Magic is inherently perilous and unpredictable, but perhaps even more treacherous is the pursuit of magical research. This is precisely why wizards and other arcane spellcasters establish their towers far away from civilization. By doing so, they can conduct experiments without risking the safety of nearby communities. Should they inadvertently summon a creature with an incomprehensible number of tentacles and eyeballs, the consequences are borne solely by the unfortunate wizard who failed to follow the proper incantations.
While many fantasy cities boast towers inhabited by wizards, it’s assumed that this proximity to civilization increases the risk of summoning unimaginable horrors from the depths. After all, with so many knights idling about, it’s only practical to provide them with some form of entertainment!
The founding of a wizard’s tower not only grants access to battle magic but also bestows upon the arcane spellcaster the ability to conduct research and develop new spells.
Spell Research
In soulforge adventures, the outcomes of spell research invariably benefit the caster, although not all are equally practical, and some may even be considered bizarre. However, since these benefits serve as rewards for establishing a stronghold, there are no inherently negative results.
Inventing a New Spell
Inventing a completely new spell from scratch can be quite challenging and time-consuming. It requires a delicate balance between player creativity and Game Master oversight, which can sometimes feel like a daunting task and may not always be enjoyable for everyone involved.
However, researching an existing spell is a different story altogether. It involves taking a spell that may have previously seemed mundane and infusing it with new, exciting, and perhaps even unconventional effects. Delving into your research laboratory with uncertainty about what you’ll discover adds an element of magic and excitement to the process. Here’s how it works:
Pick a Spell
When it comes to researching spells, it’s important to note that only arcane spells are fair game. Gods tend to take offense if you try to meddle with their divine will, so divine spells are off-limits for research. This means that the spell you wish to research must be on the spell list of an arcane caster.
In 5th Edition, the distinction between arcane and divine spells isn’t as clear-cut, but you’ll typically find that spells with someone’s name in the title are unique to arcane spellcasters. We’re fond of this tradition and stick to it. Additionally, you must already be able to cast the spell you want to research, and it can’t have a proper name in its title.
While you have the option to research a cantrip, the resulting researched spell will be considered a 1st-level spell.
Pick the Target of the Spell
These categories serve as broad guidelines rather than strict classifications, allowing for flexibility and interpretation. It’s important to note that some spells may fall under multiple categories, and the goal is to empower the player to choose the category that best suits their intent, with the GM interpreting the exact target broadly.
The target of a spell can generally be one of the following:
- Yourself or one ally
- One enemy
- All adversaries in an area
- All allies in an area
- The spell inflicts damage
However, some spells may not neatly fit into these categories, particularly those that bestow knowledge or summon/create objects. In such cases, you can easily select an effect from the above list or even create a unique list by combining effects. Nevertheless, we recommend defaulting to “yourself or one ally” for spells that don’t align with any specific category, as it’s assumed the spellcaster is benefiting in some way from the spell.
Research (Downtime Activity)
Researching a spell requires both time and financial investment. The expenditure of funds goes towards acquiring arcane materials that serve as potential components for the spell. These materials undergo rigorous testing to determine which ones are suitable for the creation of the new spell. Additionally, specialized tomes must be obtained, detailing the creation of the original spell and providing guidance on how to modify it.
The time commitment for research is significant. The arcanist dedicates 8 hours of every day, six days a week, to the task. While they can take occasional breaks to oversee their followers or manage other responsibilities, the bulk of their time is spent on research. If this schedule is interrupted, the progress on the new spell is lost, and the arcanist must begin again from scratch.
To successfully research a spell, the magic-user must invest a minimum of 1 month, plus an additional week for each level of the spell being researched, minus one week for each level of their tower.
Find the Chart, Roll or Pick
Once the magic-user has selected the spell, determined its target, and completed the requisite research period, they roll a d8 on the chart corresponding to the desired effect to unveil the outcome of their research. It’s essential to acknowledge that the player has invested both their character’s resources and time into this endeavor. While unexpected or peculiar results can add excitement, it’s crucial to ensure that the player ultimately feels rewarded and engaged.
