The Campaign Builder's Guild

Okay, so I run a skill-based game in my setting.  And one facet of creationg my own 'GuildSchool' ruleset was rewriting the spellbook to fit the crunch and the world I run.  And while writing this, I found that writing the spells is a wonderful, little job that really rewards creativity.  The Guildschool spellbook is at 467 spells in 12 disciplines, right now.

So I'm going to post a few of the more unusual spells from my setting, and I'd like to see other examples from other setings of spells and what is behind them.  I'm currently moving my access-datbase spellbook piece by piece onto a pbwiki, so this is of current interest.  Anyone who has taken the time to create some interesting spells that they want to share, please feel free.

[ic]
Spell Name Burp Bread
Major Sphere Artificer
Spell Source
Initiative 10
Range touch
Duration 1 hour plev
Save fort-10%
Save effect neg
Spell Success 18
Area of effect 1 consumer per lev
Counter
Spirit cost 3
Earth cost 0
Water cost 0
Fire cost 0
Air cost 0
Life cost 0
Death cost 0
Law cost 0
Chaos cost 0
Restorative cost 0
Necromantic cost 0
Mentalist cost 0
Artificer cost 2
Animist cost 0
Total cost 5
Description
This baker's delight allows a baker to bake loaves of bread that will creates a variety
of effects on those who eat it.
To effect the spell, a caster must ensorcell a handfull of dough and put it into the
bread (or cake, or cookies, etc)
There are two primary versions, which the caster must state when they cast the spell.
The burp variation makes all who fail the save to burp noxiously for the duration of
the spell, dropping their social CC by 15% and making all spells -5% to cast.
The Hiccup variation causes any tasters who fail their CC to hiccup uncontrollably
for the remainder of the spell, giving a -10 plus the caster's level to any spells cast during
that time period.
The magic lasts for a few hours, then the baked goods become normal.  The material component is crushed 'laughing maggie's wort', mixed in the flour.[/ic]

This is one of those spells based around the fact that low level magic is very common in my world.  Burp bread can be bought for many celebrations.

Fine, be a bunch of non-creative spell creators, see if I care.

[ic=Spell Name Present]
Major Sphere Artificer
Spell Source
Initiative 5
Range touch
Duration 1 day/plev
Save none
Save effect
Spell Success 14
Area of effect touch
Counter
Spirit cost 4
Earth cost 0
Water cost 0
Fire cost 0
Air cost 0
Life cost 0
Death cost 0
Law cost 0
Chaos cost 0
Restorative cost 0
Necromantic cost 0
Mentalist cost 0
Artificer cost 1
Animist cost 0
Total cost 5
Description
This cantrip prepares an item for the 'present accepted' (q.v.) cantrip. A caster can only
create as many presents as they have levels at a given time. A caster must use a
special invisible ink made with displacer beast ichor (250 per vial-10 uses per vial) and
make an invisible mark with their finger on the item. It will then be prepared to be
summoned.
Note that this spell lasts for days, and is designed to be used to prepare a caster to have multiple items at their fingertips.[/ic]

And the companion spell.


[ic=Spell Name Present accepted]
Major Sphere artificer
Spell Source
Initiative 1
Range 1 ft plev
Duration inst
Save none
Save effect
Spell Success 20
Area of effect personal
Counter
Spirit cost 4
Earth cost 0
Water cost 0
Fire cost 0
Air cost 0
Life cost 0
Death cost 0
Law cost 0
Chaos cost 0
Restorative cost 0
Necromantic cost 0
Mentalist cost 0
Artificer cost 1
Animist cost 0
Total cost 5
Description
This spell allows the user to bring an object previously prepared by the present spell
directly to the caster's hand. It must be within range, but it will bring the desirered
object directly through the ethereal plane to the caster's hand.
Note that if the casters has multiple 'presents' enabled, this spell will always bring the proper item.
In addition to the 1 initiative, this spell always utilizes a 4-sided initiative die, as it is designed to be near-instantaneous.[/ic]

I Think I'm going to add spells for at least a couple of weeks...if nothing else to see if anyone on this site can create a spell that is not in a rulebook.'
Ok, maybe that was a little too inflamatory.  Let me instead thank everyone for all the great repsonses I've gotten on the other threads...

