New Spells

New Spells
In a limestone cave at the edge of Lake Littleblood, dancing lights illuminated a shuffling figure. Arudek, the old tattooed magician, daubed more of the ochre paint on his fingertips, squinting at the geometry he was painting on the wall. He hummed tunelessly as he worked, never ceasing to scuttle back and forth, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"How long does this go on?" asked Mizca, who sat against the other wall with her companion. Her axe had been sharpened, her arrows double-checked, her tusks polished, and she was long past bored.

"All night, easily," whispered Sushesh. "Maybe into tomorrow. It depends on what he’s working on. Did he tell you?"

"He said ‘something to do with binding.’"

"Then we’d better get comfortable."

As Mizca groaned, Sushesh chuckled. "You think this is bad. Once he worked for seven days without sleep, forgot to eat, collapsed, hit his
head, forgot everything, and had to start all over."

"Spellskins."

"Yes. Spellskins. But if you want to kill a god, you couldn’t ask for a more brilliant mind."

Mizca’s tusks seemed to grow as a slow smile spread over her face. "Well. I do want to kill a god."

The world is still largely unformed and unknown, with magical essences roving across the land, sea, and air. But just as animals can be tamed, so can spells, and many of the intelligent kinships of Planegea have coaxed one kind of magic or another into a more or less predictable pattern.

Any character of any kinship has access to whatever magic is granted by their features and abilities, but the origins of magic are visible in the casting of spells, and different types of magic show the culture of those who first discovered its secrets.

Use the Magical Origins table to inspire the verbal and somatic effects used to bring about the spells your character casts. Use the material column to inspire how your components or focus are moved or how materials that are consumed may be destroyed in the process of casting. This table is only for flavor and should not alter the mechanics of spellcasting in any way.

If a racial ability grants you access to a spell from a different primal origin, use the verbal, somatic, and material behaviors of your own kinship (if applicable) to cast it.

MAGICAL ORIGINS


OPTIONAL RULE: SPELL DISCOVERY

Since magic is still being shaped for the first time, you can increase the feeling of discovery by assuming that all spells over 4th level are yet to be created. Individual gods or powerful spellcasters may be able to create the effects of a spell of 5th level or higher, but they are not known or shared as commonly recognized spells. If your spellcasting character gains a spell of 5th level or higher, rather than learning the spell, they invent it, and may need to perform rituals or take time to craft it so that it can be cast again in the future. Also, since schools of magic originate from various cultures, you may need to seek out high-level spellcasters in those cultures to learn sufficient lore to create spells of those schools.


Altered Spells

Some spells in 5th Edition refer to metal specifically. In a world without metal, use the Metal Conversion table (p. 100) for alternate components. Additionally, use the following guidelines for other spells that may be altered by the setting:

Heat metal. Since there is no metal in Planegea, this spell can be substituted with a heat stone spell, which works in exactly the same way, but targets stone instead.

Commune and other divine spells. Spells that call upon the power of gods may have one of two effects outside the range of your primary god: they can extend the range of your primary god to your current location, or they can compel a local god to respond. Work with your DM to determine which effect comes into play for your spells.

Plane shift and other planar spells. The planes of this world are all geographically linked, but they’re still separate realms. You can use plane shift to travel from the mortal realm (the Great Valley, Wintersouth, and Giant Empires) to the Elemental Wastes, the Sea of Stars, Nod, the Kingdom of the Dead, or other locations at your DM’s discretion, including the hallows of some gods.

Resurrect and other necromancy. Spells that bring the dead back to life are considered a personal affront by Nazh-Agaa (p. 251), and should only be undertaken with extreme caution. There are no mechanical limitations or alterations to these spells, but be warned that the King of the Dead is not to be trifled with.

New God and Defiant creature tags. Gods have a new creature tag: "god." You cannot use polymorph, wildshape or any other transformation spell (including wish) to transform into a creature with the god tag, even temporarily.

Some beasts have the new "defiant" tag. Creatures with this tag are not valid creatures to transform into for the purpose of spells and features that enable shapechanging, such as a druid’s Wild Shape or a wizard’s Polymorph. Additionally, creatures with the defiant tag are unaffected by dominate beasts unless cast at 7th level or higher, or by animal friendship unless cast at 3rd level or higher.

