Part 3: SpellsThe next part is the spells for magic-users, elves, and clerics. And here things start to get... well, at least very different. The whole chapter is only four pages long and that includes all the rules for preparation.
The actual rules for preparation are half a page. I don't have the 3rd edition books anymore, but I think there it was at least a double page with a smaller text size. The rules are pretty simple, simply because they don't bother with any tiny details for special cases. To prepare spells, a caster needs to be well restes, which is "usually an uninterrupted full night's sleep". Like everything in this book, it's a judgement call for the GM to decide what interruptions are considered significant enough to make the caster not "well rested". The full night sleep is an example, the "well rested" is the important part. Memorizing spells takes one hour. That's all the rules on that subject. Most of that half page is introducing new players to the concept of preparing spells, but that's the same stuff we have in all editions.
Clerics can prepare all the spells from the cleric spell list, but magic-users and elves have their spell books. All it says about spell books here is that a 1st level character has one spell in the spellbook, a 2nd level character two spells, and a third level character three spells. Which happens to be the same number the character can prepare each day. Which sucks, as not only has the first level wizard only one spell per day, he also can not switch that spell to any other between days. An interesting rule is that either the GM decides which spells are in the spell book, or he allows the player to make the selection. I assume this is both to let the GM keep certain spells out of the game until he wants to, and to help new players with picking good spells without reading (and understanding) all the spells that are available. It still could have been phrased better like "the DM can decide that certain spells can not be selected or make suggestions what would be a good spell for the campaign". 1st level magic-users are already screwed enough as it is. No need to make that single spell per day, which they can not switch out, a spell that the player doesn't like. There are no rules for how many spells fit into a spellbook or how to add new spells from scrolls to the spellbook, at least at this part of the book.But let's look at the spells directly now.
Cleric Spells
Clerics get one 1st level spell at 2nd level and a second 1st level spell at 3rd level. Which means there are only 1st level spells in this book. Eight of them, to be precise. The list looks a bit underwhelming: Cure light wounds, detect evil, detect magic, light, protection from evil, purify food and water, remove fear, resist cold. In 3rd edition pretty much all of these spells completely suck, and I think in AD&D they are not much better. Cure light wounds seems the only thing that anyone could ever possibly want to prepare. But reading those spells, there are many surprises.Cure light wounds is what we all know. It heals 1d6+1 points of damage from a creature touched by the cleric. There are no rules about delaying the touching to a later round or anything like that, so the spell needs to be cast while standing directly next to the target. Alternatively, this spell can also remove any form of paralysis from the target instead of healing hit points. That's really not bad. Especially considering that ghouls have three paralyzing attacks every round. You are basically allowed to prepare two different spells in the same slot. Very nice.
Detect evil is very different from what I know from 3rd edition. It has a range of 120 feet and automatically covers everything the cleric sees within that range. There is no concentrating on specific areas and then having to warm up for three rounds to get accurate information. You simply see all creatures glow within the range that have "evil intentions". There is no evil alignment in this game and so evil intentions are left for the GM to define. It explicitly says it that way, and also says that the players need to be informed in advance what definition the GM is using. So this spell is not about detecting alignment, but about detecting hostile emotions, which is both much more useful in action, but also reveals much less information about the targets in general. You don't know if the person is a terrible person who regularly does bad things to people, or if he is feeling hostile just right now. It does not even have to be hostile against the caster, just hostile to anyone. But the best thing about it: It last for 1 hour. No concentration or anything. Cast it and for one hour you see anyone in 120 feet with evil intentions highlighted. This can be very useful in detecting ambushes.
Detect magic is similar. It only lasts 20 minutes, but during that time you get all "enchantments" highlighted within 60 feet. This includes both magic items and active spells.
Light is not a joke either. The illumination has a radius of 15 feet and the spell can be cast at targets 120 feet away. You can cast it at anything, including a creatures eyes, which makes it completely blind and unable to attack for the duration of the spell. Which is 2 hours. Using it as a torch is the least interesting and useful thing you can do with it. When fighting in darkness, you can cast it at a distant enemy and then have your archers kill him and all his nearby friends from a safe distance. So much better than the level 0 spell from 3rd edition.
Protection from evil works mostly as you know it, providing a +1 to saving throws and -1 penalty to attack rolls against "monsters" of a different alignment than the cleric. Summoned or magically created creatures can't touch the cleric at all as long as he does not attack them. The spell can only be cast on the cleric himself and not any other ally, but it also lasts for 2 hours.
Remove fear is weird and seems poorly explained. The spell calms the target and removes all fear. If the target is running away from something because of magical fear, it gets a saving throw to end the magical fear. Isn't it automatically removed anyway? And it has a duration of 20 minutes. Does that prevent the creature from being affected by fear? You also need to touch the target, which isn't really useful if its running away.
I looked the spell up in the Rules Cyclopedia and there it says that the reversed version of the spell has a duration of 20 minutes, but reversing is a concept that gets only introduced in the Expert rules. This implies that the fear calming effect is instantaneous. It also says that the saving throw (which can get a pretty high bonus) applies to effects that don't usually allow saves. So I assume if the effect normally does allow a save, it's automatically removed. Which is reasonable and makes sense, but still has that annoying limitation of requiring touch.See AlsoMonsters and Treasures in the B/X DungeonLatest Projects for B/X D&D and/or Old School Essentials: Classes and Subclasses Genre BooksB/X D&D House Rules – The Rambling Cleric[Retroclones] Basic D&D With Separate Races & Classes? | Dungeons & Dragons / Fantasy D20 SpotlightMagic-User Spells
Magic-users have spells of 1st and 2nd level and twelve of them each.
Charm person has always been "pretty good", but here it's more like "incredibly awesome". The spell makes the target see the caster as its best friend. But in this version, you can give the target specific commands and it will obey almost everything that isn't completely against its nature. It also works against all human-like creatures, which includes ogres and pixies, which increases the range of possibly targets significantly beyond what works in 3rd edition. And the best thing is that the spell lasts until the target makes a saving throw. Targets with Intelligence scores of 13+ get a save once per day. Targets with verage intelligence once per week, and targets with Intelligence of 8 or lower once per month!
Say hello to my little ogre friend!
This spell is incredible! Free meat shields for everyone! As a 1st level spell! If I would play a wizard, this would be my first level spell and then I'd simply play my thrall as my character until I get more spells. However, it can be removed by dispel magic and then things might get nasty if you keep too many minions around.Magic Missile is unusual. It mostly does what you know, but it has a duration of 10 minutes. None of the many B/X retroclones I have use this version, but it's still in the Rules Cyclopedia and there it explicitly says that the missiles stay with you until they are all shot. However, there is no explanation at all to whether you can shot them the same round you cast the spell or if you can shot all you missiles at once, even though characters can usually only shot one arrow or stone per round. However, the writer felt it necessary to spell out that you could shot the missiles all at the same target or several different targets, which would be unnecessary to say if you can shot only one per round.
My interpretation would be that you can shot any of your missiles right when you cast them, or keep any of them for later as a ranged "weapon". What I find a bit silly is that you go from one missile at 1st level straight to three missiles at 6th level. Where's the two missiles at 3rd or 4th level? That seems like an obvious house rule.Read language lets you understand all written language. Unlike comprehend language from 3rd edition, it doesn't affect speech. It lasts 20 minutes, which is good to read medium length text, but you won't be able to read all inscription in the entire dungeon. Interestingly, it also lets you crack codes and decipher treasure maps, which is very powerful. But then, why would a document with vital enemy information appear in an RPG if the PCs are not supposed to read it? And even if you crack the secret language, all the names and things known by the correspondents not explicitly spelled out again wouldn't mean anything to the caster. So it's not really a plot breaking spell if the GM takes some care.
Read Magic I will treat in some detail at the end!
Shield is very nice in this version. Since there is no mage armor spell, it lasts 20 minutes and protects in all directions. It also gets the magic-user a very good armor class.
Sleep has always been a great spell and this one is too. Best thing is that it lasts for 40 minutes to two and a half hours instead of just a few minutes. This makes it actually useful for taking out guards and getting in and out of the place before they wake up. It can take out 2d8 HD of creatures, which is not bad given that pretty much all normal guards in the game will be only 1 or 2 HD. A range of 240 feet is also not bad, so you can cast it at targets from very far away without being seen by them at all, which makes it even more useful for secretly breaking into places.
This game makes even ventriloquism look like a fun spell. It allows you to make your voice come from somwhere else within 60 feet, but it has a duration of 20 minutes. There can be so much fun had with it, especially when you're also invisible.
At 2nd level, continual light is the same as light but has a 30 feet radius and lasts forever until dispelled. And you also can cast it on a creatures eyes. I'd probably always keep a bag with 10 continual light stones with me as a magic-user. Just in case they might come in handy.
