Sword and Board

Does anyone have some massive portent appear in a campaign? Maybe one night, a big-ass green comet appears in the sky. The GM just mentions it.

The next game, he mentions it again. This continues, with maybe local NPC mages and priests getting real worked up and even hiring the players to obtain some lost magic item that will be needed as the comet reaches its apex.

Or maybe some big bad will take the comet as the sign that he needs to destroy the players homeland RIGHT NOW, so they get sucked into a war.

I think one could way to make your setting more unique is to have some elementals actually living in the world. They would be nature spirits, and might even be worshipped by local tribes. I'd give them more intelligence than your typical summoned elemental, of course, so that players could interact with them.

This was done in Exalted and Avatar: The Last Airbender (and a bunch of Eastern myths), but I don't know that it's been included as part of a vanilla European fantasy setting. I think it would be a cool variant, even if it's only in one area of the map.

One thing that is missing in most fantasy games is the concept of Black Magic vs. White Magic. I think it would be interesting if players were only able to use White Magic (heals, blesses, even holy fire), but Black Magic would  be NPC-only. Stuff like zombie creation, curses, and magical diseases would not be available to players at all (or they would be heavily penalized for using it).

Older D&D sorta does this, with reversible cleric spells, but it has no implications if your player uses these spells (other than clerics possibly losing access to magic, but no issue for mages).

The best version I've seen of the split between White and Black magic is the various Star Wars games. Seriously. The various mechanics for turning to the Dark Side would be a fantastic baseline for a fantasy rpg. Instead, games tend towards the cthulhuesque penalty (a la Dungeon Crawl Classics), if they have any penalty at all.

I have played a mage who only uses stat-buffs and wizard eye and similar, non-flashy spells. It's actually extremely effective. While a fireball certainly can kill a bunch of stuff, giving the fighter a big bonus to his Strength can often increase damage output for the whole party much more efficiently (especially in 3e).

 I also really loved wizard eye. I could scout out a good chunk of a ruin before we even set foot in it, which helped us a lot (and frustrated the heck out of the DM). This helps mitigate the 15-minute workday problem a bit, since the scouting will be useful for the entire day, and only take up one spell slot.

I recommend those of you who like mages consider trying this out for a session, just to see how different, yet very effective, it is.

In D&D, invisibility is dispelled as soon as you attack someone. This is a game balance mechanic, as it makes it fair for the enemy. If you kept your invisibility, you cause your opponent to take a -4 to hit penalty. So it does make sense, in a "fairness" kind of way.

I was thinking that maybe you should keep your invisibility until you are hit. It makes it tougher on your opponent, but I think you being wounded would make you much easier to find, especially if you were cut by a blade. Not sure if this would make invisibility too powerful. Maybe increase its spell level to 3. Just an idea.

One thing that has always bugged me about most D&D editions is that ice magic is so limited, when compared to fire magic. Same with air and earth. I guess they aren't as exciting as fireballs blasting everywhere.

There are some very nice non-fire spells, but they are few and far between. The old 2nd edition Wizard Compendium addressed this quite nicely, but I haven't seen most of that stuff in print since then.

One of the things I've noticed about many fantasy settings is that they attempt to be low magic. Pretty much all of them achieve this by having the peasants hate and fear magic, and run around pitchforking mages. A growing subset actually makes magic inherently evil, granted by demons or cthuloids, which actually makes the angry peasant mobs make sense.

I'd like to see a low magic world but one where magic is celebrated. Powerful mages are the Hollywood celebrities of their era. They have fan-bases, and if they get into a big battle or magical duel, it's "televised" magically, and the mages involved get a cut of the proceeds.

Of course, magic is still rare. You have to find and read ancient, often encrypted, texts, which can be incredibly valuable. You also have to have the ability to cast spells. Many wannabes have read multiple tomes, practicing daily, yet couldn't even light a candle. Some marvels read a spell and can immediately turn invisible. It's kind of random. You just have to have the gift.

Of course, more than a few people are willing to fake it. They have elaborate stage set-ups, and perform phony "duels" with other charlatans, and reap in the profits. Their biggest worry is being challenged by a real mage.

Most of his stock is useless junk. Things like small wooden toys, candy, and elixirs "guaranteed to heal any illness" (and which are just bottles filled with sugar water).

However, he does have a small selection of magical components, a few potions, and a few scrolls. He's also very likely to have some kind of miscellaneous magic item, such as a crystal ball or rope of climbing. He does not sell weapons and armor, magical or not.

Wegmar accepts coin for non-magical doodads, since they don't really cost him anything to acquire.If a customer wants to be something that is actually magical, he prefers to either trade for another magic item or he will accept a favor, to be collected at some later date.

The favor will be collected at some later date, and is generally going to have the players going on a short adventure to recover some magic item that Wegmar wants. If the players try to attack Wegmar, he and his wagon will disappear, never to be seen again.

