10 Warfare Spells

[1] Mantrops - 2^nd level

Creates a spike on the head of up to 20 men-sized characters. These let these beings act as living caltrops for giant foes, who cannot simply charge over the mob without being stopped or taking heavy damage. Doesn't offer any actual protection, merely damages the feet of tramplers.

[2] Canvas Katamari - 2^nd level

This spell is useful for transporting and setting up camp. When cast, the Magician magically connects and condenses fabrics of tents, bags, and so on into a large ball, which can also hold several other useful tools or supplies inside it. This ball is as high as the chin of the person who creates it, and can hold material for 3x people of that size. It can be rolled and pushed for easier transport of military supplies, especially on flat ground or roads, but gets the outside later of all the tents and supply-packs very dirty. Armies may have several quartermaster Wizards casting this spell to help their soldiers move their supplies. Each ball lasts one day, but will be “popped” if hit by an attack that deals more then 4 damage, even an arrow, which sprays all of its supplies everywhere.

[3] The Elite Squad - 4^th level

This spell must be cast on a group of soldiers, up to 10 men maximum. Each soldier of the group must be wearing nearly identical uniforms and wielding the same weapons, or having similar battlefield roles to each other. They must also be a close enough height and weight- this means that squads of different races usually don't function for this spell, but some leeway can be made by crafty magicians. The dwarf could fit in with the squad of halfling slingers if he shaved his beard, for example. Also, all the characters in the squad must be within 2 levels of each other; so one could be level 4 and one could be level 2, but none outside of that range will function.

Once the conditions are met, the soldiers are enchanted by the spell, permanently. They are given a bright blue aura around them, and gain +1 HD, AC, to-hit, and damage bonus. This aura is most noticeable when in combat or closely together in formation, but will less noticeable in camp or during marches. The squad will continue to have their shared power as long as they fight under the same banner and more or less live in similar conditions, fight the same battles, and continue to use the same tactics. Any major breaks from this causes the spell to outright fail, or give the offender a save versus magic to keep it going for the rest of the group while they fall out.

Finally; while under the effects of the elite aura, everyone in the group gains a power specific to their combat role. Heavily armored knights or swordsmen roll on the Melee table, groups of archers or assassins roll on the Ranged table (substitute throwing knives for ranged weapons) and finally a group of magicians or tactical officers not in the thick of combat roll under the Magic table. The power can be used as much as it sensibly could be.

[4] Automaton Command - 1^st level

This spell is cast upon an allied automaton, such as a golem, machine soldier, or other animated contraption of magic and technology. The spell allows a new order to be infused within the being's machine mind, letting it change course or perform a new task. This spell only works on a single automaton, and only one you within visible distance. It can also only be cast on an “allied” automaton, which means the automaton would have to automatically both not be aggressive towards you AND jump to your defense if it sensed you being attacked. This spell grants no protection from war machines that are hacked, go haywire, or are the personal tools of different commanders.

[5] Great Orb of Ice - 3^rd level

Creates a massive orb of ice about the size of a small hut. It is created over the head of the spellcaster and flung at a snail's pace. When the orb is hit by a blunt force (such as impacting something, or being hit by another spell, or by being hit with a special blunt arrow); it explodes violently dealing 5d6 ice damage to everyone within a short radius. It also fires off several thousand small shards of ice, which rolls a d20 versus the AC of the target; subtract the differences and deal that much damage to the target, ignore if negative. The shrapnel reaches a much further area, such as everything beneath the orb as it floats through the air. Heavy armor protects from the shrapnel of this spell, but it's highly random if it will do anything at all.

[6] Little Loyal Legion - 4^th level

This spell requires a large amount of raw materials, including pots or shingles, and plenty of wood and cloth. When cast, the objects being to animate, turning into rotund pot-bellied soldiers wearing cloth togas, sharpening sticks, and arranging in formation. It takes 4 hours for the spell to finish as the soldiers arm themselves. You could use this spell to prepare for a siege, but it isn't fast enough to be readied for a battle.

Once the legion is assembled, the caster now has control over a small army of 200 tiny soldiers. The soldiers each have 2 hit points, and all blunt damage deals +1 bonus damage to their claypot bodies, meaning any attack that hits with a mace or club shatters them. The soldiers have only average attack, dealing 1 damage per hit, and are only 2 ft tall. They are armed with spears and shields, and have an AC of 14 each. The animated pots are easily destroyed in open combat by any significant enemy force, but as a literal army conjured by magic you can't go wrong. They are especially useful if deployed in caves or tunnels, as their small size makes them perfect for skirmishes against goblins or kobolds.

