Mana Crystal Generator

Color-

Roll a “Full” Color or 1d12 on the Random Color Table. All Crystals glow in the dark. Black crystals make things darker instead.

Crystal Shape- 1d6

[1] Wild, jagged. Like a geode. Heavy.

[2] Ruppee shape from Zelda.

[3] Cube. Power level of crystal determines how straight and flawless it is.

[4] Diamond cut. Found just laying there like forgotten treasure.

[5] Long, pointed pillars from where they are found like spikes.

[6] Tiny pearls. One “crystal” is a large handful.

Shine- 1d6

[1] Dull, none. Looks like colored glass.

[2] Translucent

[3] Sparkles when hit by a natural light source.

[4] Prismatic.

[5] Mirror like.

[6] Energy inside; trapped lightning bolts or roiling ethereal flames.

Source- 1d6

[1] Natural. Found in natural areas that share its color and aspects. Flaming red crystals found after a forest fire, dark black crystals at the heart of caves, etc.

[2] Cultivated. Grown in beds of painted sand, exposed to different magical winds. Collected and solidified by fractal beehives, lived in by unseen ethereal insects as a waste product.

[3] Otherworldly. Mana crystals not natural to this plane, must open portals and gateways to other dimensions for short collection trips. Releases monsters into our world. Everyone hates Wizards.

[4] Necrotic. Found in long standing graveyards, the sweat of the dead. Found in the bones of ancient beasts and in the tombs of the old gods. Old bodyparts take on new life.

[5] Monsters. The energies of monsters and dungeons create these crystals, self forming around their alignment to chaos, grows from the rock and refuse. Grows on the back of golems.

[6] Domestic. Found in city gutters or farms. Farmer kids pick them when they weed the crops and trade them in for sweets to local Wizard academy.

Stability & Phenomenon- 1d6

[1] Crystal is very stable. Could be used as a desk ornament.

[2] Moving it through the air makes a light ringing or whooshing sound.

[3] You can hear the crackle of arcane energy if you hold it to your ear.

[4] Gives off some heat or ambient energy feeling, glow is bright enough to penetrate bags.

[5] Electrically charged; touching it releases bolts of energy of its color. Handled with tools.

[6] Hisses, pops, gives off colorful smoke. Minor haunting occurrences nearby.

Power Level- 1d6

[1] Very weak. Must be massed to power an arcane device or cast even a cantrip. Plentiful.

[2] Minor- used as spell components for minor spells or to power trinkets.

[3] Average. Useful to power serious arcane contraptions or hooked up to help with spellcraft.

[4] Above average. Can be worn as a powerful talisman, or destroyed to release energy surge.

[5] Powerful. Centerpiece of an arcane laboratory. Not consumed to cast regular spells.

[6] Extremely powerful. Capable of many great feats of magic without depletion. One of a kind.

6 Types of Magic Energy

[1] Arcane Energy. The most purely “magical” type of energy- it is found inside the bodies of wizards and magical creatures; cultivated by a few arcane species, and within spellbooks and magical items devised by Wizards. and tends to have a pale silver light and color, with pinks, purples, and golds also common. This type of energy has the power over the traits of things, and is commonly associated with changing the most base properties of what they interact with. Forged into an attack, arcane energy usually takes the form of balls or beams of glowing light.

[2] Death Energy. The energy of the netherrealm and of death and decay. Naturally forming around dead things, especially tombs and crypts and things that rot for a very long time, like ancient bones or carcasses. Usually black, dark purple, or a bright putrid green in color. This energy is linked strongly to decay, disease, and the undead. Forged into an attack, it takes the form of screaming skulls or grasping hands that may drain the energy or levels of its victims.

[3] Aesthete Energy. Magic associated with beautiful things, vistas, clouds, and the northern lights. Tends to form around works of art and beautiful places in nature, but can also be cultivated by those with artistic skill or by the reading of poems and plays. This energy moves like music and is usually not directly seen; as it instead enhances what it touches. This type of energy is a secondary form of energy that is tapped into to create phantasm illusions, to create magic elf songs that lure people to sleep, to enhance the beauty of an enchantress, etc.