Any players who owe him a favor must fulfill it when he asks, or they will suffer a non-removable geas that gives them a -1 to hit, damage, and all saving throws until they start trying to complete the adventure for Wegmar. After they acquire the item he wants, his wagon will reappear near the adventure site and he will collect it.

Just something I was thinking about. Does your setting have drugs mentioned often, or even at all? If they are listed, are any illegal? If they are legal, do the player characters use them? Are there any benefits or penalties?

Drugs I would allow as legal in any setting I run:
Wine, beer, ale, tobacco, marijuana.

Drugs that would be legal in most places:
Opium, mushrooms.

Pretty much the only drugs I think would be made illegal are ones that cause the user to become violent (like bath salts or meth can do).


Of course, in a fantasy setting, there would be magical potions and other substances that would be available to the rich. Likely, these would all be legal, but really expensive.

Drugs that grant magical powers (such as black lotus in my games), are almost always illegal for anyone not connected to a temple. The priests reserve these for themselves.

In some societies, even low level potions might be heavily regulated. Imagine if Charm Person potions (or scrolls) are illegal, due to how much they would be abused.

While reading this thread on RPGSite, I got the idea of running an Ars Magica style game using D&D or a retroclone. For those of you not familiar with Ars Magica, it's all about mages running their own covenant. They research spells, acquire new sources of magic, and often get involved in politics with both local rulers and other magical covenants.

Mages are already pretty powerful in the OSR, but in this type of game, they should likely start at level 5 or maybe even higher. Their bodyguards would be low level fighters and thieves. Clerics may or may not be friendly, based upon the setting. If I ran this, I'd likely limit clerical magic, as well.

Things that are important:
The Library. Seriously, you need to have one and need to use it, or you won't learn any new magic.

Item creation may or may not be included, though I like the idea of it. Especially if you use a skills system, where one mage is a smith and another is a bookbinder.

Sources of magic. It might be a hidden glen in the woods, or it might be the finger bone of a powerful saint. Either way, the source provides the mages with extra power. Maybe their spells do more damage or last longer. Either way, other covenants will be looking to acquire the source from you.

Lots of politics. The local ruler or church may or may not be aware of who you are. The other covenants in the area definitely do. You may have to deal with them without blowing your cover.

Typical adventures:
You've heard rumors that the Ring of Aladar, a powerful artifact used by an ancient mage, has resurfaced in a nearby ruin. You need to find it and get it. Other covenants and maybe a thieves guild are also looking for the item.

A grimoire from the old empire has shown up in the local bazaar. A local priest wants it burned.

The Duke's family has been assaulted by magic. He knows of you, and asks your aid. Failure to help will likely get you killed, but finding the evil spellcaster could be very dangerous.

I love stone circles, as found in the British Isles and the Atlantic seaboard of Europe. I generally use them as centers of worship for elves and druids. I have also used them as magical gates to the faerie realms. So here's a table for people to use.

Stone Circle Encounters
1. A small group of elven archers maintains the circle. They have a permanent camp set up in a nearby copse of trees. They generally won't disturb people who are there for worship or just to rest while hiking, but will attack any evil races who attempt to approach the stones.
2. A magical gateway opens as the group approaches. On the other side they can see a great forest. No one is around.
3. A druid maintains the circle. He has a small hut nearby. The locals often deliver fruits and vegetables, in return for his blessings.
4. A group of goblins is defacing the circle. They are attempting to push over the stones.
5. Pixies and brownies live around the circle. They will play pranks on any who approach, and may steal a small item.
6. A necromancer has perverted the circle, using it to raise undead. He places corpses within the stones and casts his spells. All undead raised here have maximum hit points and gain +1 to their saving throws.
7. The circle is old and abandoned. Weeds and brush grow throughout the area. Some stones are on their sides. Perhaps with care, it may return to its former power.
8. A cleric has built a small manor near the circle. He considers the place to be a haven of sin. Some pixies have lived here for ages, and torment the cleric daily.
9. A druid lives in the circle, under the open sky. He has only a bedroll. The local fae respect him, but the human baron who controls the land fears his power. The druid is unhappy with the baron, who has started logging the forest.
10. The stones have glowing blue runes marked upon them. During thunderstorms, the entire hilltop shines and can be seen for miles around.
11. The stone circle marks the resting place of a great elven lord, who fell in battle against an evil god. Elven sentries will attack any non-elf who approaches.
12. The stones are pitch black and radiate evil. Monsters are attracted to the area and are encountered very frequently.

After reading the post about PC's trying to weasel out of using light sources on Planet Algol, I got to thinking about this. Usually, a mage just has continual cast on stones or his staff, so having a light doesn't really become an issue. My big thing is the radius of the light source.

Many light sources only have a 15 to 30 foot radius. If you're walking into a big cave that's 150 feet across, you'll stick out like a sore thumb to every monster there. If they have bows, you're kind of screwed. You'll just be walking along, and arrows will start pelting into your group. You'll see the arrows appear, but you won't have any idea where they are coming from. I think many DM's miss this.

