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2021-09-25

The role of Fiends in Dragonlance

Wayne Reynolds - Pathfinder: Book of the Damned, Paizo

I'm currently playing the excellent Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous video game, based on Paizo's Adventure Path of the same name, and it reminded me how fiends in fantasy made me uncomfortable, as a game master and player.

Fiends in Fantasy RPGs

Fiends as a Christian-themed monsters

There's no denying fiends are game-equivalent of their Christian counterparts. The problem is that, in Christian mythology, demons are just a bunch of monsters who are below god in terms of power, and who seem, for the most part, written as a kind of fan-fiction by demented authors trying to find reasons to burn witches.

In these, demons are either Hell's infantry, ready to wage war on whatever, or sometimes rebellious fallen angels, or (Faust's story) pact-forging dudes and gals, tempting mortals into giving their soul, or succumbing to sin.

In this context, "corruption" is an absolute concept, a soul falling from grace.

In summary, a hodgepodge of things that would make someone diverge from the commands of the unique god, and also serve as a good explanation for inexplicable evil.

Fiends in D&D / Pathfinder

In these (usually polytheistic) games, fiends are some kind of lower level divinities (like angels, deva, azata, whatever). They are usually there to eat souls, or consume souls, or to somehow recycle souls.

In my humble opinion, as some kind of ultimate evil, they don't really integrate gracefully into a mythology where there are already multiple gods, a third of them evil gods, because as gods, evil gods should be the ultimate evil.

That's weird...

Of course, it is a bit more complicated, with the chaos-loving demons, and oath-loving devils, and every hag in-between, but in the end, these alien monsters really fill the same niche in these universes as demons in Christian mythology.

Side Note: Another take on Demons

I particularly despise demons in D&D/Pathfinder. They are just like devils, but chaotic. So much mythology around how the Abyss is pure chaos corrupted by the first evil soul or whatever. I barely can make the difference between a Balor and a Pit Fiend. And try as much as I can, I see no chaos in the demon roster, which could serve as a devil roster, and no one would notice:

And then, I discovered The Thing, from John Carpenter. 

I won't add images here, but please take a look at Google Images (warning: these images can be really horrible):

https://www.google.com/search?q=carpenter+the+thing+creatures&tbm=isch&safe=off

Those are monsters with physical shapes that are horrific mutations on familiar biological shapes. Add to that a predatory mind, cursed with pure instinct coupled with madness, and you have pure chaos demons.

Fiends in Dragon Age

In the Dragon Age mythos, from the BioWare games of the same name, demons are more spiritual manifestation of strong (usually dark) emotions: Pride, desire, sloth, rage, terror, etc.. They even have counter parts as spirits, who are a spiritual manifestation of emotions like love, compassion, duty, etc..

Both demons and spirits come from the fade, a spiritual place that is affected by mortal souls' dreams. Spirits and demons are thus heavily influenced and molded by the mortal's dreams, feelings and desires.

I'd argue that these demons are much more compatible with a polytheistic fantasy universe than the christian ones, because they naturally emerge as "forces of nature" (in the current case, strong emotions or morals).

Fiends in Dragonlance

Note: Please remember that, for me, only the Chronicles and Legends are canon.

A closed universe

The first thing one needs to remember is that Dragonlance's universe is "closed". There are 21 gods, and that's that. Even if the gods of evil sometimes look like fiends, and are heavily inspired by Christian mythology, they are gods, they have priests, and most importantly, are part of the universe.

Indeed, not only they belong to Krynn, but they actually participated in its creation.

In this context, "corruption" is relative: A priest of Paladine might be shocked to see one of their acolytes be "corrupted" by the teachings of Takhisis... as much as a a priest of Takhisis might be shocked to see one of their acolytes be "corrupted" by the teachings of Paladine... 

And I'd argue it makes a more compelling reason for players to be good: Their characters are not "on the side of good against evil". Their characters are altruistic heroes fighting to defend the weak against the depredations of and exploitation from others.

So, where would you put fiends (and their angelic counterparts) in Krynn?

My answer to that is: Nowhere.

Fiends do not belong to Krynn.

Their hunt for souls, their pacts, their destructive tendencies, whatever, are already handled by evil gods:

All gods are interested by souls, and they are fighting each others for their "moral ownership". And all gods already have agents in terms of divine-magic wielding priests, to try to convert/corrupt mortals into their ways.