The soldiers last exactly one fortnight, or 2 weeks, before the magic keeping them together falls apart and they dissemble.

[7] Renegade's Retreat - 3^rd level

By casting this spell, the caster and up to 100 men can flee a battle. Their movement speed is increased while fleeing, and they can only be caught by horses if they are on foot, or only be caught by those with magical or flying mounts if the retreaters are mounted. While this effect is quite strong, it creates an obvious flash of yellow light when cast, and thus cannot be used to sneak away safely, only to create a loud and obvious run for it. The caster also needs not be the commander or told to retreat to use this spell, and anyone who sees the flash can run along with it to gain its effects if the number retreating is under the number the spell can support, thus a Wizard casting this spell when not told to could devastate and army with a huge number of deserters.

[8] Stirring of the Weapons - 3^rd level

When this spell is cast, weapons seek flesh. During an uneasy stand off or diplomacy between nations, any character with a weapon must make a saving throw or accidentally roll a single attack at the nearest enemy target. Because of the nature of this spell, it is subtle and could erupt tensions between nations and peoples, but the caster must be present.

[9] Head-Wind - 3^rd level

This spell creates a gust of wind about as far across as a small village or forest clearing, and travels in the direction the caster chooses. The wind has the same strength as a regular windy gust, but is always about eye level and has the following effects;

• If the creature is wearing a hat, it is blown off. No saving throw.
• If the creature is wearing a helmet, they get a hard saving throw to avoid it flying off. Straps grant a +1 or +2 bonus to the roll.
• If the creature is an undead or construct, depending on their construction, their head may just fly off. This could just cause temporary confusion or instant destruction depending on the undead and the rules of the game. If unsure, 4 in 6 chance.

[10] Phoenix Rising - 3^rd level

This spell creates a ring of orange light around the caster, which grows in intensity as the spell continues. Every time the spell caster casts a fire based spell of at least 2^nd level or higher, the heat inside and around the circle increases. This progression can also occur through other sources of heat, which are consumed by the magic of the circle- a fire present before the spell was cast will add +1 to its progression, as will spending a turn and using 3 charges of a Fire Rod to power the arcane inferno. All fire spells, attacks, or dragon breath also deal ½ damage to whoever stands in this circle, as half the energy is stolen to power it.

This spell progresses. For each spell cast or energy absorbed, all further fire spells cast by the original magician get +1 to damage. Additionally, every round there is a X in 20 chance the heat is so intense it starts to burn things inside the circle, the chance being equal to the number of points progressed. When this is rolled, everything in the circle starts to get lit on fire and take 1d6 damage per round, with any additional spells cast increasing the damage of both further spells AND the interior heat damage per round by +1.

Fantasy Funeral-Procession d8 Generator

Who's the Stiff?

[1] Archmage. His body is moving, smiling, and waving at the crowds. If you try to talk to it the corpse explains that it is not alive, truly, it is just very well enchanted to act like the archmage did. It is not cognizant of anything happening, and is very happy it will soon be entombed.

[2] Wealthy heiress noblewoman, known in life for her debauchery. Included in the mourners are her 2d10 male concubines, who are wearing black silky nightgowns.

[3] An evil count. The mourners are all paid off, everybody in the crowd is cheering. His taxes and torture of innocents to get information on the very justified rebels made him very unpopular; though it was natural causes that finally did him in. 1 in 3 chance that he prepared a nasty spell in the poem that is supposed to be read when he is put under; 1d20 scorpions appear from the upturned grave and attack everyone nearby. Just so he can get the last laugh.

[4] Friendly bridge troll. He finally died from a wild goat attack. The coffin is twice as big and the men underneath are grunting with effort to carry it. If someone pours a potion of healing inside the casket there is a 1 in 6 chance he'll rise up again as if he was just taking a nap.

[5] The old knight. Protector of the weak, vigilant defender of the righteous, and an absolutely terrible fashion sense. The open casket reveals his lime green and polkadot dress robes, his honor guard of old retired knights from his order look uncomfortable in their poofy armor lining.

