Mythical Magic
There are times when magic seems too commonplace and dare I say, 'easy' for the fantasy settings we might imagine and wish to play in. When even first and second level spells would drastically alter the settings if casters of these spells were commonplace. Spells that are clearly meant for dungeon delving heroes turn out to be overpowered for farming peasants.
These rules are some ideas to help bring back the fantastical otherness of magic. Magic is still present and just as potent, but discretion must be employed in its use and more preparation can be needed for magics.
There are three subsystems, each of which increases the mystical nature of magic. They can be deployed on their own, or in any combination.
All the tables shown are examples, and expanding them to suit your game is both encouraged and a good way to get player buy in on this set of houserules
Weird Magic
"John was over just the other day, and he was saying all his cows are giving sour milk!"
"I heard Justine's chickens are laying hard boiled eggs!"
"It's that witch up on the hill I tell you. Casting magics again..."
Some magic just seems to make the world a little weirder. Not enough to be dangerous, but enough to cause social unrest, hostility, and discomfort around the user. Users will tend to move out of communities and isolate themselves. While minor tricks won't trigger things, more serious magic can. Whenever a PC casts a spell, roll a d10, and if the roll is equal to or lower than the spell level, a Phenomenon occurs. Consult the following table to find out how significant it is.
| d10 roll | Phenomenon |
|---|---|
| 1-3 | Minor |
| 4-6 | Moderate |
| 7-9 | Major |
If a phenomenon occurs, roll on the corresponding table.
| d20 roll | Minor Phenomenon |
|---|---|
| 1 | Your eyes glow for the next three hours |
| 2 | All animals within two miles turn to face east for one hour |
| 3 | Plants within five feet of you visibly wilt |
| 4 | A cold breeze rushes over people in your vicinity |
| 5 | A small aurora manifests around you for one minute |
| 6 | Your hair colour changes |
| 7 | For the next ten minutes you catch glimpses of faraway scenes with no context or control. |
| 8 | The sky becomes overcast |
| 9 | The shadows move slightly |
| 10 | People within one mile have dreams about you the next time they sleep |
| 11 | Insects flee from you for the next week |
| 12 | Items harvested from animals within 1/4th a mile within the next day are spoiled |
| 13 | A random book within 1 mile turns blank. |
| 14 | People in the vicinity hear unintelligible whispers for a few seconds |
| 15 | Motes of light appear, float to the floor and disappear |
| d20 roll | Minor Phenomenon |
|---|---|
| 16 | The nearest door closes, and locks itself |
| 17 | Plants within 100 yards rapidly come into bloom |
| 18 | Your face gains a disfiguring aspect for the next week |
| 19 | The ground trembles slightly |
| 20 | Babies within 1/4th a mile begin to cry |
| d20 roll | Moderate Phenomenon |
|---|---|
| 1 | All ambient noise is silenced for the next 10 minutes |
| 2 | Your hands are wreathed in smoke for the next day |
| 3 | You remain illuminated by moonlight until the next full moon |
| 4 | All birds within 10 miles immediately take to the skies |
| 5 | The nearest 2d10 items of furniture are thrown about violently |
| 6 | Fires within 1 mile burn pure white for an hour |
| 7 | The air within 50' becomes thick and syrupy for 1 minute |
| 8 | Every ten seconds for the next six hours, a pebble within 30' of the caster rockets into the air, continuing until stopped |
| 9 | Birds of dark aspect circle this location for a week |
| 10 | Your hair and clothing floats away from you as if underwater for the next three hours |
| 11 | All standing water within half a mile constantly bubbles gently for three hours |
| 12 | One random object within a mile loses all colour |
| 13 | Frost blankets the ground within 1/4th mile |
| 14 | Thick fog covers the land within 15 miles, between 3pm and 9am for a week |
| 15 | One household within 5 miles has all food spoil instantly |
| d20 roll | Moderate Phenomenon |
|---|---|
| 16 | Irregular, loud tapping on the floor or ground is heard by people trying to sleep within 100 yards for the next three nights |
| 17 | A peal of thunder sounds |
| 18 | 2d12 people within a mile have prophetic dreams next time they sleep and constant deja vu for the next week |
| 19 | Your visage takes upon a loathsome aspect when glimpsed out of the corner of people's eyes for the next 3 days |
| 20 | One random person within 10 miles loses the ability speak coherently for the next day |
| d20 roll | Major Phenomenon |
|---|---|
| 1 | That night, the star trace their paths backwards |
| 2 | All crops within 1 mile are instantly reduce to ashes |
| 3 | Daylight shines twice as brightly for the next full day |
| 4 | Nobody within half a mile can sleep for the next two days |
| 5 | All worked metal within five miles gains an oily film |
| 6 | The nearest forest is found to have moved two miles in a random direction |
| 7 | All creatures within 1 mile are intensely aware something is watching them |
| 8 | A pillar of flame is visible on the horizon at the next dusk |
| 9 | 5d100 livestock in 10 miles are found dead |
| 10 | A group of at least five people within a mile are visited by the ghost of a relative for a minute |
| 11 | Harmless lightning discharges from your body for the next day |
| 12 | Children run screaming from you for a month |
| 13 | A nearby well known road or path stops existing |
| 14 | The ground shakes violently but harmlessly for 10 seconds |
| 15 | Patches of unexplainable, glowing, coloured cloud appear at night for the next fortnight |
| 16 | The moon does not rise that night. |
| 17 | Sounds of a place far away, long ago are audible for five minutes |
| 18 | You unconsciously levitate 3 inches above the ground for ten minutes |
| 19 | For an hour, the darkness within a mile has the weight of a heavy blanket |
| 20 | Death themselves appears for ten seconds to a random person within a mile |
Rare Magic
Materials
"Disintigrate. The grimoire says it needs a lodestone, so time for me to go find one of those...."
