Inventing New Spells is Much harder than this, but several good ideas
Spell Creation
Overview
When a sorcerer reaches 11th level he or she becomes a Wizard. At this point he has achieved a major goal in his studies and is viewed by his peers to be accomplished and competent, able to use magic and – more importantly – able to make his mark on the universe. At this level he can create spells. The process is detailed below; at each stage it is put into character and player context.
The Mechanics
The Wizard starts with an idea, usually a magical solution to a problem he has encountered or simply "If only I could do that!" He develops the idea by study or continued practice. Then he finds a means to fund the new spell (usually in the form of magic or monetary value). Next comes the actual process of making the spell.
The Idea + Development + Funding/Sacrifice + Spell Creation
The Idea
The first stage of the Spell Creation process starts with the Wizard’s imagination, the seed of an idea that he hopes to turn into a spell. This usually begins with the Wizard wanting to find a solution to some problem or simply the ambition to create Thruurg’s Unholy Underpants and leave your mark on the game.
From the Player: The player must now write down the proposed spell in detail using the normal format (spell level, casting time, duration etc) and write down a detailed description of effects and special abilities. Then he must submit it to the DM.
From the DM: I will modify the spell as I see fit (this is where the arguments start), so when Steve creates a first level spell that makes him invulnerable to all weapons and attack forms I will adjust the effects slightly. Game balance is important so I will be fairly critical of any attempts to upset that. Remember: I will invoke the Page One Players Handbook rule when necessary.
Development
The next stage is the development of your new spell. To get to this stage means that your spell has been verified and or modified by the DM and the Wizard must now do the necessary research to create it. In game terms it is easier to create a spell in an academy than it is in the middle of the desert. The table below reflects the modifiers for research locations:
Place of Research Modifier Research Times
Major Academy +25% d6 days + spell level
Minor Academy +20% d4 days + spell level
Major Library +15% d4 days + spell level
Minor Library +10% spell level in days
Mage Advice +10% spell level in days
Archmage Advice +20% spell level in days
Insufficient Funding -30%
Spell Book* +10%
Influential help** +10% minimum 1 day contact
Self practise +10% spell level in days
* A wizard’s spell book is a vital resource full of notes and spells that will give the sorcerer pointers to spell creation.
** Influential help such as a god, a powerful demon, a suitable wise creature from another plane.
Research Times – this is the calculated time (in days) that the wizard must spend to attain the modifier. So if the Wizard wanted to create a second level spell and was friendly with a mage he would have to spend 2 days chatting and discussing the new spell to get the bonus.
Please Note: The research times above is not a requirement to creating a spell but it does give you a handy modifier when it comes to the crunch (see Spell Creation later). There are some spells that can be self-researched, for example a Wizard who wants to enhance his parry skill with a weapon does not have to research in an academy because he already has the parry skill…it then becomes a matter of practice. As a general rule self practice is equal to one day per level of spell created.
Funding or Sacrifice
There is a cost when creating a spell. It can be either a financial or magical cost that the Wizard must expend in order to have a chance to create it. The table below details the monetary value of the various spell level; of course it does not have to be money. Magical items have a value (the Evaluate skill comes in handy here) and can be used (or sacrificed) in order to attain the new spell. Please Note: any monetary or magical sacrifice will disappear irrespective of whether the spell creation succeeds or not.
Level of Spell Approx Value
1st level 100 gp
2nd level 300 gp
3rd level 1,000 gp
4th level 1,500 gp
5th level 3,000 gp
6th level 4,500 gp
7th level 6,000 gp
8th level 8,500 gp
9th level 10,000 gp
Please Note: Demons summoned into weapons or items do not count as value when it comes to sacrificing items. They cannot be used in the spell creation process.
Spell Creation
And now we come to the final process. When you have successfully completed the first three elements you are ready to create the spell itself. A successful roll at this stage will result in Thruurg’s Unholy Underpants becoming part of the game and therefore available to all other sorcerers. The actual process of creating the new spell creates a distinctive ‘slot’ in the Layers of Magic that when completed can be seen and accessed by every other sorcerer.
Labelling the new spell is important. I won’t accept Steve’s Invulnerability Cloak but I will accept Blant’s Invulnerability Cloak. I’m sure you can see where I’m coming from with this…I still have nightmares about Bigby!
The mechanics are as follows:
It takes one day of solid work per level of spell to be created. (One day for 1st level, two days for 2nd level etc). This is for the purposes of game balance; a Wizard has already spent a lot of time working on the spell and the time constraints of the game make it difficult to spend too much on spell creation.
Assuming you have completed all the necessary steps you are ready to make the roll. This role occurs at the end of the creation process and, if successful, the new spell is made. If unsuccessful the whole process must start again.
The Roll:
Caster’s Current Level x2 + Caster’s Intelligence + Research Modifiers = New Spell
For example: Blant tries to create a 2nd level spell and seeks advice from the Major Academy of magic in Rosengrad. It will take him 2 days and his chance would be:
Blant’s Lvl (x2) + Int + Modifier
22 + 18 + 25 = 65%
