Random Generation: Starting Spells

Random Generation: Starting Spells

So far I’ve made two sets of tables for random character generation – for fighters and bards. Next up in the queue is the sorcerer, but the sorcerer is a spellcaster. Not only is he a sorcerer, but also one whose scope of powers depends on the bloodline, and there are hundreds of them (yes, the table will be comically large). How do you determine the starting spells then? I do not want to make hundreds of bloodline-specific tables – that’s too much even for me. I’m going to make things easy for myself and instead make random tables for colleges and themes – after all, almost all bloodlines have their scope defined as 1-4 colleges or themes. These tables will also be useful for other spellcasters, such as wizards.

However, with all these different spellcasting traditions in play, how do you determine the number of levels of Sorcerous Empowerment or Wizardly Study required, especially when you remember that the spell costs may vary between traditions? Easy – you just don’t. I do not force anyone to buy SE/WS at all, and even if you do, you can know a spell that is more expensive than SE/WS – the base ability just gets the usual alternative ability discount. Alternatively (no pun intended), you can work backwards – determine the spells, and then determine the required level of SE/WS. Easy peasy.
 
Spell costs in the tables are for wizards. They may be slightly different for sorcerers or other spellcasters! I’ll try to include spells that cost no more than 20 points at level 1.
 
If you roll the same spell twice, increase its level or move it one step up the “self – touch – short-range – ranged” scale, if appropriate. If not – just reroll. If both options are on the table, roll 1d: on 1-3, upgrade the level, on 4-6, upgrade the “range”.
 
In addition, if you end up rolling any spell with a duration that isn’t Instantaneous, roll 1d. On a 1, you also know Cancel Spells [10].
 

Table 1. Starting Acid Spells

1d8	Spell
1	Acid Bolt [5]
2	Acid Splash [2]
3	Orb of Acid [4]
4	Melf’s Acid Arrow [17]
5	Protection from Acid 1 [10]
6	Rusting Grasp [19]
7	Vitriolic Sphere 1 [11]
8	Water to Acid 1 [3]

 

Table 2. Starting Air Spells

1d12	Spell
1	Air Breathing [14]
2	Air Walk [20]
3	Bind Lesser Air Elemental [11]
4	Boreal Wind 1 [12]
5	Control Air Elemental [18]
6	Ease of Breath [10]
7	Fetch Lesser Air Elemental [2]
8	Flaywind Burst 1 [13]
9	Freedom of Breath [9]
10	Gust of Wind 1 [6]
11	Summon Air Elemental I [3]
12	Whispering Wind [20]

 

Table 3. Starting Astral Spells

1d13	Spell
1	Absorption 1 [19]
2	Astral Projection [20]
3	Candlelight [15]
4	Dancing Light [13]
5	Detect Magic [10]
6	Dispelling Touch [13]
7	Light [20]
8	Low-Light Vision [12]
9	Protection from Spells [14]
10	Reciprocal Gyre [15]
11	Searing Light 1 [2]
12	Spell Immunity [12]
13	Sunbeam [1]

 

Table 4. Starting Body Control Spells

1d20	Spell
1	Agitate Wounds [6]
2	Balancing Lorecall [14]
3	Bear’s Endurance 1 [6]
4	Blunt Natural Weapons [20]
5	Bonerattle [9]
6	Branch to Branch [7]
7	Bull’s Strength 1 [7]
8	Burrow [8]
9	Cat’s Grace 1 [18]
10	Catsfeet [6]
11	Ease of Breath [10]
12	Fins to Feet [20]
13	Handfang [5]
14	Ivory Flesh [6]
15	Pain [17]
16	Scale Weakening [15]
17	Scent [6]
18	Thalassemia [7]
19	Touch of Weakness [17]
20	Urchin’s Spines [9]

 

Table 5. Starting Communication and Empathy Spells

1d17	Spell
1	Calm Emotions [13]
2	Comprehend Languages [9]
3	Detect Thoughts [9]
4	Discern Lies [5]
5	Dispel Possession [10]
6	Dream [7]
7	Eagle’s Splendor 1 [9]
8	Glibness [16]
9	Insignia of Alarm [6]
10	Magic Mouth [18]
11	Message [12]
12	Probe Thoughts [20]
13	Protection from Possession [10]
14	Secret Signs [6]
15	Sending [12]
16	Tongues [15]
17	Whispering Wind [20]

 

