Secret Santicorn: The Magician plus BONUS

Not everyone is blessed with the insanity and credit score to go through Wizard College, which is admittedly probably for the best. However there are those who are willing to ACT like they were insane enough to make a few bucks and perhaps cash in on the general applause uh... respect er...fear? whatever that Wizards provoke in the general populace.

Anyways, these folk replace madness with cunning, magical spell-ferrets with colorful scarves, and fireballs with a pathological disregard for anyone but themselves.

Note: I am working this as a GLOG class nominally because that is what I know best. I will try to include some LotFP stuff in too in order to help with conversion for my Secret Santa recipient.

Class: Magician
HP: As Wizard

Saves: As Specialist

Starting Equipment: Top Hat, extravagant cape, deck of cards

Starting Skill: Acting

LotFP Skills: As Half Specialist, cannot use Sneak Attack or increase Bushcraft

Magicians gain +1 Cha every other Template.

A: Flim, Flam, Tricks +2 LD, 

B: Hocus Pocus, +2 LD

C: Alakazam, +2 LD

D: Abrakadabra, "My Beautiful Assistant", +1 LD

Legerdemain Dice: Like how Wizards possess Magic Dice representing their store of magic power, Magicians have Legerdemain Dice representing their capacity for bullshit. It represents how many scarves you have up your sleeve, how many cards in your pocket, rabbits in your hat, flash powder in your gloves. When "casting a spell", called a Trick, the Magician rolls the number of LD they wish to invest. LD are always depleted regardless of the roll. All the Magicians LD return over night as a result of careful maintenance of gear. Instead of invoking Mishaps or Dooms, each individual Magician Trick has a unique mishaps associated with failing the LD roll.

Tricks: Unlike a Wizard, Magicians need to have a certain amount of audience belief to pull off their spells. A wizard casting levitation literally breaks physics, a Magician "casting" levitation requires invisible wires and a pulley. To pull off some Magician tricks believably, you must pass a certain threshold via Legerdemain Dice. An unbelievable Trick does not function, is wasted, and may have additional consequences. The threshold for some of the more basic tricks are low, but others are quite high. Magicians cannot invest more LD in their Tricks than they have templates. Magicians can also invest additional time to make Tricks more believable by essentially "setting the stage" and checking their devices. For every 10 minutes invested in prep, a Magician can bring down the required Believability score by 1, up to their [template]. The player may figure other ways to bring down the threshold (perhaps the audience is drunk or there is a good mist etc.) that is up to GM approval. Only one Trick can be prepped in this way at a time.

A Magician knows all of the Tricks from the start, but might not have enough resources to pull them off until later levels. Of further note, while a Wizard is incapable of magic without their spellbook, a Magician is incapable of  most Tricks without some article of clothing to conveniently hide their props in.

Flim: Magicians survive primarily off of deception and sleight of hand. As long as they possess 1 LD, they are able to reproduce classic prestidigitation tricks such as producing a rabbit from a hat, various card tricks, vanishing coin sized objects, producing a bouquet of flowers from thin air, and creating small bursts of harmless fire. If time and money are invested, the Magician can pull off various "Stage Show" level tricks such as sawing a person in half or levitation. These effects cannot be damaging on their own or be of specific utility, however they could be distracting, provide potential situational bonuses, or put on a good show. More LD in the Magician's pool, the more overall impressive the tricks appear.

Flam: In a world where real magic is a thing, sometimes a Magician must cheat. If a Magician possesses a real magic wand, they can charge them with LD just as a wizard can with MD, but at double the cost. They still take 1d6 damage as normal from the process and lose the LD for the day. See "Condensed Spellcasting Rules" for additional details.

Hocus Pocus: Sometimes tricks don't go over well with the populace and you find yourself tied to a pole waiting to be burned or locked in a cell to rot. Any good Magician is also a passable escapist. When unimpeded, a Magician can fit squeeze through any space large enough to fit their head. If handcuffed or tied up, the Magician can spend LD on a point for point basis (1 LD=1 bonus) for bonuses on appropriate Dex or Escape Artist checks. This may represent some grease, a small chiv, or a hairpin for getting out of the bind.

Alakazam: Magicians are masters of Quick Change and Disguise. By directly spending LD, a Magician can change out their wardrobe and any sort of make up faster than the eye can see, provided they have some sort of distraction. While you cannot actually transform, you can via prosthetics and appropriate clothing, appear as the opposite sex, someone within [sum] years of your age (within reason), or someone of higher or lower social standing. If using a system with a "Disguise" skill, consider using this ability similar to the Hocus Pocus ability and Dex checks.

Abrakadabra: Like a certain blue wizard famed for his adventures with a unicorn, Magicians have a small spark of true magic inside of them. As a last ditch effort, they may sacrifice all remaining LD and cast at random a spell from the d100 list of Orthodox spells or some other appropriate random list. This is cast at MD 4 or lower depending upon the remaining LD. This is extremely tiring and accumulates an amount of Fatigue equal to double the LD used. LD used in this way can invoke appropriate Mishaps and Dooms.

"My Lovely Assistant": Whenever in a town of reasonable size, the Magician can hire up to two 1HD "Lovely Assistants". These assistants have 1 HD, Morale 7, and stats as a Template A Magician. If the Magician is out of LD for the day, they can still "cast" any trick they know as long as their Assistants are with them and have remaining LD.  Assistants can spend their LD to help "set the stage" for the Magician and increasing the Trick's believably. Assistants tend to not be willing to go into truly dangerous situations and may demand extra pay or refuse to follow.

Magician Tricks

The Added "B:" is believably, the amount that needs to be rolled for the spell to function. 

1. Card Sharp

R: As Bow  T: Deck of Playing Cards D: 1 Day B: 2

More of a honed skill than a Trick exactly, the Magician can prepare [sum] playing cards to have razor sharp edges which can then be thrown with range and damage as a bow+[dice].  Cards used in this way are made unusable if they strike and have a 50% chance of being usable still if they miss. The edge wears off at the end of the day.

Failing this trick causes the Magician to cut themselves, taking 1d6 damage.

