I used the spell lists from ICRPG ME as thematic inspiration for new spells. I did not land one which spells should be INT based, and which WIS based. I leave that up to any person foolish enough to use one of these half-baked spell ideas. I hope you all enjoy, and share your own homebrewed spells. Later, I’ll probably make a post about making interesting narrative costs for spells. Without further preamble, here are the spells:
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ARCANE BOMB I rewrote as ARNCANE BALM - magically cures the ailment of the user’s choice for TIMER days. Condition returns worse than ever.
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ARCANE MISSILE becomes ARCANE MISSIVE - send a message of MAGIC # words to anyone you have met and learned the name of.
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ARN’S HEX is GLARN’S HEX - HARD to cast, requires something of the target’s; doubles the TN for all attempts for BASIC rounds (or MAGIC turns).
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AAZUL’S CONJURATION is AEZEZUL’S CONJURATION - summon BASIC # 1 HP infernal spiders, or on HARD a MAGIC # 1 HP imps. They follow instructions, if given something of the caster’s, but will also try to ruin the caster’s reputation (unless already thought to be evil).
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BLADE AURA becomes BLINK AURA - Touch target; if harmed, target teleports to a random NEAR location; target only suffers damage if attack roll beats HARD (or save failed by more than 3).
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CONTROL MACHINES becomes MARIONETTE - Breath the semblance of life into mundane objects. MAGIC HP; follows first instructions BASIC # of words; can split HP between multiple objects, but only one set of instructions.
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COUNTER SPELL becomes SPELL DUEL - Two casters roll in secret INT attempts, and MAGIC effort. Use EFFORT roll and HP to bid how much they add to their roll - bids are public; if either folds, their spell doesn’t go off; if they persist, winner blocks the other’s spell, and loser suffers the EFFORT the other inflicted; both lose the HP they bid. If tied, backlash occurs to both casters.
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CREATE DEVICE becomes SUMMON OBJECT - Wizard pulls a random object out of their hat. Object is functional (but not necessarily useful or usable) for BASIC # rounds. Roll MAGIC for relative usefulness to the context of the summoning.
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CRYSTAL SANTUARY becomes COGLIOSTRO’S CONSTRUCTION - manipulate the materials in the NEAR area to create a wall or shed of NEAR size. Structure has 1 heart + MAGIC HP.
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CURSE OF ORD becomes BJARKING’S BLESSING - HARD cast. Caster touches target, and identifies a particular action, and a particular condition of that action. If the condition is met, the action only fails on a NAT 1. Lasts until cast again.
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DEATH NOVA becomes CHARM OF GENERATION - With no roll, become a conduit for the forces of life and energy. All within FAR gain MAGIC HP (can exceed MAX HP). All growing things (plants, hair, crystals, etc) grow to extreme size. Undead save vs. being restored to life at 1 HP. Caster is returned to their infant self; condition cannot be undone.
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DESTROY THE DEAD becomes ARMY OF DARKNESS - Roll INT; for each HP sacrificed, raise 1 heart of undead servants. Follows instructions of BASIC # words. Once completed, if no new instructions are given in 1 round, undead wander toward home.
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DETECT EVIL becomes DETECT WEALTH - Caster gains ability to smell coins, gems, and precious metals like a bloodhound.
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DOMINATE MONSTER changes to PEACE TREATY - As long as the keeps their hands down, all in FAR must keep their hands down; as long as the caster stands still, all in FAR must stand still. Once caster acts, roll initiative to see who goes first. If failed, no negotiations will work for TIMER rounds.
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DOORWAY becomes LOOKING GLASS - Creates a window to view (but not hear, nor interact with) a place the wizard has never been, but has been told about. EASY if view is through a mirror; HARD if no framed pictures, windows, or glass is present in the location.
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FIREBALL becomes FAERIE FIRE - Cover NEAR area you can see with harmless violet flames. Sticks to invisible things; burns incorporeal and ethereal beings. Makes magic items too hot to hold or touch.
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FIRE MISSILE becomes MURDERER’S MISSILE - Hit a target you can see with a murderous bolt. ULTIMATE if you know their name; DOUBLE damage if you know their childhood nickname. If killed, target’s most powerful ally that knows their true name receives this spell, and a vision of the caster killing the target.
