The Book of Dusk [Spells]

The Book of Dusk

Years ago, there were two mages, foes poised against each other in a grand war of magical skill. One was named Siofra, a noble and idealistic mage with a genius talent for abjurations and wardings. The other was called Kolya, a battlemage who had used his mastery of evocations to subjugate nations and armies under his iron fist. For years, Siofra and Kolya fought against each other, Siofra trying to end Kolya’s dark reign, and Kolya trying to destroy the threat Siofra posed.

However, as the years passed, Siofra and Kolya grew to understand each other. Siofra had come to understand that, for all that Kolya was evil, the battlemage was still a pragmatic man, one whose plans and schemes had all in all served the greater good. Kolya, meanwhile, began to see in Siofra a great potential, what he might have been had things gone differently. Eventually, the two mages began to work together as friends and colleagues, plumbing the depths of magic. Over years of strife, they had come to understand that the conflict between good and evil was insignificant. What mattered was ensuring the mankind, both the good and the bad of it, was kept safe.

Both Siofra and Kolya agreed that the unrestricted power wielded by arcane spellcasters was a great danger to the world. Whether cast by a noble sorcerer with only the purest intentions at heart, or by a psychopathic slaughterer with a spellbook, there existed spells that could rend the fabric of reality, fell entire cities at a blow, invite into the world creatures of unfathomable horror. And so Kolya and Siofra wrote a tome of spells to fight and kill those who recklessly use magic to the danger of mankind, the Book of Dusk. Siofra devised powerful abjurations of protection and abjurations to dispel even the strongest of spells, while Kolya collected all of his favorite battle spells he had developed over the years, the ones he had found most useful in fighting fellow mages. After completing the tome, they distributed many copies of it around the world, finding out mages they could trust with the task of maintaining order within the society of mages, ensuring the safety of the world. Though Siofra and Kolya are both long dead, buried together in a single tomb, the legacy they created lives on in the arsenal of spells they developed together.

Kolya’s Lash
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sorceror/Wizard 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 caster levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous or Concentration (see text)
Saving Throw: None or Reflex negates (See text)
Spell Resistance: Yes

A favored combat spell of the battlemage Kolya, this spell creates a whip of fire that lashes out at the target. It can be used in multiple ways: either to attack, disarm, trip, or entangle the target. This spell's duration is instantaneous, unless you entangle the target with it, in which case it has a duration of concentration.

Attack: The lash stretches out towards the target, requiring a ranged touch attack to hit. If successful, it hits, dealing 1d6 fire damage per level, max 10d6.

Disarm: The lash knocks away whatever the target is holding. You make a caster level check, opposed by an attack roll made by the target. If the creature is holding a two-handed weapon, it gains a +4 bonus on the roll. If it is wielding a light weapon, or an item that is not a melee weapon, it takes a -4 penalty on the roll. If your caster level check beats its attack roll, it is disarmed.

Trip: The lash snakes under the target's legs, knocking it off balance. You must first make a ranged touch attack to hit. If successful, the target must make a Strength check, opposed by a check of your primary casting ability score. It gets a +4 bonus on the check for each size category it is larger than Medium, and a -4 penalty for each size category it is smaller than Medium. It also gains a +4 bonus if it has four or more legs, or is otherwise more stable than the normal humanoid. If your ability check beats its check, then the target falls prone. If the target beats your check, it cannot react to trip you.

Entangle: The lash encircles the target, trapping it. The target must make a Reflex save or become entangled. In addition, each round, it takes 1d6 fire damage unless it makes a Reflex save. This effect lasts for as long as you maintain concentration.

Material Component
A pinch of ashes from a cremated humanoid.

Mageslayer's Blade
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 3
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 0 ft.
Effect: Magical sword
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)

Useful for engaging in close quarters with casters, the mageslayer's blade spell summons a magical sword, allowing its caster to seize the upper hand in melee combat. The sword can be held one-handed, deals 1d10 damage regardless of the caster's size, and has a critical threat range of 19-20/x2. When attacking with the sword, you use your caster level in place of your base attack bonus, both when making an attack roll and for determining how many attacks you may make. In addition, whenever you attack a creature capable of casting arcane spells with the mageslayer's blade, you gain a +2 bonus on the attack roll, and it deals +2d6 additional damage. If the sword loses contact with you, then the duration of this spell ends.

Power Word Silence
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 7
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature with 100 hp or less
Duration: See text
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

A powerful trump against spellcasters, power word silence strips its target of its voice with a single word of power. The creature becomes able to speak, and cannot cast spells with verbal components or use any of its special attacks that have the sonic descriptor. The duration of this muting depends on the creature's current hit point total. For a creature with 25 hp or less, it is permanent. For a creature with 26-50 hp, it lasts 1d4+1 minutes. For a creature with 51-100 hp, it lasts for 1d4+1 rounds.

