Playthings of Mad Gods

GLOG Class: High Magician

Special Magic

I like magic in my games to be restricted. Because of that, in the setting in which Archipelago takes place, most types of magic are restricted by species. While minor magical tricks, or gifts of Gods may be passed down, the "main paths" of magic (those learned by leveling) are species specific. Here's a link to the species. The Elven magicians are connected to the Dreamlands, granting them incredible and unlimited powers, but at a great price. Each spell they use may alert the High Elves, who will gladly use an opportunity to affect the material world.

High Magician:

High Magic: You may cast the spells of High Magic, known only to the secretive Elven scholars. Some say that they were created by the All-Father, the father of all elvenkind. Others say that they were each pacted away by the first generation of High Elves. Yet others may claim, that this magic is even older, and is a reflection of what The Lord used to create this world. Regardless of its origin, you have dominion over the minds of those around you. You may cast all spells from the list at the end of this article, by adding their Debt Dice to your Debt Pool. You may also learn other, stranger spells from High Elves, but they will not part lightly with their knowledge. The Debt: Each time you cast a spell, roll your Debt Dice that you have from your previous spells (Don't yet roll the ones from the current spell. Their time will come soon). Set the ones that come up as 1 aside, removing them from your Debt Pool and count them. If 1-3 of them come up as 1, roll on the Minor Repayment Table. If 4-6 come up as 1, roll on the Major Repayment Table, if more then roll on the Critical Repayment Table. Nothing can stop these results for you - no immunities or stuff like that. Others may resist them with a save, as applicable. Alternative Payment: Now that you have made contact with the High Elves, you may petition them for mercy. For each sacrificed:

You may discard one Debt Die, starting with the highest ones. Dreamwalker: You may pierce the veil of dreams physically for yourself, and anyone else who ingests a drop of rhododendron honey and falls asleep in your vicinity. The Dreamlands are a strange place, and if you are physically there, if you die there you die for real. They follow dream logic, and may be forced to follow the mind of a strong-willed person. The High Elves live there as masters of the dream, and their wills are the strongest of all. Not Now!: It takes great willpower to say "NO!" to a debt. You may send the repayment of a debt up to 1 day into the future, but it is treated as 2 discharged debt larger then. Until then, you may lower it with Alternative Payment Minor Repayment Table (roll d6):

  1. A swarm of minor dreams (as a swarm of locusts, [debt discharged]×2 HD) enters the physical world around you, staying until forced back (by depleting their HD) or until it deals [debt discharged]×8 damage to anything). It focuses on the least armoured targets.
  2. A person in your vicinity gains an intrusive thought, sent by one of the High Elves. It will follow them for a week or until they follow it.
  3. A single creature from nearby is lured in, by the High Elves singing. Roll for an Encounter, ignoring the number of appearance - the creature arrives in d6-[debt discharged] (min 1) rounds.
  4. A minor illusion is created nearby, together with a compulsive effect forcing anyone to save or believe in it (you have advantage on the save). Repeat the save each round - the illusion dissipates when no one believes in it.
  5. Your good fortune is stolen away, giving you disadvantage on the next [debt discharged] tests.
  6. You are forced to take [debt discharged] actions following the will of a High Elf.

Major Repayment Table (roll d6):

  1. Take [debt discharged-2]d6 damage, as pounds of your flesh are taken away.
  2. 2d6 memories are taken away from you, and made into a High Elf's jewellery
  3. The consciousness of everyone in your vicinity (including you) is stolen away, put to sleep. Everyone put to sleep this way must save each round to wake up.
  4. Your mind is taken for d6 minutes. While possessed by a High Elf, you will follow their will in the most immediate way you can.
  5. Roll on Minor Repayment Table. At dawn, this will happen to [debt discharged] named NPCs. They will see your face while it happens.
  6. Your party's good luck is stolen, the GM should roll twice for encounters for the next [debt discharged-2] days, chosing the worse result.

Critical Repayment Table (roll d6):

  1. One of your friends (closest named NPC) is taken away to the Dreamlands, to serve one of the High Elves. They know you did it. They resent you.
  2. You fully open the pathway into the Dreamlands, the Wild Hunt is coming. 3×[debt discharged] HD of Dream Creatures arrive in 2d10 rounds. Before they arrive, a horrible horn sounds. They will stay for 2d4 hours, and as long as they do, the place they are in follows the Dreamlands rules.
  3. A High Elf puts a Quest (as the spell) on you, with incredible, mythical proportions - here are some ideas.
  4. A great calamity falls on the nearest settlement. Maybe it's a dancing plague, or illusory locusts biting people and leaving actual wounds. The GM will figure the specifics out.
  5. Your sanity is taken away. Gain a magical mental illness of your GMs choice.
  6. The hex (or the dungeon you are in, or whatever other method you use to track location) begins falling away into the Dreamlands. In 14-[debt discharged] days (min 6 hours) the whole place will be lost.