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GROWTH RAY becomes NULL RAY - HARD cast; nullifies the magic of a single item or spell for BASIC rounds (or MAGIC turns).
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HAMMER STONE becomes BOUNTIFUL BAOBAB - - Throw the baobab seed; roll MAGIC effort to make it grow impossibly fast; 20 ft tall and 3 ft round for every heart put into it. Stops growing when the mage stops putting effort into it. Branches produce ripe fruit, and tree is sticky with flammable sap for the next day and night.
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IDENTIFY becomes OZRYK’S OBFUSCATION - HARD cast on a creature, object, or feature of land or architecture. Hides all recorded knowledge of the thing in question. Warns the caster of any attempt to identify it.
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ILLUSORY SELF becomes DOPPELGANGER - GM rolls a secret BASIC timer for how many days the doppelganger remains well disposed to the original. After that, it attempts to murder them and take their place. If cast meets EASY, but not better, doppelganger is half-witted less competent copy. Only one doppelganger of a person may exist at any time.
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LEVITATION becomes IMOBILIZE - Cast on a person or object to plant it/them on the ground, completely unmovable for BASIC rounds (MAGIC rounds if cast on self).
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LIGHTNING BOLT becomes FIZBAN’S FURIOUS FISSURE - Stomp the ground, cracking the earth in a straight line of FAR length. All targets roll DEX to avoid. Flying enemies are immune.
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MAGE EYE becomes INVISIBILITY - cast on a person or object to make it invisible. Lasts until mage breaks concentration, or invisible person acts against another. If initial cast fails, object or person must be covered in magic runes before spell can be attempted again. HARD if caster is inside object.
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MENDER becomes RECOMBINATE - Combine two objects the caster is holding to create a new item with a function that is a combination of the two previous items.
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MIND TRAP becomes ASTRAL PROJECTION - Travel without a body to any place you have been or can see, and take with you anyone touching the caster. EASY if traveling alone. Casters may notice astral travelers.
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SHRINK RAY becomes ENTROPIC RAY - cast on an object to add 1000 years of age to it. FAR range.
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SONG OF THE MOUNTAIN becomes SONG OF THE RIVER - Sing! All who can hear you are relieved of any magical influence for as long as you sing, and BASIC rounds after you stop.
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THE HIDDEN becomes REVELATION - Revelation - Light a torch; everything secret in the torch’s light is revealed.
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TRANSLOCATE becomes TRANSFER - Roll INT (WIS). A target you can see also rolls INT. If caster wins, swap one item you can see on the target with an equipped item in the caster’s inventory.
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VAMPIRIC RAY becomes VITALITY RAY - transfer effort roll in HP from caster to target at NEAR range. HARD to transfer HP to targets STR, DEX, or CON for BASIC rounds, but HP cannot be healed until effect ends.
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ELEMENTAL WIND becomes CALM SKIES - Turn ferocious weather gentle, remove mists, and clear skies. If HARD, caster can summon a light rain or snow, conditions permitting.
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ELEMENTAL EARTH becomes FALSELY FECUND - Overwhelm the NEAR area with thriving food plants. Unless tended by the caster, or one who knows the caster’s name, the area will wither in MAGIC days, and will lie barren for the life of the caster.
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ELEMENTAL FIRE becomes FROGMARK’S FEARSOME FLAME - enchant any natural fire into a fire which cannot burn wood or tinder, but will ignite metal, glass, and brick like dry fuel.
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ELEMENTAL ICE becomes DRAGON’S BREATH - Freeze a source of water, gathering the heat into your belly. Roll effort based on size of the water: BASIC for pool/creek, TOOL for pond/stream, MAGIC for lake/river, ULTIMATE for sea/ocean. Freeze 1 foot acre of water per point of effort gathered. Breath fire for that much damage to CLOSE targets next round.
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ELEMENTAL BEAST becomes ELEMENTAL SPONGE - Produce a dry sea sponge on a string. Sponge can absorb one half heart of effort of one element type for every point of effort rolled. Caster can only create sponges = to MAGIC effort bonus.
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ELEMENTAL STORM becomes BLACK BLIZZARD - summon a choking dust storm, forcing living creatures to seek shelter, or risk suffocation. Visibility is reduced to a few feet, ranged attacks are impossible, and layers of black dust begin to collect on every unsheltered surface.
