OSR: Psychomancer
- seeroftheabyss
- 3 hours ago
- 18 min read
This is a sub-class for my Wizard class. Ideas borrowed from here and here, while some spells are from 5E and LotFP.
Psychomancers are Wizards who possess that most subtle yet lethal art, the penetration of the innermost sanctum, the mind itself. They are feared by all, never trusted and always kept at arm's length, even as they are quietly courted and bribed into obedience.
Reputation:
Psychomancer Orders are either Outlaws or Chartered. Either the government wants to use them to further it's own goals or they fear them far too much to allow them any legitimacy and so expel them, hunt them and cast them out. A group of tame Psychomancers is an incredibly potent weapon, but can you ever be sure it is your weapon? As such, governments who do tolerate their existence provide them with special privileges and richly reward those Magi who cooperate, while also keeping on a tight leash.
A Royal Psychomancer may live in a palace and have a generous salary, but by law he is forbidden from ever entering the king's palace or speaking to any of the king's ministers directly. Some governments, on the other hand, find even the existence of Psychomancers to be too much of a risk and seek to exterminate them, or at least force them out of their lands. Let them go be someone else's problem.
Peasants generally regard Psychomancers as being little better than Biomancers or Necromancers. They are hated and feared. If the locals find out there's a Mind Mage about, unless he has demonstrated himself to be entirely harmless, they will at best, run him out of town. At worst, they will lynch him. They've heard the stories of Psychomancers turning people into their slaves and secretly manipulating the King to steal money and start wars; they won't be taking no chances with this one.
Culture:
Secrecy is deeply embedded in the culture of Psychomancer Orders. These Orders usually take the form of de-centralized networks of isolated cells, sharing knowledge and cooperating but not gathering together obviously. Sometimes there will be hierarchy among the cells, but other times they will each carry out their own agenda. The stories of Psychomancer Secret Societies controlling entire governments through magic and manipulation are exaggerated, but it would be untrue to say they are entirely incorrect.
Psychomancers do sometimes use their power to accumulate wealth and status, but just as often they only seek to survive. Some Psychomancer Orders use their powers to influence governments and other institutions, guiding them towards their desired goals. They don't assume direct control, merely poking and prodding their fellow countrymen in the "right" direction.
Others eschew this light touch and instead become shadow governments, the leadership of the Order making all the real decisions while the actual ruler is little more than a puppet.
This isn't the case for all Psychomancers however. Some are entirely self-taught, having never met another of their kind before and thus they had to muddle their way into learning how to us their talents. These young amateurs are often the source of many of the stereotypes of Psychomancers being mind-slave making, soul-cracking monsters, as Psychomancy can be extremely difficult to use.
Mistakes are bound to happen and when you're a young novice in a dangerous situation, you might end up accidentally frying a few minds and rendering the people responsible lunatics or permanently crippled.
For this reason, along with the self-evident ones, many of the Psychomancer Orders send out undercover agents to track down and recruit these young novices, to protect them from themselves and those who would misunderstand the young mage's stumbling first steps.
Power: You can cast Psychomancer spells without making any gestures or speaking. All other spells require speaking aloud and gesturing, as per normal.
Drawback: You get minor psychic feedback from everyone around you. Ordinarily you can filter this out, but when surrounded by a crowd that is all feeling the same thing, you must save or be totally swept up in the experience. For example, if it's an angry mob you'll find yourself filled with righteous fury. If the Court is all sneering down at the Baron for his misstep, you must save or be filled with aristocratic contempt.
