved one. The goal sive takes unnecessary risks-after all,
he cannot reach his goal if he’s dead- subject, he will use a series of elaborate
might also be completely unrealistic, but he is prone to recklessness and can
easily endanger his companions if he is and dramatic gestures to arrive at point-
such as the world of all evil, or not kept in check by a firm leader.
ing his finger. His alteration spells are
filling his spellbookswith the formulas In Role-Praying Situations: In all
cases, the Obsessive is more concerned strikingly imaginative; his illusions are
oi-eltay known spell. with his personal goal than the goal of breathtakingworks of art. Nothing frus-
the party. He’ll question NPCs intently trates a Showman more than having to
The Obsessivefocuses on the resolu- for information about his goal, and if
they have nothing to offer, he will seek use a spell in the same way twice, espe-
tion of his goal to the exclusion of all out other NPCs to interview. If the cially if his audience of friends or foeshas
party leader convinces him that he is seen it previously.
el- He views his association with an operating to the detrimentof the party’s
goals as well as his own, the Obsessive The Showman’s flamboyance is eas-
adventuFingparty as a meansto an end; will restrain himself, but this will prob- ily matchled by his ego. He wallows in
ably be only temporary. the approval of others; applause is like
for instance, he might join an adventur- music to him, a complimentis like food
In a campaign, the Obsessive is self- to a starving man. However, even the
ing party if he learns that they are jour- absorbed and humorless. He will talk most casual criticism can sendhim sulk-
incessantly to his companionsabout his ing and an insult can devastate him.
neying &a faraway kingdom where he own goal, but his eyes wi€lglaze over
when they share their problems or Most often, the Showmanis cheerful
believes an artifact might be located. opinions with him. The Obsessive’s at- and upbeat. Most people find him great
titude does nothing to endear him to his fun to be around, and no one can argue
The Obsessive cooperates with an ad- companions, but depending on the na- that his approach to magic is genuinely
ture of his goal, they may feel sympa- entertaining. This is a good character
venturing party only to the extent that thy or compassion for him. type for playerswho want to introduce
more humor and playfulness into a
their goals don’t conflict with his. The Showman campaign.

If his goal igredistic, it is unlikely Character Description: N o one en- Best Suited For:The spontaneitytyp-
joys being a wizard more than the ical of the chaotic alignments makes
that a character will remain an Obses- Showman. He delights in dazzling them good choices for the Showman,
sive forever. A player selecting this per- friends and foes alike with surprising, but good and evil alignmentsare appro-
dramatic magical effects. Nothing stirs priate (the good-aligned Showrnqn
sonality type might want to choose a the heart of a Showman more than loves to share his skills with others and
learning a new magical effect or putting bring smiles to their faces; the evil-
second personality type for his charac- a new twist on an old spell. He sees aligned Showman enjoys frightening
magic as a fine art, comparable to and intimidating them). The Showman
ter once he reaches his goal. ‘€his sec- sculpting, composing, and painting. He is not likely to be drawn to the cautious
has more appreciation for a well- and self-centered neutral alignments.
ond personalitytype might also suggest executed cantrip than for a mundanely-
cast 9th-level spell. The Showman is best suited for the
3 goal fm the Obsessive. For instance, if Amazon, Peasant Wizard, Witch, and
Wu Jenkits. The Academician tends to
a characteris a Commanderat heart, he be too cerebral, the Anagakok and the
MilitantWizard too serious, the Savage
might become an Obsessiveif he is con- Wizard too unsophisticated, the Mystic

sumed with finding an evil N P C re- too introspective, and the Patrician too
stuffy.
sponsible for killing all of his men.
When he brings the NPC to justice, the

Obsessive reverts to Commander.

Best Suited For: Characters of any
alignment can be Obsessives, though

certairmhessionsare more appropriate

for certain alignments. For instance, an
Obsessivebent on avenging his daugh-

ter’s murder probably has a strong
sense of justice; he’s probably of lawful
alignment. A greedy Obsessive who
seeksa legendary fortune in gold could

be of a neutral alignment, possibly neu-

tral evil.
Any kit can be used for the Obses-

sive.

In Combat Situations: The Obsessive

tends to be a brutal, savage fighter, since

he sees opponents as another obstacle

57

In Combat Situations:lhe Showman sible, as are Obsessive Mystery Men). Brooder could become a Counselor.
relishescombat, since it gives him a per- The DM is also free to modify the per-
The Commander could become fea
fect opportunity to show off his spells. sonality types and make suggestions to
his players. As always, the DM has the up with the constant responsibility for
Needles to say, the Showman will al- the others in his party, or the burden of
ways go for the most spectacular, dra- right to forbid the players from choos-
matic, and dazzling e€fects-if he wants command could begin to overwhelm
to scare away an opponent with phantas- ing extreme personalitiesfor their char- him. Depending on his disposition, he
mal force, why create a simple ogre or acters; for instance, the DM might could become a Brooder, a Counselor,
troll w h e ~he~can create a multi-headed an Altruist, or even an Intimidator.Re-
werewolf with purple tentacles and 10- decide that Mercenaries are too disrup-
inch golden fangs? Unfortunately, his gardless of his change (unless he is con
flair for fihe dramatic sometimes finds tive to his campaign and suggest an al- sumed with bitterness or completely

him squandering his higher-levels spells ternative to his players. amoral) he'll still have leadership ten-
dencies and likely will find the urge to
unnecessarily, such as in using lightning Sometimes, a player might wish to
bolt when the lessspectacularmagic mk- give orders impossible to resist.
sile would be just as effective. change his character's personality.
The Counselorisn't likely to changr
In Role-Plajing Situations: Since the Maybe the character has matured and since his personality type is associatea
Showmari views all new acquaintances with maturityand experience. He could
as potentid audiences, he enjoys meet- outgrown his old personality type. Or
ing people from all walks of life. The temporarily become a Commander if
Showmari is especially fond of mem- maybe the character has reacheda turn- no one else was available, but most
bers of the opposite sex, and will often other personalities are so contrary to
go to great lengths to impress and daz- ing point in his life that has forced him his nature that he would find it difficult
zle them, sometimes at the expense of
the business at hand. Most NPCs see to change his outlook or rethink his to change himself.
the Showman as endearing and chann- The Intimidator is not likely to
ing, but same find his attention-getting philosophy.
antics obnoxious. change much, either. Possibly, falling in
Since the per t love or experiencing some other dra-
Among his companions, the Show-
man is appreciatedfor his pleasant atti- governedby a strict set of rules, players matically positive experience could
tude and positive outlook. He is always soften him enough to make him con-
able to b w s t morale with a clever trick can change them whenever appropri- sider changing his outlook. In time, a
or entertaining demonstration. A t reformed Intimidator could become a
times, PC leaders might have a problem ate. However, such changes should be
impressing the Showman with the seri- Counselor, or he could eventually as-
ousness of a situation or getting him to rare, and typically shouldmark a major sume the duties of a Commander.
focus on an importanttask, but flattery
or indulgence usually get the Show- turning point in his life; a player should The Mercenary could easily become
man's cooperation. an Obsessive if he becomes consumed
not change his character's personality with acquiring an impossibly large
Changing Personality amount of treasure or locating an arti-
Tvnes just for the sake of trying something fact that doesnot exist. Exposure to the

they see fit. Characteristics of one per- new. A personality change should de- worlds impoverished and neglected
sonality can be combined with charac-
teristics of another to create brand new velop naturally out of the events of the might encourage him to change his
types (Brmding Commanders are pos-
campaign, perhaps as a result of a cata- ways and become an Altruist.
The Mystery Man could become jus
strophic event; for instance, an Altruist
about any other personality type (ex-
might become a Brooder because a cept a Neophyte) once he decides to

friend or family member was brutally abandon his veil of secrecy.
The Neophyte will eventually be-
murdered by a hoard of pillaging orcs.
come more mature and lose his youth-
Following are some ways such
ful naivete. His experiences in th
changes might occur.
campaign will probably suggest a nex.
The Altruist may become disillu- personalityfor him. (Note that it is ex-
tremely unlikely that a character will
sioned when a formerly trusted com-
change from his current personality
panion sellshim out or when he realizes into a Neophyte; that would probably

that his good intentions are unappreci-

ated by the commonershe hasvowed to

defend. This Altruist might then be-
come a Brooder. If his altruism turns to

cynicism, he might decide to become a

Mercenary.

The Brooder may experience an en-

lightening event that gives him a more

positive attitude; for instance, he could

earn the admiration of a child or he

could fall in love. Since he is sensitive

and introspective by nature, a former

58

require the character to lose his mem- pr b NktW
ory and become young again.)
The Sidekick (a trusted companion vidualize him further by making
The Obsessivewill not change unless and assistant to a player character). decisions about his appearance, his in-
he gives up his obsession, in which case terests, his family, and other details
he will likely become a Brooder. If he The Compromiser(a superb nego- about his background. This informa-
reaches his goal, he could become tiator, dedicated to preserving har- tion does not need to be recorded on
nearly any personality type. mony and good relations among his the character sheet, but the player is
companions). certainly allowed to do so. The more a
The Showmanmight be forced to as- player knows about his character, the
sume more responsibilityand become a The Coward (a reluctant fighter, more he will seem like a real person
Commander, or he could become disil- frightenedof everything and alwaysex- and be more fun to play. Here are just a
lusioned with constantly trying to win pecting the worst). few of the many details to consider.
the approval of others and become a
Brooder. If he begins charging money The Carefree Wanderer (a happy- Name: Some wizards prefer exotic
for his performances, he might be go-lucky wayfarer). names that add to their reputations as
men of mystery. Such a name is some-
tempted to become a Mercenary. A The Sneak (a wizard who loves to times a modificationof the wizards real
trick people and take advantage of their name, such as "Brindon" for a wizard
Showman bent on developing the ulti- naivete). whose real name is "Benbrindon
mate magical effect might risk becom- Swule." Alternately, a wizard might
ing an Obsessive. The Chronicler (a historian de- make up a new name for himself; for in-
voted to making a permanent, detailed stance, Benbrindon Swulemight decide
Ideas for New Personality record of his party's activities). to call himself "Antra," an arcane term
Types meaning "Champion of the Dawn."
Character Background Many wizards also add an adjective to
The personality types are not con- their names to declare their importance
fined to the ones suggested above. Here When a player has selecteda person-
ljf* are a few other possibilities: ality type for his character, he can indi-

&

59

to the world, such as "Brindon the Birthright: Does the wizard have a it-but notetnat tnese are general guide-
D a r k or "Antra the Magnificent." special birthright, such as a family heir-
loom or a share of the family holdings? lines only, and there are likely to be ex-
Age: Think about the wizards age Does he stand to inherit this birthright
and how it might influence his outlook when he reaches a certain age or ceptions in many campaigns.
and attitudes. Older wizards tend to be achieves a certain goal?
wiser and slower, while younger wiz- Teacher
ards are more energetic and impulsive. Education: Where did the wizard re-
Wizards frequently have long careers; ceive his magical training? Did he at- A wizard opting for a career as a
human wizards can be active well into tend a prestigious academy? Was he
their 80sand beyond. However, it is un- taught by a mentor? Several mentors? teacher could be either an instructor at
usual for a novice wizard to be younger Is he on good terms with them, or are a magical academy (full-time or part-
than 20 or so, sincemagical training can they estranged? If so, what happened? time), a professor at a regular college,
take many years. or a private tutor. The wizards back-
Career:Unless the wizard is indepen- ground might suggest his academic
Physical Appearance What does the dently wealthy, depends on the kind- field; history, mathematics, and any of
wizard look like? How tall is he? How ness of strangers, or lives like a hermit, the sciences are likely possiblities.
much doeshe weigh?What color are his he probably has someway to earn a liv-
hair and eyes? Does he have any inter- ing. In many cases, a wizards school of Suggested Kits: Academician, Patri-
esting birthmarks? Scars? How did he specialization will suggest a career; for cian, Wu Jen
get them? instance, a diviner could probably earn
a good living as a fortune teller. Other- Suggested Specialties: Invoker, Ab-
Mannerisms: Often a wizard has a wise, the character can pick any career jurer, Transmuter, Enchanter
unique physicalquirk, eccentricbehav- or vocation that seems reasonable and
ior, or habitual expressionthat sets him doesn't contradict his upbringing. (See Administrator
apart from the crowd. Does the wizard the following section for suggestions.)
rub his chin when he's thinking? Does Frequently, the local wizard is one of
he always sleep on his back? Does he Clothing: You can tell a lot about a the most learned men in his geographic
pick his teeth with his fingernail? person by the way he dresses. A wizard area. If he has earnedthe trust of the cit-
favoring dark robes suggestsa conserv- izenry, he may be asked to serve as a
Beliefs: Is the wizard religious?Is his ative personality, while a wizard wear- governmentadministrator.Wizards are
outlook on life generally positive, or is ing glittering shirts and multi-colored more likely to be administrators of
he a pessimist by nature?Is he supersti- trousers is probably as flamboyant as small villages than large cities, since the
tious? Does he have any phobias? his clothing. needs of a small village are not likely to
be as demanding, leaving the wizard
Birthplace and Nationality: The wiz- Likes and Dislikes: Does the wizard plenty of free time to pursue his re-
ards birthplacereflectshis cultural her- have a favorite food?A favorite drink? search.
itage, which in turn influences the way Doeshe like music, books, or art?What
he looks at the world. Is he upper class types?What does he do for fun? Is he a Suggested Kits: Academician, Ama-
(or the equivalent)? Middle class? Born zon Sorceress, Militant Wizard,
in poverty? sportsman?A gambler? A collector? Patrician

Family What were the wizards par- Wizardly Careers Suggested Specialties: Diviner, Ab-
ents like?Did they encourage him to be jurer, Transmuter
a wizard, or are they ashamedof his av- Owing to their wide range of abilities,
ocation? Was the wizard an orphan the professions available to wizards are Advisor
(and if so, has he learned why he was almost without limit. Below are a few of
abandoned)? Does he have brothers the most common careers. Each career Noted for their wisdom and insight,
and sisters? Is he still close to them? If includesthe names of specialistsand kits wizards are sometimes retained by
not, what happened? which are commonly associated with monarchs as personal advisors. Di-
viners are especially sought for these
positions.

