10 Red Spells

[1] Hotfoot - 1^st level

Turns one of your feet bright red. That foot becomes immune to fire, and very hot to the touch. If you walk across something that deals fire damage (hot coals, burning ground, a red hot pan, etc.) you only take half damage, since only one of your feet is getting burned.

The hot foot also lights flammable things on fire that it touches or presses weight on; running through a dry forest in autumn will almost certainly cause a massive forest fire (but the fire will be, literally, at your heels.) If you kick someone with the hot foot, deal +1 fire damage and will ignite them if they're very weak to fire, such as a strawman.

[2] Ruby Gel - 1^st level

The minor prototype of the spell Ruby Goop. This spell turns a 1 HD slime, gelatinous cube, or ooze creature into a harmless, bright red version of itself. This spell has no effect on slimes that are already red. This spell has half effectiveness against a 2 HD slime regardless of size, the slime turns a bit more red in color and has pinkish spots, but deals half damage for the spell's duration instead of no damage. The spell lasts 2 combat rounds.

[3] Maroon Butterflies - 2^nd level

When this spell is cast, the caster must declare an action. This action is something everyone can be doing, so “touching the monument” or “keep working” are acceptable actions, but “not being a filthy orc” is not. After being declared, hundreds of glowing, maroon-colored butterflies appear and follow around each person. As long as they continue to obey or follow that action, the butterflies do nothing but follow. If they break the action, then the butterflies start to dive bomb them and explode, dealing 1 point of magic damage per round the person is breaking the command.

This spell lasts up to 6 combat rounds, but another version can be cast with an orb that lasts up to an hour of time instead, used to keep workers in line instead. In this version, each person only gets 1 butterfly and once it is gone, the other butterflies have to follow them meaning that distraction can allow others to escape or destroy their own butterflies to thwart the spell.

[4] Back Alley Dusting - 2^nd level

This spell must be cast in an enclosed area with a “dead end”. It creates a small amount of “snow” of red dust, which falls on people and objects exactly as snow would, but is room temperature and smells lightly of spices. While this dust is falling, violence comes easy. You get -2 to all reaction checks if cast with this dust present, but you and your allies all deal +2 to-hit and damage with attacks. The dusting continues for 1d4 exploration turns, in which case the dust turns a darker red and becomes inert. You could theoretically sweep up the dust or carry it out of the alley where you cast the spell, but in such cases reduce its bonus to +1 to hit and damage instead.

[5] Blasting Smoke - 1^st level

Creates a red cloud of smoke. If this smoke is later exploded by another force, it deals +1d6 damage to the original explosion's damage value. The damage caused by this spell is not an element, so fire based explosions will still do fire damage + the bonus damage from this spell, and so on. This spell can be attached to an object like a bomb arrow or a trapped chest, can be put around a person about to spontaneously combust, put low to the ground in an area lined with mines, and so on. This spell does not have any damage nor explodes on its own, and can merely support other spells.

[6] Blazing Hair of the Warrior-Clans - 3^rd level

To cast this spell, the recipient must have their hair combed for at least 3 combat rounds or out of combat for a few seconds. Their hair turns a bright red-orange color, and becomes empowered by the warrior clans. Once active, the hair also grows out very large and becomes animated, swinging around in all directions to protect and invigorate the person with the warrior's hair.

The first person to successful strike the person with the magic hair each round must make a combat saving throw, else their attack is deflected by the hair, the strands parrying blows like a sword or dagger would. The person with the warrior hair also gains +2 to hit for their own attacks for each round. This spell lasts for 10 combat rounds, but can be suspended for up to a turn if done before combat, readying itself for a fight.

[7] Scarlet Spike - 4^th level

This spell contorts into being a wand, red and sharp, made of an unknown red material. The “scarlet spike” as it is called is a magical item that can be used to make attacks with. Each time the wand is flicked, it fires a small red beam of energy that deals 1d8+1 damage, but only against living creatures. Creatures struck by the wand's attack feel intense pain and a red burn that spreads from their skin; the wand can also be used as a dagger up close, but only deals 1d4+1 damage. You cannot fire the wand while in melee.