Spells:
Common Spells:
1d20
1- Army of One
2- Call to Heroic Death
3- Charm Person
4- Confusion
5- Detect Attention
6- Detect Psychic Footprints
7- Detect Thoughts
8- Fear
9- Force of Personality
10- Howl at the Moon
11- Hypnotic Laser
12- Incept
13- Ignore Pain
14- Lead Tongue
15- Notice Me Not
16- Phantasmal Force
17- Psychic Scream
18- Rewrite Memories
19- Telekinesis
20- Telepathy
Rare Spells:
1d8
1- Astral Projection
2- Contingency
3- Emotional Alchemy
4- Feeblemind
5- Geas
6- Mental Dominion
7- Mind Blank
8- Suggestion
Legendary Spells:
Mind Freeze
Surpass the Limits of Time
Common Spells:
Army of One
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R: 30' T: one creature D: [dice] rounds
One creature is granted superhuman reflexes and stamina. He adds +[dice] to any roll made in combat for the duration. If cast with 2 or more [dice], the creature gains [dice]-1 extra attacks for the duration.
Call to Heroic Death
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R: self T: all that can hear the caster D: [dice] hours
You make a speech to rouse your allies to greater valor. Creatures who hear the speech must save. On a failed save, a creature becomes immune to Fear and automatically pass morale checks for the duration. They also gain +[dice] FS. Creatures can choose to fail their saves should they wish to.
Charm Person
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R: 50' T: creature D: [dice] hour(s)
One person disregards the spell you just cast on them and treats you like a good friend. If you invest four or more dice into the spell, it has a permanent duration.
Confusion
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R: 30' T: creature D: [dice] rounds
One creature must save. If the creature has more HD than [dice], it may add the difference to its save. If it has 3x or more HD than [dice], it is immune to the spell. On a failed save, the creature should roll on the table below. If the spell was cast with more than 1 [dice], the creature should add +[dice] to its roll.
So you Failed your Save vs Confusion:
1d6
1: Stand around doing nothing
2: Say something that the spellcaster wants you to say, do nothing else
3: Start ripping off your armor/clothes
4: Run screaming in a direction that the caster chooses
5: Make an attack against a target the caster selects
6+: Immediately attempt to kill self in the most violent way possible
Detect Attention
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R: self T: self D: [dice] minutes
The caster can detect if any creatures are currently paying attention to him. This will tell him how many creatures are focusing on him. If the creature paying attention to the caster is someone the caster knows, the caster can make a COG check with a DC equal to 15-[dice]. If the caster succeeds on the check, he knows what creatures are paying attention to him.
Detect Psychic Footprints
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R: touch T: self D: [sum] minutes
By laying hands on someone's head, the caster can check to see if the mind of the creature who's head he is touching has been tampered with through magic.
Detect Thoughts
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R: 30' T: self D: [dice] minutes
By focusing on a creature within range, the caster can read that creature's surface thoughts. Whatever thought is most prominent in his mind, the caster sees that.
If cast with 3 or more [dice], the caster can delve deeper into that creature's mind, looking for specific information, memories from long ago or subconscious murmurings. If delving deep, a creature can force the caster to compete with them in a contest of COG. If the caster wins, he obtains the information he is looking for. If the creature wins, the caster cannot find the information he is seeking.
Fear
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R: 50' T: [dice] creatures D: [dice] rounds
[dice] creatures within range must make a Save. On a failed Save, those creatures become frightened of you. Creatures frightened of you must take actions on their turn that will move them away from you. If flight is impossible, they will fight or beg for mercy.
Force of Personality
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R: 10' T: creature D: [dice] hours
Target creature's personality becomes incredibly interesting and engaging to all those around them. Whatever emotion the target has will imprint itself strongly on any creature he interacts with. If the caster is happy, other creatures will regard them as magnetic and charming, for example. If a creature grows suspicious, it can make a COG check with a DC equal to 10+[dice]. On a successful check, the creature realizes that their emotions are being manipulated via magic.
Howl of the Moon
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R: 30' T: creature D: [dice] hours
Target creature must save with a penalty equal to -[dice]. On a failed save, the creature has it's consciousness suppressed and acts like a feral beast. This does not change their base values or opinions, a man who loves his wife before being affected by this spell will still love her, but it suppresses any logic and most forms of impulse control.
On a successful save, the creature takes [dice] psychic damage.
Hypnotic Laser
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R: 10' T: creature D: [dice] minutes
Hypnotize one intelligent creature that can see you. That creature makes a Save. On a failed save, the creature falls into a suggestive state and will accept anything you tell them. However, the creature will not do anything that would violate his core beliefs or values.
Incept
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R: 30' T: one creature D: one action
You can plant one idea up to [dice] words long into one creature's mind. That creature must make a save to see if he accepts the idea. If the creature fails the save, he accepts the idea as his own. The creature gets advantage on the save if the idea contradicts his core beliefs or values.
Ignore Pain
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R: 30' T: [dice] creatures D: [dice] rounds
[dice] creatures take -[dice] damage from all attacks that do not physically cripple them. This cannot reduce the damage below 1, they still take damage, the creatures just can't feel any pain.
This can reduce the damage done by a knife, not by a falling boulder which smashes your leg flat.
Lead Tongue
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R: 30' T: one creature D: [sum] minutes
The target of this spell receives -[dice] to all Reaction Rolls and -[sum] to all rolls made to charm, persuade or negotiate. The affected creature just cannot stop himself from saying the most tone-deaf, offensive things accidentally.
Notice Me Not
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R: touch T: [dice] creatures D: 2[dice] minutes
[dice] creatures are cloaked in an aura of anonymity. They become boring, drab and unnoteworthy seeming. Creatures must actively look for them to notice the affected creatures. The DC to notice the creatures is DC 10+[dice]. This DC can be lowered if the affected creatures are doing something interesting, like dancing on the table in a tavern. The DC can also be increased if the affected creatures are doing something boring, such as sitting quietly in the corner.
If an affected creature does something that directly affects a non-affected creature, such as touching, attacking or doing something noticeable right before it's eyes (such as juggling knives, barking like a seal, etc.) the non-affected creature can immediately notice the affected creature.
Phantasmal Force
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R: 50' T: creature D: [dice] minutes
You cause one creature within range to save with a penalty equal to [dice]. On a failed save, you can create an illusion that only the creature can see. This illusion includes touch, smell, taste and sound. It can be anything from a creature to an object and can move as you wish it to.
If you use the illusion to harm the creature, that creature must save. On a successful save, it realizes that the illusion is just that and takes no damage. But on a failed save, the creature takes 1d6+[dice] psychic damage.
The illusion remains for the duration ends or you dismiss it.
Psychic Scream
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R: 50' T: creatures D: one action
You do [sum] psychic damage done among as many creatures within range as you wish, as long as each targeted creature takes at least 1 damage. If any creature takes damage, that creature also must save with a -X penalty, where X is the damage it took. On a failed save, it loses concentration on whatever it was doing and cannot concentrate for at least [dice] minutes as it's mind is too rattled to properly focus.
Rewrite Memories
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R: 10' T: creature D: one action
One creature within range must save. If the creature has more HD than [dice], it adds the difference to its save. If it has 3x more HD than [dice], it automatically passes. A creature may also choose to fail its save, if it wishes to.
On a failed save, the caster may alter the creature's memory. If cast with 1 [dice], the caster may alter the creature's memories from the last [sum] minutes. With 2 [dice], the last [sum] days. With 3 [dice], the last sum years. With 4 or more [dice], any of the creature's memories.
The caster may also choose to simply erase memories instead of altering them.
Note: Impossible or incoherent memories will be rejected by the target's mind. For example, if you attempt to rewrite the shopkeeper's memory so that he remembers being robbed by his own son instead of the party Rogue, but the shopkeeper's son is on campaign in another country, he will not accept that memory as legitimate. Creatures that reject their false memories will not regain their true memories, but they will be aware that those memories are false.
Telekinesis
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R: 30' T: self D: [dice] rounds
You gain the ability to manipulate objects with thought alone, shaping your mana to lift or manipulate them. As an action on your turn, for the duration, you can manipulate objects with your mind as if you were standing there. Your mind has the STR of 10+[dice] for the purposes of lifting and making "STR checks".
