On the Effects of Magic, 8th Level

This series was originally published in April of 2014.  This is part of an effort to update and archive these posts on the "Links to Wisdom" wiki. It is also available for a free download at DTRPG.

The magical energies contained in the brain causes side effects. When the wizard acts as a conduit, there are risks. As these are eighth-level side effects, they are quite powerful.

This makes wizards somewhat more unique based on the spells they know and can prepare. It also can make them more useful or somewhat of a liability.

View the entire series here.

  • Antipathy/Sympathy: The wizard exerts a strong influence on anyone nearby. If a reaction roll is made and the wizard is visible, any result over 7 adds 2 to the reaction roll, and any result under 7 subtracts 2. If the wizard actually deigns to speak, the increase for any rolls above 7 increases to +4 and the penalty for any rolls under 7 increases to -4.
  • Bigby's clenched Fist:  The casters hands double in size, and his arms become larger to support them. He is considered to have a strength of 18, as normal for thrusting damage and bludgeoning damage, but has his normal strength for slashing weapons.
  • Clone: While this spell is prepared, the caster frequently hallucinates that he is talking and seeing himself. 
  • Glassteel: The caster turns completely transparent, looking much like a crystal statue of himself while this spell is prepared. This effect is intermittent. His armor class is improved by 1 while the spell is prepared.
  • Incendiary Cloud: Smoke billows out from beneath the casters robe and sleeves. His eyes, mouth and nose glow when he breathes. A strong smell of sulpher permeates the space around him.
  • Mass Charm: The wizard becomes influential. Add 1 to all bell curve social rolls that the wizard attempts, and add 2 to all flat die rolls to influence, bluff, lie or convince someone.
  • Maze: The pupils of the casters eyes become a shifting maze. Anyone who locks eyes with the caster for a segment or more must save versus Paralyzation or become confused.
  • Mind Blank: While this is prepared the caster gains a +2 bonus to resist all attempts to mentally, psychically, or otherwise charm, damage or influence her. Also, it makes detecting and scrying on the caster more difficult.
  • Monster Summoning VI: The caster is surrounded by free-floating glowing pentagrams. They shed light to 30' and hum. Anyone attacking the wizard will take 1d6 + 2 damage from the electrical energy discharged by the pentagrams.
  • Otto's Irresistible Dance: The wizard can no longer walk normally. She either floats, dances, glides, or in some way travels unnaturally when she attempts to move. 
  • Permanency: There is a 1% chance while this is memorized that any spell the caster casts never ends. Note that this can be very bad and usually is.
  • Polymorph any object: Objects that the caster is holding or wearing change shape without warning. Once released or given away, they usually return to their basic form.
  • Power Word, Blind: The casters voice becomes loud, raising in volume by 30-40 decibels (About the level of a chainsaw). Even if attempting to whisper, her voice is loud.
  • Serten's Spell Immunity: While prepared this grants the caster a +2 bonus versus the spells it protects against.
  • Symbol: When speaking or attacking, there is a 1% chance that a random symbol floats from the casters mouth, affecting a single target. 
  • Trap the Soul: The caster makes everyone uneasy.

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    On the Effects of Magic, 7th Level Wizard

    This series was originally published in April of 2014.  This is part of an effort to update and archive these posts on the "Links to Wisdom" wiki. It is also available for a free download at DTRPG.

    The magical energies contained in the brain causes side effects. When the wizard acts as a conduit, there are risks. As these are seventh level side effects, they are quite powerful.

    This makes wizards somewhat more unique based on the spells they know and can prepare. It also can make them more useful or somewhat of a liability.


