A variant for Magic Word spellcasting

For Magic Word spellcasting, see, e.g., Papers & Pencils or d4 caltrops! The gist is that instead of a fixed spell list, the Magic-Users are given a list of words which they can combine on the fly into spells. So it leads to more free-form and varied magic.

Here’s a simple variant on using such a system.

• Magic Words are recorded in the M-U’s spellbook.
• Every day, a set number (depending on level) of Words can be memorized.
• The M-U can opt to cast one-, two- or even three-Word spells. The more Words, the more powerful the spell can be.
• After casting, all but one Words are crossed off the memorized list. If a one-Word spell was cast, that Word is crossed off.

There is a tactical element: if you want to keep a particular Word, keep casting it with other components, so that you can keep your lil’ favorite. But, of course, don’t be afraid to kill your idols either.

As for the number of Words available for daily memorization, 2 + caster level feels alright. So that’s three Words for a starting M-U.

Example

Gambozo, Magic-User 2, memorizes these Words from their spellbook: Darkness, Mind, Water, Free (rolled from the d4 caltrops list)

During their next adventure:

1. They cast Water of Darkness, a sort of flowing/mobile darkness that engulfs creatures (Darkness, Mind, Water, Free)
2. Then they cast Free Mind to break out a comrade from under vampiric influence (Darkness, Mind, Water, Free)
3. Then they cast Mind Darkness to wipe the memories of a guard (Darkness, Mind, Water, Free)
4. And they have a weak single-component Darkness to cast if they need to cover their escape.

 

Quick recommendations for interpreting new spells:

Caster level	Range	Area of effect	No of targets	Damage
1	10’	1’	1	d6
2	20’	5’	2	d6
3	30’	10’	3	2d6
4	40’	15’	4	2d6
5	50’	20’	5	3d6
6	60’	25’	6	3d6

etc.

Putting more component Words in a spell can bump it up a bit.

Sun Ra, because why not

Wizard duel/Counterspell house rule

A quick house rule for magical duels!

A Magic-User character can try and counter an opposing caster’s spell by entering into a duel. Depending on the combat/initiative system in use, this must either be declared first or the declared action must be cancelled in favor of counterspelling. The countercaster has to be aware of, or at least anticipate that the enemy is about to cast a spell.

Resolution

Both duellants roll d6 and add their character level.

Caster’s roll > Countercaster’s roll	Caster’s initial spell works as intended, Countercaster must roll on the Effects chart
Caster’s roll = Countercaster’s roll	The two wizards are locked in duel! Repeat the procedure next time, unless one participant decides to withdraw or is distracted or takes damage (in which case this duellant must roll of the Effects chart)
Caster’s roll < Countercaster’s roll	Caster’s initial spell is cancelled (and the spell (slot) is lost)

 

Effects chart (d6)

1. Suffers the effect of Feeblemind for a full day
2. Falls unconscious for 2d4 hours
3. Loses spellcasting ability for a full day
4. Causes an eruption of uncontrolled arcane energy, everybody in a 20’ radius must save against Breath weapons or fall to the ground
5. Suffers d6 damage
6. Is thrown back 10’ and must spend the next round getting up

Footprints #16 through #20: zine highlights!

Previous installments: #1 through #5, #6 through #10, #11 through #15.

As always, check out the zine for yourself over at Dragonsfoot.

Footprints #16, November 2009

Footprints #16, November 2009

The adventure in this issue is by Brian Wells, who wrote the great module in #15. This offering is less intriguing: “Bandit Stronghold”, for levels 2-4, and that’s it.

New Monsters: “Primordimental”, by John Turcotte, is a cool Lovecraftian beastie.

“The Urban: A New Character Class”, by Ryan Coombes

A criminal character class for city campaigns. I don’t particularly care for the class. However, one of the features is an interesting subsystem that can be hacked and used independently of the class. It is the “Web of Contacts”, which works on three levels – Rabble, Toughs, Specials. The example NPCs given at the end of the article are good too. “Contacts” is something that many other non-D&D RPGs do anyway (like Shadowrun), so it’s interesting to see an AD&D implementations of the idea.