2. Ventriloquism (Shamelessly stolen from Skerples)

R: 50' T: creature or object that could make noise D: [sum] rounds B: 3

Target creature or object speaks for you. The target has to be capable of making a noise. You could target a door (hinges), but not a stone wall or an iron ingot. The voice is clearly unnatural or strained, but it sounds like it is truly originating from that point. If you target a river, the voice will be burbling, noisy, and foamy. If you target a person, the voice will sound strange, distorted, and distant.

Failing this trick causes the magician to cough and sputter loudly, instantly giving away their position.

3. Rope Trick 

R: Centered on Caster T: N/A D: Until collapsed B: 6

The Rope Trick involves a specially prepared "rope" that is in fact something more like a collapsible 10' pole with fake knotted hemp exterior. The "rope" is up to [sum]*5' long and can hold [dice] human sized creatures at once. For the "rope" to be steady enough to climb, there needs to either be a place above for the "rope" to brace against or a reasonable way to anchor the bottom. The Magician can choose to create a smoke screen at the bottom or the top of the "rope" to create the illusion that the "rope" is standing on its own.

Failing this trick causes the "rope" to collapse and require [sum] rounds of readjusting before it could be used again.

4. Regurgitate 

R: Personal  T: Variable objects D: [sum] Minutes B: 4-10

A common trick among magicians is the ability to swallow and regurgitate things that can be strange or dangerous. This is in fact done by fine muscle control and keeping the material from ever actually getting in the stomach itself. You have [dice] Inventory Slots in your stomach when you use this trick which can hold any viable liquid (so like water and petrol but not acid) or anything the size of a small frog or smaller. The more inherently dangerous the substance is, the more difficult the trick, so holding water or a key would be a 4 but holding petrol or live frogs would be a 10. You can regurgitate these items in a single action. You can hold this for [sum] minutes before you must regurgitate the items or they are swallowed to whatever consequence that brings.

Failing this trick causes you to either choke and be stunned for [dice] rounds or face some other consequence in line with what you were swallowing. 

5 Vanish

R: Centered on Caster T: 30' diameter area D: Instant B: 7

A trick that involves a large distraction and quick reflexes. On success, the Magician produces some sort of distraction (flock of pigeons, explosion of glitter, smoke bomb, whirlwind of colorful sashes). The target is blinded for 1 round  while up to [sum]/2 human sized individuals can escape, receiving either a [dice] bonus to their movement or doubling their move speed, depending on the system. This only functions as a method of escape, as the target is not actually blinded and can still attack or defend if directly confronted. Creatures who have non-visual senses strong enough to perceive past this may receive a Save to resist the distraction.

Failing this trick causes the Magician to instead blind themselves for one round and fall prone.

6. Mind Reading

R: 30' T: 1 Creature D: [sum]/2 rounds B: 7

Less actual mind reading like some telepathic beings might be capable, this is more putting yourself into a highly aware state. Subtle movements become glaringly obvious, the Magician can see the minutest drops of sweat, and almost hear the changes in heart rates. By focusing on a single target, the Magician is able to predict its actions with significant enough accuracy to have a [dice] bonus to Attack and Defense against it. Outside of combat it could allow for real time mimicry or reading subtle moods. If the Magician is damaged or takes their eyes off of the single target, the effect ends early.

Failing this trick causes the Magicians to instead broadcast their actions so exaggeratedly that the target instead gets [dice] bonus to Attack and Defense against the Magician for the duration.   

7. "Oh Sweet Oblivion"

R: Personal T: D: [Sum] Hours or until used B: 10

Any Magician is a master of prosthetic and special effects, especially making them appear as realistic as possible. By preparing parts of their clothing and body with tubing, fake blood, and plenty of make up, a Magician can make it so they, or a willing participant, are grievously harmed by even the most minute amount of damage. The next time the Magician is damaged, they spray "blood" and "gore" like a B-Horror film. In addition to staining everything within 30' red, everyone who can see you that does not previously know about the preparation must roll an Morale check with a [dice] disadvantage to the roll. Creatures of [sum]/2 HD or less must additionally Save vs. Fear. Some creatures (vampires, psychopaths, etc.) might be wholly unaffected.

Failing this trick causes the pumps to malfunction, making the Magician slick with fake blood and gore, halving their movement for the duration or until they can have a proper bath.

8. Hypnotism

R: 5' T: 1 Willing Creature D: [sum] Hours or Instant, depending B: 10

While Wizards can hypnotize foes into slumber or real mind control, a Magician's Hypnotism works more like traditional mentalist or psychotherapist hypnotism. By spending 12-[sum] rounds (minimum of 1 round), with a pendulum-like prop, you can Hypnotize one willing creature. The Magician may perform one of the following effects on the creature:

A) The Magician may heal [dice] Sanity Damage (if this is a thing) or allow a reroll on a madness/insanity Save.
B) The Magician may implant a suggestion that is triggered under specific conditions, this suggestion must be something that under ordinary circumstances, the target would be willing to do.
C) The Magician may boost the target's confidence and allow them to reroll one Fear save with a [dice] bonus before the end of the duration.

Failing this trick causes the Magician to hypnotize themselves into a chicken for [sum] rounds.

9.Invisible Wire

R:[sum]*10'  T: One Creature or Object D: Variable B: 12

With the Flim ability, Magicians can levitate small objects such as coins and cards in their hands using "invisible thread." By applying more time and LD, they can pull of more significant "telekinetic" feats. Successfully casting this trick allows the Magician to throw and attach "invisible" wires to a target, which are individually too light to notice but together can exert significant pull. An animate or otherwise resisting target Saves (vs. petrification or Str or something relevant) or is instantly pulled by concealed motors towards the Magician, 10' per [dice]. The wire detaches after the target has been pulled. A significantly heavy or resistant target may instead pull the magician, allowing for a sort of pseudo-levitation. Completely nonresistant objects do not receive a Save and could conceivable be manipulated like a jerky marionette. These latter effects can continue for [sum] rounds before the wire snaps.

Failing this trick simply causes the wires to miss entirely and not function.