ESP is a bit like detect thoughts, but also quite different. It doesn't detect general states of emotion, but actual thoughts. Once cast it lasts for 2 hours, regardless of what you're doing else, which is very nice. But unlike 3rd edition detection spell, this one has a very long warmup time. It only works in a single direction (which I would say would be a pretty narrow line a meter or two wide) and you need to concentrate for 10 minutes before you start hearing any thoughts in that area. And if there are multiple creatures in that area, it takes another 10 minutes of concentration to isolate a single mind and actually be able to hear its thoughts. It can go through 2 feet of rock, which would be most normal walls and include pretty much all doors. But taking so very long to charge up, I am not sure what it would be really good for.
Invisibility is awesome. Because it lasts forever, until you attack or cast a spell. (Any spell.) On the downside, it does also make everything you carry invisible, but only as long as you carry it and things don't become invisible when you pick them up. Still, unlimited time is awesome. It also has an amazingly long range of 240 feet, which allows you to cast it on allies you can see, but who are unable to get to you because enemies are in their way.
Levitate is a bit lame, as it always is, and this version only works on the caster and can not be targeted at anything else. However, it will last for at least 90 minutes and even longer for higher level casters. Which makes it very useful to float up and drop ropes for the rest of the party in difficult caves and the like. It has its uses.
Locate object lets you detect the presence and direction of a specific type of object, as long as it's within 90 feet (plus 10 feet per additional caster level). As I read it, you can either have it detect an object that is as specific as you want to. You could search for "a ring with the seal of the royal family" (likely to lead you to a member of the royal family who is imprisoned somewhere nearby) or simply "stairs". The spell will you show you the direction to the most nearby thing that matches the specifications. Could be a pretty neat spell, but one I'd only want as a scroll, not to prepare.
Mirror image lasts for one hour. It creates 1d4 illusionary doubles of the caster and as long as there are any left, all attacks will always hit one of the illusions. However, simply making an attack will automatically hit an illusion and destroy it, so that balances out. It basically negates the next 1d4 attacks against the caster.
Phantasmal force is probably the most complicated and also versatile spell in Basic. It's not in 3rd edition and I'm not sure if it's even in AD&D. This spell allows you to create an illusion with the volume of a 20 feet cube. The range is an impressive 240 feet, but it will only last for as long as the caster doesn't do anything else. However, that can also be a a very long time of several hours, as the situation requires it. If you create the illusion of a thing, it ends when touched. If you create a monster, it has a lowly Armor Class of 9 (or 11 if sensible math is used) and any hit against it will automatically end it.
Alternatively you can also make the illusion of an attack, like a magic missile, a thrown anvil, making your fake dragon breath fire or bite, and so on. These illusionary attacks deal illusionary damage if the target fails at a saving throw against them. They will realize that they are not actually injured, petrified, or dead after 10 to 40 minutes, but during that duration they behave exactly as if they were.Web is always a fun spell, at least in theory. I think the original third edition version was a nightmare to figure out. This version is easy. It only has a range of very short 10 feet, but when cast it lasts for 8 hours. The webs fill a 10 feet cube and all it says it that it takes 20 to 80 minutes for a normal human to break through. With gauntlets of ogre power it can be done in 4 rounds and very strong creaturs like giants can do it in 2 rounds. It does not say what happens if you stand in the space when the web is cast, but says that it can be burned in 2 rounds and everyone in the web takes 1d6 points of damage. So apparently, if you have it cast on you, you're trapped with no saving throw or anything. It doesn't say if you can attack or cast spells, but my hunch would be no. Which makes it extremely powerful. Rules Cyclopedia offers no elaboration either.
High Level NPC spells
Player Characters can only reach 3rd level in basic, but there are also rules for 6th level clerics and magic users. These are provided with three additional spells each.Bless is a second level spell here and can be cast on everyone within 60 feet, but only outside of combat. This can potentially be a pretty big group of people and the effects last for one hour. (Not the laughable 1 round per level from 3rd edition.) The targets get a +1 bonus to attack rolls but also to damage. And since normal damage for most attacks is 1d6, that +1 is not completely pointless. The random +1 bonus to saves against fear is here instead a +1 bonus on morale checks. And that reveals what it's for. This spell is for boosting armies of henchmen and minions. Morale will be explained later, but basically any time something dramatic happens to monsters, NPCs, or henchmen in a battle, they need to roll morale or run away in panic. (PCs don't because they are badass.) That +1 to morale can make quite a difference. And that +1 to attack and damage also can be quite the game changer if you somehow got yourself 50 archers with +0 to attack and 1d6 damage.
