Instant Spell Recall a spontaneous magic option for Vancian OSR systems

Art by Joyce Maureira from Scarlet Heroes free Art Pack

Instant Spell Recall I-VIII is a group of spell that let the spell-user to use an higher level spell to have the possibility to chose which spell to memorize between a small group of lesser level spell.

Instant Spell Recall I (2nd level) Conjuration/Summoning

Duration: Istantaneous	Casting Time: 1+spell casting time
Saving Throw: none	Area of Effect: self
Range: self	Components: V, S + spell components

Description: When the spell-caster cast this spell she is able to cast a single spell from a list of 5 1st level known spells (known spells are spells that were understood and wrote on the spell-user spell book), the spell-user will decide these 5 spells when he memorizes Instant Spell Recall. 

Instant Spell Recall II (3rd level) Conjuration/Summoning

Duration: Istantaneous	Casting Time: 1+spell casting time
Saving Throw: none	Area of Effect: self
Range: self	Components: V, S + spell components

Description: When the spell-caster cast this spell he is able to cast a spell from a list of 5 2nd level known spells (known spells are spells that were understood and wrote on the spell-user spell book), the spell-user will decide these 5 spells when he memorizes Instant Spell Recall.

Instant Spell Recall III (4th level) Conjuration/Summoning

Duration: Istantaneous	Casting Time: 1+spell casting time
Saving Throw: none	Area of Effect: self
Range: self	Components: V, S+ spell components

Description: When the spell-caster cast this spell she is able to cast a spell from a list of 5 3rd level known spells (known spells are spells that were understood and wrote on the spell-user spell book), the spell-user will decide these 5 spells when he memorizes Instant Spell Recall.

Instant Spell Recall IV (5th level) Conjuration/Summoning

Duration: Istantaneous	Casting Time: 1+spell casting time
Saving Throw: none	Area of Effect: self
Range: self	Components: V, S+ spell components

Description: When the spell-caster cast this spell she is able to cast a spell from a list of 5 4th level known spells (known spells are spells that were understood and wrote on the spell-user spell book), the spell-user will decide these 5 spells when he memorizes Instant Spell Recall.

Instant Spell Recall V (6th level) Conjuration/Summoning

Duration: Istantaneous	Casting Time: 1+spell casting time
Saving Throw: none	Area of Effect: self
Range: self	Components: V, S+ spell components

Description: When the spell-caster cast this spell  she is able to cast  a spell from a list of 5 5th level known spells (known spells are spells that were understood and wrote on the spell-user spell book), the spell-user will decide these 5 spells when he memorizes Instant Spell Recall.

Instant Spell Recall VI (7th level) Conjuration/Summoning

Duration: Istantaneous	Casting Time: 1+spell casting time
Saving Throw: none	Area of Effect: self
Range: self	Components: V, S+ spell components

Description: When the spell-caster cast this spell she is able to cast a spell from a list of 5 6th level known spells (known spells are spells that were understood and wrote on the spell-user spell book), the spell-user will decide these 5 spells when he memorizes Instant Spell Recall.

Instant Spell Recall VII (8th level) Conjuration/Summoning

Duration: Istantaneous	Casting Time: 1+spell casting time
Saving Throw: none	Area of Effect: self
Range: self	Components: V, S+ spell components

Description: When the spell-caster cast this spell she is able to cast a spell from a list of 5 7th level known spells (known spells are spells that were understood and wrote on the spell-user spell book), the spell-user will decide these 5 spells when he memorizes Instant Spell Recall.

Instant Spell Recall VIII (9th level) Conjuration/Summoning

Duration: Istantaneous	Casting Time: 1+spell casting time
Saving Throw: none	Area of Effect: self
Range: self	Components: V, S+ spell components

Description: When the spell-caster cast this spell she is able to cast a spell from a list of 5 8th level known spells (known spells are spells that were understood and wrote on the spell-user spell book), the spell-user will decide these 5 spells when he memorizes Instant Spell Recall.

This article present a simplified version of the Polyspell this option don't need a repertorie.

Recharging Spells a Vancian optional system for AD&D and OSR

Art by Luigi Castellani from the "Spears of  the Dawn" free art pack

This article presents a variant magic system for Old School systems that use fire and forget (or vancian) magic. 

It is a streamlined version of the italian article "Memorizzare, Caricare e Lanciare incantesimi" (which is full of options built on this same rule).