[6] It's some centuries old desecrated corpse. Nobody knows anything about it, they can't even tell their social class or their gender or anything. After being accidentally unearthed by a group of adventurers, it is getting an extra apologetic funeral, hoping to avoid the spirit's anger and turning it into some high level undead wraith.

[7] The Dwarf smith. His metal armor and craftsmenship still present on the coffin itself and on the honor guard. The procession is heading into a mountain, where he will be buried alongside the tombs of his ancient ancestors. The corpse is fully armored and his hammer is held in his necrotic hands. If a Raise Undead spell was cast upon it it would become a fully armored, 4 HD zombie dwarf warrior.

[8] Young woman from the local village. She died of a disease, and her sad story as plucked the heartstrings of everyone. Roll two mourner groups, who are both competing with each other about who is more truly distraught over her passing. It may come to blows if it boils over.

What is the Casket like?

[1] Solid gold. Extremely heavy and they need many, many more people and animals to carry it. At the burial site, the corpse will be discretely buried in a humble wooden coffin instead; the gold one is just a rental. There are several armed guards around the coffin to dissuade thieves, and ½ the mourners are also secretly paid off assassins who will kill anyone who gets any funny ideas.

[2] Beautifully decorated, made of wood with wooden skeletons and ghosts showing their respect, incredibly detailed paneling appearing as a graveyard and gate to heaven. Subtle marks on both ends are advertisement for the carpenter.

[3] Shaped as a tiny house with a fully stocked pantry. Will be lowered in the ground carefully; acts as a home in the next life, or in case somebody got buried alive on accident.

[4] Dozens of yards of cloth, wrapping the corpse up like a massive mummy-noodle. Very flammable, 1 in 6 chance that an idiot with a candle gets too close.

[5] Crystal and glass; you can see the corpse resting peacefully. Depending on who the person was and how they died the sight might actually be very gruesome.

[6] It's a magic spell. The corpse appears as starlight, floating in place and twinkling as a barely-solid constellation. It is held aloft by silver scrolls at the four corners, with the carriers wearing crowns made of stars. It's an incredibly beautiful sight, but one counter spell or anti-magical energy wave and that corpse is going to reassemble really messily.

[7] Finely made casket with silver trim, several large gemstones and a golden carved dragon engraving stains the top of the casket. It has an expert-level lock, several traps, and an explosive rune carved underneath the corpse if it was shifted out of the way. The owner must have been very paranoid about people stealing their body or the jewelry they wanted to be buried with.

[8] The corpse is carried in the palm of a massive stone hand, levitating by magic crystals on the back of each knuckle. The huge hand is gentle and placid, though it belongs to a massive deactivated war golem from the next town over.

Who are the Mourners?

[1] Group of Merrymarrows. They are carrying flasks of water to splash on their eyes to pretend like they're crying, but are clearly not taking this seriously. They constantly leave the procession to go gamble with the homeless or let kids kick their skull around as a game.

[2] The many, many children and grandchildren of the deceased. They either had many lovers and were well known for their promiscuity or they just had one ridiculously fertile true love.

[3] Vampire hunters. They show their respect to the dead, but are still armed with holy water and stakes. They believe the deceased may become a vampire after they die and are just here for safety.

[4] Standard, professional mourners. They wear all black, weep and wail with artistic levels of restraint but also raw acting emotion, and never overstay their welcome. They are paid well, but one of them secretly works for a necromancer, scoping out new corpses to pillage for parts.

[5] Group of Elves. They are playing a very long, dainty, annoying song to send off the deceased on harps and graceful strings. They're going to keep everyone here until the moonlight shines on the dead before they are lowered into the earth, as is tradition.

[6] Several local townsfolk, making a big show of it. They clearly don't do this for a living, at least one knife fight is going to break out before this day is over. They're only really here for the free ale at the end of the route.

[7] Ambulatory crystals. Walking on four arms of stone, their central pillar body glows lightly with ambient magical energy. They don't speak, but seem to know what is happening, following the corpse. If the person was well known, they may have been rumored to have helped the crystal beings many years ago, else this may be an unexplained phenomenon. The crystals touch stones to make them glow along the path of the procession to light the way once night falls, and they will stand vigil around the grave for two years afterwards, unmoving and unyielding as stone. 1 in 2 chance anyone who digs near the grave gets attacked by the crystal beings.

