20 Altered Classic Spells

[1] Super Delayed Fireball (Fireball)

Conjures a ball of flame. Unlike normal fireballs, this one travels towards the target at a snail's pace, a constant burning ball that seeks to destroy them. The ball does not stop under any circumstances, but avoids solid objects and can hover through the air to try and reach the target. Do to how slow it travels, the target can outrun the orb with a brisk walk, or may travel across long distances, to a separate land, to live the rest of their life while the orb slowly seeks them out. The orb can be destroyed in advance with a ice arrow or magic spells similar to breaking a curse, or if by chance a flying creature touches the orb and causes it to blow up.

If not; the orb will eventually find the target's grave and singe the gravestone in the last explosion, too late to put the target down themselves. Of course if the fireball reaches the target ahead of time, does normal damage.

[2] Agitate Person (Hold Person)

Hits a single person, which causes them to vibrate in place. The person cannot stop moving and must walk, jump, or perform repetitive actions to get the stimulation out of them. They cannot stand still and get a disadvantage to sneaking, but they doesn't necessarily have to move away from their position if they can walk in a circle or get it out of them through that motion. If for whatever reason the person cannot move and is totally locked in place, they take 1d4 damage from their internal organs and blood vibrating hard inside their body. If this kills them, they blow up messily.

[3] Affect Abnormal Fires (Affect Normal Fires)

This spell is mostly used to corral and fix the behavior of uppity fires and spirits of flame. Forces hellfire to produce light, tickling fires to burn people, stonefire to burn wood instead of rocks, and intelligent Fiendfyre to stop acting with malevolent intent. As a plus, this spell can be used to control the actions of intelligent fires as per a Command, Suggestion, or Geas spell. Creatures half made of fire, like fire elements and Genasi can also be cast upon, but get a saving throw and the spell has “half” effectiveness.

[4] Comprehend Gobbledygook (Comprehend Languages)

You can understand gibberish, mostly spoken by babies, mock elements, and other serendipitous and stupid creatures. You may also get a saving throw to understand the gibberings of the insane or those speaking in tongues during religious experiences. Gibberish isn't a very descriptive or useful language, instead mostly boiling down to expressions of emotion, safety, love, or desire for food or a physical object. The cast can also attempt to speak gobbledygook but may twist up their tongue on a 1 in 6 chance, requiring them to untwist it over the course of an hour so they can speak again (and cannot cast spells again until they can speak.)

[5] Beetle Plummet (Spider Climb)

You can crawl up a wall as a giant insect can, but are fat and clumsy. After 1d6 rounds, you will fall from the wall and will only take 1 damage. While climbing you count as having at least 16 AC due to your implied heavy beetle shell. If you fall on someone, you deal 1d6 damage + 1 per unit or point of encumbrance over your "unencumbered" value.

[6] Hindquarter Shield (Shield)

Upon casting this spell, the magic user gains a magical shield behind them. The shield protects their rear end from attacks and back stabs, adding bonus AC as per the regular Shield spell rules. If an enemy throws a an explosive bomb or pot of acid and misses you by one, it will hit the rear end of the shield and bounce back to hit you anyway.

[7] “Heat” Metal (Heat Metal)

Upon casting this spell, a metal item the caster can see becomes criminally charged. The item is infused with the energies of criminality and chaos, and any lawman who sees it gets the idea that the item is stolen or belonging to a criminal in their mind. The wearer must have a rock solid alibi or face charges from having the stolen weapon or armor. This spell takes several rounds to take effect, the first making the item simply seem sketchy, then seemingly stolen, then a very hot item.

[8] False Tracks (Pass Without Trace)

This spell makes the caster and up to two others not leave any traces through natural terrain, meaning no footprints, little bits of fabric, trampled underbrush and so on. However this spell has a twist that displays the tracks and hints of your direction towards another way, so while you go through the thick woods to lose your pursuers, they see your footprints going up to the hills. If someone was fast enough, they could see your footprints and little traces of your travel appearing step by step on their own down the fake location.

