Homebrewed Spell and Magic Item Clearinghouse

[Bloodcookie]

I couldn't find another thread serving this purpose, so... post spells and magic items of your own design, for critique and general sharing!

Here are a couple of spells and an item, all inspired by characters that I've conceptualized but never actually played:

Hermal’s Paraöntic Extraction
Conjuration (Summoning)
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target/Effect: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell creates a resonance between the targeted creature and its analog in a parallel multiverse, drawing the two into simultaneous instantiation at the target’s location. A successful Will save by the target successfully maintains its ontic autonomy, and no further effects of the spell occur. Otherwise, the resulting interference does 1d6 damage to both the target and its analog, before shunting the analog to a random square adjacent to the target. The cognitive dissonance that results from encountering its parallel self causes the analog to enter a temporary fugue state, in which it will make a full attack upon the target (The analog possesses equipment identical to that carried by the target). After doing so, the analog is immediately restored to its multiverse of origin.
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Rod of Metamagic Switcheroo

This rod functions only for spellcasters who prepare spells. The wielder of this rod may cast any spell that has been prepared with a particular metamagic feat as if it had instead been prepared with any one other metamagic feat the caster possesses of equal or lesser spell slot adjustment. The spell slot of the converted spell remains the same as when it was prepared. For a spell prepared with multiple metamagic feats, the rod’s power may only be applied to one such feat, and the feat that it is converted to may not be the same as a feat already applied to the spell.

Strong (no school); CL 17; any two metamagic feats; Price 19,000gp
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Dulang’s Remorseful Recoupment
Abjuration
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target/Effect: 1 touched magic item of the caster’s creation
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Originally developed by the mage Dulang, an artificer known more for his prolific output than for the quality or usefulness of his creations, this spell was a result of the pangs of good sense that frequently struck him upon completing yet another of his novel, ingenious – yet only marginally useful – creations. With this new dweomer mastered, he was able to maintain his reservoir of personal energy, and continue his fanciful manufacturing for years to come (it is speculated that one item which survived the quality-control process and made its way into public circulation was the overly-complicated Rod of Metamagic Switcheroo…).

This spell allows the caster to reclaim the XP expended in crafting a magic item, eliminating the item’s magical powers in the process. The caster simply touches the item while casting this spell, and all XP spent in crafting it are added to the caster’s total, while the item itself is affected as if by Mordenkainen’s Disjunction. Note that the caster can only reclaim XP from items he or she personally crafted.

 

[Corbert]

OK, I'll give it a go. Here's a couple spells I made when playing a 2nd edition mage/cleric, updated for 3E.

Shaemes's Shocking Critter
Level: Sor/Wiz 1, Drd 2
School: Enchantment/Charm, Invocation/Evocation
Range: 10 yards per level
Component: V S M
Duration: 1 round per level
Casting Time: 1 action
Area of effect: 1 small animal
Saving Throw: Special
Spell resistance: Yes
Spell description
This spell can only be cast on small animals of intelligence 4 or lower which also weigh less then 15 pounds, such as birds, squirrels, house cats, etc. The animal gets a Will saving throw to resist, and if successful then the spell ends with no effect. If the animal fails its save, then it is completely under the mental control of the caster.
Usually the animal is directed to make its way to some target of the casters choosing where it then explodes in a small electrical explosion doing 1D6 damage + 1 point per caster level (max 1d6+5) to everything within 5 feet. Anything beyond 5 feet from the blast is unaffected. Creatures within the blast radius get a Reflex save for 1/2 damage. This spell will also work on a wizard's familiar, however the familiar uses its own save or the saving throw of its owner whichever is higher. The wizard will immediately know that his familiar has been affected by hostile magic regardless of the animal saving or failing its saving throw, and has at least one round to react. Usually the response is to cast Dispel Magic on the familiar which grants the animal a new save, again at the casters level. If the attempt to save the familiar is unsuccessful, the wizard will still get a +3 bonus to his save.
Animals under the influence of this spell do not appear any different from other animals of their type, however, if the charmed animal is acting differently then normal, then a Ranger or Druid can roll a Wilderness Lore check (DC 11) to notice that all is not as it should be. If successful, the Ranger or Druid gets a +3 bonus to their save. The material components are a magnet, a small glass rod and a copper piece.