[8] A local group of 1d6+1 Petty Nobles, along with their servants. They've drapped their horses in black cloth, but seem to be doing this less out of respect for the deceased and more for some obligation to a higher ranked noble, or to ease over local politics with the commoners. When something goes wrong, the nobles have their swords with them. Roll a reaction check with the party; higher results are better for them. This is to see who they side with, how reasonable they are to help out, or how actually useful they are in fighting some monsters.

What goes Wrong?

[1] Local jester plays the biggest prank of his career. After 1d4 hours of the long procession, the coffin pops open to reveal a very strange skeleton. It was all a trick, and he emerges from the crowd with a smile, telling everyone that they learned a valuable lesson in appreciating what you have before it's gone. The person was never dead. Conveniently, he appears next to the most morally dubious party member, and the nearest authority figure puts a bounty on the jester for 4,000 gold.

[2] Dragon flies overhead, roaring. Very scary, but the dragon is just an ex-lover of the deceased person. 1 in 4 chance the breakup was really bad and the dragon lights the coffin and ½ the entourage on fire.

[3] Group of 1d4 big ghouls bursts forth from the shadows. If the coffin is guarded or too heavy, they will start tearing at it to get at the body, or if its lightweight they'll run off with it to feast with a little more privacy.

[4] The reading of the will is happening, strangely, during the procession as several landmarks are passed. Possibly due to intentional shenanigans planned by the deceased, the will stipulates several very valuable pieces of property such as land, artifacts, guild positions, etc. are all given to a random swine-herding, illiterate farmer just as the procession passes his hut. The young (and armed) heirs are not happy with this news.

[5] Four demons appear to stop the funeral procession. They demand that the rites are ceased until the demonic lords in hell finish their trial to determine who exactly gets possession of the dead's soul. It appears that, at this very moment, they are delegating. Any high powered magic users in the party may be able to scry using the coffin as a guide to see that the deceased is on the verge of arguing for their resurrection; the contract clearly says the prince of darkness will foot the bill.

[6] Astral Star-Being descends from above, claiming that this corpse is harboring parasites not native to this plane. Demands immediate autopsy to remove them. If allowed to do it, doesn't warn that this “autopsy” makes the corpse explode and deal 2d6 cold damage as all nearby mourners and casket-carriers are hit with raining shards of frozen, dimensional-energy charged icy blood.

[7] About midway through the procession, a mushroom begins to grow from the corpse. It sprouts into a fruiting body and starts to send down spores, causing save or be infected with the poisonous mushroom spore disease. The person probably died of it, and now their body is being used to spread the disease to as many unsuspecting bystanders as possible.

[8] The procession is stopped from the grave site by a mad cult, who are in the process of killing 2d8 sheep for a ritual. They have already ritually prepared the ground; forcing your way inside will anger the spirits and cause the animals to become rabid and attack.

Ship Name Generator

Roll a 1d6 to find the structure of the name. Then roll on the relevant tables.

[1-3] (The) X Y

[4] Y's of the Y

[5] (The) Z

[6] Z and X

#	X	#	Y
1	Grinning	1	Lady
2	Spitting	2	Gull
3	Swooping	3	Crab
4	Terrible	4	Yeoman
5	Burning	5	Sap
6	Dancing	6	Sword
7	Blazing	7	Flagon
8	Mighty	8	Law
9	Prancing	9	Paws
10	Drooling	10	Wave
11	Old	11	Crown
12	Racing	12	Crest
13	Sweating	13	Priest
14	Singing	14	Dragon
15	Shaking	15	Wastrel
16	Polished	16	Knot
17	Wooden	17	Dagger
18	Brass	18	Kingfisher
19	Tin	19	Jewel
20	(Random Full Color)	20	(Random Animal)

#	Z
1	Dauntless
2	Daring
3	Cruel
4	Defiant
5	Loyal
6	Spit
7	Battleborn
8	Fearsome
9	Unharmed
10	Prodigious
11	Keen
12	Majesty/Majestic

8 Weird Skeletons

[1] Skeletite

Self growing mineral deposits in caverns, growing alongside stalagmites on the ground or stalactites as 'hanged men'. Can be risen by Necromancy and has normal undead aura. Treats its HD as one higher for turning rolls, but can also be affected by spells that ward against elementals of Earth.