Those who spend a lot of time tracking and are good at it will not be easily fooled by this spell, as it tends to have a bunch of repetitive tricks it uses all the time, like a fake brush-over pattern with a branch as though the fake travelers were covering their tracks but did such a bad job of it it is obviously faked, tracks left through snow don't have any crushed packed snow, just a light scoop is taken out to make the fake paw prints, etc.

[9] Heated Hands (Burning Hands)

This spell makes the magic users hands glow bright red and give off tremendous heat. If they were wearing gloves, the gloves catch on fire or if they were metal gauntlets they turn bright orange from the heat and could be forged. Similarly, any metal object the magic user touches slowly turns bright as the metal gets hot enough to smith, water turns to steam when paddled through, and snow banks melt when the hands ruffle through it- obviously they cannot use any wooden weapons or hold a magic wand or staff while this spell is in use, else their instrument of magic will light on fire.

Any punch attacks done by the magic user deal 1d4 fire damage instead of their normal unarmed damage from the intense heat; a fast enough swing even creates a puff of fire and smoke on impact- potentially lightning the target on fire on a roll of 4 with a fist attack. Finally, by using their hands as a shield versus dragon fire or a fire based spell, the magic user can reduce incoming fire damage by -1 or get a +2 to saves versus fire and explosive spells as their hands try to turn away the blast. This spell lasts for 1d2 exploration turns.

[10] Protection from Neutral (Protection from Evil)

This spell protects you from the conniving and predatory nature of the “neutral”. This spell has a 1 ft radius and grants -2 to attack rolls done against you from neutral creatures and +2 to saving throws from spells or actions done by neutral creatures. In this case, Neutral creatures who are attacked you are doing so because they are hungry and want to eat you, or maybe are doing so for money as a mercenary. If you are being attacked by men of the law or by creatures acting in self defense, then they would count as Good for the attack and the spell doesn't work. If you're being attacked by sadists, slavers looking to make a mark, or cultists then you are being attacked by Evil and the spell does not work. Bandits who encounter wandering magic users often may shout about how they are going to torture the magic user or a string of heretical profanity to mark themselves as evil just long enough they can slip past this spell's defeneses.

[11] Wrap Wood (Warp Wood)

When cast, this spell wraps up several wooden items in yards of ridiculous colorful holiday paper as per gift giving traditions in the setting. These items are put in boxes, stuffed with papers, adorned with ribbons, etc. Arrows come in individually stuck boxes, the quarterstaff would be wrapped up head to toe, etc. Trying to use these weapons gives a -2 penalty to hit and damage as the paper softens the blow and loosens your grip. You can spend a round aggressively tearing apart the wrapping paper to get your weapon back. If you cast this spell on another objects made of wood, like planks of wood in a boat or floorboard the items are covered in fake tinsel snow. If cast on a tree, it just gets decorated as per a Christmas tree.

[12] Goose Geas (Geas)

The moment this spell is cast, a large aggressive male goose flies in from the nearest open window or door to stand around the target of the spell. The target is given an instruction or goal, or is told a negative command to not do something, and this spell binds them to that and tries to force them to do it. The Goose is how it does this. Every time the person steps out of line, tries to disobey the spell or subvert it, or seeks a counter-charm to the magic, the goose will honk, scream, peck and flap its wings to block and herd the target back on the path they're supposed to travel.

The Goose is still a normal 1 HD creature and can be swayed momentarily, allowing the target brief moments of not working towards their Geas (especially if bribed with bread), but the goose has a higher intelligence then more animals and knows its targets intention and actions. If the Goose is ever killed, it returns in 1d4 days 50% larger and with another HD. If the Goose ever is killed and will return with HD equal to the caster who cast this spell; it returns with three heads and magic wings that can flap apart spells of 1^st level or less. If slain this final time, it will not return.

[13] Shinigami (Shillelagh)

Infuses a bit of wood, usually a club or staff, with a spirit of death. The knots of the wood arrange themselves into a spooky skull-like face. The wooden club will always try to get the holder to cause more death and destruction, even if it furthers the users own ends, because the wooden spirit wishes to see more death in the world as that is how it gains power. It will also attempt to goad the weilder to take huge risks or try to bludgeon the head in of a huge monster, so its holder can also die for it as well. The Shinigami can grant +1 to all damage rolls while it is held, including spells, but will only do so for a wielder who continues to follow its advice.

