Dangerous and Forbidden (NKOG: Spell Tomes)

17 May, 2024

TOC

Evocation: Destructive magic calling upon the 7 draconic elements.
Curse Magic: The dark side of the feyborn magic, learned from the hags
Trickster Magic: An eclectic collection of stolen spells used by those who prefer windows to doors.
Diabolism: Magic that breaks one of the 3 Laws of Magic, it risks the safety of the world by pulling Daemons from the Chthonic realms.

Evocation

Written on paper-thin slices of dragonscale this book can withstand the harshest of conditions. However it has still been worn by the ages. The harsh lines of Draconic in this tome detail the magic of dragons.

Cantrip: Elemental Blast
Slow
You may throw one of the 7 destructive magics as a blast of energy, as if it were a regular ranged weapon with no tags, you may use your INT or CHA in place of DEX. The attack deals 1d8 damage of your choice of; Fire, Cold, Lightning, Acid, Plague, Thunder or Light.

Destructive Spells

Destruction magic functions differently to the way most spells do, they are flexible in a way, their simple nature allows for casters to adapt the spell to the situation.
Instead of spells you have Forms and Elements. Each element has a unique effect on the spell, while each form changes how the spell is expressed.
When taking a single spell from this list chose a single Form, being able to cast it with any Element.

Element

The elements effects can be negated or reduced by certain effects, eg. dousing yourself in water, drinking an antidote, redirecting the lightning with a metal cable.

1. Fire: Damaged targets take an additional [dice] damage and also become Burning.

2. Cold: Creates icy ground, in the area of the spell + a [dice]×5ft radius, characters who walk through the icy ground must save or fall prone and end their movement ℗ and take 1d6 damage (f).

3. Lightning: The attack chains, dealing half damage to [dice] additional targets in close range of a each other. Spreads in water and damages all characters standing in the water.

4. Acid: The attack also reduces the enemies armor by [dice].

5. Thunder: The attack knocks the target(s) back [dice]×5ft and deafens them.

6. Plague: The attack also reduces the targets maximum health by [sum] (after dealing damage) until they recover.

7. Light: The attack also blinds the target until the end of their next turn.

Forms

1. Blast

Slow
Deals [sum] damage to all targets in a [dice]×5 ft. radius around a point you chose within Medium Range. Save PHYS for half damage.

2. Ray

Slow
Deals [sum] damage to [dice] targets within Far Range. Save PHYS for half damage

3. Wall

Slow
Create a wall 5 ft thick and up to [dice]×40 ft long. This wall can be in any shape you choose. This wall blocks line of sight and deals [sum] damage to any creature that passes through it or is within the area of the spell when it is cast. Any character within the effect when the spell is cast must move out of the effect, they may save PHYS to avoid taking damage.

4. Armor

Slow, Concentration
Conjure an elemental barrier about a close ally (including yourself), this grants a base armor of [dice] and any character who enters melee range of the character must take [sum] damage or save PHYS for half.

5. Breath

Slow
You grant a creature you touch the ability a breath weapon. They may, as a fast action, exhale a [dice]×10 ft cone of elemental force, dealing [sum] damage to all character within. The ability ends when it has been used or at the end of the scene.

6. Storm

Slow, Concentration
You conjure a massive storm over [dice]×40 ft radius centered on yourself, characters you choose take [dice]d4 damage each turn they remain within the radius.

7. Call

Ritual(1)
You call down an almighty elemental force centered on a single target you can see within far range. When the ritual completes, the target takes [dice]×[sum] damage.

Secret Spell: Prismatic Beam
Slow
This powerful spell is as uncontrollable as it is powerful. For each character, including yourself, within medium range roll a d6 twice for a Form and Element, the rolled spell is cast targeting or centered on that character. Each spell is cast with the [sum] and [dice] you cast this spell with. Any concentration spells last [dice] rounds.

Curse Magic¹

Written with blood on bark and flesh, bound in hair, this tome whispers when left alone. Within the names and desires of 7 Maledictions are described, they can be called upon to curse your foes.

Cantrip: Paranoia A character you can see will become suspicious and convinced they are being watched for the rest of the day. This effect becomes more powerful the longer it effects them, by the end of a week of constant casting they will be unable to sleep.

1. Confession

Ritual (2)
You complete a ritual while touching a character, they must answer [dice] questions you ask truthfully, or they take [sum] damage as they are mentally flayed. Trained characters can save MENT to avoid flinching.

2. Crown of Madness

Slow spell
A creature you can see that can hear your words will be struck by madness for [dice] rounds, attacking the nearest creature. They can save MENT each turn to do nothing instead.

3. Feast of Ashes

Fast
You curse a nearby creature, they experience unassuageable hunger for [dice] Days. They will not die, but feel as though they are starving; worse, eating food causes them horrible nausea.