10. Produce Flame

R: [dice]*30' Cone T: Area D: Instant B: 16

Magicians love to play with fire, but usually that is in the form of fire swallowing or flash paper or some other innocuous form. However, sometimes you just need to produce a big jet of fire. Using a concealed tube, leg pump full of flammable liquid and a palmed striker for a spark, the Magician can produce just that. This trick does [sum] fire damage to everything within its area of effect. Dex save for half.

Failing this causes an explosive malfunction in the device dealing [sum]/2 damage to the Magician.

Notes

Blessed Nablesnard to you SherlockHole, I hope this class is something to your and everyone else's liking. There are many bits of it that are a little more crunchy than what I'd normally do for a class, but you seem to like a bit more crunch. I know you had also specifically mentioned an "ungodly" deception skill, which I tried to replicate to an extent without an actual Deception skill since GLOG does not traditionally make bluffing, persuasion, deception and the like an actual skills. Some tricks, like sawing a woman in half or exchanging places a tied up assistant felt less applicable in a dungeon setting and thus left as part of the Flim ability, its just a general performance sort of feat. 

Furthermore, unlike Wizards, Magicians do not have "Emblem Spells." Reason being, they are ultimately performers. As I previously mentioned, any sort of Trick that would reach such heights would either be a maximum application of an already created Trick or be a stage trick significant monetary and time investment, not suitable to a dungeon. 

Folks who have followed GLOG for a long time might recognize the idea of having a load of Magic Dice that always is lost, something I've pulled and adapted from Arnold's cleric idea. I hope this gives a fun way to differentiate from a straight up Wizard, but I guess time will tell!

BONUS SANTICORN

A Charles Krafft original

Porcelain Weapons: A product of True Elf engineering, Porcelain Weapons are crafted from primeval clay and fired in the hearts of newly born stars. True Elves can get away with this because they, of course, don't adhere to our timelines. Any Porcelain Weapons found by a party are likely from the ruins of a True Elf's Temporal Kingdom or had fallen from the True Elves' colony on the moon. 

Porcelain weapons are normally indestructible by any means beyond some kind of significant quest and are undetectable to spells such as Detect Magic or Detect Metal. Their craftsmanship is so fine and balanced that all Porcelain Weapons baseline grant +4 to hit.

1. Porcelain Sword- More of an épée than a standard "sword," the Porcelain Sword's hilt and guard is a masterwork of white porcelain depicting an elven maid, her mouth open in serene song. The "blade" extends from the maid's open mouth. Said "blade" is in fact an invisible hardened porcelain 1D monofilament. While incapable of slashing, after all it has no depth, it can pierce anything and cannot be seen to be defended against. The total bonus to hit granted by a Porcelain Sword is +8 and it ignores all armor. It, however, deals only 1 damage per strike.

2.Porcelain Ax- From the side, the Porcelain Axe appears as a white porcelain crescent shaped blade depicting a romanticized image of the moon with a short haft of living wood. Looking at the blade edge on, however, makes the blade seemingly vanish but for a very slender blue glow. The "blade" is in fact a hardened porcelain 2d plane while the blue glow is a small amount of unstable atoms held in stasis. If used as a normal ax, the Porcelain Ax merely acts an an exceptionally fine hand ax. If thrown, however, the stasis field fails, causing the ax to split the atoms and set off an explosion at the target location. Treat as a 5 MD Fireball or some similar effect per system, and irradiates the area of the effect for generations. 

3.Porcelain Dagger- Without an electron microscope, a Porcelain dagger appears as a white decorative baselard dagger with intricate blue design work around the blade, depicting a beautiful rose. The blade, however, actually has an astonishingly sharp fractal edge. When an attack hits with the Porcelain dagger, minuscule slivers of the edge break off into the target and wreak havoc on their circulatory system. The target must make a Con save for 1d6 rounds or take Dagger damage each time. If a 6 is rolled and the target fails all 6 saves, the slivers find their way to the heart and kill target.

4.Porcelain Hammer- About the size of a standard hand held mallet, the Porcelain Hammer has a shaft of living wood and a white porcelain head depicting a stylize thunderhead in blue. If given a tap, the inside of the hammer is revealed to be hollow, although this does not reduce its invulnerability. A living target struck by the Porcelain Hammer must make a Con check or be stunned for a round by intense reverberations running through its body. Inanimate objects take double damage, crystalline objects take triple. The Porcelain Hammer deals damage as a Medium Weapon (1d6 or 1d8).

5.Porcelain Arrow- Only found as single arrows, a Porcelain arrow more looks like a hollow white shaft with an infinitesimally fine tip and brilliantly designed holes through its body. Every Porcelain arrow, when fired, sounds like an individual orchestrational piece of supra-genus quality. A Porcelain arrow pierces all barriers (physical, magical or otherwise) and deals 4d6 damage. Porcelain arrows are all individually unique and are destroyed on use. Any bow that fires a Porcelain Arrow is destroyed.

6.Porcelain Revolver- See Arnold's Post about Elven Revolvers, it is so good.

OSR: Root Doctor

OSR: Class:The Root Doctor

Dr. Buzzard as imagined by Monsieur le Battlier

Root Doctor, Conjure Doctor, Two Head Man, Hoodoo Doctor. These are the practical practitioners of the magical world. Through observation and tradition, they find what works and they use it. Generally speaking they don't particularly care why it works, they just know that it does. The Root Doctors of my home area pull from West African, Native American, Central European, and Levant traditions, but you can bring together a grab bag of any sort and it would work just fine.

Also, I won't lie, Skerples' Weather Witch does a very good job as a Root Worker

Class: Root Doctor

Starting Equipment: Purple tinged spectacles, fine linen clothing, dagger

Starting Skill: Herbalism

For every Root Doctor template, gain +1 on saves versus Fear and +1 on any reaction rolls when lying.

A: Root Casting, Mantle,+2 Spells, +1 RD

B: Chewing the Root,+1 Spell, +1 RD

C: Bury the Root,+1 Spell, +1 RD

D: Mojo Hand, Two-Headed Conjurer, +1 RD

Low John Root, looks like poop, tastes like ginger, and the best lawyer money can buy.

