Everyday Magic

In the Book of Eldritch Might III I included a handful of non-adventuring spells. Spells with titles like keep dry, keep fresh, and so on. Ever since then, I've wanted to create more such spells. It stands to reason that, in a world where magic works, not every spell is going to be designed to blast foes, heal wounds, or make someone harder to harm. Many would have no battle applications at all.

The following eight spells are a start, but really just a sampling of what could be done. I tried to cover a wide variety of topics. But the possibilities do not stop here. The know talent spell alone suggests a whole type of magic unto itself devoted to predicting or even shaping a child's future. You could develop spells to help a child grow taller, smarter, kinder, or anything else. Spells that grant children musical talent or an affinity with animals. And much more.

These spells may never get used in a normal game, but just knowing this sort of magic exists amid the magic missiles and fireballs adds a bit of believability to any game world.

Bless Relationship
Enchantment (Charm)
Level: Clr 1
Components: S, V
Casting Time: One minute
Range: Touch
Target: Two creatures
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You put your deity's blessing on a relationship, most likely during a ceremony such as a marriage. Henceforth, the two subjects gain a +1 inherent bonus to Diplomacy checks made in regard to each other.

Discern Preference
Divination
Level: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V
Casting Time: One minute
Range: Unlimited
Target: One creature known to you
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You learn the subject's preference regarding an issue you specify at the time of casting. For example, if you specified, "What is the king's favorite color?" and then cast the spell, you would learn the king's favorite color so you could prepare a gift to present to him when you are called to court the next day. Likewise, you could specify, "Does Charnoth want to go into the Tower of Terephon?" and learn whether or not he does (although he still might go there, even if he does not want to).

Dream Learning
Divination
Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 3
Components: S
Casting Time: One standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One sleeping creature
Duration: Eight hours (or until creature awakens)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

A sleeping creature you touch studies a subject of your choice while it sleeps. The target learns what you know about the subject, and nothing more. The target learns as much during sleep as it would during a full day of instruction, but it cannot learn anything that it couldn't learn while awake. In other words, while you can teach arithmetic to a sleeping human, you can't teach it to a sleeping dog. Used long-term, a creature could learn new skills or lore without taking time out of the day for lessons. Use of this spell does not confer any special bonuses to skills or extra skill points, but it does potentially confer extra free time.

Instill Music
Enchantment (Compulsion)
Level: Brd 1
Components: V
Casting Time: One standard action
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet/level)
Target: One creature
Duration: One minute/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You put a song of your choosing into another creature's mind. For the duration, the song runs through the creature's head, unbidden. The spell does not compel the creature to enjoy it, but it cannot have any special helpful or adverse effects either (it could not be a harpy's song, for example). It must be a song you can sing or play.

Know Talent
Divination
Level: Clr 0, Sor/Wiz 0
Components: V
Casting Time: One standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You learn which skill the target has the most ranks in, if any. Alternatively, if cast on a child, you know what the child's highest ability score will be, and which class and skills he may excel at. This spell does not predict the future, however-learning what a child is best at is not always an indicator of what he will actually do.

Preserve Ice
Transmutation
Level: Drd 0, Sor/Wiz 0
Components: S
Casting Time: One standard action
Range: Touch
Target: 1-foot cube of ice
Duration: 24 hours
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Ice you touch will not melt. It remains wet and cold, but does not diminish in mass.

Remove Minor Malady
Transmutation
Level: Clr 0, Drd 0
Components: S, V
Casting Time: One standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One living creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

You remove a wart, blemish, mole, or other minor physical malady from the target touched. The malady must be visible and natural, not caused by magic. This spell is not powerful enough to deal with anything that actually harms the target (like a disease).

Shelter From the Storm
Abjuration
Level: Drd 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: S, V
Casting Time: One standard action
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet/level)
Effect: 3 foot convex shield
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You create an umbrella-like shield of force over the head of a single creature that protects it from natural rain, snow, or hail. It provides no protection against a spell, such as ice storm, or an unnatural rain (such as an acid rain). Any solid blow destroys the shield (it has 1 hit point). The shield moves with the creature you assign it to, but it remains parallel with the ground at all times. You may change the assigned creature as a standard action.

Instill Music
Enchantment (Compulsion)
Level: Brd 1
Components: V
Casting Time: One standard action
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet/level)
Target: One creature
Duration: One minute/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You put a song of your choosing into another creature's mind. For the duration, the song runs through the creature's head, unbidden. The spell does not compel the creature to enjoy it, but it cannot have any special helpful or adverse effects either (it could not be a harpy's song, for example). It must be a song you can sing or play.

