The Summoning Spell From Lamentations of the Flame Princess Vornheim Style

I really dig much of what James Raggi has done with LotFP (check out the free version here, check out the not free version here).  It is dark, gritty, and grim.  Which is something I dig playing in.

LotFP played a huge part in the way I developed my own hack rules and my current game world, Hubris (so thanks for the inspiration Raggi).

One of my favorite parts LotFP is (and I’ve seen much praise for this) the Summon spell.  It is an interesting, dark, and unique take on what has normally been a “poof here is a griffon, eagle, blink dog, etc fighting for you” kind of spell.

The one criticism of it is that it weighs in at 6 pages (or 10 pages if you count the special summoned beings).  That is a hefty thing to sift through when you’re trying to keep the action on the game table.

I’ve seen people ask for or about a more simplified version of it out there.  Zak threw out a comment about doing in in the same vein as Vornheim.  I pondered this for a bit and was thinking of doing a die drop chart (since I love those things so fucking much), but in the end I thought, for this particular situation, it would become too convoluted…  However I did decide to still use one aspect of the die drop chart.  Roll a d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and a d20 and consult the table and you now have you Summons.

I tried to keep this extremely simple, but still offer a wide variety of “what the fuck is that?!” type creatures and abilities.  Obviously the spell itself is inspired and hacked from LotFP.  Many of the powers are listed in the book itself, some are just my own grab from any old D&D style OSR book or my own idea.

The d12 forms are all shit swimming around in my head, which proves that I’m  never lonely I guess….

And as always remember- as you roll these things up- erase it and creature something new in it’s place.  

So here it is as a handy PDF: Summoning Spell, Vornhacked

Here it is:

Summon

Magic User- Level 1

You tear open the fabric of reality and summon a creature from beyond the void.  It may not be the smartest thing to do, but damn it you’ve got the power and you’re going to do it!

Thaumatergic Circle– Takes a while to create.  Is a mix of fine silver fleck (equaling 500 silver pieces), mystic salts, the casters own blood, and other mystic herbs that make the party whacky and fun (remember breathe deeply).  This gives you +2 to your roll.

Sacrificing– You gain +1 per HD of the sacrifice, up to a maximum of +4.  The target must be restrained and unwilling.

Summoning the Beast– Roll Wisdom based save (plus Thamatergic Circle and Sacrifice), Target number 18- if successful the creature comes from the void to cause havoc.  Roll your level in d6’s to determine the length of time the creature is present.

Dominate This Bitch– The Magic User must put his will over beast or the havoc it will cause may be against the party.  The Magic User rolls a Wisdom based save (plusThamatergic Circle and Sacrifice) while the creature rolls a d20 + the number on the d4 (see below).  Who ever wins determines how this situation is going to go down.  If the magic user wins by 10 he is able to control the creature and do other tasks.  If he wins below that he must concentrate for the duration of the spell.  If he is distracted or takes damage another roll must be made.

What Happens if I Fail (roll a 1)- Bad shit happens.  Really really bad shit happens.

Roll 1d8-

1. The creature has stirred but goes back to sleep.  A second failure at a Summoning Spell (even just a regular failure) the creature will immediately reawaken and will immediately manifest at the casters location and destroy all within in its grasp.
2. The creature stirs and moves in its sleep causing the caster to catch a glimpse of its realm.  The Caster must make a Wisdom based save or become hysteric (permanently losing 1d6 Intelligence).
3. The being is not interested in the movement of ants and goes back to sleep.
4. The creature is angered and 2d6 of it appear to rend and tear and feast and kill and bring all sorts of horror to reality.
5. The creature briefly touches our reality and perverts it at the casters location.  Everyone must make a save.  Those that fail switch bodies.
6. The creatures brief moment of consciousness causes the weather to be completely opposite for the season.
7. The being takes over the caster (unbeknownst to the rest of the party) and seeks to pervert the world.  It will do all in its power to form a cult and gain power and open the rift further bring out a even more terrible and fucked up being.
8. Like swatting a gnat on the wall the creature simply wills the caster out of existence.

