Date: Mon, 26 Apr 1993 00:23:40 -0500 From: CRAIG SINGSANK Subject: ADND-L: a new spellbook The following is a spellbook that I used in a campaign several years ago. I hope that some DMs find it useful. If anyone has any ideas on how the spells can be improved their input would be appreciated (constructive comments please). BTW: Did anyone other than Nomed have any reactions to the Githazoki? By posting my creations, I hope to use the list to critique my ideas -- any reactions will be helpful for future projects that I attempt. Last, the CON of the Githazoki should be an average of 16. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * THE QUAGMIRE * History: In a time before the age of Great Sorrow when the Overking's frontiers bordered the city of Greyhawk, this tome, The Quagmire, was composed. The Quagmire originated in the Rushmoor's marshes east of the Grand Duchy of Geoff. In the centuries following its creation, the book has passed through many hands but never from the Rushmoor's boundaries. In the harsh and unforgiving marshes of the Rushmoors a male child was born. His parents named him Dardan and schooled him from birth in the arcane arts of magic. As a child, Dardan only had apathy for the wetlands in which he lived. Slowly his disdain for the Rushmoor's bogs grew until his early adulthood, when all he felt was hatred. Hatred for the agony and torment the marsh's inhabitants had brought upon him and the loved ones he had lost. In an attempt to quell the nightmares that were consuming him, Dardan ventured into the dark and dank heart of the 'moors. He stayed alone in the 'moor's bowels for months, reliving the slaughter of his family at the hands of Rushmoor's denizions. Even his pursuit and destruction of these beings was not enough to vent the despair racking his soul. In this time of personal sorrow, Dardan researched and conceived the spells of The Quagmire whose sole purpose was the ruination of the swamp and all its foul inhabitants. For years Dardan used his creation to exact brutal and pitiless justice on the inhabitants of the Rushmoors. He slew whole villages of humanoids and lay waste to vast areas of wetland. In time, the blazing flames of hatred burning in his heart cooled and Dardan left the 'moors and The Quagmire never to return. Since Dardan relinquished his tome, it has been forgotten by scholars and swallowed up by the Rushmoor's. Its recovery could once again fill the creatures of the Rushmoor's and other swamps with horrifying fear. Description: The Quagmire is a short work consisting of six supple yellowing leather pages. These pliable pages are bound with leather straps to an equally malleable cover of black dragon hide. The hide cover is worn with age -- the scales are dull and chipped and the leather thongs are frayed. The tome is squarish and cumbersome to carry (approximately two feet by two feet in size). The folio has been magically protected to withstand the ravages of its environment. Dardan's dryness and an unknown variant of Dardan's dehydration have been permanently cast on The Quagmire. The unknown form of Dardan's dehydration causes all water in a three foot radius to evaporate at the rate of sixteen ounces an hour. Only water in a tightly stopped glass bottle is safe (water in a wineskin or clay jug will evaporate). This spell also causes the possessor of The Quagmire to become frequently thirsty. The tome's first leather page has the symbol of water branded across its surface. This glyph is a symbol of death to all marine and amphibious creatures which view it; all other creatures are unaffected. The remaining five pages of The Quagmire are each devoted to a unique spell of Dardan's creation. All the spells were first etched onto the leather with a burning rod and late traced in ink. The reason for this unusual process has never been found. However, some scholars suspect Dardan was aided in fabricating The Quagmire by a being of the outer planes, at what cost, they do not speculate. The spells in The Quagmire are as follows: Dardan's Dryness (Evocation ) Level: 2 Range: 30 yards Components: V, S, M Duration: 1 hour + 1 turn/level Casting Time: 2 Area of Effect: 1 cubic foot + 1 cubic foot/3 levels Saving Throw: None This spell keeps one to several cubic feet of material (organic or inorganic) impervious to water and related liquids. The spell forms a minute film of air around the desired object that slowly denatures and collapses allowing water to seep in as the spell ends. This spell is useful in protecting valuable items like spellbooks and bows from liquids that could ruin them. This spell also reduces the amount of damage a character sustains from water elementals and water-based attacks. The film of air surrounding the character acts as a buffer protecting them from the full impact of the creature's blows. A character protected with Dardan's dryness receives a +1 on all saves (per 5 levels of the castor) from such attacks for the duration of the spell. The material component of this spell is a beetle's carapace. Dardan's Dehydration (Evocation ) Level: 4 Range: 10 yards + 10 yards/level Components: V, S, M Duration: 7 rounds Casting Time: 3 Area of Effect: 30-foot radius Saving Throw: Special When this spell is cast, a small dusty ecru colored sphere will issue from the palm of the wizard's hand. When hurled in the air the sphere will explode at the desired range into a billowing cloud of cascading dust and powder. All creatures in the area of effect must save vs. magic. If the target makes their save they are only effected for the first three rounds of the spell. Otherwise they are affected as follows: round 1 The victim's eyes begin to burn, their mouth becomes parched, and their lips begin to crack. They lose -2 on their to hit and initiative rolls this round. Spell casting is impossible for the duration of the