There is no place for legions and legions of fiends inhabiting hostile planes, and building up cults and trying to invade Krynn.

Fiends can still be used as unique "monsters" and "characters"

Indeed, gods have aspects, and some aspect might be very similar to fiends, thus reusing some monsters from the Monster Manuals.

Also, individuals might ascend into a higher status, something between mortals and gods. And for these, many "templates" are available (like the "Tenacious Souls", some undead templates), and there's no reason a female elf temptress couldn't ascend as a succubus, or a rage-filled minotaur warrior as a balor.

In my humble opinion, fiends should be like magic objects: They should be unique, have a name, and a story. Two different characters might be both succubus, but they should be vastly different in appearance and behavior, or at least enough to defy categorization.

Fiends as chaotic manifestations

Another possibility would be to use fiends, and demons in particular, as manifestations of chaos and chaos magic. Mutations that are so horrendous, so extensive, that they can't even have a place in nature because all they do is destroy everything in their path.

Some demons (e.g., the Nalfeshnee, the Babau, the Gibrileth, the Glabrezu, the Marilith) are clearly of the mutated kind.

They might be spellcasters who changed themselves using chaotic energies, or victims of such spellcasters' experiment, having escaped confinement, or even the result of the Graygem flying over normal living beings.

The important part is that they would be, like pegasi and unicorns, creatures of the material plane, albeit horribly mutated. So, no feeding on souls, no dedicated outer plane, etc..

Conclusion

In my opinion, Dragonlance is already a world where Good and Evil battle each other, and where gods of Good, Evil and Balance are active in the world.

If you want demons and devils, you already have them: Takhisis, Hiddukel, Sargonnas, etc.. They are gods, and they are powerful, and they already meddle with mortals, and have whole cults and armies serving them. You certainly don't need Asmodeus, Baphomet, Graz'zt or Nocticula.

In story's terms, there's no need for a third party, like legions of alien-looking creatures fighting in this called "blood wars", to enter the arena and confuse the themes of Dragonlance.

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2021-09-13

Divine Powers of the Deities of Krynn

Gods and Goddesses in standard fantasy RPG settings usually watch over a world, busying themselves with their portfolio (or acquiring someone else's portfolios).

This is actually desirable in a "theme park" setting designed to accomodate to every game master's campaign need. The pantheons themselves are not even closed, welcoming new gods without really changing anything (unless resulting in a portfolio transfer).

For example, D&D's Forgotten Realms or Pathfinder's Golarion are such settings.

But I feel Dragonlance is different.

First, the pantheons are closed: There a 21 deities, and that's all. Zeus, Isis, Sarenrae or Bane will never set foot on Krynn, and if for some reason their priests do, they would find themselves immediately without power (sorry for those liking to hop between worlds). And the reason is deeper than just hostility to outsiders: There's symmetry and geometry everywhere in Krynn's design, and that is something that is very "Dragonlance". Any change would break that.

Second, the first part result in a very interesting effect: Not all domains/vocations/portfolio are attributed (there are more than 21, after all), which means that you cannot "create a god from a portfolio/domain", but you must give that god itself its rightful share and responsibility in Krynn's mythology (e.g. creation of Krynn). One such share is the division between Good, Evil and Balance, each pantheon a pillar of creation, and giving mortals one specific gift.

But beyond the division between good, evil and balance, there is another concept that, in my humble opinion, really enrich the Dragonlance setting: The Divine Power...

 

Divine Powers

Divine Powers were first described in the excellent Holy Order of the Stars sourcebook.

Most of the Divine Powers below are the same, but the description has been "inverted" (you'll see).

And for those who has been changed, the reason is that Divine Powers should inspire souls to evolve, not drag them to entropy. Which means each deity related to a divine power is themself a force of evolution for souls.

In essence, divine powers both inspire the souls, and is a constant motivation for the deities embodying them: For example, in a dilemma, unless exception, Mishakal will choose the choice related to restoration, while Sargonnas will choose instead the choice related to retribution.


Divine Powers of the Good Pantheon

Discipline

This divine power enables souls to rise through focus on what matters, self-work, systematic practice, and austerity.

The discipline is embodied by Majere.

Inspiration

This divine power enables souls to ascend through imagination, and the sharing of that imagination.

Inspiration is embodied by Branchala, who encourages souls to rise through beauty and joy.