 

Footprints #17, March 2011

The adventure in this issue is “The (False) Tomb of Horrors”, by Joseph Pallai. It is, indeed, a false Tomb of Horrors, that can also serve as a ramp-up towards the real thing. Not really my cup of tea.

“Death Dice”, by Leonard Lakofka

A fun Deck of Many Things style magic item. Roll 2d6 in-game and on the table, suffer/enjoy the results.

 

Footprints #18, April 2013

“The Cult of the Devourer”, by Andrew Hamilton

A write-up of the cult of Jubilex, with a handful of slime-based spells. I guess Nickelodeon was a cult of Jubilex?

“The Mired Cathedral”, by C. Wesley Clough

A location-based adventure for character levels 4-6. The setup is simple, and it has a very classic feel, but it’s also pretty well-made. It’s a pity the ogre lair that is mentioned in the adventure wasn’t included. The titular mired cathedral is described in some detail, with attention to various points of egress; definitely a useful piece. I like all the different items of interest that can be used as hooks or that can spark further ventures for the party. There is a book with details on a local noble family’s history (possible blackmail material? Or simply a thing that can be sold to them for profit or patronage?), swamp lotuses grow in the middle, etc.

“Tribal Spellcasters Revisited”, by Andrew Hamilton

Includes a gnoll spellcaster NPC and a couple of new spells. Hyena-themed, of course.

“An Unhealthy Obsession with Equipment”, by Stuart Marshall

A long-ass equipment list for OSRIC. Item, price, weight. Several categories, items in alphabetical order, 8 pages.

 

Footprints #19, July 2013

“Field Notes from Davendowns”, by Tain Wehrcraft ( & Andrew Hamilton)

This is neat, the detailed description of an in-game book written by a ranger, Tain Wehrcraft. Some parts of the book are about herbalism, lore, geography, there are some magic spells sprinkled throughout (incl. a couple new ones, described at the end of the article, like “Transmute Stick to Arrow” or “Bird Call”), info on monsters… A great way to slip rumors or hooks or hints to the players. This is good world building too.

“The Shrieking Hollow”, by C. Wesley Clough

Adventure for levels 1-3. A two-level cave dungeon. It is probably not a bad adventure, but feels overwritten? Lots of text… So it’s hard to pick out the highlights. It comes with a convoluted back story about rivalry between two wizards. I like the new spell included in this adventure!

 

Footprints #20, November 2013

“The Witch”, by Stuart Marshall

This is a very good Witch class for OSRIC! In fact, one of the coolest I’ve seen around. With a bunch of new spells. “The witch is meant to cleave to OSRIC's source literature which contains few clerical archetypes. In campaigns that lack clerics, witches can, to some extent, be substituted. Alternatively, witches can work alongside clerics, since the two classes' abilities do not necessarily overlap.” Definitely a class worth adding to the roster.

“The Secret of the Wood of Dark Boughs”, by R.N. Bailey

Adventure for levels 3-5. Okay, this also has a convoluted backstory (like the module in #19), but I feel it pays off, because it ties into a mystery/investigation plot. I also dig the Scandinavian names and the overall “folk horror” feel. The main hook relies on the party being good of alignment and ready to help out unjustly persecuted people; but the “local lord asks the players to act as arbitrators” can also work. Anyway, the adventure presents the background not just as a text narrative, but also as a timeline, so that’s definitely useful. Because there are a couple of “moving parts” (the players, the fey agents, Brand the thief). A lot of important details are included, like tactics for the fey search party and many NPC writeups. There is a patch of wilderness and two dungeons/lairs. A big and flavorful adventure! Very impressive.

“The Rat’s Meow”, by Darren Dare

A second adventure! This one is for 2e, for levels 3-4. It’s a small side-trek type thing, about a roadside inn overtaken by lycanthropes. It does the job, I guess? I feel that there’s only a certain amount of “the tavern keeper tries to murder the party” adventures you can do with a single group.

Footprints #19, July 2013

Footprints #11 through #15: zine highlights!

More interesting materials from the pages of Footprints! Issue #15 in particular turned out to be a goldmine.

Previous installments: #1 through #5, #6 through #10.

