DCC Spell - Magic Wand

 

So I was reading through my B/X D&D rules, and I really liked how magic wands were simple – 2d6 charges, either usable by clerics or magic-users.  Easy, right?

Of course, the DCC Core Rulebook says ‘make your own methods of magic items’ … so I did.  Before I wrote up my own, I did look at the Magic Wand spell in Crawl #3, and a couple others available on the internet but they were far too complicated – an ideal DCC magic item should be able to be managed without bookkeeping or slowing down game play.

So here’s my take on it – I wanted a simple mechanic for the magic item (allows a caster to cast a stored spell), not worry about fiddly charges, and make it a bit less reliable than what a caster could do on their own, for the most part (misfires on a natural 1-2 and burns out).

Now, don't get me wrong, magic wands should be rare -- really rare, they need a 7th-level caster to make them, and cost a lot to create.  But if you give your players a wand, it should be something treasured, but ultimately expendable. 

Thoughts, suggestions, ideas?  By all means drop me a note at archadethered@gmail.com.

 

Magic Wand

Level:                            4                                                    Range:                          Self            Duration:                    Permanent                                     Casting Time:            1 week/caster level   Save:                             N/A

A wizard or cleric can create a magic wand imbued with power and usable by other casters or themselves.  Pouring such energies into a vessel is time consuming, exhausting, and costly.  The material cost is 500 gp per caster level, plus any unusual materials (a silver wand embedded with emeralds will cost more, and at the Judge’s discretion, may grant a bonus to the creation spell check), as well as requiring the caster to burn a minimum 6 points of spellburn to complete the casting.      While casting takes a week, the caster can rest, engage in light, restful activities, and eat during the casting period.  If there is an interruption, a Concentration check (DC 20 Will save) is required, otherwise the progress, and material cost is wasted and the spell is lost.

Manifestation A wand up to 2’ long, made of any materials.  Special materials (unicorn horn, basilisk bone, ashwand tree) may grant a bonus to the casting check if it is relevant to the stored spell.

Corruption: Corruption: Roll 1d8; (1-2) Minor, (3-5) Major, (6-8) Greater Misfire: N/A

Misfire:    N/A

Mercurial Magic:

1              Lost, failure, corruption, and patron taint!

2-11        Lost, failure

12-15     Failure, but spell is not lost.

16-17     The caster creates a magic wand, embedding one 1st-level spell they know into the item.  Any caster may use the wand and the embedded spell, using their own casting check, but on a result of a natural 1-2, the wand burns out and is no longer magical.  A roll of 1 still causes misfire, corruption, or patron taint of the embedded spell.

18-21     The caster creates a magic wand, embedding one 1st or 2nd-level spell they know into the item.  Any caster may use the wand and the embedded spell, using their own casting check, but on a result of a natural 1-2, the wand burns out and is no longer magical.  A roll of 1 still causes misfire, corruption, or patron taint of the embedded spell.

22-23      The caster creates a magic wand, embedding one 1st, 2nd, or 3rd-level spell they know into the item.  Any caster may use the wand and the embedded spell, using their own casting check, but on a result of a natural 1-2, the wand burns out and is no longer magical.  A roll of 1 still causes misfire, corruption, or patron taint of the embedded spell.

24-26      The caster creates a magic wand, embedding one 1st, 2nd, or 3rd-level spell they know into the item, as spell result 22-23.  Further, the caster can choose to allow non-casters to be able to activate the wand with a command word, making an untrained spell check with a d10.

27-31      The caster creates a magic wand, embedding one 1st, 2nd, or 3rd-level spell they know into the item, as spell result 22-23.  Further, the caster can choose to allow any wielder to be able to activate the wand with a command word, granting a minimum spell check result (e.g. 12 for a 1st level spell, 14 for a 2nd level spell, etc) rather than requiring a spell check.

32-35      The caster creates a master wand, embedding one 1st, 2nd, or 3rd-level spell they know into the item, as spell result 22-23.  Further the caster may choose to imbue a +1 to the caster check for each point of spellburn the caster is willing to impart – these points DO NOT restore with time or healing, as long as the wand exists.  If broken, burnt out, or destroyed, the spellburn points will recover, except for 1 point that is permanently lost.

36+         The caster creates an elder wand, embedding one 1st, 2nd, or 3rd-level spell they know into the item, as spell result 22-23.  Further the caster may choose to imbue a +1 to the caster check for each caster level of the creator.