In this system the mage don't lose memory of the spell when cast but only lose the magic energy charged in the spell, memorization works as usual (15'xlevel of spell to be memorized after a night sleep) but we will call it spell locking, casting spells works as usual, the big difference is in charging spells (spell caster have 30 points/day that can be used to charge spells), charging take about 1'xlevel of spell and can be done after a turn or more is gone without spell casting.

The system in a nutshell

1) Spell Locking
2) Spell Charging
3) Spell Casting


1) Spell Locking

In this system memorization is permanent (spell locking) until the spells memorized are changed with a new memorization. Spell locking follows the usual rules for memorization: the mage must be rested, needs his books, needs about 15'xlevel of spell to lock a single spell. 
Optionally it could be wise to enforce the rule of bulky and expensive books, so that the mage has to get back at his tower/library to change spells.
Notice that a spell must be "locked" multiple times to allow multiple casting during a single battle.


2) Spell Charging

After spells have been locked in the spell-caster mind they must be charged. 
Spell casters have 30 "Charge Points" each day (they regain them after a full night of sleep).
To charge a spell the magic user need to concentrate for 1 minute per spell level (so if you want to charge 3 first level spells you need 3 minutes, 3 3rd level spells you need 9 minutes, 2 1st and 2 2nd need 6 minutes). Spell charging can happen only after 1 turn has elapsed from the last spell casting (Optionally the lag can be upped to 1 turn per level of the highest spell used).


3) Spell Casting

Charged spell can be cast as for normal rules (the only difference is that only the charge will be lost, the locked spell will remain ready to be charged again).

Designer Notes

This system introduce a big change in the economy of spells while keeping the system almost identical during combat.
The idea is also to give a little more power to low level spell caster (since they will be able to use more spells during the day), while keeping high level spell caster in check but more "adventurous".

Notice that if a spell caster want to be able to cast 2 times the same spell in the same battle he have to "lock" it 2 times, just as before when a magic user that wanted to be able to cast 2 lightning bolt needed to memorize it 2 times.

I chose 30 "charge points" considering that in 1st edition a magic user could memorize up to 8-12 hours (32-48 spell levels), from this I considered a number that was level independent.

Obviously you can change this number to better suit your campaign and fine tune the level of magic.

Enchanted Dagger a less flashy Magic Missile

Enchanted Dagger

Arcane 
Enchantment/Charm
Level: Mage 1st

Range:180'

Duration: isntantaneous
Area of effect: one dagger +1 each 2 level

Components: V, S, F (a special dagger)

Casting time: 1 segment

Saving Throw: None

The mage take her dagger(s) and throw it(them) at one, or more, enemy with perfect aim. Each dagger will hit for 1d4+1 points of damage. The dagger will lose any other bonus or property (cannot be poisoned or have other spell or magical effect active) while used as Focus of this spell. A dagger to be used as focus of this spell must be normally usable by the mage.

ACKS numbers
1d4+1 (25 point), max 1d damage (x0.1), 1 creature +1 each 2 levels (x3), range 150' (x1), duration instantaneous (x1), No saving throw (x1), need focus (x0.8) = 6

Arcane x1 = 6 point (1st level spell)
Eldritch x1.5 = 9 point (1st level spell)

WHY THIS?
The idea is to have spell that need a focus of some sort (daggers for magic missile, torchs for fireball and so on). It fit better in heroic fantasy to have less flashy magic (see the upcoming Heroic Fantasy book by the Autarch: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/autarch/heroic-fantasy-and-barbarian-conquerors-collection and also here https://d20d12.blogspot.it/2017/03/heroic-fantasy-and-barbarian-conquerors.html)

What is a Focus?
A focus is a material component that is not expended in the casting of the spell. In this case the Focus is just a dagger that must then be retrieved to be used again (just as if the mage had thrown it).

Invisible reflections and 2 new OSR spell

During the years I had lots of discussions on invisibility spells as presented in the AD&D 1st edition game (and also 2nd edition and by extension the OSRIC clone).

The first observation is that invisibility spells are of the Illusion/Phantasm type, where illusion magic create an image (usually with 3 dimensions) in the real world that can be seen by normal means (that is the image of a tree will be seen as a tree by all the onlookers) while Phantasm spell are hallucination in the mind of the spell victim.

My conclusion are that invisibility spells are to be considered of the Illusion type since they don't have area limits and the invisible creature will not be visible to everyone looking at him (less of "see the invisible", "true vision" and the like), even someone looking from far away with a crystal ball will not see the invisible character.

