8 Weird high level spells

Roll 1d4 to generate a 3^rd level spell.

Roll 1d4+4 to generate a 4^th level spell.

Roll 1d8 for a totally random high level spell.

[1] Catastrophic Coinage - 3^rd level

When cast, the spell caster must signify a room or general area where it will go off that they can see. They can target a room if they see an entrance to it and have been in it once before. All coins within that area bloat up as though being baked in an oven, becoming shaped like muffins, and then explode outwards. Tiny shards of metal fly into everything, and massive explosions of magical energy accompany them; shredding any living things. Every 100 coins hit by this spell make everyone in the area take damage. You can make a save to ignore the 'strongest' category of coin that exploded, but all the rest still hit you. If the total number of coins that end up getting hit are <100 you just take save or take 1d4 damage. This spell requires three combat rounds of casting while speaking the incantations, and it helps to rub a coin with your thumb while chanting.

Coin Type Effects – Must have at least 100 coins to qualify for a level.

Platinum/Mythril/Aluminum- Take 1d8+1 damage and ignores protective spells. Counts as magic.

Gold- Take 1d6+1 damage, counts as magic so can hit ghosts and other magic-only beings.

Silver- Take 1d6 damage. Normal damage type, but effective against werecreatures.

Copper- Take 1d6 damage.

Tin/Clay/Fake- Take 1d4 damage.

Once the spell is cast, every coin 'blown up' by the spell remains, but has changed to one lower 'level' of quality- as though the old material was just a thin paint or skin over the coin. Gold turns to Silver, Copper turns into toy coins, etc. Any fake coins or very low value coins just explode and vanish. Any coins added into the area not intentionally targeted by the spell will also detonate, so it is possible to throw a bag of pennies at the caster's face just as he finishes to blow him up along with you. Stuff a sleeping dragon's ears full of cotton and cast this to get an easy slay, but his hoard will be significantly less valuable.

[2] Shifting Shopper - 3^rd level

The moment this spell is cast, the spell caster disappears in a puff of yellow smoke. They reappear in 1d4-1 exploration turns, with a result of 0 meaning they reappear instantly. The caster reappears with a collection of items per town, according to whatever they would have wished to buy or pick up from themselves or their party. They always return winded, but with bags and sacks of extra items and gold/treasure deducted from whatever they were carrying to pay for the items.

This spell is a temporal distortion that allows the caster to instantly travel through time to make a shopping trip, at the cause of some minor paradox. Most shopkeepers in town will recall when the caster came by to pay them a visit, but they won't remember specific times of day or how exactly the caster could be here so fast after spending three days riding out to a dungeon. This spell can also be used to bring back animals, who just act a little unsteady and confused, and even level 0 or unstatted retainers like errand boys and such, who will have recurring lost time experiences and unusual dreams for years to come. This spell gives you the same discounts and costs for all your deals as if it worked normally, but is simply an instant method to refuel your supplies.

[3] Wrongsound - 3^rd level

To cast this spell; the caster must strum, slap, or blow a musical instrument. The sound that emits is a sharp and discordant note that echos wrongly on the walls and in the ears. Upon casting; the caster must select a type of object or item. The item cannot be so specific to mean a single thing, unless that thing just so happens to be the only object of that kind present. Categories like “sheathed swords”, “pots”, “bowstrings”, “bricks”, and “levers” are all fine; but categories like “weapons” or “walls” are too general. All selected objects within the same floor of the dungeon make a horrid noise when touched, interacted with, or damaged. Forcing yourself to cause the noise again takes a saving throw, with a +2 bonus if using the object would save your life.

Wrongsound can be cast as a surprise action as a replacement to a reaction check. The reaction check is rolled at -2 and cannot have a good or friendly result; the noise is filled with negative magic. Wrongsound also counts as a curse. All objects that are affected by Wrongsound keep the property of making noise until they are played music, or are left undisturbed for a few days.

[4] Mists of Onnic - 3^rd level

This spell releases a deep purple mist that covers every surface and being touched by the mist with viscous purple dew. The mists fill a 25ft area, and can be blown by wind at about 1/3^rd the rate of normal mist or fog, as this mist is very heavy and thick. Everything touched by the mist and covered in its dew starts to lose its symbolic and physical properties, and blends together with other adjacent objects- the fighter's sword, which is held in his hand, start to blend together. He cannot drop his sword, as it is his hand. His hand can cut, but his sword can grab, extending his range of which he can touch things. Spells cast in the Mist have a 1 in 6 chance to fail outright; but most offensive spells lose their effectiveness as the targets become fused with the elemental or attack; orcs lit on fire become flaming orcs, as fire fuses with their skin. Spell targets mix the same way; you could cast a Charm spell on an inanimate object, if it has fused with an intelligent being that allows it to become a target.