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ELEMENTAL VORTEX becomes ELEMENTAL TRANSMUTATION - Cast to change one near object’s material state one step +1 per heart of effort (solid-liquid-gas-flame). Does not destroy the object; lasts MAGIC turns.
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RADIANT SHIELD becomes MOTHS TO THE FLAME - Produce an orb of yellow heatless fire at up to FAR range. All evil entities are drawn to the flame for BASIC rounds. Entities with more than 3 hearts are immune.
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HEALING NOVA becomes DEFERRED - Cast on one near target. All damage and effects are postponed until the end of the spell’s duration, which is MAGIC turns.
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HEALING TOUCH becomes HARMING TOUCH - Caster sacrifices HP for MAGIC effort dice. Target rolls DEX to avoid.
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HOLY BULLWARK becomes SERAPH’S SWIFT SWORD - HARD cast. Caster gets MAGIC dice = to damage suffered since last turn. Can split effort dice between any enemies visible. Can only be cast once per adventure.
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INVULNERABILITY becomes SHATTER - Speak the word of breaking, and point to a FAR object. Shatters 1 piece of wood, or 1 stone, doing MAGIC damage to all CLOSE.
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CLENSE becomes DESPOIL - defile the area around the caster, making all other casting and attacks in a NEAR area around the caster HARD.
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LION’S HEART becomes DRAGON’S ROAR - All enemies who hear are afflicted with fear for BASIC rounds. (credit to Ty)
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REGENERATION becomes POISON - CLOSE range. Target rolls CON, or suffers GUN damage for their next 4 turns.
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YOGI STASIS becomes ADAPTATION - HARD to cast. Become perfectly suited to the environment; all actions are other than casting are EASY for MAGIC turns.
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FAR SEER becomes EGO FORTRESS - Gain immunity to all mental effects for BASIC rounds.
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QUICKNESS becomes SLOWNESS - 1 target you can see may only MOVE or ACT, and always loses initiative. Cast on HARD to affect FAR targets CLOSE to each other. (credit to Ty)
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ASTRAL CONNECTION becomes STAR-CROSSED - Take something of the target’s. All affects and damage directed at you are inflicted upon the target (including healing), and vice-versa. Only BASIC harm can be inflicted by yourself to harm your target.
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ATOM PALM becomes MOLE’S MARCH - Caster may make NEAR move through soil and boards, or make a CLOSE move through stone and logs. If ending their move beneath a creature their size or smaller, caster may pull them into the ground as they come up.
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ASTRAL FORM becomes STONE BODY - Caster becomes stone; all DEX rolls are HARD; snaps ropes, shatters boards; cannot swim; cannot burn; +2 STR, +4 CON; lasts BASIC rounds (or MAGIC turns).
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WILD GROWTH becomes BLACK THUMB - Kill all the plants in a NEAR area of forest or farmland to heal one creature MAGIC. Creature will cause plants it touches to wilt, rot, and die for days = effort healed.
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VINE WHIP becomes STICKY HAIR - The caster is covered in sticky fur or hair. Any melee attack against the caster sticks to them. STR must beat caster’s INT (or WIS) roll to move the caster. Hair absorbs MAGIC damage.
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ENCHANT becomes WARD - Protect one person or object against a single spell you know. HARD to make it all those close to you. Lasts until cast again. Ward can be physically altered or erased.
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ANIMAL FRIEND becomes CALL OF THE WILD - with a mighty howl, all tame animals in the sound of the caster’s voice become wild again. All animals that can hear the caster’s become frenzied; none of the frenzied animals attack the caster.
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WOODSHAPER becomes WARP WOOD - FAR range affecting CLOSE area, all wood curls, twists, and bends to the point of breaking, or becoming useless.
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DIRE FORM becomes FEEBLE FORM - Caster takes the form of a harmless animal local to the area or people likely to be ignored. Caster can make no attacks in this form, nor cast spells. Caster may apply WIS (or INT) to stealth attempts.
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FORAGER becomes HEART’S COMPASS - The caster gets the direction of the object of their desire.
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GATHERING STONE becomes DISMISSAL - HARD to cast. Get something of the target’s. Mark it with a secret rune. When you speak the word, send the owner to the location of the object.
