[3.5] Incantations from Unearthed Arcana

[begooler]

I'm really interested in incantations that are in UA. They give a few examples, but really just outline rules for creating them. I'd like to provide a library full of them for my players, and before I start cooking them all up, I wanted to see what I could find that is already made out there.

So.... Are there any homebrew threads of incantations, or of similar ritual based spells to which I can apply the rules for incantations?

Also, any ideas of what incantations to make? Since they are basically tools for non spellcasters, or low level spellcasters to perform very specific functions I would think that the bulk of them would be for everyday problems, like making crops grow, protecting city walls, finding lost items or people, or curing specific non magical diseases.

Thanks!

[Ashtagon]

I believe Urban Arcana (d20m supplement0 went to town in a big way on incantations. I think the easiest way to make them is to take your favourite (but overpowered) high level spells, convert them, and remove them from regular spell lists.

[begooler]

I've begun making some incantations that I'll use. Here is the first, which is similar to True Resurrection. I believe it will still need some editing, both fluffwise and mechanical.

These are the rules for incantations that I'm using.

Pheilux's Ninth Chance
Pheilux, who most would mistake for a cat, is a creature that makes the infinite staircase its home. Pheilux travels throughout the planes, but at any time it can teleport to the infinite staircase, along with one willing creature. The caster of this incantation must convince Pheilux to find the deceased and return with them to the material plane. Pheilux may or may not be an evil creature, but it is certainly a devious one that enjoys corrupting mortals

Spoiler

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Conjuration (Healing) Effective Level: 9
Casting Time: 1 hour between each skill check (9 hours)

Checks: Knowledge The Planes DC 21, 9 successes; Diplomacy DC 21, 9 successes (checks made concurrent with Knowledge the Planes checks.)
2 casters

Additional modifiers to DC:
Casters are evil: +5 to Diplmacy DC's. (Pheilux prefers to deal with creatures it can corrupt)
Target creature is non-evil: +5 to Diplomacy DC's. (Pheilux has to bargain with creatures who don't quite trust it in order to perform this service.)

Backlash: Casters are exhausted. This condition lasts for 9 days and can only be removed by limited wish, wish, or miracle. This incantation has the potential to change a non-evil creature's alignment. Any time a diplomacy check is made during the duration of this spell that does not beat the DC by an additional 5, there is a 10% chance the caster's alignment moves one step towards evil. (If the caster is non-good, there is a 5% chance each time that they are reduced to -1 hitpoints)

Failure: A creature previously killed by the caster, or an enemy of the caster who is now deceased is instead returned to life.

Effect: A single creature that has died up to 200 years ago is returned to life. This incantation can bring back creatures whose body has been destroyed, so long as they can be unambiguously identified by the caster. In addition to being able to unambiguously identify the creature, the caster must possess an item once owned by the deceased. If this item is the only means by which the caster can identify the creature, there is a chance that Pheilux brings back another creature that once owned the item.
Once returned to the material plane, the creature regains any levels lost from death, as well as any lost ability score points. The creature is at -1 hp, but stable.
A creature that died under conditions that can only be reversed by true resurrection, wish, or miracle can also by revived by this incantation.
A creature that has been resurrected by this incantation cannot be resurrected by it again. Additionally when the creature later dies for any reason, ressurection magic no longer affects it. It can only be returned to life by means of wish or miracle.
This incantation does not revive constructs or undead.

Material Components:
A sprinkle of Alchemical Silver and Diamonds worth a total of at least 5,000gp
An object owned by the deceased, used as a focus.
Nine pheasants or peacocks which are ritually killed as a tribute to Pheilux.

[tzaan]

Additional modifiers to DC:
Casters are evil: +5 to Diplmacy DC's. (Pheilux prefers to deal with creatures it can corrupt)
Target creature is non-evil: +5 to Diplomacy DC's. (Pheilux has to bargain with creatures who don't quite trust it in order to perform this service.)

uh...you can either be evil or non-evil. So either way, there's a +5 to the DC. Why not just whack it directly on to the DC?

[begooler]

The first one is +5 is if the caster is evil, and the second is if the target is non-evil.

It's possible that you have some non-evil casters trying to resurrect an evil creature, in which case the DC is +0. Or, some evil casters trying to resurrect a non-evil creature in which case the DC is +10... etc.

Is there another way to word that to make it less confusing? Perhaps its the fluff text there that makes it hard to understand.

[Yora]

I also like incantations, but it's important that every character can possible use them and there are lots of ways to almost guarantee success.
The only true limits to their use are costs for material components and time.
As a gm, you can also require material components that are nowhere for sale and forces the PCs to first go on a side quest to get them. But otherwise an incantation should either have an effect that you don't mind the players to use every time they don't know how to solve a problem otherwise, or mke it so specific that it can only be used in very specific situations you can control.

