Sunday, September 28, 2025

House Rules, Part Two - Magic and Spellcasting

     The house rules I intend to use for Dragonbane's magic rules aren't a rewrite, but instead a number of extrapolations of lore and rules, as well as augmentations from various third party publications.
 

Third Party Supplements

     Third party publishers have stepped up with regard to bolstering the magic system for Dragonbane. New schools, spells, and even a freeform magic system have been released. Until Free League's Book of Magic is released in April of next year, we will be relying on a number of these supplements as well as possibly converting from other sources, such as various BRP games and even D&D and Pathfinder. I confess I will be a bit stingy so as to avoid causing serious issues in the game that would require a retcon. Below is a list of supplements I have on hand; if something gets missed, I will add it when I can. In no particular order, here are the PDFs I have:

 

Customized Magic Effects

      Every mage has their own style or flair in how their magic appears in the world. An elven mage may have a raptor theme to his or her spell effects while a dwarven artificer may have a hammer and anvil theme for some spells, for example. I encourage players to develop such things for their spellcasting characters and a good source for ideas on this is the article "The Color of Magic" by Dan Joyce in Dragon #200. Players in my campaign will have access to a copy of the article online.
 

Truly Desperate Measures

     “Power from the Body” on p.58 of the Dragonbane rulebook allows spellcasters to burn Hit Points to fuel spells when they're low or out of Willpower Points. However, the rules as written don't underscore how serious this can be. The following additions better define the consequences of using life force to fuel a spell.
  • Rolling a Demon when using life force to fuel a spell results in the character rolling on the mishap table with a Bane.
  • Rolling a Dragon when using life force to fuel a spell allows the hero to reclaim the unspent Willpower Points as Hit Points.
  • Damage incurred by burning Hit Points to fuel a spell takes twice as long to heal and cannot be healed magically. The exception to this is the rule above regarding rolling a Dragon.
  • If the spellcaster hits zero (0) Hit Points, they get to make one Death Roll with a Bane. Failure indicates the mage dies in a very dramatic and permanent fashion with no hope of resurrection.

Armor and Magic (Alternate Rules For Dragonbane)

     Magi may use metal weapons and armor, but there is an added WP cost per the rules on page 3 of Alternate Rules For Dragonbane. 
 

  © 2015 Dean Spencer, used with permission, All rights reserved.     

More Notes on Magic and Metal

     Below are a few notes I've developed to further explain why mages have issues casting spells while using metal.
  • Iron is a vulnerability of the fae and the iron in steel is what gives magi trouble in casting spells.
  • Metal fragments from broken blades, arrowheads, crossbow bolts, etc., will cause a spellcaster great pain due  to any iron in the metal. The cost of casting a spell is raised by 1 WP for each such wound until the metal is removed. Once the metal is removed, the flow of magical essence returns to normal. The mage's spellcasting is then only hindered by their injuries.
  • Shackles and chains increase the cost of spellcasting 3 WP per power level.
  • Bronze and brass do not impede spellcasting as they do not use iron.
  • Orichalcum is a very rare, magical element found deep in the earth. Dwarves are known to trade it (grudgingly) to magi and elves. The magical potential of pure orichalcum is very difficult, if not impossible, to unlock. Artificers commonly use the element with other metals to create magical weapons and items. When a mage enchants an item made with an orichalcum alloy, they receive a Boon on the spellcasting roll.
  • Mythræl, an alloy of orichalcum and other metals, is sometimes used to make lighter, more durable weapons. Its creation is a closely guarded dwarven (and elven) secret. Each race claims the other stole it from them.
  • Because the power they wield is divine in nature, not arcane, some (but not all) clerics and priests can use metal items, weapons, and armor without issue. (Note: This ability may or may not be granted based on the character's patron deity.)

 

Iron, Silver, and the Fae

     The following lore is drawn from the Dolmenwood setting by Necrotic Gnome. If you're looking for a good alternate setting for your OSR game, or even for Dragonbane, I really don't think you can go wrong with Dolmenwood. To further illustrate my estimation of the setting, check out RedMageGM's intro and lore video on Youtube.
  • Demi-fae are those fae, such as hulder and vættir, who retain their ancestors' susceptibility to cold iron, but have lived long enough in the mortal world to build a resistance to the effects of silver.
  • Silver, while not outright harmful to fae, is repulsive to them. The mere touch of the metal causes them to suffer a bout of queasiness and even nausea. Some faeries are even sensitive enough to smell silver on a person's body. 
  • Both fae and demi-fae are susceptible to cold iron (see below).

           © 2025 The Forge Studios; used under license.          


Armor, Weapons, and Magic (Multiple Sources)

     Magi may use metal armor and weapons, but there is an added WP cost when it comes to spellcasting, per the rules on p.3 of Alternate Rules of Dragonbane. Bronze weapons and armor can be used by magi with no problem other than the difficulty they add to making the requisite gestures and movements for spellcasting.
 
     Silver weapons and armor, as well as bronze/silver and mythræl armor can also be used by magi, but inflict their own special WP costs, per the rules on p.8 of Wares of Wonder. Rules for weapons and armor made of other non-metal materials can be found in the supplements Expanded Rules for Armor and Expanded Rules for Weapons.
  • Cold Iron: These do the same amount of damage as their steel counterparts to non-fae opponents. Against fae and demi-fae, they do an additional +1 of damage. Because iron alone is more brittle than steel, cold iron weapons have a durability of 2 less than their steel counterparts. Cold iron weapons are forged in fires fueled by ancient yew wood and cooled in water infused with mandrake root. Forging iron weapons and armor requires 4 WP due to the added delicacy of the metal. Cold iron items cost double the price of their steel counterparts and incur a delay of 1D6 additional shifts.
  • Silver: Silver weapons and armor incur a manufacturing delay of 1D6 additional shifts. Like cold iron, silver inflicts an added +1 of damage to fae, but demi-fae are unaffected. Silver-covered weapons and armor are much easier to manufacture, incurring a delay of 1D3 additional shifts and a price hike of three times the ordinary cost. It should be noted that because silver is a heavy and soft metal, silver weapons have a durability of 1 less than an ordinary weapon.
  • Black Silver: Called such because of the swirls of black iron and silver throughout their damaging surfaces, these weapons are made of a special dwarven (or elven) amalgam of silver and cold iron. They can only be made by a blacksmith of either kin and will usually cost five to ten times the weapon's regular cost, depending on who is doing the work. The delay incurred is usually 3D6 additional shifts. Black silver weapons have the same durability and cause the same amount of damage as their steel counterparts. However, they readily damage lycanthropes (e.g. werewolves), and cause an added +1 damage to fae and demi-fae alike. (Note: This is an idea - called silver-iron weapons - I drew from the D&D article "Magic For Beginners" by Gregory W. Detwiler in Dragon #149.)


     In my next post, we'll be looking at a couple of house rules for combat and notes on equipment options.
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