Chants and incantations for spells.

[Agrippa]

Does any one feel like helping me come up with some incantations? I don't mean Unearthed Arcana style incantations, just the the sort of words a caster might chant while casting spells. Think something along the lines of Dragon Slave's incantation from the Slayers.

One who is darker than twilight
One who is redder than flowing blood
Buried in the flow of time
In thy great name,
I hereby pledge myself to darkness
Those who stand before us in our way
All those who have become fools
Merge your power and mine
To grant destruction equally to all!!
DRAGON SLAVE!

Now this is for my psionics as magic (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=229337) paint job from a while back so at least you'll know why.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

I'm reminded of some of the old-school Amtgard verbals...

For a heal spell:

Sword cut, spear stab, mace smash, arrow jab
May the white light of healing decend upon thou
Sword cut, spear stab, mace smash, arrow jab
May the white light of healing mend thy bones
Sword cut, spear stab, mace smash, arrow jab
May the white light of healing stop thy flowing blood
Sword cut, spear stab, mace smash, arrow jab
May the white light of healing close thy wounds
Sword cut, spear stab, mace smash, arrow jab
The white light of healing has healed thou.

Of course, the speed of the spell was how fast you could spout out the incant, so they tended to be tongue twisters.

[Agrippa]

Strictly speaking this is more of badass creed than an incantation but I think Golden Age Green Lantern Alan Scott's oath serves as a pretty good inspiration.

And I will shed my light over dark evil,
For the dark things cannot stand the light,
The light of the Green Lantern!

All you need to do is make a few tweaks here and there and you get a decent incantation for a banishment spell.

And I will shed my light over dark evil,
For the dark things cannot stand the light,
The light of the Life and Truth!

I'll come up with some more later.

[DementedFellow]

I'm partial to Uncle's incantation from Jackie Chan Adventures
Yu Mo Gwai Gui Fai Di Zao

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgEnsTQwZW4

[ShneekeyTheLost]

I'm partial to Uncle's incantation from Jackie Chan Adventures
Yu Mo Gwai Gui Fai Di Zao

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgEnsTQwZW4

There's a few other (www.youtube.com/watch?v=520mME1J30w) incantations from that series at well.

[Unusual Muse]

Not to be a killjoy or anything... but you're going to have to talk pretty fast to fit most of those verbal components into a 6-second standard action casting time! :smallsmile:

[Slipperychicken]

Not to be a killjoy or anything... but you're going to have to talk pretty fast to fit most of those verbal components into a 6-second standard action casting time! :smallsmile:

Ha! 1 Round is 6 full seconds. A Full-Round action is less than that. Standard Actions are even less than that. Standard actions are the time it takes to swing a sword once, or chug a vial of Healing Potion.

I wish you luck finding incantations for Swift and Immediate Action spells. Same goes for casting-times exceeding 10 minutes.

[Tvtyrant]

Ha! 1 Round is 6 full seconds. A Full-Round action is less than that. Standard Actions are even less than that. Standard actions are the time it takes to swing a sword once, or chug a vial of Healing Potion.

I wish you luck finding incantations for Swift and Immediate Action spells. Same goes for casting-times exceeding 10 minutes.

No, the latter is really easy. Take one of the incantations above, but put a big pause between each word (like 10-30 seconds). Fin.

[Psyren]

Actually it's easy to do long babbling for your spells. Recall that the fluff of Vancian is that you prepare spells by "precasting" during the morning. A prepared spell then just needs a few words to set the final parameters (targets etc) and have it go off.

"Though less dramatic than lightning bolt,
My tingling fingers give...." (spell prepped.)

So in the heat of combat, what your wizard is actually doing is saying the end of his poem.

"...quite a jolt!" (Shocking Grasps goblin)

It works for divine casters too. Just change the incantation to a prayer, maybe throw "Amen" on the end.

For spontaneous casters, they don't have to precast/prepare - they just say the ending bit of the incantation and convince the cosmos that they did the whole thing.

[Slipperychicken]

No, the latter is really easy. Take one of the incantations above, but put a big pause between each word (like 10-30 seconds). Fin.

[Wizard Begins casting Phantom Steed]

Wizard: So.....