Majesty

This divine power enables souls to rise up by serving as an example or by following the examples of those with great nobility of soul.

Majesty is embodied by Paladine.

Persistence

This divine power allows souls to rise through trial confrontation, and struggle against adversity.

Perseverance is embodied by Habbakuk, who encourages souls to elevate themselves through perseverance for the common good.

Restoration

This divine power allows souls to continue to rise despite the damage suffered, to reconstitute themselves.

Restoration is embodied by Mishakal, who encourages souls to learn from their mistakes, and to diffuse and share regenerative energies.

Unity

This divine power enables souls to ascend through unification and cooperation and support into a larger whole for a common purpose.

Unity is embodied by Kiri-Jolith, who encourages souls to rise up through solidarity and brotherhood.

Vigilance

This divine power allows souls to rise by identifying obstacles and dangers, to avoid them, or possibly face them in the best possible conditions.

Vigilance is embodied by Solinari, who has since concentrated his efforts on magic, and on Orders of High Sorcery, in order to ensure their use in the greatest possible security, for the common good.


Divine Powers of the Balance Pantheon

Creation

This divine power enables souls to ascend through physical creation and of a lasting nature.

Creation is embodied by Reorx, who encourages souls to rise through the practice of craftsmanship, skill and artifice. It recognizes and promotes the will of mortals to shape, build and produce.

Instinct

This divine power allows souls to rise by freeing themselves from the constraints and heaviness of reason and conscious thought, by relying on the primordial impulse.

Instinct is embodied by Chislev.

Interaction

This divine power enables souls to ascend through communication and interaction with other souls.

Interaction is embodied by Shinare, who encourages souls to rise through exchanges, and entrepreneurship, stripped of ephemeral notions like desire or morality.

Knowledge

This divine power enables souls to ascend through the experience of knowledge in all its forms, without judgment or limitations.

Knowledge is embodied by Gilean.

Mystery

This divine power allows souls to rise through wonder and curiosity, and not fear, of the mystery and the unknown, to unveil and share them in a neutral way, through freedom of expression.

Mystery is embodied by Lunitari, who has since focused his efforts on magic, and on the Orders of High Witchcraft, in order to ensure the exploration and discovery of all its secrets.

Transformation

This divine power enables souls to ascend through constant change.

Transformation is embodied by Sirrion, who encourages souls to embrace a passionate and creative existence.

Wisdom

This divine power enables souls to ascend via enlightenment, to see the world around them as a fluid and continuous river of experience.

Wisdom is embodied by Zivilyn.

 

Divine Powers of the Evil Pantheon

Ambition

This divine power gives souls the desire to elevate themselves spiritually.

Ambition is embodied by Nuitari, who has since focused his efforts on magic, and High Sorcery Orders, in order to use their power without limitation.

Control

This divine power allows souls to rise through membership in an organization hierarchised by power, an organization emerging from the soul abandoning part of its freedom and power for the benefit of those who are more. important and more powerful; but also the acquisition of freedom and power to the detriment of others, less powerful.

Control is embodied by Takhisis, creating an unbroken chain of power and loyalty that is embodied in the spiritual fervor of his followers.

Exploitation

This divine power allows souls to rise at the expense of others, weaker.

Exploitation is embodied by Hiddukel, who encourages souls to turn every connection with another soul to their advantage.

Ordeal

This divine power allows souls to rise through the confrontation of painful and traumatic trials, in order to free themselves from their weaknesses, and to grow spiritually.

Ordeal is embodied by Morgion.

(for more information, please see: https://paercebal.blogspot.com/2022/01/morgion-divine-power-of-ordeal.html)

Permanence

This divine power allows souls to ensure their permanence and stability, resisting external influences, whatever they may be.

Permanence is embodied by Chemosh, who is particularly opposed to the changes brought about by the natural cycle of life and death, preferring an eternal existence to it.

Retribution

This divine power allows souls to rise up, through retaliation and retribution, against anything that damages it, in order to protect themselves, and to take back what has been stolen from them.

Retribution is embodied by Sargonnas, who is the lord of revenge and retribution, the patron of wars fought for passion, anger, and broken promises.

Strife

This divine power enables souls to rise up, against anything that inhibits, controls or hinders it, by releasing their deepest, most shameful impulses, fully acting when one is overwhelmed by aggressiveness or repressed frustrations.