If you attempt to grab a living creature, you must engage in a COG contest with that creature. If you win, you can restrain or move that creature as you will. You can also cause that creature to take 1d6+[dice] damage on a hit as an action on your turn by telekinetically crushing them. If the other creature wins, they resist your telekinetic control.
Telepathy
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R: 50' T: [dice] creatures D: [dice] minutes
You establish a telepathic link with [dice] creatures. They can communicate you using telepathy for [dice] minutes.
Rare Spells:
Astral Projection
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R: 30' T: [dice] creatures D: one action
[dice] creatures within range gain the ability to leave their bodies. Once they do this, they will be on the Astral Plane. While this spell is cast, their bodies will remain in stasis, until a soul enters them.
This spell can only be cast on willing targets. Creatures who do not wish to leave their bodies may ignore this spell.
A body affected by this spell will not need food, water or air while they are in stasis, but they will still be vulnerable to destruction and possession, so it is advised that you take precautions.
Contingency
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R: touch T: creature D: one action
You create a packet of memories and ideas that detail up to [dice] actions. You then plant the packet inside the mind of a creature (you can also do this to yourself). Then you select a Condition such as "When I accuse the King of being a Traitor" or "When I sing 'The Wind in the Willows'". When that Contingency is triggered, the creature may immediately undertake the actions contained with the packet.
Emotional Alchemy
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R: 50' T: 2[dice] creatures D: one action
2[dice] creatures have their primary emotion (which one they feel strongest at the moment) changed into another emotion. For example, Anger can become Fear.
If cast with 3 or more [dice], the true extremes of emotions like crushing sorrow or homicidal rage can also be created.
Feeblemind
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R: 30' T: creature D: one action
One creature within range takes [sum] psychic damage, save for half. The creature must also make a COG save. On a failure, the creature's intellect is reduced.
At 1 [dice], the creature is reduced to that of a stupid man/Ogre. At 2 [dice], that of a child or subnormal adult. At 3 [dice], that of a smarter beast, such as a pig or dog. At 4 [dice], a stupid animal like a sheep or a lizard.
Geas
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R: 10' T: creature D: one action
You may give one creature that can see and understand you an order of no more than [sum] words long. The creature must carry out this order, no save.
Mental Dominion
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R: touch T: creature D: [sum] minutes
One living creature you touch must save. If the creature has HD greater than or equal to [dice], it may add the difference to its save. If it has a HD greater than or equal to 3x [dice], it is immune to the spell and automatically passes.
On a failed save, the creature falls under your control for the duration. It will obey any order except obviously suicidal ones, and you can use an action to take direct control of the creature and control its movements, though this will require you to stand still.
Dominated creatures retain their mental ability scores, personalities, and desires. However, their love for the caster is so great it obliterates all other concerns, except for basic self-preservation.
Mind Blank
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R: touch T: creature D: [dice] hours
One creature you touch becomes immune to all attempts to read its mind or influence its emotions. It cannot use telepathy or interact with any other minds for the duration. To a telepathic creature, it is as if that creature's mind does not exist.
Suggestion
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R: 30' T: [dice] creatures D: [sum] minutes
You suggest a course of action up to [sum] words long to [dice] creatures. The action must be something reasonable. For example, taking a 5 minute break is reasonable while you offer to guard the door for them is reasonable, suggesting they jump off a bridge is not. The creatures must save. On a failed save, they decide to carry out that action. On a successful save, the creatures receive a -[dice] penalty to all d20 rolls for the duration. The creatures can choose to fail their saves, should they wish.
Note: This spell does not affect a creature's outlook or feeling towards you.
Legendary Spells:
Mind Freeze
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R: 1000' T: [sum] HD worth of creatures D: 2[dice] rounds
[sum] HD of creatures within range freeze in place. These creatures cannot take actions, perceive the world or do anything else for the duration. Creatures affected by this spell do not react to anything around them unless they take any form of damage or are otherwise directly affected by an action taken by another creature.