[ic=
Spell Name Eye Currents]
Major Sphere Air
Spell Source
Initiative 2
Range target
Duration 10 min/plev
Save will
Save effect fail
Spell Success 10
Area of effect sight
Counter Earth
Spirit cost 12
Earth cost 0
Water cost 0
Fire cost 0
Air cost 7
Life cost 0
Death cost 0
Law cost 0
Chaos cost 0
Restorative cost 0
Necromantic cost 0
Mentalist cost 2
Artificer cost 0
Animist cost 0
Total cost 21
Description
This charm allows the user to see wind and air currents as if they were purpled waves.
Since air travels around hidden objects as if they were visible, and air travels through
hidden doors, but illusionalry objects do not affect the air currents, Air Magi use this
spell to make them more discerning.
This charm grants the target a 5%+ the caster's level to all detecting invisible and
hidden skills, as well as the same bonus vs illusion.
If a target fails the CC, they are confused by the spell, and suffer that same bonus
amount as a penalty to any feats during the spell.
[/ic]

Perhaps due to a perverse sense thread necromancy,I feel a need to continue dragging this deadhorse of a thread around the arena one more time.  At least.

 :poke:
[ic=Spell Name Minor Resist]
Major Sphere Artificer
Spell Source
Initiative 2
Range 20'
Duration 10 sec plev
Save none
Save effect none
Spell Success 6
Area of effect party
Counter
Spirit cost 8
Earth cost 0
Water cost 0
Fire cost 0
Air cost 0
Life cost 0
Death cost 0
Law cost 0
Chaos cost 0
Restorative cost 0
Necromantic cost 0
Mentalist cost 3
Artificer cost 6
Animist cost 0
Total cost 17
Description
This mentalist dweomer gives the caster's party a 10% bonus to any CC checks vs
magic, and also a -1 damage reduction to any magic damage taken during the spell's
duration. Note that this spell is not a blessing, so the caster can 'cast and forget'.
Note that if 'party' members stray more than 20' from the caster, they are no longer under the umbrella of the spell.
[/ic]

I've been keeping an eye on this thread since it started. I think that part of the reason you are getting so little feedback is that nobody has any context for this. You are using a system of mechanics for these spells that nobody understands, so all we have to go by is the few sentences of descriptive text for each one.

For a spell like Minor Resist, which is no doubt quite intricately and expertly crafted in this mysterious system, an ignorant reader such as myself can only see that it somehow makes people less vulnerable to magic. That's pretty unremarkable-- the PHB cantrip Resistance does that too, and it's always taken for granted.

Likewise, Eye Currents strikes me as a pretty cool concept, and Present strikes me as potentially very abusable, but since the mechanics mean nothing to me, I have no idea whether those assumptions would play out or not. I can't really give you a deep comment on anything, because I don't understand any of it.

To compound it, your jab at the creativity of the people who post here is probably not making people much more likely to respond in this thread. (It's also pretty silly-- there are many people here who have written entire magic systems from scratch, so the insinuation that nobody "can create a spell that isn't in a rulebook" is pretty incorrect.)

Tell you what. To break the ice, I'll post two of mine: one from my modified d20 mechanic set I wrote for the Jade Stage, and one from my fledgling Triad System. Both are copied and pasted from threads that nobody reads anymore, but are linked in my signature nevertheless. :)

QuoteNarrative
Runecraft 4
V, S, F
Target: One creature
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) or Any
Duration: 10 min/level (D)
Saving throw: Will negates
Spell resistance: Yes

This spell's energies write in a blank book or set of papers, as per the dictation spell. If the target creature fails the saving throw, the text that appears records all the target's actions until the spell expires. The spell quickly and accurately records speech, movement, and other observable actions. The spell does not record thought, intention, purely mental commands, or other actions not noticeable by mundane observation. The narrative spell is considered to automatically succeed at Spellcraft checks to discern what the target does during the spell's duration. For example, it cannot track an invisible target's movements, but it will correctly note that the target cast invisibility, and will resume recording the target's actions when the invisibility spell ends.

Normally, narrative must be cast on a creature within Close range, although it will continue recording the actions of a target who leaves that range, as long as the target stays on the same plane as the caster. If the caster uses the target's own handwritten signature as a focus for spellcasting, the target receives a -5 penalty on the saving throw, and does not need to be within Close range of the caster at the time of casting.

Focus: a pen or quill, and optionally, the written signature of the target (see above.)

Obscurity - A mage cloaked in this Thought hides himself from onlookers, remaining perfectly visible, but becoming unremarkable. Unless the mage calls attention to himself with suspicious action, onlookers will not give him a second thought-- he becomes a mere faceless member of the crowd. Different individuals may see the Obscure mage in different ways-- as hired help, an anonymous and nondescript stranger, and so on-- and will be unable to recall precise details of physical description afterwards.

This illusion is far from foolproof, and there are many conditions under which it collapses. Onlookers are permitted an opposed roll to see through the illusion if the mage behaves suspiciously or calls attention to himself with conspicuous action, or if they know the mage personally and would normally recognize him. The mage is permitted to use the Circle Magic Specialization in these checks. If a mage using Obscurity is seen by a mage using Awareness, a similar opposed roll is made, and both mages may use Circle Magic in the roll. Finally, Obscurity fails if the mage is in a place where there is no normal traffic to blend in with.[/quote]

LC...yes, pretty silly is a good descriptor, but I've always felt I can be silly here.  And will continue to be so, but as such, I will always  be really, really positive about the great repsonses I get.  Especially now that someone is showing me they do creates spells.
Some of it comes from me trasnfering my whole spellbook over from an Access database to a word doc to my pbwiki...I think this particular process is making me crazy.