Prismatic Armor
Abjuration
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 minute/level

An all-out defensive spell developed after years of experimentation by Siofra, prismatic armor creates shimmering armor from pure light around you. The armor has no armor check penalty, maximum dexterity bonus, or arcane spell failure percentage. The armor is formed from seven pieces; the armor bonus it grants is equal to the number of pieces remaining. A dispel effect does not work normally against prismatic armor: instead, each piece of it is treated as an individual spell. Each piece of armor has its own additional special effects, described below.

Red Gauntlets: The red gauntlets grant you resistance 20 to fire.

Orange Greaves: The orange greaves grant you resistance 20 to acid.

Yellow Pauldrons: The yellow pauldrons grant you resistance 20 to electricity.

Green Girdle: The green girdle grants you immunity to poison.

Blue Mail: The blue mail grants you a +5 resistance bonus on all Fortitude saves.

Indigo Helm: The indigo helm grants you a +5 resistance bonus on all Will saves.

Violet Breastplate: The violet breastplate grants you immunity to any spell or effect that causes you to be teleported or planeshifted against your will.

Rimefire Grasp
Evocation [Cold, Fire]
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell combines fire and ice to form a potent magical element known as rimefire, an energy source to which Kolya devoted much study. As part of casting this spell, make a melee touch attack against the target. If it is successful, then the target takes 1d6 damage/level, max 10d6. Half the damage is cold damage, and half the damage is fire damage. In addition, they must make a Reflex save, or have the rimefire cling to them. If the fail it, then at the beginning of their next round, they take half as much again of each type of damage.

Rimefire Holocaust
Evocation [Cold, Fire]
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 6
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: 30-ft.-radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

By combining the simple fireball spell with his discovery of rimefire, Kolya created this powerful spell. Like the fireball spell, it fires a small sphere of energy from your finger which explodes in a burst, 1d6 damage/level, max 20d6, with a Reflex save for half damage. Half the damage is cold damage, and half the damage is fire damage. In addition, creatures that fail their save have rimefire cling to them, and take half as much again of each type of damage at the beginning of their next turn.

Smothering Dispel
Abjuration
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 7
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous, then Concentration
Saving Throw: Will partial
Spell Resistance: No

A more potent version of dispel magic devised by Siofra, a smothering dispel can easily suppress a mage's casting abilities. It functions as a targeted version of the greater dispel magic spell. In addition, its target must make a Will save, or have his magical abilities smothered. Any time he attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability, he must make an opposed caster level check with you. If you succeed on the check, that spell or ability is countered. This secondary effect lasts for as long as you maintain concentration.

Material Component
A branch from an elder tree wrapped in pure phase spider silk worth 500 gp.

Spell Proxy
Abjuration
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes

This ward allows you to transfer spells affecting you to another creature. You may choose which spells effecting you to transfer, but if you wish to transfer a spell you did not cast yourself, you must make an opposed caster level check with the caster of that spell. If you fail, you cannot transfer it. You may transfer one spell for every three caster levels you have. Each spell ceases to affect you, and begins to affect the target for the remainder of its duration. The target may attempt a Will save against each individual spell transferred to negate it, but he cannot save against the spells themselves. Likewise, its spell resistance applies to this spell, but not any transferred.

Thunderbolt
Evocation [Electricity, Sonic]
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: One thunderbolt/four levels
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half, Fortitude partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes

Kolya first used this spell to clear battlefields of foes, later transcribing it into the Book of Dusk so that it could be used to destroy armies of undead or summoned creatures. The spell calls down one 5-ft. wide, 30-ft. tall vertical shaft of lightning for every four caster levels you have, which strike any point within the range of this spell that you designate. Multiple thunderbolts cannot strike the same space. Each thunderbolt explodes in a blast of electricity and a deafening soundwave, dealing 1d3 damage/level, max 10d3, to each creature in that space, with a Reflex save for half damage. Half the damage is electricity damage, and half the damage is sonic damage. In addition, creatures that fail their Reflex save must also make a Fortitude save or be deafened for 1d4+1 rounds.

Vampiric Mist
Conjuration and Necromancy (Creation)
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 5
Components: V, S
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Cloud spreads in 20-ft. radius from you, 20 ft. high
Duration: 1 min./level (D), then 1 hour
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates, see text
Spell Resistance: No

This spell creates a cloud of mist, like that of the fog cloud spell. Each round, all living creatures other than you within the vampiric mist must make a Fortitude save or take 1d6 damage. Keep track of the total amount of damage dealt by the mist. At the end of this spell’s duration, as long as you are within 1 mile of the vampiric mist, the mist is absorbed into your body, along with all the life force it has absorbed. You cannot absorb the mist if it is not on the same plane as you. You gain one temporary hit point for every 5 points of damage, which last for one hour.

cool spells, especially prismatic armor. very clever.

couple of things:

on vampiric mist, is there a range at which the caster must remain in order to absorb the energy afterwards? i was just assuming the caster had to remain at medium or better, but you might want to clarify.

and on thunderbolt, you have it dealing d4 for damage, but then read max 3d6. copy-paste error.

i like spells that deal with alternate damage sourcs, such as vile damage, rimefire, etc. good stuff. very nice.