Surpass the Limits of Time
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R: self T: self D: special
The Soul is eternal and dwells beyond Time. When this spell is cast, the caster surpasses the limits of linear time and unites with his higher self. When he does this, he can ask the Referee [dice] questions about what will happen in the future or about something that happened in the past. The Referee will answer these questions accurately, but based only on the perspective of the caster and what knowledge he has, had or will have.
Chaos:
Triggered whenever you roll doubles on your magic dice. The Spell still goes through, but you get an additional effect.
Additionally, whenever you roll on the Chaos Table, you get 1d2 Doom Points.
1d20
1- For 1d10 minutes, you cannot lie. This die explodes on a roll of "10".
2- For 1d10 minutes, no one can lie when talking to you. This die explodes on a roll of "10".
3- For 1d10 minutes, you believe anything an authority figure tells you. After the time is up, save. On a failed save, you retain any false beliefs you learned.
4- For 1d10 minutes, anyone you talk to must save. On a failed save, that person falls in love with you. This love is 1d4 [1= Eros (Romantic); 2= Philia (Friendship); 3= Storge (Familial); 4= Agape (Universal Love without expectation of return).] After the time is up, save. On a failed save, these people keep their feelings for you.
5- You develop a delusional belief. For example, "I am being persecuted by a group of invisible creatures". You believe this as an absolute certainty, despite any lack of evidence.
6- For 1d10 hours, people around you must save to resist their base urges. Expect drunken arguments to degenerate into brawls, people to cheat on their spouses and general lawlessness.
7- You glow in the dark for 1d10 minutes.
8- Your skin changes color depending on your mood. This lasts for 1d10 minutes. This die explodes on a roll of "10".
9- You have a reoccurring dream for the next 1d10 nights. There is a 50% this is a vague warning of the future. Otherwise, it is just nonsense.
10- For the next 1d10 days, you attract insane people. There is a 50% each day that the nearest insane person will come to you and ask you to help them with something, usually relating to their delusion. Note this does not apply in a place without any people.
11- You develop a phobia of something that happened to you within the last 24 hours. This need not be rational, though it could be. The Referee should choose the most traumatic or memorable event. If you slipped on a banana peel and almost died, then you are now terrified of bananas.
12- For the next 1d10 hours, any artwork around you seems to be 1d4 [1= More violent; 2= More lewd; 3= More disturbing; 4= More focused on cats.] Once the time is up, save. On a failed save, the changes remain.
13- You believe you speak the language of Cats. There is a 20% you are correct, otherwise you are just meowing at Cats and interpreting their reactions as speech. If you actually are able to communicate with them, the Cats will mock you for your "peasant accent".
14- For the next 1d10 days, you cause everyone within 1 mile to have a dream about you whenever you go to bed.
15- For the next 1d10 days, when you dream, you create a collective dream where everyone who dreams ends up in a collective lucid dream. This may attract astral predators, such as Demons.
16- For the next 1d10 days, when you look in a mirror, you see a memory of when someone else nearby looked in a mirror. There is a 10% this is someone you know, otherwise it's a stranger.
17- For the next 1d10 days, if you touch someone, you can hear their thoughts. They will be aware of this and may resent it, depending on how close you are.
18- For the next 1d10 days, the clouds form shapes that reveal hints of the future. There is 20% you are correct based on your predictions, otherwise it is just a delusion.
19- For the next 1d10 days, you hear music playing in the background. This music always suits the current mood- martial music during fights, ominous music when sneaking around, etc. If you tell someone about it, there is a 50% he can start to hear it too.
20- For 1d10 minutes, you cannot start any form of conflict. You won't argue if you disagree and you won't use violence, except in self-defense.
Corruption:
Occurs when you roll Triples. If you roll Corruption, the Spell fails.
Additionally, when you roll on the Corruption Table, you get 1d4 Doom Points.
1d20
1- You switch body with a random player character. You keep your mental stats, but gain their physical ability scores. If you transferred into the body of a non-spellcaster, you will find casting spells much harder.