    • Bigby's Grasping Hand: The casters hands double in size, and his arms become larger to support them. He is considered to have a strength of 18, as normal for thrusting damage, but has his normal strength for bashing and slashing weapons.
    • Cacodemon: While prepared, the caster is connected to the planes of hell. This has many and varied effects, causing a penalty versus saves from extra-dimensional entities, to being overheard by extra-planar creatures. 
    • Charm Plants: Plants are drawn to the caster, turning towards him as if he is the sun
    • Delayed Blast Fireball: Caster can shoot out bolts of flame to 20'. These require a normal to hit roll, take a full round to aim and fire, and do 2d8+2 points of damage
    • Drawmij's Instant Summons: The planar connection makes the wizard easy to locate using scrying spells. 
    • Duo-Dimension: The casters dimensions are somewhat unstable while this spell is cast. At any given moment, their girth, weight, and thickness is between 20% and 200% of normal
    • Limited Wish: Powerful energy is trapped in the casters mind. Electricity arcs off their hair and body, and their eyes glow with power. Various unusual magical phenomena manifest nearby. 
    • Mass Invisibility: The casters skin and clothing fades in and out of sight.
    • Monster Summoning V: The caster is surrounded by free-floating glowing pentagrams. They shed light to 10' and hum. Anyone attacking the wizard will take 1d4 + 1 damage from the electrical energy discharged by the pentagrams
    • Mordenkainen's Sword: The sword struggles to manifest. While memorized, it appears, phasing in and out on the casters body. Nearby swords drift and tug on their scabbards, pointing to the sword of force. Anyone attacking the caster with a sword has a +1 to hit and damage with such a weapon due to the pull of the magic. 
    • Phase Door: Space near the caster bends and twists, other dimensions slightly different then this one fade in and out nearby. Often walls, doors, or corridors appear where another is. 
    • Power Word, Stun: The casters voice becomes loud, raising in volume by 20-30 decibels.Even if attempting to whisper, his voice is loud
    • Reverse Gravity: The caster floats, and can levitate and "fly" as long as she remains within 8" of a solid surface
    • Simulacrum: The wizards features become waxy and indistinct.
    • Statue: The wizards complexion become stone like, and her armor class is increased by 1
    • Vanish: Objects appear and disappear near the caster. 30% chance anyone within 10' finds whatever they are holding has gone missing, only to re-appear a few moments later.


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    On the Effects of Magic, 6th level Wizard

    This series was originally published in April of 2014.  This is part of an effort to update and archive these posts on the "Links to Wisdom" wiki. It is also available for a free download at DTRPG.

    The magical energies contained in the brain could cause side effects. When the wizard acts as a conduit, there are risks. As these are sixth level side-effects, the results should be noticeable.

    This makes wizards somewhat more unique based on the spells they know and can prepare. It also can make them more useful or somewhat of a liability.

    The list of side effects follows:

