Building Bhakashal - Extending the Game - Illusions and Illusion Magic

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Bhakashal is a cross between a retroclone and a setting, it is designed in the spirit of Blackmoor or Tekumel, to use parts of the D&D chassis, but to build it in new directions. I chose to do this rather than develop a whole new game primarily as I like the spells and magic items in the game. I think they are flavorful and fun. I wanted to build on that, lean into some things, walk back from others. To achieve this goal, for each spell casting class I have written a number of new spells, and I chose specific aspects of existing class spells to amplify. So for example, beastials (druids) in Bhakashal have spells related to plants, so Bhakashal adds several dozen new plant based spells. Todays discussion is Bhakashal's extension of illusion magic.

For Bhakashal I decided to specify a lot of things about illusion magic that were left open in AD&D. The main reason for this was to simplify things at the table and make for fewer problem adjudications. This included lore about magic (e.g. metaphysics) and flavor. 

I also wanted to maintain the “Vancian” feel that AD+D had brought to spell casting. So I went directly to Vance for inspiration, in the foreword to Rhialto the Marvellous, he writes that magicians seek alliances with extraplanar entities to effect magic, entities that are, “… able and not unwilling to alter the environment in accordance with the message conveyed by the spell.” 

I riffed off of that, in Bhakashal, phantasmists mastered the magic of accessing the psychic realm, and used this to control minds and cast illusions into minds. Then, one of their number, Khab Rune, contacted powerful beings on the plane of shadow, which has both darkness and light, and bargained with them for secrets. He learned the secret of pulling negative and positive plane energy from the plane of shadow to the prime material plane.

Because the psychic realm is non-spatial, channeling these energies through the psychic realm means that the phantasmist can bring them on to the prime material plane in any physical form (e.g. ray of light, mist), and in any place within a limited distance of them that they wish. For low level phantasmists, when these energies are channeled to the prime material plane they manifest as colored energy, a mix of light (positive plane energy) and darkness (negative plane energy) for all colors. This is the simple color spray spell.

When expanding phantasmist spells, Bhakashal developed them along the following lines:

1. Specific Illusions: Many of the spells presented here are really just formalizations of the generic illusion spell phantasmal force. By giving it a name, and detailing its effects, some of these spells are manifestations of “best practice” illusions. It makes sense that when someone figures out a neat illusion that helps in combat, it would become well known, imitated, and its creator would be immortalized by having their name associated with the spell. 

Example:

Porgunn’s Majestic Multiplier

Level:1, Casting Time:1 segment, Range:1”, Duration:1 round per level, Area of Effect:individual, Components:S,M, Saving throw: none

Porgunn’s multiplier makes multiple images of the weapon and the hand and arm that holds it, so it is not possible to tell which one is real when the recipient attacks, and it is thus harder to defend against. Picture a victim of the spell suddenly having four arms growing out of their one shoulder and each has an identical sword in it. The number of illusory copies made is 1 for every level of the phantasmist. Every 2 duplicates worsens the effective AC of any recipient of the phantasmists attack with the duplicated weapon by 1 (e.g. 1st – 4th level phantasmist makes AC two categories worse). The material component of this spell is a pair of ivory spheres worth 50 gp each.

2. Mental Spells: Many phantasmist spells involve direct access to the mind, charm spells like hypnotic pattern, still others trigger emotions like confusion, confuse the mind directly, etc. This category produced some interesting cases. For example, phantasmists on this interpretation have access to the psychic realm, and are concerned with the mind and deception, fear, etc. Thus it makes sense they should have a sleep spell, they have spells that give nightmares and cause somnambulance and such, so this is apiece. But sleep is a showcase spell for MU’s as it allows them to take out low HD victims no save. So Bhakashal alters the spell to fit the phantasmist:

Arolian’s Chant of Unfathomable Slumber 

Level:1, Casting Time:1 segment, Range:1” per level, Duration:Special, Area of Effect:3” + 1” per level, Components:V, Saving throw:  neg.

