Genesis Arcana

Genesis Arcana; A Primer on Conjuration Magic

This large compendium is bound in elder plates inlaid with gold. Several of its pages are cemented together with sulphurous pitch.

Often I find myself called to define the school to which I have dedicated so many decades of study in a succinct and laconic manner, the use of a singular word. First instinct might suggest something to the effect of “matter”, for it is a school dedicated to the manipulation of such, creating from seemingly naught to bring forth structures, substances or subordinates. In truth, it has been long believed that it is impossible for matter to be truly created as such, more transported and transformed from another site or location, manipulated through the arcane or the divine into a new place, a new form. In such lies the issue with this choice of definition, for the line surely grows blurry with that of the School of Transmutation. Instead, one might use the description of “calling”, for, as previously discussed, there is a truth to be found there, given the nature of pulling an object or creature from one place to another, either as a process of summoning, or teleportation. The formermost has proven a troublesome aspect of matters though, with commonfolk jumping too quickly to the summoning of devils and demons by diabolic cults and cabals, unaware of applications far less sinister - everything from woodland beings, healing spirits or simply a spectral steed. Instead, I have since posited the following single word definition for the extent of the School of Conjuration, unsurprising in its simplicity. It is indeed magic dedicated to the art of “conjuration”.

I felt compelled from a young age to seek out a place amongst the Institute, my steps no doubt guided by the Lord of the Arcane Dystava. Since I have followed my interests, held in the belief that it is fated to guide me forth. Spurned by curiosity, the School of Conjuration has expanded my horizons further, and so my drifting thoughts are often filled with dreams of distant worlds, shielded behind the veils of reality. It is commonly accepted that the most commonly observable Planes of Existence are infinite in size, a fact that rings true even for the Prime Material. While the lands and waters rise from the horizon forward and shrink again in that behind, this is not proof that reality fails to linger beyond. Just as valleys and mountains may obscure the vision of what is beyond, it appears the Prime Material Plane exists in the same sense, with stretches of cosmos hiding the next set of lands. Further complicating this are the existence of demiplanes, a matter of study that has always found fuel in my own personal interest. Nearly all ill-defined, serving as pockets of realities that may be identical or quite vanishingly abstract from our own, they are usually by converse finite in size and may be openly connected to the Prime Material, or intractably isolated. I have found myself monitoring a few such demiplanes of note recently, though my research remains thus far limited by other constraints and matters that demand my attention.

Nonetheless, in hope of inspiring the next generation of Conjurers, I feel there is value in discussing what I have thus far managed to experience. Demiplanes, confined as they most commonly are, may therefore be laden with oddities at contrast with conventional wisdom and understanding. This may be as baffling innocuous as a land in which turn of the moon brings the transition of colours filling the word - objects once red, now yellow, those yellow now green and so forth - or as oppressive as the supposed Domains of Dread, in which ancient evils are held by the so-called Dark Ones, imprisoned for crimes committed and condemned to an eternity of strife. Other demiplanes more closely tied to the Prime Material may feature lands and peoples not unlike that of Elysia, though living exclusively within a vast city that stretches towards the horizon, or worship gods that appear as aspects or analogues of our own. I therefore postulate that there must be worlds in which Schools of Magic too vary, with some empowered beyond what seems possible by our own conventions - and so, my mind drifts to what might be achieved with the bolstering of the School of my own focus, be it by nature of land, artifact or being.

In light of the movement of the Illithid threat, and agreements born from the discussions with Arcadia, there is an unquestionable decision to make in removing the Lachla Shard from Elysia to another world within the multiverse. The clarity of the potential destruction of the joining of the Lachla Shards is unclear, but the joining of realms and planes of existence is very much a world ending threat and must not be allowed to come to pass under any cause or ideal.

Create Earth

1st Level Conjuration (Cleric, Druid, Wizard)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

You either create up to ten pounds of non-magical stone (as a solid brick or loose pebbles) or 50 pounds of sand or soil, appearing on a surface that you can see within range. At higher levels, you may create an additional 10 pounds of stone or 50 pounds of sand or soil for every additional level of casting.