Suggested Kits: Academician, Ama-
zon Sorceress, Mystic

Suggested Specialties: Conjurer, En-
chanter, Transmuter, Diviner

60

L Role-Playing

Trader Anagakok, Militant Wizard, Savage produced, but each copy may fetch
Wizard thousandsof gold pieces for the author.
A wizards quest for hard-to-find Some wizards also have made names
components for his spells and his re- Suggested Specialists: Conjurer, Illu-
search can take him to cities and vil- sionist, Necromancer, Invoker for themselves as authors of hist
lages around the world. A career as a mathematics, and philosophy texts
tradesman can be a natural outgrowth Entertainer
of these travels. Wizard traders are Suggested Kits: Academician, Pa
most likely to deal in precious gems, A wizard with a flair for the dramatic cian, Mystic
potions, and various collector's items.
A wizard may also earn a living as a can earn a decent-if irregular-living Diviners can take advantage of their
broker in spell components, dealing ex- as a professional entertainer. Opportu- skills by charging for their fortune tell-
clusively with other wizards. nities include private shows for noble- ing services. While it is common for
men, annual celebrations, and street kings and other noblemen to retain the
Suggested Kits: Anagakok, Militant performances after which the wizard
Wizard, Peasant Wizard, Savage passes the hat for donations. Enterpris- services of an astrologer, palm reader,
Wizard ing wizards sometimes rent halls and or other type of fortune teller, some
stage shows, charging admission from wizards set up shop on their own,
Suggested Specialties: Transmuter, entertainment-starvedcitizens. charging a fee to anyone in need of their
Enchanter, Abjurer
Suggested Kits: Peasant Wizard, talents. Unscrupulous wizards have
Physician Witch been known to sell their services as for-
tune tellers to superstitious peasants,
Although the healing arts are more Suggested Specialists: Illusionist, even though these wizards may lack
typically associated with priests, wiz- Conjur any actual ability in this area.
ards also have been known to work in
the field of medicine, thanks to their tal- Lecturer Suggested Kits: Amazon Sorceress,
ents for manufacturing potions of heal- Mystic, Witch, Wu Jen
ing and other healthful elixirs. Wealthy To earna living as a lecturer, a wizard
noblemen have been known to hirewiz- must have the engaging personality of Suggested Specialists: Enchanter, Di-
ards as their personal physicians. an entertainteras well as the knowledge
of a scholar. Such a wizard may travel Alchemist
Suggested Kits: Academician, Ana- from city to city, giving lectures in his
gakok, Witch field of expertise at the invitation of Many wizards with a flair for re-
academies, royal courts, and private
Suggested Specialists: Enchanter, organizations. Lecturers with reputa- search and laboratory technique be-
Abjurer, Necromancer tions as compellingspeakers sometimes
rent halls and charge admission. come successful alchemists. Most of
Treasure Hunter
Suggested Kits: Academician, Patri- their work is non-magical in nature,
A wizard who spends his days as a cian, Mystic
member of an adventuring party has creating fertilizers, perfumes, cough
ample opportunity to discover trea- Suggested Specialties: Conjurer, En-
sures and earn rewards. Exceptionally chanter, Transmuter, Diviner medicines, tooth powders, and food
talented wizards may receive a weekly
or monthly retainer from an adventur- Author coloring for modest fees. Magical po-
ing party in addition to a share of any
treasure discovered or rewards earned. Experienced wizards sometimes re- tions, while requiring more skill and ef-
Such wizards have no need for formal cord their research procedures, tips for
careers, assuming their services are in successful spellcasting, or techniques fort, are also sold, although few
demand or the missions they undertake for magical item creation in detailed
are successful. manuscripts. Depending on the reputa- commoners can afford such expensive
tion of the wizard, such tomescan com-
Suggested Kits: Amazon Sorceress, mand hefty sums. Rarely are more than creations.
a few copies of any such manuscript !Suggested

Wu Jen
Kits: Acad,5 er&m<'* icr niar n, Witch,

$4

Wizard Adventures imprisoned or even executed. acade
wishes to find a young novice with
Occasionally, the DM might wish to A player character wizard may have whom he can share his knowledge. Are
slant some of his campaign's adventures such students difficult to find? If so,
toward his wizard player characters. To been operating secretly in such a soci- why? Will the PCwizard face resistance
do so, he needs to devisea way to bring ety, fearing the worst if his true skills from the family of a potential student?
the wizard characters into the adven- were revealed. The wizard would wel- From the local authorities? What must
ture without excluding the other player come the chance to join a party prepar- the PC wizard do to prove that his in-
characters. Following are several sug- ing to embark on any type of tentions are honorable?
gestions that can be used as spring- adventure, if it were to take him far
boards for this sort of adventure. away from hishomeland. Alternately,a The PC wizard wants to verify ru-
party might encounter a wizard who mors that a violent feud has erupted be-
The Novice Wizard was forced to leave home when his tween two organizationsof wizards in a
skills were discovered by his country- distant land, thus sullying the reputa-
tions of wizards everywhere. The rival
men or his family. wizard groups might be of different
alignments, members of oppositional
A low-level wizard who has just Magic's Good Name schools, or from different races. Their
feud might be over a contested piece of
graduated from an academy of magic In a world where magic has a bad land or a landmark-such as a tower or
(or has just ended his apprenticeship reputation, a PC wizard might want to cemetery-or one group might have re-
with a mentor) is often sent into the join an adventuring party to prove that ligious objections to the type of spells
world to complete a mission or quest. magic can be used as a force of good. If used by the other group. Settling their
The mission serves as his final exam; its the party's mission is successfuland the disagreements can be used as a spring-
completionproves to the novice's supe- wizard is at least partly responsible, board for new adventures.
riors that he has successfully mastered magic might once again be accepted as a
his magical skills and is ready to take respectableand honorable profession. Assisting the Citizenry
his place as a full-fledged wizard. Fail-
ure means that thenovice requiresaddi- There are any number of situations Many wizards serve as administra-
tional training. incorporatingthis idea: tors, advisors, or teachers, or hold
other positionsof responsibilityin their
There are all types of suitable mis- The PC wizard wants to confront communities. The local citizens are
sions. For instance, the novice's superi- an influential ruler in a distant land likely to barrage such wizards with a
ors might ask him to journey into an who is responsiblefor spreading propa- constant stream of requests for favors
uncharted jungle to retrieve the blos- ganda about the inherent evil of magic. and assistance. Most of these requests
som of a rare flower. They might ask The ruler might be an evil wizard, bent will be trivial and easily addressed, but
him to explore the ruins of an ancient on stirring up support from the popu- others might require the PC wizard to
castle to search for a long-lost spell lace to stamp out rival wizards. He recruit the heh of his Dlaver character
book, or travel to a small village and could also be of good alignment, but a
drive off a hoard of invading monsters. bad experience with magic as a youth request ("Something's been into my
Since most mentors encourage their ap- left him prejudiced against all wizards. crops-I think it's a bunch of kids.
prenticewizards to seek help (it teaches Could you stop them?") might lead the
them the importance of cooperation), The PC wizard wants to learn how PC wizard to believe that more is hap-
the wizard might recruit his player many wizards still exist in the world. pening than meets the eye. He might
character companionsto aid him. Perhaps many wizards have gone into summon his companions to help him
hiding, and the PC wizard is deter- investigate, and their discoveriescould
The Outcast Wizard mined to find out what has happenedto be the beginning of a long campaign.
them. (The party discovers clawed footprints
In many societies, the practice of
The PC wizard wants to discover
magic is considered blasphemous. Or- how many young people are interested
in learning magical skills. Perhaps the
dinary citizens shun and despisk all wiz- PC wizard wishes to establisha magical
ards, considering them to be disciplesof
supernatural forces. In extreme cases,
those suspected of being wizards are

62



L Role-Plavinn

damaged crops. The faot- Since a party can always use an extra all. Converse14 a world where magic is
to a nearby forest, then wizard, a group of player characters
might coax an old PC wizard out of re- Jrelatively corn on should have a vari-
What's going on?) tirement to help them on a mission. The
PC wizard might be enticed by a mone- ety of specialis s of all lev& among its
The Scholarly Quest tary reward, the lure of adventure, or
the possibility of settling an old debt populatian.
(perhaps the party believes they will be
facing an old nemesis of the PC wiz- How are a d s accepted among
ard). The PC wizard also might agree to the general pulation? Are wizards
help them out of a senseof loyalty to his
former companions. ed? Revered or de-
inance of magic does
Magic in the Campaign
World the general popula-
able with wizards;

resentment.

the mission with theh. Whether designing a campaign OB es- gain?Are they com-
mission might coindide tablishing the parametersof a single ad-
ng the wizard PC wahts. venture, the DM will find it helpful to rulers (wizards are
ce, the party might be Bm- understand the prevalence of magic in
his world. Is magic relatively are wizards in the
Id agree to help the part$ in common-are wizards encountered as wizards live openly,
the magical device. frequently as any other character their abilities secret?
type-or is magic extremely rare, with to walk down the
Out of Retirement practitioners relegated to rumors and or do they invari-
legend? Deciding how much magic ex- w d of curious on-
a wizard would ists involvesnot just the number of wiz-
ards and magical items, but also the townsmen who
alues (a P C wizard of prevalence of spells, magical monsters,
ess he is pretending to be evil and magical effects in general. ailable in a cam-

Here are a few of the questions the as the DM strives
DM should consider when deciding guidelines for several
how magic fits into his world:
I
How common are wizards?The fre-
quency with which wizardsare encoun-
tered gives a good indication of how
often a party is likely to encountermag-
ical itemsand spell books. Obviously, if
magic is uncommon, magical items are
especially valuable.

How available are academies and
mentors?A world with little magic pro-
vides would-be wizards with few op-
portunities to learn their crafts.
Advancement through the various
levels of skill is likely to be slow.Cer-
tain specialties may not be available at

64

Role-Plaving

Worlds With Excessive ers up to the challenge, it can be a fasci- seen a real wizard. In some of these so-
Amounts of Magic nating alternative. cieties, wizards are confined to myths
and legend. A player character wizard
In worlds where magic is relatively Worlds With Typical will likely be restricted to low levels,
common, the non-wizard is sometimes Amounts of Magic and advancement will be difficult. In
the outsider. Wizards are the most fre- fact, it may be impossible for a wizard
quently encountered character class "Typical" in this sense means the to reach higher levels of ability-such
and typically hold all positions of amount of magic present within the spells may simply not exist. Magical
power. Wizards of good alignments limits of an average AD&D@campaign items are extremely rare, if they exist at
consider themselves caretakers of the world. In such worlds, magic is known all. Magical monsters are equally rare,
non-wizard population; wizards of evil to exist, but real wizards are regarded but those encountered are especially
alignments see the non-wizards as an with awe and perhaps a little suspicion. formidable, wielding powers unheard
exploitable resource. Average people may be baffled by of by a typical adventuring party.
magic and others may be afraid of it,
Kingdoms controlled by evil wizards but all are impressed by its power. Worlds With No Magic
often clash with one another. They also
frequently wage war on kingdoms con- Wizards are uncommon, especially By means of a portal, a magical de-
trolled by good wizards. The awesome those of higher levels. Novices wishing vice or artifact, or divine intervention,
power wielded in these conflicts can to master a particular school of magic an adventuring party might find them-
easily devastate the entire world. may have to work hard to find a suit- selves on a world where magic does not
(Think of such conflictsas the wizardly able mentor or academy. In some areas exist. Alternately, a player character
equivalent of nuclear war.) of the world, certain specialistsmay not may find himself transported from a
even exist. Spell books, magical items, world where magic is common to a
Mentors and academies of magic are and magical monsters are relatively world with no magic. Aside from the
common, as are wizards of all schools rare; finding one will probably be a ma- PC wizards in the party, such a world
and levels. Novices tend to rise quickly jor event in the life of any character. has no wizards at all. There are also no
in ability, and high-level wizards are in magical items, spell books, magical
abundance. MagicaI items and magical To avoid violating the unique nature monsters, or magical effects of any
monsters abound. There may be a large of magic in this type of world, the DM kind. Such a world will have a number
number of priests as well, since they are must be careful to set limits on the of interesting ramifications for wizard
also magic-users, but an abundance of availability of magical items, spell characters, as well as for the party as a
books, and magical effects in general. whole.
rds does not guarantee that a He also may wish to limit the number of
world has an abundance of priests. magic-users by deciding whether PCs There is no way to recharge rods
(Priests get their magical abilities from can be multi-class or dual class charac- and other magical items.
the gods, who may be as generousor as ters with wizard or priest spells. In a
stingy with their gifts as the DM campaign where such restrictions are in
wants.)

Worlds where magic i

probably have his hands full trying to tions, there are likely to be more magic- (aside from those the characters
maintain play balance, devising chal- users in a party, meaning that evil brought with them).
lenging adventures for his player char- wizards will need to be of higher levels
acters, and prevent non-wizard player to be effective opponents. How would such a world react to a
characters from feeling overwhelmed wizard? As an analogy, imagine how
or insignificant. For these reasons, it is Worlds With Low people of our world would react to the
suggested that only experienced DMs Amounts of Magic news that an actual wizard walked the
attempt to stage adventures in a magic- planet. Somewould beseech him for fa-
heavy campaign world. Creating a Not surprisingly, wizards are rare vors, while others would seek to exploit
world where magic is taken for granbed commodities in worlds where little him. Some would see him as a hero,
can be difficult, but for DMs and play- magic exists. Most people have never while others would see him as a physi-

n:

cal manifestation of fheir rerious b challengfffor a pa& of wizards. wherethe schpol of illusiondoesnot ex-
ist, minbom pattern is available since it
liefs. Governmentsmight attempt to re- The Single Wizard Kit
cruit him as a weapon against enemies. Campaign also belongsto the school of alteration.
Whethermagical items thatduplicate
Scholars might seek to study him.Un- The DM might decide that all magic
in hisworld stemsfrom a particular cul- the effects of non-existent schools are
sophisticated people, fearful of his ture; therefore,all wizards must have available is the D M s decision, but for
the same kit. This includesplayer char- consistency, it makes sense to forbid
power, might try to capture or killhim. acter wizards and well as NPC wizards them. Another good idea is to give wiz-
of all alignments. Among the kits espe- ards accessto the spellsfrom the school
Obviously, a world without magic is cially appropriatefor this type of cam- of lesser divination-it is very difficult
radically different from the typical paign are the Amazon, the Anagakok, to function as a wizard without them.

A D % P campaignworld, but it can be and the W u Jen. If the DM wishes, As another variation, the DM might
player charactersof all classes might be
a refreshing change for the DM and a consider having more than one non-
stimulating challenge for players with required to take the same kit, but this existent school in his campaign world.
wizard PCs. There are many interest- is not necessary for an interesting (Schoolsin direct oppositionto one an-
ing themes to explore in this type of Campaign. other, as s h o h in Figure 1in Chapter
campaign world, but the action is also 2, are good choicesto eliminate. For in-
likely to be more subdued without How this type of campaign affects stance, if thed o 0 1of illusionis nonex-
magical monsters and evil wizards for the existence of magicalitems and mag- istent, then the school of necromancy
opponents. ical monstersis the decision of the DM, might not exist either). In an especially
but there are likely to be fewer of both restrictive world, perhaps only one
Campaign Variations (see Worlds With Low Amounts of school of magic exists; if only the
Magic in the Magic in the Campaign school of illusion exists in the D M s
Following are a few off-beat sugges- world, then all wizards must be illu-
tions for using wizards and magic in a World section above). In a campaig sionistsand b v e access only to illusion
campaign. The DM is free to modify, spells-spells from any other school '
combine, and vary these suggestions as where all magic comes from an Ama- not exist.
he sees fit. zon culture, all magical itemswill have
their origin in that culture. Dragons, l'he Restricted Level
- -The All-Wizard CamDaian for instance, may exist throughout the
world, but all of them trace a com- Campaign
this type of campaign, most of the mon ancestry to a land dominated by
Amazons. Similar to the Restricted School
_ _player characters are wizards. Other Campaign, in this variation, high-level
The Restricted School magic does not exist. For instance, the
d a m sare allowed, but they are usually Campdgn D M might decide that no spells of 6th
restricted to one character from each level or higher exist. Therefore, a wiz-
class. (That is, a party can have no In this type of campaign, certain ard has acces to spells of 1st level
more than one warrior, one priest, and schools of magic do not exist. For in- through 5thlevel only, and he is unable
stance, in a world where the school of
one rogue-the rest are wizards.) illusion does not exist, wizards do not to research w e r - l e v e l spells. As with
To begin this type of campaign, the have accessto phuntnsrnal force, minor
creafion, or any other illusion spells, the Restricted School Campaign, the
DM can encourage players to take PC nor are they allowed to specialize as il- D M decides whether magical devices
wizards by fostering an atmosphere lusionists. Researching these types of duplicating &e effects of higher-level
where NPCs have a special admiration spells is also forbidden. If a spell be- Epells exist.
for wizards or where magic is an espe- longs to two schools, then the speU is
cially revered field of study. Alter- still available if it belongs to a school
nately, the DM can simply require the that still exists. For instance, in a world
players to use wizard characters.