Strife is embodied by Zeboim, who encourages unrest, lawlessness, disorder and rebellion, in a systematic attempt to counteract imposed order and law.

 

Divine Prayers & Favors

Gods and Goddesses of Krynn are much, much more meddling in Krynn's mortals' affairs than other deities in their own mortals' worlds.

This home rule is designed to reflect that.

Divine Favor

Once per day, a character can pray to a deity for a favor in relation to some aim related to the deity's divine power or domains, vocations or portfolio.

This needs a success in a Persuasion (Charisma) skill roll (or it could be another skill, if better adapted, as decided by the game master), whose difficulty is to be determined by the game master, with a bonus/malus related to the wording of the prayer itself. If successful, the character gains a divine favor.

Unless exception, one can only have one divine favor at a time.

This Divine Favor works as a Bardic Inspiration (and can stack with it), with the caveat that the deity might decide, at any moment, to deny it, no matter how successful (game master's choice).

Considerations

Divine Favor will usually acts like a level-1 Bardic Inspiration, but should the relation between the character and the deity be special (e.g. a priest and their god, or someone wearing that god's symbol for moral, ethical and/or philosophical reasons), this might act like an higher level Bardic Inspiration.

Fun Facts about the Divine Favor

Most mortals will pray for favor, and will receive it or not, resulting in some change, or not. It is part of life for the mortals of Krynn. But some mortals have the power to affect things beyond their own person, which means these mortals' prayers also can have the same reality changing effects.

Amusingly, no matter if the prayer is successful or not, it can might attract the deity's attention to the character, and what he's doing (the higher the roll result, the higher the probability).

Also, when the Divine Favor itself is used, it means the deity's attention has definitively been attracted, even if the favor is denied at the last moment (or its effects cancelled).

Please note that Krynn deities are not judgemental over who prays for favors, as long as the favor is related to the deity's divine power. A Knight of Solamnia praying Sargonnas for revenge against the murderer of their family would be as likely as Dragon Highlord to receive that favor, with no strings attached, even should the guilty party be a priest of Sargonnas.

Last, but not least, one doesn't need to explicitly name a deity: A strong wish for something related to a divine favor might be enough to attract the favor of the deity embodying it. (If that happens, the deity usually leaves a sign behind...)

In the end, the character itself will never know if they were successful thanks to the prayer or not: A character might fail to attract a deity's attention, and yet succeed in the task, and then might believe they succeeded through divine help. Such is the nature of the mortal mind.

 

Is that all?

I'm not really happy with each individual principle, because some have overlap (e.g. Instinct and Strife, or Ordeal and Persistence). In some cases, the overlap is welcome, in others, it makes differentiating them difficult.

So, you can expect updates on this post.


Conclusion

Divine power is an awesome way to give Krynn's deities a flavor not found in other worlds/settings, and also to blur the distinctions between pantheons good/balance/evil borders.

The Divine Favor gives their divine power an actual effect from a gameplay perspective. Which, for a character, makes being a faithful, or "atheist" (in the sense of denying the gods the legitimacy of their self-proclaimed rights to affect the life of the mortals) something important.

This might become handy, later...

😉

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2021-09-06

Nightlund: What Ravenloft can bring to Dragonlance...

Lord Soth's Charge - Keith Parkinson

There's one region of Krynn that is mostly undefined: Nightlund.

Previously a province of Solamnia called Knightlund, it was cursed during the Cataclysm, alongside its lord, Loren Soth. Most descriptions agree it is only inhabited by no one but outlaws and undead, and that it is in perpetual twilight.

But I need it to be more than that, so let's explore a bit...

The current state of the art

Dragonlance

If we set aside the appearances of Lord Soth in the novels, there's not much in there about Soth's domain, if we except Dargaard Keep (and its fabulous maps), and a RPG module that is... er... very 80s in its conception. I mean, this extract...:

quest Rejected

If the party declines, the old clerics act disappointed and the Knights return to escort the party back to the dragons. They are then flown home in silence. The adventure is over. Fun, eh?

Source: DL16 - World of Krynn, p49

As far as I am concerned, it went downhill from there. Anyways, let's agree this is not I6 - Ravenloft, and that, on the pros side, it comes with extensive maps.

And we will probably never know what happened to Kitiara.