[begooler]

Aetherquartz Analysis
Aetherquartz is a mineral found on landmasses throughout the Astral Plane. It has many properties that make it useful for examining magic items and auras. Studying an object with a lens made of Aetherquartz reveals a wealth of information.
The mineral only retains these properties when on the Astral Plane. However, with this incantation, the caster can imbue an ordinary lens with the properties of Aetherquartz for a short time.

Spoiler

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Knowledge Arcana DC 27, 6 checks; Appraise DC 15, 1 check (made at beginning of casting.)
Casting Time: One minute between knowledge checks (6 minutes)

Failure: False interpretation. If at any point the incantation fails, all further information gained is false. A failure of a check by 10 or more breaks the lens that is used as a focus. Checks should be rolled secretly by the DM.

This incantation is cast on a magical object. As you peer through the lens at the object, you glimpse the moment of its creation. An aura radiates from the object, that after focusing on for a moment allows you to interpret information about it.

The objects gains a new color aura each minute, and each aura reveals additional information.

Violet: As Detect Magic (1 round of concentration)
Blue: As Detect Magic (1 minute of concentration
Orange: How to activate object, and how many charges it has left if they are limited
Yellow: Function of object, as if Identify were cast on it.
Red: Whether of not the object is cursed, and effects of such curse. Regardless of whether or not the object itself is cursed, viewing the red aura has a 5% chance to inflict a curse on the viewer, as the spell Bestow Curse.
Green: A glimpse of the moment of creation of this object. The caster may be able to discern information about this object's history.

This incantation only works on objects, constructs, and intelligent items.
This incantation only works to determine the inherent properties of a given object. It does not provide information about additional spells cast on it, even if they are made permanent by a Permanency spell.
This spell cannot be cast on an object attended by another person.

Focus: A tiny lens of ruby or sapphire set in a small golden loop, worth at least 1,500gp.

[Epsilon Rose]

I'm a big fan of doing this sort of thing (it's one of the reasons I squee so hard over xxxholic, which is chock full of them).
As for Aetherquartz analysis, it seems good, but I'd recommended reordering it. Maybe going violet, blue, orange, yellow, red, green. I'd also lose the rider on the red aura (considering how often it'll probably get used it seems exsesivly cruel). You might however consider a divination based effect for the green aura (with the Creator either seeing you as he creates it or seeing you as you scry).

[begooler]

Thanks those are all good ideas. I think I'm going to keep the curse effect, but it can be removed by just a level three spell. I lowered the chance also.
I will add some specific scrying spell to the green aura.

[DiBastet]

Players have discovered this one in my campaign.


Protecting the Newborn
Abjuration
Effective Level: 1
Skill: Knowledge (Nature) DC 25, 1 sucess.
Components: V, S, M, Extra Caster.
Conjuration: 1 hour.
Range: Touch.
Target: Humanoid of up to 1 year old touched.
Duration: Up to 1 year.

Effect: A baby of up to 1 year old is protected from Fey until completing its first birthday. Fey can't touch the baby or bring him harm, direct or indirectly, or even affecting him with any ability (even benefical ones). As a baby needs to be taken before his first birthday to be turned into a changeling, this incantation protects the child from this fate.
Material Component: Sidhe's blood who was given willingly.
Secondary Caster: A first degree relative of the newborn.

[begooler]

Nice. Thanks for posting.
I want to make some more idiosyncratic ones. (As opposed to the two I already posted which are based on existing spells.)
Divination seems a good way to go.

Missive Jar
Divination
Effective Level: 6th
Skill Check: Knowledge (history) DC 26, 6 successes
Backlash: -1 penalty to all knowledge checks within 24 hours. This penalty is cumulative with those from successive castings, as well as the penalty resulting from a failed casting.
Failure: For the next 24 hours, the caster has difficulty remembering some experiences from their own life and takes a -5 penalty to knowledge checks.
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 60 minutes
Range: Close
Target: A slip of parchment.
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This incantation sends a message to an extra-dimensional space, referred to as the Missive Jar. The Missive Jar holds one message at any given time. A caster that sends a message to the Missive Jar, receives the message currently stored in it in return. The extra-dimensional space exists in its own time, and messages received from it might be from the distant past, or the future. Likewise, the message sent to the missive jar by the caster may be received by a person in the past or the future.
The caster scribes onto a piece of parchment a fact they believe to be true about an event which has happened in their lifetime. Usually the event is of some historical importance. The statement is written in the present tense and though often descriptive, the statement is somewhat vague and never includes specific details such as a year, names of individuals, or names of kingdoms.
For example, the caster might scribe: "The kingdom in the east sends an assassin to kill the heir to the kingdom in the north. The assassin arrives on a night after the full moon and slips poison into the prince's dinner."
Or: "The battle that determines the outcome of the war between the southern and northern kingdoms is fought at the site of the oldest tree on the continent."
The caster does not have control over what information they write, but they do see it. Once the statement is written, the parchment rolls itself into a scroll. When the incantation is complete, the scroll unfurls, revealing a statement retrieved from the missive jar.