What the Fuck Did I Just Summon?!–

Base Creature– Two Attacks (1d6 claws, 1d4 bite).  AC 12.  Base Attack Bonus- Roll 1d6.  These can change based on what is rolled.

Roll one of each the following polyhedral dice at the same time and consult below: d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20

D4- Hit Points- Roll 1d20 and consult number on the die.

1. +15
2. +20
3. +25
4. +30

D6- Form 1- Consult number on die and choose one of two.

1. Glowing/Dark and Shadowy
2. Freezing/Flaming
3. Slimy/Dry and Cracking
4. Necrotic/Pus Leaking
5. Furry/Skin of Maggots
6. Flayed and bleeding/Hard rock-like Skin

D8- Powers 1

1. Three Attacks
2. Four Attacks
3. AC 15 + d8
4. AC 15 + d10
5. Venomous Bite (-1d10 Dex per bite)
6. Half Damage FromNormalWeapons
7. Immune toNormalWeapons
8. Long Reach (up to 25 ft) with Claws

D10- Appendages

1. Tentacles
2. Barbed
3. Stinking
4. Infected
5. Snakes
6. Baby Heads
7. Intestines
8. Overlarge
9. Underdeveloped
10. Negative Energy or Smoke

D12- Form 2

1. Half Goat Man
2. Swirling Wisp of Strange Energy
3. Bulbous Frog With Maggot Eye Stalks
4. Giant Eyeball Dripping Blood
5. Horse Turned Inside Out
6. Giant Stomach With Gnashing Teeth and Black Orb Eyes
7. Your Character’s Mother, Beaten, Battered, Dead, and Bloated
8. A Child’s Head on a Slimy Spider’s Body
9. Strange Pulsating Tumor With a Hundred Legs and Four Hundred Eyes
10. A Hanged Man With No Face, Moaning, His Intestines Trailing on the Ground
11. A Small Body of Writhing and Crawling Insects With the Laugh of a Little Girl
12. Body of a Lion, Centipede Neck, Face of Magic User, Mandibles of Beetle

D20- Powers 2

1. Miasmic Cloud (Cloudkill)
2. Fire Breath (3d6)
3. Spits Acid (2d8)
4. Gaseous Form (at will)
5. Invisibility (at will)
6. Swallow Creature Whole (on natural 20 or if successful by 10 or more)
7. Immunity to Magic
8. Mind Control (at will, one at a time)
9. Phantasmal Killer (at will, one at a time)
10. Horrific Visage (Fear Effect- constant)
11. Summon Undead (at will- 1d6 appear- can’t use again until all are gone)
12. Make Like Thyself- Attacks Start Transforming Target into Summoned Being (under its control)
13. Wall of Fire (at will, one at a time)
14. Aging- Attacks cause target to age 1d10 years
15. Transmute Flesh to Stone (on a successful hit)
16. Fireball Blasts (at will, one at a time)
17. Summoning (as this spell, but under control of the beast and not the caster)
18. Impregnates (Constitution based save or now carrying a creepy fucker in your belly.  Can be man or woman.  Bursts forth in 1d10 days fully formed)
19. Dimension Door (at will, one at a time)
20. Death Touch (one time- no save- Summoned Creature immediately returns to the Void)

Examples!!

Aside: These literally took 3 minutes to do.

Creature 1

Necrotic looking Horse Turned Inside Out with four legs that are made of intestines.

Three Attacks (Intestines 1d6 x2 damage, bite 1d4).  Has the ability to swallow creatures whole.  AC 12; BAB +1; HP 21.

Creature 2

Your Character’s Mother, Beaten, Battered, Dead, and Bloated with Hard rock-like Skin and Tentacled arms and legs

HP 37  AC 12 BAB +6

She is Immune to Normal Weapons Two Attacks (1d6 tentacles or 1d4 bite).  AC 12

Horrific Visage (Fear Effect- constant)