Creating New Spells

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Creating New Spells

naked samurai 12 Nov 2025 19:39

We used to have rules about creating new spells — requiring carousing in terms of time and money, if I recall.

The Cleric spell list is fairly parsimonious, and Audrey's spell list includes some spells we must have created before. These include:

Sanctuary. (Much as the AD&D version, cast on a party member. Foes must roll a save vs. spells in order to attack that character. If the character attacks, the spell ends.)

Sanctuary Ward. (I have no idea what this means. It's higher level and I can only guess it's a Sanctuary spell affecting more than one character. I'm fine with jettisoning this one.)

Dispel Magic. (This is a magic-user spell, but I must have researched it as a Cleric spell at some point.)

Re: Creating New Spells

naked samurai 12 Nov 2025 19:43

Verily, I am interested in creating a new spell or two. I have a few ideas, mostly versions of porting in Cleric spells from related systems, like Prayer, and things related to Seff's Valkyrie-like dominion, like lightning strikes, doom spells, or even summoning a minor elemental. The 3rd level in the Cleric spell book is particularly awful.

Do we remember how to do this? I believe the costs involved the character sitting out sessions equal to spell level plus an outlay of gold per spell level?

Re: Creating New Spells

Quendalon 14 Dec 2025 01:21

Hey there! Sorry I missed this. I'll try to keep an eye out for new posts going forward.

The old spell research rules are still around and can be found here: http://redbox.wikidot.com/spell-research

They were meant for magic-users, but I don't see any reason not to let other spellcasting classes do research as well.

No idea what Sanctuary Ward was. What level was it?

Other new spells are on the table; let me know when you want to research one and we can discuss details.

Re: Creating New Spells

naked samurai 06 Mar 2026 21:41

For Castlemoss, the Elf… I have enough ducats to try to learn Web. There are enough spellcasters from the Company dirtying up the place that I figure someone might be able to guide him?

For Audrey…

Sanctuary Ward was 3rd level, but I don't know what it did, exactly. Presumably a multiple-target possibility for the first level spell Sanctuary (essentially same as AD&D), but I don't know if that makes sense. I figure we may just erase it.

New spells possibility:

Prayer (3rd level). Importing it from AD&D, more or less, it's basically a Chant spell that doesn't need to be concentrated upon.

In AD&D (1st and 2nd Edition), Prayer is a 3rd-level cleric spell with a 6-segment casting time, lasting 1 round/level within a 60 ft radius. It grants allies +1 to hit, damage, and saving throws while imposing -1 penalties on enemies. Unlike Chant, the caster can move and take other actions.
Level: 3rd-level
Effect: Allies gain +1, Enemies suffer -1 (attacks, damage, saves).
Area of Effect: 60 ft radius.
Duration: 1 round per level of the caster.

Ideas:

- The third level Cleric spells are a bit odd, as they are mostly spells curing some condition (Curse, Poison, etc.) that are unlikely to individually be memorized before an adventure. I'm teething on something like Supplication, where Audrey bids to Seff to access one of those spells if she makes a Wisdom check. This would act as using a 3rd Level spell to access one of those contingency spells during an adventure rather than waiting to use it until after.

- Thinking of something similar to Animate Dead where she bids the spirits to commit themselves to battle on Seff's behalf, to be released with a credit to their afterlives for their service. These would act as ethereal versions of Animate Dead, not using their actual bodies, and have a duration rather than being permanent (as per AD&D).

- A variation would be something like Aura of Dread, which casts a field of doom and dread over enemies, causing a slowing of movement speed and penalty to AC.

Overall, I'm aiming to get more options into the Level 3 tier of the Cleric spellbook, which is a bit desultory and not totally useful in terms of actual adventuring.

Re: Creating New Spells

naked samurai 06 Mar 2026 21:43

One option for Sanctuary Ward could be that it protects a randomized number of targets from attacks, as per a Sanctuary spell, but only if they are under a certain level, say level 4. A sort of 'bless the beasts and children' sort of protection if things go really south.

Re: Creating New Spells

Quendalon 08 Mar 2026 05:15

For Castlemoss, if none of the Company's members step forward to teach him the web spell, Roland's retainer Vivienne Duquesne will offer to do so for a small fee. "I have only just mastered the spell myself," she says with a thin smile, "so the process is still fresh in my mind."