    • Anti-Magic Shell: The wizard receives a +4 bonus on saves versus magic or spells, but has a 10% chance of spell failure any time she casts a spell
    • Bigby's Forceful Hand: The wizard's hands elongate to three times their normal length. The wizard is unable to wear rings while his hands appear this way, unless he keeps them closed in awkward fists.
    • Control Weather: The sky rumbles and cold winds blow. When the caster speaks lightning may flash, clouds may roll, and thunder may punctuate his sentences. This gives her a 20% bonus on any social intimidation rolls. Occasionally a small cloud may appear and rain over the caster or someone nearby
    • Death Spell: The casters eyes become tiny skulls and anyone touching or being touched by the caster must save or lose a life energy level. 
    • Disintegrate: Any normal, unmagical object held or used by the wizard must save versus disintegration or crumble apart while being held or used. The wizards clothes are immune to this effect until removed (when they likely will be destroyed). The wizards pack, weapons, and equipment are not.
    • Enchant an Item: Emotions and events are enhanced around the user. Scary events are terrifying, critical hits are more critical, wounds are greater, and healing is more powerful. Everyone within 120' of the wizard gets +1 to all rolls, ally, enemy, and neutral alike.
    • Extension III: Spells cast by the caster last an additional 3 rounds while this is memorized.
    • Geas: The wizard's voice is more influential, any statement he makes has a 50% chance to be treated as a command, as the cleric spell. The target receives a saving throw. 
    • Glassee: The wizards skin becomes translucent, becoming ghoul or ghast-like in appearance.
    • Globe of Invulnerability: While prepared, spells the wizard casts have a 4 - level chance of failure on a d6, i.e. a 2nd level spell fails when the wizard casts it or has it cast against them 2 in 6 times. A 3rd level spell fails on a 1 in 6 chance.
    • Guards and Wards: The wizard causes bad luck to surround him. Bedpans and flowerpots fall from windows, mud splashes bystanders, people trip and fall, horses go wild, adventurers slip on stairs, etc.
    • Invisible Stalker: Objects nearby float in the air, move of their own accord and dance wildly. Occasionally nearby objects will smash into a wall or the ground. While concentrating for a round and taking no other action, the wizard can control this force as the spell Unseen Servant.
    • Legend Lore: The wizard constantly has a voice explaining and describing things to him in his head. It talks about what happened, what the past was, who has died in this place, what their lives were like, untold, uncounted, useless information. This affects the wizard causing him difficulty hearing and giving him a 20% of spell failure (excepting the Legend Lore spell itself).
    • Lower Water: The caster causes water to run down nearby surfaces, leaving the entire area damp.
    • Monster Summoning IV: The pentagrams now float free of the wizards skin and body. They provide no protection but they glow providing light out to 2" and his and hum. The spark slightly as other planes come into contact with this one and the smell of ozone is strong in the air.
    • Move Earth: When the mage walks, dirt is kicked up, and stone cracks and crumbles, leaving a trail of rough and difficult terrain over both stone and earth.
    • Otiluke's Freezing Sphere: All water within 10" of the caster freezes over the course of 1 round.
    • Part Water: The caster and the space around him is hydrophobic. Small droplets and dampness will be banished, but larger bodies of water will just move away slightly. Any exposure to water will not cause the caster to become damp.
    • Project Image:The appearance of the wizard trails a second ahead or behind of the caster whenever she speaks or moves. The effect is unnerving like feedback and makes it difficult for the caster to speak. 
    • Reincarnation: Occasionally when speaking to the caster, they appear to be a different race or creature. The caster may find his hands have become hooves for a few moments, or that he has difficulty speaking as his form shifts transitionally to that of another creature.
    • Repulsion: The caster is repugnant to nearby creatures, -4 on all social rolls. Even if the caster isn't speaking, this grants the party speaker a -2 on all rolls due to the intense dislike of the caster.
    • Spiritwrack: The caster attracts demonic attention. Any random encounter has a 1% of being a demon while this spell is known.
    • Stone to Flesh: Nearby rock and stone seems to writhe and shift. In addition to being disturbing, it causes all stone terrain within 3" of the wizard to be considered difficult terrain.
    • Tenser's Transformation: The wizards strength if less than 17 becomes 17 and he gains a slight Austrian accent.

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    On the Effects of Magic, 5th level Wizard

    This series was originally published in April of 2014.  This is part of an effort to update and archive these posts on the "Links to Wisdom" wiki. It is also available for a free download at DTRPG.

    The magical energies contained in the brain could cause side effects. When the wizard acts as a conduit, there 
    are risks. As these are fifth level side-effects, the results should be noticeable.