All wizard kits are allowed in this

type of campaign, as are multi-class
and dud-classcharactersas long as one
of the classchoicesiswizard. The DMis
forewarned that he will have to be ape-
dally creative to invent adversaries of

66



Ihis chapter tells the wizard how to Spell Categories exceptions indude spells that create or
make the most of his magicalabilitiesin summon entities to fight on the caster’s
combat. It also includes some tips for A helpful way for a wizard to analyze behalf, such as monster summoning.
effective strategy and planning, along his arsenal is by assigning his spells to
with advice on weapon selection. various categories. The following sys- Reconnaissance. This category re-
tem ws six categoriesbased on a spell’s veals information about opponents or
The Spell Arsenal use in combat situations. The catego- provides warnings about their actions.
ries indude:
The Wizard’s Advantages Special. This catch-all category in-
Defensive 1.This category of spells cludesspellsthat have no specificoffen-
In combat, there are two important provides protection from harm. It in- sive, defensive, or reconnaissance use
advantagesa wizard has over the non- cludesspellsthat make the subjectmore in combat.
magicusing members of his party: difficult to hit, increasehis resistanceto
How do you decide which spells be-
1.Tke wizard is an extremely versa- damage, and shield him from various long to whichcategories?lt is not an ex-
tile opponent; high-level wizards are act science, but rather a generalization
likely to be the most versatile charac- types of opponents. Usually, a wizard based on a spell’s most commdn use in
ters in an adventuringparty. casts this type of spell on himself or on combatsituations. Forinstance, fireball
his allies. can be used to destroy inanimate ob-
2. While the abilities of most other jects, but in combatsituations, it is usu-
characters tend to confine them to spe- Defensive 2. This category of spells ally used to inflict damage on an
cific roles, the wizard can adapt his opponent; therefore, it is an Offensive
hinders an opponent’s ability to attack spell-Offensive 2, to be exact. Light is
skills to new situations by selecting the without directly causing damage to the helpfulfor finding the way in a dark ca-
vern, but in combat, it can be used to
appropriate spells from his spell books opponent. It includes various cham, blind opponents to reduce their attack
(assuming that the wizard has access to rolls, m a k i i it a Defensive spell-
a variety of spells). Forinstance, a high- hold, and blinding spells, along with more precisely, a Defensive2 spell. (For
level warrior has the same skills today spells that add penalties to an oppo-
that he did yesterday. But a high-level nent’s attack rolls. Usually, a wizard quick reference, it may be helpful to
wizard begins each day anew, memo- casts this typeofspelldirectlyon one or
rizing a selection of spellsfrom his spell more of his opponents. note each spell’s category next to its
books that may be radically different name on the character sheet.)
Offensive 1. This category of spells
from those he memorized the day be- in- the chance to inflict damage If a spell seems to fit into more than
on an opponent. It includes spells that
fore. With the right spells. a wizard can give bonuses to attack and damage one category, that is to be expected. Re-
be a master of reconnaissance one day rolls, as well as those that increase
and an engineer of destructionthe next. strength. It does not indude spells that member, the point is not to draw rigid
directly inflict damage. Usually, a wiz- boundaries, but to learn to think in
But if a wizard has a large selection ard caststhis type of spell on himself or termsof a spell’s functionas opposed to
of spells in his spell books, how does his allies. its level or flashy name. As an illustra-
he know which oneswill be most help- tion, here are categorizations of some
ful on any particular day? Some wiz- Offensive 2. This category of spells 1st- and 2nd-level spells from the Flaw
ards, of course, will simply load up directly inflicts damage on opponents. er’s Handbook.
with their most powerful spells and It indudes spells that cause an oppo-
hope for the best. But a shrewd wizard nent to lose hit points, such as chill Defensive 1:Protection from evil, ar-
will look closely at his spells and ana- touch and lightning bolt, speUs that mor. shield, mirror image, invisibiltu
lyze their primary functions to decide zause creatures to lose levels of ability, blur
which are the most appropriate to a such as energy drain, and spells that
particular situation. :awe damage to specific creatures, Defensive 2: Color spray? enlarge,
such as transmute water to dust. Usu- light, grense, shocking grasp, tau*+
dy, a wizard casts this type of spell on wall of fog, deafness
me ormore of his opponents, although
Offensive 1:Spectral hand, strength

Combat and the Wizard

Offensive t: Burning hands, shock- Spellsin the Defensive I category are lost a lot or nit pomts is not in a position
ing grasp, chill touch, flaming sphere, typically cast on the wizard or on his to take chances, especiallyif they antic-
stinking cloud companions to provide direct protec- ipate trouble. A wizard armed with De-
tion from attacks; globe of invulnera- fensive spells can help the party
Reconnaissance: Alarm, compre- bility, invisibility, and protection from through any tough times ahead.
hend languages, message, detect un- evil are examples of Defensive 1spells.
dead, ESP The party includes other player char-
Spellsin the Defensive2 category are acter wizards who lack Defensive
Special: Dancing lights, erase, hold typically cast on one or more oppo- spells. If the party does not know what
portal, jump, mending, spider climb, nents to hinder their ability to attack or type of dangers it may face, a good idea
wizard mark prevent them from attacking alto- is to have as many different types of
gether; fumble, ray of enfeeblement, spells available as possible. It is helpful
in detail in the following sections. Play- and binding are examples of Defensive if the wizard arms himself with a
ers should use the information to help 2 spells. healthy supply of Defensivespells if his
them assign their spells to categories, fellow magic-using companionsdo not
which in turn will enable them to In general, Defensive 2 spells offer have them or choose not to use them.
choose the best spells for their wizards more protection than Defensive 1
to memorize in a particular situation. spells, since they effectively protect the The wizard anticipates being alone.
entire party. For instance, a wizard pro- If the wizard expects to be alone on
Defensive Spells tecting himself with the Defensive 1 guard duty or investigating a danger-
globe of invulnerability spell may be ous locale by himself, operating as a
Defensive spells provide protection safe from an attacking opponent, but spy, or otherwise functioning without
from specific or general types of attacks the opponent is free to attack the wiz- the company of others, he is safest with
in the following ways: ards companions. However, an oppo- a supply of Defensivespells to compen-
nent affected by the Defensive 2 sleep sate for his lack of armor.
By acting as a shield or barrier spell cannot attack anybody in the
(protection from normal missiles) party. The party anticipates encountering a
specific type of enemy. Many Defensive
By decreasing an opponent’s at- Following are some general situa- spells offer protection against a specific
tack capability (slow) tionsin which a wizard will find Defen- type of attack. If the party believes it
sive spells particularlyuseful: will be encountering a particular type
By giving temporary immunity of opponent, the wizard should arm
(stoneskin) The party has only a few members or himself accordingly. (For instance, if
has only low-level members. The wiz- the party anticipates encountering an
By removing the subject from a ards inability to use armor is his most evil wizard, Defensive spells such as
dangerous situation (teleport) vulnerable characteristic. A wizard dispel magic and Serten’s spell immu-
must either count on his companions nity would be wise choices.)
By sending away the opponent for protection or provide it for himself.
(dismissal) In small parties, there probably are not Offensive Spells
enough members to provide body-
By reducing the amount of damage guards for the wizard. A small party Offensive spells increase the ability
suffered (armor) will also have their hands full in combat of the caster (or persons of the caster’s
situations, and probably will not have choice) to inflict damage, or directly in-
The school of abjuration offers the the time or the resourcesto look after a flict damage on opponents in the fol-
greatest variety of Defensivespells, but wizard. Likewise, a party of low-level lowing ways:
Defensive spells are also available in characters lacking high-quality armor
every other school. Some particularly or other protectivedevices may have to By attacking specific targets
effective Defensive spells are offered in depend on their wizard to provide pro- (magic missile)
the schools of alteration(gazereflection tection for them.
and wraithform), enchantment/charm By attacking all opponents within
(sleep and hold person), and illusion The party has taken an excessive a designated area (cloudkill)
(hypnotic pattern and mislead). amount of damage. A narty that has

69

By summoning surrogates cadable The party has few warriors. While

of attacking (monster summoning] unusual, it is not impossiblefor a party tthe situations'described above suggests

Schools offering a variety of offen- to be completely composedof wizards, a different st tegy).
sive spells include conjuration/ priests, and rogues In such a case, a
summoning (flame anow and Evprds wizard with an arsenal of Offensive Reconnaissance Spells
black tentacles,) invocation/evoc tion
spells can make an acceptable substi- al information in the
(fireball and death fog), and n 0- the presence of ene-
mancy (spectral hand and death s ell). tute for a warrior. But note that even enemy motivations
the best-armed wizard must still con-
tSpells in theOffensive 1 catego are past events (legend
tend with a low Armor Class, meaning
typicdy cast on eitherthewizard r on he will still need to rely on one or more the school of greater
of his companions for protection.
4his companionsto increasetheir a ility entering an unknown
to attack or inflict damage; stre gth, The party is making its last stand. a party knows about
When a party is facing its final M- ngers of a previously
IJspectral hand, and enchanted we on lenge at the climax of an adventure the territory by a wiz-
(presuming the party realizes they have
are examples of Offensive 1 spells. reached the climax of an adventure) or
ismaking a life-and-death stand against
Spells in the Offensive 2 catego are an opponent of awesome power, they
typically cast on one or more o p0- may need all of the offensive capabili-
tiesthey canmuster. If thewizard genu-
nents to inflict damage directly, I f m - inely feels he has nothing to lose (or if
the wizard is willing to sacrifice his life
tively functioning as weapons f o the to achieve the party's goals), he may
wizard; flaming sphere, shoc ing wish to arm himself with as many Of-
fensive spells as possible to maximize
Jgrasp, and finger of death are exa ples his party's chance of success.

of Offensive 2 spells. The party anticipates facing an
In general, Offensive 2 spells are onslaughtof enemies. A party may also
needheavy offensivecapabilitiesif they
more effective than Offensive 1 s+lls, anticipate facing a largenumber of ene-
since they inflict damage directly. For
instance, a wizard successhluy caqting mies (such as a battlefield filled with

an Offensive 1strengthspell on -If

must still strike an opponent to

$:;damage: a successfully cast fire&

acts damage immediately.
Following are some general sttua-

tionsin which a wizard will find Offen-
sive spells particularly useful:

The party is large or has a numbw of hundreds of o m and goblins) or a few

high-level members. Again, the @min enemies with a lot of power (such as a

considerationis the vulnerability of the cadre of giants). Again, unless the wiz-
ard iswilling to lay down hislifefor the
armor-less wizard. In larger pa+-,

there are likely to be enough m cause, the party should take the wiz-

to supply the wizard with a bo ard's vulnerability into account when

or two (note that this does not m e w a p l a n n i i their strategy.

bodyguard in the literal sense, but The party includesotherplayer char-
rather a designated member to elp acter wizards who lack Offensive
protect the wizard from attacks).
spells. Thisprincipleapplies to the use
kwise, if the party has several high- evel
members with a lot of hit points,and of Offensive spells as well as Defensive
high-qualityarmor, they will not lk as spells. If the first wizard in a party has
dependent on the wizard for p r o t w v e nothing but Defensive spells,and the
spells. A wizard who doesnot need lot secondwizard has a variety of both Of-
fensive and Defensive spells, it makes
of Defensivespellsisfree to arm +If

with a high number of Offensive dells. sensefor the secondwizard to ann him-

70

Combat and the Wizard

(maybe they are hostile b e c a w they By creating various illusionary ef- spells
assume the PCs are the bad guys), @d fects (illusionary wall and minor crea-
not all enemies are bent on destroyi+g tion) times such a sitdation is unavoidable.
the party (maybe they are trying to det
back to their leader as quickly as pos$i- Though nearly all schools have their y member. In thG
share of Special spells, the school of il- enal of spells is not
ble and the PCs are in their way). ,A lusion has a surplus of them, which is
one reason why the illusionistis consid- extra warrio~
wizard using ESR 'know alignment, pr ered by many to be the least useful spe- concentrate exclu-
similar spells can clarify the motives bf cialist in combat. ive, Offensive, 01

NPCs, pssibly allowing the party It0 This does riot mean that Special career, he prob-
spellsare completelyuseless on the bat-
avoid combat entirely. tlefield. As with all types of magic, Weapon Restriction
clever wizardswill invariably find a va-
The party needs u lookout or a vi$ Wizards are iseverely limited in the
unteer for guard duty. A wizard armed cia1 spells. For in- use. Little if any of
with spells such as clairuudience, clair- is devoted to corn
voyance, foresight, and wizard e e ing him momentarily unable to attack. are unable to de
makesan excellent lookout. He can a& In general, however, Special spells are
serve as a party's communications offi- the worst choices for a wizard antici-
cer in combat, keeping track of hisco#- pating combat.
panion's actions, trackingthe actions
the enemy, and becoming alerted A Mix of Spells

,companionsin need of assistance. In the examples above, we suggested
a number of situationswhere it is to the
The party nee& a spy. The wizards best advantage to arm himself
with an arsenal of spells from a particu-
who knows a variety of lar category. In some situations, how-
sance spells makes a perfect ever, a wizard might be better arming
acting by himself (in himself with a few spells from each cat-
should ensure that his egory. Here are a few examples:

mor) or in The party is beginning a new adven-
ture. When embarking on a new adven-
distances. ture or a new episode of an ongoing
campaign, it is unlikely that the party
Special Spells will know exactly what obstacles or
dangers they will face. In these cases, a
Special spells are those that have li - wizard armed with a mix of Defensive,
ited use in combat. They do not of er Offensive, Reconnaissance,and Special
spellswill be able to handle a variety of
protection, inflict damage, or reveal n- situations. As the adventure progresses
and the party accumulates more infor-
i:formation. Such spells assist r h pa y mation, the wizard can adjust his spell
mix accordingly, perhapsconcentrating
in these ways:
By making repairs (mending)

dBy labelling personal possessi ns

(wizard mark)
By changing appearances (alter

self and fool2 gold)

.

Combat and the Wizard

weapon choices are confined to those low a wuam to use a weapon otner campagn workl, themeven an Anaga-
than those listed above. However, the kok cannot use them.
that are easy to learn and simple to use. DM is cautioned to make exceptions to
the wizards weapon restrictions with Instruction in the use of a particular
As a general rule, the DM should con- care, to avoid unbalancing the game weapon was part of tWwizard's train-
and violating the special nature of the ing. Just as certain kits allow certain
fine wizards to the following weapons: wizard. weapons, certain culturesmight require
all of itscitizens to master certain w e a p
I Here are a few situations where the ons. A warlike culture, for instance,
DM might consider making exceptions might insist that all o f its male citizens
Blowgun to the wizard's weapon restrictions: are to be trained in the use of swords
Barbed dart and spears, and wizards are not ex-
Needle The wizard's kit allows for different cluded.
weapons. The Anagakok kit, for in-
Dagger or dirk stance, allows for tridents and har- The player must establish these type
Dart poons, while the Amazon kit allowsfor of background details at the beginning
Knife spears and long bows. If the DM gives of his character's c m r -they cannot
Quarterstaff permission for players to pick one of suddenly be brought into play in the
these kits, or another kit with weapons middle of a campaign ("Did I forget to
Slii other thanthoselisted above, he should mention that my character's father
also allow him to use the kit's weapons.
Sling bullet trained him to use a dub?"). As always,
Sling stone However, the DM is withinhis rights to
Staff sling the DM can veto any background sug-
forbid the use of any weapon-if he de- gestions that he considers unacceptable
These restrictions apply to magical cides harpoons are unavailable in his in his campaign.
weaponsof similar types aswell. For in-

stance, just as a wizard is denied the use

of a two-handed sword, he is denied the
use of a two-handed sword +1.