[4] Permafrost Energy. Energies of ice, glaciers, and the unchanging and unfeeling cold. Can be found in ancient frozen places, icicles, glacier crevasse, or even plucked from the downy fur of a newborn baby penguin. The energy always appears as a very deep dark blue or a blinding, shining light blue. The energy is capable of preserving things for the future and melting things from the long past, and is the whispering voice of timeless things. It was here before the world, and it will be here after. Attacks of this magic manifest as blades or shards of ice as well as biting winds.

[5] Verdant Energy. The energy of nature, usually seen as a blood red or a bright green. While it is life energy, it is also uncontrolled and overpowering, and is only found in the bellies and blood of dire beasts and within the most ancient and massive of old trees. When this energy infuses with people it doesn't just heal them or make them stronger, but it also regresses their evolution and makes them like apes or half animal, with their intelligence and capability for abstract thought reduced as their body and senses sharpen. Verdant energy is seldom used by anyone but a Druid, and even then only in careful doses kept at the end of a long stick to avoid contamination.

[6] Intraspatial Energy. Energy inherent within spaces within spaces. It is sometimes harvested within complex or hidden architectures, or found along laylines. It is either a type of deep orange glow or a is colorless “aura” that gathers in corners and underneath things. It is used to create bags of holding, and to make buildings larger on the inside then the out, but it can also be combined with the magic of keys to open the way into realms within things. Such realms are filled with creatures, treasures, and dangers all manifesting the symbolic and overt traits of the inner spaces. It may be possible to enter a weapon to unlock some hidden potential, or even enter a being to remove some weight off their soul and the source of their ennui.

Dirt Simple Alchemy

Heavily inspired by the newest Zelda; Breath of the Wild, this potion system is meant to simplify some of the thoughts I had on how I wanted to do alchemy. I can't take all the credit for this, as some of the ideas were brainstormed by anonymous contributors.

Dirt Simple Potions

In order to create a potion, it requires an open flame, water, a flask or vial, and a cauldron. Ingredients must be mixed together. Each ingredient has an effect; Each type of ingredient grants a 1d6 roll to determine the potion's strengths for that effect. Each additional ingredient of the same type grants just +1 to the roll for that effect.

For example; If you make a potion with 3 healing shrooms, a healing butterfly wing, and an attack boosting chili pepper; you would roll 2d6+2 for Healing and 1d6 to calculate your attack bonus. This effect roll is how powerful the potion is when drunk or applied to a weapon in the case for poison.

When mixed; the ingredients in the potion disappear into a colorful, often glowing liquid that is clearly supernatural. Potions only have one day of 'shelf-life' before they lose their magic and turn back into a useless ingredient slurry. Potions with ongoing effects grant the drinker their power for one exploration turn, which is not related to their shelf life.

Whenever foraging or shopping for potion ingredients, roll on each list to see what you find. You don't know what they do if you find them in the wild unless you're a Sage of appropriate level or unless you have a book that can tell you- otherwise you'll have to experiment. Inferior ingredients only grant 1d4 for rolling their effects, Rare reagents like from high HD monsters can have 1d8 or higher for their potion effects.

Ingredients- Roll 1d6

[1] Herb or Fruit

[2] Animal Flesh or Bone

[3] Mushroom or Mold

[4] Insect or Arachnid

[5] Monster Part or Egg

[6] Powder or Salt

Effect- Roll 1d10

[1] Attack- For every 5 points of X; grants +1 to hit

[2] Protection- For every 5 points of X; grants +1 AC

[3] Elemental Resistance- Absorbs X of an Elemental Damage. The Elemental this ingredient resists is tied to its location and the creature; ie Fire Drake teeth grant Fire resistance, Moss from a swamp grants acid resistance, etc. Or determine randomly- (1d4- Fire, Cold, Lightning, Acid)

[4] Sensing- You gain the ability to see in the dark to a number of feet equal to X times 5. You also gain the ability the 'hear' loud sounds through walls, floor, or ceiling such as the sound of miners striking at rock or rushing water. Range of this ability is roughly equal to X feet.

[5] Mana- You can recover a spent spell slot in spell level equal to X or less. If you're using another system, count this as restoring +X mana points or adding +X to the next spellcrafting check.

[6] Healing- Restore X Health. If fed to a dying character with -X or more health, save to be revived

[7] Cure- Fights against the disease as though you had X days of bed rest. Incurable diseases are instead delayed by X days. Restores X points of attribute damage.

[8] Antidote- Reduce X Poison Damage from what you are suffering. Not a resistance; must be drank after you are poisoned. On save vs death poison, add +½ of X to your saving throw.