Spells

1. Prestidigitation (1d20)

R: 9 m T: D: Instantaneous/1 Turn per incurred die of debt Minor magical tricks, like an instantaneous, harmless sensory effect, such as a shower of sparks, a puff of wind, faint musical notes, or an odd odor. It may also be used to change food's taste, or to "clean" items, by hiding their dirtiness.

2. Minor Illusion (1d20)

R: 27 m D: 1 Turn per incurred die of debt Create an object that is not real. It may be seen, heard, felt and smelled. If a person tries to push their hand at it, it will normally move, but they will percieve it as staying in place, together with the object. The object may not be changed or moved in any way. The object's length, height and width may not pass 1 m.

3. Disguise (1d12)

R: Touch D: 1 Turn per incurred die of debt You may "take someone's face off", then put another one in its place. This spell changes their face and body type to match a different person's, a piece of whose body you hold (a drop of blood, a tooth or a hair will suffice). A subject who does not wish to have their face changed gets a save.

4. Color Spray (1d12)

R: [debt incurred]*3 m long 45° cone D: 1 round per incurred die of debt You create a dazzling array of colours, blinding anyone in its range who fails the save (targets that face away from you have advantage, those who target you specifically have disadvantage). The blindness lasts for the duration of the spell.

5. I am not Here (1d10)

R: Touch D: 1 Turn per incurred die of debt You create an illusion of empty space where you are. If you take an action that turns attention towards you (yes for attacking, shouting or running, no for slow movement and silent interactions with your surroundings - GM's word is final) anyone who would normally see you gets a save to see you, until you disappear from their sight (both smoke bombs or turning the corner work).

6. Hipnosis (1d10)

R: A single being that sees you D: 1 turn You try to transfix a creature that gazes upon you. If it fails its save, it is helpless(it stops being hipnotized if it takes damage, or another thing happens that may take its attention away from you, or if the duration runs out), and choose one per incurred die of debt:

7. Nothing's Real (1d8)

R: 50 m circle, centered on yourself at the moment of casting D: 1 Turn You invite a place of dreamlands, to overtake the place that surrounds you. During the next turn, you may change completely how the place in which you cast this spell (the circle doesn't follow you) appears. You may make it look like it is ablaze, or like a marble hall has changed into a forest. You may not control any finer details however - they are put in there by the unconcious minds of the people who are looking at it.

8. Major illusion (1d8)

R: 25 m, D: 1 Day per incurred die of debt You create an illusory item or creature, with all the properties of the real one. It has weight, it may be moved around. If you hit someone with it(or it hits someone), it deals normal damage, except that it is non-lethal. It may not actually interact with non-living creatures. It dissolves at the end of its duration, or if it takes 15 damage.

9. Dreamer's Curse (1d6)

R: Any person a piece of whose body you have, D: Until either you, or the target falls asleep. You put a horrible curse on the target - a single black tear rolls from their eye, and they feel an overwhelming sense of dread towards sleeping. The moment they fall asleep, they will take [debt incurred]d10 damage from a horrible nightmare. If they die from it, their body is mutiliated in ways that are not possible within the waking world. Before they fall asleep, however, you are also endangered. If you fall asleep before them, the curse rebounds on you, and you take [debt incurred]d6 damage. If you cast it at a creature that is sleeping, it will be endangered only after it wakes up. A creature within the Dreamlands is treated as sleeping.

10. Quest (1d6)

R: A person who hears you, D: Until the quest is finished or the caster dies You tell a person a thing they must do (it must be something possible - kill the king is fine, carry the ocean in a bucket is not). If they fail their save, they will lose 1d6 Max HP for each day they are not following their quest. If their max HP falls below 0, they are taken away into the Dreamlands.

???. Wish (6d1)

R: Whenever the High Elves power reaches D: Permanent You may ask Them for their full attention. They are able to do almost anything, and what they can't, they can make it seem like they did with illusions. This is the magic that puts entire kingdoms to sleep, or makes a lineage cursed for thousands of years. Just ask Them for their help, and word your Wish well. You won't get a do over, and the High Elves are masters of word.

Designer's note

Yes, you may cast your most powerful spells from the 1st level.

It is not a good idea. If you don't have alternative methods of getting rid of Debt, it will destroy both you and the place you are in.

#Class #GLOG