Create Steed

Create Steed (Spell)

Difficulty: Difficult

This spell, as its name would suggest, creates a steed for the caster. It does this by transforming an existing creature. The target creature must be no less than 80% of the caster's size. The spell takes an uninterrupted minute to cast, during which the target must remain within 30 feet of the caster. Should the spell overcome the target's willpower, it will force them into a quadrupedal shape and converts any hands into paw or hooflike appendages. They also grow to up to 120% the caster's size. At the caster's option, the target have their speech restricted to bestial sounds. The spell also affects the target's mind, enforcing the belief that the caster is their friend and master, and will treat them accordingly. They will obey almost all commands to the best of their ability, but will not directly harm themselves or their friends unless in their master's defense. This absolute loyalty cannot be swayed while the spell is in effect. It also creates a saddle to fit the target. The spell lasts one day, but casting the spell again will reset this duration, and the target cannot resist if already affected. If the spell is maintained like this for three uninterrupted days, it becomes permanent.

A more benign version of this spell omits the mind control, and is Average difficulty.

Miscast:

01-20	The caster suffers a mutation that lasts until cured.
21-30	The spell is reversed, the caster being instead transformed and charmed by their intended target.
31-55	Only the spell's physical or mental effects (50% chance of either) take effect on the target.
56-70	The caster or target (50% chance of either) has their mind swapped with a nearby animal.
71-100	The caster or target (50% chance of either) is affected by a mutation for the spell's intended duration.

Mutations:

01-30	The caster's hands change to resemble hooves or paws, but remain somewhat functional.
31-60	Every few words the caster speaks are replaced by animal sounds.
61-75	Growth of flesh and bone forms a saddle-like growth on the caster's back.
76-90	The caster is forced into a quadrupedal shape, though he retains use of hands.
91-95	The caster's hands fully transform into paws or hooves.
96-100	The caster's speech is replaced with animal sounds.

Bonuses:

The spell is permanent on first casting.

The target grows gills and becomes amphibious.

The target will do absolutely anything the caster asks, even if it's outright suicidal.

The target can be enlarged to up to three times the caster's size.

Spellcasting overview

Spells are another staple of transformation, from the classic witch's curse to the famous tale of Circe. While we're trying to stay system-free, the most interesting nuances of spells require one. As such we're whipping up a vague system of our own here...

Several assumptions are being made, first off.
1. Spellcasting requires skill and training to do reliably. The more experienced at casting one is, the more likely they are to succeed at casting.

2. A spell can be cast from a written formula, such as in a spellbook, or cast from a memorized formula.

3. A spell has some innate cost to the caster when cast, typically from some sort of “mana” pool, or possibly the caster's physical stamina.

4. A distracted or mentally impaired caster has more difficulty casting.

5. Adding exotic material components or receiving help from other casters makes a spell easier.

Spells come in multiple difficulties, ranging through Very Easy, Easy, Average, Hard, and Very Hard. The higher the difficulty, the harder a spell is to cast, and the more energy is required to cast. A casting of a spell can have one of four outcomes:

Miscast: If a casting fails by a large margin, the spell can backfire, having an unintended or undesirable effect. Energy put into casting is lost.

Failure: If a casting fails by a smaller amount, the caster can abort the spell, regaining most of the invested energy, but producing no effect. The caster may opt for a miscast instead, in hopes of something useful happening.

Success: The spell happens as described.

Bonuses: If the caster performs well above and beyond what is required for a casting, the spell's performance is improved in a way of his choosing at no extra cost! An even greater success can have more than one bonus!

Unless stated otherwise, a spell has the following bonus options:
If the spell has a non-permanent, non-instant duration, the duration is doubled.
If the spell targets a creature other than the caster, the range is doubled or increased to 30 feet, whichever is greater.
The spell's energy cost is halved.

Dreamtime Feather

Dreamtime Feather

By Tavaer

“...Once I saw a Tortle Berserker break his last weapon over the skull of a dying foe...then the strangest thing occurred, where the Tort stood was a hulking bear creature that looked as if it could rend tree and stone with just a glare if not sheer might. He...well she now, turned and remarked upon the carnage it had just wrought while sitting to meditate; “Violence is never the answer....Ohhhmmm.”...She left all the weapons and loot right there...I sold em' for a decent bit, but she kept the strange glowing boomerang she used so mercilessly before...”

A boomerang of unusual make that bears ancient symbols hearkening back to the early writings of human kind. It's surface and texture appear wooden, but also glows with a prismatic luster.

After it has been used in a battle it will cause the one carrying it; even through indirect contact such as clothing or baggage, to transform into the paragon of another race they closest resemble in personality- changing them to the point of caricature, but it also changes the personality of the new being to it's near opposite. In this state they have no memory of their other self and act accordingly as if they had always been. Any extraneous armor and clothing is altered or removed. The change is undone when the boomerang is separated from the one holding it, (perhaps if thrown again) and the victim will return to their prior state with no memory of their alter ego, but more compelled to pick up to pick up boomerang than before. If not caught or interfered with in midair it will always land nearby, embedding itself where it is clearly visible. The boomerang has no visible effect on those who have not used it against a foe.

Protean Pearl

Protean Pearl

Believed to be an actual biological byproduct of Proteus, Primeval God of Change, this pearl constantly cycles through a rainbow of colors. They come in many sizes, typically between marble and tennis ball sized, and is often found inset into a bracelet or amulet. When worn or carried, it protects the owner from incoming transformations...with a few caveats.