Given the 1 hour duration it might be considered worthwhile to cast on a group of 4 PCs. But if you have a small army, this is pretty awesome.Hold person seems ridiculously powerful as a 2nd level cleric spell. It has a range of 180 feet and if the target fails its save, it's out of action for 90 minutes. Again, person here includes ogres and pixies. It says the target is paralyzed, so a cure light wounds spell should actually negate it, which makes it much less scary. The spell can be cast at a single creature, which then gets a -2 penalty to it's saving throw, or at a group of any 1d4 targets.
Silence is fun. Range is 180 feet and it lasts for 2 hours. It creates a 15 feet radius of silence, but it doesn't actually block sound. It just prevents the making of any sounds in the area. Everyone inside can still hear normally any sound that comes from outside. Downside is that the caster can not end the spell before the duration is up, so it's use for sneaking up on enemies is limited. You can sneak up perfectly, but then you're unable to cast spells, as is anyone nearby. Which in turn means a cleric could cast it on himself and then go beat up a magic-user with a mace. Lots of pros and cons, which makes it a very interesting spell to get creative with.
Magic-users get dispel magic as a 3rd level spell and this one is a beast. It's basically magical emp that whipes all magic within a 20 feet cube area. It does not affect items, but immediately ends "any spell effect created by a magic-ser, elf, or cleric". Which could mean it ends active potions and the like as well. GM call, but I'd say it does. If the spells were casts by casters of equal or lower level, they automatically end. If cast by a caster of higher level, there is a 5% chance per level of difference that a spell stays active. Which usually will be a pretty small chance. The 3rd edition version is a lame joke compared to this.
There is also fireball, which is exactly like it always is.
Fly is fly. It can be cast on any crerature that is touched and lets it fly at a speed of 120 feet per round or hover in place for 1d6 x 10 minutes plus 10 minutes per caster level, which is pretty good.
Read Magic
What is this junk?
Read magic takes 10 minutes to allow a magic-user to read magical words, runes on a item, or scrolls. They need to use this spell to make use of any magic spell scrolls they find. Since you can go through a whole pile of scrolls in 10 minutes, you need to cast it only once. But why do you have to cast it at all? The only thing this spell does is prevent characters from use the scrolls they just found immediately. You could prepare the spell in one of your 3 spell slots, but then you'll never know if you should cast it immediately or wait a bit more until you have found some more scrolls.
Low level magic-users totally suck. There are plenty of things about them that suck just by themselves, but they get a whole dozen or so of them at once. Why?! It's completely pointless! Do you want us to only use charm person and play a monster until 5th level? What were they thinking?If at least you could get a bunch of scrolls as reserve and use your slots as free recharging spells, it would at least be playable. But you can't buy scrolls and the Expert Rules only let you make scrolls once you're 9th level. Once you no longe need them. Yes, many of these spells are pretty awesome. But why only one?! And why lock all scrolls.
The only way to make magic-users playable is to put lots of scrolls into the dungeons. But it never mentions that anywhere in the GM advice sections. You could roll for them randomly, but then there's a 1 in 8 chance that every scroll you look at is cursed. Suggested curses are being turned into a frog, having a monster appear next to you and get immediately surpise attack (I got 2 hp and AC 10, yay), or just falling over dead where you stand. Scrolls can make magic-users playable, but any time you find a scroll you need to play russian roulette first. And then you have to unlock it with another spell. What were they thinking? Did anyone ever force these writers to play a 1st level magic-user?
Also, magic-user is a crap name. From here on they are wizards.Any GM who uses the read magic spell needs his license revoked.
Notably absent
There is no identify. Identifying magic items is entirely by trial and error. Potions can be analyzed by trying their taste. But when you do that, there's a 1 in 8 chance you need to make a saving throw or instantly fall dead as soon as it touched your tongue.But we'll get to the magic item section later, where I will rant for a lot more.
Spoiler: Witches & Warlords
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As much as I like the many differences that make many of the spells a lot better, I really don't like the spell slot system at all. I really don't want to have it in my campaigns. I would completely switch it out and replace it with a magic point system and almost completely different spells.
I wouldn't split magic in clerics and wizards, but instead have wizards as "adepts" and clerics as "templars", who have all access to the same spell list. Adepts get a penalty of having to spend additional magic points for wearing armor depending on type (+1/+2/+3), while templars have that ability reduced by 1 (-/+1/+2).
This just changes of what spells you have available to cast. Actually casting those spells has the same rules as in B/X. (Which is covered in the combat section.)