Blood Magic

Not every hunt in Planegea is for food. Shamans often send seasoned hunters into the wild to bring back certain components that have been spilled with the blood of prey, which the shamans use for the magic power inherent in the blood of living things.

Many higher-level spells in 5th Edition have a material cost listed in gold pieces (gp). Since gold doesn’t exist in Planegea, when a spell calls for gp as part of a material cost, you can instead use blood. Where the object lists a worth in gp—e.g., "10 gems worth 100 gp each"—substitute spilled with hp of blood—e.g., "10 gems spilled with 100 hp of blood each." This means that the objects have been touched with the blood of one or more creatures equivalent to 100 hp of damage. This might be the blood of 1 creature with 100 hp, or 100 creatures with 1 hp each, or any other combination totaling 100 hp.

Such magic requires spilling liquid blood, and therefore cannot be fulfilled with constructs, oozes, elementals, spectral undead, or other non-bleeding creatures. It is not required that the caster be the one to have spilled the blood, or that the blood be spilled at the same time, only that the object in question has been touched with the requisite amount of hp’s worth of blood. Blood used to touch one object cannot be re-used for another object. An object can be reused for such magic as long as it is not consumed by the spell.

Spell Descriptions

The spells below are born from the primal fury of the world of Planegea, but can easily be used to add excitement to any 5th Edition campaign.

The spells are presented in alphabetical order. Refer to the Spell Lists on the previous page to see which classes can access each spell.

Aggravate Wounds
3rd-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: 90 feet
Components: V, S, M (a smear of blood, a pinch of salt)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Weaving a painful blood curse, you choose a creature within range that you can see. That creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, whenever the affected target takes bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, the target takes an additional 1d6 necrotic damage.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, increase the damage by 1d6 for each two spell levels above 3rd.

Bolt of Ush
8th-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 40 feet
Components: V, S, M (a sapphire worth 2,000 ps or spilled with 2,000 hp of blood)
Duration: Instantaneous

You summon a storm directly overhead, flashing with magical lightning. At your command, the lightning strikes a sphere with a radius of 20 feet, centered on you. You and up to 8 willing creatures in range are magically transported to a location with which you are familiar on the same plane. Your familiarity with the destination determines whether you arrive there successfully as by the teleport spell. You arrive via lightning strike at your chosen location. The spell fails if you can’t see a point in the air where the storm cloud could appear, or if the destination lacks a similar point in the air. Any creatures within a 20-foot sphere centered on you when you land must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save they take 10d8 lightning damage, and half as much on a successful save. Any structures in range take 50 points of lightning damage, and flammable objects in range ignite.

None of the creatures transported by the spell are harmed by the lightning, although you smell faintly of ozone for 10 minutes.

Bite Back
1st-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take in response to being damaged by a melee attack
Range: Touch
Components: V
Duration: Instantaneous

When you are damaged by a melee attack, a spiritual beast rises from the wound to sink its teeth into the creature that harmed you. The creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save it takes 2d8 piercing damage, and is restrained until the end of your next turn if it is no larger than one size bigger than you. On a successful save, it takes half damage and is not restrained.

Bury
4th-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 90 feet
Components: V, S, M (a bit of dust)
Duration: Instantaneous

Choose a creature you can see within range that is within 5 feet of the ground. The creature must succeed on a Strength saving throw. On a failure, the creature takes 6d8 bludgeoning damage and is forced just below the surface of the ground. On a success, the target takes half damage and is knocked prone. A target standing on stone or a similar solid material automatically succeeds on their saving throw. While buried the target is restrained, blinded, deafened, and unable to breathe. The target or an allied creature can spend an action on their turn to make a Strength check versus your spell save DC, digging the target out on a success. If the target has a burrowing speed, they automatically succeed on their Strength check to escape.