Table 6. Starting Earth Spells

1d28	Spell
1	Bind Lesser Earth Elemental [11]
2	Control Earth Elemental [18]
3	Control Sand [15]
4	Earthbolt 1 [4]
5	Earthen Grasp [8]
6	Fetch Lesser Earth Elemental [2]
7	Fist of Stone [5]
8	Flaywind Burst 1 [13]
9	Fuse Sand 1 [2]
10	Hail of Stone [10]
11	Impeding Stones [14]
12	Move Earth 1 [5]
13	Portrait [2]
14	Sandblast [10]
15	Slipsand 1 [4]
16	Stone Metamorphosis 1 [4]
17	Stone Shape 1 [6]
18	Stone Tell [14]
19	Stone to Flesh [10]
20	Stony Grasp [9]
21	Summon Earth Elemental I [3]
22	Transmute Mud to Rock 1 [5]
23	Transmute Rock to Mud 1 [4]
24	Transmute Sand to Glass 1 [1]
25	Transmute Sand to Stone 1 [2]
26	Transmute Stone to Sand 1 [2]
27	Tremorsense [8]
28	Waste Strider [9]

 

Table 7. Starting Enchantment Spells

1d7	Spell
1	Create Implausible Material
2	Exacting Shot [20]
3	Identify [1]
4	Magic Weapon [17]
5	Spellstaff [20]
6	Suppress Magic [13]
7	Transcribe Symbol [9]

 

Table 8. Starting Fire Spells

1d38	Spell
1	Bind Lesser Fire Elemental [11]
2	Blast of Flame 1 [9]
3	Body Blaze [18]
4	Boiling Blood [18]
5	Burning Hands 1 [7]
6	Control Fire Elemental [18]
7	Delayed Blast Fireball 1 [6]
8	Dispel Cold [20]
9	Dispel Fire [20]
10	Emerald Flame Fist [3]
11	Endure Elements [15]
12	Fetch Lesser Fire Elemental [2]
13	Fiery Eyes [4]
14	Fire Breath 1 [2]
15	Fire Shield [6]
16	Fire Shuriken [1]
17	Fire Trap 1 [6]
18	Fireball 1 [6]
19	Fireburst 1 [1]
20	Firefinger [1]
21	Flame Arrow [20]
22	Flame Blade [4]
23	Flame Strike 1 [10]
24	Flaming Sphere 1 [4]
25	Heat Metal [15]
26	Hellfire 1 [11]
27	Melt 1 [4]
28	Orb of Fire 1 [2]
29	Produce Flame [8]
30	Protection from Cold 1 [10]
31	Protection from Fire 1 [10]
32	Quench [10]
33	Scorching Ray 1 [1]
34	Searing Exposure [17]
35	Summon Fire Elemental I [3]
36	Sunstroke [20]
37	Thaw 1 [9]
38	Warm [14]

 

Table 8. Starting Food Spells

1d16	Spell
1	Cook [1]
2	Create Food [2]
3	Decay [3]
4	Distill [2]
5	Far-Smelling [3]
6	Far-Tasting [3]
7	Flavor [5]
8	Heroes’ Feast [12]
9	Know Recipe [9]
10	Mature [4]
11	Monk’s Banquet [18]
12	Prepare Game [8]
13	Purify Food 1 [2]
14	Season [2]
15	Test Food [7]
16	Water to Wine 1 [1]

 

Table 9. Starting Force Spells

1d17	Spell
1	Bigby’s Forceful Hand [19]
2	Bigby’s Interposing Hand [18]
3	Blast of Force 1 [8]
4	Choke [10]
5	Disarm 1 [9]
6	Explosive Runes 1 [7]
7	Force Whip [14]
8	Forcecage [15]
9	Jump [8]
10	Levitate 2d [2d]
11	Mage Armor [15]
12	Mage Hand [6]
13	Magic Missile [6]
14	Orb of Force 1 [6]
15	Shield [19]
16	Spider Climb [20]
17	Telekinesis [15]

 

Table 10. Starting Gate Spells

1d18	Spell
1	Astral Projection [20]
2	Bind Lesser Elemental [11] (roll type randomly)
3	Lesser Fetch [3]
4	Fetch Lesser Elemental [2] (roll type randomly)
5	Investiture of the Barbed Devil [8]
6	Investiture of the Bearded Devil [10]
7	Investiture of the Chain Devil [18]
8	Investiture of the Ice Devil [14]
9	Investiture of the Malebranche [20]
10	Investiture of the Spined Devil [11]
11	Leomund’s Secret Chest [6]
12	Lesser Planar Binding [15]
13	Portal Reformat [7]
14	Portal Stabilization [12]
15	Portal View [15]
16	Portal-to-Portal Redirect 1 [10]
17	Summon Elemental I [3] (roll type randomly)
18	Summon Monster I [4]

 