[14] Pessimistic Sphere (Prismatic Sphere)

Creates a shifting magical sphere around the caster, which has several shades of gray. Anyone trying to attack the caster are hit with several strong sensations of depression, unmotivated, procrastination, ennui, laziness, obliviousness, and annoyance in that order from the inside out. You can destroy a layer by blasting it with a powerful spell of the opposite emotional effect or by dealing at least 10 damage; each layer can absorb up to 10 damage if you can succeed the saving throw needed to actually care enough to attack the sphere.

[15] Animate Objections (Animate Object)

This spell must be cast during an argument. The caster can either create the Objections based on their own arguments against their opposition, or they may cast it as a neutral third party which creates the objections of both sides. The Objections are based on the primary talking points of the argument and the objections to it. They are created as semi-real phantasmal creatures with exaggerated features and simplistic and assertive personalities made to fit their objection. For example, if a character's plan of action would take the group through a orc-infested mountain and the caster had an objection that they would be attacked by an orc ambush, then this spell would create a semi-cartoony orc carrying a huge stone over his head, as though to through it down on you from on top of the narrow mountain pass.

All creatures made by this spell have HD roughly equal to the importance and legitimacy of the objection to the argument, where as more nonsensical objections have less HD and are less real. The caster can create up to 1d4 + Charisma modifier objections. The objections disappear once the argument is settled, but in the most extreme cases could be made to attack the magic user's enemies who he was arguing with, for example. Sometimes, if the concern of the objection is wide enough or long lasting enough, or if the living objection is especially clever, it may stick around longer and become a permanent half-being of a living argument that was settled a long time ago.

[16] Pass-Stall (Passwall)

When cast, this spell creates a large stall section of a wall, with accompanying curtain. The stall is recessed into the wall it is created and made of the same material. The stall is big enough to hold one creature comfortably, but two or three could squeeze into it as a closet. The curtain and stall is magical; when the curtain is closed, creatures who saw you enter must patiently wait for those inside the stall to step out or open the curtain, and likewise those within are unable to fire spells or arrows out of the stall until the curtain is open. However both those in and out can prepare for the spell to end or for those inside to make their escape; such as by setting up caltrops or lying in ambush. The spell has a secondary effect along with this; anyone within the stall is somewhat concealed magically by this spell, and creatures must make a saving throw or pass right by the stall, if they were chasing you or just wandering around.

The stall lasts for 1d3 exploration turns and at the end of the duration it kicks everyone inside out and refills the empty space with a great exhalation of material.

[17] Invisible Stocker (Invisible Stalker)

This spell conjures forth an invisible, intelligent creature. The creature has 8 HD and is quite powerful, but is an absolute pacifist and refuses to make any attacks or participate in combat in any way. Instead it only has one joy in existence- To stock, arrange, organize, manage, and otherwise perform all the functions of a quartermaster to its controlling caster and their cohorts.

After any combat ends, the arrows and thrown weapons of the party are gathered back up silently, appearing back in their quivers and bags. Coins are arranged into piles and neatly arranged by metal type, and rations are carefully checked off and correctly portioned. The Invisible Stocker can even purchase goods from stores by pantomime, despite not wanting to speak, by arranging the desired items on the shelf with payment, and as soon as the payment is checked and taken by the store owner, the items will disappear when next not watched to be given to the ordering magic user. The Stocker can be ordered to follow to manage resources, stay at a stronghold to keep track of goods and stores, sent half the world away to purchase some rare and exotic item, and so on.

The Stocker is essentially permanent, but will start to resent ungrateful owners and may attempt to leave or even sabotage its own efforts as a last resort, replacing all the swords in your scabbard with rusted ones from your dungeon stockpile. If given occasional gifts, such as an abacus with golden counting beats or a nice set of scales this will keep it satisfied and happy in your employment.

[18] Slowest Poison (Slow Poison)

This spell creates a dark green sludge which can be mixed with a drink or food item to poison it, or coated on a weapon to deliver it to a target. When hit, this poison will kill the target, eventually. It takes 1d20+10 years for it to finally kick in and end the targets life, and there is no saving throw for this poison. Only powerful magic or a cure, or just dying of natural causes first, will save you from it.