The spike can also be used to draw symbols of chastising. By 'drawing' a symbol in the air at the tip of the spike, or scratched onto a surface, it glows a bright red and keeps there for as long as the spike exists. The symbol blasts anyone who physically touches it, or who breaks the symbol by violating its contract or “rule”. Symbols drawn may be something like a glyph in elvish that represents silence, which blasts anyone who speaks aloud, or the symbol could be less abstract such as a large lock symbol over a door, which attacks anyone who picks the lock.

Symbols deal 2d8 damage when broken, and only work once. Targets who are aware of the symbols power or prepared for it can make a save to reduce the damage to 1d8 instead, or half damage. Those who break the symbol's rule without knowing what it means do not get a save, as it happens as a surprise.

The spike lasts for one season, or until it is physically broken. Nobody who has been a slave may cast this spell, and the spike simply falls through their fingers if they try to take ownership of it.

[8] Bloody Channeling - 1^st level

The caster must first cut their hand or other similar body part in order to cast this spell. Each round they channel this spell, their blood flies through the air and turns into a fine red mist when it hits another living entity, or at the end of its range at 15ft. This creatures heals 1d4 + Wisdom modifier of the caster hit points per round, where as the caster loses the same amount rolled on the die each round without including the Wisdom bonus.

This stream is a physical object and as such can be blocked by anything as heavy as a curtain. Enemies could jump in front of the spray or deflect it using a magic mirror shield to absorb the life force for themselves. Once the caster is hit by an attack or stops channeling, the spell effect ends and cannot be cast again unless prepared and cast another day.

[9] Red Stygia - 3^rd level

When this spell is cast, it concentrates a circle of red lines and circles, aiming towards a central point. These symbols represent magical energy, focusing towards the center which is a smaller circle. The inner circle is 10 ft in diameter and the outer circle covered by the symbols and secondary circles is 20 ft. Anyone within the central circle can draw upon the power that is being funneled into it; boosting either saves by +4, increasing level-related abilities by +1, or granting +4 to hit and +2 to damage with magic arcing energy coming off your weapons. The Stygia can only have one person drawing off its power per round, meaning whoever has the higher initiative. Ties are resolved by an opposed d10 roll modified by Charisma to see who has more cosmic draw.

The symbol on the ground glows red as the spell is used and channeled, the lines in the ground are scorched with the heat of the energy traveling towards it; walking on it smolders your boots and deals 1d4 fire damage. If someone draws power off the Stygia even once then the heat on the ground scorches the symbol into the wood or stone on the floor as a chalky black soot, which could be scrubbed off with some elbow grease. The Red Stygia lasts up to an exploration turn or up to 4 uses of its drawn energy. This spell is often used by Wizards to focus their powers, but a younger, faster person may be able to take the energy for themselves if they can get past the conductive heat of the symbol.

[10] Divine Rose - 4^th level

To cast this spell, the magic user must plant a rose seed in a sacred or magical place. Then, it must be well tended to, watered with pure clean water and kept free from being looked at or touched by any unbaptized individuals, not plucked before its time, and magically enchanted with several rituals by at least three lay priests. During this period of time, the magic user does not get access to this spell slot as it is currently growing the magical rose. Once this is complete, the rose will bloom as a single rose blossom on a single bright, pure green stalk growing from the ground- the rose glows and draws beautiful animals and plants to be around it.

The rose is imbued with the powers of beauty and divinity. Anyone who carries the rose, even if suspended and protected in an object like a crystal orb, count as having a Charisma modifier of +2. If it was already +2, make it a +3. While carrying the rose, magic is also boosted and the magic users spells have saves harder at -2 to succeed against them.

Additionally, the rose can be plucked to cast powerful magical effects as minor wishes. These effects can replicate the effects of a 3^rd level spell or less, cause a minor coincidence, create something of 1 HD or less, or do anything else a semi-divine magical wishing rose could feasible do. The wish must be spoken aloud- and wishes not made immediately are lost forever as the petal disappears before it hits the ground. Mind controlling and polymorph effects grant the subject a save, but are permanent if failed. The rose's magic only works on things or places the magic user can spy, and after a rose petal is plucked it can never be reattached. The divine rose has 12 thick petals which disappear into a burst of magic when used to make a wish.