Magic requires materials to make it work, and those materials are rare, specific, and difficult to obtain. Under Rare Magic, foci and component pouches only work to satisfy the material component of cantrips. For spells 1st level and higher, the specific material components must be obtained, and all material components are consumed on casting.
To amplify this effect, addition of material components to all spells 6th level and higher that do not already have them is suggested. For example, Scatter could require 'Five magnetic needles that never point north', while Mental Prison could require 'The ravings of a madman, to fill a page'. The more powerful the spell, the more obscure and arcane the materials suggested. Dominate Monster could require 'A rod of cold iron, forged on an unlit fire during a new moon.'
Players should be made aware of what the required materials are before the character selects the spell, so players make informed choices. For spells copied off scrolls, the character, with access to suitible arcane laboratories for one week, can make a DC 15 + Spell Level Arcana check to determine materials needed. Failure does not prevent investing more time and trying again.
Rituals
"The ritual? Yes. The ritual. We will have to start it shortly after lunch, and it will take all afternoon!"
Ritual magic is powerful as it allows casting without use of spell slots and can be a trivial 'go to' when its utility is required. To increase the rarity of of these rituals, increase the casting time to one hour per level of the spell. If the caster is interrupted, the ritual stops. Rituals can be cast as a group if the spell is on the spell list of all participants. A group cast ritual is only interrupted if all participants are interrupted.
Dangerous Magic
The flows of arcane, divine or otherworldly power are not without risk. While Weird Magic might cause disturbing, yet harmless phenomenon, Dangerous Magic puts the caster and their nearby compatriots at direct risk.
To cast a spell of 1st level or higher when Dangerous Magic is in effect, the caster must make a Spellcasting test. This is test of their spellcasting attribute that adds their proficency modifier. The DC of this test is 10 + Spell Level. If the caster passes the test, the spell works as normal. If the test is failed by 1-4, the spell does not cast as intended. The spell is cast but is modified by rolling on the Miscast table. If the test is failed by 5 or more, the spell instead discharges. The spell fails to be cast at all and the caster must roll on the Discharge table.
A caster can improve their changes to cast correctly by concentrating on the spell they are going to cast, as if they had readied an action to cast the spell. This concentration can be held for up to one minute, and every round spent concentrating grants the caster a +1 bonus to their spellcasting test.
| d10 roll | Miscast |
|---|---|
| 1 | The spell targets a random creature in range |
| 2 | The caster casts a random spell of the same level that they are able to cast |
| 3 | The caster casts a random spell of the same school that they are able to cast. The spell slot of the intended spell is consumed |
| 4 | The spell is reversed: Apply effects as if the target was the caster and the caster the target. |
| 5 | The spell is impotent: Half all damage, areas of effect and durations |
| 6 | The spell is draining: Expend another spell slot of the same or greater level or the spell fails |
| 7 | The spell is unfocused: Attack rolls are made with disadvantage and saving throws are made with advantage |
| 8 | The spell is searing: The caster cannot cast that spell again until they finish a long rest |
| 9 | The caster is overcome with visions for 1 minute, and has disadvantage on attack rolls, perception checks and cannot maintain concentration |
| 10 | The spell discharges. Roll on the Discharge table. |
| d10 roll | Discharge |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1d6 creatures of the DMs choosing are summoned under the DMs control |
| 2 | 2d8 illusory creatures of objects of the DMs choice appear |
| 3 | Creatures with 1d8 x 5' are affected by Hold Monster |
| 4 | Lightning strikes a random creature in 60', causing 1d10 x spell level lightning damage, DEX save for half. |
| 5 | A minor earthquake occurs. Creatures within 60' must make a STR save or fall prone. |
| 6 | Spirits of the dead are drawn to the caster. Treat as Spiritual Guardians dealing necrotic damage, but hostile to all creatures but the caster |
| 7 | All magical effects within 30' of the caster are subject to Dispel Magic |
| 8 | Creatures within 120' are subject to portents of doom and have disadvantage on saving throws for the next hour |
| 9 | Non-Magical metal items within 15' instantly rust into dust |
| 10 | A blast of fire emanates from the caster. Creatures within 20' of the caster take 2d8 + 1d8 x spell level fire damage, DEX save for half. |
If a Discharge effect requires a saving throw, use the caster's Spell Save DC.