Any attempt at directly altering the owner's form is negated, the power of the effect absorbed into the pearl, whether the owner wants it or not. Due to its divine origins, even divine powers can be absorbed. Spells cast by the owner, as well as powers innate to the owner, are not affected by this, but magic items used by the owner are. Once an effect is absorbed by the pearl, subsequent, identical effects from the same source are negated, but not absorbed.

The pearl has a limited safe capacity. Depending on the pearl's size, it can hold between 3 and 12 transformative effects. Should this limit be exceeded, the pearl will crack. This crack isn't particularly obvious, but might be noticed by an observant viewer. Once cracked, the pearl has a 5% chance of exploding every time it is struck, 24 hours pass, or it absorbs another effect. This chance increases by 5% each time such an instance occurs. There is no known way of safely releasing a stored effect or repairing a cracked pearl.

Should it explode, all absorbed transformative effects are immediately released, with each having a 50% chance of affecting the pearl's holder, and a 50% chance of instead affecting an random applicable being within 30 feet (possibly including the holder.)

Tengu Fan

Tengu Fan

This ornate paper fan is standard issue of the tengu, proud crow-spirits from the east. Nobody knows where they get them, but most fans bear decorations and colors specific to the original owner. While every such fan is believed to originally belong to a tengu, they are sometimes stolen or lost, and can be used by any creature capable of grasping it.

The most useful property of the fan is its power over wind. With a simple flick, it can create short-range gusts of wind in any shape or direction the wielder desires, and the wind continues so long as they keep fanning. The utilities of this are largely a matter of the wielder's imagination, but it can be used to push human-sized creatures, clear harmful gasses, create updrafts to aid in leaping or flying, and even create a circular "barrier" of wind that can deflect arrows and bolts, but not bullets. It can even create a stronger gust, strong enough to lift a horse of its feet, though this stronger power takes eight hours to recharge.

The fan has another, stranger power. If the fan is gently waved at a creature within sixty feet, and the wielder doesn't wish otherwise, its nose will begin to grow longer, up to an inch per second! This growth lasts indefinitely, but can be reversed by even weak curse-removing effects, or by the wielder of any tengu fan.

Cloak of the Wolpertinger

Cloak of the Wolpertinger

This bizarre hooded cloak appears well crafted, if a bit strange, sporting a weave of brown and gray feathers down the back, and a pair of small antlers attached to the hood. It was crafted by a talented but eccentric wizard who was obsessed with wolpertingers; mythical animals said to resemble rabbits with wings and antlers. So great was this obsession, he actually magically altered a population of rabbits to ensure wolpertingers were no longer mythical! It's unknown what became of them, or how many of these cloaks were made. To this day, however, new ones continue to be found.

The power of the cloak is straightforward. Upon attempting to invoke the cloak's magic, the cloak merges with the wearer, transforming them into a wolpertinger, either rabbit sized or the size of their natural form. The size is randomly chosen if the wearer doesn't choose. This form is fast, agile, capable of flight, and rather strong at larger sizes. They can still speak, and the transformation lasts as long as the wearer likes, and they can transform to and from this form freely.

The wizard, while powerful, was reckless in his methods, however, and the cloak has a notable flaw unknown it its creator. Every time the wearer transforms to or from wolpertinger form, there is a chance of the cloak's magic failing. The base chance is 0%, increasing by 1% for each use after the first three. This chance resets when the cloak has gone 8 hours without transforming. In addition, the user cannot transform directly between large and small wolpertinger forms. They can only access either form from their natural form.

When the magic fails, the cloak immediately and permanently vanishes, often leaving the user in a partially transformed state.

01-20	The user is left in their natural form, without the cloak.
21-60	The user is trapped in wolpertinger form. If originally humanoid, they have a 50% chance of becoming anthropomorphic.
61-70	The user is left in their natural form, but with a wolpertinger's head.
71-80	The user is left as a wolpertinger, but with their natural head and upper torso.
81-90	The user is left in their natural form, but with antlers, buck teeth, and small, vestigial wings.
91-100	The user is left in their natural form, but with antlers, buck teeth, wings, furry arms, a fluffy tail and/or furred, digitigrade feet. 50% chance for each.

If the magic fails while transforming to or from the smaller size, roll here, as well.

01-50	The user retains their normal size.
51-75	The user is trapped at rabbit size.
76-100	The user is trapped halfway between normal and rabbit size.

For a victim of this failure, there is no magical effect left to dispel or cure. They can only be returned to normal by additional transformative effects.

Vestment of Rebirth

Vestment of Rebirth

Believed to be a creation of a goddess of love and beauty, this blue and white silken kimono is as rare as it is powerful. The material, while soft, is quite strong, and even seems to harden in response to incoming attacks, making it serviceable as armor.

Merely wearing the enchanted garment fills the wearer with vitality. Their rate of natural healing is doubled, and they receive moderate protection against disease. The vestment's most important attribute however, and the one it's named for, is its ability to resurrect the dead.

Should any intelligent creature die while wearing the Vestment of Rebirth, or should it be draped over a creature that died less than 24 hours prior, the kimono will enlarge, engulf the creature, and harden into a steel-hard cocoon. Should the cocoon be breached within the hour, the contained creature will break down into biological goo, truly dead. Otherwise, the cocooned creature will be rebuilt, free of injury, disease, and all but the most potent curses, and de-aged to their prime if possible. They will acquire a number of traits from wildlife, with a strong priority placed on traits that could've prevented their death. The cocoon disintegrates at this point.