[19] Finger of Left (Finger of Death)

Permanently transforms both of the target's hands into left hands. For most individuals, this would greatly reduce both spellcasting and fighting ability, granting a permanent offhand penalty to all actions and attacks (since both hands are now the wrong hand), but for left handed people, this actually gives them permanent perfect ambidexterity, as both of their hands are now their good hand. If you don't already know your character's dominant hand, just assume 1 in 10 chance for left-handed.

[20] Mirroring Foes (Mirror Image)
When cast, this spell creates 1d6 illusion copies of an enemy creature. The creature knows the copies are fake and is not scared of them, being able to see itself in the copies. However, the copies have two effects. First, it has an X in 6 chance, with X being the number of copies remaining, for an enemy magician to miscast a healing or support spell they were trying to cast on the real creature, since all the mirror images copy them and even speak if the creature speaks, making it more confusing as to which one is the real one.

Secondly, the actual location of the copied being is in question each round, and when an AoE spell is cast or a multiple-target attack lands, roll damage for each copy. The real one conveniently is the clone that takes the most damage from the multi-target attack or spell. Each round, one copy disappears and the enemy creature can use up an attack to attack a copy of itself to dispel it.

Class-HD as Combat Dice System

I've been trying to figure out new combat systems. After my last real play session, I had an issue once or twice with Initiative and with exact distances in combat without using a play mat. But on top of that, I had an issue with fighters as a class. How does a linear +1 two hit at first level be fun and interesting to play? They can't even tank very well! This, on top of making the game easier for new players to pick up and learn, made me think of a new system.

I still really like 'theater of the mind' style gameplay, and I want to preserve the idea of Fighters being really damn good at fighting, even at first level. So, in order to fix this, I introduce to you the Combat Dice system. This is a big change to TheManse Roleplaying system, but I hope it really strikes an identity for itself.

Combat Dice System

Every class has a combat die. It is used to gain HP, to determine initiative, and to deal damage. At first level, if your DM is a big softie then take your maximum possible roll with your die for your health. Otherwise, roll as normal.

Magicians get d4

Rogues get d6

Clerics get d8

Fighters get d10

At the start of each combat round, roll your combat die and add your strength to the roll. This determines your initiative, with bigger numbers going first. You can choose to attack, defend, harry, or do something else.

When attacking, you can choose any target to attack as long as they haven't been defended this round yet. You will roll 1d20 vs target AC, with matching or beating the AC letting your roll your class's combat die in damage to the enemy. If you roll a 6 or better, you get advantage on your attack. If you roll a 10 or better, you can make two attacks with advantage.

When defending, you can choose either to defend yourself or to step in front of an ally and defend them; taking all attacks they would take on yourself. Roll your combat die and add the amount to your AC for the rest of this round. If you rolled a 6 or higher on your combat roll, all who attack you get disadvantage. If you rolled a 10 or higher, you can defend 2 people.

When harrying, you harass the enemy and perform a combat move against them. This includes stuff like pushing them back, tripping, throwing sand in eyes, disarming, and so on. If you get 6 or higher, they get disadvantage on their save. If you get 10 or higher, you can harry 2 people who take disadvantage on their saves.

When doing anything else, your combat roll just determines when it happens.

Positioning

If an ally defends you from an enemy, you can't attack that enemy since your ally is in the way. If you have a ranged weapon, this isn't an issue.

Weapons

Since damage is determined by class, weapons instead give special powers and different bonuses depending on their size and type.

Hidden weapons, like daggers and blackjacks and needles, let you do a sneak attack if you sneak up on the enemies, granting a free attack that automatically hits and deals your damage. Rogues get bonuses to this.

Balanced weapons, like a sword, mace, hatchet, spear, or other similar weapon grants +1 to your combat roll each initiative round.

Great weapons, which includes almost everything two handed lets you upsize your damage die by one and let you win initiative ties if your opponent has less reach then you.

Ranged weapons let you shoot at enemies at range, even while being harried or defended. If you aren't surprised on the first round of combat, you get to shoot at any enemy and make a regular attack roll.

Monster Combat Dice

There are 4 ways monsters determine their combat roll and initiative.