    This makes wizards somewhat more unique based on the spells they know and can prepare. It also can make them more useful or somewhat of a liability.
    • Airy Water: The wizard emits bubbles when he speaks, that only release his words when they pop. 
    • Animal Growth: This has a side effect of increasing the size of all skin parasites and bacteria between 10 and 100x their normal size. This causes the skin of the wizard to appear to crawl and large disgusting parasites constantly fall off the wizard.
    • Animate Dead: The wizards face appears to be a skull with two glowing points of light where the eyes are. He smells of freshly turned earth.
    • Bigby's Interposing Hand: The casters hand increase in size 50% and his grip strength increases as if he had a Strength of 17. This doesn't affect any damage, only the casters ability to grapple and hold on to things
    • Cloudkill: A noxious odor and haze surrounds the caster. Anyone within 5' must save or become ill.
    • Conjure Elemental: Elemental forces affect the casters clothes. A patch may catch aflame, another might become wet, some are covered in dirt, others in salt or ooze.
    • Cone of Cold: This allows the caster to fire a ray of freezing cold at any target within 20'. It requires a normal to hit roll and does 1d6+1 damage. This can be done once a round. Also, anyone within 5' of the caster takes 1 point of freezing cold damage a round.
    • Contact Other Plane: The caster is subjected to voices while this spell is memorized. They command him to do things and disrupt his concentration. Space around the caster seems to bend and warp. 
    • Distance Distortion: The caster's movement speed doubles.
    • Extension II: Spells cast by the caster last an additional 2 rounds while this spell is prepared.
    • Feeblemind: The caster must save versus spell when casting any spell, otherwise they forget what they are doing and stand confused for 1 round.
    • Hold Monster: Ghostly chains surround the magic user. When the spell is cast they lash out towards the targets, binding them
    • Leomund's Secret Chest: While prepared, the magic user is able to smell valuables, as well as disturbances in the astral and ethereal plane.
    • Magic Jar: The casters eyes are unable to focus, and she takes a -2 penalty on any attack rolls that must be made. Her skin also takes on a glassy sheen.
    • Monster Summoning III: Pentagrams begin to exude themselves from the wizards skin and clothing. They hum and hiss making it impossible to move silently.
    • Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound: The caster smells like a wet dog, and happens to arouse all nearby canines
    • Passwall: The caster becomes translucent.
    • Stone Shape: Any stone within 2' of the caster begins to bubble and turn to liquid, hardening in it's new shape as soon as the caster moves on.
    • Telekinesis: Objects nearby the caster unexpectedly rise up and float. The caster may fling one nearby object up to 1/10 the maximum weight the caster can move with the spell a round at a target doing 1-4 through 1-8 damage. The damage is dependent on the type and size of the object.
    • Teleport: The caster will occasionally teleport a few inches in a random direction. There is no danger of being high or low, but occasionally the caster will stumble or become a little stuck in the ground or air.  
    • Transmute Rock To Mud: Any rock within 5' of the wizard maintains it's hardness, but changes color and texture to that of mud. the casters clothes look filthy.
    • Wall of Force: The caster's clothing becomes translucent and exudes a purple light.
    • Wall of Iron: The caster's clothing appears to be made from iron.
    • Wall of Stone: The caster's clothing appears to be made from stone.

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    On the Effects of Magic, 4th level Wizard

    This series was originally published in April of 2014.  This is part of an effort to update and archive these posts on the "Links to Wisdom" wiki. It is also available for a free download at DTRPG.

    The magical energies contained in the brain could cause side effects. When the wizard acts as a conduit there
    are risks. As these are fourth level side-effects, the results should be noticeable.

    This makes wizards somewhat more unique based on the spells they know and can prepare. It also can make them more useful or somewhat of a liability.

    Here is a listing of those side effects:


    • Charm Monster: All reactions with non-sentient creatures are improved by 1, however sentient creatures detect something monstrous within you, and have their reaction penalized by the same amount.
    • Confusion: There is a 1 in 6 chance per spell cast while confusion is memorized, that the lowest-level spell memorized is actually a different spell then the one the wizard prepared.
    • Dig: Where the wizard walks dirt is kicked up leaving holes. These holes make rough terrain. Stone is unaffected, but eventually cracks and crumbles if repeatedly crossed
    • Dimension door: When objects are retrieved by anyone standing near the wizard, there is a 1 in 6 chance that it is any random object, and there is a 2 in 6 chance that it is a random object possessed by the party. This roll is made any time the Dungeon Master wishes to roll, not every time an object is retrieved.
    • Enchanted Weapon: Any weapon held by the wizard for a single round, acts as a +1 magical weapon for the purposes of damaging monsters only damaged by magical weapons. This lasts 1 turn after the wizard releases the weapon.
    • Extension I: All spells possessed by the wizard last an additional round while cast while this is memorized.
    • Fear: The caster no longer has a penalty when engaged in social combat and attempting to scare an opponent. Alternately, the caster receives a a +4 bonus versus fear saves, while those around him receive a -2.
    • Fire Charm: The magic user's eyes turn into fire. This allows them to either cast 10' of light, or see 30' in the dark. It does not otherwise affect vision
    • Fire Shield: Flames lick from the bottom of the wizards robe or pants. They will unintentionally catch things on fire.
    • Fire Trap: A flaming tattoo of a magical rune floats underneath the caster's skin.
    • Fumble: Any one rolled on an attack causes a critical failure.
    • Hallucinatory Terrain: Strange weather follows the caster, covered in sunlight in the dungeon, snowing when at the inn, etc.
    • Ice Storm: The caster's clothes are covered in frost. When they walk, the leave little patches of ice. This does not alter the terrain, but does create puddles of water that trail after the caster. They receive a +1 to saves versus fire effects.
    • Massmorph: The caster becomes stiff and loses 1" of movement. Everyone nearby constantly finds leaves in their clothing and armor.
    • Minor Globe of Invulnerability: While prepared, spells have a 3 - level chance of failure on a d6, i.e. a 1st level spell fails when the wizard casts it or has it cast against them 2 in 6 times. A 2nd level spell fails on a 1 in 6 chance.
    • Monster Summoning II:  Pentagrams float on the surface of the wizards clothing and flesh, moving freely between them.
    • Plant Growth: When near plants they visibly move to face the caster. Sprouts and grass grow up in the footprints of the wizard.
    • Polymorph Other/Self: The casters form becomes unstable. He may smell like a elk, have claws momentarily, have his hair turn into feathers, or various other transitory effects. These have the side effects of attracting predators and unnerving sentient opponents. +1 on wandering monster checks and -1 on reactions.
    • Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer: There is a 4-level chance per spell cast on a d10 that a spell when cast will not be forgotten. A first level spell has a 3 in 10 chance of being retained, a third level spell has a 1 in 10 chance of being retained.
    • Remove Curse: Caster receives a +1 bonus on saving throws. Magic items and spells have a 2% malfunction/mishap chance.
    • Wall of Fire: Caster's clothing appears to be coated in licks of fire.
    • Wall of Ice: Caster's clothing appears to be coated in sheets of ice and frost.
    • Wizard Eyes: The wizards eyes begin to bulge, and occasionally float out of their sockets.


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    On the Effects of Magic, 3rd level Wizard


    This series was originally published in April of 2014.  This is part of an effort to update and archive these posts on the "Links to Wisdom" wiki. It is also available for a free download at DTRPG.

    The magical energies contained in the brain could cause side effects. When the wizard acts as a conduit there are risks. As these are third level side-effects, the results should be noticeable.

    This makes wizards somewhat more unique based on the spells they know and can prepare. It also can make them more useful or somewhat of a liability.

    Here is a listing of those side effects:


    • Blink: Bits of the caster phase out of reality. He must make a saving throw versus Wands every six turns or a small item he is carrying drops to the ground unnoticed.
    • Clairaudience: Casters hearing is slightly better, +1 on hear noise checks, but -4 on any saves versus sonic effects
    • Clairvoyance: Caster's vision is better, can detect secret doors with a +1, but -4 on any saves versus illusionary figments or other gaze or visual attacks
    • Dispel Magic: While memorized, any magic item used by the caster has a 25% failure chance
    • Explosive runes: Caster has flaming rune appear beneath the skin on his palm.
    • Feign Death: Caster is narcoleptic while this spell is memorized. During any non-active activity (sitting, reading) there is a 2 in 6 chance the caster will fall asleep.
    • Fireball: Caster can shoot a bolt of flame out to 15'. It requires a normal to hit roll and does 1d6 damage. This can be done once a round.
    • Flame Arrow: Temperature is raised 15 degrees around the caster
    • Fly: The casters feet no longer touch the ground. Any falls are affected as if the first 10' are covered by feather fall. The caster gets a -4 save versus any attacks or saves that move or push around the caster and gets knocked back a foot for every point of damage they take
    • Gust of wind: Caster is followed by gusting winds that blow hats off, knock papers around and generally make a mess of things
    • Haste: Casters speech becomes pressured and he begins exhibiting signs of mania
    • Hold Person: Parts of the casters body grow numb at inconvenient times. -2 on all Dexterity related checks.
    • Infravision: While memorized, casters eyes glow red and they have low-light vision, doubling the range they can see of light.
    • Invisibility 10' Radius: The casters skin is now transparent, and objects held or worn by the caster are translucent.
    • Leomund's Tiny Hut: The caster feels comfortable in any temperature range between 0 and 105 degrees. His clothing and items are impervious to rain and water, repelling it for several millimeters.
    • Lightning Bolt: The caster can shock any adjacent creature without a to-hit roll and do 1-3 damage.
    • Monster Summoning I: Pentagrams float on the surface of the wizards clothing.
    • Phantasmal Force: The wizard's clothing becomes more fancy in appearance, and his voice and footsteps echo slightly, and subtle sparkles appear in the light around the caster. If this spell is frequently memorized, the caster will begin to gain a halo, light shining from behind his head.
    • Protection from Evil 10' Radius: Silver filings, chalk dust and miniscule blue flames swirl around the caster, forming shapes of protective circles and pentagrams.
    • Protection from Normal Missiles: Anyone who approaches the caster feels a slight resistance. +1 to armor class.
    • Slow: The caster always acts last in the round. His speech is also slightly slow and uneducated observers might believe he was depressed.
    • Suggestion: The casters voice is hypnotic. +1 on reaction rolls.
    • Tongues: The casters accent becomes flawless on any language he actually speaks
    • Water Breathing: The caster drools uncontrollably.]