[20 Seconds pass. Wizard stands inert]

Fighter: So WHAT, pointy-hat? Stop ****ing around and pack up your tent! It's time to go!

Wizard: ...what...

Fighter: :smallfurious:

[Fighter punches Wizard. Wizard loses spell]

[ShneekeyTheLost]

No, the latter is really easy. Take one of the incantations above, but put a big pause between each word (like 10-30 seconds). Fin.


Or they just repeat the spell name over and over again...

"Control weather. Control weather. Control weather..."

[Slipperychicken]

Or they just repeat the spell name over and over again...

"Control weather. Control weather. Control weather..."

So you're telling me I needed to take 13 levels in Wizard just to chant the word "simulacrum" for 12 hours? :smalltongue:


This is why I like the idea of silent spellcasting, or using non-language vocalizations for verbal components. Because you shouldn't need to shout something stupid like "Fire fire make me a pyre!" every time you burn someone to death.

[Batou1976]

So you're telling me I needed to take 13 levels in Wizard just to chant the word "simulacrum" for 12 hours? :smalltongue:


This is why I like the idea of silent spellcasting, or using non-language vocalizations for verbal components. Because you shouldn't need to shout something stupid like "Fire fire make me a pyre!" every time you burn someone to death.


Or, you could make up an incantation like "fire, fire..." then use Google translate to turn it into another language. Weis and Hickman used Sanskrit, IIRC, for Raistlin's spells in the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy.

Or, take a cue from Harry Dresden. Wizards can cast spells in whatever language they wish, but if they use one they are too familiar with, the familiarity somehow causes feedback, leading to a headache and fatigue.

[Hecuba]

Why, simply steal it shamelessly from other media!

MTG flavor text can be good:


Knit bone, darn flesh, stitch skin, weave breath.

Eye of twilight, give us sight/ take our offer, give us might/ make our power tears of night

And then there's always Buffy:

Kali, Hera, Kronos, tonic/ air like nectar, thick as onyx/ Cassiel, by your second star/ hold mine victim as in tar

Enemies, fly and fall...circling arms, raise a wall!

And Sailor Moon, of all things:

I am flame, flame is light/I am fire, fire is sight

Or Andromeda:

I am the darkness become the light. I am the darkness become truth. I am the darkness become The Way.

[Agrippa]

These are basically just psionic powers with the serial numbers filed off and given new paint jobs. Just tell me how they look.

{table=head]Level|Old name|New name|Incantation

1|
Natural Healing|
Touch of Health|
"Refreshing breeze of life, flow into this injured body and mend its wounds."

1|
Suppress Compulsion|
Free the Mind|
"Be a slave to no one now."

2|
Body Adjustment|
Flesh and Bone Knitting|
"Flesh and bones weave together to make this damaged body more whole."

2|
Resist Toxin|
same|
"Let no foul poison or illnes take hold over this flesh."

3|
Mend Wounds|
same|
"Every wound and bruise heal and leave this body as if never here."

3|
Body Purification|
Cure the Body's Ravages|
"Now that sickness and poison are gone from this body, let the harm it suffered also be wiped away."

5|
Restore Extremity|
same|
"By rejoining or growing anew restore this poor sufferer's body."

5|
Psionic Revivfy|
Revivify|
"I give this breath of Life so that you can live anew. Rise from death and breathe again. By my power and and the blessings of nature I seek to triumph over death so that you may live! Live, just live."

6|
Cleanse Spirit|
Restoration|
"Life's power shall purge all corruption and ill."

6|
Heal Injuries|
same|
"Stream of life rush in and bring vitality and healing to the wounded."

8|
True Metbolism|
Assertations of Wholeness|
"May Nature's Balm hasten your renewal."

9|
Regenerative Aura|
Great Pulse of Life|
"May the force of life flow out to all who are with me and and quicken their healing."[/table]

[Ranting Fool]

Well I did once have a NPC favoured soul Gnome who thought he was the Son of a God (just not sure which one) who often phrased his prayers something along the lines of "Anyone out there, I could use some help" or "I pray to thee [insert appropriate God here] I could really use a hand" Yes he said insert.... here bit :smallbiggrin:

Was rather a silly character
:smallredface: