Nehirill’s Tower

 Nehirill's Tower is in the Selenica Pass, just inside the Ylari border. Although now named after its current owner, it is much older than her, constructed by a wizard of Ylaruam who wanted to conduct his research in peace but still have some connection to civilization. On the outside it is a relatively conventional if rather tall and impressive tower standing about 200ft high and with a mostly square base and tower shape. There are known to be 4 human inhabitants although nobody outside the tower knows if there are any more, human or otherwise. 

Travellers who have approached the tower have been warded off by elementals (usually earth or air), sometimes accompanied by a human mage, one of Nehirill’s apprentices. One foolish adventuring band thought that there were riches and magic in the tower to plunder, and tried fighting their way past a pack of elementals. They were stopped in their tracks by a second wave, this time of constructs including a bone golem and a pair of iron living statues. The two survivors (out of an initial six) were escorted back to the main road and informed that next time there would be no survivors. A less violent encounter was had by an enthusiastic merchant of Selenica who wanted to show the wizards her wares. She was informed by an apprentice mage (with two earth elementals at his side) that they did not conduct trade at the tower, but they would meet her at the nearby village of Orstinel if she was serious. She did stay at Orstinel for a few days before deciding her prospective customers were a no-show, and headed back to Selenica. However, before she left, she did talk to locals and found that the apprentice with a scarred face did sometimes turn up, perhaps once a month, for supplies. 

The Human Inhabitants

Nehirill

15th level magic user, human female, align Chaotic
Str 6, Int 18, Wis 10,  Dex 11, Con 13, Cha 11

Equipment: includes Dweomersilk Robe of the Arcane Scholar, Wand of Paralyzation, Dagger +2, Ring of Telekinesis + other items
Nehirill is originally from Glantri, and moved away after falling afoul of a more senior mage (an unfortunate episode involving stealing valuable spell components and attacks on each others’ apprentices). While on her way to Ylaruam she encountered Elshar who had already taken over this tower but was looking for an apprentice, and Nehirill was accepted.  Nehirill is not interested in rules or ethics, and certainly not in society or other people’s welfare. However, she is very interested in spell research as well as the construction of magical servants. Despite her alignment she is not interested in either the cosmic forces of Chaos or the associated cults - being Glantrian she considers all religions and cults to be tedious god-bothering. She simply does as she wishes, which most of the time is continuing her former mentor’s investigations into dimensional magic. She has considered dismissing her apprentices but she realises that she needs some sort of connection with humanity, and she can just about tolerate her apprentices - although there is a selection process and a number of former apprentices could not handle her. 

Vantheen

10th level magic user, human male, align Neutral

Str 10, Int 16, Wis 12, Dex 10, Con 12, Cha 14

Equipment: includes Staff of Summoning Elementals, Dweomersilk Robe of Protection +2, Wand of Illusions

Vantheen is Nehirill’s right hand man and majordomo. He ensures that things run smoothly at the tower, and is often the first to investigate intruders and visitors near the tower. He has been Nehirill’s apprentice for over 10 years and although the relationship has been strained (he is among the first to admit she can be difficult to deal with) he is still loyal and is adept at taking her behaviour in his stride. 

 

Dormith the Scarred

9th level magic user , human male, align Neutral

Str 11, Int 17, Wis 10, Dex 14, Con 13, Cha 9

Equipment: includes Libram of Golem Construction: Bone Golems, Libram of Living Statue Construction: Iron Living Statues. 

Dormith is instantly recognisable by the disfigured left side of his face, a result of an unfortunate encounter with green slime. Dormith hails from Thyatis and is an escaped slave - part of his enthusiasm in learning magic is to make sure he can defend himself from such treatment and never be a slave again. He has taken on the role of cook and provisioner, and is the most likely of the humans here to visit Orstinel, with horse and pack mule, to buy food and other supplies. As such he is also the most socially aware and despite his acid-scarred face he often gets on well with those who he does business with. 

Duggoon MacCraddock

9th level magic user, human male, alignment Chaotic

Str 14, Int 18, Wis 9, Dex 10, Con 12, Cha 13

Equipment: Wand of Magic Missiles, Ring of Protection +2, Amulet of Construct Control

Duggoon is from Glenmoorloch in Glantri and has known Nehirill for a long time, having fled Glantri together after an attempt to acquire spell components did not go to plan. He has a remarkable affinity for constructed beings, particularly golems and living statues, and Nehirill appreciates this (fewer humans for her to deal with). He understands Nehirill well, and sometimes can cope with her character quirks better than Vantheen or Dormith.  He has also helped  Vantheen deal with intruders (monstrous or humanoid),  and can bring his bone golems to assist alongside Vantheen’s elementals. 

Dimensional Magic and the Tower

Nehirill’s mentor was Elshar the Explorer, a leading researcher into Dimensional Magic, and she put this into practice in the renovation of the tower when she took it over. The first two floors are relatively conventional (for a wizard’s tower) but the higher up one goes, the stranger the architecture becomes. Selected visitors who have been allowed onto the third floor say that it is bigger on the inside than the outside while the fourth floor is utterly bizarre, with infinite staircases that loop back on themselves and gravity acting in odd directions, built with the help of a Glantrian architectural mage, Maurice Esher. In the centre is incredibly weird shifting cube that Nehirill calls a tesseract - she hopes to create a whole new laboratory based on this tesseract shape. According to Dormith (while drunk in a tavern in Orstinel) the fifth floor has numerous rooms that are actually pocket dimensions that, if in just 3 dimensions, would overlap and conflict with each other. The top floors are locked and even the apprentices are only rarely allowed in by Nehirill. Here are the World Portals, somehow made permanent by Elshar the Explorer. The exact number of portals are unknown but at least 3 have been confirmed by the apprentices, with signs over the portals bearing the names Tekumel, Kaelaross and Dying Earth. There may be many more portals as the top floors are considerably more expansive and convoluted than the outer walls of the tower would suggest. 

Player Characters and the Tower

Under normal circumstances the tower is somewhere to be left alone - Nehirill prefers it that way. However, the PCs may well want access to either things within the tower, or perhaps the portals that lead to other worlds. The two main ways through to the tower are by brute force or by negotiation: brute force would require enough combat power to overcome golems, elementals and high level mages - possible at Companion level (14th level +) but not ideal. Negotiation is far more interesting, and although Nehirill is not happy dealing with greedy, stupid adventurers, there are possible situations where she would consent. 

• Nehirill wants the adventurers to do something beyond the portals for her that she is not happy doing herself or even delegating to her apprentices. This could be something very risky, or something that mages are not good at. 
• Nehirill has gone through one of the portals and has not returned as expected. The apprentices could seek out adventurers to find and rescue or retrieve Nehirill while they maintain the tower. 
• Nehirill wants something done in the rest of Mystara (eliminating a threat from Glantri, retrieving a valuable tome from Norwold, or finding a rare spell component in Alphatia). In return she will grant the PCs a one-time use of one of the World Portals (return trip optional). 

It is unlikely that simple bribery with gold or gems will persuade Nehirill to allow adventurers in to her precious, private abode. An unexpected offer of a powerful magic item or spellbook might change her mind, but she is wary enough that unless she has dealt with these adventurers before, she won’t trust them. Approaching via an apprentice such as Vantheen is possible and the apprentices will do their own investigating and divination to assess whether the request is in good faith or treacherous. Even if Nehirill trusts the adventurers, using the world portals will not be a free gift. 

Image by M C Escher, source

Spells of the Necro-Priests

art by Jeon Tae Kang source

This is a collection of spells for chaotic clerics of a necromantic bent, and although there is a common theme of bones and skeletons these spells should be usable by a wide range of villains, from Eldritch Crusaders among the Arvorians of Norwold to the Cult of Chaos Divided in Alphatia, to the mummified priests of ancient Nithia, to the Hagiocracy of Hule. Note that many of these spells use skeletal parts of deceased humanoids and that these components disintegrate after the spell ends. 