Footprints #12, March 2008

Footprints #11, August 2007

“Lost Shrine of Tharizdun”, by Alphonzo Warden

This is of some interest due to its modular nature. It’s a small chapel to the dark god Tharizdun, hidden behind a secret door, that can be slotted into any existing dungeon. Two magic items, very useful if the party delves into WG4 The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun. The little dungeon segment is not particularly outstanding, but I do like the idea of this little connective element.

“New Illusionist Spells”, by Brian Dougherty

Delvorm’s Dancing Deck is an interesting spell, it summons a deck of cards, from which cards with various spell effects can be drawn. And then tossed, Gambit-style, at the target. The deck scales with caster level, so it remains useful for a long time. It’s also a shortcut to memorize a couple spells at the price of one – this might be open to exploitation though… I’d prefer if the deck draws were randomized (as written, the caster chooses from effects available to their level).

 

Footprints #12, March 2008

Slim pickings, other than “Leomund’s Silken Squares”, a set of wacky magic items by Len Lakofka.

 

Footprints #13, August 2008

“Tower of the Elephant”, by Tulsa

An adaptation of the R.E.Howard Conan classic. Pretty close to the text in most parts. An archetyptical tower adventure. The author is probably right when he says that you can run this even if the players are familiar with the story (and most RPG fans are), because the fun is in avoiding the wizard and looking for the alien elephant creature.

“Kzaddich” & “Tsalakian”, two new monsters by John A. Turcotte

Based on a dream vision of the Fiend Folio II! Two Lovecraftian cosmic beings, locked in eternal struggle.

 

Footprints #14, January 2009

“The Necromancer. A Chilling NPC”, by David Mohr

A couple of cool spells, like Cloak of Death (either to hide from undead, or hide your undead minions), Spectral Voice (ventriloquism, speak through undead creatures; although I’d expand this power to include any corpse), Choke (ghastly hands choke target, “apology accepted, captain”, I guess?), Empathic Healing (transfer damage from target to self), False Face (disguise spell, but it can copy both living and dead people --- I think it would be more thematic and necromantic, if it could only copy dead people…), Cannibalize (actually Auto-Cannibalism! Sacrifice ability points for a temporary boost), and more, this is a big article!

“One Hundred Names for Taverns and Inns”, by C. Wesley Clough

What it says on the tin! The names are okay, but short descriptions of the sign-boards are also included, which makes for an interesting detail (“67: The Thirsty Fish (The head of a trout peaking out from an ale tankard)”).

 

Footprints #15, June 2009

“The Haunted Inn of the Little Bear: Revenant’s Revenge”, by Brian Wells

A short low-level adventure, set in an abandoned roadside inn. The inn became the place of a gruesome massacre some years ago. There is a small mystery element (which can be tied into the campaign’s politics), exploration of the two-level inn, and a small dungeon. Around a dozen or so areas. There are a couple of cool descriptions, like shambling skeletons that “walk as if they are becoming accustomed to using limbs that have not been used in quite awhile”. I also like how not all undead in the adventure are instantaneously “enemies”. The module text is pretty bloated though. But overall, this reads like a good adventure, with a Solomon Kane vibe!

“The Shaman NPC Class”, by David Mohr

Detailed write-up. Cleric & Druid spells, plus a couple of new ones. Around 40 (!) different totem animals. Each totem animal provides a unique boon at levels 1, 4, 7, 10, 15. This is a great table, very useful even if you don’t want to include the whole class. These boons can be spell-like abilities, skill bonuses, etc. There is also a very useful list of all these powers, another thing you can grab.

“Random Phantom Generator”, by Michael Martin

Nine tables (mostly d6, one d8) on two pages, to generate flavorful phantoms. Good in general for haunted house situations. This is mostly eerie dressing though, not much interactivity.

“Give Your Cities Some Character”, by Mike Hensley

A quick template for random city generation. The classic six character attributes are applied to the settlement. Strength is military presence, Dexterity is for laws and personal freedom, Constitution is population, Intelligence is arcane/wizardly presence, Wisdom is the religious factor, Charisma is the overall atmosphere and crime levels. A neat feature is that small checks are assigned to the attribute scores. For example, to find if a mundane item is available in the shop, roll 3d6 under the Constitution score. Roll 3d6 against Charisma daily to see if the players are harassed by criminals.