Root Casting: Unlike a Wizard, you do not cast magic by caging spells into books or shooting them out of your brain. Unlike a Sorcerer, you do not cast magic through the sheer force of your will, though you are likely a force of personality on your own. Your magic comes from the lingering magic that infuses every part of the world. You know how to combine seemingly innocuous objects in just the right way to cause them to express their magic. You gain +1 Root Die per Template representing materials on hand to cast your spells. Because Root spells are tied up in materials, RD used do not return to your pool but they also do not cause Mishaps or Dooms to occur. When exploring a hex or foraging, you have a 1-in-6 chance of gathering enough materials to replenish RD equal to 1d[# of Templates]. Base RD return after a long rest, in the form of incidental finds in pockets and packs.

Several Root Spells can be reversed, or Buried. Knowing the spell means you know the buried version as well.

Mantle: The Mantle of a Root Doctor is the ultimate source of their power, it the secret knowledge of the workings of the Root. It is either inherited from a parent or teacher or it is gifted to them by some spiritual source. For your player character, roll on the table below to see your new title and the power behind it.

Roll	Mantle	Effect
1	Bug	Roll twice for spells, choose.
2	Snake	Roll twice for reaction rolls, take better.
3	Hawk	Keen Vision, 2-in-6 Chance of noticing secret doors and traps.
4	Crow	Instantly appraise the worth of anything shiny.
5	Turtle	+2 Defense, -1 Movement
6	Alligator	+2 Attack on first attack
7	Raccoon	Immune to effects of rotten food, +4 save against Disease
8	Opossum	1/week when reduced below 0 HP, instead remain at 1 HP and, as long as you do not move, appear as dead.
9	Toad	Secrete 1 dose of Bufotoxin daily, grants either 1: Pleasant buzz +1 to saves for 1 hour, or 2: Heart Palpitations  -2 to Defense for 1 hour
10	Buzzard	+1 Root Die

Chewing the Root: By literally chewing on the material components for Root spells, the Root Doctor is able to affect all within their sight with their power. The Root Doctor may either add or subtract the number of Root Die invested, to all rolls within their sight. Furthermore while Chewing the Root, the Root Doctor may take no other action. If taking any other action but spitting the Root out (thereby ending the effect) the Root Doctor must save vs. Poison, failure ending the effect and causing them to swallow the components and be affected by a supernatural mutation.

Bury the Root: By burying the components of a Root spell, the caster may set something of a magical trap. The spell and RD invested will be set to activate under conditions laid out by the Root Doctor. These conditions must be under seven words long or it fails. As long as the Root is buried and inactivated, the Root Doctor will not naturally regain those invested RD and can only obtain RD via foraging. A Root Doctor can deactivate their own buried Root or invest RD to create a counter charm to deactivate or weaken another's buried root.

Mojo Hand: By wrapping up the components of a Root spell in a specially prepared bag, the Root Doctor may pass on the spell to another person for later casting. The Root Doctor my either invest their base RD or the RD obtained via foraging, but cannot invest more than 2 RD in a single Mojo Hand. Base RD invested do not regenerate as long as the Mojo Hand is active and/or uncast. Mojo Hands naturally degrade and lose potency after [dice] weeks. Mojo Hand function as scrolls but their RD is always burned and additional RD cannot be invested after the fact.

Two-Headed Conjuror: A Root Doctor of this caliber has their head both in the spirit world and the mortal world. Choose: Learn 6 additional spells or become a Boo-Hag, gaining their Flight, Incorporeality, Steal Breath, and Claw abilities but also gaining their weaknesses to counting, boodaddies, salt, and the color blue.

Minerva, widow of Doctor Buzzard,
is known to some for her role in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

Spells:

1. High John The Conqueror

R: Touch T: creature D: [dice] hours or until used
A literal root spell, this creates a temporary talisman from a type of jalap root called John the Conqueror Root. The bearer of this root is enchanted to "get lucky." This will allow the user to have a +2 bonus to any seduction relate rolls and will ensure conception after any sexual congress. The user can alternatively use up all the luck at once and add [Sum] to any roll where luck or gambling is the primary determining factor of the roll.

Buried: A Buried High John The Conqueror can have an inverse effect, causing sterilization and bad luck instead.

2. Hotfoot Powder
R: 5x[sum] feet radius T: Area D: [Dice] Hours
A temporary protection against those who would do you harm, Hotfoot Powder is spread in an approximate circle around an area and creates an impenetrable ward against disembodied undead. When cast, the caster can also identify a single unique being of 2x[dice] HD to be similarly warded against. If the caster, or whomever spreads the Hotfoot Powder, steps over the circle, the magic is nullified.

3. Honey Jar

R:[dice] Miles T: Creature Type D: [sum] Hours or until candle is extinguished, whichever is first
By adding honey (or anything else sticky and sweet) to a prepared candle, the Root Doctor creates a psychic lure for a type of creature chosen at the candle's creation. All creatures within the affected area that meet the Root Doctor's specifications must save vs. magic or feel a strong pull towards the candle. Creatures of [dice] HD or lower are helplessly drawn, dropping everything to move to the area around the candle. More powerful creatures will still feel the draw, but will not be compelled to answer it. If the Root Doctor knows the true name of a target, they may focus the Honey Jar only on that target  and affect [dice]*2 HD.

Buried: By using a vinegar or something else bitter and sour, the Root Doctor can cause this effect to create a sense of disgust instead of attraction. Although not warded like Hotfoot Powder, creatures instinctively avoid the area and can only be forced in. More powerful creatures similarly feel intense disgust but can overcome that feeling to approach.

4. Butting (or Flipping)

R: Touch T: 1 Creature D: [sum] turns  or until candle is extinguished, whichever is first
By taking a specially prepared candle, flipping it upside down, digging out the wick, and lighting it, a Root Doctor may inverse a curse or negative effect for as long as the candle remains lit and the target creature carries the candle. The candle must be invested with more RD than either the MD(SD, RD, whatever) invested into the curse effect or equal at least half the HD of the creature the curse effect originated from.