4. Fester

Slow
Reduce a close creatures max HP by [sum] for [dice] minutes. If you cast this spell on a sample of the targets blood the spell lasts for a day, and you may cast the spell on the vial each day to maintain the effect. Each day you extend the spell in this manner, the targets max HP is reduced by a further [sum] as they become more sickly and feverish. Once they are reduced to zero HP they die when you wish it.

5. Lipstitch

Slow
A character in Mid Range has it's lips sewn together. Their HD can’t be greater than the [dice] invested. The victim can cut their lips open again, but they take [sum] damage in the process. The victim can unpick their lips over minutes to take no damage from this.

6. Numb

Quick
[dice] Wounds you put your hands on are numbed for [sum] hours, characters take no penalty from those wounds for the duration and are not incapacitated by a mortal wound. However the targets will gain a new wound when the duration ends as the damage is worsened by their actions.
Grants a [dice] bonus to surgery or similar procedures while numbed.

7. Bind Thrall

Ritual (2) You can bind a creature in medium range to be your thrall for [dice] days or save MENT, modified by the difference between HD and [dice], to be bound for [sum] hours instead. You must know their name and have a lock of their hair or drop of blood. The spell can only effect creatures of less than [dice]×3 HD.
A bound thrall must follow your commands and obey any actions given while bound. If the action would be harmful to it it may save to disobey. This doesn't change the creature's opinions or perspective of you, it just forces obedience onto it.

Trickster Magic

Passed down from mage to mage this tome is a puzzle of it's own, ciphers, fake spells and countless annotations from past users. For those willing to take the time to decipher it however the secrets within can be teased out and used for some fun.

Cantrip: Sleight of Voice
When someone speaks into your cupped hands you can catch words and place them elsewhere. The words will be audibly spoken when you wish it from wherever you place them. These words can be used for the Verbal Component of spellcasting.

1. Forbidden Text

Instant
When you cast this spell you also cast another spell you know or have a scroll for with [dice] MD. You do not expend these additional dice. When somebody reads the text the spell will be activated, being cast centred on or targeting the reader. Surprised targets do not get a save against spells cast in this manner.

2. Rope Trick

Slow
You grab a rope and fling it into the air, at which point it catches on nothing. If you climb this rope you can enter into a hidden space, you can see outside of this space as if through frosted glass. The rope needs to remain touching the ground or another solid surface for the spell to remain active. The space can fit [dice] characters comfortably and lasts [sum] hours before it begins to droop and fall apart.

3. Baleful Exchange

Fast
You may select yourself or an object you are touching that is no larger than a person and [dice] additional characters or objects within [sum]×25 ft to instantly swap places. You decide where each character ends up but they must all change location. Each object or character must be connected to you by a solid object such as the ground to be exchanged.

4. Inversion

Instant
You can cast this as a free action, whenever someone else casts a spell.  You invert the effects of their spell.  Fire becomes ice, healing becomes hurting, raising the dead means casting down the living, etc.

5. Snatch Memory

Slow
You may select a character who can see you and with a clever flick of the hand steal a Memory from their mind. If you take the memory of a skill or ability, such as attacks, they will have a [dice] penalty when attempting to do something related to it until they take [sum] hours to retrain the missing knowledge. If you take the memory of a power or spell they must Save MENT to use it until they rest overnight. Other memories are less hardy and are lost until they are returned to them.
Memories appear in the form of small trinkets with a dream-like appearance, you can observe these memories by clutching them as you sleep. Spells can be cast once as if from a spell scroll however you must still invest MD.

6. Reduction

Slow, Concentration
You may select [dice] creatures or [sum] slots of gear within close range to reduce in size and weight by a factor of 5. When concentration is ended the object will return to full size instantly, you may end concentration on individual objects or characters as free action.
Shrunk Characters take up 1 slot if carried, deal one fifth damage and take a -3 penalty or bonus to any relevant checks.
If cast as a Ritual(10) the spell does not require concentration and instead lasts [sum] hours.

7. Shapechange

Slow
A creature within Close Range is turned into an animal of your choice with no greater HD than their level for [sum] hours. An unwilling creature can save PHYS to change this to [sum] rounds instead.
The creature gains no benefit from any of their special abilities unless they can be sensibly used by their new form, but does gain the abilities of their new form. All damage and injuries are reflected between the original form and polymorphed form.
The spell ends when you wish it to, the duration ends or the polymorphed creature is reduced to 0 hp, although the character will suffer 1 wound from this.
If you invest at least four dice, this spell lasts indefinitely.

School Secret: The Manse of the Knotted Lord

You discover the elaborate buckle on the book is actually a puzzle. This puzzle will take at least a session to solve, or as long as the GM needs to prepare. Once solve the puzzle becomes a key, when this key is inserted into any door the door will instead open into the Manse.

The Manse is an expansive pocket dimension made of stolen buildings and objects. Your key will always open into the same initial building and your entryway will open to the last door your key was used on.