Discenrn Preference just SCREAMS abusability short of being allowable only as PnP rules: You don't have to allow it at all.

Dream Learning clearly specifies it gives no skill or stat or XP gain. The correct application would be, say, Dream Learning how to do your math homework, or something. I almsot say "or learning a language".



How so?

As for Know Talent, sure, it's obvious in an adult kitted out adventurer. The spell even ssays it doesn't predict the future. Not every child grows up to do what they're best at. OK, so you know the kid has an 11 in his dexterity.. .as his best stat. That doesn't mean he'll grow up to be a level 30 rogue/SD with Epic Dodge.

Hello Everyone [...] I like tentacles [...]

Instil music, st. anger the whole album O_O instant kill.

I like the umbrella one but wouldn't you just dive in your tent or something to get out the rain?

Alter Taste
Level 1 [Alteration (Reversible)]

Range: 0
Duration: 1 turn/level
Area of Effect: 1 pint/level
Components: S
Casting Time: 1
Saving Throw: None

This spell allows the wizard to give an alcoholic flavour (taste and smell) to any liquid. It does not turn the liquid to alcohol. It merely gives it the taste of beer, ale, wine, mead, or liquor. Also, it only changes the flavour and not its appearance.

Now, a wizard can buy a glass of water (cheap), cast this spell, and enjoy an alcohol flavoured drink without suffering the negative effects of swigging the real thing. A wizard could also improve the flavour of a drink. For example, cheap beer can now taste like elegant wine, but the alcohol level is that of beer. A normally bad tasting potion will taste quite nice as well.

The flavour (cider, ale, wine, etc.) is chosen by the caster. However, there is always a 100% - 10% per level chance of the spell screwing up. In this case, the DM chooses the taste. Note that, since the component is only somatic, the spell can be cast unnoticed easily.

The reverse of this spell, disguise alcohol, allows the caster to remove the alcoholic flavour of a drink, but without removing the alcohol itself. It can also be used to restore its normal taste to a previously altered drink.

Awaken
Level 1 [Alteration]

Range: 0
Duration: 1 round
Area of Effect: Special
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1
Saving Throw: None

This spell will wake a one or more characters to full alertness instantaneously. It can be set to trigger on a specific action, such as a word or action. The material component is a horn (which can be reused). Each being to be woken must be named when the spell is cast.

Campfire
Level 1 [Alteration]

Range: 10 yards
Duration: Instantaneous
Area of Effect: 1 fire
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1
Saving Throw: None

This spell lights small fires easily, and ignites anything up to kindling (cloth, kindling wood, oil, etc.). The caster points at the target materials and mutters "Fire" in an arcane tongue. If cast directly on the clothing or hair of a person, it does 1d2 points of damage each round until put out. A particularly fun use of this spell (and one the lady-like Katrine would never consider) is to light the rope someone else is climbing.

Clean
Level 1 [Alteration]

Range: 0
Duration: Instantaneous
Area of Effect: Creature touched
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 4
Saving Throw: Neg.

This particular version of clean was researched by Carlene the Rose a few years earlier in her career, to maintain her appearance with care.

When cast, the recipient is immediately relieved of any dirt or filth from the body and clothes. The skin is softened as if washed by the finest soap and spiced perfumes. The hair is set back to a current fashionable style as envisioned by the wizard. These effects normally last until nature takes its toll upon the recipient.

This spell also has a 5% chance per level, applicable once, of cleaning the recipient of any non-magical skin disease or parasites.

The material components are a small piece of soap and a fairly freshly plucked rose or similar flower.

Ecstasy
Level 1 [Enchantment/Charm]

Range: 5 yards
Duration: 1 round + 1 round/level
Area of Effect: 1 person
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1
Saving Throw: Neg.

The gestures of the wizard, along with his erotic incantations causes the person to go into an enjoyable, screaming, orgasmic, erotic fit.

The person receives a saving throw versus spell to avoid the effect, with any adjustment to Wisdom. If the person fails the saving throw, he loses all Dexterity bonuses to Armour Class. Also, he cannot move from his current location. He cannot cast spells, attack, use items, etc. Basically, the character is caught up in a real pleasurable experience and can't function properly.

To be fair, sometimes if you're way zoomed out, it can be hard to tell it's raining.