Any time anything wishes to separate itself from what it has symbolically fused with for an action, they must roll a hard saving throw. Only objects that were touching or close when the spell was first cast are fused, and as the dew is wiped clean or the mist is blown away and things dry off, the spell effects ends and things return to seperation. The clouds fade away over 8 combat rounds.

[5] The Third Gate - 4^th level

This spell conjures one of the three black gates that stood at the start of everything. Even the mightiest spellcaster, or the strongest warrior in the world, can only open the gate a tiny crack. Regardless, endless numbers of things pour forth from that tiny opening; each fully formed and complete as though they were always part of our world- the gates open to the fields of endless creations and everything left behind what was not created in the world. The gate spills these out when created; the gate first appears and after one round splits open a crack to begin.

Each round; the gate spills forth all manner of small creatures, sounds, songs, elements, fluids and solids, weather, spells, colors, and beyond into our dimension. Each round, everyone in the area must make a save or be stunned every round at the sudden force and shock of creation as a veritable genesis appears before them. Colors that don't exist in our world float out freely, along with forms of weather and clouds that defy description, along with tiny vermin that don't look like anything else but yet fit into the world as though they were always meant to be there. The gate lasts for an exploration turn, or until someone of incredible strength and valor (Fighter levels + Strength modifier = at least 8) can force it shut. The gate also spills forth 1 HD creatures who are not influenced by the caster in any way unless a second spell is cast on them to control them. Anyone who tries to close the gate, or influence it in some way, will be first to be struck by the gate's creations; which may include elements to which they have no resistance, a disease which no herbs help, or a creature whose teeth can shred anything that exists on our plane naturally.

Everything conjured by the gate is considered “true breeding” and a “normal” thing in the world- meaning you can't turn or banish them like they were some kind of outsider. Thankfully, most things created by the gates don't necessarily leave the dungeon where they were spawned, or fizzle out within a few minutes due to not having the right kind of energies to sustain them. You could use this spell to conjure random things in your Wizard tower, but risk releasing something bad. Controlled magical experiments with the third gate are safer, and more likely to release useful new creations.

[6] Tessoc's Marionette - 4^th level

This dark magic spell requires a full bodied marionette, roughly human in size, and several powerful magical reagents. When the spell is cast, a ritual is performed where the casters must demand the body of the servant he wishes to have; tall and strong, nubile and busty, lean and fierce, etc. The spell will search for the most fitting body (person with the most matching traits, highest Hit Points, and best Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution) within a several mile radius before warping it in place of the marionette. The marionette becomes the body of the servant, and is animated with a very basic intelligence which will obey all commands given to it by the caster exactly as a puppet would. All commands are taken exactly to the letter, and no autonomy or personality is ever gained by the slave. The slave will live the rest of its natural lifespan in this way.

Meanwhile, the victim of the spell has their body forcibly removed and their real body taken away from them, replaced with a wooden body. This effect is permanent unless the curse is ended. The wooden body is considered to have a 10 in all physical stats, and is animated with a ambient magical energy that grants is 3 hit points per level of the character or being transformed. The new marionette cannot speak and cannot cast spells, but can emote or write notes just fine and doesn't age. The marionette-person could have damaged or burned off body parts replaced by a skilled carpenter, or even improved by a masterful one, improving their physical stats.. If the Marionette ever lands an attack on their own body with any weapon or touches their old body, they instantly switch back and the wooden construct falls to the ground lifeless.

[7] Homecrash - 4^th level

Destroys someone's house. That's it. Specifically a house, not a castle or fortress or royal palace. It could destroy a wing of one of these structures that is dedicated to being a house for the target of the spell. It could also burn down a mansion and destroy a structure made of any material. Homes carved into the sides of mountains would be caved-in at that section, homes made inside giant animals would have the animal be killed, and homes made in alternate dimensions would be annihilated into the astral plane; their inhabitants sent screaming into null space.

