Folks, I have (once again) moved Untold Realms to a new home. The site now using the Write.as platform. I did this for a few reasons, but mostly for cost. When I moved the website off my self-hosted WordPress platform on Bluehost, I did it to save money. I moved to Ghost, and it saved me a ton—the hosting was a little more, since it wasn’t spread among 4 websites anymore, but I saved a bunch on add-on services. These included email newsletters, security, SPAM, etc. Ghost was a slick all-in-one service, and it met my needs.

But… they raised their price—almost doubled it—with no notice. That made me mad. So I started looking for alternatives. I knew by now that I didn’t need the full spread of blogging features and services. That’s when I found Write.as.

Write.as has the feature set that I need—but no more. It truly is geared towards writing, and not all of the shit that everyone tells you need to be a blogging entrepreneur. Just writing. It really is pretty liberating to take all of the distratctions out of the equation.

When you add in the integration to the Fediverse, it really changed my mindset and how I write. The decentralized, more relaxed nature of the Fediverse made me see that it was OK to not worry about SEO or writing for a damn algorithm—just myself and my readers. And that was cool, too.

So I have finished making the move, and am getting back to writing—and gaming! So I hope to be more regular with my wrticles and what I get put out here. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do writing it!

PS. I ended up saving $156/year by moving from Ghost to Write.as. It’s not as slick, but it works. And $156 a year is not chump change, especially these days.

Marc #write.as #ghost #news

Call Lesser Beast is a common spell that brings forth a creature from the local area to do the sorcerer’s bidding.

Description

Most sorcerers know how to Call a creature to serve them, so while this is technically a Conjuration spell, it is not as evil as the other summoning spells Conjurers use.

This spell brings a creature up to Very Large size from the area around the sorcerer, up to ½ mile away. The creature will come at best speed, and do the bidding of the caster.

To cast the spell, the sorcerer must have some form of materials from the type of creature he is calling—not necessarily that specific creature, but one of its kind. This is usually hair, claws, teeth or some such token. The caster then must cleanse his mind focus on the desired creature for 1d6 x 30 minutes.

If the spell fails, it could mean that the caster made some form of error, or that no creature of the desired kind is within ½ mile range.

After the creature has completed whatever task the sorcerer desires, it will wander off as it normally would. Any hostile creature must be sent away by the sorcerer as its last act, otherwise it will attack the caster.

Stats

Magnitude: First. Path: Conjuration. Arcane Cost: 4 AP. Difficulty: Moderate (+0). Range: ½ mile. Duration: Special. Damage: None. Grimoire: Almost any sorcerer will have this spell. It is passed down from master to apprentice.

Casting Requirements & Process

The casting requirements for casting Call Lesser Beast include: – Casting Time. The spell requires 1d6 x 30 minutes of preparation before casting. – Intimate Materials. The spell requires personal materials from the kind of beast being called (hair, claws, teeth, etc.)

To cast the spell, the sorcerer brings forth the needed materials, and goes into a trance, casting his mind outward to find the desired creature. Upon a successful task roll, the creature has been found and will come to the sorcerer to do his bidding. This can take minutes or hours, depending on the type of creature called.

Variations

There are a few known variations of this spell. These usually involve the addition of obvious techniques in the casting process, such as chanting or specific gestures. This reduces the cost for the spell to 3 AP.

One interesting variations used by the sorcerer-priests of Tahoqua in service to their demon-god Onag is to add their own blood to the casting. This further binds the creature to the sorcerer, and reduces the difficulty to Easy (+1). It also causes 1d3 of additional damage to the sorcerer.

Design Notes

This is the basic spell that Barbarians of Lemuria calls Summon Mighty Beast. I like to think there are basically two kinds of summoning spells: what I think of as calling and summoning. The difference is the first causes a creature in the local area to come to the caster and do his bidding. The second actually brings forth a creature from somewhere else, whether that is from another dimension or a physical manifestation of an enslaved spirit.