Create Crawling Claw

• Spell Level: 2
• Range: Touch
• Duration: 1 turn
• Area of Effect: 1 skeletal hand 
• Description: This spell requires the skeletal hand of a humanoid creature. When cast, this skeletal hand turns into a crawling claw, a primitive form of animated undead. Unlike Animate Dead, the necromantic animating force does not last for long, and after the spell duration the skeletal hand reverts back to its inanimate state if not destroyed during its activity. 
• Crawling Claw stats:
• AC: 8
• HD: 1/2 (1d4hp)
• Move: 60ft
• THAC0: 20
• Att: 1 claw
• Dam: 1d3
• Save: NM 
• Ml: 12
• Align: Chaotic
• XP: 5

Ribcage Breastplate

• Spell Level: 3
• Range: Self
• Duration: 1 turn
• Area of Effect: Self 
• Description: Casting this spell while holding a skeletal ribcage of a deceased humanoid turns the ribcage into a much more robust breastplate, albeit made of bone rather than steel. If the cleric already wears armour the Ribcage Breastplate will give +3 bonus to current AC. If not wearing other armour, the Ribcage Breastplate will give base AC 4 (Dex and shield bonuses can apply). After the casting the ribcage is destroyed. 

Femur Mace

• Spell Level: 4
• Range: touch
• Duration: 1 turn
• Area of Effect: 1 skull 
• Description: This spell requires the femur (upper leg bone) of a humanoid - when cast the femur is transformed into a boney mace-like club with knobbly protrusions. The caster can wield this as a normal weapon and it gives +2 to hit and does 1d6+2 bludgeoning damage and 1d6 necrotic damage per hit plus any strength modifiers the caster may have.  The Femur Mace may be passed to or picked up by another, though the caster can end the spell at will if the femur mace is picked up by another creature enemy. 

Spinal Whip

• Spell Level: 4
• Range: Caster
• Duration: 1 turn
• Area of Effect: 1 spinal column  
• Description: To cast this spell the cleric must be holding a humanoid spinal column. Upon casting the spinal column magically extends to the length of a bullwhip and the cleric can wield it as such in one hand. The spinal whip has a reach of 20ft from the caster. The caster may either make a normal lashing attack with the whip  at +2 to hit, doing 2d4 damage per hit, or else the caster can make a grappling attack with the whip, again at +2 to hit. But instead of doing damage, the target is immobilised as the spinal whip coils around them pinning their arms to their sides. The caster can maintain this grip on a target each round but cannot use the spinal whip for anything else. After the casting the spinal column disintegrates.

Bone Digit Missile

• Spell Level: 5
• Range: 60ft
• Duration: Instant
• Area of Effect: 5 targets within range 
• Description: This spell requires a skeletal humanoid hand with the bones of all 5 digits. On casting these finger bones shoot out towards targets:  the caster can aim each digit missile at either the same target or 5 different targets within 60ft. Each digit missile requires a roll to hit with the cleric’s dex modifier. On a successful hit the digit does 1d6 piercing damage + 1 per level of the caster (10th level caster will cause 1d6+10 damage per hitting digit). 

Screaming Skull

• Spell Level: 5
• Range: 60ft
• Duration: 1 round
• Area of Effect: 1 skull + 20ft radius from skull
• Description: This spell requires the cleric to hold a humanoid skull while casting. When cast, the cleric hurls the skull in the direction of the enemy, up to 60ft away. Where the enchanted skull lands it starts screaming. Any creature capable of feeling fear within 20ft of the skull must make a save vs spells or be overcome with fear and try to flee for 2d6 rounds. Speech and hearing each other over the noise also becomes difficult (Intelligence check needed to hear somebody talking).  Those unable to flee will cower, unable to move or take offensive action. After the casting the skull is destroyed. 

New Clerical Spells

 

source

Here are a collection of spells for use by clerics. 

1st level spells

Lesser Requiem 

Level: 1
Range: 20ft
Duration: Permanent

This spell blesses a dead body, so that it cannot be animated as a skeleton or zombie. This does not affect existing undead creatures, and those slain by undead creatures and doomed to rise as one of them are not affected by Lesser Requiem either (for example this spell will not prevent someone slain by a spectre from rising as a spectre, but see Greater Requiem for a solution to this problem). This spell is usually used by Lawful clerics, often as part of funeral ceremonies. Necromancers and chaotic clerics despise this spell and those that use it, depriving them of valuable resources for creating undead minions. 

Vigour

Level: 1
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 turn

This spell grants a temporary boost to the target’s hit points - 2hp + 1hp/level of the casting cleric. The cleric can cast this on himself or any willing creature. The temporary hit points are lost first instead of the creature’s normal hit points if it sustains damage. Any remaining temporary hit points disappear at the end of the spell’s duration.  Note that this does not count as healing, and if this spell is cast on someone who is already damaged, then at the end of the spell they will return to their damaged level of hit points. 

2nd level spells

Detect Deceased

Level: 2
Range: 60’
Duration: 1 turn

This spell enables the caster to detect the presence of dead bodies of halfling-size or larger within 60ft of the caster. This does not detect undead creatures. The main use of this is by chaotic spell casters looking to reanimate bodies as skeletons and zombies. However, it has also been used after disasters such as floods and earthquakes to retrieve bodies for burial. 

Watchdog

Level: 2
Range: 0 (60’ detection radius)
Duration: 4 hours + 1 hour/level of caster

This spell conjures a magical entity that appears to be a ghostly dog for the duration of the spell. This watchdog will stand guard at the position of casting and will bark loudly if a creature approaches within 60’. The watchdog cannot enter combat or attack anyone - its main purpose is to alert the cleric and their allies. When the spell is cast, the watchdog will make a note of who the cleric’s allies are - it will disregard these and not bark at them. The watchdog has good hearing and sense of smell, and invisible, camouflaged or hidden creatures approaching will require the watchdog to make a roll equal to the cleric’s own save vs spells. If the save is successful the watchdog has sensed the invisible or hidden creature and starts barking. Otherwise the intruder is undetected. The minimum size of creature that alerts the watchdog is up to DM’s discretion but generally anything equal to or larger than a giant centipede or giant rat is enough.  The watchdog cannot discern intentions, so it will bark at friendly and neutral creatures as well as hostile ones. 

3rd Level Spells

Greater Requiem

Level: 3
Range: 20ft
Duration: Permanent

This spell prevents a dead body from becoming any sort of undead. Unlike its lesser variant Requiem this spell will prevent those slain by wights, wraiths, spectres and vampires from becoming the same sort of undead as their slayers if cast before the new undead is spawned. Those slain by other types of undead are up to the DM’s discretion. As per Requiem, this spell also prevents animation as zombies or skeletons. 

5th level Spells

Circle of Regeneration/Circle of Decay

Level: 5
Range: Caster only
Duration: 1 turn + 1 round per level of cleric

When Circle of Regeneration is cast an aura appears, centred on the casting cleric and reaching out 30’ radius, which is visible as pale green luminescence with clear borders. Any friends and allies of the cleric within this circle are healed 1hp per round for as long as they stay within the circle. Hence a 10th level cleric casting this spell can heal anyone staying within the area up to 20hp (10 rounds/turn + 1 round/level = 20 rounds) . 

Circle of Decay is the chaotic reverse of this spell, and generates a sickly purple-mauve aura, again 30’ radius centred on the cleric. All creatures apart from the cleric suffer 1hp/round while they are in the circle. Circle of Decay is based on death magic, and any creature immune to death magic such as undead and constructs are immune to this spell. 

A quick overview of clerical spells on this blog and their sources

Spells in Bold are generally used by chaotic clerics, and are often the reverse of normal clerical spells. Their use by Lawful clerics is frowned on and Neutral clerics should use them sparingly or else risk being corrupted by Chaos. Also note that spells marked as found in the Rules Cyclopedia can also be found in the various Mentzer-edited BECMI series of rules (6th level spells in Companion Rules, and 7th level spells in Masters Rules). There are other spells in various B/X and BECM sources such as gazetteers, adventures and the like. but I don't assume that readers will have these materials so including them in games is up to the group and its DM.  