Ravenloft

Speaking of Ravenloft, the setting's contribution to Lord Soth's background had not been stellar, in my humble opinion: A domain of dread called Sithicus, a fortress called Nedargaard, a werebadger sidekick, elves, and kender vampires.

Again, this is clearly not I6 - Ravenloft.

But the Ravenloft setting brings a lot of valuable ideas: Domains of Dread, Lords of Domains, and the terror/horror tropes that come with them.

D&D5

While not a setting per se, D&D5 comes with something called the Shadowfell, with a short, but very interesting description found in pages 51 and 52 of the fifth edition's Dungeon Master Guide.

Unlike Ravenloft's Domains of Dread, the Shadowfell overlaps the material plane, and is a reflection of it, in a dark, twisted, warped way.

In my campaign

Unlike, say, the planes of Hell or Abyss (the demonic, chaotic evil version), the Shadowfell exists, in parallel to Krynn's material plane.

Dirty Details

Interplanar Distance

Crossing one plane to go to another usually needs magic, for the "distance" between the two planes remain great, but...

Where this interplanar "distance" is reduced, both planes affect each other: While the Shadowfell becomes more sunny, and more colorful, Krynn becomes darker, and crossing over becomes easier. And in the locations where the interplanar "distance" is zero, then material things coexist in both planes.

Unless exception, one cannot accidentally cross planes in these location: Something from the material plane could move into such a location, move around, then exit, and it would exit right into the material plane. Similarly, something from the Shadowfell would remain in the Shadowfell.

Population

In the deep Shadowfell, only unalive things can thrive, or living beings that mutated so much they adapted to the Shadowfell's nature (e.g. shadow dragons). Undead, in particular, thrive. zombies and skeletons rise spontaneously, and ghosts and other incorporeal undead can regenerate, as well as created undead (like mummies, death knights or liches).

Only the hungry undead (ghouls, vampires) would still need living beings to feed upon to survive, but aside from that, they would thrive as much as the others. In fact, undead with vulnerabilities to sunlight would find daylight isn't as strong in the Shadowfell, no matter its origin, natural, physical, divine or arcane.

In the shallower parts of the Shadowfell (those with small or zero interplanar distance to the material plane), both living and undead beings can live, even if existence for living beings would be bleak, indeed, as nature itself would be warped to express the Shadowfell's natural darkness: While forests and feral animals would thrive, game and crops would be less abundant.

Domains of Dread

Usually, the distance between the Shadowfell and the material plane is greater than zero, but with either or both specific (usually tragic) conditions, or enough necrotic power applied in a specific location, this distance can be reduced to zero. And with time, the new distance becomes the new equilibrium.

And if the surface of this planar overlap is great enough, then this result in what could be called a Domain of Dread, a self-sustaining physical location where the Shadowfell and the material planes are merged.

Dark Lords and Ladies

There are many ways these domains remain self-sustaining, but the most obvious is the existence of a dark lord, someone so evil, so dark, that it both feeds the domain, and thrives from it. The consequence is that such lords cannot really exit their domains for long, before "being called back". The domain reflects the dark lord, and protects it, with even the vegetation and fauna feeling more affinity to them than to more natural patrons. Even individuals with deep ties to nature, like druids, or rangers, can find themselves attracted, if not charmed, by the domain as it is, and its dark lord.

Potential Domains of Dread

Nightlund

Nightlund is such a domain: "Centered" around Dargaard Keep, because of the Cataclysm, its victims (both during, and after), and, of course, the presence of Lord Soth and his undead followers.

Silvanesti

The Silvanesti has been horrifyingly corrupted by Lorac's Nightmare, and even after the removal of the Dragon Orb, and of Cyan Bloodbane, as well as the death of Lorac himself, the whole forest has been, potentially irremediably altered.

It now tethers on the brink, the Shadowfell being attracted by the remains of the Nightmare. Should a dark lord or dark lady assert their control over the Silvanesti, then it would fall into a domain of dread.

The Shoikan Grove and the Tower of High Sorcery of Palanthas

The Tower of High Sorcery of Palanthas is a place of magical power. More than enough magical power to actually impose its will over its physical surroundings. So, it is not, and cannot become, a domain of dread.

Still, there was a slight window of opportunity, when the curse of Rannoch was still active, when the Tower, and the grove surrounding it, could have been turned into a domain. By taking over it, and dismissing the curse by fulfilling the prophecy, Raistlin Majere ended this window of opportunity.