There is priority initiative. These monsters always go either first or last. Goblins on coke always go first, sludge beasts always go last. Because they don't actually get a combat number, they don't get any special advantage on their attacks.

There is basic initiative. This monster always uses the same number for their combat roll. Zombies always go on a 2, Man-Eating Tigers always use an 8. If a monster has 6 or more, they will always get advantage on their attacks and inflict disadvantage on those who attack them while they defend. Obviously these monsters will be extremely dangerous.

There is variable initiative. This works best for 'tactical' monsters or humanoid characters that you will fight quite a while. By using a variable number, either their own combat dice like d6 or d8, or using a d4+2 for a smaller range of 3-6, it's not possible to always know if they will have advantage until after the roll is over.

Finally, there is context initiative. This works on a number of player inputs first, with the monster going after that number of players is gone. This type is reserved for powerful bosses who need to be understood and to give the players a fighting chance. If you know that the boss always goes after a single party member gets a turn, then you will always have a chance to attack once or to defend a weak party member before it unleashes its deadly attacks or magic powers.

Monster Progression

Monsters do not gain AC or to-hit as they get higher level. Their HD determines their basic saving throw, their health, and they get +1 damage on a hit per HD.

Fighter Progression

The combat dice system cuts out a lot of modifiers. Because d20 attacks are no longer a function of adding many modifiers, it's just dice vs the target number, which keeps things simple. Fighters are still the best at fighting due to the amount of dice they get to chuck out.

Instead of linear scaling in terms of hitting targets; Fighters instead get +1 to hit every even level. Ever odd level they can instead learn Special Moves.

Special Moves

Whenever you spend time training with an elderly sensei or retired old blacksmith, Fighters can learn new special moves. Special moves either recover a combat roll of a certain number or more, OR they are limited to certain number of uses per day or in combat. Some trainers may charge wealth or a quest to learn their secret moves.

Each combat move is tied to a stat. Most are based on Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution; but more supernatural and tricky ones may be based on mental stats. To learn a special move, you have to roll a d20 + this stat modifier + your level and meet or beat a target number. You can only try to learn a special move once per level. Failing means you cannot grasp your tutor's teachings and have to return once you've become stronger and wiser.

Dungeon of the Shepard's Crook- play report

The Dungeon of the Shepard's Crook was not just an off the cuff dungeon made for this blog; it was actually used in play! Here's what happened.

The Game One

After a basic rules explanation, and a very short diatribe about the Red God- the players go rolling for stats. Mostly average stats- but the Wizard had a -2 to strength and had a tiny load of 6. I tell them to just pick any race they can think of if they want to, based on their stats, because I'm not giving bonuses this time. The players create a Halfling Rogue, whose name I don't remember, and a Gnome Wizard named Igor, and we decide that the starting town would therefore be mostly populated by members of that race.

I tell them the situation. Their Dungeon Goal is to recover a magical item called The Shepard's Crook. It's one of those curved sticks that shepherds use to control sheep, but its also a great symbol of luck and the magic of the springtime in the village. Along with that, a halfling girl has gone missing about a month ago which may be related.

They begin play at the dungeon already, starting at the bottom left and working their way right. They make their way past the fish bone corridor, after the Wizard player wastes a mana point casting a flare that only lasts one minute when he thought he could use it for a whole turn. After that, the magician rests to recover 1 mana point by reading his spellbook while the Rogue knocks away all the bones to make it easy to pass by silently. They enter room 11 which they name the fabric room, for me basically implying there are tents in there.

They hear chittering voices and the Rogue player lights a tent on fire. I count this as a sneak attack. I roll 1d8 and get a 5. With both his Rogue sneak attack bonus + the Galcialics huge weakness to fire, the first one dies in the confusion, then Initiative is rolled.

The party fights, using both fire magic and the Rogue's claw weapon + torch to attack the little icy goblins. The party is quickly overwhelmed after killing 3 of them, 5 was obviously too many for a party size of only two members.

Because it happened so quickly into the game, and because we were still in the middle of laughing our asses off at the combat, the players quickly roll up two new characters. This time a human Wizard named Glassman, equipped with an iron helmet that looks like giant pair of sunglasses and Igor 2, a gnome warrior here to avenge his father/brother's death.

