Well, there are plenty of reasons why, but I won't bother getting into them here. My sole intention is to go through the ol' AD&D spell list and reassess spell levels so that at each level MUs get a whole new level of spells to muck around with while still preserving the balance of powers that the old spell list set out to establish. How you work this into your campaign is clearly your problem.
Also, you might notice that I've included zero level spells--and no, these are not cantrips. These spells need not be memorized; if an MU has learned said spell he can cast it without all the rigmarole. How often, you ask? Again, not my problem.
Without further ado, here is a partially exhaustive list of AD&D Magic user spells, re-stratified into handy new levels.
Zero Level Spells (aka. “Spells no
self-respecting MU would ever admit they have in their spell
book”)
- Affect Normal Fires
- Dancing Lights
- Erase
- Jump
- Mending
- Message
- Nystul's Magic Aura
- Read Magic
- Ventriloquism
- Write
First Level Spells (AKA, “Spells
that pay the rent”)
- Burning Hands
- Charm Person
- Comprehend Languages
- Detect Magic
- Enlarge
- Feather Fall
- Find Familiar
- Friends
- Hold Portland
- Identify
- Light
- Magic Missiles
- Protection from Evil
- Push
- Shield
- Shocking Grasp
- Sleep
- Spider Climb
- Tenser's Herniated Disc
- Unseen Servant
2nd Level Spells (Formerly
known as “Spells that make 3rd level MUs wonder why they
even bother to put on their pointy hats”)
- Audible Glamor
- Detect Evil
- Detect Invisibility
- Fools Gold
- Forget
- Locate Object
- Mirror Image
- Pyrotechnics
- Scare
- Shatter
3rd Level Spells (Formerly known as
“2nd level spells that don't suck taint”)
- Continual Light
- Darkness 15' r.
- ESP
- Invisibility
- Knock
- Leomund's Trap
- Levitate
- Magic Mouth
- Ray of Enfeeblement
- Rope Trick
- Stinking Cloud
- Strength
- Web
- Wizard Lock
4th Level Spells (Formerly
known as “Invisibility is a 2nd level spell but these
stinkers are 3rd level?!”)
- Feign Death
- Flame Arrow
- Gust of Wind
- Infravision
- Leomund's Tiny Hut
- Protection from Evil 10' r.
- Protection from Normal Weapons
- Water Breathing
5th level Spells (Aka. “The
spells which will finally get that hot elven thief to notice me”)
I'm losing steam here, so let's just say that here reside all those bitchin' spells
like Fire Bolt, Lightning Balls, and Wall of Sheetrock
that--finally--convinced the rest of your party that it was worth
protecting your pathetic ass through all those early dungeons.
Ventriloquism has prevented total party kills more than once.... If used correctly, it can even kill. I object to the notion that magic-users might be embarrassed by its presence in their spellbooks!
ReplyDeleteI'd take a TPK over a life of shame anytime.
ReplyDeleteYeah not even the most electric of Lightning-Balls will reverse the emasculation of even once casting Dancing Lights.
ReplyDeleteHey, Dancing Lights produces light equivalent to 1-4 torches or lanterns. If it could be cast at will that would be pretty useful...
ReplyDelete2 things, ZA:
ReplyDelete1. just so the OSR police are clear on this--should they be reading--"cast at will" are your words, not mine.
B. have you no shame?