Shaemes's Small Exploding Animal
Level Sor/Wiz 1, Drd 2
School: Enchantment/Charm, Invocation/Evocation
Range: 10yards per level
Component: V S M
Duration: 1 round per level
Casting Time: 1 action
Area of effect: 1 small animal
Saving Throw: Special
Spell resistance: Yes

Spell description
This spell can only be cast on small animals of intelligence 4 or lower which also weigh less then 15 pounds, such as birds, squirrels, house cats, etc. The animal gets a Will saving throw to resist, and if successful then the spell ends with no effect. If the animal fails its save, then it is completely under the mental control of the caster.
Usually the animal is directed to make its way to some target of the casters choosing where it then explodes in a small fireball doing 1D6 damage + 1 point per caster level (max 1d6+5) to everything within 5 feet. Anything beyond 5 feet from the blast is unaffected. Creatures within the blast radius get a Reflex save for 1/2 damage. This spell will also work on a wizard's familiar, however the familiar uses its own save or the saving throw of its owner whichever is higher. The wizard will immediately know that his familiar has been affected by hostile magic regardless of the animal saving or failing its saving throw, and has at least one round to react. Usually the response is to cast Dispel Magic on the familiar which grants the animal a new save, again at the casters level. If the attempt to save the familiar is unsuccessful, the wizard will still get a +3 bonus to his save.
Animals under the influence of this spell do not appear any different from other animals of their type, however, if the charmed animal is acting differently then normal, then a Ranger or Druid can roll a Wilderness Lore check (DC 11) to notice that all is not as it should be. If successful, the Ranger or Druid gets a +3 bonus to their save. The material components are a magnet, a small glass rod and a copper piece.

 

[Anthelios]

Golden Cape of Majesty, lesser

A cape woven from fine gold thread, complete with a beautifully embroidered dragon's eye in black thread across the back. The cape is as fine as silk, and never seems to become dirty, tear, or tarnish in any way. In fact, the wearer of such a cloak seems to radiant the majestic presence of a gold dragon, inspiring both awe and fear in those that behold him.

This cape adds +2 to charisma, +2 to diplomacy and intimidate checks, and the user can use the spell Cause Fear(DC 16) 1/day with the command word.

Moderate (Transmutation), CL 8, 7680gp market price, eagles splendor, cause fear

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Witchbane, Blade of Spell-Thirst

Few of these swords, if any, still exist in the modern world. Originally forged by a secretive order of magi, who used the power of the blades to hunt down and slay those who rivaled their power, increasing the potency of the blade as it slacked it's thirst on the blood of arcane spell casters. Over time, however, the Witchbanes gained a sentience of their own, turning on their wielders and finding weak-willed slaves to wield them. These new puppets proved useful, as the blades turned on the order that forged them to slack their endless thirst for magic.

The majority of Witchbanes were made as longswords and rapiers, though a few existed of other designs. All Spell-thirst blades are forged of a strange alloy of mithril and star metal, their blades a silvery-green hue, covered with gleaming arcane runes that shed blue light like a torch. The hilt of the blade contains a faux eye, crafted out of a gem, that stares at a magic-user the blade is able to see.

The Witchbane is a +3, Arcane Spellcaster Bane sword, with a few special properties to speak of. The Arcane Spellcaster Bane acts as the bane property, adding +2 to its enhancement bonus and +2 to attack any practitioner of arcane magic. (Including wizards, beguilers, sorcerers, bards, etc.) Any time it critically hits against an arcane caster, it bestows a negative level upon them (DC 21 Fortitude save) and grants the wielder 10 temporary hitpoints. These bonus hitpoints fade after an hour.

If it chooses, a Witchbane can grant its wielder the use of the following abilities. These generally require that the wielder be actively hunting down arcane spellcasters to add to the blades power.

Lesser Powers: 10 Ranks in Spellcraft, 10 Ranks in Knowledge(Arcane), Hold Person on Enemy 3 times/day
Greater Powers: Lesser Globe of Invulnerability 1/day, Arcane Bane
Dedicated Power: The central eye of the blade stores the arcane power of the spellcasters it slays. For each spell-caster it slays, it can absorb one random spell currently memorized by the victim. Usually this spell is of the highest level the victim had memorized, but sometimes it steals lesser spells. The Blade has access to this pool of spells at all times, but never gives a wielder use of more than hes given. So if a wielder has only slain two wizards, the blade will "maybe" use a single spell to assist him. Many times the blade will decide weather or not a new wielder would be preferable to one that always needs assistance. The most common use of this power is for the blade to "ready" an action to counterspell a spell cast at the wielder.

