Spes Magna Games

The Pattern of Gallant Commerce: This magic item appears to be nothing more than a common set of sewing patterns. If the instructions are followed meticulously (which requires 1,000 gold pieces worth of fine cloth and bejeweled accessories), the tailor produces a magical set of merchant’s clothes. The enchantments woven into these clothes increase the wearer’s business acumen. He can appraise the value of an item to within 10% of its actual value with only a cursory inspection. When buying goods, the wearer always pays 1d6+4% less than asking price due to his magically augmented negotiating skills.

The Pattern of Gallant Commerce‘s outfit is widely viewed with distaste as it grants what many view as an unfair advantage. Anyone seeking to benefit from the enchanted clothing made by following the pattern’s instructions is well-advised to figure out ways to mask the outfit’s magical powers from detection.

Tags: magic items, Swords & Wizardry

Coming soon to a virtual store near you: Rantz’s Fair Multitude!

This currently-under-production PDF features more than 20 pages of new magic items, monsters, places of power, and spells. Much — but not all — of this material has been gleaned from this very website, and then expanded, improved, and clarified for your Old School needs. Rantz’s Fair Multitude should be available by the end of October.

In related Spes Magna news, A Medieval Holiday is on sale for a mere $0.75 at DriveThruRPG between now and the middle of December. This special code is your link to the savings. With A Medieval Holiday, you get everything you need to host a Pathfinder-compatible medieval banquet in your home (except the groceries, guests, and other things that won’t fit in a PDF, of course).

Huzzah!

This spell is my second reskinning of the ever-popular Hold Person. (The first is here.) I’ve long enjoyed taking an old standard and tweaking it a bit here and there. I don’t see magic in the game as a science like chemistry or physics. Rather, magic is a science like music. (Which, of course, hearkens back to an older, fuller definition of “science” referring to any body of knowledge that can be rationally explained and reliably applied.) Therefore, it makes sense to me that there shouldn’t be just Hold Person, but rather a variety of expressions of that spell by different casters, schools, et cetera.

Kolando’s Prohibitory Suspense
Spell Level: Cleric, 2nd Level
Range: 180 feet
Duration: 9 turns

The cleric targets 1d4 persons (according to the same parameters as the Charm Person spell). For the duration of the spell, each target must make a saving throw before attempting any action. If the saving throw fails, the target is overwhelmed by a feeling of anxious uncertainty about what may happen. Consequently, the target may not attempt that action. Instead, he dithers and worries until his next action. The caster may also target a single person, in which case the saving throws are made with a penalty of -2.

Tags: spells, Swords & Wizardry, Vancian magic

The guard watched as the portly, balding man in symbol-spangled robes sauntered up to portal.

“No one’s allowed here,” the guard said. He tightened his grip on his halberd.

“That’s almost always true,” the man said, mopping sweat from his wrinkled brow, “but as you can plainly see, I am Her Imperial Majesty, the Dread Queen of this realm. Let me pass.”

The guard nearly fumbled his halberd in his haste to unlock and open the portal, all the way mumbling a string of apologies. The pudgy magic-user patted the guard reassuringly as he passed through.

“Make sure you lock up after me,” the magic-user said with a grin.

Valfoxell’s Adventitious Pretense
Spell Level: Magic-User, 3rd Level
Range: Caster
Duration: 1 hour

For the duration of this spell, the caster’s words acquire an air of unquestionable truth, no matter how unbelievable those words may actually be. Those who hear the caster’s lies are permitted a saving throw to realize they are being duped. Valfoxell’s Adventitious Pretense does not function in combat.

Tags: spells, Swords & Wizardry, Vancian magic

In case you were wondering (and I know you were), I’m not just making up the Vance-style names for the spells and magic items I’ve done in recent days. Nay, nay. Instead, I’m using this great list of randomly generated Vancian spell names. Therefore, coming soon:

Valfoxell’s Adventitious Pretense
Kolando’s Prohibitory Suspense
Biderukic’s Dense Salamander
The Pattern of Gallant Commerce
Pieritz’s Aqueous Apprehension

I’m kind of digging the challenge I’ve posed myself. Usually, when I make up a new spell or magic item or monster, I start with the concept, work out the stats, and then come up with a name. Using these random names scrambles that process around, and sort of forces me to think outside my usual patterns.

It’s a long weekend for me this weekend as well. No work on Monday. Well, that’s not quite accurate. I do have work to do on Monday, but I’m not going into work to do it. Got assignments to grade, lessons to plan, et cetera. Here and there, I also want to get all five of the random names above turned into something for Swords & Wizardry. I also really need to update the Obsidian Portal site for Man Day Adventures’ Amazing Future Tales. I’m chronically behind on that project.

What’s more, I’m running an All-Hallow’s Eve session of Little Fears. I wouldn’t normally run an evening game on a work night, but 1 November is All Saint’s Day, a holy day of obligation, and I’m taking that day off. Regarding the session I’m going to run, I’ve only got the vaguest of outlines done. I need a bit more than that done before I can run the game.

Speaking of Little Fears, a few weeks ago I secured permission from my administration to start a story game club at Aristoi Classical Academy in Katy, Texas, where I am in my fourth year of teaching 5th grade. I typed up flyers (see the pic above). I talked with my class and a few other students in other classes about what story games are and how they work. I bought a copy of Little Fears (autographed by the author!). We had a our first meeting on Tuesday, 24 September. Five students were in attendance. We made up Little Fears characters, and then started the first story. I’m planning on writing up the session as a narrative. I’ll post it when I get done.

Tags: game play, Little Fears, Vancian magic