When the phantasmist casts this spell they begin to chant in a low droning fashion. All creatures in the area of effect who can hear the drone must make a saving throw or fall asleep, e.g. slapping or wounding will awaken affected creatures, but noise will not do so. Awakening requires 1 complete melee round. Note that sleeping creatures can be slain automatically at a rate of 1 per slayer per melee round. The spell continues until the phantasmist stops chanting. If the phantasmist chants longer than an hour every turn thereafter they must save versus death magic or fall asleep. 

So this is very different than a regular sleep spell, in that it requires a save, but it lasts longer and if the phantasmist can keep out of melee and not be interrupted it could have a good impact. The spell is powerful like the MU version, but different.

3. Sense Based Spells: There are a lot of sound based spells (the “physics” of sound and negative plane energy would be similar to that of light) and spells that allow the masking or enhancing of the senses. For example:

Peng Sang’s Omni vision

Level:2, Casting Time:2 segments, Range:6”, Duration:1 turn/level, Area of Effect:individual, Components:V,M, Saving throw: None

The omni vision spell allows the phantasmist to see 360 degrees around them and above for the duration of the spell. This negates the penalties associated with flank and rear attacks against them. It also makes it difficult for a target to sneak up on the phantasmist. The first time the phantasmist uses this spell they will suffer a -2 to hit due to disorientation, the second time -1, and subsequent times not at all. The phantasmist might thus decide to cast the spell on an unwitting victim to take advantage of the disorientation effects. In this case the victim would get a save. The material component of this spell is a pinch of copper dust and a small glass lens.

This spell also highlights something I have built into a few spells, namely the requirement of experience with the spell to avoid side effects where appropriate (e.g. the disorientation of this spell). It is also representative of another goal, to create spells that can help in combat, e.g. reducing the victim’s combat options or increasing those options for the phantasmist or a fellow party member (e.g. cast on the party fighter to help them in combat). In this case, it would pay for the phantasmist and the party fighter to drill before going adventuring so the fighter could take advantage of the spell’s combat bonus without distortion penalties. 

4. Deception Spells: In addition to illusions, phantasmists in Bhakashal have many spells that misdirect or deceive the mind. One major theme is distraction; the phantasmist can manipulate observers to focus on the wrong thing, creating penalties, for example:

Rinson’s Redirection

Level:2, Casting Time:2 segments, Range:2”, Duration:1 round/level, Area of Effect:individual, Components:V,S, Saving throw:  Neg.

When the spell is cast the phantasmist can redirect the interests of one individual opponent away from the phantasmist and to another task of their naming. The spell uses a low level ESP to divine surface information from the victim, which is then part of the redirection, so the phantasmist will glean some general details about the opponent. If the victim fails their save they will leave immediately to pursue the redirection for the duration of the spell.

So here there is no direct combat modifier or damage, but it could redirect a dangerous opponent away. Many of the spells below have no direct damage component; phantasmists specialize in redirection, not direct damage.

5. Negative/Positive Plane Energy Spells: Illusionists in AD&D have multiple “shadow” spells, and can summon actual shadows, so there is a kernel here of an idea that phantasmists can use negative and positive plane energy in its raw form to some degree There are spells in Bhakashal that do this, and some are useful against undead, making phantasmists another group that can fight undead successfully. This is needed as in Bhakashal not all seers (priests) turn undead, some turn other creatures. For example:

Rinnimar’s Chilling Touch

Level:1, Casting Time:1 segment, Range:contact, Duration:special, Area of Effect:one individual, Components:V,S,M, Saving throw:  None

The phantasmist uses their ability to channel energy from the negative plane to chill their opponents. The phantasmist must make a “to hit” roll, if successful the victim takes 1-8 hp of damage + 1 hp per level of the phantasmist. Note that this spell will cause a volume of water equal to 1 gallon per level of the phantasmist to freeze solid. Creatures associated with heat and fire (e.g. fire elementals, efreeti, firenewts, etc.), take double damage from this attack if successful. Note that undead hit by this spell have their negative energy drained if they fail to save versus spell. Since the negative energy of the undead is drained, each time an undead is successfully hit with the spell the phantasmist gets one additional attack with the spell (not in the same round). If that additional attack hits, another is given, for up to 1 turn if all the “to hits” are made. The material component of this spell is a small piece of quartz.