That is why I think those who follow the path of Conjuration are so evil—they are literally summoning the spirits they have enslaved by killing their physical bodies. I got the idea from watching the original Mortal Kombat movie (“Your soul is MINE!”) I think calling a beast is morally OK, though, or at least not as evil as such enslavement.

I also split the spell into two levels, Lesser and Greater. I think the Lesser version is fine for creatures up to bear size or so, but after that it should have a higher cost or be more difficult.

Also, for some of the stats, I honestly just winged them. You can chnage or ignore the range and difficulty stats as you wish. The biggest question is how to do the time for the creature to get to the sorcerer. That may just be handled with a simple dice roll. Maybe the GM just picks a time for the most dramatic effect. Your call.

The cost of the spell is calculated as follows: – The baseline cost for a First Magnitude spell is 5 AP, with a minimum of 2 AP. – Casting Time. The casting time of the spell was mentioned in the core rulebook, so I kept it. Basic requirement, so cost is still 5 AP. – Intimate Materials. The spell requires a part of the body of the kind of creature called (hair, claws, teeth, etc.) This was a common sense requirement. Cost is -1 AP, now 4 AP.

If you add in the blood cost, that will bring the total cost down 1 point more. Same with obvious technique.

Marc #grimoire

The first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem… I started buying bestiary supplements to use for inspiration in my games, but how many does one really need? Don’t ask me how many monster manuals, bestiaries or world books I have—I just don’t know. Really. No clue. One thing I do know, though, is that I have to STOP!

The sad thing is it is really not a money thing. Maybe it should be. But gaming is a relatively cheap hobby. I don’t have a motorcycle, or a boat, or blow lots of cash on golf clubs or green fees. I buy little books that help creative folks out and spark creative joy in me.

No, the real reason I have decided to stop buying these things is that I have come to change the way I create monsters, and even think about them. I am moving away from copying monsters from sourcebooks and supplements, or even using monsters as whole species.

I’m getting to the place where I see all monsters as unique things or creatures. Yes, some creatures will exist as whole species, but I’m beginning to think that should be the exception, not the rule. The monster in that dungeon should be “THE monster,” not just another minotaur or basilisk.

With that in mind, I already have more than enough sources for inspiration to create singular monsters, or even ones that are just small groups. Give them some stats and away you go. Make the monster feel like it belongs in your campaign setting or adventure and run with it.

So, I’m sorry, creator of yet another Tome of Monsters.” I have to start breaking my addiction at some point—and I think it will start with you…

Marc #roleplaying #worldbuilding

So what happened? I was doing good, posting some spells—and then my wife and I decided to buy a new house. That put everything on hold. Between finding a new house, buying it, moving, fixing it up and selling the old one… well, there was just not a lot of time for anything else. Sometimes life intrudes.

But that is winding down now. We bought the house, we moved and have even sold the old one. Just processing the boxes of stuff and settling in is coming to a close. So—I am starting to get back on track, working on the spells.

Gimme a couple weeks, and I’ll start posting BoL spells again. I appreciate everyone’s patience—but I’m ready to have fun again!

Marc

The Demons of Z’toth is an infamous and feared spell that summons a lesser demon to slay a victim.

Description

The ability of the sorcerer-priests of the evil cult of Tholendhu to summon demons to slay their enemies is whispered of, and then only during daylight. The spell summons a grotesque ape-like demon that then goes forth to attack and kill the unfortunate victim.

The Demons of Z’toth is one of the spells contained in the foul Scrolls of Tholendhu. It is an extremely risky spell, summoning a demon, binding it to their will, and sending it forth to do their bidding. Not much is known about about the full history of the spell, but it is known that many attempts to cast it have resulted in disaster for those attempting it.

To cast the spell, the caster must first have access to the dreaded Scrolls of Tholendhu. This foul tome is located in the hidden Temple of Tholendhu, in the City-State of Jurek. The priests of the Temple guard these Scrolls fiercely, and violently. The Scrolls include the instructions for not only summoning one of the demons of Z’toth, but binding them to the caster’s will.