The players will need to either use magic to locate enemies, have a demihuman locate the attackers, or launch torches or lighted items out around them, or they will have no idea where the attackers are located. Most dungeon adversaries can see in the dark just fine, so they don't need light sources. Because the players have torches, every monster anywhere nearby will see them coming, and will have fantastic targets.

I'd give monsters total cover until they have been located. In addition, they might even gain a bonus to hit the torchbearers, since they may as well have a giant bullseye painted on themselves.

I would think elves and magic-users of all stripes would keep daily diaries. They might include some research notes, material components that need picked up from the local alchemist, theories on why magic works the way it does, and that the new girl apprentice is smoking hot.

While one day's entry could be personal stuff like how they'd love to date the princess, the next day's entry might have magical data like the fact that iron filings mixed with silver filings in a summoning circle help bind demons better.

To make diaries interesting mechanics-wise, when a magic-user or elf finds a mage's diary and reads it, he gains 100 XP based on the magical notes in the book. I would not include any full spells in such a book, just tidbits of stuff that might give a PC mage a "eureka" moment.

This large, obviously magical book is sometimes found in treasure troves. Characters looking it over will assume it is some kind of spellbook or even holy book. In fact, it is a clever trap.

If a mage or cleric reads this book, even just flipping through it, they immediately lose one random spell of the highest level they have currently memorized. The effect is as if they had cast the spell, so they cannot immediately just memorize another spell. If they continue reading, they will continue to lose spells at the rate of one spell per round of reading.

The book can be burned or otherwise destroyed, just as a normal book can be. Some spellcasters, after realizing what the book is, will keep it among their other spellcasting materials, to punish any would-be thieves.

I was considering going this route with my homebrew. I'm not sure I will, but it led to some interesting questions. The only big issue it would cause is healing. I do not want my game to be too grim and gritty, where anyone can die from a lonely orc. I'd rather it be real swords & sorcery, where a pissed-off guy with a blade is the equal of ten guards and their necromancer boss.

The two options that occur to me would be to either make healing potions easily acquirable, or add something like the  4e second wind abilities, where you regain your hp at the end of each encounter. Both annoy me for various reasons. Too many healing potions is kind of silly, so I think that would be out. The second wind is kind of appropriate, but I feel I would need to add some kind of injury system to the game. Here's a quick one I'm thinking of:

Injury System:  You recover all hit points at the end of each encounter. If you lose 90% of your hp in one encounter, you receive an injury. This injury will cause you to have a -1 to hit penalty until you can go to a healer of some kind and receive magical healing, or you take one month to recover naturally, during which you cannot adventure. Injuries stack, so if you continue on after receiving an injury in combat, and then defeat the necromancer, but get an injury during that fight, all your to hit rolls will be at -2 until you get magically healed or take a month off.

Hidden Door
Spell Level: M1
Range: One door
Duration: 24 hours

This spell causes a door to appear as the surrounding walls. The door can only be found if detected as a secret door. The caster can see the door normally.

Faerie
Armor Class: 8 [12]
Hit Dice: 3
Attacks: Magic Missile (1d6)
Special: None
Move: 9/14 (flying)
HDE/XP: 4/120
Faeries are woodland spirits, and often appear to others as tiny, winged elves. They can shapeshift at will, and are very magical. If attacked, they cast magic missile (as an innate ability) every round, and do not need to roll to hit. Faeries gain a +4 to Save vs. Magic.

Faeries can grant spell access to Mages. They usually grant spells related to charms or wilderness adenturing. They will not offer access to necromancy or demon summoning. Faeries require that food be left out for them every night, but this should never be mentioned in conversation. Thanking them will cause them to leave the caster forever.

A pillar, about 30 feet high and 10 feet in diameter, is situated on a plain, hill, or large clearing in woodlands. It has been there for centuries. No one knows where it came from. It is inscribed with strange runes, that match no known language. Anyone who comes within 100 feet of it must make a saving throw vs. magic, or be compelled to approach the pillar. This saving throw must be made each round that the person is within 100 feet of the pillar. The pillar also affects animals, monsters, and even insects.

When the creature touches the pillar, it immediately goes berserk. It will attack anyone nearby, friend or enemy, with whatever is at hand. Affected people may not use spells, only melee combat. The berserker will continue to attack any living creature nearby until it dies. The berserker will not eat or drink, just wander out from the pillar, killing as it goes. A Remove Curse spell will grant the affected person or creature another Saving Throw.

No known magic has been able to destroy the pillar. Even wishes fail. It is a powerful artifact, that is truly too dangerous to use.

In some worlds, a paladin order or similar organization sets up a perimeter to prevent creatures from being affected. Unfortunately for them, birds, ants, bees, and other such creatures still reach the pillar, and then end up attacking the guardians.