Table 11. Starting Gravity Spells

1d12	Spell
1	Feather Fall [12]
2	Float [10]
3	Jump [8]
4	Levitate 2d [2d]
5	Mage Hand [6]
6	Pass without Trace [15]
7	Reverse Gravity [19]
8	Sink [17]
9	Skyline Runner [20]
10	Spider Climb [20]
11	Telekinesis [15]
12	Wave Blessing [19]

 

Table 12. Starting Ice Spells

1d38	Spell
1	Aura of Cold [6]
2	Boreal Wind 1 [12]
3	Brumal Stiffening [15]
4	Chill Metal [17]
5	Coldfire Blast [15]
6	Cone of Cold 1 [11]
7	Conjure Ice Beast I [3]
8	Cool [14]
9	Dispel Cold [20]
10	Dispel Fire [20]
11	Endure Elements [15]
12	Flash-Freeze [10]
13	Frostburn [10]
14	Gelid Blood [19]
15	Glacial Ward [8]
16	Glaze Lock [20]
17	Ice Darts [2]
18	Ice Knife [2]
19	Ice Shape 1 [6]
20	Ice Shield [8]
21	Ice Skate [19]
22	Ice to Flesh [10]
23	Icicle [10]
24	Leomund’s Tiny Igloo [12]
25	Meld into Ice [10]
26	Mindfrost [5]
27	Move Snow and Ice 1 [6]
28	Numbing Sphere 1 [8]
29	Obscuring Snow [20]
30	Orb of Cold 1 [6]
31	Pass through Ice [8]
32	Polar Ray 1 [6]
33	Protection from Cold 1 [10]
34	Protection from Fire 1 [10]
35	Ray of Frost 1 [14]
36	Shivering Touch [13]
37	Snow Walk [9]
38	Snowdrift 1 [6]

 

Table 13. Starting Illusion and Creation Spells

1d12	Spell
1	Bladeweave [17]
2	Friendly Face [3]
3	Minor Creation [20]
4	Minor Image [20]
5	Mirror Image [20]
6	Phantom Steed [16]
7	Resinous Tar 1 [14]
8	Shadow Magic [Varies] (roll another spell on any random table)
9	Silent Image [17]
10	Sketch [15]
11	Summon Instrument [16]
12	Summon Weapon [14]

 

Table 14. Starting Knowledge Spells

1d22	Spell
1	Analyze Dweomer [8]
2	Augury [3]
3	Clairaudience [10]
4	Clairvoyance [10]
5	Detect Magic [10]
6	Detect Secret Doors [17]
7	Detect Snares and Pits [9]
8	Discern Bloodline [7]
9	Discern Shapechanger [14]
10	Far-Smelling [3]
11	Far-Tasting [3]
12	Find Traps [3]
13	Foresight [18]
14	Hindsight [20]
15	Identify [1]
16	Insightful Feint [4]
17	Know Direction [1]
18	Know Recipe [9]
19	Master’s Touch [20]
20	Read Magic [5]
21	Scholar’s Touch [7]
22	See Invisibility [9]

 

Table 15. Starting Light and Darkness Spells

1d14	Spell
1	Blur [15]
2	Candlelight [15]
3	Cloak of Shade [8]
4	Dancing Light [13]
5	Dragonsight [15]
6	Flare [18]
7	Hawkeye [10]
8	Light [20]
9	Low-Light Vision [12]
10	Prismatic Ray [9]
11	Searing Light 1 [2]
12	See Invisibility [9]
13	Sniper’s Eye [15]
14	Sunbeam [1]

 

Table 16. Starting Lightning Spells

1d13	Spell
1	Call Lightning 1 [10]
2	Call Lightning Storm [17]
3	Chain Lightning 1 [13]
4	Forked Lightning 1 [14]
5	Lightning Blade [10]
6	Lightning Bolt 1 [12]
7	Lightning Bug [10]
8	Lightning Reflection 1 [14]
9	Lightning Shield [14]
10	Lightning Storm [7]
11	Orb of Electricity 1 [10]
12	Protection from Electricity 1 [10]
13	Shocking Grasp 1 [9]

 

Table 17. Starting Making and Breaking Spells

1d26	Spell
1	Absorb Weapon 1 [1]
2	Alter Instrument [8]
3	Amanuensis [3]
4	Animate Object 2d [2d]
5	Animate Rope 2d [2d]
6	Animate Weapon [10]
7	Backbiter [20]
8	Change [2]
9	Clean [2]
10	Color [5]
11	Copy [7]
12	Dirty [2]
13	Erase [12]
14	Fabricate [8]
15	Instant Locksmith [5]
16	Musical Scribe [4]
17	Polish [2]
18	Rebirth of Iron [6]
19	Reinforce Construct [20]
20	Repair [20]
21	Soilproof [4]
22	Stick [1]
23	Stitch [5]
24	Tie [5]
25	Waterproof [7]
26	Write [4]