The spell also requires something of an intimate nature of the victim’s person—blood, hair or fingernails. Clothing is not sufficient… it must be part of the victim.

Once begun, casting of the spell takes hours to complete. At the culminating part of the ritual, the caster must give some of his own blood and life-force to the demon, both to complete the spell and to bind the demon to his will. The cost to cast the spell does not end there—the caster is corrupted by the dark, evil energies of the magic.

After completion, the caster sends the demon forth to attack his victim, almost certainly killing him.

Stats

Setting: Sands of Sakhrat. Magnitude: Second. Path: Necromancy. Cost: 6 AP. Difficulty: Special. Range: Special. Duration: Special. Damage: Per Lesser Demon. Grimoire: Scrolls of Tholendhu.

Casting Requirements & Process

The casting requirements for casting the Demons of Z’toth include: – Special Item. The ancient Scrolls of Tholendhu tome contains the specific arcane symbols and instructions needed to summon the demon—and bind it to the caster. The priests of the Temple of Tholendhu will violently protect these scrolls. (10 AP). – Intimate Materials. The spell requires a part of the body of the intended victim (hair, blood, fingernails, etc.) (9 AP). – Casting Time. The casting of the spell will take 2d6 hours of meditation, chanting, etc. to correctly cast. (8 AP). – Blood. At the culmination of the spell, the sorcerer personally suffers an additional 1d6+1 of lifeblood damage. This spilling of his blood binds the demon and the caster together. (7 AP). – Corruption. After casting the spell, the caster gains a new Flaw: Lesser Corruption. (6 AP).

The caster must make 2 task rolls: one to summon the demon, and another to bind the demon. The summoning task roll is Tough (-2), and the binding roll is Demanding (-4). If the caster fails either of these rolls, the Lesser Demon will appear and attack him, and anyone around him.

If the sorcerer casts the spell successfully, the Lesser Demon then disappears and goes forth to immediately attack the victim. The victim can only survive by defeating the demon—it will not rest until its task is completed and the victim is dead.

Variations

There are no known variations of this spell.

Design Notes

I love this spell. I got the idea of combining the normal Death Spell from The Fantasy Trip and AD&D with that of summoning a demon from the Conan story The Phoenix on the Sword. The concept of a death spell being more than just “Zap! You’re dead!” is pretty cool to me. Throw in that the “saving throw” can be seen as the chance the victim has to fight off the demon, and it makes for a highly cool spell.

To design the spell, I really went back and forth over whether the spell is a Second or Third Magnitude. The Mythic+ rules state that doing something like destroying a wall is a Second Magnitude. Third Magnitude spells are extremely rare, and can result in the deaths of entire cities. So—I settled on a Second Magnitude rating because it is target to just one individual, and not a wide area.

That decision drove me to having the spell summon a Lesser Demon. This clicked with me as well, because it gave the victim more of a “saving throw” chance to fight off the demon. (OK, not much, but some!)

After that, I selected the requirements that I thought were cool, and fit in with the themes of the spell. The spell book seemed logical, as well as a long casting time. One other requirement that I thought was needed was the requirement for a part of the body of the victim—obtaining that can be an adventure, too. Finally, the lifeblood cost is just something I love having, as well as the corruption. Those are just cool and very metal.

I also decided to combine the 2 task rolls for summoning and binding into the same spell. I didn’t see anything that says I can’t, even though the Mythic+ rulebook says there are two actual spells to do this. You can break this into 2 spells if you disagree.

The cost of the spell is calculated as follows: – The baseline cost for a Second Magnitude spell is 10 AP, with a minimum of 6 AP. – I was not really trying to target a specific cost, but I wanted to see the requirements drove me to. – Special Item. This is the Scrolls of Tholendhu, and was a common sense starting point. This is the baseline requirement of 10 AP. – Intimate Materials. The spell requires a part of the body of the intended victim (hair, blood, fingernails, etc.) This was another common sense requirement. Cost is -1 AP, now 9 AP. – Casting Time. The casting time of the spell made sense to me as well, and helps reduce the cost. Cost is -1 AP, now 8 AP. – Blood. I like to add a cost in blood for the caster just because it’s cool! Cost is -1 AP, now 7 AP. – Corruption. The requirement to gain a new Flaw: Lesser Corruption, really makes sense to me, too. Final cost is -1 AP, now 6 AP.

