D&D 5E Unnatural Magic -- Ideas?

[MarkB]

If you're going for "unnatural" as distinct from merely "not natural", then make it a form of magic that disrupts and harms the natural world. Every time this magic is used, it draws its power from the world around it, and corrupts and warps that world in the process. Think of the regional effects around legendary creatures' lairs, combined with the concept of the Feywild or Shadowfell as twisted reflections of our world, throw in some otherworldly horror, and that's what happens to a place that's exposed to too much of this magic.

On an individual, spell-by-spell level, imagine the Wild Magic Effects table if it had been written by Cthulhu.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

When the final version of the mystic comes out and if it has stuff that could support this, "unnatural" magic could be psychic abilities. If magic is the privileged explanation for things, people would try to fit it in as a kind of magic (this is how we got psychic in the first place, take magic and make it "scientific.") And if psychic stuff is truly different from arcane/divine magic, then it might be labeled "unnatural" magic.

 

[transtemporal]

Depends on what you consider unnatural. Is it pinhead-esque body horror? Human sacrifice/blood/soul magic? Magic that messes around with time/dimensions/reality/death? Dread-inducing supernatural stuff?

 

[Tinker-TDC]

I was going for something unnatural that still fit in with how magic is described in the books. Came up with the slicers.
Wizard-like shapechangers that cast spells by cutting and tearing the weave (gave them ceremonial daggers as arcane focuses).
Their spells were mostly reflavored spells from the PHB, but because of their way of casting they were always cast as if using a higher-level spell slot than was actually used.
In addition, since they actually damaged the weave the space they were standing in became an antimagic field. Spells couldn't hit 'em if they were standing in it, but they couldn't cast again until they moved out of it.
I still haven't decided if the antimagic field is permanent in that area or if it will naturally heal over a few months.

 

[transtemporal]

Thats cool. Have you thought about them being able to use the tears to travel e.g. spacefolding? I know the weave doesn't work like that but it's kind of a neat visual.

 

[pdzoch]

Warlock Pact of the Shrouded Gods

[MENTION=6864741]StriderUrbs[/MENTION]

After thinking on it a while and ruminating on the Majora Mask idea, here is how I would approach the concept. 1st draft.

I would make it a warlock class pact, with the Otherwordly god being the Shrouded Gods. However, instead of the expanded spell list, the warlock would have mask representing the shrouded gods to wear and invoke the powers of the gods. Each mask would provide one spell effect and one other effect.

Shrouded Gods
You have made a pact with powerful gods competing for dominance in the cosmos. Unfettered and unconcerned with either life or reality, the gods seek to transform every realm and being into their likeness. As their vessel, you transform into one of the many gods by calling forth a shroud upon your visage. The shrouds are not physical, despite their appearance, and cannot be removed by any means unless the pact is broken. Shroud appearance range from simple tattoo-like markings on the skin elaborate masks encasing the entire head with no view of the true warlock’s appearance beneath. As each god competes for dominance, you will gain additional shrouds to call forth. None of the obscure gods are associated with any particular shroud level. The relationship with each warlock is unique. One shrouded god may have provided a warlock with its first shroud while providing another with it third. Many warlocks wear the shroud of a god worn by no other. And some warlocks never know the god who has imbued them with a shroud. The effects of the shroud, including spells, are available ONLY while the shroud is being worn. The spells associated with each shroud do not count against the spell slots. Only one shroud at a time can be worn unless the Eldritch Invocation Convergent Shroud is learned.

Expanded Spell and abilities list
Shroud Level
1: bane spell, you have advantages on strength checks and intimidation
2: crown of madness spell, when you reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to your Charisma modifier + your warlock level
3: bestow curse spell, you have advantages of saves against all curses
4: phantasmal killer spell; choose either poison, necrotic, or physic – you may convert any damage you deliver to the chosen damage type.
5: planar binding spell, you have resistance to necrotic damage, and your hit point maximum can't be reduced.

Shrouded Existence:
At 1^st level, you can take a bonus action to hide and you may move your full movement while moving stealthy. The ability is only available while wearing a shroud.

Retribution:
At 6^th level, your Shrouded God imbues you with the gift to retaliate immediately against damage. When you take damage from an attack, you may use a reaction to return that damage of the same type back to the attacker. The ability is only available while wearing a shroud. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Necrotic Resilience:
At 10^th level, you can choose one damage type when you finish a short or long rest. You may bestow a necrotic curse on one creature to become vulnerable to that damage type. If the creature has resistance to the damage type, the two effects cancel each other. You may curse only one creature at a time, and the curse can not be transferred to another creature until it dies or you change damage type of the curse. The ability is only available while wearing a shroud.

Alternate Ally:
At 14^th level, when you hit an enemy with an attack, you can use this ability to conjure a clone of the enemy. The clone will attack whatever target you attack, using any power available to the original. The clone and it original share the same hit points and uses of powers. If either the clone or the original receives damage, so does the other. If either uses a spell slot, the spell slot is expended for both. The clone is easily identified as a clone as it appears wearing the same mask the warlock. The ability is only available while wearing a shroud.

Eldritch Invocation
Convergent Shroud
Pre-requisite: Shrouded Gods patron
You can wear more than one shroud at a time, combining all available effects.

 

[Ancalagon]

If magic is relatively common and known in your setting, psionics fit the role of something strange and unnatural.

If you want something darker and more vile, add to it some body horror. The dragon wasn't charmed - it was infested with a brain parasite. The soldiers weren't just killed - their own body parts were made to rebel and slaughter them. And so on.

That what going to be my suggestion when I opened this thread. The guy doesn't cast fireball. Short lived, tremendously hungry worms erupt from the ground and try to consume everything in reach! He doesn't use stone skin, but flat, extremely tough worms reside on his body.

Unnatural parasites are creepy as heck.

 

[Psikerlord#]

For a certain character's background, I have written that an "unnatural, vile magic" was used to kill most of his infantry troupe and call (and charm) a sand dragon which did the rest. Knowing that dragons are pretty much resistant to charming, and that in a D&D world most types of magic are at least heard of, I figured that this should be something unique.
I thought necromancy, but that's relatively common. Even sorcery is at least 'natural' to some degree. The magic is used by fellows who look like desert nomads, and so I pieced together that it should be some sort of creepy, tribal, ancestral magic, sort of giving a MacBeth, Mayan, or Majora Mask sort of creepy feel to it.
I want help thinking of what exactly it is, how it is done, and what the goal of the users is. I tend not to like the whole 'apocolypse supporters' thing, and summoning the Great Old One is kind of an old device.
Some creative ideas would be welcome. Thanks!

You might try the "Dark & Dangerous" magic rules in the Low Fantasy Gaming RPG. Should give you the mysterious/dangerous feel you're going for. Free PDF - https://lowfantasygaming.com/