Deflect Magic
5th-level abjuration
Casting Time: 1 reaction, when you succeed on a saving throw against a spell targeting only you.
Range: Self
Components: S, M (a flat, brightly polished stone)
Duration: Instantaneous

You attempt to reflect a spell that targets you back towards its caster. If you are the only target of a spell of 5th level or lower, the spell has no effect on you, and instead targets the caster, using the slot level, spell save DC, attack bonus, and spellcasting ability of the caster.

If the spell targeting you is of 6th level or higher, make an ability check using your spellcasting ability. The DC equals 10 + the spell’s level. On a success, the creature’s spell fails and has no effect.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the spell targeting you is reflected if its level is less than or equal to the level of the spell slot you used. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, you can choose the target of the reflected spell as if the spell was cast from your location.

Disorient
4th-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 300 feet
Components: V, S, M (a small brown bag)
Duration: 8 hours

Choose up to 10 creatures you can see within range. Targeted creatures must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, until the spell ends, a creature is magically lost, and unable to find their way to any intended location unless they can see it. They have disadvantage on Wisdom and Intelligence checks to gain their bearings or discern their current location.

While affected by the spell, if a creature attempts to cast a spell that allows them to magically find their way, they encounter a mental block and must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw versus your spell save DC or their spell fails. This spell can be ended by restorative magic like lesser restoration or dispel magic.

At Higher Levels. If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the duration is 24 hours. If you use a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the duration is 1 week. If you use a spell slot of 7th level or higher, the duration is 1 month. If you use a spell slot of 8th level or higher, the duration is 1 year. If you use a 9th-level spell slot, the spell lasts until it is dispelled.

Dream of Kho
6th-level conjuration (ritual)
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S, M (a carved ivory drumstick and a drum worth 300 ps or with 300 hp worth of blood spilled on it)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You drum a hypnotic rhythm, weaving a dream state around all willing creatures within range. As the tempo rises towards a crescendo, willing creatures begin to see a phantom forest sprout around them. The forest conforms to the shape of the space the creatures inhabit, but may introduce phantom obstacles such as large trees, creeks or waterfalls, rock piles, and so on. These are real for creatures affected by the spell. Somewhere within range is a huge celestial ape. The ape understands all languages, but does not speak.

The ape is capable of summoning any beast or object from the same plane that is not bound by magic or currently attuned to another person. This includes generic beasts or objects such as "cat" or "sword," or named requests such as "the cat Skelka" or "Fangblade." However, the ape is under no compulsion to behave in any particular way, and will usually not agree to summon anything unless he is satisfied that he has been offered something in fair payment.

If the ape is especially pleased with the payment offered, he may summon the desired object and additional items as well. If he is displeased, he may fly into a rage and attack.

All creatures affected by the spell must make a DC 18 Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, creatures take 8d10 radiant damage and cease to be affected by the spell. On a successful save, creatures take half damage.

Form Weapon
Conjuration cantrip
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 minute

You reach out and summon a weapon from the environment around you. Raw materials uproot themselves and form in your hands into a magical simple weapon of your choice with which you have proficiency. The style of weapon reflects the materials in the environment, creating a bone sword in a graveyard or a grass sling in an open field, for example. You can only have one weapon formed by this spell at a time. When the spell ends, the weapon falls apart.

Fury of Twr
6th-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S, M (sulfur, ash, an ox horn worth 100 ps or spilled with 100 hp of blood, which is consumed by the spell)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You unleash a fury of fiendish rage all around you. All creatures within range must make a Dexterity saving throw. Each creature takes 5d10 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

All water in range immediately boils and releases jets of superheated steam, which last for the spell’s duration, and any creature that ends its turn in or above more than 1 inch of water must make a Dexterity save. The creature takes 3d10 fire damage from the superheated steam on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.

Gaze of Glelh
6th-level enchantment (ritual)
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (an ivory mortar & pestle, and colorful pigments worth 200 ps, which are consumed by the spell)
Duration: 24 hours

You anoint a ceremonial square 10 feet in diameter with bright colors and symbols of a lion with wide, staring eyes. For the spell’s duration, any creature within the ceremonial square can see everything up to 10 miles away within line of sight of the square with telescopic vision of perfect clarity, no matter how small or far away.