1st level spells

• Blood Loan (blog post)
• Cause Fear (Expert rulebook)
• Cause Light Wounds (Expert rulebook)
• Cure Light Wounds (Basic rulebook)
• Darkness (Expert rulebook)
• Detect Evil (Basic rulebook)
• Detect Magic (Basic rulebook)
• Lesser Requiem (this blog post)
• Light (Basic rulebook)
• Protection from Evil (Basic rulebook)
• Purify Food and Water (Basic rulebook)
• Rage (blog post)
• Remove Fear (Basic rulebook)
• Resist Cold (Basic rulebook)
• Vigour (this blog post)

2nd level spells

• Aura of Shadows (blog post)
• Bless (Expert rulebook)
• Blight (Expert rulebook)
• Detect Chaos (blog post)
• Detect Deceased (this blog post)
• Find Traps (Expert rulebook)
• Know Alignment (Expert rulebook)
• Hold Person (Expert rulebook)
• Resist Fire (Expert rulebook)
• Silence 15’ radius (Expert rulebook)
• Snake Charm (Expert rulebook)
• Speak with Animals (Expert rulebook)
• Watchdog (this blog post)

3rd level spells

• Cause Disease (Expert rulebook)
• Champion of Chaos (blog post)
• Continual Darkness (Expert rulebook)
• Continual Light (Expert rulebook)
• Cure Blindness (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Cure Disease (Expert rulebook)
• Curse (Expert rulebook)
• Greater Requiem (this blog post)
• Growth of Animal (Expert rulebook)
• Locate Object (Expert rulebook)
• Paranoia (blog post)
• Remove Curse (Expert rulebook)
• Speak with Dead (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Striking (Expert rulebook)
• Transfusion (blog post)

4th level spells

• Animate Dead (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Cause Serious Wounds (Expert rulebook)
• Create Water (Expert rulebook)
• Cure Insanity (blog post)
• Cure Serious Wounds (Expert rulebook)
• Dispel Magic (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Neutralise Poison (Expert rulebook)
• Poison (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Protection from Evil 10’ radius (Expert rulebook)
• Speak with Plants (Expert rulebook)
• Sticks to Snakes (Expert rulebook)

5th level spells

• Cause Critical Wounds (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Circle of Decay (this blog post)
• Circle of Regeneration (this blog post)
• Commune (Expert rulebook)
• Create Food (Expert rulebook)
• Cure Critical Wounds (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Dispel Evil (Expert rulebook)
• Finger of Death (Expert rulebook)
• Insect Plague (Expert rulebook)
• Quest (Expert rulebook)
• Remove Quest (Expert rulebook)
• Raise Dead (Expert rulebook)
• Truesight (Rules Cyclopedia)

6th level spells

• Aerial Servant (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Animate Objects (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Babble  (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Barrier (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Create Normal Animals (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Cureall (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Find the Path (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Remove Barrier  (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Speak with Monsters (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Word of Recall (Rules Cyclopedia)

7th level spells

• Earthquake (Rules Cyclopedia)
• HolyWord (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Life Drain (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Obliterate (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Raise Dead Fully (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Restore (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Survival (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Travel (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Wish (Rules Cyclopedia)
• Wizardry (Rules Cyclopedia)

Art by Magnus Noren, source

The Book of Hidden Dimensions

source

There are many spells that are beyond the standard spells of the magical colleges, and they come from many sources. The Alphatian wizard Nebulon lived and worked over a century ago in the city of Shiell and he studied non-Euclidian geometry - impossible spaces and shapes. He wrote of his findings and new spells in a book, the Book of Hidden Dimensions. His students and apprentices made several copies of this and at least one of these copies found itself on the Floating City of Aalthir. 

The book itself contains quite a lot of mathematical theory and equations that non-wizards probably would never understand and even most wizards would find it difficult to wrap their heads around the concepts Nebulon tried to explain. Note that generally speaking Nebulon was interested in altering and manipulating dimensions not the Planes of existence so spells that involve the planes (such as Gate and Contact Other Plane) are not addressed. Nebulon himself modified some spells to make use of extra dimensions rather than planes of existence, such as his version of Leomund's Secret Chest. 

There is also a section on magic items that caught Nebulon's attention, including several pages on how to create a Bag of Holding and something known as a Portable Hole. 

The main attraction of the Book of Hidden Dimensions is the collection of spells in the second half. Some of these are well-established, others have been borrowed from other worlds while a few are of Nebulon's own making. The spells include:

• Haste (3rd level)
• Slow (3rd level)
• Dimension Door (4th level)
• Teleport (5th level)
• Teleport Any Object (7th level, Companion Rules, doubles as Teleport Without Error)
• Magic Door (7th level, Companion Rules)
• Summon Object (7th level, Companion Rules)
• Timestop (9th level, Rules Cyclopedia)

All of these are established spells that many wizards in Alphatia and beyond are at least aware of and usually have access to. There are also two modified versions of existing spells that suited Nebulon's sensibilities:

Passwall (5th level spell). This modified version does not actually affect the wall, but creates two connected dimensional portals on either side of the wall, so rather than making the wall section disappear, it simply creates an interdimensional shortcut to bypass the wall. 

Maze (8th level spell, Companion Rules). This modified version of the Maze spell does not use the Astral Plane as the usual version does but uses a convoluted pocket dimension that the trapped creature must find its way out of. While the creature is trapped in the pocket dimension, other people observe a vertical shimmering line where the target was when they were hit by the spell. On escaping the maze the target creature emerges from this shimmering line which then promptly closes up. 

 Then there are spells that Nebulon has acquired from other worlds and modified to suit his tastes:

• Deeppockets (2nd level Wizard spell, 2E AD&D PHB)
  Range: Touch
  Duration: 12 hours + 1 hour per caster level
  Area of Effect: 1 Garment
  This spell allows the caster to enchant a specially prepared robe or coat so as to hold far more in its pockets than it normally could. A finely sewn gown, robe or coat of high quality material with unusually large pockets is required. The spell is cast on the garment and its pockets become extradimensional spaces similar to Bags of Holding. The garment can hold a total of 100lb/1000cn weight without any noticable change in wearer's encumbrance or shape (i.e. the extradimensional space negates both weight and volume of anything in the enchanted pockets).Any items placed in it must be able to fit into the pocket slits (maximum 1ft x 1ft in any two dimensions). If at the end of the spell's duration there are items still in the pockets, they are dumped onto the ground next to the caster as the spell expires. The garment is reusable.  
• Rope Trick (2nd level MU spell, 1E AD&D PHB)
  Range: Touch
  Duration: 2 turns/level
  Area of Effect: Special
  When this spell is cast upon a piece of rope from 5' to 30' long, one end of the rope rises up until the whole hangs perpendicular as if affixed at the upper end. The upper end is in fact fastened to an extradimenional space. The spellcaster and up to seven others can climb up the rope and disappear into this space of safety where no creature can find them. The rope can be taken into the extradimensional space if fewer than 8 persons have climbed into the space, otherwise it stays hanging in the air. Spells cannot be cast across the dimensional interface, nor can area effects cross it. Those in the extradimenional space can see out of it as if there is a 3' x 5' window centred on the rope. The persons in the extradimensional space must climb down prior to the end of the spell or they are dropped from the height at which they entered the space. The rope can be climbed by only one person at  a time. Note that the rope trick spell enables climbers to reach a normal place if they do not climb all the way to the extradimensional space. Also not that creating or taking extradimensiona paces into an existing extradimensional space is hazardous.  
• Leomund's Secret Chest (5th level MU spell, 1E AD&D PHB, modified from original)
  Range: Special
  Duration: 60 days
  Area of Effect: 1 chest about 2' x 3' x 3'
  This spell enables a specially constructed chest to be hidden within an extradimensional space (in the original this was hidden in the Ethereal Plane). The large chest must be exceptionally well crafted and expensive, constructed for the caster by master craftsmen - the cost of such a chest is never less than 5000gp. Once it is constructed the magic user must have a tiny replica (of the same material and perfect in every detail) made so that the miniature appears to be a perfect copy. The chests themselves are nonmagical and may be fitted with locks, wards and so on as any normal chest. While touching the chest and holding the miniature, the caster chants the spell. This causes the large chest to vanish into the extradimensional space. The chest can contain one cubic foot of material per level of the magic user no matter what its apparent size. Living things make it 75% likely that the spell will fail so the chest is typically used for securing valuable spellbooks, magic items, gems etc. As long as the spellcaster has the small duplicate of the chst he can recall the large one from the extradimensional space whenever the chest is required. If the miniature of the chst is lost or destroyed there is no way, not even with a Wish spell, that the large chest can return. If the large chest is not retrieved before the spell duration elapses there is a cumulative chance of 5% per day beyond the end of the spell that the large chest is lost.     
• Duo Dimension (7th level MU spell, 1E AD&D PHB, modified from original to ignore references to the Astral Plane)
  Range: 0 (Caster only)
  Duration: 3 rounds + 1 round per level of caster
  Area of Effect: Caster only
  A dui-dimension spell cuases the caster to have only two dimensions - height and width but no depth. He is thus effectively invisible when turned sideways. This can only be detected by  True Seeing (as it is not the same as normal invisibility). In addition the caster can pass through the thinnest of spaces as long as these have the proper height - going between a door and its frame is a simple matter. The wiard can perform all actions normally. He can turn and become invisible, move  and appear again. The caster can cast other spells while in this state. Note that when turned the wizard cannot be affected by any form of attack but when visible he is subject to double the amount of damage for an attack, e.g. a dagger thrust would cause 2d4 damage if it struck a duo-dimensional wizard.  
• Morden's Magnificent Mansion (7th level Wizard spell, 2E AD&D PHB)
  Range: 10 yards
  Duration: 1 hour/level
  Area of Effect: 300sq ft/level
  By means of this spell the wizard conjures up an extradimensional dwelling, entrance to which can only be gained at a single point on the plane from which the spell was cast. From the entry point those creatures observing the area see only a faint shimmering in the air in an area 4' wide x 8' high The caster controls entry to the mansion and the portal is open or shut on his command. Once observers have passed beyond the entrance they beohold a magnificent foyer and numerous chambers beyond. The place is furnished and contains sufficinet food stuffs for a 9 course banquet for 12 people per level of the caster. There is also a staff of Unseen Servants obedient and ready to wait on those who enter. The atmosphere is fresh, clean and warm. Since the mansion can be entered only through its special portal, no outside conditions can affect the mansion or those inside. Rest and relaxation within the mansion is nromal but the food is not. It seems excellent and filling as long as one is within the palace. The food cannot be taken outside the mansion. Once guests are outside , however, the effects of the mansion's food disappear immediately, and if guests in the mansion have not eaten real food within a reasonable timespan, ravenous hunger strikes and the effects of fatigue and starvation apply as decided by the DM. 
• Phase Door (7th level MU spell, 1E AD&D PHB)
  Range: Touch
  Duration: 1 usage/2 levels
  Area of Effect: Special
  When this spell is cast the wizard attunes his body and a a section of wall is affected as if by a Passwall spell. The phase dorr is invisible to all creatures save the spellcaster, and only he can use the space or passage the spell creates, disappearing when the phase door is entered, and appearing when it is exited. If the caster desires, one other creature of man size or less can be taken through the door. This counts as two uses of the door. The door does not pass light, sound or spell effects, nor can the caster see through it without using it. Thus the spell can provide an escape route. The phase door lasts for one usage for every two levels of experience of the spellcaster. It can dispelled only by a casting of dispel magic from a higher level magic user. 

Finally there are a collection of spells created by Nebulon himself: 

Nebulon's Hideaway

Spell Level: 5
Duration: 1 hour per caster level
Range: 10'
Area of Effect: 20' x 20' x 20' (in another dimension)

This spell creates a temporary extradimensional space about 20' x 20' x 20' with a door that can be opened or closed by the caster, which can be placed against a wall or in the middle of the ground. When the door is closed, it is invisible and intangible - only a True Seeing spell will reveal it.  As the Hideaway is extradimensional, it ignores normal geometry so the area behind the portal in normal space is entirely unaffected. Characters can enter or leave the Hideaway as often as needed (with the caster controling the door) for the spell's duration. Although empty and unfurnished, the Hideaway is kept at a steady room temperature making it a haven in hostile environments. As with Phase Door and Morden's Magnificent Mansion, spells cannot be cast into or out of the door nor can spell effects pass through. 

Nebulon's Permanent Chamber (Reversible)

Spell Level: 8
Duration: Permanent
Range: 10'
Area of Effect: Special

This improved version of Nebulon's Hideaway creates a permanent extradimensional space of up to 10' x 10' x 10' per level of the caster (so a 16th level magic user could create a chamber 40' x 40' x 10' (16000 cubic ft). The doorway to this extradimensional chamber is permanently open but it may be secured by mundane or other magical means. Each casting of this spell requires a component - a perfect cube of some precious gem such as sapphire, emerald or diamond worth 1000gp, which is consumed in the casting. The walls on the inside of the chamber take on the hue of the gemstone used. 

It is possible to use multiple castings to join several chambers together in the same extradimensional space, perhaps creating an entire extradimensional complex. There is also a reverse of this spell, Delete Chamber, which will destroy a chamber created by this spell - this and a Wish spell are the two only ways to actually destroy Nebulon's Permanent Chamber. Anything inanimate still inside a Chamber when it is deleted has a 50% chance of being dumped immediately where the door was (i.e expelled into the normal dimensions) or 50% chance of disappearing forever (expelled into other, far dimensions). Living things and other monsters are always dumped into normal dimensions (so deleting a Chamber is not a way to kill a creature).    

Nebulon's Joined Doorways

Spell Level: 6
Duration: 1 turn per caster level
Range: 60'
Area of Effect: 2 doorways 6' x 3' each

This spell allows two doorways up to 60' apart to be joined by an extradimensional connection. The two doorways must initially be mundane and must have been seen by the caster. The extradimensional connection cannot be created in the middle of an empty space - there must be a physical door frame or archway to anchor it. Once connected, stepping into one doorway means immediately stepping out of the other one. The doorways are two way and the spell itself does not offer any restriction of who can or cannot enter, though the caster can end the spell at will. This spell has a duration of 1 turn per caster but higher level magic users can use a Permanence spell on the first doorway once cast to make the spell effect permanent. This spell can be used as a prepared escape route or for magical burglaries. Since the distance between the doorways can be vertical, it can be a shortcut between levels of a dungeon or storeys of a building.

Source

The Slimy Spells of the Arvorians

These spells have been passed to Arvorians from the mysterious and eldritch Scions of the Outer Dark, especially Skeereett. These are all magic-user/elf spells and are occasionally collected together in a single spellbook, the Dribbling Codex. 

Some of these are very similar in effect to existing spells, and are essentially "reskinned" versions of those established spells. Such spells are treated as if the original spells according to the rules but appear very different to characters and creatures. 

Level 1

Adhesive slime
Range: 10'
Duration: 2-12 turns
Effect: One door, gate. or similar portal

Reskinned version of Hold Portal. Doors, gates, box lids etc are held shut by a coating of glue-like mucus that shoots out of the caster's hand. Strangely enough this adhesive slime does not work on object that are not considered portals

Heat-resistant Slime
Range: Caster only
Duration: 1 turn
Effect: Caster only

New spell. The caster is covered in glistening clear slime that gives +2 to saving throws against all fire-based attacks (fireball spells, red dragon breath etc.), reduces all fire damage by 2 per attack, and lasts for 1 turn. 

Level 2 

Entrapping Slime 
Range: 10'
Duration: 48 turns
Effect: A volume 10’ x 10’ x 10’

This is a reskinned version of Web. People and other medium and small creatures are entrapped by strands of sticky mucus for 2d4 rounds. Alcohol, not fire, is needed to remove quickly. 

Caustic Bolt 
Range: 120'
Duration: Special
Effect: 1 target creature

This is a variation of Melf's Acid Arrow, borrowed from 2E AD&D PHB. This spell creates and shoots a glob of acidic slime at the target. There is no to hit roll, but there is a saving throw vs Spells. If unsuccesful the bolt hits the target directly and causes 2d4 acid damage. The caustic slime does not immediately disappear but sticks to the target continuing to do 2d4 damage per round, lasting 1 round per 3 whole levels of the caster (1 round for caster level 3-5, 2 rounds for caster level 6-8, 3 rounds for caster level 9-11 etc.) If the target makes the saving throw the caustic bolt only scores a glancing hit and causes 1d4 damage on initial hit and 1d4 damage per round. 

