New Spell: Expeditious Magic

Expeditious Magic
Level: Cleric 6; Magic-user 7
Range: Self
Duration: 1 round / 2 levels
This spell causes other spells cast by the caster to take less time to invoke. The Initiative adjustment of spells cast are cut in half (round fractions down) while this spell is in effect.

Guardian of Faith

Guardian of Faith

Spell Level: Cleric 2

Range: 30 ft

Duration: 1 hour / level

When this prayer is uttered, the Cleric calls a minor servant of his Deity. The servant then guards an area of 30 ft in radius around the target point of the spell. If any creature moves into the protected area and is not an ally of the Cleric (the Cleric can designate who may move freely in and out of the area), a glowing knight of the Cleric’s faith appears before the intruder and attacks him as a 4 HD monster. If the guardian hits, the intruder must make a Toughness saving throw or be paralyzed for 1d6+4 rounds. In any event, once the Guardian is activated, the spell ends and the Cleric is made aware of the intruder. 

Nimbus of Saints*

Nimbus of Saints*

Spell Level: Cleric 3

Range: Self

Duration: 1 turn

When cast, a halo of light (or darkness) forms over the Cleric’s head. For the spell’s duration, any healing spell cast within 10 ft of the Cleric (including his own) gain an extra die.

The reverse of this spell, Nimbus of Darkness, causes any reversed healing spell that inflicts damage cast within 10 ft of the Anti-cleric (including his own) to gain an extra die.

New Cleric Spell - Undeath to Death

Undeath to Death

Spell Level: Cleric 3

Range: Self

Duration: Instant

When the Cleric holds his holy symbol aloft and utters the prayers of his Deity, a wave of divine energy issues forth. All undead in a 30 ft radius of the Cleric suffers 1d4 points of damage per caster level (maximum of 10d4), with a Toughness saving throw allowed for half damage. Any undead of HD under half the Cleric’s level that are killed are turned to dust.

More uses for Spell Slots in a Vancian World

I don't know about all gamers or other people's games, but from playing D&D for over 30 years I know this has happened to me more than a few times...my favorite class are Magic-users (Wizards, Arcanists, Arcane Spellcasters, however you want to call them). Being that 1st level noob to the career is always fun when you find ways to make your cantrips last, load up on normal gear and find interesting ways to use a wet bedroll, 10 ft of rope and a 10 ft pole to confound your enemies and amaze your friends. To say the least, having a vancian spell casting system makes you think hard not only in spell selection, but how to survive without spells too.

There comes a time though, if your lucky and smart, where you reach the level when your character is ready for the heady power of a 2nd level spell...and you don't have any. Back in the day the Referees I've played under have run the gamut from 'tough luck' to allowing the use of the spell slot for lower level spells and adding some wild effects. In more recent years I've toyed with the extra effects for using a higher powered slot for lower level spells. When 3e came out it provided more of a template for what those slots can do (via Metamagic feats). Now don't turn your nose up Gentle Reader! While 3e may have been a departure from D&D (only in my own humble opinion) it took alot of things from what WAS in many homegrown D&D campaigns. So presented here is one such retro system that grants more felxability to those spell casters that may be suffering from a small spell selection, hopefully allowing them to remain useful for their party.

As a side note, we've allowed this for all spellcasting classes (including Clerics). While it might not seem like much use, it is impressive when a Cleric uses a 4th level slot to make a Cure Light Wounds spell into a range 30ft magic that increases the healing done by +50% and can be cast even while silenced, allowing him to keep an ally on his feet that's in melee while he guards the Magic-user.

Mixing Spell Slots

If a player wishes to do so, he may use higher level spell slots to memorize lower level spells by exchanging the slots (not the spell’s level vs the spell slot level used to memorize it) on a 1-for-1 basis. For example, an Arcanist (3rd level Magic-user) could use his 2nd level spell slot to memorize a 1st or 2nd level spell if he desired to.

If a spell is memorized in a slot 1 level higher than normal the caster can apply one of the following effects:

·          Increase the base duration of a spell by 50%.

·          Inflict a -2 penalty on saving throws against the spell’s effect.

·          Increase the range of a spell by 50% or give a touch spell a range of 30 ft.

·          Remove the need to use somatic (gestures) or the need to recite the spell’s chant to cast.

If a spell is memorized in a slot 2 levels higher than normal, the caster can apply one of the following effects:

·          Apply any 2 separate effects from above.

·          Change the area of area effect spells to a cone, cube or diameter of the same size.

·          Increase all dice effects of a spell by 50%.

·          If the spell deals elemental (Cold, Fire or Lightning) damage, change it to another element.

·          Inflict a -3 penalty on saving throws against the spell’s effect.

If a spell is memorized in a slot 3 levels higher than normal, the caster can apply one of the following effects:

·          Apply any 2 separate effects from above.

·          Double the area of effect.

·          Increase all dice effects of a spell by 100%.

·          Increase the range of a spell by 100% or give a touch spell a range of 60 ft.

·          Inflict a -4 penalty on saving throws against the spell’s effect.

New Spell - Empowered Turning

Empowered Turning
Cleric 2
Range: Self
Duration: 48 turns (8 hours)

Upon casting this spell, the Cleric infuses more holy power into his Turning attempts. For the spell's duration, the character's Turn Undead checks gains a bonus equal to half the character's Cleric level (to a maximum of +4) and the number Hit Dice affected increases by +50%.

Hit Points as Real Damage, Part II

In the last post, small changes to how healing worked were introduced into the current system of Onn and in general any retro- or oldschool-style game. I say small, but also far reaching due to the fact that hit points are a central part of the game, as is their loss and recovery.

Damage and Death is the way hit points are lost (obviously). Individual Referees may desire to come up with systems of their own to simulate the declining health of an adventurer as they lose hit points, but for the scope of Onn, the fact they are getting so close to death is enough for this one.

If a character is reduced to 0 hit points exactly, he is unconscious but stable. If left alone long enough, the character may recover or die on his own (Referees are free to adjucate this to what best fits their game).

Under 0 hit points, a character is considered dying from internal and/or external damage. Each round the character rolls a Toughness saving throw with his negative hit point total applied as a penalty to the roll. If he fails the roll he takes an additional point of damage; suceeding the roll places him stable at 0 hit points.

Characters reaching a negative hit point total equal to their maximum 1st level hit points are dead.

If a character heals naturally or is magically healed back to positive hit points, he suffers a -4 penalty to all die rolls until he has a full day of rest.

Natural Healing is the most often neglected recovery method of hit points. In worlds where magical healing is available, natural recovery is often moot or all but forgotten. Characters regain their Constitution's Natural Healing rate for each day of rest. Rest is considered non-stressful activity (equipment upkeep, foraging, small game hunting, sitting around or praying/studying, etc) no matter where the character is. Adventurers don't need a warm bed and cushy settings to be considered resting (though of course it is the most preferred!).

Now, if a character spends 2 weeks in a civilized location and comfortable while under the care of another tending to him, he regains full hit points at the end of the 2 week period regardless of how hurt he is.

Fast Healing is a weaker form of regeneration (that all-too-familiar property of Trolls). Characters with Fast Healing heal the indicated rate regardless of their activity level until they reach 0 hit points...at that point the body is too damaged to continue to repair itself.

Magical Healing is the most common form of healing adventurers encounter. The 4 healing spells Clerics, Druids, Divine Champions and Rangers have access to in the World of Onn would look like so:

Cure Light Wounds*

Spell Level: Cleric/Druid, 1st Level

Range: Touch

Duration: Instant

Immediately cures wounds on the target equal to 1 point, plus the target's natural healing rate. Optionally, this spell can remove paralysis but when cast in this fashion no damage is cured.

