d20 Green Ronin Publishing True Sorcery.pdf

R equiRes the use of the D ungeons & D Ragons P layeR , s h anDbook , PublisheD by

W izaRDs of the C oast , i nC . t his PRoDuCt utilizes uPDateD mateRial fRom the v .3.5 Revision

A MAGIC SOURCEBOOK FOR OGL GAMING

A VARIANT MAGIC SYSTEM FOR

THE D20 SYSTEM

DESIGN: ROBERT J. SCHWALB

EDITING: SPIKE Y JONES

DEVELOPMENT: SPIKE Y JONES AND ROBERT J. SCHWALB

TRUE20 ADAPTATION: STEVE KENSON

GRAPHIC DESIGN: HAL MANGOLD & MARC SCHMALZ

ART DIRECTION: ROBERT J. SCHWALB & HAL MANGOLD

COVER ART: MATT CAVOTTA

INTERIOR ART: ILYA ASTRAKHAN, TOREN “MACBIN” ATKINSON,

DREW BAKER, KENT BURLES, KEN CAPELLI, STORN COOK,

TALON DUNNING, MARCIO FIORITO, ELIZA GAUGER,

CHRIS KEEFE, JONATHAN KIRTZ, STEPHANIE LAW, PAT LOBOYKO,

MANOEL MAGALHAES, BRITT MARTIN, JENNIFER MEYER,

JAMES SMITH III, MIKE VILARDI, JOSEPH WIGFIELD, LISA WOOD

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: CHRIS PRAMAS

GREEN RONIN STAFF: STEVE KENSON, NICOLE LINDROOS,

HAL MANGOLD, CHRIS PRAMAS, EVAN SASS, MARC SCHMALZ, AND

ROBERT J. SCHWALB

SPECIAL THANKS: HARRY PRATT FOR HIS KEEN INSIGHTS,

AND MONTE AND SUE COOK FOR PERMITTING US TO INCLUDE AN

ADAPTATION FOR IRON HEROES .

material in no way constitutes a challenge to

the respective copyright holders of that

material.

‘d20 System’ and the ‘d20 System’ logo are

trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and

are used according to the terms of the d20

System License version 6.0. A copy of this

license can be found at www.wizards.

com/d20.

Rules referenced from Monte Cook Presents:

Iron Heroes (Malhavoc Press 2005), copyright

Monte J. Cook. Used with permission.

The following text is Open Gaming

Content: Chapters 1–6, Appendix I, II,

III, the class advancement table and class

features of IV, V, and the spell reference

tables.

Dungeons & Dragons®, d20 Modern

Roleplaying Game , and Wizards of the Coast®

are registered trademarks of Wizards of the

Coast, Inc., and are used with permission.

P.O. Box 1723

Renton, WA

98057-1723

www.greenronin.com

custserv@greenronin.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ............................................................. 3