[9] Poison- Adds +X Poison Damage on first strike if applied to a sharp weapon or arrow. Target gets a save to resist the poison. Poison damage is rolled after the hit is confirmed.

[10] Stability- Adds +X number of days this potion will keep before spoiling.

Potion Errata

Due to how strong some of these effects can be, especially with multiple potion ingredients of the same type, that is the reason for the potions short shelf-life. Stability-effect ingredients can be added to make them better and last longer of course.

Ingredients of the same effect and type have lesser effects then adding in multiple ingredients of the same effect but different type. However it doesn't make much sense for a bear's molar that can cure disease and camel fat halfway across the world that can also cure disease to be considered the “same” ingredient. You can choose to have each biome have its own set of ingredients that are counted as different ingredients in different biomes.

If you're the type to have weird, mutational, or potential dangerous potions with side effects then consider having a random saving throw whenever a tonic is ingested and have the player roll on the effects table if they fail the save. Whatever effect they roll is instead reversed for them; so if they roll Attack they fumble all of their attacks horribly, or they suddenly become very flammable and they'll take X bonus fire damage if so much as a torch brushes up against them.

Of course, these rules don't have to ever be the extent of your potions or tonic making adventures. Let players soak an ent's bark in a tonic and ingest it to gain barkskin for their protection tonics, or make it so any potion mixed with a dragon's heart becomes permanent, or can be poured out into a strange alchemical homunculus. But you were already thinking of doing that, weren't you?

PoE Skill Gems in OSR

Path of Exile has been absorbing a little bit of my time, not as much as I should probably be dedicating to it I'm afraid. It's hard for me to get super 'into' games now. I often end up thinking about tabletop roleplaying games in conjunction with them, and this is why I thought of skill gems.

Stats and Gems

If you wanted to be a purist, you could boil down D&D's stats into just 3; Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence. Similar to what Into the Odd has done. Or if you wanted to be a really cool guy, you could keep all of D&D's stats and make up new kinds of gems for the extra stats, which might be even color.

Strength gems are red, Dexterity gems are green, and Intelligence gems are blue. If you add in the other stats, make Constitution gems orange, Wisdom purple, and Charisma yellow. You can change the colors around if you prefer, doesn't really matter.

You can only use a number of gems equal to the relevant stat's modifier +1. So if you have +2 Strength modifier, +0 Dexterity modifier, and -1 Intelligence modifier; you can equip 3 Strength Gems, 1 Dexterity gem, and no Intelligence gems. You also have to socket it into an item to make use of it.

Support gems also count as the above and towards the limit of gems you can use, but support gems can support any type of gem as long as its equipped in the same item your other gems are.

Mana

Using any gem costs 1 mana point. Your maximum mana is equal to your level + Wisdom modifier. Every support gem attached to a normal gem increases its mana cost by +1 per use.

Strength Gems – 1d12

[1] Heavy Strike- Add 1d6 to the damage of the attack. If any die rolls maximum you can knock the enemy back by 5ft or stun for one round.

[2] Cleave- Attack up to 3 targets in a cone in front of you.

[3] Shield Charge- Hold out your shield and move at double speed for one round, knocking enemies aside. You can also aim at a target and slam them, dealing 1d8 damage to that enemy.

[4] Vitality- All allies within 15 ft. of you restore 1 point of health each round, as long as they are attacking something.

[5] Static Strike- Every time you hit an enemy, you gain one static counter. When you choose, you release all counters on you and deal 1 lightning damage to all enemies next to you per static counter.

[6] Molten Shell- Increases your AC by 2 for up to 3 rounds. If anyone hits you while the shield is up, there is a 50% chance that it will burst on them, dealing 1d6 fire damage.

[7] Reckoning- If an enemy attacks you and the damage is blocked by your shield's AC, you perform a blast against them that deals 1d4 damage.

[8] Vigilant Strike- Cast immediately after hitting an enemy. You take -1 damage from all attacks and spells for 3 rounds.

[9] Infernal Blow- Add +1d4 fire damage to the attack, if you kill an enemy with your total attack damage this round, they explode and deal 1d4 damage to all adjacent enemies.

[10] Leap Slam- Jump up to 30ft in any direction. You can make a free attack against an enemy you are landing upon.