An evil reversal of this spell allows an Anti-cleric to cause light wounds for 1+1d6 damage if he successfully strikes the victim with a +2 bonus on the ‘to-hit’ roll.

Cure Serious Wounds*

Spell Level: Cleric/Druid, 4th Level

Range: Touch

Duration: Instant

Immediately cures wounds on the target equal to 4 points, plus double the dice of the target’s natural healing rate. Optionally, this spell can remove paralysis, cure blindness or deafness but when cast in one of these fashions no damage is cured.

An evil reversal of this spell allows an Anti-cleric to cause 4+2d6 points of damage if he successfully strikes the victim with a +2 bonus on the ‘to-hit’ roll.

Healing Circle*

Spell Level: Cleric/Druid, 5th Level

Range: Self

Duration: Instantaneous

This spell heals the caster and all allies in a 10 ft radius around the caster of 4 points, plus double the target’s natural healing rate. Optionally, this spell can remove paralysis, cure blindness or deafness in an ally at the caster’s desire, but when these maladies are removed only 1 point, plus the target’s natural healing rate are cured for that individual.

An evil reversal of this spell allows an Anti-cleric to cause a circle of wounds inflicting 4+2d6 points of damage to all enemies in a 10 ft radius around the caster.

 

Cure Critical Wounds*

Spell Level: Cleric/Druid, 7th Level

Range: Touch

Duration: Instant

Immediately cures wounds on the target equal to 16 points, plus quadruple the target’s natural healing rate. Optionally, this spell can remove paralysis, cure blindness or deafness but when cast in one of these fashions no damage is cured.

An evil reversal of this spell allows an Anti-cleric to cause 16+4d6 points of damage if he successfully strikes the victim with a +2 bonus on the ‘to-hit’ roll.

Divine Arcana

Divine Arcana
Spell Level: Cleric, 7th Level
Range: Self
Duration: 6 turns

When cast, the Cleric gains understanding in how to activate the functions of magical items restricted to arcane spellcasters of all classes. This allows the Cleric to cast arcane spells of 1st through 3rd level from scrolls and to be able activate and make the use of magic items normally restricted to the arcane classes.

Minor Restoration

Shadows have the ability to temporarily drain its victim's Strength score. This creature ability has existed in D&D and its retro-clones from almost Day 1. What is missing though is a way to combat the draining of such creatures or heal this damage. Thus, new to Onn (and your own D&D or S&W game) is a healing spell capable of remeding this situation:

Minor Restoration
Spell Level: Cleric, 4th Level
Range: Touch
Duration: Immediate

When cast, the recipient is healed of all of the temporary ability damage to a single ability score (such as the Strength drained by a Shadow). If the recipient has been affected by some form of unnatural, permanent ability drain the caster can choose instead to restore a single point permanently lost by the recipient with a 25% chance of success, plus his Wisdom and Level.

Divine Disciple

Several times in my games players of Clerics have asked if they could use the holy energy of 'turn undead' to accomplish other things. In 3rd edition, this is commonly encouraged by the taking of various 'divine feats'. Since Onn uses no such 'modern' system, I've winged it and allowed various (minor) effects from time to time, since in my estimation, a Deity provides what (it) feels his faithful needs to accomplish their tasks of providing worship and attracting prestige, wealth and new followers.

Since Onn only allows for limited turning attempts in a single day (2 to 5, based on the Cleric's Wisdom adjustment), I thought a spell appropriate to define what else a Cleric can do with this ability. The effects are minor, especially since it effectively allows for a variance of effects and grants additional powers to a powerful class already, but they are useful, especially to a Cleric of 3rd level or higher who has some spell slots to play with.

