AD&D 2nd Edition

Everything I have for Second Edition

Tag Archives: Material


Friends

A friends spell causes the wizard to temporarily gain 2d4 points of Charisma. Intelligent creatures within the area of effect at the time the spell is cast must make immediate reaction checks based on the character’s new Charisma. Those with favorable reactions tend to be very impressed with the spellcaster and make an effort to be his friends and help him, as appropriate to the situation. Officious bureaucrats might decide to become helpful; surly gate guards might wax informative; attacking orcs might spare the caster’s life, taking him captive instead. When the spell wears off, the creatures realize that they have been influenced, and their reactions are determined by the DM. The components for this spell are chalk (or white flour), lamp-black (or soot), and vermilion applied to the face before casting the spell.

Find Familiar

This spell enables the caster to attempt to summon a familiar to act as his aide and companion. Familiars are typically small creature, such as cats, frogs, ferrets, crows, hawks, snakes, owls, ravens, toads, weasels, or even mice. A creature acting as a familiar can benefit a wizard, conveying its sensory powers to its master, conversing with him, and serving as a guard/scout/spy as well. A wizard can have only one familiar at a time, however, and he has no control over what sort of creature answers the summoning, if any at all come. The creature is always more intelligent than others of its type (typically by 2 or 3 intelligence points), and its bond with the wizard confers upon it an exceptionally long life. The wizard receives the heightened senses of his familiar, which grants the wizard a +1 bonus to all surprise die rolls. Normal familiars have 2-4 hit points plus 1 hit point per caster level, and an Armor Class of 7 (due to size, speed, etc).

The wizard has an empathic link with the familiar and can issue it mental commands at a distance of up to 1 mile. Note that empathic responses from the familiar are generally fairly basic – while able to communicate simple thoughts, theses are often overwhelmed by instinctual responses. Thus, a ferret familiar spying on a band of orcs in the woods might lose its train of thought upon sighting a mouse. Certainly its communications to its master would be tinged with fear of the “big ones” it was spying on! The caster cannot see through the familiar’s eyes.

If separated from the caster, the familiar loses 1 hit point each day, and dies if reduced to 0 hit points. When the familiar is in physical contact with its wizard, it gains the wizard’s saving throws against special attacks. If a special attack would normally cause damage, the familiar suffers no damage if the saving throw is successful and half damage if the saving throw is failed. If the familiar dies, the wizard must successfully roll an immediate system shock check or die. Even if he survives this check, the wizard loses 1 point from his Constitution when the familiar dies.

The power of the conjuration is such that it can be attempted but once per year. When the wizard decides to find a familiar, he must load a brass brazier with charcoal. When this is burning well, he adds 1,000 gp worth of incense and herbs. The spell incantation is then begun and must be continued until the familiar comes or the casting time is finished. The DM secretly determines all results. Note that most familiars are not inherently magical, nor does a dispel magic spell send them away. Deliberate mistreatment, failure to feed and care for the familiar, or continuous unreasonable demands have adverse effects on the familiar’s relationship with its master. Purposely arranging the death of one’s own familiar incurs great disfavor from certain powerful entities, with dire results.

D20 Roll
Familiar*
Sensory Powers
1-5 Cat, black Excellent night vision & superior hearing
6-7 Crow Excellent vision
8-9 Hawk Very superior distance vision
10-11 Owl Night vision equals human daylight vision, superior hearing
12-13 Toad Wide-angle vision
14-15 Weasel Superior hearing & very superior olfactory power
16-20 No familiar available within spell range
*The DM can substitute other small animals suitable to the area.

