It's a legacy, but I don't like how mechanical "spell levels" and "spell slots" sounds. I want something for my 5E game(s) that sounds more authentic to the settings I run in (mainly a variant of the Forgotten Realms right now). Let it be known that in cannon FR, arcane magic is THE ART and divine THE POWER.
I'm thinking (in order of the above) - Spell Circles & Weave Knots.
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| Mathematic & Arithmetic + Fantasy = Spells |
Spell Circles, of which there are 9, are circles of magic upon which a magic-user acts. The weave is organized into these circles somewhat naturally; it is a tapestry of magical force that spellcasters "witness." Once witnessed, their minds are literally rewired in such a way that allows them to perfectly perform the actions required to cast a spell even under duress. Anyone who has access to any spell circle should roll a 1d12 for a trait gained from the rewiring.
1. Anything lyrical (poems, riddles, stories, etc) becomes an obsession of yours. You seek out these things, make these things, and sometimes even speak these things frequently.
2. Fear is baptized from you. Replacing it is an "arrogance response"--whenever you would normally be afraid, you instead seek to dominate whatever is triggering the response.
3. You lose the ability to read words of any languages you know or learn. Instead, whenever you see text, you see silvery images replacing the text that communicate the same ideas. When you write, you instead draw similar images.
4. Your sense of time is lengthened to the extreme (or shortened). Days feel like either hours or years; years feel like weeks or lifetimes.
5. Decide one mundane thing that makes you happy. That thing is replaced with an esoteric version of itself. For example, if you enjoyed eating, you now only enjoy eating when the North Star is obscured by clouds or when comets streak through the heavens.
6. Whenever you see your favorite color, you instead see an incredible kaleidoscope of shades replacing it.
7. Your pain response changes so that whenever you feel pain, you instead feel the strange, indescribable sensation of a tree experiencing the change of seasons.
8. You are utterly unmoored from those you love. For these people, you no longer feel any emotion, and when you begin to feel love again it quickly evaporates.
9. Your witnessing of the Weave has left you with a tick that requires you to weave your own strange tapestries whenever you take a rest.
10. Even when confined in small rooms, or with chains and rope, or surrounded by a dense forest, you feel as if you are in a vast space too big to be filled with anything else.
11. Movements of the stars and other celestial bodies take up most of your nights in viewing.
12. Suddenly made aware of a world within and beyond your own, you cannot help but lose all sense of value for material goods.
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| Magic-users can physically see and touch the threads they knot in their minds. |
Weave Knots, of which there are many, infest a spellcaster once they witness the Weave. The more a magic-user's skill grows and the more access they gain to Spell Circles, the more weave threads knot in their minds. These threads are literal; the brains of magic-users, when dissected, are filled with ethereal, glowing knots of something that unravels and dissipates. Magic-user's who are memorizing their spells, or praying for powers from deities, or otherwise practicing magic at all are literally knotting these threads in their minds. Once the spell is cast, the thread is untied.
When all mechanical spell slots--now Weave Knots--are spent (now untied), roll 1d6 to see how you change. This change is reverted the moment you regain at least one tied Weave Knot.
1. You are impossibly morose; almost anything that happens or that someone says puts you in an ill mood.
2. You can no longer see colors, instead shades of grey.
3. Your sense of smell and taste are lost, and your skin goes partially numb.
4. Suddenly, the air, your clothing, your hair, everything feels much heavier. It is a struggle to stand upright, and walking takes momentous effort.
5. Your thirst and appetite increase exponentially; no matter how much you eat and drink you do not fill full, but you do feel very ill once you've eaten too much.
6. Looking at things that are put together, like houses, suits of armor, or even books gives you sharp, stinging headaches.
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| Witnessing the Weave -- psychadelic, symbol-riddled, almost grounded but not quite. |
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| Duskwood Tree |
These ill effects are known well to any magic-user, especially wizards in their schools and cabals. Collectively, they are called the Six Punishments. While apprentices are routinely trained to untie all knots so that they can function under the effects of the Six Punishments, there are a number of ways to give a "boost" around them. Namely, drugs.
THE AURORA MUSHROOM, found across Faerun, is named for the strange colors it lets off every night. Eating it alleviates the effects of the Six Punishments for upwards of 8 hours. Additionally, it gives a sense of giddiness to the ingestor, makes it so colors they see melt into one another, and strips them of any magical knowledge for the duration. A favorite amongst sorcerers.
DUSKWOOD MILK, the name of the milky white sap of the Duskwood tree, when drank in small amounts, alleviates the Six Punishments for upwards of 14 hours. However, all sensory input is interfered with; sounds are intense, touching others is either incredibly unfun or too much fun, and staring at bright lights is very, very difficult.
BLOODLETTING, specifically from cuts made underneath the eyes, softens the effects after 10 minutes, and completely counteracts them after 1 hour. Not an enjoyable process; it requires making several cuts every 10 minutes until the Six Punishments ends. The preferred method of practiced wizards.
INCENSE using blood of the spellcaster, blood of another spellcaster, and leaves from the Golden Wand tree alleviate the Six Punishments within seconds, and continues to alleviate them so long as the incense is burning and actively breathed in, regardless of one's ability to smell. Used often by clerics and bards.
REKNOTTING the weave knots instantaneously undoes any effect of the SIx Punishments. This is difficult, however, often taking 1-8 hours to complete depending on the training of the magic-user and the spell circles involved. The most common method amongst spellcasters.
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