It’s worth noting that some of the results on the chart may be unconventional or even bizarre. This intentional unpredictability reinforces the notion that magic is inherently volatile and not bound by scientific principles. After all, that’s why they call it magic—it defies logic and expectation.
| D8 | SPELL EFFECT |
|---|---|
| 1 | Empowering: For 10 minutes, a random ability score of the target increases to 20. |
| 2 | Regenerating: For the spell’s duration, the target regains hit points equal to your spellcasting modifier at the start of each round. |
| 3 | Mindful: For 10 minutes, the target may use your spellcasting ability modifier for all saving throws. |
| 4 | Omniscient: For 10 minutes, the target grows a third eye that reveals hidden, disguised, and invisible creatures within 60 feet, but not objects on other planes. |
| 5 | Levitating: For 10 minutes, the target gains a fly speed of 10 feet. |
| 6 | Invulnerable: Until the start of their next turn, the target is immune to all damage. |
| 7 | Topologically Ambiguous: For 10 minutes, there is a one-third chance at the start of each round that the target can teleport 10 feet as a bonus action. The odds of teleporting are cumulative (33% chance on the first round, 66% on the second, 100% on the third), but the odds reset each time the target teleports. The target can choose not to teleport, but if they do so, the odds still reset. |
| 8 | Blazing: Until the start of their next turn, the target’s movement leaves a trail of fire that lasts for the spell’s duration and does 3d6 damage (Dexterity save for half) to anyone who begins their turn in it or moves into or through it. |
| D8 | SPELL EFFECT |
|---|---|
| 1 | Dexterous: For 10 minutes, the target’s movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. |
| 2 | Accelerating: For 10 minutes, before taking an action, the target can move an extra half of their movement. |
| 3 | Energizing: Until the start of their next turn, the target adds your spellcasting modifier to their attack rolls and spellcasting DC. |
| 4 | Oracular: For 10 minutes, the target can see which items within 60 feet are magical, can see the effects of persistent spells, and can make a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check to know exactly what those items or spells are. |
| 5 | Fated: Until the start of their next turn, the target may reroll damage rolls and may take the new roll. |
| 6 | Vengeful: For 10 minutes, the target gains a reaction they may use to attack any enemies who damage them. |
| 7 | Revealing: Until the start of their next turn, the target always rolls natural 20s on Perception checks. |
| 8 | Gloating: For 10 minutes, any target who drops an enemy to 0 hit points gains a move action or attack action. |
| D8 | SPELL EFFECT |
|---|---|
| 1 | Betraying: The target immediately attacks another target of your choice. |
| 2 | Beguiling: The target does not recognize you as an enemy. Until the start of your next turn, your attacks against them have advantage, and they have disadvantage on saving throws against your spells. |
| 3 | Distracting: On their next turn, the target can move or attack, but not both. |
| 4 | Elucidating: The target blurts out a closely held secret. |
| 5 | Stupefying: The target’s Intelligence decreases to 3 until the start of their next turn. |
| 6 | Illuminating: Until the start of their next turn, the target glows, granting advantage on all attacks against them and illuminating any hidden allies standing adjacent to them. |
| 7 | Confusing: The target’s next attack targets a random legal target. They will use their movement on their next turn to get closer to that target if necessary. |
| 8 | Exposing: The target’s clothing and armor disappear until the start of their next turn. Adjust AC and abilities accordingly. |
| D8 | SPELL EFFECT |
|---|---|
| 1 | Overwhelming: Affected targets are knocked prone. |
| 2 | Thunderous: Affected targets are pushed 10 feet back. |
| 3 | Defiling: Roll 1d6. All affected targets take that much damage, and you gain temporary hit points equal to the total damage done to the targets. |
| 4 | Immobilizing: Roots the targets to their current spots until the start of their next turn. They are grappled. |
| 5 | Blinding: Flesh grows over the targets’ eyeballs. They are blind for one round per tower level. |
| 6 | Hideous: Until the start of their next turn, affected targets’ arms mutate into tentacles. They drop their weapons. If they don’t have arms, they grow them, flailing ineffectually, missing attacks and failing to cast spells. |
| 7 | Enfeebling: Targets gain vulnerability to fire, ice, electricity, or acid—chosen each time the spell is cast—for one round per tower level. |
| 8 | Telekinetic: Move all affected targets 10 feet in any one direction. If moved 10 feet up, each target takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage when they fall back down and must make a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or fall prone. |
Does Damage
- (Acid) Melting: Objects carried by the target are hit and take damage equal to the spell’s damage.