Footprints #15, June 2009

[Spell] Bloody Communion

A quick homebrew spell, before the summer ends...

Bloody Communion

Level 1

Duration: 1 + 1 turn/caster level

A group of 2-7 targets (which might or might not include the caster) enter into a blood pact. Each participant pours 1 hit point worth of blood into a chalice, then each participant drinks from it. Afterwards, for the duration of the spell, they can communicate telepathically, regardless of distance. To send a message to one or a select few participants, the sender must concentrate (which counts as an action); message heard by the whole group do not require concentration.

Each participant must also save against Poison, or possibly suffer a malady (d10). The spell works as intended, regardless of the save’s result.

	Effect
1-5	No effect.
6	Bad Blood. The character loses the ability of natural healing for 1 week/caster level. Magical healing still works.
7	Weakness. The character’s total hit points are reduced by d6 for 1 week/caster level.
8	Involuntary Thought-Projection. The character is unable to shield their thoughts from the others. The communication network suffers from a constant “noise” emanating from this participant. Every time somebody sends a message, there is a 1-in-6 chance the message gets drown out by noise. The chance is cumulative if more participants get this malady.
9	Unmasking. One of the character’s secrets is disclosed to all other participants.
10	Bloodlust. The character is cursed with vampirism and must drink fresh blood every day to function properly. For each day without sating this urge, the character loses a hit die.

Some say the spell will even work if the blood of a recently deceased person is added to the mix…

Demons & Diabolists: alternative Magic-User class and infernal entities for weird historical settings

I expanded the demonic True Name generator. Now you can roll domains of power, spells, and unique physical manifestations for the entities! And I wrote up a Diabolist class (for LotFP) that calls up and binds such demons (they basically act as the spellbook of the summoner).

The project is loosely based on The Lesser Key of Solomon, but instead of the high-level Dukes and Marquises of the demon kingdom it concentrates on the "footsoldiers" and "officers", the ones that a diabolist has a chance to summon AND control. I tried to strike a balance between evocative historical flavor and playability.

Download the PDF

(Prints as a nice little 8-page booklet)

Four new spells (writing up randomly generated spells)

 A while back, I wrote a generator of random spell names in Excel. And decided to write up descriptions for some of these random incantations. In the meantime, I stumbled upon Paul's Gameblog, who's doing the same thing... and from his posts, I also learned about a magnificent tool: Inspiration Pad Pro, a versatile (and free! free as a Windows desktop application; and reasonably priced as an app for tablets/devices; you can also use chartopia for your online random generation needs!) piece of software you can use to create random generators!

The .ipt file for my generator is here - I've extended it, so now it gives you a weird spell name, and some basic ideas about the spell's obscurity and casting requirements (this second half is still very much work-in-progress; for the following write-ups I didn't use them).

Grant Body (5th level spell, affects: one incorporeal/disembodied entity, duration: special, range: 60’)

This spell forces one incorporeal or disembodied entity (ghosts, spectres, floating souls and the like) into a nearby body of a creature. The body must be in a relatively good condition, e.g. recently deceased, not burned to cinders or dissolved in acid. If the body is already occupied (e.g. if it is a living human with a soul), the current “owner” of the body gets to save vs. Spells. An unwilling entity can also save vs. Spells to resist the arcane compulsion.

However, as with all necromantic spells, there is a risk of the material body and the immaterial substance rejecting each other. Make a Reaction roll:

2	The body rejects the entity and is irrevocably damaged in the process.
3–5	The entity is instantly ejected from the body and takes one die of damage.
6–8	The entity enters the body, can see, sense & hear through it (speak – at Referee’s discretion), but cannot move or take actions. This state lasts for 1–8 turns, then the entity is ejected from the body without harm.
9–11	The entity takes full control of the body. The possession lasts 3–24 turns, then the entity is ejected from the body without harm
12	Full compatibility. The entity is in control until the body’s physical destruction; but cannot leave it voluntarily.