[2] Painted Skeletons

Undead beings animated from positive death energy; not the slaves of necromancers. They are called the Merrymarrows, and have painted bones. They like to dance and sing, and have a close connection to the spirit realm, and eat spirit bread.

[3] The Keymen

The entire skeleton is made of keys; the small bones in the hands and feet are tiny keys for dairies and lockboxes, where as its femurs are made of massive keys for the vaults of giants and dragons. If the skeleton is animated, it can pick any lock after 1 exploration turn of trial and error.

[4] Vine Skeleton

Not actually an undead- even though it's a regular dead person skeleton. It's a clump of ivy-like vines that cling to skeletons and use them as their base as they grow around it. Druids can animate these like an undead servant, but it is truly the vines that are moving it. Weak to fire.

[5] Garbage Skeleton

Old rotten bones of other animals, and wooden sticks, metal rods and rusted swords. The garbage skeleton is made out of trash, and is much weaker then a normal skeleton, though it is highly resistant to corrosion and acid damage.

[6] King Skeleton

Looks like a normal skeleton, but with a “crown” of bones atop its head. Necromancers don't like raising this kind from the dead, as it quickly develops an ego and may steal other undead minions and flee to start its own skeleton kingdom somewhere. This skeleton gets +2 to spell saves even when inanimate, and anyone carrying the skull gets a passive +1 to spell saves until they are given an order or publicly shamed by someone of a higher noble rank.

[7] Ogre Skeleton

Somehow looks “fat” for a bunch of bones. Possibly a half ogre- lumpy, with almost metallic knobs and bumps pointing out. Ogres never stop growing, and so the skeleton will be half twisted with new growth as well as the old. Skull looks more like a meteorite then an actual body part of a living thing.

[8] Prosthetic Skeleton

Made of polished, lightweight fantasy materials, with plenty of softer bits for joints and fully articulate jaws and hands. It's incredibly advanced; roll 1d3 to determine the 'age' of person the skeleton is made for. 1- Child, 2- Teen, 3- Adult. While an incredible creation, it's highly unlikely anyone in the setting has the surgical skill and technology or healing magic with the capability to actually install this in a crippled person's body to transplant their natural, failing bones.

12 Idiotic Spells

These spells are stupid. For spells cast on idiots; they only work on characters or monsters with a -1 Intelligence modifier or worse. For spells cast by idiots, reverse the effects of your Intelligence modifier. So someone with a -2 Intelligence modifier would treat it as a +2 instead.

6 Spells made by Idiots

[1] Piss Point - 1^st Level

Wets a target area of cloth or fabric. Isn't colored, doesn't smell, isn't warm, and doesn't even “trickle” out like urine would, making a really dumb and unconvincing spell. The spell is actually useful to wet fabrics while traveling through a desert or to wet a cloak to add some defense to a fire blast, or wetting an enemy before lightning at them.

[2] “Look at what I can Cast” - 3^rd Level

When cast, this spell requires intense concentration. Two green “gemstones” of magical energy float from each hand, merging into a beautiful fractal pattern over the course of several seconds, then turning into a red glowing magical flame which constantly turns itself inside out with a bright blue round 'core' visible in the center, which lasts as long as the caster maintains concentration. This spell doesn't do anything, and is simply a parlor trick dumb magicians invented to prove how good they are at magic. If you cast this spell in the presence of an ignorant Apprentice, treat your reaction check as the highest or second highest possible result, as they are so impressed.

[3] Wand-Snare - 1^st Level

This spell makes your wand bend and become magically accurate; the wand is thrown at the feet of the target to attempt to entangle their feet. Targets get a save to avoid, and can attempt to cut themselves free or burn the wand off in the next round if they fail and trip. Using this spell disarms you of your magic wand, obviously. The wand will straighten out after use but a small warp will always remain, giving idiotic wizards a characteristic flaccid wand.

[4] Remembering Spell - 2^nd Level

Take out a slip of paper as large as a post card. Everything you write and draw on that postcard is something your character can instantly recall. They can recover this knowledge even if they forget, are knocked out, or hit by a mind-wiping spell that doesn't also erase this remembering spell's power. This spell can also be done in universe by simply writing the same information on paper.

[5] Bouncing Spell - 1^st Level

This spell makes something bounce, but doesn't protect the object from the damage it would take from falling. Casting this on a clay pot and throwing it across the ground, for example, would cause it to shatter on impact but then the shards would fly up at about the same height it was thrown from. This spell can be cast on people, allowing them to fly back up after falling, but they still take the damage. Feather Fall would also stop the bouncing, as you would lose all speed for the rebound.