5. Live Things

R: 200' T: 1 Creature with flesh D: 0 to [sum] rounds
Target takes [sum]+[dice] damage either instantly or divided out over [sum] rounds as insects, small snakes, spiders, and other small crawling creatures force their way out through the target's skin. If the target does [dice]d4 damage to itself with a slashing weapon or is affected with a counter curse type ability, this spell will end prematurely.

Artist Andy Tate as Doctor Buzzard

6. Jitter Heart Powder

R:30' T: Cone D: [dice] Rounds
A powder made of finely crushed reagents (arsenic being a major component), Jitter Heart causes severe heart palpitations in those affected by it. It can be tossed over an area and function as an inhalant. Targets with HD less than 1/2 [sum] must save vs. Poison or half their Movement and Defense for [dice] rounds and take 1d6+[dice] damage. If a single [sum] HD or less target should be affected by the whole spell (such as it being mixed into a drink or be blown directly up their nose) the target must save vs. Death or instantly perish, still taking [sum] damage and halving their Movement and Defense on a successful save.

Buried: A reversed Jitter Heart Powder can be used to shock a target unconscious due to injuries back into fighting form for a short time. When used on a creature with Fatal Wounds, it temporarily heals [sum]/2 Fatal Wounds and brings the creature back to [dice] HP. However after [sum] rounds, the target must Save vs. Con. A successful save brings them back to 0 HP and the amount of Fatal Injuries the target previous had. A failed save doubles their initial number of Fatal Injuries and calls for another roll on the Death and Dismemberment table.

7. Black Cat Vanishing Bone

R: 0 T: Self or 1 Creature D: [sum] rounds or until dispelled
As Invisibility, except you must keep the properly prepared bone of a black cat in your mouth the duration of the spell and are therefore unable to speak coherently.

Buried: If ground instead into a powder and thrown at an invisible target, the target is made visible for [sum] rounds.

8. Poison Drawing Coin

R: 0 T: Creature or Object D: 0
By taking a silver coin with a hole pierced through the middle, one may detect and draw out poison. Placing the coin against the foot of a target or onto a suspicious object (such as a liquid) will cause the coin to tarnish and go black if the target is poisoned. 1 [dice] allows the caster to detect poison, 2 or more [dice] allows them to attempt to draw it out. In roll over mechanics, use the invested to make the save the poison requires. In roll under mechanics start with 4d6 and subtract a d6 for every [dice] invested over 1 to a minimum of 1d6. The poison will pour through the hole in the coin and can possibly be collected for use.

Buried: If a whole coin is used instead of a pierced coin, the target instead has any check against poison penalized by [dice] for [sum] hours.

9. Jack-Ball

R: 0 or [dice]x[sum] feet T: [dice] Questions or 1 type of material D: 1 round per question or for [sum] rounds
The Jack-Ball is a small pendulum usually made out of yarn or cloth, with the ball end full of special herbs. The herbs attract a spirit (called a Jack) to inhabit the ball and it will give simple answers to questions or act as a dowsing pendulum.

As a device for divination, it will give "Yes, No, and Unsure" answers to [dice] questions, but the spirit is not omnipotent and is only knowledgeable about the general area that the Jack-Ball was created in. The ball will sway to the left for No, to the right for Yes, and turn in a circle for Unsure.

As a dowsing device, the Jack-Ball is presented with a sample of a material that the user wants to find. If there is more of that material within range, the Jack-Ball will point towards it for the duration of the spell. It will only point towards the largest amount of the material so, for example, if it is presented with iron it is going to point at the huge iron door in range, not the hidden scythe trap in the wall.

10. Two Headed (Wo)Man
R: 0 T: Self D: [dice] x 10 minutes/Permanent
As Wizard Vision, except it can only be cast on oneself via application of prepared eyedrops. The caster can also mitigate the Permanent aspects of the spell by wearing purple tinted spectacles.

Buried: Reversing this spell instead causes the caster to be completely blind to the supernatural and eldritch for [dice]x10 minutes, thereby making them immune to appearance related or gaze abilities from monsters but also rendering those creatures invisible to the caster.

A selection of Anointing Oils used to empower mojo hands and conjure candles.

Notes:

Chewing the Root is something that used to happen a lot in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Usually defendants in court cases would hire a Root Doctor to Chew the Root (specifically a root called Chewing John) and it would hex the judge and jury into being confused, flustered, and unable to make good decisions.

Burying the Root is a common practice used as a deterrent or as a curse. By burying the Root on someone's property, they are constantly under the influence or the threat of that root's malintent. I've personally seen cases where individuals were unwilling to go home for fear that someone has buried a Root on their property.

High John the Conqueror is one of many similarly named roots that are often multipurpose.  High John is usually used luck, Low John is used for sex, and Chewing John or Little John is used for influencing decisions, mostly for influencing courts as said above.

Poison Drawing Coin is one of the many methods that a silver dime can be employed, usually as a protective charm. Silver dimes minted during a leap year work best, so Mercury Dimes tend to be the preferred coinage for rootworkers.

Jitter Heart Powder actually comes from an instance in my home county. There was an overwhelming number of people not passing the medical tests during the Korean War draft in the area and Sheriff McTeer, the White Root Doctor mentioned in the previous hoodoo post, went to investigate. It was found that one of the local root doctors had been proscribing a powder to folks as a means of making their heart have temporary palpitations and help them dodge the draft. It also caused several people to get seriously sick because a major component in the powder was arsenic.

Generally speaking with a lot of these spells, the root Doctor would "dress" the components of the spell by anointing them with oils and go through a series of magical incantations. The interesting thing about the incantations though is that all Root Workers recognize that it is less about what is said and more about how it is said. It is about cadence and letting it flow from you in an impromptu way. For a lot of Root Workers who are often also Baptists or Methodists, their incantations sound a lot like a a particularly energetic and fiery minister's sermon. Many of these Root Workers see the bible as a source of magic and Moses as the penultimate "Conjure Man." Other Root Workers, however, come from different traditions, but still use many related items. 

OSR: Skull Wizard

The Wizard Quintuplets: Alabaster, Cranius,Trepannius, Ifori, and Wilbur

An Italian pal of mine was checking out some GLOG Wizards and thought up a Skull Wizard. Not a Necromancer per se, just a wizard with a special taste for skulls. They have a special bond with the Skull King and access the realm of Skullspace to power their effects.