Using this Book...................................................3

CHAPTER ONE:THE SPELLCASTER............................ 4

he Spellcaster ......................................................4

he Modern Spellcaster .........................................6

Skills.....................................................................8

Feats ...................................................................13

CHAPTER TWO: SYSTEM OF MAGIC ...................... 17

Essential Concepts...............................................17

Casting Spell Efects..........................................17

Choose the Spell...........................................17

Spell Energy.................................................18

Magnitude ...................................................19

Casting Time................................................19

he Spellcraft Check.....................................20

Caster Level .................................................20

Spell Failure .................................................20

Result ..........................................................21

Spell Format........................................................21

Name ...........................................................21

Description ..................................................21

Prerequisites................................................21

Base DC........................................................21

Components.................................................21

Range ..........................................................22

Aiming .........................................................22

Duration ......................................................22

Saving hrow ...............................................22

Spell Resistance ...........................................23

Base Efect ...................................................23

Augmentation ..............................................23

Special Spell Efects .....................................23

Continuous Efects .......................................23

Synergy .......................................................23

Sample Spell Efects .....................................23

Augmentations .................................................23

Damage........................................................24

Area of Efect and Targets ............................24

Range ..........................................................25

Duration ......................................................25

Extra Components .......................................26

Subtracting Components ..............................26

Other Reductions..............................................27

Cooperative Magic........................................27

Proximity Magic...........................................27

Blending Spell Efects ..........................................27

CHAPTER THREE:SPELLS & EFFECTS...................... 29

Continuous Efects ............................................29

Dabbler.............................................................29

Student of Magic...............................................29

First Magnitude ................................................29

Second Magnitude.............................................30

hird Magnitude ...............................................31

Spell Descriptions ...............................................31

CHAPTER FOUR: MAGIC ITEMS .............................. 96

Making Magic Items ..........................................96

Types of Items .....................................................96

Least Items .......................................................96

Using Least Items.........................................97

Example Items .............................................97

Lesser Items .....................................................98

Using Lesser Items .......................................98

Example Items .............................................98

Minor Items ......................................................99

Using Minor Items........................................99

Example Items .............................................99

Moderate Items...............................................100

Using Moderate Items ................................100

Example Items ...........................................100

Major Items ....................................................101

Using Major Items ......................................101

Example Items ...........................................101

APPENDIX I: TAINT ....................................................102

Taint .................................................................102

Tainted Spellcasting........................................102

he Efects of Taint .........................................103

Tainted Places.................................................103

Tainted Objects...............................................104

APPENDIX II: TRUE NAMES ....................................106

Identifying the True Name ..............................106

Empowering the True Name ............................106

Consequences of True Naming .........................107

APPENDIX III:

TRUE SORCERY WITH THIEVES’ WORLD ....109

Basic Mechanics ................................................109

Casting Ability and Spell Acquisition ...............109

Speciic Class Changes.....................................109

System Changes ................................................111

Mana ..............................................................111

Ritualcasting ..................................................111

APPENDIX IV: IRON HEROES .................................112

he Arcanist ......................................................112

System Changes ................................................116

Feats...............................................................116

APPENDIX V: TRUE20 SORCERY ............................117

Spellcasters.......................................................117

Magic Skills ....................................................117

Magic Feats.....................................................117

Other Magic Feats...........................................118

System Changes ................................................118

SPELL REFERENCE TABLES .......................................119

Spellcasting Steps ...........................................119

Blending Spells Summary ................................119

Spell Build Worksheet .....................................121

INDEX .............................................................................122

OPEN GAME LICENSE V1.0A ...................................125

INTRODUCTION

Green Ronin Publishing released he Black Company Campaign

Setting at the close of 2004, ofering for the irst time a complete

game treatment of Glen Cook’s popular fantasy setting. While

there were many challenges in bringing these books to the game

table, perhaps the greatest was in redeining magic to capture

and relect that used by the iconic wizards of the novels. What

we needed was a system that placed complete control over the

spell’s efects in the hands of the caster (and by extension the

player, of course). he world of he Black Company novels was

not one where wizards pored over dusty spellbooks, preparing

their spells in advance, but rather one in which wizards tapped

some inner reservoir and just made things happen. We found

interesting, evocative, and imaginative uses of magic, and

certainly no two spells were ever alike. It was clear from the

outset that spells as d20 System players knew them would

simply not work in this world.

as would be expected for someone perfecting innate abilities

discovered through trial and error. While the spellcaster may

seem somewhat weaker than a wizard at least in regards to

casting time, gaining new spells, refreshing daily spell totals,

and the speed with which she casts spells, she can sacriice

personal energy to cast greater spell efects and use individual

spells with more versatility.

A more extensive modiication to a campaign would be to replace

the entire existing magic system with this one. In this case,

there’s no diference between arcane and divine spellcasting;

clerics and wizards are all folded into one class. True Sorcery is

written from this point of view, but that shouldn’t make using

one of the other options more diicult.

An alternative that splits the diference is to replace the

standard d20 System magic rules with True Sorcery ’s, but keep

the class distinctions as they are, restricting certain spells to

certain classes (such as Healing Lore to clerics and druids).

Using this option, every time a spellcasting character gains

a new spell level, she gains a new instance of the Talent feat.

Furthermore, a cleric, druid, sorcerer, or wizard improves

her magnitude at the same rate as a spellcaster. Paladins and

rangers gain the Dabbler feat when the class irst grants the

spellcasting ability, but their magnitude does not improve.

Bards gain the Dabbler feat at 1st level, Student of Magic at

4th level, and First Magnitude at 10th level.

For the better part of a year, we worked on designing and

developing a magic system for this setting, binding the wild

and unpredictable to rules that ensure balance at the gaming

table. And the result of all that efort was an interesting, albeit

complex, system of magic. I never expected the magic system to

eclipse many of the other aspects of the setting, and soon after

Green Ronin released the book, there was a lot of excitement

and interest in adapting the magic system for other worlds.

Requests for new spells, questions about marrying this system

with standard magic, and even using this magic system for epic-

level play were all topics that bounced back and forth on various

message boards and in e-mails. It was clear there was more to

be said and done with he Black Company ’s magic system. And

so, a little over a year later, we have True Sorcery.

When replacing the d20 System magic rules with those presented

in True Sorcery , there are a few things to consider when it comes

to monsters. For monsters that have spell-like abilities, it’s best

to leave them as written. Doing so makes monsters a bit tougher

in comparison to spellcasters (and adventuring parties that

include them) since they can often cast spells faster than PCs.