[6] Savant's Metamagical Preparation - 4^th Level

This powerful enchantment must be cast while the user is preparing spells. This allows them to prepare any spell of 4^th level or less and allows them to reverse the mental ability score bonuses the spell has AND adds a passive bonus of +1 to all damage die or save rolls. Meaning an unwise -2 Wisdom magic user will treat the healing of a spell as +3 from the bonus Wisdom instead, or treating their negative Intelligence modifier instead. While not often used, since unintelligent Wizards rarely become powerful enough to use this spell, it can be combined with other spells such as a self-cast Moment of Idiocy to turn ignorance into power.

6 Spells cast on Idiots

[1] “Intelligence Test” - 1^st Level

To cast this spell requires a gold coin, which is not consumed in the casting. The caster must first demonstrate the “test” by placing it against their head, and banging the back of their head with their hand to prove how “smart” they are, as the number of hits indicates the user's intelligence until the coin falls off. Then, the coin is placed on the target's head, and secretly palmed as they slap the back of their head over and over until they figure out they've been duped.

This spell tricks the idiot into smacking the back of their head for up to one exploration turn, until someone snaps them out of it. The target also takes 1d2 damage to their Hit Points and to their Intelligence stat from the damage to their skull.

[2] Back Attack - 2^nd Level

This spell can only be cast on someone lifting a heavy object, and someone with a Strength modifier of +1 or less. This curse throws out their back, causing them to feel intense pain and be unable to perform physical labor, and dealing 1d4+1 damage to their Strength stat. This spell also does not work on someone wearing protective equipment or lifting “properly”, using any amount of cleverness or tools to help lift protects you from this spell.

[3] Impotent Rage - 3^rd Level

This spell can only be cast on a target entering a feral or berzerk rage. Instead of flying off into combat or performing a feat of strength or daring, they start to rant about the unfair nature of romance, the geopolitics of far off foreign powers, or mistakes they made in their youth. Nothing they do or complain about can actually be changed; they are simply angry at the heavens themselves. This effect ends if the creature is attacked, and creatures get a save to resist the spell if they were about to do something really important.

[4] Brain Fog - 2^nd Level

Renders a person temporarily dumber. Since it only works on dumb people, the effect is minor. The person treats their Intelligence modifier as -1 less then it was already. This spell lasts for a month, but can be ended early by poking a hot needle into the center of one's forehead, dealing 1 damage, which lets the fog flow out. It has enough fog to obscure a small room so you can barely see your hand in front of your face, potentially being useful as an escape mechanism.

[5] Knocking Door - 2^nd Level

This spell magically enchants a door to 'knock' when approached by someone. If they knock back, the door will knock back at the same speed and number of knocks that were given, and will occasionally create a random pattern of knocks to copy and play back to the knocker. This spell stumps idiots for up to 1 exploration turn per negative Intelligence modifier they have. This spell does not lock the door, but the effect is permanent until someone you don't want enters.

[6] Moment of Idiocy - 4^th Level

This spell can be cast on anyone, ignoring the normal restriction. It suspends someone common sense, suspicion, and training for one single moment in time, treating them as -3 Intelligence modifier for a single moment or roll. It can also be suspended until a certain event or attempt at an action is made by the target of the spell, which is specified when the spell is cast. No saving throw is allowed for this spell, everyone can be an idiot sometimes. The true trap of this spell, is it's hypothetically reverse. Wizards have wasted years of their lives trying to find the fabled “Moment of Brilliance” spell because of this one, but it may not even exist.

Witch Gender Politics

Witches form covens. While some Witches follow goats, or even entire covens rely on demonic tutors, many of the more nature-ish variety do not. Covens are supposed to be 13 members, which includes all the Witches of all levels. Apprentices, the senior members, the leader or head witch, the number is 13. Male Witches are less common then females, but still exist. They can also exist within a coven without contributing to this number- Witches can be male or female, but a coven should be 13 female witches. That's the rule, it's always been that way. Male Witches therefore have a sort of secondary and somewhat elated status, still a Witch with all the magical training and powers of a witch, but not part of the core, able to leave the coven, but not as integral.