School: Skull Wizard

Perk: You are decked out in the most cliche evil wizard gear imaginable. Black robe with a cowl, skulls hanging by ropes, evil looking sigils, wicked looking daggers, the works. Most creatures have a -2 to morale checks when you are present. You also gain a +2 to reaction rolls with equally evil looking creatures.

Drawback: You cannot have more spell slots than you have skulls on hand. 1 Human Skull = 1 Inventory slot

Cantrip:

1. You may enchant one skull to be 10x bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. You may only have one skull affected this way at any one time. Items must be able to fit through the eye sockets. Items left in a skull when it loses this effect have a 90% chance of simply breaking the skull and a 10% chance of being lost in Skullspace.
2. You can identify any skull by name and species after 10 minutes of uninterrupted communing.
3.You may mark a single skull with your personal sigil. You may speak through this skull, regardless of distance, as long as you have another skull to talk at. This communication is only one way.

Keep them eyes pealed!

Skull Wizard spell list

1. Skull Speak
R: 0 T: self D: [dice] minutes
You can talk to skulls and they can talk back. Skulls generally know about anything they could potentially see and a little bit about their original owner's demise. These skulls are not inhabited with the intelligence of the original being, rather is the inhabited by the left over mineral soul and any interactions with it are limited by that soul's knowledge.

2. Skull Bomb

R: 200' T: creature+30' area D: 0

This spell requires sacrificing a skull to cast. The caster infuses a skull with the unstable spell which explodes into shrapnel when thrown. Target takes [sum] + [dice] damage, no Save. All within 30' of the target take [dice] damage. 

3. Skull Form

R: 0 T: Self D: [dice] hours

You slide your meat parts off and store them in Skullspace, leaving you a mobile skeleton. Your movement is increased by 3 and your Strength is halfed (no muscle bonehead). You also have half damage from non-bludgeoning weapons. If you roll above a 10, you transform into a random variant skeleton. If you roll above a 14, you may pick the type of variant skeleton you become.

4. Skull Read
R: Touch T: 1 Creature D: 10-[sum] Rounds to minimum of 1 round
You spend time interacting with the skull of a living or dead creature. At the end of the duration of the spell, you know the creature's HD, morale, wants, and general disposition.

5. Skull Flame

R:0 T: 1 Skull D: [sum]+[dice] Hours

You wreath a skull in an evil looking flame that casts light as a lantern for the indicated period. The flames do not burn he caster, however can be bashed against an opponent to deal damage as a light weapon and wreath the target in bright light for [dice] rounds. When used in this way, or when the time is otherwise up, the skull is consumed.

6. Skull Shield
R: Touch T: 1 Creature D: [sum]/2 rounds.
Target creature's head becomes completely invulnerable. This grants [dice] Defense and renders the target immune to blinding, muting or deafening though the mutilation of the sensory organs. Effects that go through said organs such as poison, a siren's song, or a medusa's gaze affect the target as normal.

7. Skull Phantom
R: 30' T: 1 Skull  D: [sum] rounds
You summon the ghostly memory of a whole body that was once attached to a skull. It will be somewhat helpful to you and retain the approximate intelligence of the creature it was in life, but none of the memories. It can attack with its skull as a heavy weapon and can fit through any space that its skull can fit through. Its Defense is equal to plate (the skull is the only actual physical part of its body) but only has [dice] HP.


8. Skull Shape
R: 60' T: 5x[sum] pounds of bone D: 5 rounds

Over the course of 5 rounds, you can control a mass of bones as though it were clay, melting and crafting it into a desired shape such as a bridge or a tower. For every MD invested into the spell, there must be at least two skulls present. After five rounds have elapsed, the desired shape is achieve and this mass of bones cannot be affected again. The GM may require an adequately drawn sketch of your creation.

9. Skull Meld
R: 30' T: [sum] HD worth of Creatures D: [sum] rounds or permanent.
When cast, choose a number of effects up to [Dice]: Sight, Sound, Speech/Taste, Smell. The Target's skull melds seamlessly to hinder one or more of these senses.You may invest more than the creature's HD worth of [sum] in a single creature, if [sum] invested is twice the target's HD, the effect is permanent. Targets who have both Smell and Speech hindered begin to suffocate. A creature suffocates in CON/2 rounds if unprepared or CON rounds if prepared. Assume the creatures have 10 CON, unless the GM rules otherwise. Dealing the target's HD in damage to the mouth or nose area is enough to break the bone and restore breath.

10. Skull Cup
R: Touch  T: 1 Skull  D: [sum] Rounds or until consumed
On touch, the skull of a recently killed monster fills with the creature's liquid essence. This essence has an [Dice]+HD-in-10 chance of being a random potion, otherwise it heals the drinker HP equal to the creature's HD. More intensely magical creatures or incredibly poisonous creatures may have different effects or be more likely to produce a potion.

Emblem Spells

11. Skull Theft
R: 100' T: 1 Creature or skull of [Sum]/2 HD or less D: 12/[dice] Rounds
By focusing all your will on a single skull, you can call out to it and entice it to come to you. On an unattended skull, it will generally come with no fuss, but on a skull currently being used by something there will be resistance. For every round the focus is kept on the creature, they take 1d6 damage as their skull tries to literally escape from their neck. At the end of the duration of the spell, the creature must save versus death or have their skull sloppily pulled from their body and jettisoned to your hand. Any disruption of your concentration will prematurely end the effect and leave you with a splitting headache, -2 to all mental stats for [dice] hours.

Best Friend!

12. Skull Friends

R: 60'  T: Skull or Group of Skulls D: [dice] Hours
You target either a mass of smaller skulls or a single massive skull depending on invested MD and animate them into Skull Friends.

1-6: 1 human skull, HD 2, 1d6 Damage
7-12: 4 human skulls, 1 Giant Skull HD 4, 2d6 Damage
13-18: 16 human skulls, 1 Dragon Skull HD 6, 3d6 Damage
19+: 64 human skulls, 1 Blue Whale Skull HD 8, 4d6 Damage

Feel free to mix and match within reason and resources. While these skulls are under your control, they grow little limbs and totter after you at your Movement. When animated en masse, they function as a single creature and may do things like stacking themselves up or pull off those bullshit fire ant rafts. Bigger skulls could be potentially ridden in.