And that’s it.

Marc

#grimoire

(This Grimoire article appeared previously on untold-realms.com on 3/28/2025).

Augury is a common spell used by Sorcerers to gain limited information about the future. This is the basic form of divination, gaining simple information about whether some event will turn out as desired.

Description

Augury is a spell used by many Sorcerers following the Divination Path to determine the auspiciousness of planned actions. Most commoners believe all Sorcerers can see the future, but only those with the powers of Divination can really gain that insight.

The use of the Augury spell allows the caster to gain a vision of whether a proposed course of action was successful or not. A failed roll gives a false vision—a lie.

The Lesser form of this spell is used to gain visions of the results of actions taken within the coming day (24 hours), and for smaller, more immediate results. An example use of Lesser Augury is to determine if an attack on a Sorcerer’s tower would be successful, or if the battle the next morning will be won.

The Greater form of the Augury spell is a Second Magnitude spell, and is for actions that take longer, or would affect a larger area or group of people. This might be whether the king should go to war with the neighboring kingdom, for example.

All Augury spells involve the use of some form of sacrifice. For Lesser Augury, this is a small animal, such as a lamb or a few toads. For Greater Augury, it would require the ritual sacrifice of a living human being. In addition, the spell always requires the use of the caster’s own blood to bind the future with the present.

Stats

Magnitude: First. Arcane Cost: 2 AP. Difficulty: Hard (-1). Range: 5 miles. Duration: 30 min. Damage: 1d3 lifeblood. Grimoire: Most Sorcerers who follow the Divination path will have this spell.

Casting Requirements & Process

The casting requirements for a Lesser Augury are: – Obvious Technique. The caster must chant or sing, calling on the gods for a vision from them. (5) – Blood. The caster suffers an additional damage of 1d3 lifeblood when the spell is cast. This is in addition to the AP cost. This is to bind the caster with the magic, and future with the present. (4) – Ritual Sacrifice. An animal such as a lamb or 1d6 frogs must be sacrificed prior to casting the spell. (3) – Distracted. You are slow to react for d6L rounds after using the power (penalty dice on all rolls during this period). The visions produced by any Divination spell are very powerful and have a strong hold on the mind of the caster. This leaves them distracted and vulnerable for a short period after the casting ends. (2)

Variations

The exact form of the spell is wide open to the caster. This may include sacrificing the animal(s) and sorting through its guts with a stick or burning the remains and inhaling the smoke. Feel free to go crazy here.

Design Notes

Divinations spells are tricky to write up. They are commonly found in fantasy movies and novels, but how do you actually game them with any reliability—without railroading? Still, these spells are useful in helping a story progress as well as giving players some information about what lies ahead.

For the Augury spell, I keep coming back to the concept of priests sorting through the chicken guts to tell the King if he will have a son, or if the war on the neighboring kingdom will succeed or fail. That is the mindset I am using here—basic yes/no visions, not a fully detailed crystal ball-like scrying spell.

With that in mind, I split the spell into two different levels, with a Lesser Augury for very short term, local questions and a Greater Augury for bigger, larger scale ones.

I also dialed the spell magnitude down to a First Magnitude spell for Lesser Augury and Second Magnitude for Greater Augury. The Mythic+ edition of BoL lists visions of across a city of within a lifetime as being Second Magnitude, and visions of distant lands and the ancient past as being Third Magnitude. It also lists visions of close or recent happenings as First Magnitude.

Because of the lesser amount of information being provided in an Augury spell vs. fallen Scrying, I felt comfortable listing Lesser Augury as a First Magnitude Spell and Greater Augury as Second—even if the question asked might involve something that ends up involving a distant land.