In certain situations, the DM may al-

r

Chapter 6: Casting Spells In lynlisual Conditions

A wizard’s adventures can take him 1st Level Spells That Are Modified
to all kinds of exotic locations. But if he affect normal fires * When Cast Underwater
finds himself battling foes beneath the burning hands *
ocean’s surface or exploring a mysteri- jump * Handbook,
mount
ous locale in an alternate plane of exist- wall of fog* book.
ence, he will discover that his spells are
operating a little differently than us ial. 2nd Level t1st Level
This chapter explainsthe differences. flaming sphere*
fog cloud* Chromatic 0 b (NS): The heat, fire,
Spell casting abilities can also be af- pyrotechnics * and stinking loud effects are unavail-
fected by sensory changes, such i s a summon swarm able undenvat r.
temporary loss of vision, an impa:red whispering wind* 2nd Level
ability to speak, and impaired move- wind breath (NS)
ment. These problems, as well as how a of filtering vapors,
wizards spells are affected when cast 3rd Level poisons in the water.
fireball
under less than optimum conditions flame arrow *
and how he might compensatefor these gust of wind
differences, will be discuss& in this illusionary script *
chapter. Melfs minute meteors
wind wall
Casting Spells I of water resist-
Underwater 4th Level

Assuming that the wizard can fire aura (NS) damage.

way to breathe underwater fire charm The acid from this
tended periods (such as a water fire shield * (only the flame shield round before it
version of this spell is forbidden; the
ing spell or potion), most of chill shield version functionsnormally)
will function normally fire trap
shout *
however, a solid fog *
wall of fire
ables the subject to
5th Level t any depth and in
cloudkill * if the subject is en-
distance distortion
Spells That Are Ineffective (10d6) hit points. A
Underwater 6th Level throw reduces this
control weather
The following spellscannot be ca t or death fog *
will not function underwater. All s ells guards and wards *
are from the Player‘s Handbook e cept lower water
those labeled NS (for New Spell) w ich
areSfpoeullnsdminarCkehdapwtietrh8aonf tahsistebroiosiie: 7th Level
delayed blast fireball
will function normally when cast
within the bounds of an airy 8th Level
spell. incendiary cloud

9th Level
meteor swarm

73

’ ,f Casting Spells In Unusual Conditions
-?F
f

that can breathe andfunctionundeda- ie floor, can ,hewill immediately
attack creatures or assault construc-
ter can be summoned. (If available, *e to Dust: Casting th
tions that are resting on or are imbed- uses a ”hole”
DMshoulduse the appropriateAquabc
Monster Summoning table in the Mdn- ded in the floor. Water elementals can ed. (Ifavailable, the
be conjured normally. appropriateAquatic
strous Compendium.)
Monster Summoning Ill: Only crea- table in the Mon-
Phantom Steed: A phantom steed c the mansion can
tures that can breathe and function un-
t-ated underwater is a hippocampi w th derwater can be summoned. (If the Monstrous

a black forebody and silver-gr y available, the DM should use the a p
scales. These steeds do not gain t e
propriate Aquatic Monster Summon-
kspecial traveling or flying abilities f ing table in the Monstrous
rthe regular phantom steeds, but th y
Compendium.)
do gain the movement rate of 4 der
level of the spell caster (to a maximqm Transmute Rock to Mud:Thisspell o p
movement rate of 48). Otherwise, thhy
are similar to the steed created by +e erates underwater as it does elsewhere,
spell. except that themud immediatelybegins
to dissipate. If cast on the ocean floor
4th Level (or the floor of any other body of wa-
ter), only extremely heavy creatures
Ice Storm: The hail stones created qy
this spell will be as large as normal, bbt who are unable to swim are in any dan-

their downward force is greatly qe- ger of sinking into the mud.
duced, inflicting only 1-10hit pints pf
damage before floating toward the 6th Level

face. The sleet variation of this Chain Lightning: Underwater, this acts
as a lightning bolt of twice the normal
useless underwater, since all of the SI+
sue (either a forked bolt up to 20 feet
melts as soon as it is created. wide and80feet long, or a singlebolt 10

Monster Summoning 11: Only creaturks feet wide and 160feetlong. However, it
that can breathe and functionunderwb-
strikes only a single object and inflicts
ter can be summoned. (If available, the only Id6 hp of damage for every level
of the caster (save vs. spells for half
DMshoulduse the appropriateAquaZc damage). It will not arc to othertargets.
Monster Summoning table in the Mop-
strous Compendium.) Conjure Animals: Only creatures that
can breathe and function underwater
Wall oflce:A wall of ice can beform@ can be conjured.

underwater, but it immediatelyfloatsto Monster Summoning IV:Only crea-

+Ithe surfaceandbobs in thewater like tures that can breathe and function un-
derwater can be summoned. (If
ice floe. This renders the ice plane q d
available, the DM should use the a p
hemisphere variations useless. The ite
sheet variation of this spell inflicts no propriate Aquatic Monster Summon-
damage underwater. ing table in the Monstrous

5th Level Compendium.)

Conjure Elemental: Air elementals Otluke’s Freezing Sphere: The frigid
globe variation of this spell can be ex-
2dfire elementals cannot be conjured tremely dangerous to the caster when
cast underwater. The globe of absolute
derwater. Earthelementalsmust ren&
on the floor of the sea, lake, or nv r zero matter will instantly freezethewa-
from which they are conjured. d e
ter around the caster into a block of ice

74

magic of the containment will raqate straining edfecks, such as web and wall duration, or when the wizard stops
r when the illusion is
through the water to the surface. of stone, are easilycircumventedby the ,the images and items
away. Invisibility,
9th Level victim-he must only move the ethe-
11spells of .thisschool
Monster Summoning VII: Only c real matter out of the way. Restraining
tures that can breathe and functianiun- subjectto the special
dewater can be summoned. ' (If spells that inflict damage, such as wall
under the same re-
available, the DM should use thelap- o f fire, are equally easy to ven
The Inner Planes
propriate Aquatic Monster Sumqon- but still cause harm to the vict
ing table in the Monstmus From the cards perspective, the
The schools of magic are affected as
Compendium.) follows: key features a! the Inner planes include

Casting Spelts in Other Conjuration/Summoning: E each tnsdification
Planes
outer planes cannot that a wall of pater may appear or cre-
As described on page 132 of the To determine if a
Dungeon k t e r ' s Guide, the AD&D@ Leomunds secret chest If the rofl fa&, the
jured chest in a location in e another attempt
game world consists of many plae/sof plane different fro
existence aside from the familiar Pdime For instance, a wizard
Material plane. Just as physical lraws Divination: These spells function
operate differently in these planesi so only if the wizard is in the area between heat. For instvce, the ice createdby ice
do the effects of magic and the ways in the Prime Material plane storm immediately melts.
which spells are cast. General wide- real planes (called the Bo
lines for using wizardly magic in the and is casting the spells into one of the
various planes are given below. (If adjacent planes.
planning a campaign in one or molie of magic will not
plane, but it function
the otherplanes of existence, or if a DM from *e Border Ethereal into the Ethe-
real planes. Contact other plane, how-
is interested in additional information ever, functions ev
about the planes, consult the Manual of Ethereal psanes.
the Planes.)
EnchantmenVCha
The Ethereal Planes this school function
to the special law
From the wizard's perspective, the planes.
key features of the Ethereal plane4 in-
clude the following: InvocatiodEvoca
this school function
The effects of time occur IO times to the special laws
planes, except that
slower than on the Prime Mat$rial evocation spells a
plane. For instance, for every 10 t+rns matter and have the properties of that
that pass on the Ethereal planes, odly a matter. Bigby's forceful hand, for in-
single turn has passed. Therefore, the stance, will not stop an o
subjectivetimefor the wizard to rneimo-
rize and cast spellsis 10times as lodg as IflusiodI'hantasrn: A l l
the actual b e required. school functionnormally, s
special laws of the Ethereal planes.
The thick soup of ethend mCtter However, illusionary images and items
restrictsclear vision to about 100yqrds. do not disappear at the end of the spell's

Because af the semi-solid nature of
the etherealmatter, spells that creatk re-

75

f' Casting Spells In Unusual Conditions

In the plane of Water, spells are af- spells summoning a particular type of icial necromantic spells will not
fected as described in the CastingSpells elemental creature summon that being b c t i o n in the Negative plane, while
Underwatersection above. only in its native plane. These spells do larrnful spells automaticB5 succeec
not guarantee control over the sum- md inflict maximum damage. Benefi
In the Energy planes, matter c r e :ial spellsrestorethe minimum number
ated by spellsis destroyedone roundaf- moned elemental, but the elemental is >f hp in the negative quasi-planes, and
ter its creation. Spells that inflict not immediatelyhostile to the caster. those spells that requirea saving throw
variable amounts of damagealways in- x are based upon Constitution auto-
flict maximum damage in the plane of Spells summoning animals, mon- matically fail; harmful spells automati-
Positive Energy and minimum damage sters, or other Prime Materialcreatures :ally succeed and inflict maximum
in the plane of Negative Energy. Spells instead summon the elemental versions hmage. Beneficial spellsautomatically
that inflict damageover a period of sev- of these creatures. Elemental creatures iucceed and operate to their maximum
eral rounds function for only one have the same appearance and abilities ability in the positive quasi-planes;
rounc as their Prime Material counterparts, harmful spells inflict minimum damage
but are elementalsof that type found in and saving throwsof 2 or greater auto
The schools of magx are attected as that inner plane (except that the Posi- matically succeed against these spells
tive and Negative planes have no ele- Beneficialspellsin the Positive Material
follows: plane automatically succeed and oper-
mental types). ate to their maximum ability; harmful
Abjuratiox AU spells of this school jpells automaticallyfail.
Spells that contact b e i i in the As-
function normally, subject to the special Magical Items:Weapon plusesare re
tral and outer planesdo not function in duced by two to attack and damagc
laws of the inner planes, except where rolls (a m o r d + 3 effectively becomesa
noted in the spell description. Spells af- the inner planes.
Divination: These spells function w o r d +Z). Exceptions include those
fecting extradimensional matures do
not affect matures native to the inner normally. Those that call on an entity with pluses against particular elemental
planes. Whenthe anti-magicshellisused function only if that entity is native to creatures and those that draw their
in the inner planes, all magical protec- the inner planes or Etherealplanes. power from elemental planes, such as
tions are removed from within that energy draining swords. Armor and
EnchantmenUCharrn: These spells protective devices are likewise reduced
sphere, removing any protection the function normally. Hold person and by two pluses. Magical items that du-
user may have to survivein that plane. charm spellswork only against human- plicate spedfic types of spells operate
under the samerestrictionsas describe('
Alteration: These spells are the most oid elementals. above.
likely to be modified as described ILlusionlPhantasm:These spellsfunc-
above. A lower water spell, for in- The Astral Plane
stance, can be modified to lower fire in tion normally.
the plane of Fire, and airy water could InvocationlEvocation:Usually, invc- From the wizards perspective, the
key features of the Astral plane includ
be modified to airy fire. cationspells functiononly if the entity's the following:
domain is in the sameplane as the wu-
Here are a few special cases: ard. Evocation spells dealing with ele- ltems or matter created b y spells
Transmute rock to mud can func- mental forces can be modified to call are affected by the plane's weightless
environment. For instance, water forms
tion as transform element to para- upon any elemental force. These in- into circularballs; when touched, these
element; earth becomes ooze or clude spells that create items of fire, liquid balls flow over the victim in a
magma, fire becomesmagma or smoke, lightning, ice (but not cold), winds, light film. Liquids that inflict damage,
clouds, fog, and flams. For instance, a such as acid, inflict twice their normal
air becomessmoke or ice, andwaterbe- damage, and victims covered in liquid
comes ice or ooze. Each type of trans- fireball can be modified into a lightning film cannot speak without letting the
ball or earth ball, and lightning bolt can liquid into their lungs and drowning in
mutation must be researched be modified into fire bolt or air bolt; in

separately. all cases, the range and damage remain

Transmute water to dust can be the same. Note that spells such as cone
ofcoldandwallofironcannotbemodi-
modified to transform element to nega-
tiue quasi-element; elemental water be- fied,since they have no actual elemen-

comes ash, air becomes vacuum, fire tal basis.
becomes ash, and earthbecomes dust. Necromancy: Beneficid necromantic

Astral spellwill not work in the in- spellsmtore hitpoints, abilities, levels,
or life. Harmfulnecromantic spells de-
ner planes. prive victims of these quantities. Bene-
Conjuration/Summoning: Usually,

76

Casting Spells In Unusual Conditions

cannot use spells with verbal movement function only in situations
where that movement is permitted in
ter). The liquid can be the Astral plane. For instance, fly only
tensive toweling, works in balls of air, jump only works if
the subject can push against solid ob-
Fires burn in circular flames without jects, and slow and haste affect only
consuming their fuel sources. qa1l of muscular movement (likewiseaffecting
stone and other wall spells, don$ with
other spells that create surfaces, combat) but have no affect on mental
ate hollow spheres with radii of
plus 2 I/z feet per level of the castkr, re- coAnclteenrtartaitoinonspmeollvstehTat nco.nttrol or mod-

gardlessof the listed area of effect+ Tem- ify conditionsoperate only if the condi-
tions already exist; wizards cannot call
perature is poorly conducted ib the
Astral plane, so spells gen these conditions into existence.
and cold do not affect C o n j u r a t i o n / S u m m on i n g :
spell area.
Conjuration/Summoning spells of 5th
A wizard cannot level or higher do not function unless

while casting spells; if linked with abjuration magic (for in-
he must continue moving wit
speed and in the same d stance, a spell belongsto both the conju-
previous round in ord ration and abjuration schools).
spell. Summoning cantrips will not operate,

Spellsthat require a but conjurationcantrips will. Spells that
real or inner planes will call for the direct intervention of an en-

The schools of magi tity will not work unless the entity is a
follows: native of the Astral plane.

Abjaratiom These spells wor EnchantmentKham Spells cannot
mally, except that they cannot call into being creatures from other
fabric of the Astral plane
plane cannot be dispelled or planes. Spells that manipulate or call
Dispel magic affects
travelers by casting into being extradimensional space in

against the the Astral plane do not function, such
as deeppockets.
cords. I
Divination: Because of the inherent
Alteration: Alteration spells1 that magic of the Astral plane, detect magic
causesthe entire plane to radiate magic;
contact the Ethereal and inner there is only a 5% chance for detecting
a specific magic radiation against this
make use of
background.
trick. Spells such as true seeing and devices

such as the gem o f seeing reveal the
fully infinite nature of the Astral plane,

an experience that can overwhelm the

viewer. The chance of being over-
whelmed is 100%minus 5% per level of
the viewer. Those overwhelmed are im-
mobilized for the duration of the spell

or for 1-6 true turns if viewing through
a device.