Re: Creating New Spells

Quendalon 08 Mar 2026 06:01

Looking at AD&D possibilities for third level Cleric spells:

• Prayer seems perfectly fine to me, albeit a bit of a nuisance to keep track of.
• Negative Plane Protection and Remove Paralysis are answers to problems that party members have specifically called out as troublesome.
• Cure Blindness/Deafness, Speak with Dead, and Water Walk are generally practical to have around.

spells curing some condition (Curse, Poison, etc.) that are unlikely to individually be memorized before an adventure

Note that poison will typically kill a PC during the course of an adventure, long before the party has a chance to return home, rest, and memorize new spells. So Neutralize Poison needs to be memorized individually before an adventure if it is to be of actual use. (Some diseases and curses will also kill PCs during the adventure, directly or indirectly, so the relevant curative spells are also useful things to memorize before an adventure.)

Re: Creating New Spells

naked samurai 11 Mar 2026 20:29

Let me move past the above. Here are some clearer ideas, based pretty solidly in existing Cleric spells (across editions). These would be ideas for 3rd level spells:

Daylight

Range: 60 feet
Duration: 1 hour + 1 turn/level of spellcaster

This spell causes everything within a 60-foot radius to be lit as if in bright dazzling day, and then dimmer light for another 60 feet (closer to late afternoon light). The center of the spell can be the caster or at any point within sight. If cast on an object, the effect travels with the item.

The dazzling light does not blind or otherwise have any immediately negative effect, although nasties not used to such light may be bothered. Any darkness caused by a magical spell (or otherwise) of level 3 or less will be dispelled for the duration of the spell.

Smite

Range: Cleric's weapon (melee only)
Duration: Until next successful melee attack

This spell sheathes the cleric's handheld weapon with scintillating, awesome might. The next successful attack will cause an additional 2d6 points of damage, with an additional 1d12 if the target is undead or demonic/devil, plus an additional 1d6 per two cleric levels.

Aura of Doom

Range: 150 feet
Duration: 1 turn

A cross between a druid's Spike Growth and Plant Growth, though with dissimilar causes. The cleric causes forces of ancient and inimical battle dread to sprout in the affected area. Almost invisible hands and claws clutch and grab at legs, shields, and bodies, slowing all enemies to half movement. Said enemies may elect to travel at full speed through the aura at the cost of 1d4 points of damage per five feet traveled.

Re: Creating New Spells

Quendalon 12 Mar 2026 05:55

Daylight looks fine as is.

Smite is overpowered for B/X, which (along with AD&D 1e/2e) gives clerics very little access to damage-dealing spells. An 8th level cleric's mace is getting off a 7d6 smite, which will kill a lot of targets outright. Compare this to the 2d6+2 damage from cause serious wounds, a fourth-level spell. (Although cause serious wounds is generally weaker than striking in practice; I'm thinking of allowing the cause wounds spells to hit the target's unarmored AC to make them more useful.)

I would most likely approve a third-level version of smite that only works against undead and demons, though I'd want to tinker with the numbers.

For Aura of Doom, "make it harder for monsters to attack the party" is solidly a clerical niche. I'd allow a spell that focused on implementing that, without trying to reskin druid spell effects for the cleric. (In general, I won't use druid spells as a yardstick for cleric spells. They are different classes in AD&D with distinct mechanics.)

I would most likely approve a third-level version of this spell — call it something like rebuff — that specifically halves enemies' movement toward the caster, without the damaging effect. (This also leaves room for a reversed version that only halves enemies' movement while moving away, as "cut down fleeing enemies more easily" fits neatly into the "evil cleric spell" category.)

Re: Creating New Spells

naked samurai 13 Mar 2026 14:58

I'll put Smite aside for now. I like the idea of Audrey acting as a vengeful paladin at least for a moment, taking on the aspect of a valkyrie — who lives and who dies. The original I drew from is horribly powerful, so I toned it down, but probably not enough. I was thinking the cost of getting into melee range for a successful hit, plus the large variance in damage, might work as balance. She doesn't do a lot of damage with melee attacks in general.

For Aura of Doom. My original thought was something like a Slow spell that affected enemies, so that tracks pretty well. I did like the lore idea of spirits of valor or whatever reaching out to slow the foes down. From this came the idea of physical damage if enemies tried to press through the impediments. It just sounded cool. I might have oversold it being linked to a Druid spell.

Finally, for the Sanctuary Ward spell that I had and no longer remember what it did. I'm sure it's an expanded version of the 1st level Sanctuary spell, i.e. enemies need to make a savings throw in order to attack the affected party member. If the party member attacks first, the spell is purged. Basically, a way to help a vulnerable ally get out of harm. My bid for a Sanctuary Ward spell is that it affects a certain hit dice of party members (selected by the Cleric). This would make it likelier to help low level troops, the babies of the bunch, if things go bad.

So… something like 3d4 levels are affected. To help any single ally (of any level), use Sanctuary. To possibly help hirelings and any others, spread it around as it were, use Sanctuary Ward?

Last edited on 13 Mar 2026 15:00 by naked samurai Show more

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