+3 arcane bane longsword (Lawful Neutral or Lawful Evil)
18 Intelligence, 18 Charisma, 10 Wisdom
120 ft. darkvision, blindsense, and hearing [Speech, telepathy *4, 5]
Special Purpose: Slay Arcane Spellcasters (Including users of spell-like abilities)
3 lesser powers, 2 greater powers, 1 dedicated power

Ego: 25
Overwhelming (All), CL 20, Estimated market value: 186,850gp
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Obviously, the Witchbane is powerful. It's a recreation of a sword I used for a very old second edition game. It's the kind of thing that can be the focus of an entire campaign, the central object driving a witch hunting cult to slay every wizard they come across.

 

[DiceGolem]

Mutate Self
Transmutation [Chaotic]
Level: Clr 2, Drd 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level (D)

You feed energy into your latent natural abilities to alter your physical form in unpredictable ways. Roll 1d20 then consult the following table to see how you change for the duration of the spell. All bonuses are considered racial bonuses and do not stack with increases already granted by your race.

(1) - You grow a tail half as long as you are tall. You gain a +4 racial bonus on Balance checks, and a +8 racial bonus on Swim checks.
(2) - Your mouth lengthens and your teeth grow wickedly sharp. You gain a bite attack (dealing damage based on your size, see the MM).
(3) - Your senses sharpen and your face takes on some reptilian and insectoid features. You gain darkvision 60 ft. and low-light vision, if you did not have them before.
(4) - Your skin becomes dotted with chitinous armor. You gain a +3 natural armor bonus to AC. (This does not stack. If you already have an equal or higher natural armor bonus, reroll)
(5) - Your eyes bulge out and become multifaceted, and your skin becomes covered in millions of tiny hairs. You gain blindsight 30 ft. and tremorsense 30 ft., but your normal sight is blurry and distorted giving you a -10 penalty to Spot and Search checks.
(6) - Your body takes on a tint of an unnatural color, such as light blue, dark green, or orange. You gain acid, cold, electricity, and fire resistance 5.
(7) - Your limbs grow unnaturally thin, long, and flexible. Your reach increases by +5 ft, but you take a -2 racial penalty to attack and damage rolls.
(8) - Your hand strengthens and your fingernails grow sharp and pointed, granting you a claw attack (dealing damage based on your size, see the MM).
(9) - Your organs constantly rearrange themselves so as to protect vital areas. You have a 50% chance to ignore the extra damage from a critical hit or a sneak attack.
(10) - Your arms and legs are replaced by writhing tentacles. Attacking with a tentacle deals damage equal to your unarmed damage (1d3 for a medium creature), but if you hit you can attempt to start a grapple as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
(11) - Your body becomes hard and unresisting. You gain damage reduction 2/-.
(12) - Your head balloons as your brain expands. Your now immense powers of deduction and logic grant you a +4 competence bonus on all intelligence based skill checks and ability checks.
(13) - You grow a pair of small, underdeveloped arms from your chest. They do not grant extra attacks and are too weak to do anything more than hold items. Taking an item, like a weapon, from the small hands, is a free action, but you cannot do anything with the extra hands if you are wearing any kind of armor.
(14) - Your physical strength and stamina is enhanced, bulging your muscles unproportionally to the size of your body. You gain a +2 inherent bonus to Strength and Constitution. (This, unlike most of the other bonuses, stacks with your racial traits)
(15) - Your body becomes covered in wickedly curved spikes and spines. All your natural attacks now deal piercing damage instead of nonlethal, and any creature that hits you with a natural attack or a nonreach weapon takes the same piercing damage.
(16) - You empower your body's natural healing rate, granting you fast healing 1. Excessive use of this power has been proven to shorten your natural lifespan, reducing the number of years inbetween the age catagories.
(17) - You grow an additional head, if your form naturally has only one head. You gain an additional bite attack, if you could previously bite, but otherwise the extra head is useless for nothing more than arguing with yourself.
(18) - Fleshy wings sprout from your back, allowing you to glide at your normal speed. You must fall at least 10 feet a round, but you can ensure that you do not take lethal damage when landing from a tall height.
(19) - You grow an extra limb where one shouldn't be. It grants an extra natural attack at your full attack bonus, but at a -5 penalty and it uses only half your strength modifier on damage.
(20) - DM's choice. The DM should feel free to invent new options, but nothing more powerful than those listed here.

