Tips on Making Spells More Interesting Magic is one of the cornerstones of DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, and provides much
of the mystical feel so beloved of the fantasy genre. Unfortunately, despite
magic being of such importance to the game, all too many uses of magic in the
game are described with no more flair than, "I cast a Fireball spell".
As this article explains, spell casting in DUNGEONS & DRAGONS can be easily
made that bit more exotic, enriching the role-playing experience in the process.
Describing the Spell You know what spell you want to cast, and who you
want to target, but actually describing the spell's casting and appearance can
turn even the most common spell into something of wonder. Just by considering
each of the following components of a spell's description, you can make it far
more unique. Even the divine magic used by clerics, paladins, rangers, and
druids, can be made more appropriate to their patron deities using the
guidelines provided below.
Appearance Sound Smell Naming the Spell Descriptive Title Creator's Name Embellishment Spell, Incantation, Dweomer Anyone can say "I cast a Fireball! A ball of fire flies forth and
strikes my target!", but if you can state something like "I invoke
Sazzlemun's Searing Orb! A ball of vivid green flame spirals swiftly through the
air, shrieking, the scent of brimstone in its wake!", you've just made the
tired old Fireball exciting, and magic as truly magical as it should be.
- Making Magic Memorable -
What exactly does the spell look like? What substance forms the physical aspect
of the spell? A Fireball, for example, need not look like a simple ball of
flame. It could like a flaming winged skull, a flaming fist, flaming heart,
glowing phoenix, etc. It's still a Fireball, but it need not look so basic. Also
consider the color or colors of the spell; where magic is concerned you need not
adhere to the expected. Why not make the fireball eerie green, blue, purple or
even pink? Giving the spell an unusual appearance is entirely permissible,
providing it makes no change to the effect of the spell.
Another part of the spell's appearance is its motion. If the
spell has to cover a distance, how does it do so? Does it simply appear there,
or does it travel? Following the Fireball example, does it fly through the air,
and if so, does it fly straight, spiral, or zigzag? Does it simply appear out of
nowhere to engulf the target? Does it bounce or roll along the ground?
What does the spell sound like? Sound accompanies the casting of many spells,
and can range from the tinkling of bells to the rumble of thunder, from echoes
of chilling laughter, to the crackle and sizzle of energy. Once again, giving
just a little thought to this aspect of a spell gives it much more depth, and
the sound need not necessarily match the spell. Why not have your Fireball sing
as it flies through the air? Once again, providing the sound has no game effect,
why not be creative?
The least important of the descriptive elements in most cases, describing the
scent of the spell can make it seem far more real in the mind's eye. Once again,
the scent of the spell casting, if indeed there is any, can be unique or
unexpected. For example, the Fireball may well smell of brimstone, but it could
just as easily smell of lavender, or anything else you desire.
A well-described spell can be made to seem even more unique and impressive, if
it's given a different name, although the original spell name should always be
placed in brackets afterwards: for example, Sazzlemun's Searing Orb (Fireball).
Given the eccentricity and egotism of many spell casters, it
is hardly surprising that even the most mundane of Cantrips may often bear
flamboyant titles. Precious few magicians, having spent weeks or months in toil
creating a new spell, would then give their unique creation a humdrum name like
"Fireball". Instead, they would make it grandiose, taking pride in
their personal achievement.
Giving a newly created spell a good title is satisfying and
easy. All spell-titles are composed of one or more of the following components,
although two or three components is the optimum.
The most vital part of any spell name informs of the spell's effects,
appearance, or less commonly, results, and in many cases, a truly evocative
Descriptive Title is often all that's needed to make a spell sound fantastical.
When describing the spell, try to avoid the most mundane descriptions, and
choose those less immediately obvious. For example, while "Fireball"
does accurately describe the spell producing the ball of fire, it is hardly
flamboyant. Take a second to think of alternate or related words that can be
used to describe the same thing. In this case, such words as Flaming, Blazing,
Incendiary, Conflagrating, Scorching, Burning, Searing, and Lambent, as well as
Sphere, Orb, and Globe, are also appropriate substitutes for "Fire"
and "Ball". "Searing Orb" sounds far more exotic than
"Fireball".
A common spell-naming convention, especially as regards the more egotistical or
famous creators of spells, is that of appending the individual's name to the
front of the spell's title. For example, an infamous pyromancer named Sazzlemun
may very well have created the Searing Orb spell, and named it "Sazzlemun's
Searing Orb".
Spell creators sometimes add certain extravagant descriptors to a spell's title,
particularly if especially proud of the spell, or excessively egotistical, as
many wizards are. For example, if Sazzlemun was particularly proud of his
Searing Orb spell, he might add such a word as Excellent, Magnificent, Superior,
Superlative, Brilliant, Triumphant, etc. to the spell's title. It might
therefore have been named "Sazzlemun's Triumphant Searing Orb" in this
case.
Another common spell-naming convention is the actual referral to the spell as
being a spell, placed before or after the main description. For example,
Sazzlemun might have named his Fireball spell, "Sazzlemun's Searing Orb
Spell" or "The Spell of Searing Orbs". Alternately, he could have
chosen to use a different word, such as Dweomer, Charm, Glamour, Weird, or
Incantation, etc.
Making magic memorable does take imagination and a little
thought, but the result is always worth it, can entertain both you, the DM, and
other players, will certainly enrich the game, and perhaps even garner some
additional XP for role-playing.