So it must be an illusion spell since it is just 2nd level and it cannot be so powerful to create a phantasm in the mind of everyone looking at the character location (this could be thousands of people if the character were walking on a tower in the middle of a siege). It must be a sort of hologram that give the character perfect blending with his surroundings.

There are many other ways to become invisible, like to be shifted out of reality maybe in some shadowy plane, like happened to Frodo when he donned the One Ring, or how it happens in Crypts and Things where invisibility shift the caster in The Shroud the plane of the "others" making invisibility a black magic spell and putting the sanity of the invisibility subject at risk (but I think this make the invisibility spell a little too much for a 2nd level spell).

But the usual 2nd level spell should just surround you in an illusion capable of cloaking yourself, by the way this means that throwing flour or chalk to the invisible character don't make him covered in flour (since what you pick up become invisible, as specified in many OSR games like the Basic Fantasy RPG) but help his enemy by making visible his footprints on the flour covered floor.

I'll end this article with two new "invisibility" spells:

Cloak of the chameleon

Arcane 
Illusion/Phantasm
Level: Mage 2nd, Illusionist 1st

Range: Touch

Duration: 10'/level
Area of effect: One Creature

Components: V, S, M (a bit of powdered chameleon skin)

Casting time: 3 segments

Saving Throw: None

This spell make the subject totally invisible if he stay still, if he move, attacks or cast spells he become visible again but the spell is not broken. If the subject of the spell becomes still again - and the spell is still in effect - it will turn invisible after 2 rounds.

Faerie Tapestry

Arcane 
Illusion/Phantasm
Level: Mage 4th, Illusionist 3rd

Range: Touch

Duration: 10'/level
Area of effect: A square area with sides of (100' + (10' * Caster Level))

Components: V, S, M (a small tapestry woven by faeries worth around 100gp)

Casting time: 10'

Saving Throw: None

This spell affects an area, when the spell is cast the caster will designate who will become invisible by the spell beyond himself (up to 1 humanoid * caster level, this number must include the caster). All the subject of this spell, until the end of the spell, when are in the spell area and take an invisible stance (don't make attacks, cast spells, speak to who cannot see them) are invisible except to the other subject of this spell. If they break the invisible stance they can become again invisible if the hide from view (going behind a wall or a tree). Notice that multiple casting of this spell from different casters or on different group of people makes for a very fun and confusing situation.

Note: this is the english version of a the Riflessi Invisibili blogpost

Crypts and Things Remastered KICKstarter SUCCESSFULLY funded!!!!

The image for the Crypts and Things Remastered kickstarter

The original Crypts & Things was a shining example of what can be done with the OSR, a great way to play Sword and Sorcery stories (like the ones of Conan, Fafhrd and Grey Mouser novels). The remastered version looks even better...

So the kickstarter is still going on and you can pledge to get your preferred rewards (and help the project to unlock some stretch goals), and immediate access to the pdf of the new ruleset.

The Kickstarter for Crypts and Things Remastered is here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/645319106/crypts-and-things-remastered

This is a grim land of dark magick and eerie dangers.

What are the differences from the "original" game? Quite a lot:
+ no saving throws, but a luck score that can help to get out of sorcerous ways
+ hit points are just stamina and fatigue, than damage will cut down constitution
+ a simple skill system
+ a simple background system
+ few martial classes: Barbarian, Fighter, Thief
+ Only one magical class: Sorcerer

yes there are no Clerics, Magic Users or bards.... and the magic system is fire and forget (don't be fooled by the name of the magic using class) BUT (yes there is a big but) while the sorcerer can learn every spell they are divided in three kind of magic (white, gray and black)

in the first edition of Crypts and Things to learn and cast spell there was a cost linked to the color of magic, this cost are still different but more interesting in the remastered edition

Crypts and Things cost of magic

White: no cost

Gray: 2hp * level of spell cast

Black: to memorize a black magic spell sacrifice a sentient being or get spell-level costitution damage AND when you cast it you must make a saving throw or lose sanity...

Crypts and Things Remastered cost of magic:
White: % of getting hunted by undead and "others"
Gray: nothing
Black: corruption (ever growing)

I find the second table much more interesting than the previous one.

The kickstarter was successfully funded, and since it reached 9206£ a lot of stretch goals were met, here the new classes:

Disciple: a sword and sorcery take on the Monk!
Elementalist: a new type of magic user molded after the prince of Melnimbone
Lizard People: first race as class of C&T, noble and ancient race of strong fighter with mystical powers
Beast Hybrid: second race as class of C&T, some sort of corrupted shape shifter
Serpent Noble: third race as class, natural users of black magic...