You can cast this spell multiple times, but you cannot gain the benifits of the same mutation twice. For example, if you had previously cast Mutate Self and had gained another head, you cannot gain a third head from a subsequent casting of this spell. If you roll a mutation you are already under the effect of, or have a racial ability that mimics the rolled ability, reroll.

Your new mutated form is not a pleasant sight. You gain a -4 penalty on all Charisma related skill checks for the duration of the spell. If you can thouroughly disguise youself (by using an illusion spell or succeeding on a Disguise check at the -4 penalty) so the people you're interacting with don't notice your mutation, the penalty does not apply. One example of a mutation that is easily disguised is the fast healing mutation (#16), because it doesn't actually alter your physical appearance in a negative fashion.

It is left up to the DM to determine the exact appearance of any mutation. If cast by a druid, the mutation could look like a natural extention of the druid's will, flowing seemlessly into his normal form. If cast by a wizard, it could look more like a demon threw a humanoid and an aberration into a blender.

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Greater Mutate
Transmutation [Chaotic]
Level: Clr 4, Drd 4, Sor/Wiz 4
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: You, plus one willing living creature/2 levels

As Mutate Other, except as above. You must target yourself with this spell, and every effected creature must roll seperately to see which mutation they recieve.

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Mutate Other
Transmutation [Chaotic]
Level: Clr 3, Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3
Range: Touch
Target: Willing living creature touched
Saving Throw: No
Spell Resistance: No

As Mutate Self, except as above.

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Rending Mutation
Transmutation [Chaotic]
Level: Clr 5, Drd 5, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One living creature
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You flood the subject of this spell with a raging torrent of chaotic natural energy, causing extreme cancerous growth throughout the subject's body. If they fail their save, their body is wracked with pain as the structure of their natural body reforms. Limbs wither and atrophy, bones expand and shatter, and skin tears under the pressure. The subject recieves a -4 racial penalty to all attack rolls, skill checks, ability checks, and saves. It's base, climb, swim, and burrow speeds (if it has them) are cut in half, and wings become utterly useless lumps of flesh. Magical and supernatural forms of transportation are unaffected.

For the next 1d4 hours, the subject is all too concious of it's pain. To perform anything other than a move action, the subject must succeed on a Concetration check (DC equal to the DC of this spell) or be too distracted by the pain to complete the action. After the 1d4 hours has passed, the subject's nerves have either adjusted or died, reducing the penalty to a -2 and restoring natural movement.

A conjuration(healing) spell that cures hit points still do so, but the caster can choose to allocate points of damage healed to instead temporarily remove the racial penalty of this spell, but not the speed reduction. 5 points of damage healed translates to 1 round of painless action. These blisfull rounds are still counted as part of the 1d4 hour duration of the pain, if still subject to the full -4 racial penalty. Other forms of healing, such as fast healing, regeneration, or temporary hit points, do not offer any help from the pain.

Creatures immune to polymorphing spells or effects are immune to this spell. A creature with the shapechanger subtype is only affected by this spell in its natural form. Likewise, a creature under the effect of a polymorph spell (such as alter self, polymorph, polymorph any object, or shapechange) is not affected by this spell. In both cases, time spent in a form other than the subjects natural form is not counted as part of the 1d4 hour duration of the pain.

Rending Mutation can be dispelled normally, or countered by a heal, restoration, or limited wish spell.

Material Component: A piece of flesh and skin you tear upon casting.

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Waves of Mutation
Transmutation [Chaotic]
Level: Clr 8, Drd 7, Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S, M
Range: 0 ft.
Area: 60-ft.-radius burst
Duration: 1 min./level or permanent (see text)
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

All living creatures, including the caster if applicable, within 60 feet are flooded with a surge of chaotic natural energy. For every affected creature, roll a d% and consult the following table.

(1-10) This spell has no effect on that creature.
(11-45) The creature is affected by a Mutate Other spell effect.
(46-75) The creature is affected by two Mutate Other spell effects simultaneously.
(76-89) The creature is affected by a Rending Mutation spell effect for the duration of this spell.
90-100 The creature is affected by a Rending Mutation spell effect permanently.