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on vampiric mist, is there a range at which the caster must remain in order to absorb the energy afterwards? i was just assuming the caster had to remain at medium or better, but you might want to clarify.

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It works wherever you are.

even if you planeshift before end o' duration?

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Originally Posted by Stycotl

even if you planeshift before end o' duration?

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Ah, just had to pick the logical holes, didn't you? I'll put in a range limit for the absorption.

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Originally Posted by The Demented One

Ah, just had to pick the logical holes, didn't you? I'll put in a range limit for the absorption.

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i got a laugh out of that. only when i see 'em. i'm pretty unobservant most of the time.

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Originally Posted by Stycotl

i got a laugh out of that. only when i see 'em. i'm pretty unobservant most of the time.

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Always appreciate it. By the way, how's the level look for them? I was a bit uncertain on a few of them, mainly prismatic armor and spell proxy.

They all look good to me, though Thunderbolt hits it's maximum damage a level before you can actually cast it.

Isn't power word silence a little high level?
I was told I could accomplish much the same effect with Bestow Curse on these very forums.

Wow...these are amazing. I love the backstory as well. Mind if I use the spells/lore in my campaign?

Hey, those are some cool spells! I especially like Mageslayer's Blade and Prismatic Armor.

I do suggest, however, that you be a little wary of the possible misuse of Spell Proxy. When used to transfer beneficial spells, it should be fine. However, the spell could have some sneaky uses--it basically turns any spell into a Will Negates save only spell. That makes it theoretically quite powerful against Fighter-types, with weak Will Saves. Sure, the caster has to endure the effect for a round before he throws it at an enemy, but that's not a problem if the spell does elemental damage and the caster has resistance.

I recommend putting a cap on the number of spells that can be transferred by a single casting of the spell. I think a good transfer limit would be caster level divided by four.

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Originally Posted by Overlord

Hey, those are some cool spells! I especially like Mageslayer's Blade and Prismatic Armor.

I do suggest, however, that you be a little wary of the possible misuse of Spell Proxy. When used to transfer beneficial spells, it should be fine. However, the spell could have some sneaky uses--it basically turns any spell into a Will Negates save only spell. That makes it theoretically quite powerful against Fighter-types, with weak Will Saves. Sure, the caster has to endure the effect for a round before he throws it at an enemy, but that's not a problem if the spell does elemental damage and the caster has resistance.

I recommend putting a cap on the number of spells that can be transferred by a single casting of the spell. I think a good transfer limit would be caster level divided by four.

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Yeah but how many spells deal elemental damage and last more than one round?

Nonetheless, a cap is probably a good idea, it could be abusable.

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Originally Posted by Icewalker

Yeah but how many spells deal elemental damage and last more than one round?

Nonetheless, a cap is probably a good idea, it could be abusable.

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I can't think of many core spells that do, but I'm sure there are quite a few non-core spells. I need to thumb through the PHB2 and Complete Arcane to see if I can find any possible examples.

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Originally Posted by Fizban

They all look good to me, though Thunderbolt hits it's maximum damage a level before you can actually cast it.

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Good point. I've tweaked the way it and the rimefire spells work with damage, and played around some with its damage dice to fix that problem.

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Isn't power word silence a little high level?

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I don't think so, seeing as it effectively shuts down a spellcaster for an encounter without save or resistance.

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I recommend putting a cap on the number of spells that can be transferred by a single casting of the spell. I think a good transfer limit would be caster level divided by four.

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Good point, I decided on one spell/three levels.

i love these, they're gonna be perfect for my transendant in the future. i especially like the "Mageslayer's Blade" finally, we dont have to run if someone gets to close. (not that we should stand and fight either) :smallsmile:

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Originally Posted by The Demented One

I don't think so, seeing as it effectively shuts down a spellcaster for an encounter without save or resistance.

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Ah, missed the no save. It does offer resitance, though, in the form of spell resistance.
It shut's down Bards no question, but aren't there useful spells without verbal componants?
Either way, good work on these.

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Originally Posted by Collin152

Ah, missed the no save. It does offer resitance, though, in the form of spell resistance.
It shut's down Bards no question, but aren't there useful spells without verbal componants?
Either way, good work on these.

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There are, but most of a caster's bread and butter have verbals.