For the spell writeup itself, I wanted to keep the writeup as simple as possible, rules-wise. This is in keeping with the tone of rules-lite of BoL. You can always go crazy with how much detail you want to put in the rules about any spell, but I prefer to keep this as simple as possible and let the players and GM work it out at the table.

The writeup I do add is more for color than anything else. You can obviously use or discard all of it to fit your needs. One thing I really did want in the spell requirements is that of a sacrifice. Yes, this is a Second Magnitude requirement, but I thought it fit naturally here. Another requirement I feel should be included is the need for the caster to spill some of his own blood. This just gives the spell a dark feel, and fits great with the swords & sorcery tone.

The cost of the spell is calculated as follows: – The base cost for a First Magnitude spell is 5 AP, with a 2 AP minimum. – The target we are going for is the 2 AP cost. So, we pick some spell requirements to offset the 5 AP initial cost. – Ritual Sacrifice. An animal such as a lamb or 1d6 frogs must be sacrificed prior to casting the spell. This is a base First Magnitude requirement. Cost is 5 AP. – Obvious Technique. The caster must chant or sing, calling on the gods for a vision from them. This was another obvious requirement. Cost is reduced by 1 to 4 AP. – Blood. The caster suffers an additional damage of 1d3 lifeblood when the spell is cast. This is in addition to the AP cost. I love this requirement, and think it helps make the cost very real to the player. Cost is reduced by 1 to 3 AP. – Distracted. You are slow to react for d6L rounds after using the power (penalty dice on all rolls during this period). I thought this was a good compliment to the spell, with the idea being that the Sorcerer had to “bring themselves back to the real world” or something like that. Cost is reduced by 1 for a final cost of 2 AP.

Marc

#grimoire

(This Grimoire article appeared previously on untold-realms.com on 3/21/2025).

Description

Arcane Fire is a special form of the basic spell to create fire. It calls forth the very essential nature of the element of fire, creating a fire that is harder to extinguish, and burns longer—even without flammable materials.

While creating a spark to light a candle or campfire can be done with a simple, basic fire spell, calling forth Arcane Fire is something different altogether. Arcane Fire is created using what is known as one of the first, or “original spells.” The original spells were the first incantations that were gifted (or cursed) to humans—basic sorceries that all other spells flow from.

As the true essence of the element, Arcane Fire has special properties that normal fire does not. One property is that it can burn where no ready fuel exists—for example, it can burn on raw stone or even normal water. Another property is that it burns more intensely, and does an additional 2 points of damage each turn than normal fire. Finally, it cannot be extinguished by normal means—it can only be extinguished by Arcane Water or a spell to dispel the magic that feeds it.

All of the Magi in Sakhrat that follow the Evocation path of Fire know how to channel the essential fire. Most people cannot tell the difference, and confuse arcane fire with any magical fire—even when it burns on water! Much has been written by these great sorcerers about the nature of their chosen element, which can be found in their grimoires. Gaining access to those books, though, is terribly difficult and dangerous…

Stats

Magnitude: First. Path: Evocation (Fire). Arcane Cost: 3 AP. Difficulty: Hard (-1). Range: Line of sight, 30 ft. Duration: 10 minutes per lifeblood expended in the spell. If any flammable materials are ignited, the fire will continue to burn until they are expended. Damage: As normal fire, but with +2 damage. Grimoire: Arcane Fire is widely known among pyromancers, but grasping the true nature of fire may be beyond other sorcerers. The spell would be common among sorcerers that deal deeply with fire, but uncommon otherwise.

Casting Requirements & Process

The casting requirements for Arcane Fire include: – Line of Sight. The caster must have clear view of the target or area to be set ablaze. – Special Item. The caster must have some form of fetish or focus item to cast the spell, such as a ball of sulphur or crystal. – Blood. The caster must personally suffer an additional 1d3+1 of lifeblood damage when the spell is cast.

This spell is of the First Magnitude, and creates an area of fire from the size of a candle light up to an area 10’ wide. Large fires, such as ones to burn a building, would be a Second Magnitude spell—with additional requirements.