Yet, what a magnificent place of power the Tower would be if, by some ritual, it could be fully corrupted by the Shadowfell's energies...

Not Neraka

It is important to realize that all locations of suffering, dread, or evil, are not good candidates for domains of dread. For example, Neraka was the location of the twisted Temple of the Kingpriest, brought back into Krynn by the Queen of Darkness herself. While the area might be "polluted", it has nothing to do with the Shadowfell.

The same goes for the Blood Sea Maelstrom, or other places dedicated to evil gods.

Death Knights of Krynn

What if Chemosh had discovered the Shadowfell, and its own affinity with it? What if the god had realized its potential in making the undead thrive, instead of hiding?

What if, just after the Cataclysm, the god had frantically gathered its own weakened power, so he could find mortal agents as well as magic, and locations, to create domains where he, not any other god nor goddess, would rule unchallenged?

What if he could give Lord Soth what he wanted, in exchange for his service? What if he could bring back Sylvyana, the Ghoul Queen, so she could reclaim back the realm that should have been hers?

Conclusion

The Shadowfell, and Ravenloft's Domains of Dread, have a lot to bring to Krynn, if we accept to modify a bit the background.

It is actually the second part of may campaign (the first being the heroes prelude, their solo, and the War of the Blue Lady). I'm looking forward to write down more about that.

😁

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2021-09-04

Custom Spells For the Priest Archetype

Note: The application to Krynn of these custom rules is described in the following post: Priest Vocations for the Holy Orders of the Stars.

The following spells are specific to the French 5e SRD by Black Book Edition, and are necessary to use the spheres above without needing to modify them.

The text below is a plain French-to-English translation (Google-powered, then manually fixed), and thus, follows the 5th Edition SRD licence.


Animal companion

You try to convince a beast within range and in your field of vision to become your traveling and adventure companion. The animal must not be hostile as you cast the spell and coax it with some food during the casting. The success of the spell is automatic if the danger rating of the beast does not exceed 1/2 and its intelligence value is less than or equal to 4. Otherwise, the beast is not affected by the spell.

If the spell is successful, you can communicate rudimentary with your companion and give them simple commands like attacking or following a target, bringing back an object in sight, guarding a location or creature, etc. It doesn't require you to spend an action. Plus, you can hear and see through your companion's ears and eyes, as if you were occupying their location. On your turn, you may spend a bonus action to switch between using your senses and using your own. As long as you use his senses, you are blind and deaf to your own surroundings.

When the health points of an animal companion are equal to 0, he follows the same rules as a character and he can receive healing. After each short rest, the life points of the animal companion go up to half of its maximum if they are lower than this value. After each long rest, the companion recovers all of the lost life points.

Each day, you can keep the same animal companion without having to cast the spell again, simply by sacrificing the corresponding spell slot and using a bonus action.

At a higher level. If you cast this spell using a slot of level 3 or higher, you can choose from the list below for one additional effect per level beyond level 2. You cannot choose the same effect more than once.

  • Cast the spell on a beast whose danger rating is less than or equal to 1.
  • Grant your companion with a Danger Rating of 1/2 or less resistance to all damage types and an advantage on attack and saving throws.
  • Communicate telepathically without distance limit with your companion and gain the ability to heal him for a number of life points of your choice by spending a bonus action and as much of your own life points, with no distance limit.
  • Assign an additional identical beast. When you choose other effects, that second companion benefits as well.

 

Aura of Strength

You designate up to five creatures within range that you can see. You and the targets of the spell gain resistance to acid, lightning, fire, cold, and necrotic damage for the duration of the spell. You and target creatures also have advantage on all Strength checks and saving throws.

 

Desiccation

  • Source: https://5e-drs.fr/grimoire/dessiccation/
  • Transmute Level 2
  • Casting time: 1 action
  • Range: 18 meters
  • Components: V, S, M (a drop of water)
  • Duration: concentration, up to 1 minute
  • Class: Magician, Sorcerer

You designate a living target within range of the spell, and as long as you focus, the water in its body will flow through its eyes, mouth, ears, or pores on its skin. At the start of each of its turns, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or take 2d6 necrotic damage. A successful save halves this damage.

Undead, man-made creatures, and elementals are immune to this spell.

At a higher level. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can assign an additional target per slot level beyond 2nd level.