Stinking Cloud
Range: 30'
Duration: 1 round per caster level
Effect: 20 foot cube

This spell is borrowed straight from 2E AD&D PHB. The spell creates a billowing mass of nauseous vapours. Any creature caught within the cloud must save vs poison or be incapacitated and unable to move for 1d4 rounds. Anyone making the save still cannot attack or cast spells within the cloud but can move outside and then act normally. Slow Poison and Neutralise Poison will counteract the effects of the Stinking Cloud. 

Level 3 

Acid ball
Range: 240'
Duration: Instant
Effect: Sphere 40' diameter/20' radius

This is a reskinned variation of Fireball. The caster sends a small blob of acid to the centre of the target area and it instantly explodes, showering everyone and everything with extremely potent acid that causes horrible damage (1d6 acid damage per caster level, up to maximum of 20d6). A successful saving throw vs spells reduces the damage by half. 

Corroding Ray 
Range: 20'
Duration: Instant
Effect: 1 iron or steel item. 

New spell. Target must save vs spells or one iron or steel item worn or held by the target and selected by the caster is affected as if by a rust monster. A magic item that is affected will lose a magical +1. If a magic item is reduced to +0, it is no longer magical. Any non-magical item struck by this spell is instantly rendered useless and effectively destroyed as it instantly corrodes into rust and dust.

Level 4

Black Tentacles
Range: 30 yards
Duration: 1 hour
Effect: 20' x 20' area

This is based on Evard's Black Tentacles, from 2E AD&D PHB. This spell conjures a number (1d4+ 1/caster level) of black slimy tentacles, each about 10' long and 6" thick, to erupt from the surface of the affected area and start waving around trying to grasp anything that enters the area. If a creature does enter the area,  it must save vs spells.  A successful save means the creature only suffers a glancing blow (1d4 crushing damage) from a tentacle. A failed save means that the tentacle has grasped the target and inflicts 2d4 crushing damage per round until destroyed and also prevents the target from escaping. Each tentacle has 1hp/caster level and is AC 4 - destroying a tentacle is the only way to release a snared target. If a target is released but stays in the area of effect, it will be attacked by a surviving tentacle the following round. The tentacles are not very intelligent and if there are multiple target creatures in the area, each will be attacked by one tentacle, with larger, heavier creatures being targeted first. 

Ooze Form
Range: Caster only
Duration: 1 hour or until cancelled
Effect: Caster only

New spell. This spell has an effect similar to the famous potion of gaseous form but the caster is transformed into viscous liquid not gas. This usually takes the form of a man-sized gray ooze. This allows creeping at 30'/round and can squeeze under most doors and through cage bars and small pipes (minimum 2" x 2" to squeeze through), and also crawl up walls (though not across ceilings). Like real gray oozes, the ooze-formed caster can hide easily, looking like damp slimy rock. A wisdom check is allowed if creatures are actively looking for something suspicious, +2 to the check if they know to look for gray ooze. But also like gaseous form the caster leaves equipment behind. Although the caster appears to be a gray ooze, the spell does not grant the gray ooze's acidic attack or immunities to fire or cold. While in ooze form the caster cannot cast further spells or attack and has AC8. The spell lasts up to an hour but can be cancelled by the caster at will. 

Level 5

Rock-eating slime
Range: 20'
Duration: 1 turn/level
Effect: 1 summoned Slime

New spell. A semi-intelligent slimy thing similar to a small Black Pudding is conjured and it follows the caster's simple directions. It can dissolve and devour 1 cubic foot of rock every round and is summoned for 1 turn per level of the caster. Unlike Passwall spell, the rock is permanently destroyed. The rock-eating slime has AC 8 and 1 hp/level of the caster and moves at up to 30'/round but cannot attack other creatures - it can only attack inanimate rock. 

World Portals

World Portal

9th level Magic User Spell
Range: 20'
Duration: 1 turn
Effect: 1 portal (up to 10' x 10')

This spell requires a specially created archway at least 6' high and 4' wide, up to 10' x 10', usually of precious metals and finely wrought (5000gp cost). This has a 95% chance of surviving the casting for reuse. When cast, an interdimensional portal is created within the archway that leads to another world on the Material Plane (not to be confused with other planes of existence). 

Similar to a teleport spell, the chance of success is based on how familiar the caster is with the destination:

• Known only to caster by name - 30%
• Caster has read a brief description - 50%
• Caster has detailed description, or frequent conversation with a native - 70%
• Caster has visited briefly (1 day or less) - 80%
• Caster has spent more than a day - 90%
• Caster is a native of the destination - 100%

Failure means that the caster successfully opens a portal to the wrong world. Unlike Teleportation there is no chance of either materialising in solid earth or high up in the air, but finding oneself on the wrong world is problematic enough. The exact location also depends on the caster's knowledge, but generally if they specify a particular place as well the world they want to reach, then if the caster gets the right world, they will reach that location. If a wide area is described, the portal may open in any part of that area, as long as it is relatively safe - once again DM discretion applies. If no location is specified, the portal may open anywhere in the world. 

The portal stays open for 1 turn, after which it closes, possibly stranding any characters and creatures in the other world. The World Portal is two-way and while it is in effect a similar portal appears on the destination world that characters and creatures can pass through back to where the spell was cast. If the precious archway has survived, it can be used again for a second casting to enable the travellers to come back. Once the caster has opened a World Portal to a location on another world they get an additional +20% chance of success of opening a new World Portal connecting to that same location. So if the caster has a detailed description and successfully opens a World Portal on the correct world (70% chance) , any subsequent World Portals to that world and that location are at 90% chance of success (70% + 20%). If the caster steps through the portal even briefly and observes  the destination portal's surroundings before stepping back through before the portal closes, the chance of success for that caster reopening the portal at that location goes up to 100% (80% +20%). 

image by Larry Elmore, source

Worlds beyond Mystara

I'm not going to issue any hard and fast rules - this is really up to the DM. You can go homebrew, use  published D&D worlds or worlds from other game systems. You can even include a mythical version of Earth. The limits are really your imagination (and how much work or improvisation you are ready for).  My inclination is to stick to worlds that are compatible with (or at least not too difficult to convert to)  the rules that you are using - in my case B/X D&D. Worlds that spring to my mind as destinations for World Portal spells include:

• Tekumel - world of the Empire of the Petal Throne, created by MAR Barker
• Thunder Rift 
• Alphatia, the previous homeworld of the Empire of Alphatia
• Arduin - created by David Hargrave
• Titan - Home of the Fighting Fantasy books by Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson
• Averoigne - setting for weird fantasy created by Clark Ashton Smith and also featured in X2: Castle Amber
• Kaelaross - My own homebrew world detailed in the early posts of this blog
• Gamma World - Radically different sci-fi setting but the rules are quite similar

If you as DM are willing to stretch the definition of World and allow the World Portal spell to reach other settings connected to Mystara then it could be a useful spell for reaching Dave Arneson's Blackmoor setting (same planet but different continent and different century), or the Hollow World setting (same planet, but on the inside rather than the outside), or one of the planets or moons of Mystaraspace. 

This spell is 9th level so it cannot be made permanent by the Permanence spell, though if the DM wanted, there might be other ways of keeping the World Portal open for longer than 1 turn (perhaps a carefully worded Wish spell, or Immortal intervention). Characters stranded on a different world are in a difficult situation but not necessarily lost forever. Solutions that spring to my mind include:

• If the caster is also stranded (they went through the world portal but did not return home when the spell expired) then casting a second World Portal spell to get back home requires two things: that the caster has the spell memorised (probably involving studying from the caster's spellbook - was that brought through the portal as well?)  and acquiring a suitable archway for a second casting. Getting the right world is an automatic success. 
• A Wish spell is powerful enough to bring any creatures back to their home world. 
• A Word of Recall spell will work for a high-level cleric, but ONLY the cleric. 
• A Spelljammer ship would carry the PCs back home, but that does depend on whether the destination world has spelljamming visitors. Even if the PCs do find one, it would be an epic voyage across the Crystal Spheres, like Homer's Odyssey. 
• Other magical gates and portals do exist - both Gygax and Greenwood had them in their home worlds (Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms). Whether they take the PCs back to the correct homeworld is another matter...