Variations

The lesser form of this spell creates a fire in an area up to about 10 ft wide. The greater form of the spell can create a fire the size of a building—with additional requirements and greater costs. An Arcane Fire that would cover an area larger than a building would definitely be a Third Magnitude spell—and have a terrible cost.

Other variations could include different spell requirements, such as obvious technique or even minor corruption.

Design Notes

I first came across the idea of essential fire in GURPS, and really liked the idea. I liked the concept that the elements have a true nature, and that wizards who really understand that element can call it forth, with special properties.

I also liked the idea of “first spells.” I found that concept in an article over on the Manse website. The idea that all spells are byproducts or reflections of a small number other original spells is pretty cool to me. I need to expand on that concept more in my campaign settings…

For the mechanics of Arcane Fire, I decided on two basic levels: a lesser and greater spell. Because it is a special form of fire, I did not want it to be a simple Cantrip—it had to be more difficult to call forth. Also, taking the example in the Mythic+ rules of destroying a door being First Magnitude and destroying the building being Second Magnitude, I settled on First Magnitude for the lesser form, and Second Magnitude for the greater one. A Third Magnitude form of the spell… that would be something that might create a terrible firestorm that would cover a village or town—and have a tremendous cost.

In looking at the requirements for the spell, I generally like the idea of some of the sorcerer’s blood being needed for the casting. That makes the spell personal and having a real cost. To me, that makes it fit in more with the Swords & Sorcery feel, too. The other requirements just seemed natural for a spell like this as well.

The cost of the spell is calculated as follows: – The base cost for a First Magnitude spell is 5 AP, with a minimum of 2. – Like my version of the Staff spell, I wasn’t going for the absolute lowest cost, but just some items that make sense and to make it feel personal to the player. – The need for Line of Sight seemed a natural fit. First requirement, 5 AP. – A need for a Special Item was another requirement that seemed like a natural fit for a spell like this. This reduces the cost by 1, to 4 AP. – The spell causes actual damage to the caster, in the form of his blood. Subtract 1 more AP, for a final cost of 3 AP.

Marc

#grimoire

(This Grimoire article appeared previously on untold-realms.com on 3/14/2025).

Creates a mist that fills an area of a small village. The fog obscures vision beyond 5’ from the viewer.

Description

Cloud of Fog is an uncommon, but useful spell that many sorcerer’s use for nefarious purposes. The spell calls up a thick fog that can grow to cover an area of a small village and over the height of a man.

The common practice is to use a large bowl or other container of water to act as a focus to call forth the fog. It takes about 10 minutes for the fog to fill the full area of the village. The fog itself is a normal mist, with no unusual characteristics. It lasts for about 1 hour or until blow away by a strong breeze.

Stats

Magnitude: First. Cost: 3 AP. Difficulty: Hard (-1). Range: Small village? Duration: 1 hour or until dispelled by a wind. Damage: None. Grimoire: Although uncommon, this spell can be found in many grimoires.

Casting Requirements & Process

The casting requirements for a Cloud of Fog are:

Special Item. The sorcerer must have a large bowl of water to concentrate on, and serve as a focus of the gathering of the fog. (5). Line of Sight. The sorcerer must have a clear view of the area to be obscured by the fog. (4). Obvious Technique. The sorcerer must chant the spell ritual, calling forth the fog from the water and the surrounding area. (3).

Variations

Some variations of this spell can include, obviously, the Festrel Fog as noted in the Mythic+ rulebook (or other similar locations). That spell is a Second Magnitude spell, and has some additional impacts of the mist. It also covers the area of a large village, so I would expect that the simple Cloud of Fog would also be a Second Magnitude spell if it covered the same area. If nausea, maybe fear and other things are added to the fog, they would definitely be Second Magnitude.

Design Notes

This is a spell that can create a basic thick fog to block vision and generally create a mood of fear and dread.