 Oh, and the comment about the system...totally correct on your part.  
I use a skillbased system, in which spellcasters can learn and gain levels in 12 disciplines.  Spirit points are the mana that comes from the caster, the triggering part of the spell, so the only power component that every spell has is Spirit.  Spirit is also the only type of power source that can be used as a replacement for a discipline/skill the caster does not have (at a ratio of 4:1, so it is 4 spirit points cost for every type of spell point that needs replacement).  The ramping in experience is harsh, so only casters who cast a huge amount and come from an advantageous school ever get even 20 spirit points, let alone in other schools.  
The other 11 skills/disciplines represent the casters ability to channell power from those sources, such as the Well of Undeath, the House of Entropy, the Animal Oversoul, the House of Earth, etc.  It does not represent power coming from the caster, but the amount of power they can channel.
Casters regain spell points at a rate of about 5% per hour, unless they have a spell point reclamation skill (only 2PC's in 25 years have been advanced enough to pick that up), but can only regain points in 3 source per hour.

So 'present' is abusable ( especially due to semi-common magic enhancers---a Staff Ordinaire, which reduces spirit cost by 1 per spell cost, is pretty common to casters as a casting tool), but is normally used rarely, since
A) most of my players hoard their spell points, since there is no getting them all back the next day.  You spend, you can cast less until the points regenerate...period.  Makes for strategic spellcasting.
B) I consider 2 of my casting players competent, 1 more almost so.  I have a 7 player group, a 5 player group, a 3 player online group, and a single player group.    


By the way, your obscurity spell looks great.  It would, in my game, draw heavily from Mentalist points, simnilar to an Alibi spell.  Probably, based on a short duration (say 5 min +1 min per level pf caster), would cost 10 spirit, 7 mentalist.  your opposed check would be a will CC-20%, no penalty if he was drawing attention to himself or if seen by people who are familiar with him.

Thanks again...

Live, thread, live!!!


[ic=Spell Name Imbue Deck]
Major Sphere Artificer
Spell Source bard
Initiative 22
Range touch
Duration perm
Save none
Save effect none
Spell Success 13
Area of effect deck
Counter
Spirit cost 9
Earth cost 0
Water cost 0
Fire cost 0
Air cost 0
Life cost 0
Death cost 0
Law cost 0
Chaos cost 3
Restorative cost 0
Necromantic cost 0
Mentalist cost 0
Artificer cost 5
Animist cost 0
Total cost 17
Description
This spell bonds a deck of cards to a user. It increases any card skills by 5% by the
owner of the deck, and allows the later 'imbued deck' spells such as Tarot Knife (q.v.) and Track the Deck (q.v.).
A person can only have one deck tied to them at once, and must deceide to 'part' with one irrevocably before getting a new one.
Note that this spell can be cast on another, so that  while it is not common to find an imbued deck user, it is a common piece of gambler's lore.
The deck must be well made, aften with ivory plaques or metal ones. Every 50gp spent on the deck increases the spell succes by 1%.
For all intents and purposes, the deck is not magic.  This is not a magical construct, the bond is the magical part.
[/ic]

I used to create spells for d20, but at this point I really dislike them. Sorry that you're not getting many responses, but I also think that it's mostly because you're using specific mechanics which the average joe finds confusing and uninteresting (not because they're inherantly boring, but because they lack relevance).

Point of Order,
I am enjoying posting some of my more 'setting-specific' spells on this thread, but I am aware that the system is unusual, so thay are less relevant to most systems.  
The system I use is skill based. Spell points are actually part of a spell skill, normally a character gets 2-7 spell points in that discipline per level gained.  An average starting mage has 3-4 levels starting, most characters with some ability have les starting out.  As the characters evolve, they gain levels, and noamlly pick up spell skills in other disciplines.  An actual PC current 3 year old mage has L7 spirit-25, L1 Air-4, L4 artificer-14, L4 chaos-20, L2 Fire-7, L4 Water-13.  He recovers points at 5% per hour.