The buildings of the Manse are still inhabited by the creatures that were living in them when they were stolen. Each building is separated by a door with a unique puzzle that must be solved to pass. This prevents these creatures from traveling, however it does not stop the phase spider infestation.

Diabolism

An inconspicuous tome appearing to be a diary at first glance, the spidery writing within details the rituals needed to breech the planar barrier. The list of names once written in the tomes back end is stained in blood, only a few names legible in the mess.

Much like Evocation this Tome of magic functions differently to others, it has only 3 spells, each additional spell beyond those (4 if you take the entire Tome) is a Name you know of a daemon you can summon.

Cantrip: Line of Salt
When you lay down an unbroken line of salt you can bless it to slow any Daemon of less than [level] HD from crossing it. It will take them 1 additional round, or 1 hour if reinforcing a houses threshold.

1. Bind Daemon

Ritual([dice])
You attempt to bind a daemon of [dice] HD or less to your Will. The daemon, or it's summoner may save, adding the difference in their HD and [dice] to their save. Daemons you know the name of automatically fail their save, but their summoner can still save for them, with a [dice] penalty. If they fail the creature is bound to your Will, for [dice] hours, or rounds on a successful save, and must follow your commands. The GM will let you know their Will cost now, and you will suffer any consequences.

2. Banish

Ritual(1) You reach into the planes and attempt to pull a daemon of no more than [sum] HD within Mid range back to it's home plane. It, or it's summoner, must save or have the creature Banished to it's home plane. On a successful save the daemon is instead slowed for [dice] rounds as the fabric of the world pulls at it.

3. Summon Outsider

Ritual(2) You summon a creature according to the rules below, this creature may have [dice] traits beyond its tier. It lasts for [sum] hours before your binding will expire. At which point you may chose to Banish it without risk or retain it's services for an additional [sum] hours but it's Will cost doubles.

Summoning

You have a pool of Will equal to 2 + INT + CHA. If you summon more creatures than your Will can support you must Save MENT or have them escape your binding being free to do whatever they wish.

A summoned creature costs 1 Will for every 4 HD, a creature will have 1 trait for each Will it costs to summon. You may call upon a creature with a Will to have more traits. You may call upon a summon with a maximum of [level] HD.

When you Banish a summoned creature you regain the Will invested in it, however if a summon is destroyed, or banished against your will, you do not regain the Will until you Recover.

When you summon an unnamed creature you may choose 1 trait, this is guaranteed, then roll a d12 for each additional trait. You may reroll the resulting creature at a cost of 1 less trait.

Named summons are creatures whom you know of their name. These summons always have the same traits when summoned, as a skilled Diabolist you begin knowing 4 names (or 1 for each spell additional you would learn from this school).

Daemons²

Traits

Greater Traits

The following Abilities can be granted to a summon of 4 HD or above by expending an additional 2 Will, a summoned creature may only have 1 greater trait.

Airy Steps. The Summon can fly at it's normal rate, at 4 HD summons can carry a character, if slowly. At 6 HD it may carry characters effortlessly or multiple slowly.

Aura of Destruction. Characters in engagement range with the summon will take HD+2 damage at the start of it's turn.

Hideous Talons. The summon has natural weapons that grant it additional power, you may select 2 weapon tags to add to it's attacks.

Iron Eidolon. With scales, armor or some other defense the summon gains 4 armor against non-magical attacks.

Myrmidons Sheild. The Summon may, as a reaction, take a hit an ally in melee range would have taken.

Example Summons:

Hit Dice: HD (HP)
Armor: 0, PHYS: 10-½HD , MENT: 10-½HD
Skill: +½HD

Mut, Lesser Imp (1 Will)
This small imp was tricked into giving it's name away long ago, now many summoners make use of it for housework and menial duties.
Hit Dice: 1 (4)
Armor: 0, PHYS: 10+ , MENT: 10+
Skill: +2 (Housekeeping)

Traits: Stolen Talents (Housekeeping)

Dhark, Brute of the bloodwar (1 Will, Level 2)
A brutal and cruel being it cares not that it's servitude is demanded, only that it gets to spill blood.
Hit Dice: 2 (8)
Armor: 0, PHYS: 9+ , MENT: 9+
Skill: +1

Traits: Thirst for Blood

Cerbus, Hellhound (2 Will, Level 4)
A relative of the famous Cerberus, Cerbus is but a simple hellhound.
Hit Dice: 4 (16)
Armor: 0, PHYS: 9+ , MENT: 9+
Skill: +2

Traits: Feral Pact (Dogs), Hunter of Mortals

Al'tahar, Shield of the Stygian Lord (4 Will, Level 6)
This stalwart defender is made of icy crystals so clear it is invisible, it's many limbs each hold a shield of ice. It can do nothing but defend it's owner from harm but can never strike out itself.
Hit Dice: 6 (24)
Armor: 0, PHYS: 7+ , MENT: 7+
Skill: +3

Traits: Myrmidons Shield, Blood for Blood, Shadowy Physique

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