Words of Power: 5th Edition Variant Spellcasting

New on EN5ider, the 5E Patreon. Take your 5th Edition spellcasting into new realms with this article by Edric Alan Leggett. Words of Power is a variant rule system which uses combinations of words to craft spells. This article contains fifty such words of power, arranged into Anchor Words, Action Words, and Creature Words, Effect Words, and Unfettered Words, which the caster combines into a Spell Phrase of between three and five words. Illustrated by Herman Lau.

 

[dave2008]

Very interesting concept. I think when I get my finances straightened out I will have join again.

 

[LuisCarlos17f]

Is this anything like the Truenames from "3.5 Tome of Battle"? The truenames was a good idea to add more background and lore, but for gameplay its flexibility was more limited.

Sometimes I have imagined a bard character like a "magical singer girl" with the power of "music of the spheres" with a mechanic like the truenames.

* Do you remember the "Words of Creation" from "Book of Exalted Deeds" and the "Dark Speech" from "Book of Vile Darkness"?

 

[TheSword]

Loved the dark speech. I’ve adapted it for my 5e Way of the Wicked campaign. To either grant the evil equivalent of Fey Presence (from warlock class) or weaken a physical object, or summon swarm. All once per short rest. Every player has had some form of evil additional training most converted from the Book of Vile Darkness. That was such a good supplement!

interested to see how words of power turns out. I may use them as spellcasting options for fiends, celestials and dragons. I’m not a fan of how most spells casting was stripped off fiends now.

 

[Connorsrpg]

I loved the themed books of 3E. BoVD and the Exalted Deeds were both quality They shaped our campaign world a lot.

 

[TwoSix]

This is an interesting enough idea for me to re-up my Patreon subscription.

 

[dave2008]

This is an interesting enough idea for me to re-up my Patreon subscription.

I had the same thought!

 

[TwoSix]

I had the same thought!

Great minds and all that.

 

[doctorhook]

Is this anything like the Truenames from "3.5 Tome of Battle"? The truenames was a good idea to add more background and lore, but for gameplay its flexibility was more limited.

You must mean "Tome of Magic", because "Tome of Battle" was all about sword maneuvers.

 

[doctorhook]

I like this article, but it's pretty fluffy. I'm still holding my breath for Ranger Wickett to write "Elements of Magic" for 5E.