Image by Larry Elmore, source

The Disappeared Fort of Tandallos

 

art by JJCanvas, source

A fortress thought lost has reappeared about a week ago in the southern foothills of Ylaruam, in the Emirate of Nicostenia, close to the border of Thyatis. This has puzzled and alarmed the governments of both nations - large fortifications should not just appear out of thin air. 

The fort of Tandallos was built between 190AC and 205AC while Thyatis was expanding into what would later become Ylaruam, and it has the style of old Thyatian architecture. Between 200AC and 396AC it was occupied by Thyatian troops. But in 396AC the fort became infected with plague rats feeding off the stores and provisions. Although clerics could temporarily cure soldiers and other staff of the plague, eradicating the rats that kept spreading the plague was much more difficult, and soldiers kept getting re-infected with the plague only weeks after a cleric had cured them. Infections rose and soldiers were getting sick and dying faster than the clerics could cope with, and the clerics got sick and had to cast curing spells on themselves. Eventually the generals in Thyatis City decided to temporarily abandon the fort until the plague rats had run out of food.  

And then Tandallos Fort disappeared. Nobody except one person knew what happened. A powerful Alphatian wizard, Zembrig, had not caused the plague (the plague rats were a natural occurrence) but was quick to take advantage of the empty fort. Furthermore Zembrig had visited other worlds and had seen many new spells unfamiliar to most mages on Mystara. One that caught his imagination was Mirage Arcana, which created a large-scale illusion that could hide structures. He took this and by dint of intense magical research he created a stronger, bigger version that he called Greater Mirage (7th level spell) that hid the whole of Tandallos Fort, making the terrain seem similar to what it was before the Thyatians built the fort. This would normally last 1 hour per level of the caster. But Zembrig also had a scroll of a Permanence spell which he used to keep the illusion hiding the fort for ever. 

During his occupancy of the fort, Zembrig used other illusion and enchantment spells to keep snoopers and intruders away, including Thyatian soldiers who almost remembered where they had been garrisoned, and after 20 years the Thyatian Empire had all but given up on reclaiming their disappeared fort. Zembrig turned the fort into his own personal fiefdom, but died in 444AC, despite numerous potions of Longevity, possibly from the same plague that drove the Thyatians away fifty years previously. 

Just over a week ago (in the current year 1000AC) a caravan was passing near the site, away from the normal trade route, when a dog with the caravan chased after a jackrabbit. The dog's owner, a mage of minor ability, saw the rabbit vanish, then the dog vanish as each entered the Greater Mirage, and saw the dog reappear, jackrabbit in her jaws, as she came out of the Greater Mirage. The mage entered the illusion and realised what it was hiding, although he himself could only observe. Going back to the caravan he made a careful note of where this illusion was and when the caravan was in Thyatis he informed a powerful wizard in the College of Lucinius who came along with him and this time successfully dispelled the Permanance spell. Fort Tandallos has now reappeared.

This has led to different  ideas about what to do with the fort. As far as the Emir of Nicostenia is concerned, it is in his lands and belongs to him. If the Thyatians want it back, they should have kept a better eye on it instead of losing it in the first place. His realm is sovereign and its borders are inviolable. His fellow Emirs (at least those who are aware of the reappearance) will back him up on this, at least diplomatically and possibly militarily. 

The Thyatians don't quite see it like that. It's their fort, they built it, and just a week ago they rediscovered it, and they are keeping it. If that means shifting the border so that Thyatia now includes the fort, that's fine by the Thyatians. Both sides are moving armed forces to seize the fort. It is still a defensible position, so whoever gets their troops in first will have a military advantage. 

So where do adventurers fit into all of this? Both sides will want adventurers to check out the fort's interior, making sure it is safe and not haunted by horrible monsters before they send their troops in. Also, various wizards are interested in Zembrig's research and spellbooks, especially this Greater Mirage spell. They would be willing to pay handsomely for usable inscriptions of this spell. 

What is in the fort at the moment? Mostly vermin, including a colony of driver ants, a few rhagodessas and giant scorpions. There are also some weird acid-spitting creatures called ankhegs that Zembrig brought back during his travels. But this may not be all, and Zembrig may have left some unpleasant surprises of his own for unwanted visitors, including some plague rats held in Temporal Stasis. 

Gnome Trickster Spells

These are all spells intended for use by the gnomish trickster, detailed here. It is up to the DM whether or not normal magic users can learn and cast these spells. As one might expect from their creators, these spells are all illusions to fool and outwit opponents. 

art by Matasmic, source here

Level 1

Simple Illusion

Range: 20'
Duration: 1 turn per level
Effect: 3' x 3' x 3' or else 6' x 6'

This spell creates a purely visual illusion about 3' x 3' x 3' in size if projecting into the air, or 6' x 6' if cast on a flat surface. It must be static, and although it can be of a living thing, it will not move (even within the confines of the area of effect). The illusion cannot emit any noise and can easily be revealed by attempting to touch the illusion - like a hologram the toucher's hand passes straight through it. If cast on a flat surface (such as a floor or a door) it can give the perception of depth on the other side though again touch will dispel any deception (e.g. if it is used to create an illusory pit on the floor, 6' x 6', the illusion would make the pit seem real enough as the viewer approached, but any touch would reveal it is just a floor). 

Level 3

Creature Illusion

Range: 60'
Duration: 1 round per level
Effect: 20' x 20' x 20'

This in-depth illusion can be of any creature the caster has seen. The spell includes sound, smell and even the sensation of radiated heat or cold or vibrations. The illusion can move around and behave as the caster wishes, though it must be within 60' of the the caster who must maintain concentration while controlling the illusion. However, the illusion itself cannot do any damage nor can it exert any actual force against real objects. The size of the illusory creature must be 20' or less in all directions (though this does allow for most giants, small dragons and the front part of a purple worm emerging from a burrow). Uniforms and clothing can also be generated, though the illusion will not speak any languages the cast does not know,  and replicating specific individuals is not feasible - the facial features and voice don't seem quite right. 

Level 4

Group Disguise

Range: 60'
Duration: 1 round per level
Effect: Selected creatures within 30' radius

This spell allows the caster to change the appearances of selected creatures within 30' radius of him. If the creature is unwilling, it gets a saving throw vs spells at +2. Willing creatures forego the saving throw. Voice, clothing, smell and other features are changed. Height can be apparently altered by +/- 30% (so a 6' tall human could seem to be a 4'3" goblin, or an 7'10" tall bugbear). This does not alter any actual stats or abilities (e.g. illusory wings do not enable flight). The caster must maintain moderate concentration for the duration of the spell - they can move along with the group and can speak but cannot fight or cast any other spell. In the event of combat the illusion can be maintained as long as the caster maintains concentration and neither fights, nor gets wounded nor casts another spell. 

Impersonate

Range: touch'
Duration: 1 turn per level
Effect: 1 selected humanoid

This spell allows the caster or another willing humanoid to appear as a different individual, including speech, smell and clothing, and changing apparent height by +/-30%. The success of this spell depends on both the caster's familiarity with the person being impersonated versus the observer's familiarity. Recognising the illusion for what it is requires an intelligence check by the observer. If the observer is more familiar than the caster, they get between +1 to +4 bonus to the int check. Conversely if the caster is more familiar then the observer's int check is at -1 to -4 penalty. As this is an illusion spell, it does not give the disguised creature either any special abilities, nor any knowledge personal to the imitated individual. The caster can disguise another creature as the caster, in which case it will be a very convincing illusion (-5 to observer's intelligence check). 

Lasting Illusion

Range: 60'
Duration: Permanent until dispelled
Effect: 20' x 20' x 20'

The illusion created by this spell is effectively permanent once the caster has set it in place. The illusion can move in a pre-set way but will not react to any attempts to interact. An illusory monster can snore or pace up and down but will not fight back, and an illusory scything blade swinging across a corridor will not stop swinging if a solid thing is put in its path. The lasting illusion includes sight, sound, smell and some feeling (heat, cold, vibration etc). 

The Twisted Summoner NPC class

 One of my previous posts, the one with the Summon Chaotic Minion spells, has prompted quite a bit of discussion on the Piazza forum, and I am now rethinking my previous approach. 

