Spell: Freamon’s Well Trade

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Because the last three modules I read have a well in them, I offer you a level 2 Magic user spell for OSR Games. In DCC format. Notes for other systems below.

Wizard Spell, Level 3. Range: Special, Duration: 1 minute per caster level, Casting time, 1 minute. Save: N/A

General: There are wells everywhere. This spell requires the kind of well with a rope and a bucket or a similar mechanism for lowering things in and bringing things up. The well can be dry and still work. When the caster performs this ritual, she connects randomly with another spell caster who is performing a similar spell or using a technology with similar effect on a well in some other country, time, planet or dimension.

While repeating the spell’s words, the caster or an ally places something of any size up to an elephant in the bucket and lowers it into the well until it is out of sight. After 1d20 seconds there is a slight tug on the rope. When the bucket is brought up, it contains something else, determined by the table below. In DCC, the nature of the item will be determined by a spell check and Judge discretion. The exchange happens simultaneously on both sides of the connection and items received cannot be sent back. The item can be much larger and heavier than the bucket; if it is larger, it will expand once removed from the bucket. The value of the item sent will largely determine what is sent back. Unless the caster rolls a very high spell check, a copper piece will not bring forth magic sword!

This can be repeated until the spell’s duration is extinguished, so careful tracking of the time is required. Assume the bucket can be raised and lowered in about 20 seconds on average if the players act quickly. Repeated trades are at -1 spell check cumulative. Unless otherwise stated in the table, the same two wells are connected for the duration of the spell.

Those who have used the spell several times have learned that it can help to include a note with the first traded item. Often a drawing of the desired item or the situation at hand is sent down with an offering of gold, medicine or food. If a written note is sent, the caster makes a luck check at -3 in the hopes that whoever is on the other end can understand the writing.

Any success of 30+ will prevent the caster from using this spell again for 1d6 months of game time.

Manifestation. Roll 1d3: 1) Loud splash as bucket reaches water, a few drops of which splashes up over top of well (or dust if well is dry);  2) A geyser of iridescent liquid of unknown and undrinkable composition rises from the well, pushing the bucket up mere seconds after the objects are swapped; 3) The bucket is hard to hoist (twice as long to bring up) no matter the weight of the item coming up.

Corruption. Roll 1d8: 1) Caster vomits far more liquid than she could possible have in her body; 2) Caster will feel severely dehydrated for 1d14 days; 3) for 1d4 days, caster’s hair will stand up completely as if touching a static electricity ball; 4) Caster will be convinced she is being cheated in all exchanges and divisions of treasure for 2d7 days; 5) caster will not be able to see what is exchanged, ever; 6 minor; 7) major; 8) greater.

Misfire. Roll 1d3:  1) Caster realizes she has accidentally exchanges her most valuable possession instead of what was intended; 2) The rope breaks, sending the item into the well to be lost forever; 3) The well explodes as a geyser of hot, geothermally  heated water, causing 1d8 of damage to all within 25 feet each round. It will then erupt every hour on the hour for five seconds. The item is obviously lost. Roll 1d6 modified by luck: on 6+ the item is found in the bucket 50 feet away.

Spell check results:

1) Lost, failure and worse! Roll 1d6 modified by Luck: (0 or less) corruption + patron taint + misfire; 1-2 corruption; 3) patron taint (or corruption if no patron); 4+ misfire.

2-6) Lost. Item sent is dangerous or makes the situation worse. Examples: a vial of oil in a forest fire; a poisonous snake; evidence the caster is the killer (even if she’s innocent).

6-11) Lost. Item returned is a total zoink and not useful at all except for the most clever of players. Examples: a knuckle bone; a cup with a hole in the bottom; a dirty limerick in the language of the pegusi.

12-13) Failure, but spell is not lost (nor is sent item). Spell can be attempted again in 4 hours.

14-15) An item of roughly equal value is returned. While it might be useful in the situation, it will be of the same world and within the same bounds of reality as the caster’s. Examples:  key to locked chest; the letter of marque from a farway land; a wand of1d4  magic missiles.

16-19) An item of slightly greater value is returned. It will definitely be useful and might even be something the caster hoped for. It could be slightly unusual for the existing campaign. Examples: a bag holding a swarm of hornets; a scroll of time travel -1 hour; a glass horn that summons giant rabbits.

20-21) An item definitely more valuable than the item sent, both from a situational and market value standpoint. It could have come from another world with different technology. Examples: the crown jewels of the king of frogs; contact lenses that reveal class/level; a lighter requiring no fuel.

22-25)The player can as the caster choose any item of similar value that the Judge will allow. It is not from another world (so it must be something the character can contemplate) but might be exotic for the existing campaign. Examples: a scroll of banish evil; a pound of purple mushroom powder; the piece of evidence that shows the baron was indeed a traitor (Which does not need to be true. The player must explain how it fits the crime, even if it is a frame up).

26-29) The player can choose an item (that the Judge will allow). This can be something of similar value in the player’s world or a world from another fiction that the DM will allow. It will be expended upon use. Examples: a machine gun with 80 rounds of ammunition; a pickup truck with a full tank of gas; a raven that delivers messages to far away places then dies; a triceratops.

30-31) The caster cannot believe the other side sent this item through, it is such an uneven! This is definitely from another place or time that will not only greatly help our immediate situation but could also fetch a fortune at market. Examples: a laster pistol with 1d20 charges; a ring of charm giant; a bottle of 40 penicillin; a talking triceratops warrior.

32-33) The Judge can decide an item that will disrupt the current situation or serve as an adventure hook for a side quest. Examples: a medical tricorder, an electric guitar that spits fire, Baba Yaga’s phone number (and a phone).

34+) The Judge will choose a ridiculous item that will either sole the crisis or transport the party from the current reality to another. Examples: an medical droid that can raise the dead once. A clone ray that creates 10 independent exact copies of a PC. A portal to another dimension/campaign setting.

Wow. DCC spells require lot of time to write!

If you use LotFP, Swords and Wizardry, Labyrinth Lord, B/X, Basic Fantasy, 0e -5e and so forth, use the table above but roll d100 and divide by 3, rounding down. Add the any of the caster’s spell casting ability score or bonus as a raw number (INT bonus is +3, add 30 to the d100 before dividing by 3). You should probably make this a level 5 or six spell while you are at it.

If reader feedback warrants revision, I will post it here. I hope this is not too powerful!