 

Recall Dreams (2nd level spell, affects: one target, duration: instantaneous, range: touch)

“I can say it again: some ideas arrive in the form of a dream,” – as one of the greatest sybils of our time declared. However, the mind is not always capable of comprehending the greater oneiric truths. This spell aids the target (the caster or anybody they touch) to recall the dream in vivid details, reliving it, but not forgetting like one would upon awakening. If the caster or the target have a Wisdom of 15 or more, they are considered to be lucid dreamers, and can assert some control over how the dream is recalled, perhaps can even obtain additional information, move in a different direction inside the dreamworld than during the original slumber.

 

Shallow Skin of Metal (2nd level spell, affects: one target, duration: 1 + 1 turn/level, range: 30’)

The spell creates a layer of metal just under the skin of the target. This layer provides effective protection against mundane weapons: the person in considered to be wearing plate armor, and all damage is reduced by 1. Movement and reflexes are not hindered in any way. However, at the end of the spell’s duration, as the sorcerous metal dissolves, the person must save vs. Poison or lose a hit die and re-roll their maximum hit points with the new amount. Reduction to zero hit die means death.

 

Sign of False Vitality (1st level spell, affects: one target, duration: 1 turn/level, range: 10’)

With this illusion, a dead body can be made to appear just a sleeping or resting person. Injuries and signs of decay are masked, and there is even an illusion of breathing and a beating pulse. An onlooker won’t be able to tell by a cursory glance if the target is dead; and a save vs. Spells must be made if the corpse is investigated. If an especially suspicious or curious person tries to awaken the corpse, then, of course, the spell is automatically broken. Can also be used to make an undead creature appear living for the duration of the enchantment.

Mythos Spells to OSR: quick & dirty conversion rules

Over the years, Call of Cthulhu has amassed a great amount of spells and rituals. The 7th ed. Grand Grimoire lists over 550! Such a horrific source of cosmic grandeur cannot go untapped... So, here are some quick & dirty untested rules for converting CoC spells to OSR spell levels. Of course, case-by-case conversion and fine-tuning is better, but with these rules you can get a rough approximation.

Magic point cost	Spell level
1-5	1
6-9	2
10-12	3
13-15	4
16-19	5
20+	6

For variable costs (e.g. 1d10), assume maximum roll.

Sanity cost	Spell level increase	Save penalty
1-1d5	+0	-0
1d6-1d10	+1	-2
1d12-1d20	+2	-4

Optional: OSR “Sanity check”

When casting a spell that comes with Sanity loss, save against Magic (with the penalty in the third column). On failure, gain a random “insanity” that lasts 1d8 days. If the margin of failure is more than 5, the effect is permanent instead.

The 3.5e/d20 SRD has some examples (scroll down to tables 6-9 and 6-10).

Or just treat this as risky casting/miscast.

POW cost	Spell level increase
0-9	+0
10-19	+1
20+	+2

Optional: OSR stat drain

Map POW onto a stat (Wisdom, Intelligence, Charisma? Maybe let the Magic-User pick each time?), and divide the cost by 5.

Optional: Sanity+POW
If the spell has both a Sanity and a POW cost, but individually they don't raise the spell level, increase the spell level by 1.

Create Myst of R'lyeh (2 magic points) = level 1.
Knot Flesh (2d6 magic points, 1d8 sanity) = level 4.
Reincarnate (10 magic points, 10 POW, 1d6 sanity) = level 5.
Soul Trap (6 magic points, 5 POW, 1d4 sanity) = level 2 (or level 3).
Wave of Oblivion (30 magic points, 1d8 sanity) = level 7.

Miscast tables: now in a single PDF!

I compiled my miscast effects into a PDF! It's an 8-page booklet, and I think I did an okay job with the layout, too, so if you print it out, each table occupies a single page or a single spread.

Download PDF

or

Get it from my itch.io page (free/PWYW)

6x6 miscast effects for
- Metamagic
- Teleportation/dislocation/polymorph type spells
- Illusion and invisibility spells
- Mind altering spells, charms, telepathy
- Elemental-, energy- and nature-based spells
- Necromancy and life-force altering spells

I turned mine into a little saddle-stitched thing. Feels good.

[Spell] Strings of Marionettic Attachment

Strings of Marionettic Attachment

Magic-User Level 3

Duration: 1 Round/level

Range: 30’

The tiny dust particles always present in the air coagulate into strings, connecting the caster’s fingers to their targets’ limbs.