With all of this in mind, here is the resulting spell list for phantasmists, which includes selected spells from the AD&D 1e PHB and Unearthed Arcana, as well as over 200 new spells from Bhakashal:

Phantasmists

1st Level  (6d12) 6. Aiyon’s Pensive Self-Projection 7. Arolian’s Chant of Unfathomable Slumber 8-9. Audible Glamer 10. Byntar’s Soothe the Beast 11. Candlin’s Baffling Concealment 12-13. Change Self 14-15. Chromatic Orb 16. Cillian’s Cross the Eagles 17-19. Color Spray 20. Cthillon’s Arachnid Surge 21. Dancing Lights 22. Dar Hoorst’s Perceptual Portrait 23. Darkness 24. Detect Illusion 25. Detect Invisibility 26. Dorlissan’s Hidden Consumption 27. Garmonshire’s Painful Perception 28. Ghostlin’s Stealthy Ward 29. Glissian’s Casting Concealment 30. Hagellen’s Thunderous Staff 31. Hypnotism 32. Iessalon’s Vertiginous Narrative 33. Illeana’s Dry as Dust 34. Illeana’s Ravenous Hunger 35. Jarrshan’s Sinister Serpents 36. Jinnithar’s Crows Nest 37. Kansharr’s Darting Wasps 38. Konjarrin’s Subtle Switch 39. Light 40. Loshner’s Quantitative Quandary 41. Loshner’s Weird Words 42. Mahjinn’s Malevolent Missile 43. Morkoth’s Black on Black 44. Morlan’s Dagger of Darkness 45. Norrin’s Disposition Divination 46. Oronn’s Dancing Knives 47. Ormaan’s Olfactory  Obscurement 48. Orrnhaver’s Orbs of Resplendent Radiance 49. Phanstern’s Devious Chameleon 50-51. Phantasmal Force 52. Phantom Armor 53. Porgunn’s Majestic Multiplier 54. Quillion’s Brilliant Pan- Sensory Display 55. Rillistan’s Shadow Weapon 56. Rinnimar’s Chilling Touch 57. Rinnimar’s Sensory Supplementation 58. Rostum’s Flashing Powder 59. Rostum’s Shadow Familiar 60. Savin Tarsen’s Hidden in the Throng 61. Sivir’s Scuttling Terror 62. Tanninsir’s Pervasive Rot 63. Tenquist’s Duplicitous Projection 64. The Duplicitous Domino of Fansin 65. The Vengeful Shade of Mire Sithin 66. Torngoth’s Mischievous Misdirection (reversible) 67. Ulan’s Cacophonous Clap 68. Utar’s Curse of the Ancients 69. Vierron’s Phantasmal Volumes 70. Wall of Fog 71. Xlig Tirintal’s Diminuative Dishonesty 72. Yvernal’s Hidden Steeds	2nd Level (2d30) 2. Aiyon’s Pensive Projection 3-4. Alter Self 5. Ashenfall’s Abominable Adoration 6. Bemmel’s Hidden Object 7. Blindness 8. Blur 9. Cargstad’s Magnification of the Sensibillia 10. Cargstad’s Transforming Incantation 11. Deafness 12. Detect Magic 13. Divad’s Beautification 14. Fog Cloud 15. Fosnir’s Rain Charm 16. Fosnir’s Wind Charm 17. Gil Namth’s Hurricane Haymaker 18. Gorgull’s Phantom Nemesis 19-20. Hypnotic Pattern 21-26. Improved Phantasmal Force 27-30. Invisibility 31. Kohnlir’s Cunning Contrivance 32. Lew Xam’s Shadow Well 33. Lew Xam’s Spectral Hands 34. Lyre Penwith’s Hidden Pockets 35-36. Magic Mouth 37. Mirishan’s Misplacement 38-39. Mirror Image 40. Misdirection 41. Morellion’s Amazing Aural Manipulation 42. Oman’Rul’s Subtle Duplication 43. Orrnhaver’s Orbs of  Resplendent Radiance 44. Peng Sang’s Diminutive Vision  45. Peng