 

Table 18. Starting Meta-Spells

1d13	Spell
1	Absorption 1 [19]
2	Analyze Dweomer [8]
3	Arcane Mark [15]
4	Arcane Sight [10]
5	Detect Magic [10]
6	Dispelling Touch [13]
7	Identify [1]
8	Locate Node [6]
9	Protection from Spells [14]
10	Reciprocal Gyre [15]
11	Spell Immunity [12]
12	Steal Summoning [10]
13	Suppress Magic [13]

 

Table 19. Starting Metal Spells

1d13	Spell
1	Chill Metal [17]
2	Decapitating Scarf [5]
3	Heat Metal [15]
4	Iron Scarf [2]
5	Magnetism [10]
6	Metal Skin [14]
7	Rain of Needles [5]
8	Rebirth of Iron [6]
9	Ring of Blades [10]
10	Rusting Grasp [19]
11	Shrapmetal 1 [11]
12	Storm of Needles [5]
13	Transmute Metal to Wood 1 [4]

 

Table 20. Starting Mind Control Spells

1d13	Spell
1	Calm Emotions [13]
2	Clarity of Mind [15]
3	Command [10]
4	Compel Breath [10]
5	Daze [20]
6	Entice Gift [15]
7	Heroism [12]
8	Melf’s Slumber Arrow [20]
9	Mindburn [19]
10	Modify Memory [10]
11	Owl’s Wisdom 1 [18]
12	Programmed Amnesia [20]
13	Protection from Charm [5]

 

Table 21. Starting Movement Spells

1d28	Spell
1	Balancing Lorecall [14]
2	Branch to Branch [7]
3	Catsfeet [6]
4	Expeditious Retreat [18]
5	Feather Fall [12]
6	Float [10]
7	Jump [8]
8	Haste [16]
9	Gather [1]
10	Ice Skate [19]
11	Implosion [9]
12	Knock [20]
13	Levitate 2d [2d]
14	Longstrider [12]
15	Mage Hand [6]
16	Open/Close [10]
17	Pass without Trace [15]
18	Rooftop Strider [14]
19	Skyline Runner [20]
20	Snow Walk [9]
21	Spider Climb [20]
22	Stick [1]
23	Swift Expeditious Retreat [12]
24	Swift Haste [12]
25	Swim [12]
26	Waste Strider [9]
27	Water Walk [17]
28	Wave Blessing [19]

 

Table 22. Starting Necromantic Spells

1d40	Spell
1	Agitate Wounds [6]
2	Animate Dead [9]
3	Arrow of Bone [18]
4	Blackfire [19]
5	Blood Snow [5]
6	Bonerattle [9]
7	Charm Ghost [10]
8	Create Ectoplasm [3]
9	Create Undead [12]
10	Death Armor [2]
11	Death Knell [20]
12	Death Link [20]
13	Death Ward [10]
14	Deathwatch [10]
15	Decomposition [4]
16	Detect Ghost [2]
17	Detect Undead [3]
18	Disrupt Ectoplasm [2]
19	Disrupt Undead [1]
20	Disrupting Weapon [15]
21	Ectoplasmic Decay [5]
22	Energy Drain [14]
23	False Life [15]
24	Inflict Wounds [4]
25	Leech Undeath [19]
26	Negative Energy Burst [4]
27	Negative Energy Ray [2]
28	Preserve Ectoplasm [15]
29	Ray of Enfeeblement [9]
30	Ray of Exhaustion [7]
31	Rend Essentia [18]
32	Repel Ectoplasm [18]
33	Shroud of Undeath [12]
34	Soulbleed [18]
35	Speak with Dead [10]
36	Touch of Weakness [17]
37	Undead Torch [11]
38	Wall of Bones [16]
39	Waves of Exhaustion [13]
40	Withering Palm [20]

 

Table 23. Starting Plant Spells

1d12	Spell
1	Animate Plants [15]
2	Barkskin [14]
3	Beget Bogun [3]
4	Changestaff [14]
5	Command Plants [20]
6	Control Plants [18]
7	Detect Plants [15]
8	Snare [12]
9	Speak with Plants [7]
10	Transmute Metal to Wood 1 [4]
11	Wood Rot 1 [2]
12	Wood Shape 1 [6]

 