To correct this imbalance, increase the monster’s CR by +1 and

by an additional +1 for every full 5 caster levels ( i.e. , +1 for CL

1st through 5th, +2 for CL 6th through 10th, +3 for CL 11th

through 15th, +4 for CL 16th to 20th).

his book contains revised and expanded magic rules for use

with any d20 System game, whether for the standard dungeon

crawl games or even for use with the d20 Modern Roleplaying

Game . We paid extra attention to clarifying the rules where

needed, adding additional examples, and ofering new spells.

If you’re not familiar with he Black Company Campaign Setting,

have no worries; this book is a complete adaptation and

includes everything you need to build a spellcaster using True

Sorcery. And if you like what you ind here, be sure to check

out the setting that inspired it.

For monsters that prepare spells in advance in the manner of

wizards, clerics, druids, and others, the matter becomes a bit

more tricky. he best solution is to treat these monsters as

having efective levels in the spellcaster class equal to their

base Challenge Rating. So a CR 4 monster that can cast spells

like a wizard would have the spellcasting ability of a 4th-level

spellcaster, gaining bonus feats and other class features as

described on Table 1-1: he Spellcaster (but not the base

attack bonus, saving throw bonuses or additional skill points).

Also, if the monster does not have Spellcraft, recalculate its

skill point expenditures so that it does. Select spells that

seem appropriate to the monster. Don’t modify the monster’s

caster level.

USING THIS BOOK

True Sorcery presents a toolset for transforming d20 System

games from high fantasy to low. With these rules, spellcasters

have a lot more freedom to do what they want with their spells,

not bound by a ire-and-forget spellcasting system. However,

these rules change the game, blurring the traditional boundaries

between divine spellcasting and arcane spellcasting.

It’s no coincidence this book is entitled True Sorcery , as the

easiest way to use this product is to replace the sorcerer in the

PHB with the spellcaster class presented here. he spellcaster

class has a series of talents she learns to use in more powerful

ways as she becomes more adept at manipulating magic energy,

Magic items are another sticky point. If this magic system

is imported whole cloth, you should use the new magic item

creation rules described in Chapter Four: Magic Items .

However, if you replace the PHB sorcerer with the spellcaster

class, then both magic item systems can be used side-by-side.

CHAPTER ONE: THE SPELLCASTER

CHAPTER ONE:

THE SPELLCASTER

In True Sorcery , all magic is the same. Whether you are a

priest, a warlock, a magician, a shaman, or any other user of

magic, the mechanics are identical. Magic is the miraculous,

a departure from the ordinary, the ability to bring about a

new thing, a new phenomenon, an efect that lies outside

what is ordinarily possible. hrough force of will, spellcasters

change the essential nature of the world, altering the fabric

of reality to suit their needs. Whether calling forth a demon

from the Abyss or evoking a lightning from her ingertips,

the spellcaster restructures the laws of reality to achieve a

desired end. Sure, a priest invokes the blessing of his god,

while a wizard recalls complex magical formula, but the

process and energy harnessed is the same regardless of

the user.

THE SPELLCASTER

Spellcasters have the following game statistics.

Optional Rule: If you prefer to mimic the PHB distinctions

between spellcasters, you may allow a player to choose a key

ability (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma) for Spellcraft.

Spellcasters who use Intelligence are likely to be wizards,

those using Wisdom are clerics and druids, and those who

use Charisma might be witches or bards.

Hit Die: d6.

Starting Gold: 3d4 × 10 gp (75 gp).

Abilities: Charisma is the most important statistic for

spellcasters, as it is the determining score for her magical

abilities. Constitution is vital as it determines starting spell

energy. Intelligence is also useful: It helps a spellcaster

prepare her spell efects in advance. Dexterity is another

useful stat, improving the spellcaster’s defenses.

MAGNITUDES

Magnitude is the measure of a spellcaster’s power. Magnitude has several efects on a spellcaster’s ability to manipulate magic

as follows. For more information on magnitude, see Chapter Two: System of Magic .

Spell Selection: Many spells require a certain magnitude in order to select them.

Bonus to Spellcraft checks: Magnitude awards an insight bonus to Spellcraft checks.

Modiies Casting Time: Magnitude modiies casting time for spell efects (see Casting Time on page 20).

Maximum Spell Energy Expenditures: A spellcaster’s magnitude limits the amount of spell energy she can expend each

round. Dabblers and Students can spend 1 point of spell energy each round, First Magnitude spellcasters may spend 2 points,

Second Magnitude spellcasters may spend 3, hird Magnitude spellcasters may spend 4, and Fourth Magnitude spellcasters

may spend any amount.

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