 

Erase

Erase removes writings of either magical or mundane nature from a scroll or from one or two pages of paper, parchment, or similar surfaces. With this spell, you can remove explosive runes, a glyph of warding, a sepia snake sigil, or an arcane mark, but not illusory script or a symbol spell. Nonmagical writing is automatically erased if you touch it and no one else is holding it. Otherwise, the chance of erasing nonmagical writing is 90%.

Magic writing must be touched to be erased, and you also must succeed on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) against DC 15. A natural 1 is always a failure on this check. If you fail to erase explosive runes, a glyph of warding, or a sepia snake sigil, you accidentally activate that writing instead.

 

Expiation of the righteous

The next time you land a melee attack during the spell's duration, you cast a repentance order on the creature you strike. On this attack, she takes 3d8 psychic damage, crushed by the weight of her sins and guilt. In addition, she must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be stunned until the end of her next turn and suffer disadvantage on all Wisdom checks for one minute.

 

Ghostly Instrument

You create an illusory manifestation of a ghostly musical instrument near a creature of your choice within range. This ghostly instrument is visible only to this creature and follows it wherever it moves, even if it is no longer visible or no longer within range of the spell. The instrument produces music that can only be heard by the target, which causes appalling pain and pain. At the start of each of its turns, the creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take 2d4 psychic damage and be stunned until its next turn. On a success, the damage is negated and the spell ends. Creatures with Intelligence less than 3 are immune to this spell; creatures other than humanoid or giant gain advantage on their saving throw.

At a higher level. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can target one more creature per level above 1st level.

 

Halo of Benevolence

A white, shimmering halo of sacred energy surrounds you for the duration of the spell. At the moment of the casting, living creatures within 3 meters of you heal as much hit points as their proficiency bonus, without exceeding their maximum. In addition, all have resistance against necrotic damage for the duration of the spell. Undead in this area at the start of their turn suffer 1d6 points of radiant damage.

At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, damage increases by 1d6 per level above 4th level. 

 

Heroic Blessing

You designate up to 5 creatures within range that you can see. You and the targets have advantage on the attack roll on the first attack of each of your turns for the duration of the spell.

 

Imaginary Shadows

  • Source: https://5e-drs.fr/grimoire/ombres-imaginaires/
  • Level 2 illusion
  • Casting time: 1 action
  • Range: 18 meters
  • Components: V, S, M (a piece of coal)
  • Duration: concentration, up to 1 minute
  • Class: Bard, Sorcerer / Spellblade, Wizard, Shadowblade

You designate a target within range and in your field of vision. You create nightmarish spooky images in his mind. The victim must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save, she perceives shadowy silhouettes assaulting her, inflicting disadvantage on all her actions for the duration of the spell.

At a higher level. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the spell lasts until the end of its normal duration without requiring concentration.

 

Mantle of Frost

You cover yourself with an envelope of frost. You gain damage resistance against the next successful attack against you, while the creature that attacked you takes half the damage of its attack as Cold damage. Then the spell stops working.

At a higher level. If you cast this spell using a slot of level 2 or higher, the spell affects one additional attack for each level above the first.

 

Panacea

You unleash a wave of cleansing energy that instantly ends the following diseases, poisons, and special conditions affecting your allies in the area: Deaf, Blind, Charmed, Poisoned, Stunned, Neutralized, Petrified, and Terrorized. It also negates the effects of sleep and the effects of the weak spirit spell.

 

Putrefaction

A creature within range that you can see suffers your curse. As soon as you inflict a wound on him, it gradually spreads to his whole body, which takes on a purplish hue. The wounds become infected and festering. Until the spell ends, the target takes 1d4 points of necrotic damage at the start of its turn and gains disadvantage on Constitution rolls. The damage ends if the target leaves the range of the spell.

If the target dies while under the spell, its body bursts and affects creatures within 5 feet of it. Newly affected targets must succeed on a Constitution or Dexterity saving throw to avoid being affected by the spell.

At a higher level. When you cast this spell using a 3rd level slot, victims take 2d4 damage. The damage increases to 3d4 at 5th level, 4d4 at 6th level, and 5d4 at 9th level.