Material Component: A slip of parchment, and writing utensil.

[DracoDei]

I have come up with a few spells over the years that were of an "Everyday utility" sort, feel free to try your hand at converting them to Incantations (or maybe I will actually read up on the rules for those and convert them myself).

Here are the ones I think are appliable:
Air Swim: The duration on this is long enough that if you cast it just before leaving the water it can give you enough time to get your trading (or raiding?) done before it wears off if you don't have to go far.



Raise Legion: Multi-target version of Raise Dead.


Heir's Teleportation: Magical Ceasarian Section.

Inoculation equivalents: Like it says on the thread title "An Ounce of Prevention is worth a Pound of Cure". The higher levels of this will can allow a few casters to halt the spread non-magical plagues dead... careful you don't make it TOO good if you plan to have plagues as a plot-device since it won't be limited by spell slots. Moderately expensive material components recommended.

EDIT: On second thought, THIS may be relevant.

[Volthawk]

Well, I had this stored from a while ago, when I was fiddling with incantations:

Firestorm Apotheosis
Transmutation
Effective Level: 4th
Skill Check: Knowledge (arcana) DC 24 4 successes, Knowledge (the planes) DC 24 4 successes
Failure: Caster dies
Components: V, S, XP, B
Casting Time: 60 minutes
Range: Touch
Target or Targets: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (often harmless, save DC 14+Cha)
Spell Resistance: Yes
This incantation takes a combination of flames, both from the sun above and the Elemental Plane of Fire, and infuses them both in the target, which has to be a Medium Humanoid, bonded by some of all the caster’s life force, changing it into a Medium Fire Elemental. The target has to be a Medium Humanoid, and if the target Is unwilling, it has to helpless. This incantation can only be cast in direct sunlight, and needs 4 secondary casters. If the spell succeeds, all of the casters take 4d6 backlash damage, 1 negative level, and are exhausted. If the incantation fails, the caster dies, immolated by the flames the incantation brings.
XP cost: 1,000 XP

[begooler]

@DracoDei: Thanks for volunteering these ideas. I think soon I'll crunch Raise Legion, fluffed as a utility for armies, as well as Heir's Transportation, because you can't get more idiosyncratic that a c-section.

@Volt: Yey, crazy things that only crazy cultists would want to do. Nice.

[Yora]

I think Shadow Walk and Plane Shift would make much better incantations than spells.

[DracoDei]

I am not promising I will do this, but could you use something for inducing lactation for cases where the mother dies in childbirth, and there isn't a naturally occurring (for a lack of a better word) wet nurse available?

[DiBastet]

This would be a strange yet very flavorful incantation. However I'm infatuated with fey, I would make it a wooden idol that gives milk, however it's fey's milk, and the cild will be fey-touched. Better that than let the newborn die, I believe, in the eyes of the now-alone father...

[DracoDei]

This would be a strange yet very flavorful incantation. However I'm infatuated with fey, I would make it a wooden idol that gives milk, however it's fey's milk, and the cild will be fey-touched. Better that than let the newborn die, I believe, in the eyes of the now-alone father...

Depending on what Fey-touched means (I don't have every book...) it sounds like something that ambitious parents might give the kid a drink or two from (after the novelty of nursing wears off for the mother...) just to give him or her an edge...
Then again I tend to GM rather ruthlessly practical, not very superstitious worlds.

[begooler]

Okay. This is going in a strange direction...

Heir's Teleportation
Conjuration (Teleportation)
Effective Level: 4th
Skill Check: Heal DC 22, 4 checks
Secondary Casters: Mother, who does not need to make additional skill checks. (If target is birthed from an unintelligent creature or object, a secondary caster is not needed.)
Backlash: 1d2-1 damage (to mother, egg, or cocoon)
Failure: A horrifically messy mis-teleportation occurs, dealing 2d6 damage to both mother (egg or cocoon) and child (hatched creature or larvae.)
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 10 minutes between checks
Range: Touch (the mother, egg, cocoon, etc)
Target: 1 unborn, unhatched, or cocooned creature. More creatures may be targeted with the same casting, increasing the DC by 5 per additional creature.
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will Negates (Harmless) for mother** (if any), None for target.
Spell Resistance: Yes (Technically Harmless, but assume the baby doesn't have the understanding to lower its SR)

This spell safely and healthily* teleports the target to any location within 10' and safely deals with the removal of the placenta (if any) if there isn't a twin using it. The caster must maintain contact for the Touch requirement of the spell for the entire casting time.