Sang’s Omni vision 46. Quen-Tharin’s Blazon of Vulnerability 47. Rinson’s Redirection 48. Sharshan’s Hidden Hand 49. Tchamast’s Punctilious Projectile Prism 50. Teutch’s Tumbling Phrase 51. The Frigid Sleep of Shon-Sinn  52. The Hands of Homostulus 53. The Mad Rage of Rikkitan 54. The Nimble Limbs of Xin Xar 55. Tomar’s Spectral Repetition 56. Ultravision 57. Umirajic’s Vertiginous Plunge 58. Ventriloquism 59. Voornogogg’s Vision Switch 60. Whispering Wind	3rd Level (6d12) 6. Amilishar’s Mantle of Avoidance 7. Asher’s Mighty Aversion 8. Assinoth’s Green Griffon 9. Asu-Krinn Aster’s Article of  Deepest Desire 10. Atun-Re’s Necromantic Apparition 11. Cernon’s Minor Temporal  Acceleration 12. Continual Darkness 13. Continual Light 14. Danner’s Day Dream  15. Darvilk’s Mask of Shadows 16. Divad’s Doom From the Depths 17. Donestar’s Watery Doom 18. Doremar’s Chain of Illusions 19. Eloc’s Instant Companions 20. Erolin’s Pensive Altercation 21. Fear 22. Finnegan’s Hanging Blades 23. Fosnir’s Water Charm 24. Ghorlan’s Canticle of Exceeded Expectations 25. Hallucinatory Terrain 26. Higgenbotham’s Visage Subterfuge Engine 27-29. Illusionary Script 30. Illneath’s Thaumaturgical Tumult 31-32. Invisibility 10’ Rad. 33. Jintar’s Field of Tall Grass 34. Keirilith’s Minor Distraction 35. Lasher’s Duplication 36. Lishann’s Massive Displacement 37. Lorquill Shann’s Blazing Lens 38. Non-Detection 39. Morkia’s Watching Eyes 40-41. Paralyzation 42-43. Phantom Steed 44. Pharin’s Sky of Bone 45. Phelnar’s Repayment 46. Phorestan’s Amazing Afterimage 47. Phorestan’s Disarming Dweomer 48. Prevon’s Emerald Ichor 49. Querillon’s Crushing Burden 50. Querillon’s Heavy Hand of Indecision 51. Rope Trick 52. Shinntar’s Storm of Crows 53. Soromon’s Steps 54-56. Spectral Force 57. Suggestion 58. Systra’s Immersion 59. The Black Mist of Jax 60. The Covetous Eyes of Danner 61. The Haunting Inversion of Kahb Rune 62. The Multiple Vision of Homostulus 63. Twilsophire’s Punctilious Memory Nullification 64. Tyseer’s Overwhelming Cosmographium  65. Uinari’s Penultimate Phantasmal Duel 66. Vassennan’s Ghastly Nightmare 67. Vinreaver’s Perceptual Alteration 68. Voornogogg’s Target Switch 69. Willnor’s Dream of Drowning 70. Wraithform 71. Zillishan’s Hypnotic Plunge   72. Zolanor Kahn’s Clarion Call
4th Level (2d20) 2. Airot Civ’s Minor Shadow Walk 3. Aveneg’s Spectacular Strobe 4. Borenshire’s Endgame 5. Candlin’s Minor Destruction 6. Cernon’s Major Temporal Acceleration 7. Cleavegill’s Flexing of the  Stones 8. Confusion 9. Damek’s Dastardly Duplikát 10-11. Dispel Exhaustion 12. Dorrashaan’s Deck of Captivation 13. Emotion 14. Illeana’s Raise the Chorus 15. Imannover’s Instant Insanity 16. Konjarrin’s Dagger of Clarity 17. Lian’s Might of the Lizard  King 18. Lian’s Triptych of Deadly Inversions 19. Massmorph 20. Minor Creation 21. Moorlith’s Rapidly Oscillating Strike 22. Nistal’s Spectral Somnambulenance 23. Onmatar’s Casting of Cumulative Credence 