GLOG: Spell Husbandry

Wizards have a boundless lust for new spells, yet rather bounded opportunities for satisfying it. Aside from looting spells from the remains of your bested foes and their conquered demesnes, you can try purchasing them (which is expensive and limited by supply) or researching them (which is even more expensive and quite time-consuming) or breeding them. All spells are spirit, and as such live, breed and die. Do not think of their breeding in the mammalian sense, however, as most astral creatures are queerly akin to bacteria and fungi in that regard.

 

The Spiritist by The Sketching Monkey

 

Spell Breeding
As a downtime action, choose up to your max MD to invest into a breeding ritual and one or more spells to breed. The MD are invested for the whole week as they power the spells' metamorphosis. All spell-wisps used in the attempt vanish, replaced per the breeding results of the invested MD - see the table below. Any multiples on the invested MD result in complications - reference the multiple on the table below, but the breeding still resolves as normal, if possible. If you are skilled in Spell Husbandry, you can modify a die by ±1 per skill check success, before complications are assessed.

Spell mutations are cumulative.

Breeding Result

1. Stillborn.
2. Mutant. A randomly mutated variant of one of the original spells.
3. Cloned. Two spells are born, exact clones of one of the original spells.
4. Purged. A clean copy of one of the original spells is born, removing all its mutations and modifications.
5. Hybrid. A hybrid spell drawing from all original spells is born, as determined by the GM or player ideas. If only one spell was used, tweak the wording of the new spell.
6. You may choose any of the previous results. You may also choose to swap or remove a mutation.

Breeding Complication

1. Incursion. The die-off of your spells has accidentally powered a portal to the spirit world. Hungry spirit-beasts with [sum of the ritual] total HD burst through.
2. Cross-mutation. On a double, a random newborn spell-wisp instead becomes a completely random spell. On a triple or more, all newborn spell-wisps from the ritual are affected. Any mutations are carried over.
3. Enchantment. On a double, a random newborn spell-wisp instead fuses with a nearby item, creating a new magical item (one-off or permanent). While useful items are certainly possible, this can also create traps, hazards, curios or cursed items. On a triple or more, a random newborn spell-wisp instead possesses and animates a nearby item.
4. Jailbreak. On a double, a random newborn spell-wisp flees and manifests with [dice of the ritual] HD. On a triple or more, all newborn spell-wisps from the ritual and from all nearby receptacles become unbound, manifested and left to roam freely.
5. Orgy. Per each MD showing a 5, add +1 MD and another spell drawn into the ritual from a nearby receptacle, magic item or local enchantment.
6. Brainstorm. A runaway feedback loop between the ritual array and your brain has left you on the floor, twitching and babbling. Lose 1 Will per MD showing an even number and gain 1 CD per MD showing an odd number.

 

An incarnated spell-wisp, trapped and
ready to be returned to your brain.

 

d100 Spell Mutations

Based on the other spell mutation tables. You can also roll a d30 if you need a negative mutation.