Pacer

 The Game Two

Because of the first game's rapid death spiral and huge damage from all enemies, the players wisely invest in a lot of armor this time. They are the second group that are coming after the first two didn't return a few weeks ago.

They enter the dungeon and this time charge down the fish hallway at d. They roll for a wandering encounter check due to the noise, but end up getting a high number for Unaware Monster result. Turns out one of the Glacialics has their back turned to the door, and they stab him in the back, killing

Despite it clearly only working on smaller objects then this, the Wizard casts the 1 mana telekinesis spell to make the corpse dance like a puppet with the shortsword still stuck in it. I roll the monsters morale and they bolt. They break the door from 11 leading to c hallway and one of the players smartly lays down on the ground and notices that one of the tiles is raised higher then the others. They deduce it is a trap and move past it without triggering it.

Entering room 9 I roll a d4 and on a roll of 1, that means the shaman is there, not noticing the party due to looking at the mana potion. The Wizard performs a very funny sneak attack; direct fire bolt to the monster's icicle head and then smashing him with a sack of marbles. The shaman goes down without getting a single attack or turn in. They loot the room and find the porcelain coin underneath the pillow before going north to 6.

They peer into the door and decide to turn back, possibly because they were worried about some kind of magical trap or something. They ignore 12 completely and go up b hallway, and when they reach 5 they see little shit-smear footprints leading deeper in. They don't go in there and instead go north to 3. They take the south hallway and see it loops back through the cold room, then they pick the locked door successful with an easy Skill Check and head to 4.

They hear the heavy loud pacing of the monster Pacer and Igor the Gnome Fighter goes to fight it instantly. I'm not sure if the players had a death wish or if they were just trying to kill everything in the dungeon lickety split. They end up waiting for Pacer to come by and the Wizard spreads marbles on the ground to trip it up. Despite Pacer being quite large I gave him a saving throw as well, which he made. He crushed one of the marbles with his bulk and then stared at the party, revealing his ugly teeth. The fighter drops the torch and does a downwards uppercut with his sword, only dealing two damage. Then the Wizard picks up the torch and throws it into Pacer's mouth, and he chews it to dust in seconds, but the fire deals 1 damage.

Pacer slams the Fighter and actually knocks him to 0 HP. The Wizard uses 1 mana point to revive the other character, a close call but allowing the fighter to recover.

Unbeknownst to them, despite being a 2 HD creature, Pacer only rolled 4 health points. He was almost dead at this point. Regardless, they led the beast all the way to the trap in c and let the lumbering monster activate it, which finished it off. They lock themselves into the shaman's room to rest for two turns, recovering both mana and 2 hp. Despite not having brought a first aid kit I just let them have it as though they did; they just made bandages from the bedsheets instead.

Coming down from c and room 11, they go up north on the split from d hallway and find 10. Breaking down the door at 10, they find the altar and take the coin and are excited to have found the shepard's crook. They still explore the dungeon instead of leaving though.

They go through the other locked door to 8, and find a bunch of bones and such the glacialics were probably going to feed to Pacer. They also find a chisel that they take with them. They then reach 2, where they find the gargoyle head. They deduce it is probably trapped and they destroy the gargoyle's teeth, so I adjudicate that if it bites it will now only deal 1 damage. The Fighter who took the necklace only had one health, but miraculously he made his Hazard save. The Magician looks it over and wears the necklace to be used as a mana store.

Finally they decide to go investigate 12. However as they enter 11 the remaining two icy goblins, who were hiding in the waste area at 5, found them. Instead of rolling for a reaction check or anything, we just initiate combat instead, the fighter charges in and attacks. On the monster's retaliation, it rolls a 1 to hit the fighter so I let him trip or disarm the glacialic for free and he does so, now pinning him down with his foot. The Magician uses a 2 mana fireblast spell to hit the standing glacialic and kills it.

Surprise, the pinned glacialic makes a save and bobs the fighter in the kneecap with his spear, letting him get back up and make an attack. In the next round the icy goblin kills the fighter, and then the magician uses up the mana store necklace to blast the goblin to death with his fire bolt. After dragging his companion out of the dungeon, he rescues the girl at 12 who may be returning as a replacment PC for my player who died at the last moments of the dungeon. Despite the girl telling them about hearing coins being dragged in a heavy bag, the magician doesn't stick around and they leave.