 

Secret Page

  • Source: https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/secret-page/
  • Transmute Level 3
  • Casting time: 10 minutes
  • Range: touch, (page touched, up to 3 sq. ft. in size)
  • Components: V, S, M (powdered herring scales and a vial of will-o’-wisp essence)
  • Duration: Permanent
  • Class: Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard

Secret page alters the contents of a page so that it appears to be something entirely different. The text of a spell can be changed to show another spell of equal or lower level known by the caster. This spell cannot be used to change a spell contained on a scroll, but it can be used to hide a scroll. Explosive runes or sepia snake sigil can be cast upon the secret page.

A comprehend languages spell alone cannot reveal a secret page‘s contents. You are able to reveal the original contents by speaking a special word. You can then peruse the actual page and return it to its secret page form at will. You can also remove the spell by double repetition of the special word. A detect magic spell reveals dim magic on the page in question but does not reveal its true contents. True seeing reveals the presence of the hidden material but does not reveal the contents unless cast in combination with comprehend languages. A secret page spell can be dispelled, and the hidden writings can be destroyed by means of an erase spell.

 

Spear of the righteous

The ambient light concentrates in your hand and takes the form of a ray in the shape of a spear. You must succeed in a melee attack to hit the target. The Light Spear deals 3d8 radiant damage. In addition, the affected creature is blinded. She must make a Constitution saving throw on each of her subsequent turns until a successful result to avoid being blinded again.

 

Squall

  • Source: https://5e-drs.fr/grimoire/bourrasque/
  • Level 2 evocation
  • Casting time: 1 action
  • Range: personal (18 meter line)
  • Components: V, S, M (a vegetable seed)
  • Duration: concentration, up to 1 minute
  • Class: Druid, Sorcerer / Spellblade, Magician

An area of ​​strong wind 18 meters long by 3 meters wide blows from your position in any direction you choose for the duration of the spell. Each creature that begins its turn in the area must succeed on a Force saving throw, or it is thrown back 4.50 yards away from you, in the direction of the wind.

A creature in the area must spend two feet of movement to get three feet closer to you.

The squall disperses gases and vapors and extinguishes candles, torches and other similar open flames in the area. Flames protected, for example by a lantern, stir madly and have a 50% chance of extinguishing.

You can change the direction in which the squall blows as a bonus action on each of your turns until the spell ends.

 

Strike of the righteous

The next time you land a melee attack during the spell's duration, your weapon strikes your target with the energy of Holy Justice. The target takes an additional 2d6 damage and a side effect. The type of additional damage dealt and the nature of the effect depend on the type of damage inflicted by your weapon (for example, sharp for a sword, blunt for a hammer):

  • Bludgeoning: Thunder damage and Force saving throw, or be Deafened for 1 round and knocked down.
  • Piercing: Psychic damage and Wisdom saving throw, or be Terrorized for 1 round.
  • Slashing: Radiant damage and Charisma saving throw, or be Blinded for 1 round.

At a higher level. If you cast this spell using a slot of level 2 or higher, you inflict 1d6 points of damage for each level of spell slot above level 1.

 

Sudden stalagmites

You make stone stalagmites rise from the ground 3 meters high in a square area of ​​3 meters ridge within range of the spell. If they reach the ceiling before reaching their maximum size, the stalagmites stop growing. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity save. A creature flying within 3 yards of the ground has advantage on this roll. On a failed save, the stalagmites deal 4d4 piercing damage and the target is trapped between the stalagmites until the spell ends. On a success, she takes only half the damage and is free to move. A target hampered by stalagmites can use an action to perform a Force save. On a success, the creature breaks free, but takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage. For the duration of the spell, the terrain where the stalagmites are located is considered difficult.

At a higher level. When you cast this spell using a slot of 3rd level or higher, piercing damage increases by 2d4 for each level above 2nd level.

 

Vitality

Up to six living creatures of your choice, within range and in your sight, heal 1 life per round until the spell ends.

At a higher level. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you increase the number of hit points recovered per round by 1 point per level above 3rd level.

 

Wilting

Necromantic energy floods a creature of your choice within range and sight of you, and drains its bodily fluids and vitality. The target must make a Constitution saving throw. If she fails, she takes 8d8 necrotic damage, only half if she succeeds. This spell has no effect on undead or man-made creatures.

If you target a plant creature or magical plant, it suffers disadvantage on the saving throw and the spell inflicts maximum damage on it. If you target a non-magical plant that isn't a creature, such as a tree or bush, it doesn't get any saving throw, but withers and dies.

At a higher level. If you cast this spell using a slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 per level above 4th level.

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