1. Perfect. The spell cannot be bred or mutate any further.
2. Feeble. The spell is lesser, numerically or in potency; [sum] becomes [highest] or [dice], etc.
3. Brief. The spell's duration is reduced. If instantaneous but creating a permanent effect, the effect becomes temporary or illusory. For example, a magically unlocked door would relock itself.
4. Lazy. The spell's range is reduced. Touch spells become self only.
5. Diminutive. The spell affects a smaller area or fewer targets. If already single target, affects a single body part.
6. Niche. The spell is narrower in utility. For example, charm person becomes charm elf.
7. Infirm. The target has an advantage on their save, or gets a save if the spell would not normally allow one.
8. Vexing. The spell requires either a bothersome reagent that is consumed by the casting, or a cumbersome focusing item that takes up at least 2 Slots.
9. Cancerous. All MD invested in this spell are d4.
10. Sluggish. Once cast, the spell only takes effect after its original casting time passes again.
11. Runic. The spell may only be cast by drawing a complex runic diagram. Its casting time is a step slower (round becomes minute, minute becomes hour).
12. Draining. You cannot use any magic for [lowest] rounds after casting this spell.
13. Exhausting. Take 1 Fatigue when you cast this spell.
14. Withering. Age [dice] years when you cast this spell.
15. Greedy. All MD invested in this spell are always burnt.
16. Jagged. Take [dice] irresistible damage when you cast this spell.
17. Querulous. The spell can only be cast under certain conditions - at midnight, while standing on a threshold, in a city, etc.
18. Allergic. The spell is disrupted by a specific substance or condition. For example, a fireball that fizzles in the rain, or healing word that fails if the target is wearing a hat.
19. Unreliable. If any MD rolls a 1, the spell fizzles.
20. Erratic. If any MD rolls a 1, the spell goes off in a random direction or targets at random (including the caster).
21. Imbued. The spell likes to be imbued in an item. It does not have to be a wand (the spell is not picky), but it must be held during casting. Casting the spell without an imbued item will cause it to step down all MD.
22. Unfaithful. The spell, after its effects take place, will move to the mind of a nearby creature at random instead of returning to you. They can cast it once at 1 MD before the next dawn, during which it will return to you.
23. Twinned. The spell has an identical twin that always resides in the same receptacle. Whenever one is cast, the other must be cast alongside it at a different target. This takes just a single action for both, but you must invest at least 1 MD separately in each.
24. Forbidden. To understand this spell means to fill your head with dread knowledge. You may only cast it if you have at least one Vice. When you attempt to memorise the spell and have no Vice, you may opt to gain a random Vice. Add +[Vice] to the spell's [sum].
25. Corrupted. Casting this spell causes you to gain 1 CD, but it counts CD towards its [sum] and [dice].
26. Hexed. Mishaps make nearby plants wither, food spoil and unborn things mutate. Dooms affect a massive area.
27. Unstable. Mishaps and Dooms open short-lived rifts to Dreamlands or stranger planes.
28. Wounding. The target also starts bleeding.
29. Mutagenic. The target must also save vs mutation.
30. Illusory. The spell is merely an illusion, but the target will believe they were truly affected until someone slaps some sense back into them.
31. Empowered. The spell is greater, numerically or in potency; [dice] becomes [sum] or [highest], etc.
32. Lingering. The spell's duration is increased. Instant effects, for example, now last for several rounds.
33. Roaming. The spell's range is doubled, or becomes 30ft if it was touch or self.
34. Massive. The spell affects a larger area or more targets.
35. Unbounded. The spell is broader in utility. For example, charm person becomes charm creature.
36. Heightened. The target has a disadvantage on their save.
37. Quickened. The spell can be cast as a half action.
38. Maximized. The spell's [sum] is treated as maximum given invested MD (6 for 1 MD, 12 for 2 MD, etc.), but the MD are burnt. Still roll the MD to check for Mishaps and Dooms.
39. Corporeal. The spell physically manifests the spell-wisp itself - an alien, fey creature - that carries out its duty at your behest and dissipates once its effects have been performed. It is rather stupid, easily distracted, and follows your orders to the letter rather than the spirit, but does so with enthusiasm. The MD stay invested until it de-manifests.
40. Potionified. The spell leaks from your fingertips as a colourful liquid. The first applicable target to touch the potion gets affected by it and the liquid dissipates.
41. Glyphic. The spell forms a glowing rune on a touched surface or in mid-air, and only takes effect when a suitable target touches the glyph.
42. Bloodletting. You can use Constitution Vigour damage in place of investing MD.
43. Maddening. You can use Wisdom Will damage in place of investing MD.
44. Repurposed. The possible targets of the spell change to (d4) 1. creatures, 2. items, 3. material, 4. magic.
45. Reshaped. The spell's effect manifests in a different shape. For example (d6) line, cone, cube, sphere, wall, ring.
46. Sculpted. You can create gaps in the spell's effect. For example, cast a fireball that leaves a hole in the middle, or sleep that circumnavigates your allies.
47. Safe. You may choose the spell to fizzle instead of suffering a Miscast with it. You may lose the spell permanently instead of suffering a Doom with it.
48. Subtle. The spell can be cast without a gesture or incantation.
49. Silent. Neither casting the spell nor any of its effects produce any sound whatsoever. You still must say the incantation, silently.
50. Shrouded. The spell is completely imperceptible to magical senses and divination.
51. In/Visible. If the spell's effect was obvious, it is now invisible or hard to notice. If it was inconspicuous, it is now obvious and flashy.
52. Mundane. The spell tries to manifest in ways not unusual for the local environment, and will leave anyone without a magical expertise unsure whether the effect was even magical in nature.
53. Flavoured. The spell changes in element or specialization. For example, fireball becomes ball of lightning, charm person becomes charm bird, etc.
54. Reversed. The spell does the opposite of its original effect.
55. Haunting. An echo of the spell remains in the area for minutes/hours/days/weeks. Suitable targets in the area must save or have the echo affect them at 1 MD.