I wanted the spell to be easy enough that sorcerers would use it, and it not be too world-shattering, so I scaled down the Kestrel’s Fog spell from the Mythic+ rulebook.

Marc

#grimoire

(This Grimoire article appeared previously on untold-realms.com on 3/7/2025).

This spell turns any mundane object into a Sorcerer’s Staff. A sorcerer’s staff allows the sorcerer to extend his touch when casting other spells or can just be used as a club.

Description

The Sorcerer’s Staff spell is an ancient sorcerous crafting spell that transforms any staff- or wand-shaped object into a sorcerer’s Staff. When someone besides the sorcerer touches his staff without his permission, they will receive 1d6 damage.

The process for creating a Staff is a very personal one, requiring intimate parts of the sorcerer to properly attune the staff to him alone. The ritual involves shaping the object that is to become the staff, inscribing it with arcane runes and symbols, and meditating over the object for a period of time. At the end of this time, the sorcerer takes 1d3 lifeblood damage as he sacrifices his blood to transfer some of his life force into the new Staff.

Stats

Magnitude: First. Cost: 3 AP, plus 1d3 lifeblood. Difficulty: Hard (-1). Range: Touch. Duration: Permanent. Damage: 1d6+2 when struck. Grimoire: Almost any sorcerer will have this spell. It is passed down from master to apprentice.

Casting Requirements & Process

The casting requirements focus on time and something personal:

Casting Time. The spell will take at least 1d6 × 30 minutes of meditation, chanting or singing to correctly execute. (5 AP cost) Intimate Materials. A personal item of the sorcerer is required. This must be a part of the sorcerer’s body—hair, blood, fingernails, etc. (4 AP cost) Wounds. The magician suffers 1d3 lifeblood of damage when the spell is cast. (3 AP cost)

Variations

Variations could include adding the capability to store AP for future castings. That may increase it to a Second Magnitude spell. Others are to add other capabilities, like scrying or a Staff to Snake spell. Maybe add crystal to it and use it as a focus for improved concentration?

Design Notes

This is a spell to create a very basic Staff. I wanted it to be a bit more complex to cast than in TFT: Wizard. I included a few more requirements than was needed, from a ritual requirement (which seemed reasonable), to the need for some part of the sorcerer to imbue his essence in the Staff, and finally the sacrifice of some damage—blood—in the final culmination of the spell. I increased the difficulty to Hard just to make the task roll have a bit more tension over whether all of the preparations were done right.

All of this makes the spell something that a player could not really do in a dungeon, but could easily do with some planning and time.

Classic OSR games like D&D do not have an explicit spell to create a Staff. I’ve always wondered why. This spell is like a permanent version of the Shillelagh spell from AD&D.

One question is this: does a Sorcerer’s Staff qualify as a magical weapon? Can it hit creatures that are only affected by magic weapons?

The cost of the spell is calculated as follows: – The base cost for a First Magnitude spell is 5 AP, with a minimum of 2. – I really wasn’t going for the lowest cost possible, but rather something that was very personal. This reflects the need to do this when the sorcerer is not adventuring. – The spell has a long casting time—base requirement, with no reduction. – The spell requires blood from the sorcerer—his own. That is a personal item, and reduces the cost by 1, for 4 AP. – The spell causes actual damage to the caster, in the form of his blood. -1 AP, for a final cost of 3 AP.

Marc

#grimoire

_(This Grimoire article appeared previously on untold-realms.com on 2/28/2025).

The Shadows of Tholendhu is a legendary and feared spell, that is whispered of in hushed tones when the evil god Tholendhu is mentioned.

Description

The spell summons Shadows, creatures of the evil demon god Tholendhu. These creatures are summoned to perform some task for the caster, usually to slay one of the sorcerer's enemies. The spell itself is very complex and difficult, but to some evil sorcerers or priests it is worth the terrible price.

And a terrible price it has. Not only does the process of casting the spell require a number of hours of ritual chanting by a number of sorcerers as well as the main caster, it requires a ritual purging of that sorcerer himself. He must fast for a number of days, and inscribe ritual cuts upon his skin that leaves permanent scars. The dread nature of the spell also corrupts the very souls of the main sorcerer and everyone involved in its casting.