Divine Disciple
Spell Level: Cleric, 1st Level
Range: Self
Duration: 48 turns (8 hours)

Divine Sacrifice allows the Cleric to put the holy energy his Deity provides for his ability to Turn Undead to other uses. After this spell is cast the Cleric can choose what effect his use of each individual turn undead attempt will have (if he chooses not to actually turn the undead):

• All allies in the area of effect are healed 1 hit point (dying allies are treated as if they succeeded at their System Shock roll for the round).
• The Cleric can affect Demons and attempt to exorcise them as a Divine Champion, but at half his Cleric level.
• Clerical wards and sealing spells / effects can be destroyed with the same chances as dispel evil, but at half the Cleric’s level.
• A turn attempt can be used to augment a healing spell immediately cast after it, increasing the effect of the healing spell by +50%.

The Referee may decide that other uses may be possible as well, at his discretion.

Dispelling Chances

According to the rules, the caster of a Dispel Magic or Dispel Evil (and a handful of other spells that refer to the chance of success Dispel Magic uses, notably Remove Curse), has a percentage chance to dispel the magic against which they are faced. The chance for a successful Dispell attempt is 50%, +5% per level of the Dispeller, but -5% per level of the caster of the magic being diepelled. I created a simple chart for fast reference (covering levels 1-10 for posting purposes since tables sizes can run off of the visible area):

Dispel Magic Chance of Success

Spell Effect Caster Level

Dispeller Level	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
1st	50%	45%	40%	35%	30%	25%	20%	15%	10%	5%
2nd	55%	50%	45%	40%	35%	30%	25%	20%	15%	10%
3rd	60%	55%	50%	45%	40%	35%	30%	25%	20%	15%
4th	65%	60%	55%	50%	45%	40%	35%	30%	25%	20%
5th	70%	65%	60%	55%	50%	45%	40%	35%	30%	25%
6th	75%	70%	65%	60%	55%	50%	45%	40%	35%	30%
7th	80%	75%	70%	65%	60%	55%	50%	45%	40%	35%
8th	85%	80%	75%	70%	65%	60%	55%	50%	45%	40%
9th	90%	85%	80%	75%	70%	65%	60%	55%	50%	45%
10th	95%	90%	85%	80%	75%	70%	65%	60%	55%	50%

Clericy Magic Goodness

In trying to create a small, yet functionable spell list for the faithful of Onn I had to 'reel in' some of the ideas I have for the faiths and their roles. Clerics (and other classes that recieve divine spellcasting) should be generic at their core, so that playing a Cleric of one faith is as simple as playing one from another faith, mechanincally speaking. The player should be the one who brings their character's views into the game. Many people may disagree due to their real-world religious indoctrination, but professing the worship of a make believe deity is no worse for the soul in playing a game than doing so in real life. It's a game, leave your real views outside the gaming table because not everyone is going to agree where religious matters (imagined or imagined) are concerned, but everyone is there to have fun. I've gotten email from 2 'groups' (calling them organizations would be giving them credit they do not deserve) over the months, who consider themselves old school PRG'ers but feel the inclusion of any class that represents a false deity or idol is inherently evil and wanted to 'save my game' from becoming another in a long line of youth corrupting material by demanding that I remove all of the polythesic elements and represent the one 'true' divine spirit. I declined, several times in fact. So, as the World of Onn Core Rules nears I thought I would give those divine casters some love.

The final spell list for Clerics for Onn looks like this:

Level 1
1 Command
2 Cure Light Wounds*
3 Detect Evil
4 Detect Magic
5 Light
6 Protection from Evil
7 Purify Food and Drink*
8 Remove Fear*
9 Resist Cold
10 Shield of Faith

Level 2
1 Bless
2 Consecrate*
3 Enthrall
4 Find Traps
5 Hold Person
6 Resist Fire
7 Silence, 15 ft Radius
8 Snake Charm
9 Speak with Animals
10 Spiritual Weapon

Level 3
1 Aid
2 Animate Dead
3 Continual Light
4 Cure Disease*
5 Locate Object
6 Prayer
7 Remove Curse*
8 Speak with the Dead
9 Striking

