Caveat: this is not a post with 22 spells, one for each of the Major Arcana. This is a post about how I do things at the table, based on a few years of practice. Maybe a post with Major Arcana spells will eventually come (or maybe Major Arcana as Star Signs). Let’s begin!
If you happen to generate a spellcaster character at my table you’ll soon hear that question: “What kind of spells would you like?”
And some lucky people have an idea and tell me. In this case, my go-to handbooks to draw spells from are Brendan’s Wonder & Wickedness and my own Marvels & Malisons. I often throw in Chthonic Codex and Johnstone’s The Nameless Grimoire as their scopes are much wider.
Some other people do not know. And this is what this post is really about. In this case I ask them if they want to get random magic, or maximally random magic.
If they pick normally random, I ask them for what kind of vibes they’d like, make myself some suggestions, then pick the most matching vibey RPG spellbook from the shelf. My favourite is Mike Mason’s The Grand Grimoire of Chthulu Mythos Magic, because I am a horrible GM that wants to see the world on fire empowering GM who loves sharing great powers and great responsibilities with players. I normally open an index page at random, point at a random spot on the page with my eyes closed, and give them that spell. This approach requires a modicum of game mechanic bending, but treating all spells as level-less does 95% of the work.
However, they almost always pick maximally random. If they pick maximally random, we get to the heart of the post. My grimoire hoard.
Flexing a Past Shame: My Spellbook Hoard
Hi, I’m Paolo, and I’m a recovering hoarder. I used to say “collector”, but let’s face the truth: I was not seeking completeness, instead I was over-nesting as a coping strategy. Anyway, liking books and magic and games I ended up with a sizeable fantasy RPG collection, and now I have a few shelves devoted to esoterica, of both the real-world and gaming variety.
Play is a creative process, let it run
Back to maximally random spell selection: I ask the player to roll 1d30, and pick the corresponding book from the top shelf. That is their spell discipline, and we randomize spell selections from the book contents: if there are spells or spell-like (like the lists of demons from Ars Goetia), we pick at random from those.
If not, I open pages at random and turn the contents into a spell. Some of those books have very adaptable content (for example tarots can be easily turned into spells). Some of those books, however, resist. The answer is to read the page until the inspiration strikes, and work that precious passage into a spell. There are many ways, these are simple suggestions:
- Use the passage as the spell name.
- Based on the passage, build the spell effect
- The passage is just a metaphor, girl! The true nature of power is hidden!
- Use a thesaurus to replace words until it it clicks.
- Pick a few spells that sound related and mash them.
- Exquisite corpse for spell effect: each player pics a fragment of spell effect, which are then composed: a player pics verb, another object, another adverb, another adjective.
- And so on.
And now you have your spell.
I understand that this might not be easy. It requires a willingness to play half-baked stuff. Maybe this will make some completely broken spells. Maybe you are afraid letting this magic into you game will let people down, if the spells are garbage or if they need to be toned down for game design reasons.
That’s ok. Grant yourself the luxury of, essentially, do some seat of the pants game design. Play test it with players straight away. Be explicit about the process with your players, and please let them contribute to the process: do not let the shared creation limit to their PCs.
Paolo, you mentioned Tarot Magic
I could have written 22 spells, one for each Major Arcanum. I even started doing so. But I do not feel that is what this post should be about. Instead, we are going for “how to make things up”. Also, this is actually what happened at the table last time, and what prompted me to share this process.
Major Arcana have strong vibes and meanings. If you want a list, Waite’s The Pictorial Key to the Tarot is a good place to start from, but skip the most of it and go straight to the Greater Arcana Divinatory Meaning list. My idea is: each Arcanum can be cast for a spell effect tied to its Meanings: as always, if you need a yardstick for spell power, match it with other spells that a caster of the same level could cast.
However: Major Arcana have a lot of meanings, especially if you are in for card “reversal” (I am normally not). This give Arcana a lot of what I call utility: an Arcanum can be used in many more situations with great effect compared to ordinary spells. I feel this might make Arcana too handy, so maybe they could have some complication to both even it out and make things more interesting (a win-win). Here are some improvised examples:
- Cost: each Arcana has its card as spell focus: they are a material component that is not consumed. Drawing a card costs 50gp multiplied by the square of the card casting level, and takes a day per card level. So if you are level 10 and have only a level 5 Chariot, you’ll be able to cast Chariot only as if you were level 5, or you can spend 10 days and 5000GP to make a fancier, level 10 Chariot card. Level 1 Wizards start with three level 1 cards from their Arcana selection, and if they know more (because of high intelligence, for example) they need to find or draw up more cards. This is a good money sink for wizards, and also lets the GM place cards as treasure. Maybe you can even cast the Arcana as scrolls, but that would be really expensive.
- Lack of Control: as each Arcanum has different meanings, we could lean on the random nature of card divination. When you cast an Arcanum, decide which Meaning you wish to bring forth, then try a Reaction Roll to see if the Gods favour you:
- 10 or more: the Meaning of the chosen Arcanum takes effect.
- 7, 8, 9: the GM picks a different Meaning from the same Arcanaum and applies it to the situation in a way that benefits the wizard. Good stuff, but not what you expected.
- 5, 6: pick a Meaning from the same Arcana at random, and the GM applies it in a way that either benefits of impairs everybody, or in some snidey borderline inoffensive, random-ironic way.
- 4 or less: pick a Meaning from the same Arcana at random, then the GM applies it in a way that incoveniences the Wizard. Be painful, but do not be too mean: Unless cast in the direst of circumstances this should not doom the wizard by itself.
- Random selection: rather than learning specific Arcana, the wizard learns a number of Arcana slots, filled at random. Decide with the players if the Arcana selection changes every day, or the single slot changes when it’s cast. If you want to be extra fancy, and stick to the concept of the Fool’s Errand, the wizard will need to go through the whole Major Arcana before cast arcana are available again.
These are only examples, and can be further developed and refined. Remember to check in with players, especially the caster. Also, very important, treat this as a work in process: before the next session you can discuss how things went and adjust, and eventually the rulings you make during resolution might become more codified, and the effects from those spells start to coalesce into road-tested game mechanics.
This is, after all, a learning experience.
Conclusion
Regardless of what happens, the outcome is this: I get the appropriate book out of the shelf, discuss a spell selection with the wizardling, they pick 3 + intelligence bonus spells, plus the spells that all magic users know how to do: Maleficence and Arcane Bulwark and Open thyne Third Eye. I then explain Empower, and we are ready to go.
The next post might be about starting inventory. Which is kind of funny, because it’s also the topic of my first blog post here, about a million years ago.
What’s on the Altar? (1d12, based on my altar, somewhat redacted)
- a small journal filled with the tribulations of the soul. A collection of shames and pains, going from heart-rending to seemingly-innocuous-yet-causing-hangups.
- a pomegranate, a symbol of abundance and fertility.
- poppies, a symbol of dreaming, the subconscious, and letting go of pain.
- an ammonite, a squid who was alive and doing its own things 240 millions years ago, which is a good amount of time to meditate about.
- a conker.
- CDB oil, to ease mild issues of anxiety and hypermobility both.
- a candle, for light, fire, focus in flame meditation, and many other uses.
- a nazar, to catch the evil eye.
- a singing bowl, with mallet and pillow, for focusing meditation.
- thimble and needle, at the same time meaningful symbols of needing preparation before dangerous tasks, focus for binding and healing, and the ultimate tool for the mundane sorcery that is bookbinding.
- a tarot deck.
- a monster hunting kit in a jute pouch.
Lost Pages 