The character are treated to a nice epilogue of returning to town. Along the way, the flowers bloom and the clouds part. Sheep just off the side of the road suddenly stop and turn their attention, following the returning mage holding the shepard's crook back to town, the magic within it still potent and untarnished by the grasp of the evil Red God. Finally, I told the human wizard that one of his hands over the next few days turns red, as though stained by wine permanently, the price from stealing from the Red God.

Feedback & Conclusion

Since both my players were also fellow dungeon masters in the past, I thought I could get good feedback out of them. They described the experience as fun, fast and loose was enjoyable to them, but more consistency with the rules would have been preferred. I agree with this, because I know I forgot to use a lot of mechanics, and had unfinished rules when it came to initiative and encumbrance penalties; the dead fighter didn't even know about getting a bonus to his to-hit at first level!

Both being DM's though, they weren't expecting my brand of OSR creativity and random content. They had no idea what monsters they were facing despite having good gameplay grasps, and both of them thought that was a great part of it too. Personally I enjoyed myself despite thinking I could have done a better job next time. We'll see if Igor the third makes a return, or if Glassman goes anywhere in life.

Dirt Simple Mana Points

This is my rewritten magic system. I intend to add it to the class rules shortly.

Magic Users use mana points to cast spells. Every spell you learn uses the same research rules, but learning a single effect with a set mana cost, with mana cost standing in for complexity -1. Every spell has a mana point cost, once cast the points are gone until the adventure is over or you rest.

You can regain 1 mana point each exploration turn by reading your spellbook. If your spellbook is lost, you cannot rest to recover mana points in this way. You can also drink a mana potion, which restores 1d6 Mana.

Casting spells in combat uses up your round. Add your Intelligence modifier to your spell damage.

Character Progression

Magic users begin at first level with 2 mana.

Every EVEN level, they gain +2 more mana.

Every ODD level beyond first level (starting at 3^rd level), they gain Potence which allows them to bind magical creatures, cast ritual spells, and other arcane powers not covered here.

Mana Potion on belt

1 Cost Spells

✨ Conjure an elemental bolt of fire, ice, or lightning that deals 1d4 damage.

✨ Levitate for up to a minute. Walking pace speed. Can be sustained midair with mana.

✨ Create a flare that lights up an area, removing darkness penalties. Lasts for 3 combat rounds if used in combat or a minute outside of combat.

✨ Draw with glowing light streaks from your finger. Glow too dim to use as light source.

✨ Bring someone from 0 HP to 1 HP

✨ Telekinetic control over object of 1 weight or less. Lasts for up to a single turn. Simple actions only; getting a broom to sweep or lantern to float besides you. Cannot be used as an attack.

2 Cost Spells

✨ Bolt of elemental energy. Deals 1d6 damage.

✨ Lower a monster's HD by one. If dropped to 0, monster becomes disabled and useless until returned to at least 1 HD. Returns at a rate of 1 per hour or 6 exploration turns.

✨ Heal someone 1 HP.

✨ Magic bubbles to carry objects. Carries up to 4 load for 1 turn.

✨ Repair a basic weapon, a single piece of armor, or a shield. Cannot repair obliterated items.

3 Cost Spells

✨ Block off a doorway or hallway with a wall of solid darkness, totally impassable. Lasts 1d4 turns.

✨ Hold up a piece of something and it will help you find the whole. Won't work on things too far away or too old to be 'part' of the object. Bone to skeleton, stick to tree, weapon to armory, etc.

✨ Grant an ally +2 AC for three rounds.

✨ Death touch. Deals 1d10 ghoulish damage.

4 Cost Spells

✨ Elemental barrage, deal 1d6 fire, cold, or lightning damage to enemy an all adjacent to them.

✨ Create a barrier of wind that batters away arrows & light projectiles, lasts for 2 rounds.

✨ Cause a single creature you are making eye contact with to make a morale check.

✨ Create sparkling magic cloud beneath you that can prevent you from taking fall damage. Fills in space, can protect many others as well.