This spell destroys houses without fail. It uses whatever method works best; great billowing winds to throw it out to sea on the cliffside coast; gout of flames on the large wooden manor, and earthquakes or arcane blasts against stone and bricks. Earthwork homes may be blasted apart by giant earth worms churning the soil, or by being turned into silty mud and flooding it into a worthless pool. All the basic items of the house will be destroyed as well; major fixtures like furniture, portraits, doors, chandeliers and so on will be cursed if someone somehow removed from the home before being destroyed. The items are destined to be broken and made worthless again. Minor items, like small handfuls of treasure or basic tools, especially those located in the servant's quarters, will only be a little effected and are unlikely to be cursed.

[8] Fearsome Flights - 4^th level

This spell is one of the top contenders for why Wizards live in towers. This spell must be cast on a stairwell the caster owns, and its effects are permanent. The stairwell for this spell must be continuous; it could have multiple levels with rooms leading off or be a single piece. The stairs could be one long vertical staircase, such as used outside, or a stairwell with flights, or a long spiral staircase such as one used in a Wizard's tower.

The Wizard and any person he holds hand with while ascending the flights are immune to its effects. The Wizard can grant temporary immunity to the steps by holding hands, tying a rope and pulling them up, or calling at them from above (be warned, as telling someone to “come up” may also end the spell for anyone else down there listening unless you specify who can come up by name). The Wizard can also grant permanent immunity to someone by performing a ritual where they kneel on the base of the stairs and the Wizard marks their head. This immunity is permanent, but the flights could be tricked. For example, wearing the bloodstained cowl of the Wizard's apprentice may let you pass the stairs unmolested as he did.

The spell effects get worse the higher you climb, and are meant to keep intruders from ascending.

First Flight or the first 10 ft of climbing the stairs gives a feeling of unease and dread. Has no mechanical effects, but keeps away most troublemakers and unpaid (or poorly paid) hirelings. All but the most trusty of animal companions probably won't come higher.

Second Flight or after the first 20 ft of climbing. Characters roll an easy save and hirelings roll for morale. On a failure; they cannot ascend any higher until at least one turn passes. They are stuck on the step they are on. They can always go back down, but doing so means they have to roll again when they reach this level a second time. They can still assist those further up the steps, such as by shooting arrows or spells, or throwing objects or shouting from above and below. If in a situation where they must go upwards, such as by boiling lava coming up from below or to strike an attacker about to fire an arrow at them, they can make a hard save/another morale check and on failure they cannot move. This effect persists above; meaning this must be rolled on each flight above this one.

Third Flight or after the first 30ft of climbing. The toil and exhaustion from rising each step greatly increases; taking a single step feels like a hundred. You must make a save, and on a fail you take 1 point of temporary Con damage. Reduce your maximum HP accordingly. This effect persists on each flight up, but all Con damage from the stairs is returned when you return to the bottom of the staircase.

Fourth Flight or after the first 40ft of climbing. Gravity seems to shift to not under you, but back down the staircase, making climbing even harder. If you fail any saving throws made on the stairs, the stairs will roll an unmodified d20 attack roll against your AC. On a hit, you are shoved down the stairs by an invisible force, and take 1d6 damage for each flight of stairs you bounce down, potentially knocking down others unless they make a save to get out of the way, and you keep falling unless something or someone can right you. If you're by a window, sheer cliff face, or the center of the stairwell is open, you have a 1 in 4 chance to fall out of that instead which will almost certainly lead to your death from the fall. This effect persists upwards. Anyone killed by this will always land at the base of the stairs with a weird bounce or spin that moves them out of the way of the stairs; this way the master of the steps can freely climb without obstruction. This effect persists on each flight higher. Anyone who is shoved back by this force but survives gains a +2 AC bonus against it;

Fifth Flight or after the first 50ft of climbing. The tower is almost out of tricks; now simply trying to slow you down. You move as though you are at the maximum encumbrance from the environment itself; you will need to take off armor and drop everything you are carrying just to keep climbing at any decent speed. If you are outside it may be due to winds and hard rains, within a temple or tower may be from clouds of billowing dust or supernatural, oppressive darkness. The steps may become as sticky soft mud or glue for your feet, or may just mentally make you think you are climbing much faster then you are. Regardless; without supernatural resistance you will ascend so slowly as each step of the staircase forces you to make all relevant saving throws unless you can find a way to move faster. This effect persists upwards.

Sixth Flight or after the first 60ft of climbing and beyond. The tower simple forces all the below effects on each floor for each flight or 10ft you have to climb beyond this point. They don't get worse. Anyone who manages to reaches the top of the tower has conquered it and no longer has to fear climbing this enchanted staircase, or any other created by the Wizard.