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    On the Effects of Magic, 2nd level Wizard


    This series was originally published in April of 2014.  This is part of an effort to update and archive these posts on the "Links to Wisdom" wiki. It is also available for a free download at DTRPG.

    The magical energies contained in the brain could cause side effects. When the wizard acts as a conduit there are risks. As these are second level side-effects, the results should be minor. But higher levels of spells could certainly have more powerful or more far reaching side effects.

    This makes wizards somewhat more unique based on the spells they know and can prepare. It also can make them more useful or somewhat of a liability.

    Here is a listing of those side effects:


    • Audible Glamer: When the wizard walks, his footsteps echo, when he talks, his voice reverberates. This is somewhat intimidating
    • Continual Light: The caster radiates light enough to illuminate his space
    • Darkness 15' Radius: The caster's eyes turn solid pitch black, and he can see twice as far in low light conditions
    • Detect Evil: An orange flame appears above your head. Anyone who's aura you check shows you and any other magically aware observers a blue flame (if evil) or orange (if good). This is in addition to the effects of the spell
    • Detect Invisibility: Once prepared the talc and silver swirl around the caster through the air.
    • ESP: The caster's skull increases in size
    • Fool's Gold: The casters nails and hair turn a rich golden hue. She can also identify real gold on sight
    • Forget: The caster will repeat himself occasionally when he speaks
    • Invisibility: The casters skin turns translucent
    • Knock: The casters arm is inscribed with images and runic symbols that represent keys
    • Leomund's Trap: The caster gains the ability to determine if an object is locked or not via sight. The iron pyrite is absorbed into the skin when prepared and is visible on the caster's palm
    • Levitate: The caster floats an inch off the ground
    • Locate Object: An eight pointed star appears on the top of the skin on the caster's crown. If the caster has hair, only the point of the star is visible on the forehead
    • Magic Mouth: The casters lips either increase in size or turn an odd color
    • Mirror Image: A short tracer of the caster follows all his movements within about an inch
    • Pyrotechnics: Smoke comes from the casters nostrils and ears when he is agitated

    • Ray of Enfeeblement: The caster shrinks one inch in high and takes a mild stooped posture
    • Rope trick: Any rope held by the caster becomes agitated, moving about in unnatural ways
    • Scare: When the caster talks or smiles his face appears lit from below
    • Shatter: The casters voice becomes more high-pitched and increases slightly in volume while this spell is prepared
    • Stinking Cloud: The caster smells like a skunk
    • Strength: The caster grows one inch in height and appears to stand up more straight
    • Web: Cobwebs cover the casters form
    • Wizard Lock: The caster's nails sharpen and look like a substance resembling iron

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