[ic=Spell Name Comforts of Home, Beacon]
Major Sphere Artificer
Spell Source
Initiative 30
Range 1 mile/plev
Duration perm
Save none
Save effect none
Spell Success 0
Area of effect special
Counter
Spirit cost 8
Earth cost 0
Water cost 0
Fire cost 0
Air cost 0
Life cost 0
Death cost 0
Law cost 0
Chaos cost 0
Restorative cost 0
Necromantic cost 0
Mentalist cost 0
Artificer cost 3
Animist cost 0
Total cost 11
Description
This spell allows the caster to create an aura on an inanimate object that is
discernable only to them. This object must remain in the place the spell was cast, or
the spell is broken. Casters have many uses for this spell, but the most basic is that
as long as they are within the range of the spell, they always know what direction
the dweomered item is in.
The caster may have one of these 'beacons' set per 4 levels of the caster. Each one
must have an indivudual and unique name. When the caster has too many 'beacons',
they may choose which one to 'decommision'.
This spell is the basis for many other spells, as many other spells can be cast 'on top' of the basic Beacon spell.
They Include COH Triangulate, COH Temporary Beacon, COH Recovery, COH Lesser Sanctuary, COH Diviner, COH, Construct., and more.[/ic]
this spell is one that all artificers utilize heavily.  Any place that they want to create a haven of casting, they place one of these.  The more advanced spells that can be added to it can aid spell point recovery, increase the artificing spells, and are the only teleport spells that are even close to affordable, spellpoint-wise.
There are similar type spells for other disciplines, such as Sacred Grove, Sacred Fire, Sacred Pool, et al.

3 spells in a series, just for fun.  Obviously, differing systems could modify the spell points cost to their own expenditure method.

Potions of 'bleu eyes' have been used for decades by military forces and a few thieve's guilds.
[ic=Spell Name Bleu Eyes]
Major Sphere Artificer
Spell Source
Initiative 2
Range see torch
Duration 1 hr plev
Save none
Save effect none
Spell Success 10
Area of effect spec
Counter
Spirit cost 4
Earth cost 0
Water cost 0
Fire cost 1
Air cost 0
Life cost 0
Death cost 0
Law cost 0
Chaos cost 0
Restorative cost 0
Necromantic cost 0
Mentalist cost 0
Artificer cost 2
Animist cost 0
Total cost 7
Description
This spell allows a caster to give special sight to 1 target per 2 levels of the caster.
The spell allows them to see in the same spectrum as a Bleu Torch, Bleu Lantern, or
Bleu Sun. So the affected targets see as if the light was normal, while others within
the ranges gain no advantage from the Bleu light.
This spell is a favorite among military and adventuring types.
 
The spelling of 'bleu' is the subject of many discussions, but suffice it to say that the Collegium Arcana has looked back to the creation documentation of this spell.
Apparently, it was actually a re-created spell found in some old texts, but all the spellings were with the 'eu'.
[/ic]

and here is the basic spell to go with it.
 
[ic=Spell Name BleuTorch]
Major Sphere Artificer
Spell Source
Initiative 7
Range 30'
Duration 30min+30min/plev
Save none
Save effect none
Spell Success 15
Area of effect 30'diam circ
Counter
Spirit cost 11
Earth cost 0
Water cost 0
Fire cost 2
Air cost 2
Life cost 0
Death cost 0
Law cost 0
Chaos cost 0
Restorative cost 0
Necromantic cost 0
Mentalist cost 0
Artificer cost 3
Animist cost 0
Total cost 18
Description
This spell takes a prepared piece of wood and creates a torch from it. The torch
burns blue-purple, and sheds no light, and thus cannot be seen by it's created light.
Except for the dim sputtering torch, it casts no light whatsoever, and any in it's
range are just as blind as if there was no light at all.
The usefulness of the spell lies when combined with "Blue Eye".
The creation of a blue torch involves a well made hard stick carved with Makerspeak
runes, and dipped in jelly oils. This costs about 20 gp per stick.
[/ic]

[ic=Spell Name Bleu Lantern]
Major Sphere Artificer
Spell Source
Initiative 11
Range 1'
Duration 1 hr plev
Save none
Save effect none
Spell Success 3
Area of effect 1 lantern
Counter
Spirit cost 21
Earth cost 0
Water cost 0
Fire cost 1
Air cost 1
Life cost 0
Death cost 0
Law cost 0
Chaos cost 0
Restorative cost 0
Necromantic cost 0
Mentalist cost 0
Artificer cost 13
Animist cost 0
Total cost 36
Description
This spell takes a prepared lantern, and changes the type of light that comes from it.
The Lantern burns a dim blue-purple, and sheds no light, and thus cannot be seen by
it's created light. Except for the dim sputtering source, it casts no light whatsoever,  
and any in it's range are just as blind as if there was no light at all.
The usefulness of the spell lies when combined with "Bleu Eye".
Any who are under the influence of the "Bleu Eye" spell can see as a regular bullseye
lantern would allow.
The lantern must be prepared specially, incsribed with runes, and inlaid with silver, with a minimal cost of 50gp.
[/ic]