Creatures within 10 miles may be drawn to the ceremonial square by the spell’s power. As an action, you can target a creature within range. Targeted creatures must make a Wisdom saving throw, and targets who can see the ceremonial square or creatures or structures inside it make their saving throw with disadvantage. On a failure, they must use their movement to approach the ceremonial square and, upon reaching the edge of the square, lie paralyzed next to it until the spell ends.

The spell ends if the ceremonial square contains no conscious creatures with a Wisdom score of 4 or greater.

Heart of Urhosh
6th-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 reaction, when you or a creature you can see within range would drop to 0 hit points or die
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

You cry out to spirits of survival to preserve the life of a creature you can see within range. The creature drops to 1 hit point instead of dying. Until the end of the target’s next turn, they cannot be reduced to below 1 hit point. In addition, effects that would kill the target instantaneously have no effect.

Lava Leap
3rd-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (a chunk of pumice)
Duration: Instantaneous

You summon the fury of the volcano to hurl yourself into the air. When you cast this spell, you can make a standing leap to any point you can see within range. Immediately after you leap, a surge of magma explodes outward, and each creature in a 15-foot radius of the place you just left must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 3d10 fire damage on a failed save and half as much on a successful one.

The magma cools instantly, but the cooled magma makes the ground difficult terrain in a 30-foot-diameter circle around the spot you left.

Mage Skis
2nd-level transmutation (ritual)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (pine needles, water)
Duration: 1 hour

You summon long strips of arcane energy that grant you the ability to move quickly over frozen terrain. Until the spell ends, up to 6 willing creatures you can see within range gain a speed of 60 feet when traveling over snowy or frozen terrain. Frozen or snowy terrain is not considered difficult terrain for anyone affected by this spell.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell
slot of 3rd level or higher, you can target one additional
creature for each spell level above 2nd.

Nightmare Bind
2nd-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 10 feet
Components: S, M (a piece of cobweb)
Duration: Up to 8 hours

You choose a sleeping creature within range, attempting to sink them deeper into sleep while troubling their mind with dark dreams. The creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, the target awakes. On a failure, the target is trapped in restless sleep until the spell ends, and does not gain the benefits of a long rest. You do not choose the content of their dreams, nor are you aware of their nature. Each time the target takes damage, it makes a new Wisdom saving throw against the spell. If the saving throw succeeds, the spell ends.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd or 4th level, the spell lasts for up to 24 hours. When you use a spell slot of 5th level or 6th level, the spell lasts for up to 1 week. When you use a spell slot of 7th level or 8th level, the spell lasts for up to 1 month. When you use a spell slot of 9th level, the spell lasts until dispelled.

Possess Steed
5th-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a carrot)
Duration: 8 hours

You and up to 10 willing creatures each touch a separate willing steed of at least one size larger than yourself. All affected creatures become immaterial spirits, along with all their carried gear, and possess their steeds, controlling them. Until the spell ends, affected creatures use the steed’s Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores, but retain their own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores.

The steeds outwardly appear unaffected by this change, and the possession cannot be detected by visual inspection of their outward appearance, although unusual behavior may raise suspicion.

If an affected creature’s steed drops to 0 hit points, the creature reverts to their physical form within 5 feet of the steed.

Quillburst
2nd-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (20-foot sphere)
Components: V, S, M (a quill)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Arcane quills bristle around you, then burst outward in sudden violence. Each creature in a 20-foot sphere centered on you must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6 piercing damage on a failed save and half as much on a successful one.

Until the spell ends, if you would take damage from an attack, you can release a second burst with the same effects as the first, ending the spell.

Ridicule
2nd-level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (a sprig of herbs)
Duration: 8 hours

You ridicule a humanoid you can see within range, lacing your words with magical disdain. The target must succeed on a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, the target has disadvantage on Charisma checks until the spell ends, and others who encounter them will find them laughable, though they may not express it outwardly if the target is in a position of authority over them.

Sense Whispers
Divination cantrip
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous

You listen carefully for the subtle whispers of unseen spirits. Within range, you sense the location of any friendly undead creatures.