Enlarge

This spell causes instant growth of a creature or object, increasing both size and weight. It can be cast only upon a single creature (or a symbiotic or community entity) or upon a single object that does not exceed 10 cubic feet in volume per caster level. The object or creature must be seen to be affected. It grows by up to 10% per level of experience of the wizard, increasing this amount in height, width, and weight. All equipment worn or carried by a creature is enlarged by the spell. Unwilling victims are entitled to a saving throw vs. spell. A successful saving throw means the spell fails. If insufficient room is available for the desired growth, the creature or object attains the maximum possible size, bursting weak enclosures in the process, but it is constrained without harm by stronger materials – the spell cannot be used to crush a creature by growth.

Magical properties are not increased by this spell – a huge sword +1 is still only +1, a staff-sized wand is still only capable of its normal functions, a giant-sized potion merely requires a greater fluid intake to make its magical effects operate, etc. Weight, mass, and strength are affected, though. Thus, a table blocking a door would be heavier and more effective, a hurled stone would have more mass (and cause more damage), chains would be more massive, doors thicker, a thin line turned to a sizable, longer rope, and so on. A creature’s hit points, Armor Class, and attack rolls do not change, but damage rolls increase proportionately with size. For example, a fighter at 160% normal size hits with his long sword and rolls a 6 for damage. The adjusted damage roll is 10 (that is, 6 x 1.6=9.6, rounded up). Bonuses due to Strength, class, and magic are not altered.

The reverse spell, reduce, negates the enlarge spell or makes creatures or objects smaller. The creature or object loses 10% of its original size for every level of the caster, to a minimum of 10% of the original size. Thereafter, the size shrinks by 1 foot increments to less than 1 foot, by 1 inch increments to 1 inch, and by 1/10 inch increments to a minimum of 1/10 of an inch-the recipient cannot dwindle away to nothingness. For example, a 16 foot tall giant reduced by a 15th level wizard (15 steps) would be reduced to 1.6 feet (in nine steps), then to 6/10 of a foot or 7.2 inches (in one step), and finally to 2.2 inches (in the last five steps). A shrinking object may damage weaker materials affixed to it, but an object will shrink only as long as the object itself is not damaged. Unwilling creatures are allowed a saving throw vs. spell. The material component of the spell is a pinch of powdered iron.

Detect Undead

This spell enables the caster to detect all undead creatures out to the limit of the spell. The area of the effect extends in a path 10 feet wide and 60 feet long (plus 10 feet longer per level of the wizard), in the direction the caster is facing. Scanning a direction requires one round, and the caster must be motionless. While the spell indicates direction, it does not give specific location or distance. It detects undead through walls and obstacles but is blocked by 1 foot of solid stone, 1 yard of wood or loose earth, or a thin coating of metal. The spell does not indicate the type of undead detected, only that undead are present. The material component of this spell is a bit of earth from a grave.

Dancing Lights

When a dancing lights spell is cast, the wizard creates, at his option, from one to four lights that resemble either torches or lanterns (and cast that amount of light), glowing spheres of light (such as evidenced by will-o-wisps), or one faintly glowing, vaguely manlike shape, somewhat similar to that of a creature from the Elemental Plan of Fire. The dancing lights move as the spellcaster desires, forward or back, straight or turning corners, without concentration upon such movement by the wizard. The spell cannot be used to cause blindness (see the 1st level light spell), and it winks out if the range or duration is exceeded. The material component of this spell is either a bit of phosphorus or wychwood, or a glowworm.

Comprehend Languages

When this spell is cast, the wizard is able to understand the spoken words of a creature or read an otherwise incomprehensible written message (such as writing in another language). In either case the wizard must touch the creature or the writing. Note that the ability to read does not necessarily impart understanding of the material, nor does the spell enable the caster to speak or write an unknown language. Written material can be read at the rate of one page or equivalent per round. Magical writing cannot be read, other than to know it is magical, but the spell if often useful when deciphering treasure maps. This spell can be foiled by certain warding magic (the 3rd level secret page and illusionary script spells), and it does not reveal messages concealed in otherwise normal text. The material components of this spell are a pinch of soot and a few grains of salt. The reverse of this spell, confuse languages, cancels a comprehend languages spell or renders a writing or a creature’s speech incomprehensible, for the same duration as above.