✨ Conjure an Impish minion. It's very small and weak, 1 HD. It performs any order given, and will still dutifully carry out a suicidal order, but will curse you as it does.

5 Cost Effects

✨ Treat a reaction check as Friendly result.

✨ Elemental Blast; 2d8 Fire, Cold, or Lightning to a single target. If damage 6+ then elemental overcharge. If 12+ then double overcharge effect.

✨ Create illusion lure, such as crying baby or smell of cooking food. Lasts until something falls for it and comes close to investigate.

✨ Disappear in combat for 1d4 rounds. You reappear in the same location. Can cast on others. 

✨ Give a temporary shield to an ally, +1d6 temp HP. Lasts until combat ends or 1 minute.

✨ Cast a spontaneous spell with an effect equal or less in power to a 1 or 2 cost spell.

Elemental Overcharge Effects

Whenever you deal 6 or more damage with elemental spells;

🔥 Fire destroys 1 piece of armor, boils a potion, or burns a scroll/spellbook.

❄️ Ice sticks the target's feet in place, must spend a round to break themselves free.

🌩️ Lightning stuns the victim for one round.

Wizard casting a 1-cost Flare

Class as Race

Fighters

You mostly descend from the wild lands. Your skin tends to be tanned, olive, or spotted in complexion with dark black or brown hair to match your gorgeous physique. Physical prowess and martial skill is considered important, and it is necessary to survive. Your people adorn themselves with lion and boar skins, and every man carries two or three swords as status symbols if nothing else. The current royal family of the four races is of your blood, you are very proud of this.

Other races view you with a mix of fear and derision. Even your elders and children could physically knock around other peoples, but you're mentally slow and gullible. Despite being great empire builders, you aren't so good at sustaining them. Fighter men often marry several women, as well as several things that aren't women that they simply love and want to get status of. Famous warriors often marry their swords, their horses, their castles- Acts that undermine the institution of marriage in the eyes of the other races.

Clerics

Rotund, jolly, and in high spirits your people descend from a sunny paradise land. Here the Mother of Life gave birth to the world, and she holds your people in highest regard of all. The dates on the trees fall down in your waiting mouths, the waters deposit fresh fish on your shores. The greatest adversary here is faith and personal relationship with the divine. Even you who travels with rust-colored freckles can still pray for a miracle. Even speaking her name can make the Undead flee in terror from her holy righteousness.

Other races view you as a spoiled brat, the know it all, as well as out of touch with the real world. Even though they must admit that you have been chosen above all by the Goddess, that doesn't mean you people are immune to corruption. Other races who travel to your paradise find that the fruits turn sour, the eels in the river snap at them when they try to swim or fish, and the sun beats down on them mercilessly, drawing jealousy and ire.

Magic Users

Pale, sickly, eccentric, but brilliant your people are well known and misunderstood by society. There is a ghetto of your kind in every major city, all must wear foppish, colorful robes to differentiate you from a non-magic person. Your families are tight knit, children are often kept indoors to play with imaginary friends who seem more 'real' then they should. Occasionally these 'friends' are demons, that cause great trouble to the family. The first time a child demonstrates controlled magic, such as levitating on the rug, is a rite of passage. The wands and shells you carry are as symbolic of your craft as they are practical.

Other races view you as the creepy stranger, the poisoner and philanderer. They view your unnatural abilities as a necessary evil. Your strange way of speaking and thinking, along with your written scholarly shorthand are seen as sure signs of devilry. You and your people swear up and down you do not practice necromancy, but most of you still keep at least one past patriarch's skull around, just in case.

Thieves

Bright eyed, swift of hand and foot, your people are natural acrobats and gymnasts. You are skilled architects, building high towers and cities filled with secret rooms and back alleys, to which you are obsessed. In your eyes, any advantage that can be pressed should be, and things not well guarded enough to stop you from taking them are obviously not important enough to be missed.

Others races view you as the shifty eyed little urchin, even far into adulthood. Your men look like women and your women look flat and shrewd. Whenever anything is lost or misplaced, you are the first to be blamed. The curiosity of the Thief people gets them in trouble more then once, sometimes more then their innate mechanical skill and craftiness can handle.