2- You start having dreams where you are being stalked by a Demon. The dreams are very real- if the Demon catches you in your dreams, it will suck out your life force and kill you.
3- You become obsessed with one particular person. Every day you don't see them, you suffer -1 to all rolls based on mental concentration and social interaction. If your favorite person ever does something that offends or angers you, you must save or throw a temper tantrum.
4- You go temporarily mad and start trying to harm yourself. If no one stops you, you take X damage, where X is the weapon you are currently holding (base damage only, no modifiers). If you are not holding a weapon, you take 1d6 damage as you try to claw out your own eyes.
5- For the next 1d10 rounds, you fall into a catatonic state. You do not respond to anything and lay there limp.
6- You become terrified of a random creature for 1d10 rounds. Each round you must take an action to get as far as possible from that creature. If you cannot run, you may hide or fight.
7- You become confused. For 1d10 rounds, roll randomly to determine what you do. You 1d4 [1= Move in a random direction; 2= Attack a random creature; 3= Pick up a random item on the battlefield; 4= Stand and stare off into space.]
8- You suffer a violent magical misfire. One of your prepared spells, selected randomly, is cast with 1d4 MD (or as much as you have) targeting the closest creature to you.
9- For 1d10 rounds, enemies must make a morale check when they see you. On a failed check, they perceive you as the biggest threat and attack you first.
10- You are grabbed by telekinesis and thrown 1d6*10' backwards. If you collide with a hard surface you take 2d6 damage, save for half.
11- You establish an involuntary telepathic link with a random creature for 1d10 minutes.
12- For 1d10 minutes, your intelligence is reduced to that of a four-year old. You have difficulty understanding complex problems and have no patience.
13- Every creature within 30' of you must save. On a failed save, those creatures become immune to Fear and automatically pass any Morale checks for 1d10 rounds.
14- You forget the last 1d4 [1= 1d6 minutes; 2= 1d4 days; 3= 1d3 weeks; 4= 1 year.] If you were not at the Level you are currently are at that time, you lose access to them until you are informed you have them. Additionally, you have disadvantage on all rolls to use them, with the penalty decreasing from -4 to -3 to -2 to -1 for each day you practice using them until it goes to nothing.
15- Your soul is ejected from your body from 1d10 rounds and cannot re-enter. You will have to prevent your body from being possessed by any astral predators looking for a free lunch.
16- One of your moral values is inverted. If you loved the King, you suddenly hate him. You recognize this is the result of magic, but you can't help what you feel.
17- You lose all knowledge of one language you know and have it replaced by 1d6 [1= The official language of a neighboring country; 2= A local dialect; 3= The tongue of one of the monstrous races; 4= An archaic, rarely spoken tongue such as the language the holy texts were originally written in; 5= An exotic language like Elvish or Draconic; 6= A dead language- no normal person alive knows what language you're even speaking.]
18- You lose your reflection. You can enter through mirrors and enter the World of Reflections, then exit through another mirror, as long as it is big enough. Just be careful, as the World of Reflections is not as uninhabited as it might seem.
19- For the next 1d10 hours, whenever you talk to someone you unintentionally say wildly offensive and inappropriate things. No matter how hard you try, you can't stop putting your foot directly into your mouth.
20- For the next 1d10 hours, whenever creatures look at you, you find it hard to focus. You have disadvantage on all rolls when someone is looking directly at you.
Doom of the Psychomancer:
When you suffer Chaos or Corruption, you gain Doom Points. When you gain 10, 20 or 30 Doom Points you suffer the Doom of Fools, Doom of Kings and the Ultimate Doom respectively. You can escape this Doom, but only if you go on a quest to save yourself.
Doom of Fools- You gain an Insanity.
Doom of Kings- Your insanity becomes contagious. Any Wizards who target you with a spell or anyone who spends too long talking to you is at risk of catching your Insanity.
Ultimate Doom- Your mind/soul is shunted out of your body and banished to the Spirit World, while an Outsider hijacks your body.
You can avoid this Doom by transferring your soul to another body or curing yourself of madness.