Stallion’s Shield

1st Level Conjuration (Paladin)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Touch

Components: V

Duration: 1 Hour

You create a shimmering set of barding for your steed that fits it perfectly, regardless of what sort of creature it is. The barding is effectively weightless and provides your mount with a +2 bonus to its AC for the duration of the spell. This spell may be cast on a creature that is already wearing barding.

Conjure Campsite

2nd Level Conjuration, Ritual (Bard, Druid, Wizard)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Self (15-foot radius)

Components: V, S, M (a piece of rope, a metal tent peg, a drop of water)

Duration: 8 Hours

You clear a 15-foot-radius circle of debris, instantly setting up tents, bedrolls and a campfire ready for a period of rest. Any camping provisions, such as those detailed above, that you or any willing companions have in their possession are utilised, otherwise the spell will attempt to create the objects from your immediate surroundings if possible. For example, a bedroll may be fashioned from palm fronds, or a tent prepared from branches and mud.

After eight hours, the structures are dismantled, repackaged or otherwise returned to their original state. Any debris cleared from the area remains cleared.

Teleport Object

3rd Level Conjuration (Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Touch

Components: V

Duration: Instantaneous

You attempt to teleport a Tiny-sized inanimate object to a location. The destination you choose must be known to you, and it must be on the same plane of existence as you. Your familiarity with the destination determines whether you arrive there successfully. The GM rolls d100 and consults the table as detailed in the Teleport spell to determine the result.

At higher levels, the size of the object you can attempt to teleport increases. When you cast Teleport Object as a 4th level spell, you may transport a Small-sized object. Likewise, when you cast Teleport Object as a 5th level spell, you may transport a Medium-sized object. Casting Teleport Object using a spell slot of 6th-level or higher allows you to attempt to transport a Large-sized object.

Dystava’s Curator

4th Level Conjuration (Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard)

Casting Time: 1 Minute

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: 1 Hour

You conjure a spirit of knowledge. The spirit will research one question you ask that requires a skill roll for Arcana, History, Medicine, Nature or Religion, calling upon an arcane connection and understanding of books, tomes and other reference materials that exist in the world as sources of knowledge. The spirit has a +5 proficiency bonus in all those skills. After one hour, it will answer the question posed to the best of its ability.

Planar Aperture

Epic Magic Conjuration

Casting Time: 1 Hour

Range: Unlimited

Components: V, S, M (two Lachla Shards)

Duration: 24 hours

You create a fracture between two planes of existence in a precise location you can see. You must be on one of the two planes to cast this spell. The fracture is a 100ft radius circle and opens in both directions to both planes. The opening lasts for the duration.

Throughout the duration, creatures on both planes of existence can freely move through the fracture between the planes at-will using 5ft of movement to cross the portal. When the spell ends, the portal closes and creatures remain on the plane of existence they are on when portal closes.

Karezan’s Planar Transference

Epic Magic Conjuration

Casting Time: 24 Hours

Range: Touch (160000 ft2)

Components: V, S, M (a magical object from the destination world)

Duration: Instantaneous

You designate an area that fits within a 400-foot cube, seeking to transport all that is contained within it to another Plane of Existence. To cast this spell, you must have a magical object that originated from the world you wish to reach, and you must be aware of the world’s existence, even if you don’t know the world’s name.

Like that of the Plane Shift spell, upon casting you can specify a target destination in general terms, such as the Fields of Arvandor on the Outer Plane of Arborea or the Citadel of the Great Caliph Husam al-Balil ben Nafhat al-Yugayyim on the Elemental Plane of Air, and you appear in or near that destination. Depending on the size of the region you are attempting to transport, you may appear up to a mile away from your intended target location, positioned safely and securely on the ground in an otherwise unoccupied space. If the targeted area is able to fly, hover or otherwise linger airbound, it may instead appear aloft near to the target destination.

If no such suitable location exists, the spell fails.

At point of casting, all the land, water and air designated is permanently transferred to that plane, leaving nothing behind except a semicircular hole in the ground. Any non-willing creature within the area must succeed on a Charisma saving throw against your spellcasting DC, or be transported alongside their surroundings.