[11] Purity of Fire- Grants +2 to all breath weapon saves and +2 fire resistance to yourself and all allies within your eyesight.

[12] Decoy Totem- Creates a totem that enemies must make a save or must attack before other party members. The totem has your AC but can only 2d6 HP.

Dexterity Gems – 1d12

[1] Animate Weapon- Allows any weapon you currently own to fight by your side. The weapon makes normal, unmodified attack rolls. After getting hit by an attack or making 3 of its own attacks, it falls to the ground now mundane.

[2] Poacher's Mark- Curses a group of enemies under the same banner or of the same type you are fighting to have -2 AC. If you or an ally kills one of them, they restore +1 HP and the effect ends.

[3] Spectral Throw- Ghostly projection of your weapon flies forward, making an attack roll against each and will deal normal damage on each if it hits. Enemies can also spend their turn avoiding it, but it rebounds and can hit enemies a second time.

[4] Barrage- Stand still and fire off arrows at an incredible rate, letting you attack 3 times with a ranged weapon in one round. You cannot turn more then 90 degrees while firing.

[5] Reave- After hitting an enemy in melee, you can attack another enemy as long as they are adjacent to the first enemy. Every time you chain attacks like this, it costs +1 mana point growing as each enemy is hit. So 1 mana for the first chain, 2 more for the second, 3 more for the next enemy, etc.

[6] Puncture- Enemy begins to bleed dealing 1d4 damage a round until they make a save. No effect on enemies without blood or equivalent.

[7] Temporal Chains- All enemies within a radius of 25ft you dictate move half as far, have half the number of attacks, and have half initiative scores. If they have curses or debuffs on them, they last one additional turn.

[8] Viper Strike- On your next attack enemy must save vs poison or take 1d8 poison damage.

[9] Grace- Aura that grants +1 AC to you and all your friends within shouting distance.

[10] Mirror Arrow- Creates a duplicate of yourself wherever you shoot your bow, and both of you may make attacks for one round.

[11] Ethereal Knives- Fan of knives that deal 1d4 damage to all enemies in a 15ft cone from you.

[12] Lightning Arrow- Arrows that deals additional 1d4 lightning damage. If you are outside, 50% chance to call actual lightning bolt on hit that deals 1d10 damage instead. If in a storm, 100% chance.

Intelligence Gems – 1d12

[1] Flameblast- Charge up flaming energy on a single 10ft spot. Each round you charge it costs 1 more mana and deals Xd6, where X is equal to the rounds charged. The spot cannot be changed once you begin casting this spell.

[2] Freezing Pulse- Deals 1d6 damage to all enemies within a straight line of you, and on a roll of 6 their feet are rooted to the ground with ice, making them unable to move for a round.

[3] Herald of Lightning- Add +1 lightning damage to all attacks and spells cast to all allies within 10ft. If an enemy is killed by dealing at least 15 damage to them in a single attack, they explode outwards with static bolts that deal 1d4 damage to all enemies within 10 feet of the first enemy.

[4] Righteous Fire- You and all enemies within melee range take 1d4 fire damage per turn. While this effect goes on, you get to add 1d4 bonus fire damage to all spells you cast.

[5] Enfeeble- Curses all enemies that you can see at the moment you cast the spell. The first damage dice they roll for any attack, skill, or spell is treated as a 1 before modifiers and bonus die are added.

[6] Assassin's Mark- Curse a single enemy to be marked for death. The next time you or an ally attack them, add your sneak attack bonus to the attack and damage rolls.

[7] Essence Drain- Fires a projectile that drains the victim of 1d4 levels or HD, recovering them at 1 per round after being struck. They can make a save to avoid.

[8] Lightning Tendrils- Make an attack roll with advantage against all enemies in a cone in front of you. Each enemy struck takes 1d8 lightning damage.

[9] Power Siphon- Fires a bolt that deals 1d4 damage to an enemy. If you kill an enemy with this, you deal +1 damage with all spells for the rest of this combat.

[10] Summon Skeleton- Creates a weak skeleton minion that lasts for 3 rounds. Any Turn Undead, Stun, or Curse effect ability used on it destroys it instantly.

[11] Elemental Weakness- Curses a group of foes fighting under the same banner or of the same type to take 3 more damage against an element you specify when you cast this spell. Lasts 4 rounds.

[12] Discipline- Your allies and yourself all ignore the first point of damage you take each round.

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