Finally, the spell can only be cast at the height of the new moon, where absolutely no moonlight can be seen. All preparations must be made before that fateful night, and the spell must be cast with no interruptions. If anything disturbs the spell casting, the spell will summon a Shadow, who will attack the lead caster, and anyone near him.

The spell was first known to have been cast in the year 3197, when the sorcerer-priest Elogio used it to kill his rivals within the cult of Tholendhu. Accounts of the time record that the spell was feared to have been cast no less than three times. After that, Elogio's fellow priests turned on him in horror, slaying him and all his servants, and putting his temple to the torch.

After that the spell fell into myth, only to be rumored to be refund during the dark days following the casting of the Great Death. The priests of Tholendhu were thought to have found the secret of the spell, but all succumbed to the plague of the Great Death before they could use it.

Since that time, people have whispered of the spell, and its use to kill, whenever someone dies horribly under strange circumstances. It is not known if it truly has been found, and the Priests of Tholendhu are not talking.

Stats

Magnitude: Second. Arcane Cost: 6 AP. Difficulty: Demanding (-4). Range: N/A. Duration: Until task is complete. Damage: Per Shadow attack. Grimoire: The Scrolls of Tholendhu.

Casting Requirements & Process

Thankfully the Shadows of Tholendhu spell has a number of difficult requirements that would cause the spell to be extremely rare.

Casting Time. The spell will take 3d6 hours of chanting, ritual burning of materials, etc. to correctly cast the spell. (10 AP cost). Lunar Phase. The spell can only be cast at midnight on the night of a new moon. Absolutely no moonlight can be available. (9 AP cost). Personal Ordeal. The main caster must fast for 2d6 days before the appropriate night. He must also undergo ritual scarring, with cuts being inscribed on his body, which mark him for his god Tholendhu. (8 AP cost). Corruption. Because of the extremely evil nature of the spell, the main caster gains a Flaw: Greater Arcane Corruption. Any assistants gain a Flaw: Lesser Arcane Corruption. (7 AP cost). Group Ritual. Casting the spell requires 2d6 assistants to perform the ritual, each of the Magician 0 level or higher. In addition, if the casting process is interrupted in any way, the Shadows will appear and attack the casters and anyone nearby. (6 AP cost).

This is obviously a spell suitable only for NPC Villains to even have access to, much less cast. The process is long and complex, and requires a great deal of planning. This gives any characters a lot of time to disrupt the casting.

Variations

There are no known variations to this spell. Many sorcerers have sought to obtain copies of the spell from the Temple of Tholendhu, but only those dark priests have a copy—and they are not talking.

Design Notes

OK, this is inspired by the shadows that the cult of Sitaki summoned in the Karl Edward Wagner book, Dark Crusade. I love that spell, and all the horrors that it implies. I simplified it a little here, and customized it for the rules I developed.

The cost of the spell is calculated as follows: – The base cost for a Second Magnitude spell is 10 AP, with a 6 AP minimum. – The target we are going for is the 6 AP cost. So, I picked some spell requirements to offset the 10 AP initial cost. I also wanted to make the spell really complex and difficult to cast, to reflect its evil and dangerous nature. – The spell has a long casting time. This is the basic requirement—no cost reduction. – The spell can only be cast during a particular lunar phase. -1 AP, for a cost of 9 AP. It seemed natural to require it be case on the darkest night, with no light. – The spell requires the caster to undergo a personal ordeal. -1 AP, for a cost of 8 AP. – The main caster as well as his assistants gain corruption. -1 AP, for a cost of 7 AP. Yeah, I’m all about the corruption! This takes the form of an arcane flaw. – The spell requires a group ritual. -1 AP, for a final cost of 6 AP total.

I’ll write up something about corruption and the flaws soon.

Marc

#grimoire

(This Grimoire article appeared previously on untold-realms.com on 2/21/2025).