IllusiodPhantasm: Illusionary spells
and phantasm spellswith an illusionary

component function normally, but
phantasm spells without an illusionary

77

f I Casting Spells In Unusual Conditions

mor and protective devicesare likewise pants of the Nine H (asdetermined by DM), but re-
reducedby one plus. Magicalitemsthat pel magic disrupts spells cast b) tains all the properties of the
creatures native to the outer planes.
duplicatespecific typesof spellsoperate Original.
under the same restrictionsas described Alteration: The Chaos planer
above. (Happy Hunting Grounds to Tarterus, 31-50 Target does not change in ap-
pearance, but gains the proper-
Normal potions in normal vials have inclusive) have a random effea on al.
the viscosity of syrup and tend to cling ties of the new form.
to the sidesof the vials; suchpotionsre- teration spells that create matter (sucb
quire 1-4rounds to consumewith a 5% as fog cloud) or change matter intc 51-70 Target changes to resemble
chance that the drinker chokes (no other shapes (the various polymorph same nearby random object or
damage, but the drinker loses the ef- spells). The chance of a random effec~ creature, but retains the abili-
fects of the potion). Drinking potions depends on the plane (seeTable 10). ties of its original form.
from wineskins or soft flasks avoids
this difficulty and allows normal con- Table 10: Chance of Random 71-90 Target changes to resemble
sumption. Effects of Alteration Spell=
In Outer Planes some nearby random object or
Magical items that tap into extradi-
mensional space or the Etherealor inner Plane Chance of creature, and gainsthe abilities
planes do not function in the Astral Random Effect of that object or creature.
plane, nor do items that call upon
powers from those planes. Happy Hunting 20% 91-00 Target changes in form and
Grounds 20% function into something not in
The Outer Planes Tarterus the immediate area. (D
OlYmPW 40% encouraged to be fiendis
From the wizard's perspective, l e
key features of the outer planes include Abyss 40% ConjuratiodSummoning:
the following:
Gladsheim 60% native b e i i cannot be summoned un-
Spells that require access to Pandemonium 60%
powers and creatures in the inner Limbo 80% less they are in adjacent planes or
planes and Prime Material planes do
not function (unless otherwise noted Created matter subject to a random planar layers. Creatures native to the
below). effect has its appearance altered; for in.
stance, a fog cloud might be blue ir plane can be called upon, but they are
Cantripswill not function. color or sparkle like diamonds. Thr
Creatures and phenomena native not controlledby the wizard; any tasks
to the outer planes are unaffected by change doesnot affect the properties01 given such creatures must be negoti-
Prime Material planar spells that sum- the matter. The DM determines the M ated. Protective spells that are effective
mon, communicate, control, or prevent ture of the change.
entry. Comparable spells exist for each in thePrimeMaterialplane do not func-
The random effect for a spell that al tion against native creatures.
plane, but they must be learned by the ters the shape of matter is that the spel
may not function at all, or that it ma] Find familiar will bring an imp,
wizard in that plane; animal growth for function in an unintended matter. Rol quasit, brownie, or pseudo-dragon.
animals of Elysium is an example. Id100 on Table 11if such a random ef The DM is free to add other suitable
These are not considered modifications
of existing spells, but different spells al- fect is indicated. candidatesor to modify the appearance
together. (but not the abilities) of these familiars.
Table 1 1:Random Effects of
The schools of magic are affected as Altered Shapes in the EnchantmenVCharm:Spells directed
follows: Outer Planes toward specific creatures (such as
charm person) will not function against
Abjuration: These spells are useless dl00 Roll E& their outer planar equivalents. Planes
against b e i i s native to the plane the other than the one occupiedby the wiz-
wizard is in (for instance, protection 1-10 Target does not change in ai
from evil has no effect on the evil o c a - pearanceor properties. ardcannot be accessed, thoughexaadi-
mensional space can be (so spells such

as deeppockets function normally, but
spells such as shadow walk will not).

Magic jar or any similar spell that
leaves the caster's original body unoc-
cupied creates the risk of that body be-
ing occupied by a native of the other

78

tify mainly respond not voluntarily release the body (a Izm- 1
the plane, overwhelming th ited wish or spells of similar power will
of any beings in the plane. F dispel them). are of it. If the roll suc-
if a good warrior is in the
know alignment is o Magical Items: Weapons are reduced
plane’s evil nature and will n by one plus for each plane they are
that the warrior is taken through; this applies only when
moving from plane to plane, not when
goodness.
moving through planar layers. If a
weapon becomes non-magical, all spe-

cial abilities are lost. These penaltiesdo

not apply to weapons designed to affect

particular creaturesof the outer planes.

Armor and other protectivedevices are
similarly affected.

All othw magical items suffer the
same limitations as the spells they

mimic. Magical items that reach into

points that inflict half impaired Vision
damagewhen attacking;

Invocation/Evocation:
tion normally, although

a particular plane. Generally,
changes are similar to tho
enced in the inner planes. F
a wall of ice will begin to m
ately in the heat of the Nine

Spells that involve a body u at anything in part also holds true for il-
e makes to the il-
on the eighthlayer of the Nine ever, spells such as read magic, detect
invisibility, and comp
has a 100percent chance of being (when used to trans
pied on the first day). The that require the wizar
a particular object o
be cast with impaire

Impaired vision has
spells the wizard casts on
as change self or armor. Likewise, im-

79

Casting Spells In Unusual Conditions

Additionally, the vision-impail'ed vision is impaired because of darkness,
and not because of disease or damage).
wizard is creating visual illusions frqm The non-weapon proficiency Blind hears the sound
Fighting is equally ineffective for the a silence spell pre-
memory, and the results might not bl- vision-impaired wizar2 ech), are ineffective
ways be as precise as they would b if
Impaired Hearing blems as vision-
4the wizard could see. In general, he
more complex the illusion cast byl a A wizards hearing can be perma- . rd, the more eas-
nently or temporarilyimpaired as a re-
vision-impairedwizard, themore easjly sult of deafness (magical or natural),
disease, poison, or physical damage
the illusionwill be disbelievedby an c)p (such as repeated exposure to loud
noises). Unlikethe vision-impaired wiz-
ponent; the DM is freeto add as m+h ard, the hearing-impaired wizard has
only modest limitations on his spell
as a + 4 bonus to the saving throwsiof casting abilities.

opponents attempting to dmbeli+e Although most spells have a verbal
component, it is not necessary for the
such illusions (see pages 81-82 of e wizard to clearly hear the words or
sounds he utters to cast a spell. These
Player's Handbook for details on ad u- soundsserve to releasemagical energies
which in turn trigger specific reactions;
dicating illusions, and the section on!lil- as low as the wizard utters the correct

lusions in Chapter 7 of this book).

Vision-impaired wizards can +e

their familiars for information abqut

their surroundings, thus enabling thbn

to cast spells with more accuracy +d
precision. Wizard eye and similar s s
pelc"saene."hIenlfpraauivsiisoinonis-inmopt aailrweadywsiuzsaerfudll
to
in
these situations, since it w o r k to n-

Lhance the wizards natural vision ( -
though infrauision helps if the wizalia

I Casting Spells In Unusual Conditions

DM is free to add as much as a +4 bo- the componentsrulesare not in use; oth- paign, assume that the caster must have
nus to the saving throws of opponents erwise, all of the rules for speech- both arms free in order to cast any spell
attempting to disbelieve such illusions. impaired wizards apply. (see the Casting Spellssectionon page 85
A hearing-impaired wizard cannot use
his familiar to serve as surrogate "ears" Impaired Movement of the PH).Any combination of hand
to enable him to cast such spells with
more precision or accuracy. Many spells require somatic compo- movements and gestureswill suffice.
nents (gestures or movements). If the
Impaired Speech wizard is unable to move his hands (be- Impaired Concentration
cause of damage, a magical effect, or
A wizard's ability to speak can be im- physical restraint) he may be unable to The successful casting of a spell re-
cast a spell that requires hand move- quires intense, uninterrupted concen-
paired as a result of disease, magic ments. If a spell specifically requires tration from the caster. If the caster's
(such as a silence spell), or physical hand movements, the wizard isn't al- concentration is interrupted by an at-
damage. A gagged wizard will also be lowed to substituteanother method. He tack, a sudden noise, or any other dis-
unable to speak. No spell with a verbal cannot just wiggle his ears or rock his traction, the spell is lost.
componentcan be castby a wizard with head in place of the required hand
impaired speech; he must be able to movements, nor can he use a familiaror In certain situations, the caster may
enunciate each phrase or sound of a other character (or animated object) to have trouble focusing or sustaining his
spell's wrbal component clearly and act as his surrogateto executethem. If a concentration. He may be suffering
distinctly for the spell to be successful. single finger is the requirement for a so- from an extreme headache or other ill-
matic component (for instance, if the ness. He may be dizzy, fatigued, or oth-
Ventriloquism cannot substitute for wizard needsto point at the target of his
an impaired-speech wizards voice erwisedisoriented. Or he may have had
when he attempts to speak a spell's ver- en he needs only one free hand
bal component;ventriloquism is useless to cast the spell; otherwise, either hand a little too much wine and is feeling the
to a speech-impairedwizard, since it is (or any finger) will suffice. after-effects. In such cases, the DM can
an extension of sounds the wizard is rule that the wizard is unable to cast
normally able to make. Note that a movement-impaired wiz- spells as effectively as he normally
ard also might have difficulty with spells would. In extreme cases-for instance,
Similarly,an impaired-speech wizard requiring material components. If the if the wizards headacheis so severethat
cannot use his familiar to speak verbal wizard has his hands tied, he may not be he is unable to stand or open his eyes-
components, including those familiars able to reach the necessary materialcom- the DM might rule that the wizard is
capable of speech, since spells only op- ponents inside his back pack or mingled completely unable to cast spells until
erate if the wizard himself utters their with other items in a deep pocket in his his condition improves.
verbal components. robe. Even if he manages to fish them
out, certainspellsmay requirehimto ma- In less extreme cases, the DM can re-
However, an impaired-speech wizard nipulate the material components in a quire the wizard to make a successful
:an use the spell vocalize to allow him Intelligence Check before attempting to
to cast spells that normally require a certain way (he might be required to rub cast any spell to see if he can muster the
verbal component. Casting these spells
must take place within the duration of the components together or hold them necessary degree of concentration. Af-
the vocalize spell. (For more about vo- flat in his hand; protection from evil re-
calize, see Chapter 9 . ) quires the caster to trace a three-foot- ter the wizard announceswhich spell he
diameter circle on the ground with will attempt to cast, the player rolls
According to the Player's Handbook powdered silver). If he cannot manipu-
{pages 85-86),the use of componentsis late the materialcomponentsas required, is lessthan or equal to
an optional rule. If components aren't the spell will not work. When a wizard igence, the spell is cast
used for spell casting in your campaign, acquiresa new spell, the DM should clar- normally. If the result is greaterthan the
it is assumed that the caster must be able i f y its casting procedures. wizards Intelligence, the spell is lost.
to speak in order to cast any spell (see The DM might wish to add a penalty
Rememberthat the use of components or bonus to these Intelligence Checks.
is an optional rule. If components are For instance, if the wizard is disoriented
not used for spell casting in your cam- as a result of falling out of a tree and
landing on his head, the DM might re-
quire a -2 modifier to his Intelligence
Checks Drior to casting;his spells.

81

~74 -Chapter 7: Advanced Procedures

This chapter offers a variety of sug- reasons for restricting advancement extension of Table 20 on page 30 of the
gestionsfor experiencedwizards tohelp Playerk Han&ook). A wizard must
them make more of their magical s!@. into unusuallyhigh levels. Not only is it earn 365,000dxperiencepointsper level
Included are suggestions for spell1 re- difficult for the DM to design meaning- to achieve ea$ level beyond 32.After
search, advice on adjudicating illu- 10thlevel, &ds earn 1hit point per
sions, and some creative casting ful challenges for these characters, level, and thdy no longer gain addi-
techniques for putting new twists1 on players quickly become bored with
old spells. characters whose powers and abilities t~iotintaultihointspfo0q4t b.onuses for high Con-
rival those of the gods.A good policy is
Levels Above 20th to enforce mandatory retirement of !
~ characters once they reach 20th level;
pages 20-21of the Dungeon Master's Spells Above 9th-Level
The Player's Handbook lists ex ri-
ence levels and spell progressions nly Guide explainhow thisis done. There are n' spells higher than 9th-

tfor wizards up to 20th level, but the is Ambitious DMs and curious players {level, and th re never should be. In-

no d e that specifidly restricts +iz- are free to explore the campaign possi- duding highq-level spells would not
ards from advancing to 21st level p d only greatly hbalance the game, it
beyond. There are,however, pract/ical bilities of the upper levels if they so de- would also give characters access to
sire. Table 12gives the experience point magic reserveh exclusively for gods.
requirements and Hit Dice for wizards
DMs contenfiplating the idea of de-
of Ievels 21 through 32 (this table is an signing loth4 vel or higher spells in
spite of this aqkce should first consider
Table 12: Wizard Experience Levels Beyond 20th
'Ethe implicatio ' s of wish,generally con-
Level 4,125,000 Hit Dice (d4)
sidered to be he most powerful of all
21 4,500,000 10+11 the spells. To $e worthy of its superior
22 4,875,000
23 5,250,000 lo+= loth-level spell would
24 5,625,000 ificantly stronger than a
10+13
25 6,000,000 might decide that his characters do not
6,375,000 10+14 an adequate number of
26 6,750,000 Rather than fuss with
27 7,125,000 10+15 the DM is encouraged
28 7,500,000
29 7,875,000 10+16 04 of 9th-level spells (see
30 8,250,000
31 10+17 the section Spells in Chapter 2 for
32 10+18
10+19 P .dePvealrotpoifntghenefIunaopfpplilcaaytiniognas fwoirzasrpdelilss

10+20 through experpentationand improvi-
10+21

10+22

Table 13: Wizard Spell Progression Beyond 20th Level

Wizard Level Spell Level

12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

5 5555444 2
3
22 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 3
23 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4
5
24 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5
5
25 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6
26 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 6
27 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 5 6
28 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6
29 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 7
30 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 6
31 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 6
32 8 8 8 8 7 7 7 7

obvious. If a wizard always uses his face. The opponent is distracted, giving
spells in the same old ways, he is not the wizards companion a momentary
taking full advantage of them. advantage.

The followinglist featuressome unu- A menacing warrior stands before
a1 applicationsfor a variety of spells the party. The wizard casts cantrip to
rom all levels. Players can also use createa banana peel in front of the war-
rior. The warrior takes one step and
suggestions for inspiration when falls on his face.
ting new uses for other spells in
arsenals. Additionally, clarifica- Enlarge
of several of the game‘s more eso- Much is made in the spell description
spells are provided, which can be
in the Player’s Handbook of changing
by the DM to help adjudicate their the size of creatures, but wizards often
overlook the usefulness of enlarge to
Thesimple effectscreated by cantrips change the size of objects. For instance,
if the party is being pursued through a
ave unlimited potential in the hands of narrow passage or hallway, casting en-
large on a stone or other object behind
clever caster. Some examples: the party can effectively block the pas-
sage and prevent the enemy’s advance-
A wizard is resting in an inn when ment. Similarly, if the party is faced
with a locked or stuck door, the reverse
he is awakened by the sound of a bur- spell, reduce, might be able to shrink
the door just
glar entering through the window. The to get throug

wizard casts cantrip to create wracking Mending
In addition to the uses for mending
moans and cries emanatingfrom inside
listed in the spell description, this spell
a closet. Believing the room to be can also be used to repair a leaky boat,
a torn document, a broken wagon axle,
haunted, the terrified burglar may flee. or a cut rope (but it won’t link the ends
of two different ropes to make a single
A wizard is searchinga dark castle rope).

when he discovers a dusty book lying 2nd Level

on a desk. He remembers that similar Invisibility
Wizards
books were trapped to explode in a ball
visibility is an illusion, a condition of
of fire when touched; such books were artificial reality-it’s not an enchant-
ment that causes the caster (or creature
marked with a skull on the front cover. of the caster’s choice) to literally disap-
pear. As such, invisibility is subject to
The wizard casts cantrip, creating a all of the advantages and limitations of
illusionary magic. Following are the
small breeze to blow the dust away most pertinent points:

from the book, revealing the skull on The invisible character can always
I see himself; in effect, he automatically
the cover. disbelievesthe illusion.