Level 4
1 Create Water
2 Cure Serious Wounds*
3 Death Ward
4 Dimensional Window
5 Glyph of Warding
6 Neutralize Poison
7 Protection From Evil 10 ft. Radius
8 Speak With Plants
9 Sticks to Snakes

Level 5
1 Commune
2 Create Food
3 Dispel Evil
4 Finger of Death
5 Healing Circle*
6 Insect Plague
7 Quest
8 Raise Dead

Level 6
1 Animate Object
2 Blade Barrier
3 Conjure Animals
4 Find the Path
5 Regeneration
6 Speak with Monsters
7 Word of Recall

Healing Circle

A potent healing magic, for higher level Clerics and Druids to perform miracle or faith-based healing on Onn. This spell is compatible with the Swords & Wizardry and old-school Original, Basic or Expert level games as well:

Healing Circle*
Spell Level: Cleric, 5th Level
Range: Caster
Duration: Instantaneous

This spell heals the caster and all allies in a 10 ft radius around the caster of 2d6+2 points of damage. Optionally, this spell can remove paralysis, cure blindness or deafness in an ally at the caster’s desire, but when these maladies are removed only 1d6+1 points of damage are cured for that individual.
An evil reversal of this spell allows an Anti-cleric to cause a circle of wounds inflicting 2d6+2 points of damage to all in a 10 ft radius around the caster.

Spiritual Weapon

Sometimes even a Cleric needs to show the martial ability of his faith...

Spiritual Weapon
Spell Level: Cleric, 2nd Level
Range: 30 ft
Duration: 1 turn

Spiritual weapon creates a pale, ghostly weapon in the image of the favored weapon of the Cleric’s deity that will defend him by attacking any enemies within 30 ft the Cleric commands it to deal with. Regardless of the type of weapon created, the spiritual weapon attacks once per round as a Fighting-man equal to the Cleric’s level, inflicts 1d6 points of damage plus the Cleric’s Wisdom adjustment and can strike creatures as if a +2 magical and blessed weapon.

Cure Critical Wounds

I'm not a huge fan of the 'insta-heal' magics like the Heal and Cureall spells from AD&D and BECMI/RC D&D. Using the OD&D and B/X (and Swords & Wizardry) games as a guide, Cure Light Wounds is a 1st level spell, Cure Serious Wounds comes in at 4th level (+3 levels) and is double the effect and there are no other damage healing spells available. I thought this was a bit light though. Hence, Onn's version of Cure Critical Wounds is 7th level (+3 levels from Cure Serious Wounds) and is again double in effect.

Cure Critical Wounds*
Spell Level: Cleric, 7th Level
Range: Touch
Duration: Immediate

This spell cures 4d6+4 hit points of damage or can bring a dying character to 0 hit points and immediately heal 1d6+1 points of additional damage. Optionally, this spell can remove paralysis, cure blindness or deafness but when cast in one of these fashions no damage is cured.
An evil reversal of this spell allows an Anti-cleric to cause 4d6+4 points of damage if he successfully strikes the victim with a +2 bonus on the ‘to-hit’ roll.

Revised Spell: Bless

For Onn, I revised the Bless spell to provide more functionality for Clerics when facing Lower Planar monsters, aka Demons. Since my 'Paladin' class, the Divine Champion, uses the Clerical spell list as well, it made sense to grant a spell that can temporarily allow the recipient to combat the denizens of the Lower Planes without making a glut of spells that have merely one function but are totally related.

Bless
Spell Level: Cleric, 2nd Level
Range: Only upon a character or weapon not in melee combat.
Duration: 6 turns or 1 turn

This spell grants its recipient a +1 to attack rolls (and improves morale, if the recipient is not a player character). Alternatively, the caster may elect to affect a group of allies within 10 ft for a shorter duration. The recipient(s) cannot already be in melee combat when the spell is cast.

This spell can also be used to bless a weapon, granting it a +1 bonus to hit and giving it the blessed damage type, lasting 6 turns.