Most witch-covens live in small rural communities, often made up of members include young orphans, daughters of farmers, old spinstresses, and hermits from several neighboring towns. Witches tend to train with oral tradition instead of the scholastic approach of your typical Wizard academies, which tend to be more male dominated, but Witches have a negative connotation- a bunch of girls dancing in the woods able to cast curses and entrance people doesn't have the same level of respect as a hierarchical Wizard university. But don't assume just because Witch-covens are mostly female means they lack teeth. Sometimes, especially near larger cities or in rapidly growing or multiracial towns and communities, Witch-covens fight. But when your coven is supposed to be around 13 members at all times, how can you bolster your ranks? Beyond simply harboring more elite and skilled members; How can you get an edge against another coven if both sides are going to have roughly the same numbers?

That's where the Male Witches come in.

Carnivoro (3-8 HD, +3 to hit, +4 AC, bite attack at 1d8+2, two claw attacks at 1d6+1, +4 to saves vs spells, stealth/surprise, eat magic, casts spells, witch hunter, tracking)

Morale- 14, 16 if defending Coven members

Numbers- 1 to 1d4

The Carnivoro is a male witch, given a true purpose. They are fed raw meat, secluded in wild places, have their teeth and fingers filed to points, and are given an unholy loyalty. Carnivoros are the “carnivore” aspect of nature, the predator, suited to the male nature of a male Witch. Female witches tend to embrace the aspect of the herbivore, of the protector, and of mother nature herself- they cannot become a Carnivoro. They become totally bound to their coven and the leaders of the coven, acting exactly as a loyal, trained wolf, still filled with unnatural savagery. The power of a Carnivoro depends somewhat on how crafty and powerful the original Witch-man was before he was changed, and somewhat on the cruelty and power of the Coven that made him. Carnivoros are not men anymore, they are pets. They may be frightening, but it is the type of fright one has when the Jade Empress pets her tigers by her throne. They are powerful, but they do not have the power. She does.

Carnivoros are first and foremost, Witch killers. They are trained to kill Witches. They can follow a scent as a bloodhound, and have perfect vision in the moonlight. Whenever a carnivoro is made, they are made for the express purpose of Witch-on-Witch warfare. They can smell any kind of magic user, to a radius of up to 8 ft per Hit Dice, and get no penalty to hit crafty Sorcerers trying to sneak away while invisible. They have high saves against spells, are much stronger and more deadly in combat then anything an untrained and unarmed female Witch could muster, and are stealthy enough to surprise opponents on a 1 in 6 chance, increasing by +1 if ambushing from a forested area and another +1 if they have at least 7 HD.

Carnivoros are imbued with powers and abilities that suites them at killing magic users. They can 'eat' magic items and beings, their bite counts as magic. They automatically absorb the magic in any item they eat, restoring 1d6 hit points and a single spell/spell slot that is readied with a closely matching spell. For example, if they eat a Wand of Magic Missile, they'll gain a prepared 1^st level spell slot containing magic missile or another similar spell. It takes them 1 round to bite a wand in half, 2 to gnaw through a staff, and up to a turn or more for metal items or armors. They are also cannibals, and will feed on the corpse of any magic user they kill- this restores another 2d6 hit points. Carnivoros always look a bit starved and skinny unless they are winning a war; regular food doesn't fill them the same way witch-flesh does.

While Carnivoros have gone through a transformation and have become savage and animal, they are still themselves magic-users. They remember their training, and still use magic. Mostly, they prepare offensive spells, entangling spells, and spells to counter the magic of other magic users and Witches. They can also use weapons, but their magical claws tend to be more powerful then ordinary steel. They can also wear light armors, but paw at them and whine like a dog in a sweater. They yearn to be naked, free, stalking their prey. Carnivoros almost always hunt alone, but during huge offenses against a rival coven, they may be sent out in a small pack.

Mini Carnivoro Story-Seed Table – 1d4

[1] Several large wolves, bears, and cougars have been killed nearby, a few of their teeth missing, with shed pointed human teeth littering the ground nearby. He is improving himself.

[2] This group of witches is using their Carnivoro as an assassin for hire- menial work for a predator. He is becoming so thin, you can almost see right through him. How long until he snaps?

[3] There is a young witch who believes she is being hunted by a Carnivoro sent by a rival Coven. She is desperately seeking bodyguards. The Carnivoro strikes in 1d6+1 days.