A wizard traveling through a jun- The caster cannot tell with cer-

gle is accosted by a band of cannibals.

The wizard casts cantrip to create a puff

of colored smoke. The intimidated can-

nibals, suspecting that the wizard

wields powerful magic, decide to leave

him alone.

The companion of a wizard is

about to engage a dangerous opponent

in a duel. The wizard casts cantrip to

cause a slight itch on the opponent’s

83

I Advanced Procedures

l:Ithat impart knowledge. Exampl enlarged beforeit is removed, the result 4th Level

non-weapon proficiencies d e c t j could be extremel.vp_ainful.)
misdirection include
Animal Lore, Appraising, Astr Mews Minute Meteors field or other open
Direction Sense, and Herbalism. One of themost frrquentlyoverlooked vance of a spreading
subject of misdirection fails his
functions of Me& minute f broken soil de-
material. A fire
meteots (or any flamqroducing speU,
ebreak and remain
tion from the use of his proficien suchasfireball) isitsability to ignitecom- largeenough to pro-
bustiblematerials. In the right situations, is companions from

thisability is capable of producinga star- a rope bridge, the
se his grip and fall. If
ture is harmless, while misdirec tling amount of damage,rivaling and of-
praising will convince him Is his saving throw,
valuable gem is worthless. ten exceeding the damage c a d by
spells of much higher levels. n intact bubble filled
re, a creatureor object
Web Tongues
This spell can be used ng character wants
Thii spell can be quite useful to the underwater cavern,
net to prevent damageto cast around a bum-
wizard for discreetly communicating
with other characters, but only if he un- ed fire could then

tions or surfacesavailab derstands exactly how it works.
web. A web of at least Tongues acts as a selective translator,

not as a universal translator-that is,

not everyone in the spell's area of effect

which he falls. understands the translatedlanguage.
For instance, imagine that a wizard

3rd Level can speak only common. All other

members of his party also speak only

Hold Person common. The party encountersa group
of two dwarves and one gnome; the
The name of this spell should no be
taken literally. Hold person mak its dwarves speak only dwarvish, the

victims rigid-if they're f a l l i i , f o in- gnome speaks only gnomish. The wiz-
stance, it cannot "freeze" them in id- ard casts tongues and speaks to the

d.fall and suspend them in the air. gnome; the gnome automatically un-

(However, see the hold derstandswhat the wizard says, but the

below.) dwarves and the other party members

Item do not-as far as they can tell, the wiz-
ard is speaking gnomish. Assuming the

wizard is of sufficiently high level (he

can speak one additional tongue for

can be concealed up every threelevelsof experience)and the
spell's duration has not yet expired, he

or in his trousers. The wizard c can also address the dwarves. Both
use the enlarg& weapon to s dwarves will understand the wizard,
captors or, if the but the gnome and the rest of the party
bound, he may be able t
will not.
weapon to cut himself free. If a dwarf and a gnomebeginchatter-
the spell can be used to EO
ing at the wizard at the same time, and
p l i i hook or a thief's pick. the wizard is of sufficiently high level
should be careful
shrunken weapon; if a and the spell's duration hasn't expired,

sword is tucked inside his pants the wizard can understand them both.

The other party members, however,
will hear nothing but babble.

84

be carried underwater A limited wish can temporarilyre- 9th Level
tinue to burn until the air supply i storelife to any creature or person who
was reduced to 0 hit points or less Wish
sphere was exhausted. (The within the previous 24 hours. The lim- Since it can kheoretically have any ef-
should take precautions to ited wish restores the subject to exactly
ing burned-in most 1hit point. Success is not automatic; fect, no spell is more difficult for the
gloves would probably the subject is required to make a resur- DM to adjud9ate than wish. The DM
rection survival check. However, the can save himsklf a lot of headachesif he
5th Level effect lasts for only a limited time (1-4 decides the ljmits of wish before his
hours is a good range). At the end of
Hold Monster I this time, the creature reverts to the obligated to discuss
number of hit points he had before the
I limited wish was cast (0hit points or campaign begins. In
less). he should be willing
Since this spell immobilizes viclims a general idea of his
A limited wish can inflict damage is impossible to an-
and prevents them from moving on any single character.A good range is
or creatures can be af-
their own power, it is a very 20-40 (5d4 + 15) hit points of damage. conjurer have first-

ing overhead will not The victim can save vs. spell for half treasure?Are such cre-
fall to the ground, it damage.
creatures can a single
significant amount of damage whdn it A limited wish can duplicate the
effects of any spell of 7th-level of less. creatures can a single
hits (ld6 hit points of da
10 feet fallen). A limited wish can change the out- Ptures other th wishing them dead?
come of any action the wizard took Following re some guidelines for
Telekinesis , within the past 24 hours, as long as the what wishes can accomplish. As al-
change is reasonably minor. For in-
This spell can be used to scoo stance, the wizard could wish to search free to alter these sug-
the body of an opponent he defeated way he sees fit.
slimes, jellies, and other earlier that day, but he could not wish
to single-handedly have fought and de- Suggestions n+ted-withan asterisk ( * )
creatures in jugs feated an entire army. a penalty for the

If the containers All of the general restrictionsthat ap- of the penalty is up to
ply to wish (see below) also apply to include 2d4 days
can be used to position the limited wish. The suggestionsregarding loss of 1-4
the selection of appropriate durations,
over an opponent's head, casting times, and areas of effect also A wish 'can create a random
amount of treasure for the caster. A
dump their contents. apply.

could also be filled 8th Level

other damaging substances. Sink
This spell is a terrific way to help a
7th-Level
Limited Wish character who is on the verge of falling
off the edge of a cliff or losing his grip
have an opportunity to use when hanging from the edge of a build-
bly before the campaign b ing. While the subject clings to the cliff,
are some suggestions for w the wizard casts sink. If the spell is suc-
wish can accomplish. The cessfully cast, the subject becomes
alter these suggestions as he sees stuck to the cliff and won't fall. How-
ever, the spell expires in four turns, at
A limited wish can heal d which time the subject risks falling.
for the caster or any single chara
the caster's choice. A goo

35 hit points (5d4 + 15) o

this way, it cannot be u
life; that is, it cannot affe
who has been reduced t

85

good range is 1,ooO - 10,ooOgp (ld10 x long as the score is not raised above 16. achieve with his wish, then decide the
It takes 10wishes to permanently raise
1,OOO). The treasure can include gold any ability scoreeach point beyond 16. components, casting time, and so forth,
pieces, jewelry, gems, items, or any (For instance, it takes20 wishes to raise
combination desired by the caster a character's Strength from 16to 18.) basing his decisions on his l i t a t i o n s
within the randomly determined mone-
tary value. Magical items are excluded A wish can temporarily raise an for wishes in his campaign. The ele-
(they require a separate wish).
ability to 18for 1-6hours. mentsshouldbe logical and reasonable.
A wish can heal damage for the
A wish can duplicate the effectsof Here are some guidelines:
caster, his companions, or any characters any other spell.
Components Wishes have only ver-
or creatum of thecaster's choice. A good What can't a wish do?Aside from the bal components. Keep them simple. A
restrictions above, a wish should never
range is 45-70 hit points (sd6 + 40) grant experience points or extra levels short, spoken phrase is usually suffi-
to a character. Nor should wishes be
healed. Theserecoveredhit pointscan be able to duplicate artifacts or create ex- cient.
tremely potent magical items (a potion
spread among as many characters as the of inoisibility might be acceptable, but Duration: h most cases, the effectsof
a sword +4 might not). a wish will be permanent. The DM
caster desires; for instance,if a wish heals
The DM retainsthe right to disallow should decide in advance if there are
50 hit points, the caster could heal 20 hit any wish he believes is too potent. He
points of his own damageand heal 10hit any exception$.
can also bestow an interpretation of the
points for three of his companions. If a wish thatfollows theliteral instructions Casting Time: If the wish mimics the
wish isusedto heal damagein thisway, it of the wizard, and not the wizard's in-
cannot be used to restore life; that is, it tended meaning (greed and gross ma- function of another spell, use that
cannot afka any creaturewho has been nipulation of the rules should not be
rewarded). spell's casting time as a guideline, per-
reduced to 0 hit points.
Examples: hapsmaking it:a little longer if the wish
* A wish can restore life to any If the wizard wishes for an entire
creature who was reduced to 0 hit effect is signiyicantly more powerfd
points or less within the previous 24 castle of his own, the DM might have
hours. The wish restores the subject to than the mimiakedspell. For instance, if
exactly 1hit point. Success is not auto- the castle appear in mid-air, then crash
matic; the subject is requiredto make a to the ground in a heap of rubble. a wish is used to teleport a party (as de-
resurrection survival c h d .
If the wizard wishes "to never scribed above), note that the teleport
* A wish can destroy any single againsuffer damage from bladed weap
creature of 10 HD or less, or any char- ons," the DM might turn him into a without error spell has a casting time of
acter of 10th level or less within the stone statue.
caster's visual range. The affected crea- 1.Since the wish has a more powerful
ture or character is allowed a saving If the wizard wishes for a dragon
throw vs. death magic; if the check is to vanish, the dragon might pop out of effect, a castiq time of 4 or 5 for a tele-
successful, the creature is unaffeded. sight, then abruptly reappear in an- porting wish is appropriate. When in
other location, perhaps a few yards
(Be carefulwith this-in many cases,it from the dragon's originalposition. doubt, use the casting times for other

is a better idea to advance the spell- If the wizard wishes for a fortune 9th-level spell$ as guidelines, or use a
caster to a future time period in which in gold, the DM might teleport thisfor-
the target creature no longer exists, as tune from a king's private treasure casting time of 1round.
described on page 197 of the Player's vault. The king will then send his best
men to arrest the thieving wizard. Area of Hfbct: In most cases, com-
Handbook).
A wish can teleport without error The DM is responsiblefor determin- mon sense will determine the area of ef-
ing the components, duration, casting
the caster and up to a dozen compan- time, andarea of effecteach time a wish fect. For instance, if a wish is to be used
ions to any location. The caster must is to be cast. The DM shouldfirst deter-
have been to the location previously. mine what effect the wizard intends to to heal damqe, the affected persons
The location can be in any plane of ex-
istence. shouldbe within sight of the caster. The

A wish canpermanentlyadd one DM can be reasonably generous with
areas of effect. If the caster wishes for
point to any ability score of the caster
or any person of the caster's choice, as 5,ooOgptobe(lepositedinachest1,ooO

miles away, that is within reason.
As an example of how all of theseele-

ments might be determined, imagine

that the wizaql wishes to teleport him-

D dself and his party to the wizards home

town. The determinesthe elements
pof the spell as follows:
Verbal Com oocnaeti.notn:.Speak the name
the desired
of

Duration: Illstantaneous.

Casting T i q e 1round.

Area of Effect: All characters within

a 20-yard radius of the caster.



Wvanced Procedu

-

More About Adjudicating Complexity-Non-Living
Illusions Objects affect its complexity

Whether an NPC is able to dkb&e+e a The most importantelement in deter-

PC w i z a d s illusion or whether a Pc is mining an illusion's believability is its
able to disbelievean NPC illusion is complexity.The more complex the illu-

mately up to the DM. The DM sion, the more difficult it is for the

low a saving throw against an illusi caster to get all the detailsright, andthe

the subject has any reason at more likely it is for a subject to notice a
the existence of what he is mistake. There are more details to a

To account for the degree firebreathing dragon than there are to a smooth gray
Multiple col-
given illusion, as we^ as any informa+on a stationary boulder, so it is no surprise
b-available to the subject about the that a subject would be more likely to

ceived illusion, the DM should m e disbelieve the illusionary dragon than
the subject's saving throws with a p p - he would the illusionaryrock.
I An illusion can be a recreation of a senmry elemqts (a field of variously
priate bonuses and penaIties. colored flowek that have a variety of
non-living (inanimate) or a living (ani-
How does a DM make these d b - mate) object. These need to be treated fragrances)c o b d be considered excer
in different ways. sive, as could1the illusion of motion,
sions'l There are a number of faqors
In general, the complexity of non- not necessarily cu-
that can be considered to help deler- in the most ex-
living objectsdepends on sue [a pebble
mine bonuses and penalties for saving would an illusion of
throws. It's unrealistic to expect the bM vs. a boulder), number (a single boul-
der vs. a dozen boulders scattered over
to meticulously evaluate every as an area), and appearance (a smooth ceptional

!-Pof an illusion before he decides on the gray boulder vs. a sparkling, mul

modifiers, but the following can!be

1used as general guidelines.

