Sunday, August 1, 2021

8 Mountain Witch Spells

Art @Ryan Pancoast

[1] Snakebite
- 1st level
The caster hold out their hand and a snake flies from it, attempting to bite whoever they are flung at. The target gets a saving throw against the poison. The type of snake is random. The snake will try to make one bite, then just like slither away or do whatever behavior it normally would; its not under the control of the spell caster in any way. This spell also fails automatically if you have an AC of 16 or higher, as the snake just breaks its teeth on your armor.

[2] Let Me Guide You - 1st level
This insidious spell is used by witches, druids, shamans, ferrymen, and anyone else that can take advantage of lost travelers in faraway places. In order for you to use this spell, you must be guiding or leading a group of people who don't know an area or landscape as well as you do. There is no saving throw against this spell, but those with a Wisdom modifier of +2 will always get a funny feeling once this spell is cast and in effect; like they should leave a trail.

During the duration of this spell, no random encounters are rolled, and things are uneasily quiet. The group following you will not notice any significant hazards or delays, even in a place that is said to be difficult to trek.

The caster of the spell can then choose any location within the area they know to leave you, and then they can leave themselves away with you unable to follow. This spell can even do leave people in incredibly dangerous or unusual places; such as the old witch leading you into the center of a group of sleeping giants, or you suddenly find yourself standing on top of a huge pillar of stone 50 feet off the ground with the guide disappeared. This spell can't work on someone twice.

[3] Mountain Oak - 1st level
This spell allows you to stand your feet in the ground and become unmovable. If it be by gravity, storm, or earthquake you become unable to be moved from your spot. You can stand on the tallest spire of rock and not be knocked down by strong rocks hurled at you or powerful winds and so on.

This perilous ability has two flaws- the first is that a shove or push from a person can still knock you down and second, if the rock goes out from under you you will fall either way. Additionally, while under the effect of this spell you receive +2 to all saving throws and ignore the first 2 points of damage you would receive from any source.

[4] Hermitize - 2nd level
This spell is a curse. When cast on you, make a saving throw. If you fail, you must treat your Charisma modifier as -2 and find other people repulsive, needing to live on your own. You must become a hermit- and you can choose to live in any wild or natural place away from others EXCEPT for this mountain where this witch lives. This one is taken.

This curse lasts one year, or until you kill the witch who cast it.

[5] Frozen Fall - 3rd level
This spell must be cast on a creature or object that is in flight. From the casters hands come a powerful spray of frozen slush, which coats the bottom of the flying creature. The bottom of the creature or object is frozen over with a layer of heavy ice, which pulls down on it. The creature must be within range of an arrow, or else the spell can't reach.

Powerful creatures like Dragons or a Winged Terror will not be pulled down by this, just slowed, where as smaller flying creatures will be pulled to the ground and unable to fly or walk, but are still free to attack with their head, tail, wing beats, etc. Creatures brought to the ground this way can slow themselves enough not to take damage, unless if the creature cannot normally fly. Additionally, while frozen by this spell, creatures get -2 AC from being unable to move.

[6] Stonedust - 3rd level
Requires a pouch or handful of finely ground sand which becomes magically enchanted. This spell has two effects; chosen by how they are used. The first is by throwing handful of dust in the air, it will blossom out, multiply, and coat the landscape in a very fine layer like snow. The dust will have the same color as it did as sand, thus creating the illusion of gray snow or fine powder over everything. When the spell is cast, the caster can dictate what will whip up the dust. They can say something as specific as "human" or "werewolf" but not this specific human, or a specific type of werewolf. When the dust is whipped up, it become a choking black cloud over the land, stinging and scratching the throats of everyone who are outside. This deal 1d6 damage per round you are within the sand storm as toxic gas damage AND prevents all spellcasting. Because of the storm itself being made of this sand, it is visible from a far distance and can be used as a beacon or warning from far away.

The second use of this spell requires mixing the dust into water, which becomes a sand-colored oil. The oil is fire retardant and prevents electricity from going through it, but is weak to ice and will dry up and crack if exposed to cold temperatures. Anointing a creature's skin with the oil marks them as "of the earth" and grants resistance to fire and lightning, +4 AC, and +1 damage with unarmed attacks. The anointed being also gains +25% magic resistance, (25% chance to deflect spells) but this effect ends the moment any part of their body stops touching the ground and doesn't return until a fresh casting of this spell.

Finally; the Stonedust liquid can also be quaffed. If drunk, the drinker will have the Stone to Flesh spell cast on them, no save, which automatically wears off after 2d6 years. They reduce their Dexterity by -1d4 points; as some amount of the stone stiffness never really goes away.

[7] Finger of the Mountain - 3rd level
When casting this spell, the magic user must be physically higher up in altitude then the target, at least by a few inches. Otherwise, the spell will be grounded and fail.

The caster creates a bolt of lightning from their finger downwards at their target, dealing 4d8 lightning damage and shoving you back 10 ft. Save for half damage. The spell creates a loud thunderbolt and as such it will draw in a random encounter after being used.

[8] Rein the End - 4th level
This spell allows the user to create and control an avalanche. This can be a snow avalanche, the most common, or a rock slide or mud slide, which functions similarly. This spell always begins with an inhuman cry, which shakes the mountains and acts as the only warning this spell has begun. The avalanche created will flow down the mountain and can be steered and made more or less aggressive. It can also split apart, such as to avoid targets, or concentrated to bury one area in a massive blanket of snow. It cannot travel up, and the spell ends when the snow has reached the ground and settles.

Anyone buried by an avalanche must save or be knocked unconscious. Those with a Constitution modifier of +2 or better an ignore this save. Once buried, the victim has 2d6 turns worth of air before they suffocate, and need to be dug out.

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