Aw hell, mishaps? I didn't sign up for this shit.

Mishaps:
1. Skull hurts, take 1d6 damage.
2. Teeth fuse together rending you mute for 1d6 rounds.
3. Splitting headache for 1d6 rounds. Literally. Exposed brain lowers Defense by 4.
4. CARTILAGE IS HERESY! You nose and ears fall off, rendering you deaf and anosmic (can't smell). They grow back in 1d6 rounds.
5. Your skull is too thick! Unable to cast spells for 1d6 rounds as the spells try and fail at escaping your thick head.
6. Random mutation for 1d6 rounds, then make a save. Permanent if you fail. If the mutation rolled affects your head, you automatically fail.

Dooms:
1. Your face melts off, leaving you looking like a Skeletor wannabe. Halve your charisma and never look in a mirror ever again.
2. All your flesh melts off, leaving you as a mobile skeleton. Halve your total HP and STR, and wonder why those Skeletons at level 1 seemed to dangerous without muscles.
3. Your body falls off, leaving you as an immobile skull. You can't cast spells or take any action, but you can still talk I guess. Welcome to being Bob the Skull.

You can avoid this fate by replacing your head with that of a particularly evil and magical creature, such as the Nega-Pope or a Demilich.

Thoughts

Evil wizards like skulls as decoration. Skull Wizards hate this because they are wasting perfectly good resources. You don't have to be evil to be a Skull Wizard, but it really helps the aesthetic. Not quite a Necromancer and more a focused Osseomancer, you'd probably find things guys haunting ancient battlefields, the cavernous Veins, or your local cathedral made of bones. Who knows if it is balanced or not, but hopefully the Italian approves.

To hell with this, I'm outtie.

Who do that Hoodoo?

I'm going to walk you down a road of old oaks and hanging spanish moss. I'm going to guide you down to my home in the Lowcountry of the southern US, a place of superstition and magic. Growing up, I was surrounded by stories and folk beliefs. I heard the tales of Brer Rabbit, I was warned about the Boohag and the Plat-eye, I was told why the shutters were robin's egg blue and why you always left a broom by the front door. For, you see, magic was being worked all around me, a magic called The Root.

The Root is both a broad term for the hoodoo folk beliefs of the area and a specific term for a type of gris-gris or medicine bag that is a common charm associated with the beliefs. Rootwork comes in many forms, from the creation of small Root talismans to protect from the evil eye, to the painting of windows Haint Blue to ward off spirits, to "chewing the root" to curse those who would do you harm. My home area was known for a number of Root Doctors, such as Doctor Bug and Doctor Eagle, but the two most infamous were Doctor Buzzard and Sheriff James E. McTeer. Stephney Robinson was and still is considered the greatest Root Doctor of all time and his Mantle of Doctor Buzzard continues to be passed down, with his grandson still practicing Rootwork under the ancestral title. Sheriff McTeer was his archnemesis, a lawman who practiced the Root and used these tools to combat those using The Root to con and scare people.

James Edward McTeer, Root Doctor and Sheriff

There are dozens of stories of Sheriff McTeer's and Doctor Buzzard's conflicts and each time Doctor Buzzard would escape through his trickery. From catching bullets to escaping from coffins as a black cat, there seemed to be nothing that could hold the old Root Doctor. Even the court of law could get no airtight cases around him, as he sat before the judge in his purple tinted shades, chewing the root. In fact his ability to avoid the law was so profound that many of his "customers" would pay for him to make a powder that could be sprinkled in the court room to confound lawyers and witnesses. Supposedly, he quit his more criminal ways after Sheriff McTeer placed a Root on one of Doctor Buzzard's sons, resulting in the young man crashing his car off of one of the many local bridges and drowning in the Port Royal sound.

The Woods Memorial Bridge in Beaufort, SC.

I feel that the concept of Root Doctors could be made a class in and of itself, but I'm going to save that for another time. For now, I'm going to hand out a few resources that could bring a little Lowcountry Root flavor to your game.

Root Monsters

Don't let the Boo Hag ride you!

The Boohag

HD 5
Appearance: In the day, a scrawny, crooked, mean tempered old woman; in the night, a bloody red skinless spirit.
Wants: To ride your chest, steal your breath, and haunt your dreams
Armour: Leather, incorporeal immune to non-magical weapons at night
Move: 1/2 Normal during day, 2x Normal (Fly) at night
Morale: 8
Damage: See below

Steal Breath: Once per night, Boohag may target a sleeping creature. This creature falls into a deeper nightmare filled sleep and be unable to wake until they are exposed to natural light. During this time, the Boohag will ride wildly upon their chest and suck away their breath, dealing 1d6 CON damage. If a creature dies from this effect, the Boohag increases their HD by 1 and the creature is unable to be resurrected by anything less than a Wish effect.

Claw: In either form, the Boohag has terrible sharp nails that deal damage as a dagger.

Spellcasting:  The Boohag often works as a proficient Root Worker and can use any of the Root Magic listed or can use Necromancer Spells as a Magic User of half her HD in levels.

The Boohag is a terrible creature who wears human flesh in the day, and sloughs it off to seek victims in the night. During the day, the Boohag appears as a terrible old lady looking all the part of a hideous witch. During the night, the Boohag strips her flesh away and flies forth as a bloody wild spirit. She will choose a sleeping victim and "ride" them, sitting on their chest and filling them with nightmares while she steals their breath. Many victims of night terrors and sleep paralysis are in fact victims of a Boohag. There are a few certain ways to protect oneself from a Boohag. The most common are to leave a broom or a flour sifter outside your front door. She will become so busy with counting the bristles or holes that she'll soon need to flee the dawning sun. The other fool proof method is to carry a Boo-Daddy, a type of charm described below. The only way to permanently destroy a Boohag is to burn their skin while they are out of it. You can also torture and banish a boohag by rubbing salt and chili powder into the skin.