Originally my idea was for a new subclass of magic user, the Twisted Summoner, who would specialise in summoning and controlling chaotic monsters. But I changed this idea to simply the series of spells for summoning monsters of increasing power and hit dice as spell level increased. 

Folks on the forum have raised interesting and valid points, and so I am offering the original approach as an alternative: the Twisted Summoner NPC class. 

The Concept

Twisted summoners are the archetypal dungeon building evil wizards. Chaotic wizards are notorious for building underground lairs and filling them with a menagerie of horrible monsters that according to  normal rules of ecology should not be living so close to each other. From Halaster's Undermountain in the Forgotten Realms to Zagyg's Castle Greyhawk and Keraptis' White Plume Mountain in the Flanaess and the legendary Warlock of Firetop Mountain, the twisted summoner takes the idea of a dungeon-building wizard surrounded by monstrous minions and runs with it. 

Twisted Summoners are chaotic magic users who have offered their services to the powers of Chaos in return for dominion over monsters. An NPC magic user may make the bargain with either abstract forces of Chaos or with a specific chaotic entity such as an Immortal of the Sphere of Entropy, or a demon lord, or whatever fits the DM's campaign. This bargain can be made either at 1st level or higher, and this is the point when the magic user becomes a Twisted Summoner. The change is permanent and cannot be undone.  

Despite their chaotic alignment, some twisted summoners do team up and pool their resources. The usual selfishness, greed and untrustworthiness of their alignment is still there but is suppressed (or at least put on hold) while it is in the twisted summoners' own interests to join forces. This is particularly true at low levels where a 1st level summoner with 4 kobold minions may easily succumb to a novice adventuring party or even a patrol of orcs, but 3 x 1st level twisted summoners and 12 kobolds may fend off such enemies. 

The Rules

Twisted Summoners are like normal magic users in many ways - they have d4 hit points per level, make saving throws and attacks as magic users, and use equipment and magic items as magic users. They also draw on the same spell lists as normal magic users and can cast the same number of spells at each spell level per day.  

The major difference between twisted summoners and normal magic users is that twisted summoners can cast the various Summon Chaotic Minion spells and control the summoned creatures. Twisted summoners alone have a pool of effective hit dice they can use to control monsters - other magic users might be able to learn and cast the spell and bring forth the various chaotic creatures but they cannot control them. As first described in the spell description for all these spells a twisted summoner can control up to their level doubled. So a 3rd level twisted summoner can control up to 6 effective hit dice at any one time, such as 2 kobolds (1/2 hd each) + 3 orcs (1 hd each) + 1 gnoll (2 hd). A creature summoned by one of these spells counts towards this total until it is killed or dismissed. When dismissing a summoned minion from his control, the twisted summoner may choose to either send it back to the plane that it was summoned from, or else it stays on the material plane and it simply wanders off. Although released from magical control, it may still come to some arrangement with the summoner.

Twisted Summoner  Level	Hit Dice	Total Effective Hit Dice of controllable monsters	Best Summon Chaotic Minion spell
1	1d4	2	Summon Kobold Minion
2	2d4	4	Summon Kobold Minion
3	3d4	6	Summon Chaotic Minion I
4	4d4	8	Summon Chaotic Minion I
5	5d4	10	Summon Chaotic Minion II
6	6d4	12	Summon Chaotic Minion II
7	7d4	14	Summon Chaotic Minion III
8	8d4	16	Summon Chaotic Minion III
9	9d4	18	Summon Chaotic Minion IV
10	9d4+1	20	Summon Chaotic Minion IV
11	9d4+2	22	Summon Chaotic Minion V
12	9d4+3	24	Summon Chaotic Minion V
13	9d4+4	26	Summon Chaotic Minion V
14	9d4+5	28	Summon Chaotic Minion V
15	9d4+6	30	Summon Chaotic Minion VI
16	9d4+7	32	Summon Chaotic Minion VI
17	9d4+8	34	Summon Chaotic Minion VII
18	9d4+9	36	Summon Chaotic Minion VII
19	9d4+10	38	Summon Chaotic Minion VIII
20	9d4+11	40	Summon Chaotic Minion VIII

The Monsters

Optional increased variety of monsters, listed by effective HD:

Spell	Effective Hit Dice	Possible Monsters
Summon Kobold Minion	1/2	Kobold
Summon Chaotic Minion I	1	goblin hobgoblin orc
Summon Chaotic Minion II	2	gnoll chaotic lizardman chaotic stirge
Summon Chaotic Minion III	3	bugbear gremlin shadow troglodyte
Summon Chaotic Minion IV	4	harpy lycanthrope, wererat ogre chaotic carrion crawler chaotic rhagodessa
Summon Chaotic Minion IV	5	doppelganger gargoyle lycanthrope, werewolf thoul chaotic owlbear
Summon Chaotic Minion V	6	hellhound (4** HD) medusa minotaur chaotic rust monster
Summon Chaotic Minion V	7	manticore troll chaotic rust monster chaotic displacer beast
Summon Chaotic Minion VI	8	giant, hill wyvern chaotic basilisk
Summon Chaotic Minion VI	9	dragon, small black gorgon mujina chaotic fire salamander
Summon Chaotic Minion VII	10	dragon, small green manscorpion chaotic hydra, 9-headed
Summon Chaotic Minion VII	11	chimera devilswine efreeti giant, frost malfera
Summon Chaotic Minion VIII	12	dragon, small red giant, fire chaotic planar spider (10** HD)
Summon Chaotic Minion VIII	13	salamander, frost chaotic hydra, 12-head regenerating

This expanded list of monsters includes some from the Rules Compendium that are not in the Moldvay/Cook B/X rules, as well as chaotic versions of monsters that are normally neutral. As this is an NPC class, the DM can rule out or add monsters as seen fit. The list of monsters still excludes undead and natural animals (whether normal or giant). 

Kobolds are considered the workforce of a twisted summoner's lair, and are capable of mining, setting  traps, simple forms of craftsmanship and construction and gathering food and fuel. They are still cowardly and will fight only if desperate or directly ordered to do so by the twisted summoner. 

Summoning Chaotic Minions

Among the mages of chaotic cults there are a series of spells that are being propagated. These spells allow chaotic mages to summon and control numbers of monsters to serve them. These are not simply short appearances for a single combat, but prolonged servitude. All of these spells have a long casting time (1 turn to cast) so are not suitable for the middle of combat. 

These series of spells all use a concept of effective hit dice to determine how powerful a monster is. This is simply the monster's hit dice plus the number of asterisks after the hit dice (indicating special abilities). Additional hit points are ignored. Thus a hobgoblin (1+1 HD) has an effective hit dice of 1, while a small green dragon (7** HD) has an effective Hit Dice of 9. 

Across all these spells a magic user can control up to their M-U level doubled. So a 3rd level magic user can control up to 6 effective hit dice at any one time. A creature summoned by one of these spells counts towards this total until it is killed or dismissed. When dismissing a summoned minion from his control, the magic user may choose to either send it back to the plane that it was summoned from, or else it stays on the material plane and it simply wanders off. Although released from magical control, it may still come to some arrangement with the mage. 

Summon Kobold Minion
Spell level: 1
Duration: Permanent (until minion is killed or dismissed)
Range: 60'
This spell summons a single kobold to serve the magic user. Although not particularly good at fighting (AC 7, Mv 90', HD 1/2 (3hp), Att 1 weapon for 1d4, Save NM, Ml 6, Al C), the kobold has a range of uses outside of combat, especially mining and excavating, as well as trap setting, building and dungeon maintenance. A kobold can excavate about 40 cubic feet of rock per day. 