I _ _ _ - -ed Procedures

cxampies: throw. However, if the illusionary crea- An illusion of a pile of sticks that
An i€lusion of a single blue dia- ture is a specific, one-of-a-kind monster bursts into green flames; the flames then
or NPC that the subject is familiar with- change into a miniature replica of a pur-
mond. Savingthrow modifier: 0. Noth- such as a friend of the subject, or the sub- ple castle with frog’s legs; the castle tap
ing about this illusion is particularly ject’s pet dog-the subject should receive dances, and finally turns into a pumpkin
difficult since it is a single, stationary a special modifier. with the subject’s face before disappear-
item. ing in a puff of pink smoke, and the sticks
As with the modifiers for inanimate are unburned. Saving throw modifier:
An illusion of ten thousand spar- objects, these factors are not necessar-
kling blue diamondstumbling in an av- ily cumulative. Only in exceptional +2. This is downright bizarre, easily jus-
alanche down a hillside. Saving throw: cases would an illusion result in a sav-
tifymg the higher modifier.
+2. There are a large number of items, ing throw modifier of more than +3.
I aws
they‘re sparkling, and they’re in mo- Examples:
tion. The comparatively high saving An illusion of a single orc standing Illusions are seldom perfect, and wary
throw bonus is also justified by the ex- subjects will always be alerted to an im-
tremely unusual effect-a character still, polishing his sword. Saving throw age’s illusionary nature by its imperfec-
might accept an avalanche of boulders, modifier: 0. Nothing is particularlydif- tions. Forinstance, if a wizarduses a spell
but an avalanche of diamondsis likely ficult about creating an illusion of a sin- such asphantasmal force to createan illu-
to arouse suspicion. gle, low HD creature engaged in a sionary creature, the creature might lack
relatively simple action. one or more obvious sensory elements,
Complexity-Living Objects such as sound, aroma, or body tempera-
An illusion of King Sluz, the fa- ture, which can be a dead giveaway that
Generally, the higher the Hit Dice or mous orc ruler, brandishing his five- the creatureis only an illusion. In extreme
level of the illusionary creature, the pronged trident, screeching a war cry, cases, the subject‘s saving throw can be
more complex it is to convincingly cre- and leading a squad of six snarling orc
ate and the more likely it is for a subject modifiedby asmuch as +4. If thewizard
:o disbelieve. An illusion of an ant is soldiers. Saving throw modifier: +3.
easier to create than the illusion of a is using a better spell, such as improved
dragon. This also applies to illusionary The modifier assumes the subject is fa- phantasmal force, any sensory elements
NPCs-a 15th-level warrior is harder miliar with King Sluz. Casting a believ-
to create than a peasant with 3 hit able illusion of a well-known NPC is lacking in the illusionwill not be as obvi-
points. Similarly, the more creaturesin- always extremely difficult, particularly
cluded in the illusion, the harder it is to when he is executing a complex action ous, and the subject’ssaving throw rarely
create; an illusionof 20 peasantswould and is accompaniedby other creatures. will be modified by more than +2.

be more difficult than a single peasant. Magical Effects and Special Examples:
Illusions of active creaturw are more Attacks An illusion of a bee. Saving throw

difficult to create than illusions of rela- Magic is common in most AD&D@ modifier: +1(phantasmal force),0 (im-
tively inactivecreatures. If the illusionary campaign worlds, so opponents are not proved phantasmal force). The illusion-
x-eatureisexecutinga simpleaction, such necessarily suspicious of extraordinary ary bee won’t buzz in a lower-level
3s standing still, polishing its sword, or effectsthat appear to defy natural laws. illusion, but it will in the higher-level
grazing in the grass, no special modifier However, in certain instances, illusions Spell.
that incorporatemagical effects or spe-
for the subject’s saving throw may be re- cial attacks will require saving throw An illusion of a hissing fire lizard
modifiers. In general, a wizard cannot covered with filth. Saving throw modi-
quired. However, if the illusionary crea- create excessively bizarre magical ef- fier: +4 (phantasmal force), +1 (im-
ture is executing a complex series of fectsin his illusion without arousing the proved phantasmal force). The
actions, such as singing a song while suspicion of the subject, adding a sav- lower-level illusion won’t be able to du-
dancing and juggling, or attacking with ing throw modifier of as much as +2. plicate the lizards hiss, body heat, or
two weaponswhile shoutinga war cry, a the smell of the filth. The higher-level
Example: spell will do a better job, but the modi-
modifier may be in order. An illusion of a pile of sticks that fier assumes that at least one of these el-
ements is imperfect or missing.
If the illusionary creature is a generic abruptly bursts into flames. Saving
monster or NPC-that is, it is a ”typical” throw modifier: 0. This is not an unusual
orc or NPC warrior-there is no needfor magical effect.
a special modifier for the subject’s saving

Revealed Illusions +castingab&ties, he receivesa 1bonus the DM so he can

on to his saving throw. or researching exist-
e if can make any ad-
fully disbelievesan illusion Summary of Modifiers
plish. The player be-
another subject of the illusion, the - For qui& reference, Table 14summa- a rough draft of the
rizes all of the situations described including its effects,
ond subject receives a modifier to$s above, giving a rangeof possiblemodi- ation, and area of ef-
fiers to the subject's saving throw. then adjust these ele-
saving throw. The amount of this Again, these are sugggestionsonly, not
hard and fast rules, and the D M is hpe throw, and, most
ifier depends on the reliability of to tinker with them as he sees fit. These
formant and the magnitude of modifiers are not necessarify cumula- .(For help with de-
illusion. If the informant in unrelia+le tive; in fact, modifying any saving
and the illusion is formidable (for in- throw for disbelieving illusions by +4 he D M can veto a
stance, an illusionof a deadly monst is unusual, while modifyinga throw by any of the following
the subject might ignore the +6 (or more) should occur only in the
entirely; in this case, no special sa+ most exceptionalcircumstances. 11is not of a level
throw modifier applies. If the info ble 4 of the Player's
ant is reliable (the subject's commanF Table 14:
or friend), and the illusion is relativ y Summary of Possible spell belongs to a
Modifiers for Saving
minor (such as the image of a +I Throws vs. Illusions
fire), the subject's saving throw can be
Factoa of Modifier
modified by as much as +4. Illusion Range for
Subject
Intelligence Complexity (use one
of the following): Oto +2
It makes sense that a highly Non-living Oto +3
gent wizard would be able to Living Oto +2

sense that subjects Magical &ts Oto +2
0 to + 4
would be lesslikely to Flaws (useone of the
following): -2 to 0
gence is exceptionally high (18 lor phantasmal force +1 to 0
more), the subject's saving throw mi&t or similar spell
improved phantasmal
b-be modified by -1. If the subject's
force or similar spell
telligence is exceptionally low (7 or
Intelligence of caster
less), his saving throw might be m and subject

T-fiedby -l.A -2modifierispossibl if Illusion-castingsubject

both the caster's Intelligence is high apd
the subject's Intelligenceis low.

Remember also that characters 4 t h

exceptionally high Intelligence are u-
tomatically immune to low-level i$u-

sions. These immunities #re
summarized on Table 4 of the Playb's

Handbook.

The Illusion-Casting Subject Spell Research

Charactem and creatures who dan W i d s can research new spells by
cast illusions themselves are following the rules on pages 43-44 of
harder to fool. If the subject is the Dungeon Master's Guide. Most of
sionist "C or a creaturewith illusib-t-

90

AdvancedProcc ’
~

The player proposes to research a brary, such as those existing in major of its value. The value of
;pel1 of 10th-level or higher. (No spell cities or in academies of magic. (The necessary for each spell leve
:an exceed 9th- level.) DM decides if a library of acceptable rized in Table 15.
size is available to the wizard).
Spell Components Table 15:
The Basic Investment for a labora- Library Val
If the DM is using the optional rules tory is 1,o(ro-6,000 (ld6 x 1000) gp. for Spell Research
for spell components (page 44 of the The DM determines the cost of the lab-
Dungeon Muster’s Guide), the compo- oratory, either by rolling randomly or GP Value Can Research
nents for the proposed spell should be setting a specific price. As with the li- of Library
established before the research begins. brary, there are two ways a wizard can Spells of This
If the spell is of a relatively low level, avoid paying the Basic Investment for 2,000
the components should be fairly sim- a laboratory: 4,000 Level
ple, but higher-level spells might re- 8,000 1st
quire unusually obscure components, 1.The wizard has purchased a labo- 14,000 2nd
such as the cloak of a spectre, the ratory previously. Once a wizard pur- 22,000 3rd
freshly-clipped toenail of a troll, or a chases a lab, it becomes a permanent 32,000
handful of dust from the Abyss. (The part of his possessions. He never has to 44,000 I
quest for a needed component makes buy another one unless, of course, it 58,000
for an excellent adventure spring- blew up in a lab accident or is otherwise 74,000 JLll
board.) In any case, the wizard must destroyed.
have all necessary components in hand 6th
before he can begin his research. 2. The wizard has access to a labora-
tory in a major city or at a magical For instance, before a wizard can be-
Cost of Research academy. A city or academy that has a
suitablelibrary will usually have a suit- gin researching a 4th-level spell, he
Page 44 of the DMG gives a general able laboratory, but the decision be-
rangeof costs for researching new spells longs to the DM. The DM might also must have access to a library w o
(100-1,OOOgp per spelllevel, plus1,000- require the wizard to pay a modest least 14,000gp. If he has no books at all
10,OOO gp for a laboratory). Following weekly rental fee-say, 20-120 (2d6 x
is an alternate way to establish research IO) gp-for the use of the lab. in his library (perhaps because he has
costs.
The Operational Cost is an ongoing never researched a spell before), he
There are two categoriesof expenses expense necessary to sustain the re- must spend 14,000 gp on books before
required for research: the Basic Invest- search. The Operational Cost must be he can begin. If he has a library of lesser
ment, and the Operational Cost. paid every week and mainly represents value (for instance, if his library is
the price of additionalbooks, supplies, worth 4,000 gp), he must spend what-
The Basic Investment is a onetime and scrolls. The weekly Operational
expenditure, representing the funds Cost is equal to 200-1,200 (2d6 x 100) ever money is necessary to increase the
spent to buy the scrolls and books gp. The DM determines the Opera- value of his library to the appropriate
needed, as well as the funds necessary tional Cost, either by rolling randomly
to assemble a suitable laboratory. or choosing a fixed price. There is no level. (If he has a 4,000 gp library, he
way for a wizard to avoid paying the must spend an additional 10,000 gp be-
The library costs for each spell level weekly Operational Cost.
are summarized in Table 15. fore he can research a 4th-level spell
The Wizard’s Mbrary For the most part, books that are
There are two ways a wizard can
avoid the Basic Investment for a li- Before a wizard can begin research suitablefor research are hard to find. If
brary. on any spell, he must have a sizeable li- a wizard is assembling his library prior
brary of arcane books and scrolls. The to research, assume that it t a k e 5-10
1.The wizard already has a suitable size of the librarv is expressed in terms
library of his own (see the Wizards Li- (ld6 + 4) weeks of searching to locate
brary section below).
1,000 gp worth of books.
Books can sometimes be purchased

in the bookshops of any major city or
from N P C book collectors. A fortunate

wizard may stumble upon such books
during his adventuresand keep them as
he would any other discovered trea-

sure; these books, of course, don’t cost

h m any money. 1he quest for a p w c - 14,000 gp, he will never need to make

ular book can be the basis for an entire another Basic Investment in library

adventure. (The DM determines dhe books when he wants to research 4th-

value of any discoveredbooks.) level spells. Once he has assembleda li-

For the purposes of spell researqh, brary valued at 74,000 gp, he can it produces results
find more realistic.
whether a library is of suitable size $e- researchspellsof any level without ever
spell is two weeks
pends on its value, not its actual nuin- making another Basic Investment in
the wizard is free
ber of books. However, as a point of books. Clearly, a wizards library is one
Tinterest, assume that the cost of a s’ amount of research
of his most precious possessions. The s can be checked.

research book varies between 1 0- prudent wizard will go to great lengths quired Operational
Loo0 (ld10 x 100) gp. Therefore, a li- to keep his library safe and protected.
. If he runs out of
brary suitable for researching 4th-leel
spells is valued at 14,000 gp and cqn- Initial Preparation orehe can resume.
tains 14-140 books. on, this interrup
Once a wizard has assembled a li- After the Basic Investment is made
(or avoided, i fthe wizard already owns the wizards re-
brary of sufficient value, he can be@ for an extended
research, but he still must pay t/he or has access to a suitable library), the
weekly Operational Costs. The Opefa- wizard must spendpreparationtime be- r more-the DM
tional Costscorrespondto thepurch fore the actual researchbegins. This ini-
tial preparationinvolves basic reading u m research period
rof additional books and supplies. H If and reviewingof notes; in addition, the
wizard must prepare himself mentally an check to see if he
these Operational Costs can be consid- and physically for the grueling task
ered to be new tomes. Therefore, oqer formula is used to
the course of his research, the wiza&’s ahead. This initial preparation lasts a
library will increase in value. For in- elligence + research-
stance, assume that a wizard wity a number of weeks equal to the level of ] -(level of spellbe-
14,000 gp library has a weekly Opeta- theproposedspell, plus one. Therefore,
a wizard attempting to research a 5th-
tional Cost of 400 gp to research a 41h- level spell must spend six weeks in in-
level spell. After he has researched for
four weeks, he’ll have spent a total1of tial preparation.

1,600 gp in Operational Costs and is Research Time and Chance of earn moremo
library wlll have increased in value $0
gp. (Buying books with Operatiow Success

Cost funds is assumed to be part of the According to page 44 of the Dungeon

research process and requires no extra Masterk Guide, a wizard can check to
time.)
see i f he has successfdy researched a
+-As his research progresses, a q r d spell after he has spent the minimum
can opt to spend more than the number of weeks required in research.

mum amount of money requiredfor his The success check is the same as his
Operational Costsin order to buy adhi- chance for learning any new spell.
tional books to increase his chances1of Though this is a simple, straightfor-
successfully researching his spell. +e
ward method for checking success, it
effects of these additional expenditubes does not consider the researcher’s expe-
are explainedrn the Research Time dnd rience level (a more experiencedwizard
Chance of Successsection below.
When a wizard spends money oq 1i- would probably be more successful at

brary books, whether spent as part1 of researching spells than a less experi-
encedwizard) or the level of the spell (a
the Basic Investmentor as Operatio#al hi&-level spell would be more difficult
Costs, t h books then become part1 of to research than a lower-level spell).
his permanent library. Therefore, ofice Nor doesit considerany extra fundsthe
he has assembled a library valuedl at

92



Limiting the Success Chance ion here. However, a few points are Bowever, a sizeable library of magical
North mentiolIiXg
Notice that a wizard's chance of suc- iomes probably contains short-cuts,
cessfully researching a spell could ex- Laboratories The laboratory require hints, and formulas that will help the
ceed 100 percent, particularly when a nents for Feseardu.ngmagicalitemsare
high-level wizard is researching an ex- wizard in hisitem research. A t the D M s
isting low-level spell. Although auto- Merentthanthoseforre.warchings&.
matic success is certainlyin the spirit of discretion, access to a sizeable library
the game (according to Table 4 of the Spell march requires shelving, easels,
Playerk Handbook, all wizards of 19th (say, with a value of at least 74,000 gp)
level and above have a 100 percent miting tools, files, and similar supplies, can increase a wizard's chance of suc-
chance of learning new spells), some item research rrquires test tu&, cessby asmuch as 10percent. Access to
DMs might prefer to eliminate any a library doesn't change the amount of
chance of automatic success. If so, we beakers, burners, chemic&, and 0th- time it takes to research and create an
suggest requiring that all wizards must equipment.
roll for success, even if their calculated item, nor does it change the amount of
chance exceeds 100percent; a roll of 95 Consequently, a wizard who invested
or higher is treated as failure. in a spell research laboratory will still money that must be spent.
need to buy equipment to research an
More About MagicalItem item. For example, assume that a wiz- Specialist Bonus:If a specialist is re-
Research ard just spent 5,000 g p on a laboratory
for spell research, and now wants to re- searching an item that duplicatesan ef-
Magical item research is discussed in search a new potion. The basic cost foI fect of a spell from his school, his
detail on pages 84-88 of the Dungeon an alchemical laboratory is 2,000 g p chanceof successcan be increased by as
Master's Guide and needslittle elabora- (see page 87 of the DMG). Since the
5,000gplaboratoryisudssfor potion much as 10percent. If the DM uses this
research, the wizard must spend 2 , N
gp for alchemical equipment. rule, he shouldalso deny a specialistthe
chance to research an item that dupli-
Libraries: Just as a wizard's spell re cates a spell effect from any of the spe-
search lab is relatively useless for iten
research, so is his spell research library cialist's oppositional schools. The
researcher's school has no effect on the

amount of research time required, nor
does it affect the amount of money that

must be spent.