- (Bludgeoning) Sundering: For the spell’s duration, armor worn by the targets degrades by 2. Sundering effects do not stack.
- (Cold) Chilling: Affected targets are grappled until the end of their next turn.
- (Fire) Incinerating: Affected targets continue to burn, taking an extra 1d6 damage at the start of each round until they spend an action extinguishing the flames.
- (Force) Detonating: Affected targets are knocked prone. On their next turn, they must make a Wisdom saving throw to stand up. On their following turn, they may stand up normally without making a save.
- (Lightning) Shocking: Affected targets have disadvantage on all saving throws until the end of your next turn.
- (Necrotic) Unholy: 1d4 ghouls rise from the ground, each anywhere you choose within 30 feet. They obey your commands for a number of rounds equal to your spellcasting modifier, then crumble to dust.
- (Piercing) Puncturing: For 10 minutes, weapon attacks against affected targets score critical hits on attack rolls of 15 or higher.
- (Poison) Nauseating: Affected targets forgo their next turn, spending it vomiting.
- (Psychic) Hallucinating: On their next turn, the targets perceive allies as enemies and enemies as allies, and act accordingly.
- (Radiant) Dazzling: Each target is blind until the end of its next turn.
- (Slashing) Wounding: Each target takes 1d10 damage at the end of its next turn.
- (Thunder) Concussive: The targets are pushed 20 feet back.
More Research
There are several limitations to spell research:
- A given spell can only be modified by research once.
- A magic-user can only modify a number of spells equal to their tower level.
- Spell research cannot grant access to spell levels your class does not have. For example, you can research a 4th-level spell to produce a 5th-level spell you cannot cast yet, but you must level up to access it. However, you cannot research a 5th-level spell to produce a 6th-level spell if your class cannot access 6th-level spells.
- Once these limits are reached, the player is free to conduct further research later. If the player likes the result, they may choose the same spell modifier for subsequent spell research.
Once a character develops a signature spell, particularly after it’s been used in various situations, rumors about its existence may spread. Eventually, it’s possible, and even likely, that another spellcaster could reverse-engineer the custom spell and replicate it. For example, scrolls containing the spell “Reginam’s Omniscient Eye” might start circulating, or enemy spellcasters might begin employing it against the heroes.
To counteract this, your character automatically gains resistance to the effects of any spell they research. Therefore, if your character, Chadwick, researches “Chadwick’s Strongpants of Strength,” they would have advantage on saving throws against it. However, the spell would still work against them, albeit with reduced effectiveness.
Casting the Spell
Now that the magic-user has their own custom spell, there are some additional rules to consider:
- The level of the final spell is one level higher than the original spell.
- If the target of a spell successfully saves against it, the modifier automatically fails. For example, if the target of a “Betraying Charm Person” makes their Wisdom save against the charm, they do not suffer the “betraying” effect.
- The effects of a modified spell cannot be combined with the effects of the unmodified spell. For instance, temporary hit points gained from “Mindful Enhance Ability” do not stack with “Enhance Ability.” Similarly, an enlarged character cannot be further enlarged by casting “Regenerating Enlarge.”
- Spells that can be cast as rituals can be modified, but this does not change the duration of their effect. For example, “Empowering Commune” cast as a ritual still takes 10 minutes to cast, and the empowering benefit only lasts for 10 minutes afterward.
- The magic-user can only cast the spell a number of times equal to their spellcasting modifier. Once they have cast the spell this number of times, they must take an extended rest if they wish to cast it again.
Future Use of the Spell
As the magic-user casts the spell and delves into its new capabilities, the Game Master (GM) may realize that the spell is either not as effective as desired or perhaps too powerful. In response, the GM has the freedom to modify the spell over time, adjusting its effects or even changing its spell level. This reflects the magic-user’s evolving understanding of the spell, as new efficiencies are discovered and certain elements of the arcane formula may begin to fade from their memory as the spell itself undergoes subtle changes.
Once the GM determines that the spell has matured and is ready to be shared with the wider world beyond the magic-user and their tower—and assuming the player is satisfied with it, as the ultimate goal of this process is to reward the player—the GM may decree that the spell is now well-studied and available for other spellcasters to learn. It can then be scribed onto scrolls and copied into spellbooks.
Congratulations! By creating and refining this spell, you have contributed to the ever-growing body of spellcraft knowledge. May the gods show mercy on your victims!