spell. Lastly, the creature endures 1d4 points of damage this and all following rounds. round 2 This round, the sweltering heat and scorching dryness engulfs the character's whole body. They lose -4 on their to hit and initiative rolls and all DEX and STR bonuses. round 3 By this round the victim feels as if every pore in their body is ablaze. This pain is so intense it blinds them and drives all other thoughts from their mind. The character can only lash out with a -6 on their to hit and initiative rolls and a loss of all DEX and STR bonuses. round 4 The agony of fluid being torn from the body is so savage this round the character falls to the ground tearing at his/her clothes and body. The character's anguish is so severe they lose 1d4 points of CON for a turn. Besides the previously stated penalties the character can also be attacked as if they were stunned or prone. round 5 see round 3 round 6 see round 2 round 7 see round 1 All fire-using, undead, animated, and related creatures are immune to this spell. However, all amphibious creatures, slimes, jellies, puddings, molds, and water-using creatures incur twice the duration and intensity of the spell. The material component of this spell is several pinches of powdered bone and a bit of spittle. Dardan's Siccating Parchment (Evocation ) Level: 5 Range: 0 Components: Special Duration: 7 rounds Casting Time: Special Area of Effect: 30-foot radius Saving Throw: Special Dardan's siccating parchment is identical to Dardan's dehydration except as noted below. This spell is highly unusual in that it must always be cast from a specially prepared parchment scroll. To begin the process the parchment must be cured by immersion in a vat of alcohol and salt for three days. While the parchment is curing, the wizard must prepare a special ink of dried blood, saliva, and diamond dust (500 gp). When the wizard has completed these two tasks, he/she may then inscribe the spell onto the scroll in a rite requiring two full days without interruption. Finally, the scroll must be sealed with a paste made of vinegar, clay, and lye. Anytime after the sealing of the scroll the magic held within can be released by breaking the fragile and brittle seal. When the seal is broken a wave of rapidly expanding concentric rings of chalky beige particles will emanate from the scroll. All creatures in the area of effect except the bearer of the scroll will be effected as if Dardan's dehydration were cast upon them. The rite and components used in casting this spell make the parchment very frail and delicate. Special care must be taken in storing the scroll to prevent the magic from being released accidentally. Dardan's Desiccation (Evocation ) Level: 6 Range: 0 Components: V, S, M Duration: Instantaneous Casting Time: 6 Area of Effect: Special Saving Throw: Special This spell causes the rapid ripping and rending of all fluids from an individual through every pore and mucous membrane of their body. The spell takes the form of a pale cone of oscillating ecru desiccants. The cone formed is five feet long and one foot in diameter per level of the caster. For example, a 12th-level wizard would cast a cone 60 feet long and 12 feet in diameter. Any creature struck by the undulating cone must save vs. magic or have their bodily fluids sucked away leaving behind only a mummified shell. If a creature successfully saves they still suffer 6d4 points of damage due to the extreme stress the spell inflicts on the creature's body. Certain aqueous beings are highly susceptible to the effects of this spell. All amphibious creatures, slimes, jellies, molds, and water-using creatures under 4 HD are automatically destroyed when exposed to this spell, creatures over 4 HD suffer a -2 on their save. At the same time all fire-using, undead, animated, and related creatures are immune to the spell. The material component of this spell is an ounce of ground silica and one mummified insect. Dardan's Desolation (Evocation ) Level: 8 Range: 0 Components: V, S, M Duration: 1 round/3 levels Casting Time: 8 Area of Effect: 25-foot radius Saving Throw: Special The casting of this spell causes an incandescent sphere of blistering dry heat to envelop a 25 foot radius around the spell caster. All vegetation in the area of effect will instantly wither and die from the seething temperature as the ground buckles and cracks like hardened clay. Any flesh exposed to this incinerating hellfire will stiffen and crack like old leather and quickly peel away from the body. This crematorium like effect will continue until all that remains are the creature's bleached and crumbling bones on the barren and lifeless ground. All creatures caught in the spell's area of effect must save vs. magic or have the spell's torrid fervor snuff the life out of them. If a creature saves they take 1d8 points of damage and loss one point of CON for a turn. A creature must continue to save each round they are in the ardent sphere with a cumulative penalty of -1. The incandescent sphere doesn't harm the caster and follows him/her as they move for the duration of the spell. Certain aqueous beings are highly susceptible to the effects of this spell. All amphibious creatures, slimes, jellies, molds, and water-using creatures under 6 HD are automatically destroyed when exposed to this spell, creatures over 6 HD suffer a -2 on their save. Only fire-using and related creatures are immune to the spell (undead are not immune to the spell). The material component of this spell is ground diamond (500 gp) and a drop of the caster's blood. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Craig Singsank University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Phone # 1-414-424-3843 Internet Address Singsank@oshkosh.wisc.edu Bitnet Address Singsank@oshkoshw.bitnet FreeNet Address Ag070@yfn.ysu.edu NYX Address Csingsan@nyx.cs.du.edu