The maximum number of strings created is equal to the caster’s level. They can be attached to one or more creatures in range. Each string can target one of the following body parts individually: arms, legs, eyes, mouth. The target is allowed a save against Paralyze for each string.

The moment the spell comes into effect, the targets lose control of all their body parts that have strings attached. The caster becomes a puppeteer, able to force the movements of all such limbs. Arms and legs move as those of a puppet. Eyes can be closed or opened. Controlling the mouth allows for an uncanny ventriloquist effect.

The spell doesn’t allow for much nuance in movement: e.g., the caster can force the victim’s arm to execute an attack, to pick up or drop an object, maybe to turn a key in a lock, but not to pick a lock or draw a picture. Writing executed by a controlled hand, however, will be almost identical to the target’s own handwriting and signature.

Severing or breaking a string takes a successful attack roll against AC 12 (as unarmored). A natural 1 on the attack roll damages the target, a natural 20 severs all strings attached to the target.

Miscast effects:

1. The spell is reversed – the initial target gains control of the caster. The number of strings and their “attachment points” are unchanged.
2. The caster is entangled in malformed, twisting strings. The strings can be severed (per the rules above), but while they are present, the caster takes 1 damage for each string per round.
3. Unbreakable wires shoot down from the sky, unhindered by ceilings of layers of earth, and attach themselves to the caster’s body. For 1d6 turns, the caster is but a puppet to an unknown force.
4. Puppetization! A randomly chosen body part of the caster (1-3 arm, 4-5 leg, 6 head) changes into a puppet version of itself. It retains all function, albeit in a mechanic and choppy form.
5. The spell Web is cast, centered upon the caster (who is automatically entangled).
6. The caster and all targets fall unconscious and cocoon up. See the moth mutation table for the effect of this event.

1d8 things that happen when you smoke a magic scroll

From the dynamic duo that brought you spider mutations and that skeleton interrogator table...

1d8 things that happen when you smoke a magic scroll!!

1. Save against Magic 1d3 times: for each failure, roll on the miscast table!
2. You can see invisible creatures and objects for 1 hour. However, you also hallucinate, so you can never tell when something is real or not.
3. REEFER MADNESS! Record the exact number of experience points you have. From now on, instead of gaining experience points, you lose double the amount you would get (and lose levels accordingly). When you hit 0 xp, you lose your original class and become a Magic-User. Now, whenever you gain experience points, you gain the double amount until you reach the amount you had originally.
   A Magic-User getting this effect remains a Magic-User, just goes back and up again.
4. Sweet Leaf! Your coughs always have a weird echo. You get a +1 bonus on saves against Poison.
5. For the next 4d2 days, you consume twice as many rations, but become immune to spells that affect emotions and cognition.
6. You cough up an object usually conjured by a stage magician! Roll 1d6: 1 white rabbit, 2 ribbon, 50' in length, 3 the Ace of Spades, 4 dove, 5 burning candle, 6 coin (worth 1 sp)
7. Chills, not thrills! You suffer the effect of the slow spell for 1 hour, but get +1 bonus on all saves.
8. The next monster you encounter is actually an NPC from the campaign wearing a rubber mask. You must chase each other through a non-Euclidean hallway with the Beach Boys playing in the background.

Miscast tables: Meta-magic and Mind-altering spells

The final installment of the miscast tables series is a double-feature... Thanks to everybody who commented on these, and soon I'll put together a unified pdf for easier use!

Metamagic (spells affecting or modifying other spells or spellcasting abilities)

1. Wipe-out. The caster loses all prepared spells and takes 1d3 damage for every prepared spell lost this way.
2. The caster’s magic jumps to the nearest conscious humanoid. For the duration of 2d6 hours, the new person gains the full spellcasting abilities of the original caster, all remaining prepared spells and spell slots, is considered to be the level of the original caster for spellcasting purposes. They can prepare new spells (if the duration of the effect permits) or risky cast from the original caster’s spellbook. This doesn’t intersect with any spellcasting abilities the person might have. Treat it as a “parallel consciousness”. After the 2d6 hours, the effect is reversed and the original caster regains their abilities (and whatever prepared spells are left).
3. “So Many Mouths to Feed!” All of the caster’s prepared spells and open spell slots are replaced with Magic Mouth. These must be cast to clear the way for new spells.
4. The winds of magic are out of control! For the next [caster level] hours, treat all spellcasting attempts made by the caster as risky casting.
5. The dam breaks! All of the caster’s memorized/prepared spells are cast at the same time, in a single round. The caster takes 1d3 damage for every spell cast this way.
6. The caster’s misjudged attempt at modifying the fabric of the universe triggers a butterfly effect. Everybody in the universe can feel the fluttering of the wings… but no one knows what happens at the end of the chain of events that are set into motion. The Referee introduces a significant change in the game setting. When the caster first encounters evidence of this event, they will definitely know that this is THEIR doing.