94

Chapter 8: New Spells

This chapter includes a considered; specific verbal and soman- First-Level Spells
new spells that can be used tic components are not required, but
ment the choices provided they add color to the game by giving Copy (Evocation)
er's Handbook. These players a clearer idea of exactly what
options for the procedures must occur in order for their Range: Special

to player characters. PC wizards to cast spells. Requiring

S-pell Descri-ptions I specific components can also make for
some challenging game situations. For
The game statistics listed for the example, if a wizard is gagged, he may
pells below follow the guidelines1on be prevented from casting spells with
spoken verbal components. Similarly, a
1page 129of the Player's Handbook. All wizard with his hands bound behind
him may have problems casting a spell
of these spells are acquired, me 0- whose somaticcomponentrequires spe-
cific hand gestures. (See Chapter 6 for
rized, and recorded in spellbooks as de- more information about impaired cast-
ers and spell components.) Verbal
iscribed on page 41 of the Dung on components can be single words, brief
phrases, snatches of poetry, chants, or
Muster's G u i d e a n nonsense syllables. They can be spo-
er's Handbook. ken, whispered, shouted, or sung. Ver-
bal components can also be groans,
Spell Components grunts, coughs, whistles, or any other
vocally-produced sound.
Material Components
Often, the verbal component will re-
In accordance with the listings in the late to the effect of the spell. For in- see if he can lqarn the new spells; if so,
Player's Handbook, material compo- stance, the verbal component for he can cast CORY to instantly copy them
nents are given below for the spells that feather fall might be the whispered into his spell dook.
require them. The DM must decide the word "float," while a low, eerie moan
precise amounts of these materials,.as might work for detect undead. Dimen- The materibl components for this
well as any other details about them. sion door might be the spoken word spell are a pie& of blank parchment (or
For instance, color spray requires a "open," while the verbal component for a book with lqlank pages, as described
gust of wind might be a slow exhalation above), and a drop of black ink.
"pinch of colored sand-the DM de- of airl
Chromatic Orb (Alteration,
cideswhat exactlyconstitutes a "pin-h." Somaticcomponentscan be any type
Likewise, dancing lights requires a of physical gesture. For some spells, Evocation)
glowworm-must the glowworm be merely touching or pointing at the tar-
alive, or can it be a preservedspecimen? get or subject is sufficient. More elabo- Range: 0 I
Less fussy DMs can allow their wizz.rds rate gestures are suitable for
as much latitude as they wish with ma- higher-level spells. In many cases, the Components: V, S, M
terial components, as long as they meet somatic component will relate to the
the generalrequirements of the spell de- spell's effect. For instance, the somatic Duration: Special
scription. component for audible glarner might
require the caster to put his hand to his
Verbal and Somatic I ear as if he were listening. Rapidly rub-
Components bing the hands together might suffice
for chill touch, while wiggling the fin-
The DM makes the decision gers like a spider might serve as the SO-
ing precise verbal and somatic matic component for web.
nents for any spell,
suggestions from players

95

New Saells

each color indicates a different special ing which time the victim makes his at- + 4) rounds; a successful saving throw
power. The caster can hurl the sphere at tack rolls and saving throws at a -4
an opponent up to 30 yards away, pro- vs. paralyzation halves the number of
viding there are no barriers betweenthe penalty, and his A C is penalized by 4. rounds.
caster and the target. If the target is no Heat from the or&is intense enough
more than 10yards away, thecaster‘s to Petrification from the or& turns the
hit roll is made with a +3 bonus. If the to melt 1cubic yard of ice. The victim victim to stone. If the victim success-
target is 10-20 yards away, the caster’s fully saves vs. petrification, he avoids
roll is made with a +2 bonus. If the tar- suffers a loss of 1point of Strength and turning to stone and instead is slowed
get is 20-30 yards away, the caster’s roll 1 point of Dexterity (or for victims (as per the spell) for 2-8 (2d4) rounds.
is made with a +1bonus.
without these attributes, -1 to hit and Death from the or&causes the victim
If the chromatic or&missesits target, a penalty of 1to AC) for 1round. to die. If the victim successfully saves.
it dissipates without effect. If the target vs death magic, he avoids death and in-
creature makes a successful saving Fire from the or&ignitesall combusti- stead is paralyzed for 2-5 (ld4 +1)
rounds.
throw, the chromatic or&is also ineffec- ble materialswithin 3 feet of the victim.
Blindness from the or&causesthe vic- Corpse Visage (Illusion,
tive. Otherwise, the color of the orb de-
termines the amount of damage tim to become blind as per the spell. Necromancy)
inflicted and its special power, as sum-
marized on Table 16: details about the The effea lasts for 1round/levelof the Range: Touch
special powers are listed below. The Components: V, S,M
caster can create a single orb of any caster.
color listedfor his level or lower; for in- Stinking cloud from the or& sur- Duration 1round/level
stance, a 3rd-level wizard can create an Casting Time: 1round
orange, red, or white orb. rounds the victim in a 5-foot-radius Area of Effect: Creature touched
Saving Throw Neg.
The material componentfor this spell noxious cloud. The victim must save
is a gem of the appropriatehue or any vs. poison or will be reeling and unable This spell transforms the caster’s face
diamond. The gem must have a value of
at least 50 gp. to attack until he leaves the area of the or the face of any creature touched by
thecaster into the h o r r i f y i i visage of a
Light from the orb causes the victim vapors. rottingcorpse.Theeffect of this illusion
to become surroundedby l i t to a ra- Magnetism from the or&has an effect is so startling that when it is viewed by
dius of 20 feet, as if affected by a light opponents, the wizard’s party adds a
spell. The effect lasts for 1round, dur- only if the victim is wearing armor modifier of +2 to their surprise roll.
made from iron. The iron armor be- Creatures with low Intelligence or
higher (Intelligenceof 5 or greater) and
comes magically magnetized for 3-12 with 1Hit Die or less (or who are 1st
level or lower) must make a successful
(3d4) rounds. Other iron objects within saving throw when first viewing corpse
visage or flee in terror for 1-4rounds.
3 feet of the casterwill stick tight to the
magnetizedarmor: only dispel magic or Corpse &age does not distinguish
a similar spell can release the stuck between friend and foe, and all who
items. A t theend of the spell’s duration, view it are subject to its effects. If the
spell is cast upon an unwilling victim,
the stuck items are released. the victim is allowed a saving throw to
Paralysis from the orbcauses the vic- avoid the effect.

tim to become paralyzed for 6-20 (2d8 The material component is a rag or
piece of cloth taken from a corpse. The
Table 16: Chromatic Orb Effects cloth must be prepared by dotting it
with paints of assorted colors.
Level of Color ofOrt) Hit Points Special
Caster Generated of Damage Power
1st White 1-4
2nd Red Light
Orange 1-6 Heat
3rd Yellow Fire
4th 1-8 Blindness
GW stinking cloud
5th Turquois 1-10 Magnetism
6th Blue 1-12 Paralvsis
7th Violet 2-8
loth Black 2-16 Petrificatio
Death
slow
puralysis

I YO

I Ne& hells

Detect Disease (Divination) is not blocked by lead or any other sub- Second4evel Spell
stance. However, if an impenetrable
Range: 10 yards obstacleis reached, such as the ground iCasting Time 2
or a wall, the branch presses against it
Components: V, S, M and stops. If there is no item matching Area of Effec : One creature
the description within the spell range, Saving Thro : 1/z
Duration: 1round/level the branch does not react, although the
Casting Time: 1 caster can move about and continue to ke, the caster causes
Area of Effect: 1creature or object search. hands to appear
Saving Throw: None of a single victim.
The material component for this spell a human, demihu-
Detect diseuse reveals to the wizard is the branch from a ginkgo tree or a
whether a subject creature or object fruit tree, such as peach, apple, or ,and must be within
carries a disease, whether normal or ster. The hands will
magical. Additionally, there is a 10per- ilemon. The branch must be sha ed like
cent chance per level of the caster that the affected victim
he is able to identify the exact type of the letter Y, so that the caster c n grasp of the spell; each
d'isease. a fork of the branch in each ha d. suffers 1-4hit points

The material componentfor this spell I choking hands. If
is a twig or small branch from any tree. a successful saving
Protection from Hunger and half- damage each
Divining Rod (Divination, Thirst (Abjuration)
be negated by dispel
Enchantment) Range: Touch ilar spell; the victim can-
Components: S, M
Range: 60 yards Duration: 1day/level ethereal hands away
Components: V, S, M victim makes all at-
Duration: 1round/level Area of Effect: One creature
Casting Time: 1round Saving Throw: None tack rolls at a j-2 penaltywhile affected
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None When protection from hunger and iThe materi 1componentfor this spell
thirst is cast, the recipient requires no
This spell enables the caster to en- food, water, or nourishment of any is a handke chief or similarly-sized
chant the branch of a ginkgo or fruit kind for the duration of the spell. The bpyieccehookfe*clot that has been tied in a
treeto locatea commonitemthat is hid- recipient can be the caster or anyone he knot.
den from view. Unlike locate object, touches. Each day the caster (or the
the caster does not need to have a spe- subject of the caster's choice) is under Death Recall (Necromancy,
cific mental image of a particular item; the effect of the spell, he is fully nour-
rather, he only needs to Divination)
of the general type of ite than he was when the spell was origi-
locate, such as buried treasure, edible nally cast. Range: TOUC
plants, or fresh water. However, divin-
ing rod will not locateinvisibleor magi- The material components for this This spell enables the caster to visual-
cal items, nor will it locate items spell are a small piece of dried meat and ize the final qhinutes of the life of any
protected by obscure item or a similar a cup of water. creature or pkrson that died within the
spell.

Once the branch is enchanted, the
caster holds the branch with both
hands. If the desired item is within the
rangeof the spell, the enchantedbranch
points in the direction of the item and
gently pulls the caster along. The spell

97

previous 24 hours. When the caster no damage and suffers no penalties Ice Knife (E ocation)
touches the subject’s corpse, the caster from poison gas of any kind, including
goes into a trance. The caster then has a those created magically (such as stink- s,Rcoamngpeo:nSenptesc/ia M
vision of thefinal 10minutesof the sub- ing cfoud).The exceptions are poison-
ject’s life as seen by the subject himself. ous vapors createdby a dragon’sbreath Duration: Ins antaneous
The vision ends with the last scene the weapon (such as the chlorine gas of a Casting Time: 1round
subject saw before he died, at which green dragon); in these cases, the crea- Area of Effect Special
time the caster awakens from his trance ture protected by filter suffers half- Saving Thro : Neg.
and the spell is over. damage.
This spell fires a dagger of ice at the
The material component for this spell The material components for this target. The caster makes a normal at-
is a fragment from a shattered mirror. spell are a strand of spider web and a tack roll as if attacking with a missile
scrap of cotton cloth approximately weapon, factoring in the range from the
Detect Life (Divination) one inch square. attackerto the target (the ice knife has a
long range of 30 yards, a medium range
Range: 10feet/level Ghoul Touch (Necromanc of 20 yards, and a short range of 10
yards). A successfulhit causes 2-8 (2d4)
Components: V, S, M Range: 0 hit points of damage. If the ice knife
Components: V, S, M misses its target, consult the rules for
Duration: 5 rounds Duration: 1round/level grenade-like missiles on pages 62-63 of
Casting Time: 2 Casting Time: 2 the Dungeon Master’s Guide to deter-
Area of Effect: One creature Area of Effect: One person mine where it land
Saving Throw: None Saving Throw: Special
When an ice kni
By use of this spell, the caster can de- When this spell is in effect, the cast- ject or a creature, the knife shatters, re-
termine if a creature is alive, including er’s touch causes any single human, leasing a wave of numbing cold. All
creatures in a coma or trance, or under dwarf, gnome, half-elf, or halfling to creatures within a 5-foot radius must
the influence of feign death. Any form become rigid for 3-8 (ld6 +2) rounds make a successfulsaving throw vs. par-
of mental protectionpreventsthe effec- unless the victim makes a successful alyzationor suffer 1-4hit points of cold
tiveness of this spell, as does any thick- saving throw vs. paralyzation. Addi- damage and become numb for 1-3
ness of metal. A n inch of stone or wood tionally, the paralyzed victim exudes a rounds. Numbed creatures have their
is treated as 10feet of open spacefor the carrion stench in a IO-foot radius that movement rates reduced by half and
purpose of determining whether the causes retching and nausea. Those their chance to hit reduced by 2. Prox-
spell functions. within this area who fail to save vs. poi- imity to major sourcesof heat, such as a
son will make their attacks with a -2 roaring bonfire, improves a creature’s
The material components for this penalty until the spell reachesthe end of
spell are a holy symbol and a hair from its duration. saving throw by +2.
the head of a newborn animal.
The material iornponentfor this spell An ice knife that missesor is lost can-
Filter (Abiaration) is a small scrap of cloth taken from the not be picked up by the caster (or any-
clothing of a ghoul or a pinch of earth one else) and thrown again. If the ice
Range: Touch from a ghoul’s lair. knife is touched, it instantly shatters,
releasing a wave of cold as described
Components: V,M above. If a lost ice knife is not touched,
it melts away in a pool of water 1round
Duration: 1turn/level after it was originallycreated; this melt-
Casting Time: 2 ing occurs regardless of the environ-
Area of Effect: 10-foot radiua sphere mental temperature.
around creature touched
Saving throw: None The material components for this
spell are a drop of water from melted
This spell createsan invisibleglobe of snow and a tiny silver dagger.
rotectionthat filtersout all noxiousel-

New Spells

Vocalize (Alteration) age. The bone can be from any animal,
providing the bone normally could be
Range: Touch wielded as a club; for instance, a human
Components: S, M femur could be enchantedby this spell,
Duration: 5 rounds but a skull could not. At the end of the
Casting Time: 1round spell's duration, the bone club reverts to
a normal bone.
Area of Effect: One spell-casting crea-
If the proficiency rules are being
ture used, characters with a weapon profi-
Saving Throw: None ciency with a club also have a profiency
with a bone club. Those wielding a
This spell all0 t bone club without the club profiencey
suffer the penalties described on page
spells that normally require a verbal 52 of the Player's Handbook.

component without the caster needing The material components for this
spell are an appropriately-sized bone
to make a sound. Such spells must be and a pinch of dirt from a grave.

cast within the duration of the vocalize Delay Death (Enchantment/

spell. This spell is also useful in situa- Necromancy)

tions where quiet is desired, or when Range: 30 yards

the recipient is under the influence of a Components: V, S, M

silence spell. Duration: 1turn/level
Casting Time: 1round
Vocalize does not negate a silence Area of Effect: One creature
Saving Throw: None
spell, but merely offsets it for the pur-
ISix ,,,
pose of spell casting; if a spell caster un- <f
L'
der the effect of vocalize casts a spell
This spell enarxesone person or crea-
that has some audible effect, that sound ture to postpone death. Ii delay death is
cast before the indicated creature or
will be masked for as long as silence re- person reaches0 hit points, he is able to
fight, cast spells, communicate, and
mains in force. Vocalize does not affect take all other normal actions until he

normal vocal communication. reaches -10hit points. However, from

he material component for this spell the time he reaches O hit points until he
is reduced to -10 hit points, the af-
small golden bell without a clapper. fected person or creature makes all at-
tack rolls and saving throws at a -2
Third-Level Spells penalty, and his movement rate is re-
duced by half.
Bone Club (Enchantment!
When the subject reaches -10 hit
Necromancy) points, he is dead and delay death is no
longer in effect.Note that the spell has a
Range: 0 limited duration; if the spell expires af-
Components: V, M ter the affected subject has reached 0 hit
points but before he has been reduced
Duration: 1round/level to -10 hit points, the subject dies in-
Casting Time: 1round stantly. A deceased subject previously

Area of Effect: One bone

a bone, causing it to become a magical
club. This magical weapon acts as a

club + 4 against undead, inflicting 5-10
(ld6 +4) hit points of damage, and a

99