It was early 1982. In its eighth year, OD&D could still be found in gaming stores and lived on at many tables -- sometimes simultaneously with the later versions. Moldvay and Cook's Basic Set and Expert Set were on the shelves in the mainstream book stores, sharing that space (and ads in all the comic books) with AD&D. Deities and Demigods had arrived two years earlier in its short-lived Cthulhuesque glory, Fiend Folio had been out less than a year, and the MMII and D&D cartoon were still in the future. Dragon magazine #60 was just introducing the Elvish pantheon for the first time, products from Judges Guild were regularly scattered among the TSR modules in the hobby stores, and there was a new arrival sitting with the OD&D books and the Arduin Grimoire...
Third Printing November 1983
Contributing Editors: Douglas Bohlman, James A. Dees, Michael A. Pouyadou, Paula Rae Pouyadou, David Speight, Michael D. Woodard, Craig Addison, Arthur O'Mary, Doug Price, Roger Walker, Linda Woodard, Dean Yoas
Cover and Illustrations by Frank Paul Scalfano, Jr.
The forward explained that:
That's right, 20th level. The 15th-20th level spells are divine level spells that can be granted to a mortal through the god's familiar. A demi-god can grant 15th level spells, lesser-gods up to 17th, and only greater gods those from 18th-20th. Among these are several that kill outright, permanently drain levels (automatically turn the target into a 0-level character!), or let the caster go out in a final blaze of glory. At the highest level are:
Anymore, a lot of the spells are probably just good for a chuckle while reading them. But several provide reasonable ideas to leave on long lost scrolls or in hidden mystic libraries in a modern campaign (after polishing them up a bit, of course).
The Tome of Mighty Magic
North Pole Publications, Inc.
First Printing April 1982
Revised Edition Printed June 1982Third Printing November 1983
Contributing Editors: Douglas Bohlman, James A. Dees, Michael A. Pouyadou, Paula Rae Pouyadou, David Speight, Michael D. Woodard, Craig Addison, Arthur O'Mary, Doug Price, Roger Walker, Linda Woodard, Dean Yoas
Cover and Illustrations by Frank Paul Scalfano, Jr.
The forward explained that:
Though many types of characters are needed for a well rounded FRP system, the campaign will almost always revolve around magic. Magic makes the games unique; without it the fantasy element would be greatly diminished. So this is a book for you, spell casters, whether ye be wizards, priests or other types. Most of the spells contained herein have been successfully used in our local systems for some time now and should be usable in most FRP systems.
This was elaborated on in the preface:Contained within this book are some spells that the great spell casters Aluap, Eridor, Ida and Nimanril used in their campaigns many eons ago. Now they pass them on to you.
It is our general intent and purpose to see that fantasy role playing games never become stagnant.
and Explanatory Notes:We have not included a new magic system in this volume. It is our intent that those spells be incorporated into each individual's campaign and therefore we do not attempt to alter the spell debit system you may currently be using.
Following pages i-vii (and a blank page), pages 1-86 jump right into it and give 276 spells from 1st to 20th level.That's right, 20th level. The 15th-20th level spells are divine level spells that can be granted to a mortal through the god's familiar. A demi-god can grant 15th level spells, lesser-gods up to 17th, and only greater gods those from 18th-20th. Among these are several that kill outright, permanently drain levels (automatically turn the target into a 0-level character!), or let the caster go out in a final blaze of glory. At the highest level are:
- Create Plane - which requires 500-years of minimal activity to allow the necessary concentration
- Divine Ascension - with makes someone a demigod
- Duplicate any Item - up to a million cubic feet, something can be duplicated only once
This spell is very rare and all powerful. The victim will cease to exist, will vanish from the multiverse and even from the minds of those who knew him or knew of him. Great deeds accomplished by the victim will be accredited to someone else. Items possessed by the victim will be scattered to various hoards of powerful monsters (who will remember them being there all along, of course!) in the far flung reaches of the multiverse.
Note: There is no creature living who remembers ever successfully casting this spell. Mortals get no saving throw. Divine creatures are unaffected.
The remaining spells range from the useful to the amusing, including some that are now found in the canonical rules (with some modification). Selected examples include:- Stone of Detection (1st level) - causes a stone to glow whenever any living being enters the area the stone was taken from.
- Detect Reefs, Shoals, and Shallows (3rd level)
- Hey Bartender (3rd level) - summons a humanoid bartender who fulfills your drink order and vanishes.
- Crusade (4th level) - makes all zero level followers within the area of affect fight as 1st level fighters for 6 turns/level.
- Reveal True Attitude (4th level) - lets you know the true attitude (friendly, neutral, or hostile) of 10 target creatures to anything you would like.
- Mass Fumble (6th level)
- Wall of Freezing (6th level) - makes a wall of ice with a layer of liquid nitrogen in the middle in case something tries to break through
- Transmute Stone to Water (7th level)
- Aluap's Lonely Hearts Club (8th level) - tracks down a prospective mate of similar capabilities to see if they are interested and compatible
- Freeze Frame (10th level) - "traps the recipient between two panes of transparent, indestructable material (suitable for framing)."
- Petition (14th level) - similar to the current Miracle spell (what a wish does, or a more powerful request directly to the deity).
- Undeath Plague (14th level) - Any creature that dies during the next 1 week/level in the target square-mile area will arise as undead on the night of the next full moon.
Anymore, a lot of the spells are probably just good for a chuckle while reading them. But several provide reasonable ideas to leave on long lost scrolls or in hidden mystic libraries in a modern campaign (after polishing them up a bit, of course).
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