Table 24. Starting Poison Spells

1d9	Spell
1	Aboleth Curse [10]
2	Cobra Breath [9]
3	Delay Poison [20]
4	Detect Poison [18]
5	Kiss of the Toad [3]
6	Poison Needles [4]
7	Toxic Tongue [2]
8	Urchin’s Spines [9]
9	Water to Poison [2]

 

Table 25. Starting Protection and Warning Spells

1d29	Spell
1	Clarity of Mind [15]
2	Cloak of Shade [8]
3	Contingent Energy Resistance 1 [15]
4	Detect Poison [18]
5	Detect Snares and Pits [9]
6	Endure Elements [15]
7	Find Traps [3]
8	Glyph of Warding: Acid Blast Glyph [9]
9	Glyph of Warding: Cold Blast Glyph [17]
10	Glyph of Warding: Electricity Blast Glyph [24]
11	Glyph of Warding: Fire Blast Glyph [9]
12	Glyph of Warding: Sonic Blast Glyph [15]
13	Glyph of Warding: Spell Glyph [12]
14	Insignia of Alarm [6]
15	Kuo-Toa Skin [20]
16	Lightning Reflection 1 [14]
17	Mage Armor 1 [15]
18	Protection from Acid 1 [10]
19	Protection from Cold 1 [10]
20	Protection from Desiccation 1 [10]
21	Protection from Electricity 1 [10]
22	Protection from Fire 1 [10]
23	Protection from Possession [10]
24	Protection from Sound 1 [10]
25	Protection from Spells [14]
26	Shield 1 [19]
27	Spell Immunity [12]
28	Stoneskin 1 [10]
29	Vigilant Slumber [10]

 

Table 26. Starting Sound Spells

1d15	Spell
1	Blindsight [18]
2	Bonerattle [9]
3	Distort Speech [17]
4	Incorporeal Disharmonics [4]
5	Listening Lorecall [18]
6	Orb of Sound 1 [6]
7	Painful Echoes [20]
8	Protection from Sound 1 [10]
9	Resonating Bolt 1 [9]
10	Shatter [18]
11	Sonic Weapon [20]
12	Sound Burst [11]
13	Sympathetic Vibration [18]
14	Tremorsense [8]
15	Ventriloquism [5]

 

Table 27. Starting Spirit Spells

1d32	Spell
1	Adept Spirit [13]
2	Animal Spirit [20]
3	Astral Projection [20]
4	Charm Ghost [10]
5	Commune with Spirit [2]
6	Conjure Midnight Construct [8]
7	Create Ectoplasm [3]
8	Death Link [20]
9	Death Ward [10]
10	Deathwatch [10]
11	Detect Ghost [2]
12	Detect Incarnum [4]
13	Detect Undead [3]
14	Dispel Possession [10]
15	Disrupt Ectoplasm 1 [2]
16	Disrupt Undead 1 [1]
17	Disrupting Weapon [15]
18	Ectoplasmic Decay [5]
19	False Life [15]
20	Hail of Ectoplasm [8]
21	Incarnum Arc [19]
22	Incarnum Bladestorm [11]
23	Preserve Ectoplasm [15]
24	Protection from Incarnum [10]
25	Protection from Possession [10]
26	Rend Essentia [18]
27	Repel Ectoplasm [18]
28	Soul Boon [8]
29	Soulbleed [18]
30	Speak with Dead [10]
31	Lesser Spirit Binding [13]
32	Steal Incarnum [14]

 

Table 28. Starting Time Spells

1d6	Spell
1	Expeditious Retreat [18]
2	Haste 1 [16]
3	Hindsight [20]
4	Longstrider [12]
5	Mature [4]
6	Swift Haste 1 [12]

 

Table 29. Starting Water Spells

1d31	Spell
1	Air Breathing [14]
2	Bind Lesser Water Elemental [11]
3	Control Water [15]
4	Control Water Elemental [18]
5	Create Water [5]
6	Dampen [1]
7	Depthsurge 1 [6]
8	Dispel Water [20]
9	Distill [2]
10	Dry [3]
11	Fetch Lesser Water Elemental [2]
12	Float [10]
13	Hydrate [11]
14	Jet of Steam 1 [11]
15	Locate Water [18]
16	Obscuring Mist [17]
17	Pressure Sphere [15]
18	Protection from Desiccation 1 [10]
19	Purify Water 1 [1]
20	Sink [17]
21	Standing Wave [20]
22	Steam Breath 1 [6]
23	Summon Water Elemental I [3]
24	Swim [12]
25	Thalassemia [7]
26	Tidal Surge [20]
27	Water Breathing [14]
28	Water to Acid 1 [3]
29	Water Walk [17]
30	Waterproof [7]
31	Wave Blessing [19]