Each spell effect lasts for the duration of Waves of Mutation, except the last choice, which is permanent. Each creature makes a fortitude save against Waves of Mutation and not against the spell effects it generates. For example, a Warrior is affected by Waves of Mutation and he fails his Fortitude save. The caster rolls a d% and gets a 23. The Warrior is automatically affected by a Mutate Other spell effect and does not gain another Fortitude save against it.

Material Component: A chunk of an aberration's flesh you tear upon casting.

 

[DiceGolem]

Zzlatch

Zzlatch has the consistancy, appearance, and taste of tar soaked in a fine elven red wine when hit by a few flasks of alchemists fire and acid from a safe distance. Some abberations find it to be a delicacy in it's solid form, while others like to use it as a makeshift medieval napalm.

When left in the open air for more than one hour, Zzlatch hardens to the consistancy of glass. It is sometimes poured into candy molds for solid consumption, but the taste is far from desirable. Eating solid Zzlatch, no matter how old, still triggers a fortitude save if enough is digested (see below).

A successful Craft(Alchemy) check (DC 30) prepares a bottle of Zzlatch into a devastating grenade weapon. Treat a prepared bottle of Zzlatch as Alchemist's Fire, except that the fire burns for twice as long.

For every ounce of unprepared Zzlatch a living creature drinks/eats a fortitude save (DC 15) must be made. After a successful save, every ounce thereafter increases the save DC by +1. After a failed save, the creature falls unconcious for 1d4 hours. A second fortitude save (at the same DC; 15 +1 for every previous successful ounce) is made 1d4 hours after the poor creature regained conciousness.

Faliure results in the latent drow spiders within the Zzlatch bursting from their tiny eggs and feeding off the creature's stomach and intestinal lining, dealing 1d4 points of Constitution damage. Also, over the course of the next 10 rounds, Fine sized spiders eventually explore their way out of the creature's body, exiting from any available orifice. Creatures immune to magical disease are immune to these effects, as are any creature without a working digestive system.

These spiders are not large enough to cause any damage on their own, and are not poisonous. They are immune to the digestive acid of most creatures, but have a lifespan of only a few days. Some rumors whisper of more powerful drinks, infested with the eggs of much more dangerous spider kin.

Market Price: 1,000 gp

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The Scroll of Ever-reading

Created more as a practical joke than anything else, this scroll is found among rolls and rolls of other magical parchment. It's slowly becoming known as more of them are beginning to surface in magic shops and joke parlors in any sizable city.

For all intents and purposes, the scroll of ever-reading looks just like a normal scroll of some useful, simple spell, such as magic missile or unseen servant. More powerful magic detects it for the cursed item it is, but it responds to things like read magic as if it were the scroll it's mimicing.

When a mage tries to cast from the scroll of ever-reading, however, it's true nature is revealed. The mage automatically reads the scroll every round thereafter (a standard action), but the spell on the scroll of ever-reading is never cast. He provokes attacks of opportunity for casting a spell unless he can succeed on a concentration check to cast defensively (the DC is as if he was trying to cast the spell on the scroll of ever-reading) even though the spell is never cast.

The mage is concentrated wholeheartedly on the scroll, giving him a -10 penalty on Listen and Spot checks. Any skill check that requires a hand, such as an Open Lock or Climb check, cannot be attempted, because both the mages hands refuse to leave the scroll. He can only attempt to cast another spell if it is a quickened, still, and silent spell, and only if he succeeds at a concentration check as if distracted.

A mage under the effect of a scroll of ever-reading cannot fall asleep and cannot prepare or regain spell slots, or do much of anything else for that matter. He must be force-fed, or he will begin to starve. He constantly mutters arcane nonsense at all times, making it rather hard to walk around a dungeon silently. The mage cannot speak, although halting words may spurt out between the mumblings.

What he can do, however, is walk. The remaining move action he has every round can be spent moving up to his full speed. If he has the ability, he can also manifest quickened psionic powers, but he must still succeed at a concentration check as if distracted. You can temporarily supress the effects of a scroll of ever-reading by casting dispel magic or entering an antimagic field, freeing the affected. The scroll of ever-reading is a cursed item.

Market Price: ???