The Color of Magic was an excellent article from Dragon Magazine issue no. 200 by Dan Joyce. I particularly liked it because it showed how the real game isn’t about rules and dice rolling–it’s about story and wonder. It explained how the mechanics of various spells (do damage, heal, improve AC, etc.) are really all the same, it’s how the spells are perceived that make the real difference. Additionally, I have found it a useful technique to tweak certain spells that seem “broken” for a particular campaign.

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First of all, this system may seem a little complex at first, but try to read it and see where it’s going. If it’s too much, simplify to suit your needs, but try to keep game balance (either through the rules, or through who obtains chi powers).

Chi (Ki) Powers

Chi powers increase by (level – level_you_learned_power)/2

Chi powers is an ability added for OD&D, providing much of the same kinds of ideas that psionics/sorcerors do. As psionics in D&D3, chi powers are considered to be equivalent of magic and are subject to similar restrictions (dispelled by dispel magic, cancelled by anti-magic, blocked by anti-magic shell, etc).

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First Level

1. Cure Light Wounds (Cleric 1)
2. Detect Danger
3. Faerie Fire
4. Locate
5. Predict Weather
6. Purify Food and Water (Cleric 1)

Second Level

1. Heat Metal
2. Obscure
3. Produce Fire
4. Snake Charm (Cleric 2)
5. Speak With Animal (Cleric 2)
6. Warp Wood

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First Level

1. Charm Person (MU 1)
2. Detect Magic (MU 1)
3. Light (MU 1)
4. Locate (Druid 1)
5. Predict Weather (Druid 1)
6. Read Languages (MU 1)
7. Read Magic (MU 1)

Second Level

1. Continual Light (MU 2)
2. Detect Evil (MU 2)
3. Entangle (MU 2)
4. ESP (MU 2)
5. Locate Object (MU 2)
6. Obscure (Druid 2)
7. Warp Wood (Druid 2)

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Originally published by March 2001, the Priest’s Codex contains a collection of custom spells created by authors at Heroes Only. All of these spells have been used and tested within the gaming environment, but of course you should consider their effects on your own campaign before adopting them.

This list of spells is updated from time to time, with the “last modified” timestamp appearing at the end of the article. (more…)

Originally published by February 2001, the Wizard’s Codex contains a collection of custom spells created by authors at Heroes Only. All of these spells have been used and tested within the gaming environment, but of course you should consider their effects on your own campaign before adopting them.

This list of spells is updated from time to time, with the “last modified” timestamp appearing at the end of the article. (more…)