24. Phantasmal Killer 25. Prevon’s Transparent Object 26. Quen-Tharin’s Baleful Penetrating Gaze 27. Raggelash’s Blackened Rain 28. Raggelash’s Mass Panic 29. Rainbow Pattern 30. Shadow Monsters 31. Solid Fog 32. Tennisir’s Remarkable Prowess Reduplication 33. The Penetrating Visor of Illyin Moonsabre 34. Tonnerath’s Torn Shadows 35. Umirajic’s Omen of Oblivion 36. Vacancy 37. Vassennan Vir’s Phantasmagoria of Pain  38. Voornogogg’s Fateful Fear 39. Voornogogg’s Object Switch 40. Wyn-Waroon’s Psychic Seed	5th Level (2d20) 2. Advanced Illusion  3. Boronath’s Shadow Match 4. Byntar’s Mouths of Madness   5. Candlin’s Major Destruction 6. Chaos 7. Dainan’s Spectral Brand 8-9. Demi-Shadow Monsters 10. Ghanna’s Shadow Shield 11. Higgenbotham’s Cantilever 12. Horlogog’s Manifestation of the Divine 13. Izanami’s Creeping Compulsion 14. Kahb Rune’s Thundering Color Storm 15. Lew Xam’s Extraordinary Mirage 16. Major Creation 17. Maze 18. Minnemar’s Whisper to a Scream 19. Morreon’s Sonic Sentinel 20. Projected Image 21. Rinson’s Roar  22. Shadow Door 23-24. Shadow Magic 25-27. Summon Shadow 28. Systra’s Scintillating Sun Wheel 29. Tempus Fugit 30. The Gossamer Wings of Dorvan-Tor 31. The Mask of Mohrn the Mad 32. Tonormoran’s Gaze of the Medusa 33. Tonormoran’s Song of the Siren  34. Uinari’s Spectral Shadow Duel 35. Unlin’s Lost Destination 36. Vassennan Vir’s  Phantasmal Battalion 37. Warhesten’s Collective Concealment 38. Winnofeln’s Massive Aversion 39. Xantar’s Iridescent Sphere 40. Ysir’s Air like Water	6th Level (2d10) 2. Conjure Animals 3. Death Fog 4. Demi-Shadow Magic 5. Eronel’s Daunting Reduction 6. Keirilith’s Major Distraction 7. Mass Suggestion 8. Mislead 9. Nesslor’s Major Calendrical  Inversion 10. Permanent Illusion 11. Programmed Illusion 12. Shades 13. Shon-Sinn’s Major Containment 14. The Emerald Lanthorn of Abinrus 15. The Stealthy Shadow Archers of Shon-Sinn 16. True Sight 17. Vassennan Vir’s Spectral   Battalion 18. Veil 19. Warhesten’s Spectral Village 20. Xinnith’s Song of the Sphinx
7th Level (2d8) 2. Alter Reality 3. Astral Spell 4. Kahb Rune’s Chromatic Curtain 5. Koll Kain’s Deep Immersion 6. Lansharr’s Celerius Spatial  Fugue 7. Major Shades of Orn 8. Mereon’s Ebony Ribbons 9. Prismatic Spray 10. Prismatic Wall 11. Rinn Thensic’s Hideous Death 12. Shadow Walk 13. The Dreaded Thunder of  Xor’Kass 14. Weird 15. Zintir’s Ultimate Shadow Magic 16. First Level MU Spells

Random allocation of spells for NPCs and in treasure hoards, and randomized spell lists for PC patrons mean that you will have a significant degree of variation in your phantasmists, as there will be much less of a tendency for the same spells to come up. This may or may not be to your liking, so you can always just pick spells, but Bhakashal was designed to take advantage of the randomization to produce tactical opacity at the game table, something that adds significantly to the challenge and thus excitement of the combat.