Summon Chaotic Minion I

Spell level: 2

Duration:  Permanent (until minion is killed or dismissed)

Range: 60'

This spell summons a single chaotic creature of 1 effective HD. This can be one of:

• Goblin
• Hobgoblin
• Orc

Summon Chaotic Minion II

Spell level: 3

Duration:  Permanent (until minion is killed or dismissed)

Range: 60'

This spell summons a single chaotic creature of 2 effective HD. This can be one of:

• Gnoll
• Troglodyte

Summon Chaotic Minion III

Spell level: 4

Duration:  Permanent (until minion is killed or dismissed)

Range: 60'

This spell summons a single chaotic creature of 3 effective HD. This can be one of:

• Bugbear
• Shadow

Summon Chaotic Minion IV

Spell level: 5

Duration:  Permanent (until minion is killed or dismissed)

Range: 60'

This spell summons a single chaotic creature of 4-5 effective HD. This can be one of:

4 effective HD

• Ogre
• Wererat
• Harpy

5 effective HD

• Werewolf
• Doppelganger
• Gargoyle

Summon Chaotic Minion V

Spell level: 6

Duration:  Permanent (until minion is killed or dismissed)

Range: 60'

This spell summons a single chaotic creature of 6-7 effective HD. This can be one of:

6 effective HD

• Minotaur
• Medusa

7 effective HD

• 5HD** Hellhound
• Troll

Summon Chaotic MinionVI

Spell level: 7

Duration:  Permanent (until minion is killed or dismissed)

Range: 60'

This spell summons a single chaotic creature of 8-9 effective HD. This can be one of:

8 effective HD

• Hill Giant
• Wyvern

9 effective HD

• Small Black Dragon
• Gorgon

Summon Chaotic Minion VII

Spell level: 8

Duration:  Permanent (until minion is killed or dismissed)

Range: 60'

This spell summons a single chaotic creature of 10-11 effective HD. This can be one of:

10 effective HD

• Small Green Dragon

11 effective HD

• Frost Giant
• Chimera
• Devil Swine
• Efreeti

Summon Chaotic Minion VIII

Spell level: 9

Duration:  Permanent (until minion is killed or dismissed)

Range: 60'

This spell summons a single chaotic creature of 12-13 effective HD. This can be one of:

12 effective HD

• Small Red Dragon
• Fire Giant

13 effective HD

• Frost Salamander

Note that none of these monsters are either undead - that is the domain of clerics, not magic users. Since these monsters are alive, they need to feed, drink and sleep. 

The monsters listed here are the ones that magic users can always summon with the appropriate spell and available effective hit dice. Others may be added to the list at the DM's discretion, such as chaotic versions of normally neutral species (such as lizardfolk, owlbears and basilisks) as well as creatures beyond the core rulebooks. 

I am aware that these spells could be dangerous, perhaps unbalancing, if they were in the hands of PCs. I leave it to the DMs to decide how this is handled. 

Chaotic Cleric Spells

As a sort of counterbalance to a previous post on Lawful cleric spells, I've come up with a few for the dark side. 
Although I realize that clerics were never meant to be the magical powerhouses of destruction and control that mages can be, the 1st level cleric spells still seem pretty weak. 
If you use Basic D&D, then you don't get any spells as a 1st level cleric - you have to get to 2nd level to prove yourself worthy to receive...Purify Food and Drink! Is that how foul followers of terrifying gods lure crazed worshippers into their dark cults? No, this is how they show their deity's boons. 

1st level spells for chaotic clerics

Blood Loan
Range: 30'
Duration: 1 turn per caster level
Area: 1 target
This spell grants the target a temporary extra 1d6+1 hp. The same amount of hit points are subtracted from the target at the end of the spell's duration. If this reduces the target to below 1 hp, they die as normal as they lose the borrowed life force. This spell can stack with multiple castings. Some clerics use this on their allies before a fight, then after battle they ask for vital information or oaths of loyalty before casting healing spells that save the ally's life. 

Rage
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 round per caster level
Area: 1 target
This spell grants the target a +1 to damage and also makes them unable to retreat or surrender voluntarily. They get a +2 bonus to morale checks while fighting, though they may run away if they fail a morale test. If cast on PCs, they will keep fighting until either they or the opponents are dead. While the spell is in effect, the target shouts and yells threats and obscenities at any enemies. 

2nd level spells for chaotic clerics

Aura of Shadows
Range: Caster only
Duration: 1 round per caster level
Area: Caster
This spell causes the cleric to be surrounded by wisps of dark shadows that cling to to the cleric like smoke. The Aura gives the cleric +2 to AC and +2 to saving throws, and reduces the damage of all attacks against the cleric by 1hp. 

3rd level spells for chaotic clerics

Champion of Chaos
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 turn per caster level
Area: 30' around target
This spell is like a variation of the Bless spell. It is cast on a single target who temporarily becomes a champion of chaos and exudes an aura of power and hatred. All chaotic creatures within a 30' radius around the champion of chaos gain +1 to hit and damage and saves similar to a Bless spell, and also +1 bonus to AC and +2 to morale. The champion gains +2 to hit, damage, to saving throws and AC, never needs to check morale while the spell is in effect, and visibly appears more powerful (more muscular, more ferocious).  The cleric may choose to cast the spell on himself. 

Paranoia
Range: 60' 
Duration: 1 turn per caster level
Area: 1 target
This spell causes the affected target to save vs spells. If they fail, they treat all allies as if they were foes and will refuse to trust them. The target may retreat and run away if outnumbered, or may attack allies if confident of victory. They will refuse any help, and any attempt to cast a spell on them will be treated as an attack. This spell can be removed by Dispel Magic and Remove Curse. 

Spells for the care and maintainance of Golems

These four spells are used by the mages of Maquosmouth to keep their golems and animated statues functioning despite ongoing conflict with creatures of chaos emerging from the Chaos Portal in the same city.


Mend Animated Statue
3rd level magic-user/elf spell
Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent
This spell repairs 1d6 damage per casting on an animated statue. The caster must be in contact with the animated statue, so it is usually cast outside combat. Animated statues, being constructs, do not benefit from clerical healing that would affect living creatures.


Animate Construct
4th level magic-user/elf spell
Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent
This spell is the animating spark that completes the process of creating golems, animated statues and other constructs. This spell does not create the creature's body out of thin air - the caster or craftsmen on his behalf, must have built the constructs body to a required standard, taking time and money (the exact details are left to the DM, but should be reasonably challenging for PCs).

Caster's level  Type

7th             Wax animated statue

8th             Crystal animated statue,

9th             Wood Golem, Terracotta Animated Statue

10th            Iron Animated Statue,

11th            Stone Animated Statue

13th            Bone Golem

15th            Amber Golem

20th            Bronze Golem
24th            Drolem


Once animated, the construct will follow its creators instructions, usually direct command, or via the Instruct Construct spell above.

Enhance Construct

4th level magic-user/elf spell

Range: 60'

Duration: 1 turn or 1 encounter

This spell gives a construct magical bonuses for its duration, giving it +2 to hit and +2 to damage with each hit. It also reduces all direct spell damage on the golem (such as from fireballs, walls of fire, magic missiles etc.) by 1 per dice of damage.

Instruct Construct

5th level magic-user/elf spell

Range: Touch

Duration: 1 day

This spell allows the caster to give a series of instructions, which may include direct commands, or exceptions or additions to those commands. There may be one instruction per level of the casting mage, and only one of these spells may affect a construct at any one time. A second casting with more instructions will "overwrite" the previous casting. A mage casting this spell needs to write down the instructions (if a player character is casting the spell, this list should be given to the DM). Such a list of instructions might be like

1) Every hour, walk around the stronghold perimeter.

2) Attack any non-humanoid non-animal non-construct creature you encounter.

3) Bring humanoid creatures to the caster of this spell.

4) If the humanoid creature will not go along peacefully, attack it until it complies or it is dead.

5) If an animal or construct attacks you, defend yourself, otherwise leave it alone.

A mage needs to assume the construct is not good at terms that require discretion or judgement such as "enemy", and do not recognise alignment, levels or hit dice. Constructs are capable of distinguishing between species, genders and races, but usually only recognise individuals if they are the constructs' creator or the caster of this spell. Constructs are not particularly clever, and will follow instructions as written with almost no discretion. The construct's creator can halt or override these instructions with his own direct commands. DMs are allowed to decide how a construct will interpret these instructions, and also if a single instruction is too long or complicated and should be split up into two smaller ones.

Mend Golem

5th level magic-user/elf spell

Range: Touch

Duration: Permanent

This spell repairs  2d6 damage on a golem per casting, magically mending any damage. The caster must be in contact with the golem. Golems are not living creatures, and so neither heal naturally nor gain from clerical healing spells.