Mind altering spells, charms, telepathy

1. All channels are two-way... The caster switches minds with the target of the spell (or one random target). Charisma, Intelligence and Wisdom scores and all saving throws “travel” with the mind. All else (hit points, attack bonuses, etc.) belongs to the body. Every turn, both victims can attempt to switch back. If both are willing AND pass a save against Magic, the swap is reversed. If only one person is willing, this person must pass a save with a -4 penalty.
2. The caster’s mind is lost in the intricacies of the psychic realm. The caster suffers the effect of Feeblemind, lasting [20 - caster’s Intelligence score] hours.
3. Next time the caster tries to persuade, fast-talk, cheat, bribe etc. an NPC in a non-magical way, the spell that was miscast is cast by the person the caster is trying to influence (but with the caster’s level), with the caster (or their group) as the target.
4. All metallic objects in a [caster level times 10’] radius start to resonate with the caster’s thoughts and transform them into audible sound. The caster’s current intentions, doubts and fears are broadcast for everyone to hear.
5. Under the stress of the spell, a small fragment of the caster’s mind forms an enclave. This isolated little piece is identical to the rest of the caster’s mind but in one thing: it completely believes that whatever the spell was intended to do, succeeded. From now on, whenever this might affect their behavior, the caster takes the information stored in the mind-fragment as the absolute truth.
6. The psycho-magnetic vibrations caused by the miscast awaken the latent psychic abilities of a random sentient target of the spell, or, if the spell doesn’t have targets, a random sentient creature in [caster level times 10’]. If the campaign doesn’t use psionics or similar powers, the target receives a 1/day use of a random spell, roll 2d6:
   2 Suggestion, Mass
   3 Feeblemind
   4 ESP
   5 Charm Person
   6-7 Message
   8 Comprehend Languages
   9 Suggestion
   10 Forget
   11 Confusion
   12 Charm Person, Mass

Miscast table: Necromancy!

The necromancy chart might seem tame in comparison to some of my other miscast tables... but the stakes are still high. After all, we are talking about the manipulation of life and death!

Necromancy and life-force altering spells

1. “They are coming to get you, Barbara!” All undead within a [caster level] mile radius learn the whereabouts of the caster and the taste of their bone marrow or blood. They will relentlessly pursue the caster for 2d12 hours.
2. From now on, the caster, although living, can be Turned or commanded as undead by Clerics. When a Turning attempt is made in the character’s presence, they are automatically included in the effect, even if they are not specifically targeted. While Turned, the caster is only able to speak in grunts and beastly growls. This lasts until Remove Curse or Cure Disease is employed.
3. The caster’s life force is drained. Their body desiccates and becomes wrinkled. Hair turns gray or falls out. Character level is unchanged, but 1d2 hit dice are lost. Re-roll hit points with the remaining.
4. The caster’s body becomes dead meat. It starts to decay, cannot heal naturally. Only a Cleric of higher level than the caster can heal them magically. After [caster level] days the caster’s body is revitalized, can heal again, but the effects of putrefaction can only be undone by high-level Clerical magic.
5. The Mark of Undeath! The caster and every living creature in [caster level times 5’] are marked to rise as zombies 24 hours after their death (every living creature, so be prepared for zombie gnats, rainworms and moles as well). The victims are unaware of this fate. The mark is revealed by Detect Evil and erased by Dispel Evil.
6. The flow of necromantic energy corrupts the caster’s natural healing abilities. The next [caster level] times the character rests, subtract the amount they would heal from their maximum hit points.