[4] Once the war ended, the Carnivoro was no longer needed. Instead of threatening its wrath, the Coven banished it to a small foggy island. He has killed fishermen, lured by phantom lights.

Spells = Components

In many games and settings, magic is often done through the medium of magic items. While Wizards may be able to “prepare” spells in advance and use components to cast them if required in D&D, why not switch it around? Instead, Wizards prepare magical items which have their sorcerous powers in them. Without the item, they have no magic. This means magic users can be disarmed through stealing their magical items.

Single use spells are stored in small, often consumable forms. Sleep may be stored in a small amount of sand, which must be thrown at the eyes of your foes. Healing spells are stored as liquids to be drank as potions, or could be made as bandages or ointments to keep them separate. Plenty of language based spells or more esoteric spells could be stored as scrolls, which fits the aesthetic of Wizards carrying scrolls around. Spells with multiple uses or that have a duration are just useful items; your spell that lets you see the invisible is enchanted into your monocle.

Spells that are single use but are common but are not as disposed of could be infused in other items instead, called Foci (plural for “Magic Focus”) or Fetish. Feather Fall could be stored in an actual feather which is consumed on the casting, or in a magic-users billowing cape or dress. Offensive spells are stored in wands and staves as normal- with different command words, gestures, or mental acuity to control which spell comes out of the wand. Some Wizards may carry around multiple different wands for different situations, where as others will decorate and closely guard their prized dueling staff; engraved with several runes and having several powerful offensive and defensive spells loaded within at any given time. When a dumb goblin steals the Wizard's wand and bops himself on the head to turn invisible or immortal or whatever he thinks will happen, there is a good chance he might accidentally offload the Fireball instead, killing himself and anyone nearby. Magic Fetishes can also have mutational or wild magic effects when broken or used incorrectly; your magic locket with your illusion and enchantment spells has the perfect opportunity to create some false beings with insane personalities and powers over perception, adding to the feeling of the world as a chaotic and fantastical place.

Spell research works the exact same; except now, spells and research costs are the same. If your game doesn't use costs for components (or doesn't use components to begin with), then instead the research cost is the same as the component cost, since you're securing the magical items you need for your spells. Your magic user has a little farm of the bright green lizards you need to mummify and pickle to cast Regeneration, not just a room filled with spell books.

Spells books are another strange part however; if all magic spells are just items, then what purpose do they serve? Personally, I like “spells per adventure” instead of spells per day, so reloading spells isn't necessary with a spellbook. Instead, spellbooks could still be for preparing spells in items, but be a bit more esoteric and more about the preparation of materials and containing the knowledge of how magic works... like an actual spellbook.

What about magic item longevity? The “shelf life”? This is one issue I have with the concept, essentially saying Wizards could stockpile spells if they had infinite or very long shelf life. If the shelf life is short this could work, but would also diminish the immersion factor somewhat if magic items found in the world only are the permanently enchanted item kind, not the single use spell kind. This could also be abstracted somewhat; some spells degrade faster then others, like lower level spells, and “leaky” spells could radiate magical energy that causes mutations or makes interior spaces bigger on the inside then the outside; which is exactly where the dungeons getting so big and complex comes from. Dungeons as mythical underworld is still a great concept, and this could help explain them in a more naturalistic sense. To keep Wizards from mass producing spells, just abstract your regular spell slot/spells per day limit as the number of magical artifacts and fetishes a Wizard can have and maintain at any one time.

Finally, this comes down to mechanics in the form of inventory. How do you put this in mechanically? Having magic spells being items could be an interesting concept for resource management; you start the adventure loaded with spells and barely able to carry treasure, but as you start to use up your consumable spells you may open up enough space. It might also be fun to see a MU drop a charged up situational or useless spell on the floor of the dungeon so they can help carry a treasure chest; thus ensuring shenanigans when the orcs find it and use it as a weapon against the party. You could also use inventory space as a game balance mechanic; Sleep may be a good spell but may require you to carry around a heavy ass bag of sand instead of the much more useful Magic Missile in your wand. Minor enough to not be a hassle but significant enough to be a choice for certain adventures and campaigns.

Anyway, this article is a bit more spontaneous and less thought out then my others, and is more of a rant. Still this concept is near and dear to my heart and I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, or perhaps inspire others to do something similar with their games. Magic Users are the most fun class to tinker with for good or for ill, so ideas abound.