This, plus it is screaming at you in Aunt Mildred's voice.

Plat-Eye

HD 3
Appearance: A shifting shadow with a single plate sized glowing eye, often takes the form of a large black dog.
Wants: To lead you astray, to protect hidden treasure.
Armour: Chain, immune to non-magical weapons
Move: 2x Normal
Morale: 12- conditional
Damage: See below.

Terrible Transformation: The Plat-Eye can turn itself into anything out of nightmare, such a giant maggot riddled dog or a screaming inverted head or anything out of Veins of the Earth. This does not change its stats or attack, but each time it transforms it may target one creature who is then affected by Cause Fear. If using the GLOG system, assume a 4 [Dice] casting.

Corrupting Touch: The Plat-Eye's mere touch is harmful to living flesh. Its attack bypasses all non magical armor and deals 1d4 damage that cannot be healed without the presence of sunlight. 

The Plat-eye is a hideous type of undead warden created by those who wish to protect buried treasure. They are created when one versed in The Root buries the head of one they consider an enemy along side whatever it is they wish to protect. From the head, a vile solid shadow arises and keeps an eternal vigil. When confronted, the creature transforms itself into various awful forms, meant to frighten away would be treasure-seekers. Bringing a Plat-Eye to 0 HP banishes it for the night, but it will regenerate on the next moonrise. The only way to permanently defeat the Plat-Eye is to dig up its buried head and either destroy it utterly or give it its last rights. Confronting a Plat-Eye with a boodaddy or part of its original body will half its Morale score.

It's not called Root for nothing folks!

Root Magic Items

Any Root Worker can create one of these items given the materials and time. Each one is made specifically for an individual and thus will not work for another unless freely given.

Root Mojo: The most basic form of Root, this talisman is a small sewn up packet filled with special roots, herbs, bones, and other items of magical significance. It should be small enough to hang on a necklace or fit in a pocket. These mojo are mainly concerned with affecting the bearer's luck and can provide a +2 to roll associated with the mojo's purpose. These purposes are usually for things such as fertility, finding fortune/work, being safe at sea etc. These mojos can be used inversely by burying them on property owned by a target, thus "burying" their luck. This causes a -2 penalty instead and can only be dispelled by digging up and disposing of the Root.

Boodaddy: Created from a mixture of marsh mud, Spanish moss, sweet grass and salt water, the Boodaddy is a small humanoid doll with a bloated head and an atrophied body. After incubating it in an oyster shell for one week, the Boodaddy is infused with protective magic. A single Boodaddy will provide protection from 1 HD worth of Undead or Root Monster, rendering them unable to attack you. Attacking the creature yourself will break this protective magic. Multiple Boodaddies stack and the homes of those targeted by especially dangerous spirits might be covered in the small dolls. Every full moon, the Boodaddies animate and troop down to the closest river to sip oyster nectar and renew their power.

Goofer Dust: Raw magical reagents ground into a powder, Goofer Dust can act similarly to a potion or a scroll depending upon method of use. One could spread it across an area or toss it at a target, similarly one may mix it into water and drink it. Normally a specific spell might be prepared into the Goofer Dust, however an especially mischievous Root Worker may leave the dust unfocused and full of wild magic. This is your excuse to pull out whatever wild magic or Rod of Wonder effects table you might like. The only consistent theme of Goofer Dust is that it is used for malevolent or subversive purposes.

Black Cat Bone: Take a black cat and boil it alive. It will speak as a man and try to tempt you and stop you, but you must ignore it. Put the boiled cat in a canvas bag then pour it out over a swift moving river. One of its bones will float to the surface and move upstream rather than downstream. Collect this bone and ensure it doesn't see the light of day. By including this bone in a mojo or by holding it in your mouth, you may turn invisible as long as there is a shadow to hide in. The bone will eventually become brittle and lose its power on the following full moon, but remains a potent component for general use in Goofer Dust or Mojos.

Hoodoo Water, GMO and Pesticide Free!

Root Spells

There are many possible spells I could design here, but as I plan on making a Root Doctor class eventually, I'll just lay down a few.

High John The Conqueror

R: Touch T: creature D: [dice] hours or until used
A literal root spell, this creates a temporary talisman from a type of jalap root called John the Conqueror Root. The bearer of this root is enchanted to "get lucky." This will allow the user to have a +2 bonus to any seduction relate rolls and will ensure conception after any sexual congress. The user can alternatively use up all the luck at once and add [Sum] to any roll where luck or gambling is the primary determining factor of the roll.


Hotfoot Powder
R: 2x[sum] feet radius T: Area D: [Dice] Hours
A temporary protection against those who would do you harm, Hotfoot Powder is spread in an approximate circle around an area and creates an inpenetrable ward against disembodied undead. When cast, the caster can also identify a single unique being of 2x[dice] HD to be similarly warded against. If the caster, or whomever spreads the Hotfoot Powder, steps over the circle, the magic is nullified.


Two Headed (Wo)Man
R: 0 T: Self D: [dice] x 10 minutes/Permanent
As Wizard Vision, except it can only be cast on oneself. The caster can also mitigate the Permanent aspects of the spell by wearing purple tinted spectacles. Root Lore Note: Called this because the caster has a "head in both worlds."

Haint Blue for warding off Haints, Hags, and other Horribles.

Root Superstitions

1. The Bottle Tree: A tree with blue glass bottles hanging upon it, evil spirits seek refuge in the bottles but are then trapped and destroyed with the rising sun.
2. Haint Blue: Painting doors, shutters, or porch ceilings "Haint Blue", kind of a robin's egg blue, will provide protection from hostile spirits.
3. The Written Word: By placing a parchment with writing in your shoe or papering the walls of a home with printed word, you may protect yourself from spirits as they must slowly read every word before they are able to possess or attack you.
4. Wasps and Snakes: Stinging insects and snakes will not fully die until sundown, rending even their ashes as potent and dangerous until then.
5. Knives: Carrying a new knife that has never been used on wood can be used to combat evil spirits.
6. Rabbit Foot: A rabbit's foot brings good luck. The left hind foot of a rabbit that lived in a graveyard brings the best luck.