Spells | General Notes | - | Dragon 72 | Dragon |
1. Monster Summoning
2. Bigby's Insulting Hand
3. Wombat's Tiny Hut
4. Feign Death
5. Comprehend Languages
6. Tongues
7. Insect Plague
8. Summon Thunderstorm
9. Find the Path
10. Disappear
11. Purify Food
12. Commune
Why should magic-users
and clerics have all the fun?
In our campaigns we have noticed a need
for spells that
the average fighter or thief can use to
help himself or
herself get along. At the same time, we
realize that
allowing your average thief to defuse a
trap by dropping a 4-dice fireball on it would seriously affect the
balance, purpose, and length of almost
any campaign.
After some well-spent minutes of research
and study,
we are ready to offer the following list
of spells anyone
can use. And that means anyone — any player
character or NPC. And, for that matter, some of them may have
applications in real life. (You do
remember what real life
is like, don’t you?)
General Notes
Most of these spells allow a save vs. intelligence
on
the part of the target (whomever or whatever
the spell is
being cast against). Anything dumb enough
to believe
in the effects of most of these spells
deserves what it
gets. For most spells, the range, area
of effect, and
duration are the same as for the magic-user
or cleric
spells from which they are derived. All
components
needed (material, verbal, or somatic) are
mentioned in
the text description of the spells. These
spells have
been arbitrarily designated as ½-level
spells, since they
are less powerful than first-level spells
but (in our considered opinion) better than no spells at all.
1.Monster
Summoning 1/2
This is about the most
reliable spell of the lot. To
execute it, the caster must simply jump
up and down,
waving his arms and shouting, “Yoo-hoo,
beastie!
Come and get me!” The caster may also use
a warm
beef roast as an added incentive to entice
reluctant
monsters. An alternate form, usually employed
against
fairly intelligent monsters, is to loudly
declare, “Oh,
dear me. I simply don’t know how I’m ever
going to
spend these eight thousand platinum
pieces I brought
with me. Maybe I should get a new sword
to rep/ace
mine, which I left at home.
Whatever shall I do?”
2.Bigby's
Insulting Hand
This magic is executed by yelling out to
the intended
target, “Hey, you!” and then making some
disparaging
remark about its ancestry while raising
one hand (the
other had better be holding a weapon) and
moving it in
the fashion of the derogatory gesture of
your choice.
The target will probably become enraged
and head
your way, in which case it would be a good
idea to have
a Disappear ½
(q.v.) spell handy.
3.Wombat’s
Tiny Hut
The material component of this spell is
a neutral colored cloak. In the face of impending danger, the
caster drapes it over himself and does
a credible imitation of a boulder.
(Continued on page 49)
Don’t read this until you finish page 51!
4.Feign
Death 1/2
This spell requires the use of a large
white lily. To
effect the magic, the caster must stagger
around the
room (or clearing, or whatever) saying
such things as,
“Aargh, a touch, I do confess it! I fear
I breathe my last!
Give my plate mail to Sis. Bury me not
on the lone
prairie!” and so forth. When everyone has
gotten the
point, and then some, the caster drops
over on his back,
clutching the lily on his chest, and lies
rigid. The duration of the spell depends on how long the caster can
stay rigid.
5.Comprehend
Languages ½
This spell requires a copy of Stomper and
Wombat’s
Official Multilingual Dictionary of
Fantastic Tongues,
available anywhere in the multiverse at
one of Stomper
and Wombat’s Panchronatic Multiversal Trading
Posts,
usually 10 gp but on sale this week for
only 5, step right
this way . . .
6.Tongues
1/2
This spell has no material component, although
props may be used to make one’s meaning
more clear.
The caster simply speaks his piece in his
normal
tongue, in a loud voice and with much emphasis
and
much waving of arms. Example: “Whassa matter?
No
speak-a da Common? Where’s the bath-room?
You
know — roomo da batho?”
7.Insect
Plague ½
The material component of this spell is
a packed
picnic lunch. To cast the spell, the caster
and several
friends must sit down to begin eating.
8.Summon
Thunderstorm ½
The material component of this spell is
a packed
picnic lunch. To cast the spell, the caster
and several
friends must sit down to begin eating.
9.Find
The Path ½
This spell requires a compass, a Boy Scout
Handbook, and a set of local aerial reconnaissance maps,
available anywhere in the multiverse at
one of Stomper
and Wombat’s Panchronatic Multiversal Trading
Posts,
usually 15 gp but on sale this week for
only 10, step
right this way . . .
10.Disappear
1/2
This spell requires the use of a well-broken-in
pair of
shoes. The caster must point to a spot
somwehere
behind the creature he is facing and say,
“Don’t look
now, but there’s three dozen trolls
and six ogres sneaking up behind you!” If the creature fails to save vs.
intelligence it will turn around, at which
point the caster
calls out, “Feets, don’ fail me now!” and
runs for the
nearest horizon while whistling the Looney
Tunes
theme song.
11.Purify
Food ½
This one is simple. All you need is a tin
of black
pepper and a bottle of catsup. Everyone
knows you can
eat anything if you put enough catsup and
pepper on it.
12.Commune
½
Despite the fact that it seldom works,
this is handy to
have as a last resort. The player (here
representing his
character) kneels, clasps his hands, turns
toward the
DM, and says, “Puh-leeeeeeze give me a
hint!”