*Meaning if someone uses this spell on an emerging (monstrous) butterfly that normally needs the pressure of laboriously squeezing its way out of its cocoon to force fluid into its wings the caster ISN'T dooming it to a life of flightlessness.

** Or father for anthropomorphic sea-horses, or parent for asexual budders, or... well you get the idea.

Spell, Heir's Teleportation created by DracoDei


Arborean Nursemaid
Conjuration (Creation)
Effective Level: 6th
Skill Check: Know Nature DC 26 , 6 checks
Backlash: Caster is exhausted
Failure: Beneficial effects, as well as transformation into a feytouched, still occur. However, upon a failed casting, the milk produced by the effigy always transforms the infant into a hideously deformed version of a feytouched creature. If two checks fail by more than ten, the branch withers and rots instead of becoming a doll.
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 hour between checks
Range: Touch
Target: Branch from a tree, from a grove inhabited by a dryad.
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None.
Spell Resistance: None.
Material Component: Branch from a tree, from a grove inhabited by a dryad.

Effect: The target branch becomes a doll-like effigy of a dryad, which produces milk that is nourishing to infants of the humanoid, monstrous humanoid, or giant subtype who are under one year old. The doll produces enough milk to sustain one infant for a day every 24 hours. This can allow an infant to survive without its mother or another wet-nurse until it can be weened. By the point in time that the infant is weened, it is transformed into a feytouched. (See Fiend Folio, pg 71.) The creature retains any subtypes it had. Feytouched have one racial hit die, and a level adjustment of +1. This transformation occurs when the child is weened, regardless of whether or not it nursed from the Arborean Nursemaid for the entirety of its infancy. After no child nurses from the doll for two full weeks, it withers and becomes useless.





Moving on... I think Plane Shift is a great idea, Yora. Each incantation should take you to a very specific place in the planes after completing an appropriately flavored ritual.

[DracoDei]

Okay. This is going in a strange direction...

Yeah, but you can't tell me that these wouldn't be of much more interest to most people than something for summoning 2d10 dretches or something... good for helping the PCs feel like they aren't the only people who count in the game-world.

But yeah, go ahead and move on, not sure even I would want to see more such things.

[begooler]

But yeah, go ahead and move on, not sure even I would want to see more such things.

Strange direction, but I didn't mean bad direction. I'm thinking maybe something for crops next?

[DiBastet]

A poor-man version of that druid spell that makes the harvest better would be very obvious and good.

Another thing, something that happenns a lot in my games, something about broken bones. Mostly because a spell to fix it is too high level, and it's something that without magic may be very very hard to fix.

The nursing incantation is awesome. My children will love it.

[begooler]

My players are currently trying to rid a city of a demon infestation, and with the current resources they have, they're a little bit stuck with the following problems:

-Trapping incorporeal creatures before they run away through ground and other solid objects.
-Locating where demons (which may be in incorporeal form, possessing objects or people or shapechanged) are hiding.
-Figuring out how to 'cure' humans that have been partially transformed into demons and who remained transformed after being exorcised.

I'm working on ideas for incantations they might be able to find to help with these issues, but I want this exercise to revolve around puzzles and problem solving, so I am hoping to make some incantations that may not have originally have been scribed for the purposes they are using them for.

Anyone have good ideas for premises for these incantations? I want them to have a history behind them relating to their original usage.

[begooler]

Cosmetic Transmogrification
Transmutation
Effective Level: 6th

Profession Surgeon* DC 24, 6 checks; Heal DC 24 1 check
Failure: The transmutation fails, additionally the target may contract Red Ache (Fort DC 15.) One half of the material components are also wasted.
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 hour per modifier to difficulty (see difficulty modifiers below)
Range: Touch
Target: Living Creature
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Material Component: Flesh from various types of oozes. (500gp)

Modifiers to Difficulty:
add/remove hair +1
change skin and hair color +0
change skin texture +0
reshape or repair bone structure +2
reshape or repair facial features +1
add or remove muscle or fat +2
grow taller or shorter +3
change size category +10 per category (cumulative with above)
emulate another race +3 (cumulative with other changes)

Effect:
The caster skillfully transforms the subject's appearance to become more attractive or perhaps more grotesque, depending on the caster's desires and cultural norms.

*A caster with the Craft (any) skill can emulate this skill with a difficulty of +10
*A caster with the Use Magic Device skill can emulate this skill with a difficulty of +5