Unearthed Arcana Incantations

[SpiderMonkey]

Has anyone used these? How did they work for you? I'm thinking that if I ever get a chance to run a game again (grad school, teaching, family, etc.) I'd like to use them.

Moreover, have you seen decent homebrewed incantations? If so, please linky linky!

 

[deClench]

I had missed Unearthed Arcana the first time around and didn't realize that "incantations" existed in the game. Then I saw them used in Wolfgang Baur's "The Ecology of the Derro" article in the first issue of http://www.wolfgangbaur.com/kobold_quarterly/, and I've since checked out what's available on them in the SRD. How cool!

These are a really neat piece of game mechanic, and I would love to see more of them too. Checkout Wolfgang's article if you can. I'm unfamiliar with any other uses of them, but I am now on the lookout myself.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I've got one that's going to be used as the climax of my campaign.

I keep wishing for a) some PDF publisher to make up a small PDF of a dozen or so new incantations and b) for incantations (along with familiars) to get some loving in the next arcane magic splatbook.

 

[Kelleris]

I've been intending for a while to write up some minor incantations for day-to-day use in my fairly high magic setting, but so far haven't gotten around to it. I'm still surprised that nobody's written any more of the things, considering how cool and relatively high-profile they are (originally appeared in Unearthed Arcana and featured in Monte Cook's Year's Best D20 thingy a while back).

 

[Kid Charlemagne]

I've thought of taking some of the "problem spells" - Raise Dead, Scry, etc, etc - out of the spell lists and turning them into incantations. I think it would be neat from a flavor perspective.

I've got a PC in my game who intends to become a Lich, and I think I'll use the incantation rules for that when it comes up.

 

[SpiderMonkey]

I've thought of taking some of the "problem spells" - Raise Dead, Scry, etc, etc - out of the spell lists and turning them into incantations. I think it would be neat from a flavor perspective.

I'm not saying I'd kill to see those as incantations, but I'd certainly consider maiming . Say, you don't need anyone maimed, do you? Just asking.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I've thought of taking some of the "problem spells" - Raise Dead, Scry, etc, etc - out of the spell lists and turning them into incantations. I think it would be neat from a flavor perspective.

I've got a PC in my game who intends to become a Lich, and I think I'll use the incantation rules for that when it comes up.

All good ideas. Making raise dead and company into incantations would allow a DM to tweak how available they are pretty easily. ("Sorry, the next lunar eclipse isn't going to be for several months. That gives you the time to gather the mistletoe by moonlight and a silver sickle, at least!")

 

[Carl S]

Awesome ideas Kid Charlemagne. I also love the idea of incantations, and had thought of using them for a more sword & sorcery type game (removing all other magic systems). It would be cool if there was a document with incantations that can approximate the results of certain spell-types. Perhaps I should work on that myself, although it would make everything much easier if some well known and talented designer (cough - Wolfgang - cough) with a pdf publication (cough - Kobold Quarterly - cough) would take it upon him or herself to do it for us.

 

[Father of Dragons]

The incantations from Urban Arcana (found here) are also worth looking at, although their system seems to be as related to Epic Spellcasting as much as it is to Unearthed Arcana's incantations.

 

[Cheiromancer]

I've thought of taking some of the "problem spells" - Raise Dead, Scry, etc, etc - out of the spell lists and turning them into incantations. I think it would be neat from a flavor perspective.

The incantations all seem more specific than the "real" spells. The example of Xecilgarasp among the bones (summoning a specific Bebelith to guard a tomb) is maybe *too* specific for, say, raise dead. But an incantation that raises a person who was killed by magic... that might work.

If you follow up on this, be sure to let us know!