56. Lucky? All MD rolls above half their value are treated as maximum. All MD rolls below or equal to half their value are treated as minimum. Mishaps and Dooms are still resolved using the normal results.
57. Sympathetic. If you have in your possession a personal belonging or a piece of the target, you can burn it up to grant the spell unlimited range without line of sight. The magic will even slip through the cracks between worlds to reach its target. It is impossible to hide from the spell, but it may be stopped by powerful protections. The target will know where the spell was cast.
58. Predatory. Mishaps or Dooms instead indicate the destruction of another spell or magic item in your possession, while this spell goes off as normal.
59. Chrysalis. Mishaps or Dooms instead indicate that the spell metamorphoses into a new random spell, keeping mutations, then goes off as normal.
60. Merciful. The spell fails if used to harm the target. If damaging, it deals non-lethal damage.
61. Peripatetic. The spell will happily jump from receptacle to receptacle, taking just a standard action to do so.
62. Stylish. The spell is a show-off. It is noisy, flashy, attention-drawing and cool. Impractically so. Add some lights, smoke, distant thunder or other minor illusions.
63. Phasing. The caster phases out of spacetime for [dice] turns after they cast the spell, but before it resolves.
64. Potent. Step up one MD when casting this spell.
65. Bouncing. When the spell fails (e.g. target saves, but not when countered), it bounces to a random different target (friend or foe) until it finds one that can be affected or runs out of targets in range. The spell will not bounce to the same target twice.
66. Chained. When you cast this spell with 2+ MD, discard the highest die after it first takes effect and choose a new target, originating from the previous target. Repeat until you run out of dice. The same target cannot be chosen twice.
67. Gatling. Instead of recovering MD when you cast the spell, recast it again as a free action, repeating until all invested MD are spent.
68. Warping. Every time you cast this spell, also teleport exactly [dice] paces.
69. Obscuring. The spell creates a puff of thick smoke with every casting, enough to conceal the caster from view for a round.
70. Brilliant. The spell is unaffected by counterspelling, dispelling or antimagic in general.
71. Piercing. The spell is unaffected by magical defences or deflection.
72. Caustic. Deals [sum]/2 acid damage to the target at the end of their next turn.
73. Forceful. Slams the target with excess energy and - based on [dice] - throws them off balance/knocks them back/knocks them prone/sends them flying, save negates.
74. Dazzling. The target is also blinded for [dice] turns.
75. Vital. The caster also regains [dice] hp.
76. Risky. The spell's [sum] is doubled on Mishap, tripled on Doom.
77. Contagious. Anyone who touches the target while they are affected (for spells with duration) or touching the target while they are hit (for instantaneous spells) is also affected at half the effect.
78. Contingent. The spell becomes single target and has no immediate effect. It lays dormant in the target until a specific condition is met, then goes off. Each spell has its own perceivable condition, chosen when you first cast this spell. The spell only returns to its receptacle once it goes off.
79. Seeking. As long as you know where the target is and there is an unobstructed path to them within the spell's range, the spell can reach them, flying around corners and through crevices.
80. Sickened. The spell is a carrier for a random disease that will be contracted by the target, save negates.
81. Darkening. When cast, the spell also snuffs out all nearby light sources and attempts to dispel magical lights.
82. Death-cursed. When you die, you may cast this spell immediately, investing MD equal to your maximum.
83. Precise. You can choose any value for [dice] that is lower than or equal to the actual [dice], and any value for [sum] that is lower than or equal to the actual [sum].
84. Interrupt. As a reaction when a spell is cast within sight, you may cast this spell at that caster.
85. Reliable. Roll an additional MD, then discard one die result of your choice.
86. Named. If you shout your target's full real name as you cast the spell, +1 MD.
87. Mimic. The spell can assume the effects of any mutations of other spells in the same receptacle.
88. Solar. Any MD invested in the spell are stepped up when cast in direct sunlight.
89. Lunar. On the night of a full moon, the spell only expends MD on a 6. On the night of a new moon, the spell cannot trigger Mishaps or Dooms.
90. Chthonic. The spell is cast at +1 MD while underground.
91. Elvish. The spell looks beautiful. It cannot affect iron and can be dispelled by a good whack of iron.
92. Dwarvish. Add +1 to [sum] per Inventory Slot you have filled with only gold and valuables. The spell cannot be cast if you carry no treasure.
93. Orcish. The spell looks brutish and dangerous. The target must also save vs fear.
94. Goblinoid. The spell looks green and disgusting. The target also takes [dice] Filth.
95. Necromantic. If a living target dies as a result or under the effects of the spell, their corpse is immediately raised as a zombie with [dice] HD. The zombie is not under your control. If an undead target dies as a result or under the effects of the spell, it cannot be raised again.
96. Sacrificial. If you kill an intelligent creature with [dice] or more HD as you cast the spell, the invested MD will not be spent and Mishaps or Dooms cannot be triggered.
97. Spell fusion. Instead of mutating, the spell fuses with a random other spell in the same receptacle (or the nearest spell), destroying both mother spells and creating a new spell with hybrid effect.
98. Soul fusion. Instead of mutating, the spell degenerates and fuses with your soul, becoming a new cantrip. Its effects are much weaker, but it can be cast at will.
99. Spellborn homunculus. The spell attains full sapience and becomes a person. It still lives in your head until you find a way to materialize it, but it can talk to you and has its own goals. If displeased, it can refuse to be cast, or cast itself, etc. If well-pleased, it will try to assist you. Spell-wisps enjoy being in your brain and dislike being in the spellbook, which is akin to prison.
100. Proliferate. Reroll, plus all spells in the same receptacle also randomly mutate.

Rare metamagic rods also exist, which contain a spell mutation that they apply to any spell cast through them.