Color Spray

Upon casting this spell, the wizard causes a vivid, fan-shaped spray of clashing colors to spring forth from his hand. From one to six creatures (1d6) within the area are affected in order of increasing distance from the wizard. All creatures above the level of the spellcaster and all those of 6th level or 6 hit dice or more are entitled to a saving throw vs. spell. Blind or unseeing creatures are not affected by the spell. Creatures not allowed or failing saving throws, and whose Hit Dice or levels are less than or equal to the spellcaster’s level, are struck unconscious for 2d4 rounds; those with Hit Dice or levels 1 or 2 greater than the wizard’s level are blinded for 1d4 rounds; those with Hit Dice or levels 3 or more greater than that of the spellcaster are stunned (reeling and unable to think or act coherently) for one round. The material components of this spell are a pinch each of powder or sand that is colored red, yellow and blue.

Audible Glamer

When the audible glamer spell is cast, the wizard causes a volume of sound to arise, at whatever distance he desires (within range), and seem to recede, approach, or remain at a fixed place as desired. The volume of sound created, however, is directly related to the level of the spellcaster. The volume is based upon the lowest level at which the spell can be cast, 1st level. The noise of the audible glamer at this level is that of four men, maximum. Each additional experience level of the wizard adds a like volume, so that at 2nd level the wizard can have the spell cause sound equal to that of 8 men. Thus, talking, singing, shouting, walking, marching, or running sounds can be created. The auditory illusion created by an audible glamer spell can be virtually any type of sound, but the relative volume must be commensurate with the level of the wizard casting the spell. A horde of rats running and squeaking is about the same volume as 8 men running and shouting. A roaring lion is equal to the noise volume of 16 men, while a roaring dragon is equal to the noise volume of no fewer than 24 men. A character stating that he does not believe the sound receives a saving throw, and if it succeeds, the character then hears a faint and obviously false sound, emanating from the caster’s direction. Note that this spell can enhance the effectiveness of the phantasmal force spell. The material component of the spell is a bit of wool or a small lump of wax.

Armor

By means of this spell, the wizard creates a magical field of force that serves as if it were scale mail armor (AC 6). The spell has no effect on a person already armored or a creature with Armor Class 6 or better. It is not cumulative with the shield spell, but it is cumulative with Dexterity and, in case of fighter/mages, with the shield bonus. The armor spell does not hinder movement or prevent spell casting, and add no weight or encumbrance. It lasts until successfully dispelled or until the wearer sustains cumulative damage totaling greater than 8 points + 1 per level of the caster. (It is important to note that the armor does not absorb this damage. The armor merely grants an AC of 6; the wearer still suffers full damage from any successful attacks.) Thus, the wearer might suffer 8 points from an attack, then several minutes later sustain an additional 1 point of damage. Unless the spell were cast by a wizard of 2nd level or higher, it would be dispelled at this time. Until it is dispelled, the armor spell grants the wearer full benefits of the Armor Class gained. The material component is a piece of finely cured leather that has been blessed by a priest.

Alarm

When an alarm spell is cast, the wizard causes a selected area to react to the presence of any creature larger than a normal rat-anything larger than about 1/2 cubic foot in volume or more than about three pounds in weight. The area of effect can be a portal, a section of floor, stairs, etc. as soon as any creature enters the warded area, touches it, or otherwise contacts it without speaking a password established by the caster, the alarm spell lets out a loud ringing that can be heard clearly within a 50 foot radius. (Reduce the radius by 10 feet for each interposing door and by 20 feet for each substantial interposing wall.) The sound lasts for one round and then ceases. Ethereal or astrally projected creatures do not trigger an alarm, but flying or levitating creatures, invisible creatures, or incorporeal or gaseous creatures do. The caster can dismiss the alarm with a single word. The material components of this spell are a tiny bell and a piece of very fine silver wire.