These are some simple house rules on magic that I am playtesting in my current c

ampaign. They aim at reintroducing into the magic system the element of randomne
ss and chaos and the cosmic proportions that characterized the old Stormbringer
RPG. Although the new Elric! system is more balanced, I think it lacks some of t
he chaotic element that made the old Stormbringer so fun.
Some simple rule variants can reintroduce the best of the old system without the
flaws -- I hope. The main feature of these rules is that they reintroduce the S
ummoning skill and employ it in new ways, taking advantage of the extended use o
f "criticals" that characterizes the Elric! rpg.
1. SPELLS
Spell casting is too reliable; to add a little uncertainty to it, a POW x5 roll
(Luck roll) is required to cast a spell.
FUMBLE (99-00)
GM should come up with a suitable mishap: e.g. spell backfires, double MP spent
and no effect, spell has normal effect but caster loses all MP and faints, jealo
us Chaos Lord strips the knowledge of the spell from caster.
FAILURE
No effect. Magic points spent.
SUCCESS
The spell is cast with the normal effect. Magic points spent.
2. SUMMONINGS
2.1 THE SUMMONING SKILL
The summoning skill is reintroduced. This skill represents the sorcerer's genera
l knowledge of the rituals, chants, and runes used to bring otherworldly creatur
es to the plane of the Young Kingdoms. The base chance for a character with sorc
erous background and training is INT+POW. If a character without any previous fo
rmal sorcerous training acquires a summoning spell (e.g. the summon demon spell)
from a
grimoire or somehow else, his/her base chance will be equal to characteric POW.
Experience is gained normally when using the summoning skill.
2.2 USING THE SUMMONING SKILL FOR SUMMONING DEMONS AND ELEMENTALS
In order to summon a demon or elemental a character must know the appropriate sp
ell and roll her/his summoning skill. The skill roll substitutes for the Luck ro
ll.
FUMBLE
Magic points are spent. Roll on the Summoning Fumble Table.
FAILURE
Magic points are spent. Make a Luck Roll; if it fails roll on the Summoning Fumb
le Table.
SUCCESS
The entity manifests in 1d8 hours or 1d6 rounds as appropriate.
CRITICAL
The entity manifests in 1 hour (demons) or 1 round (elementals). Add 25% to any
one communication skill roll while negotiating. Add 5 to adventurer's POW in the

POW:POW struggle if the sorcerer attempts binding. The sorcerer learns the name
of the demon breed.
Bonuses to Summoning Skill roll:
The following bonuses could apply at GM's discretion:
* the demon belongs to a demon breed known to the sorcerer (because he/she alrea
dy summoned it or did scholarly research on it): +10%
* the sorcerer knows the True Name of the demon or elemental: +20%
2.3 INSTANT SUMMONING
When a sorcerer knows the True Name of a demon or the name of a demon breed, he
can attempt to summon the known demon or a specimen of the known breed in 1d8 ro
unds. To accomplish this exceptional deed of sorcery the player must declare his
/her intentions and roll a CRITICAL
SUCCESS in his/her summoning skill.
If the player rolls a simple success the entity does not manifest, the MP are go
ne, but he/she need not make a Luck Roll to avoid a fumble.
2.4 SUMMONING THE BEAST AND PLANT LORDS
The chance of success in summoning the Beast/Plant Lords is no longer the ridicu
lous 01 percent; a CRITICAL SUCCESS in the Summoning Skill
is required instead. If the summoning spell succeeds the character's soul is tak
en to the half-world where the Beast Lord resides. There the character must plea
d for its help. The fact that the Beast Lord answered the summoning does not mea
n that it is willing to aid the character or is benevolent towards him/her.
Pleading his/her cause before the Lord should be a good role-playing opportunity
for the character.
The outcome of the bargain could be influenced by Communication skills and by th
e deeds of the character on behalf of the Balance (the GM
might ask the player to roll less than the character's alliegiance points in the
Balance box on a d100).
Success in poetic and singing skills, as well as the knowledge of rhymes that pr
aise the lords may increase the chance of success of the summoning. However the
cumulate bonus should never exceed +10%.
2.5 NECROMANCY
"There is sorcery here. She is no reincarnation. You'd bring your lost
love's spirit from the nether world to inhabit this girl's body. Am I
not right?"
-Elric to Earl Saxif d'Aan in _Sailor on The Seas of Fate_ II, 5
It is assumed in these rules that the foul arts of necromancy described in the _
Bronze Grimoire_ supplement always involve the summoning of a
spirit from limbo or from some other plane of existence (see the "Afterlives" se
ction, page 17, of the _Bronze Grimoire_).
If you use the rules in the _Bronze Grimoire_, note that the following spells in
volve a Summoning skill roll that substitutes for the Luck roll: Animate Skeleto
n, Create Abomination, Lure Spirit, Raise Mummy, Raise Zombie, Summon Ghoul. A S
ummoning skill roll will be necessary also for the "Speak with the Dead" spell;

the cost in MP for this spell will be equal to the dead person's POW.
Whether or not you adopt the _Bronze Grimoire_ necromancy rules you can always e
mploy this general purpose spell:
2.5.1 SUMMON SPIRIT SPELL
In general the summoning of the spirits of the dead -- for the purpose of questi
oning them, binding them or luring them in someone's body -- could be ruled as f
ollows when not otherwise specified:
* a successful Summoning Skill roll is required to summon a random spirit; a cri
tical success is needed to summon a particular individual.
* If the result is a Failure a convenient mishap occurs. GMs can either use the
Necromantic Mishaps Table (_Bronze Grimoire_, page 19) or devise their own table
s of ghastly events.
* the cost in magic points equals the spirit's INT+POW.
* required casting time is 1d6 hours.
2.6 UNUSUAL DEEDS OF SORCERY
"You were successful, lady," he said, "in conjuring up a demon?"
"A demon? I think not, though he looked to us like a demon with his
slanting eyes and his pointed ears -- a face not unlike your own, Prince
Corum -- and we were at first afraid for he stood in the centre of our magic
ring and he was furious, shouting, threatening in a language which I could
not, in those days understand."
-Michael Moorcock, _The King of the Swords_
The summoning skill is a useful measure of the general magic proficiency of a ch
aracter and can be used in a simple way to deal with the summoning of creatures
that are predefined as coming from another plane, such as the Creatures of Matik
, the Elenoin, the Steeds of Nirhain, or even a Vadagh from Corum's world, an El
dren from the ghost-worlds of Erekose's Earth, or a traveller of the spheres lik
e Wheldrake the poet.
Creature summoning procedure:
* The character must have some information on the target creature and
its plane of existence. She/he should also figure out the proper
summoning ritual (which will count as a spell against free INT). This
can be done in two ways:
1: The sorcerer has found the relevant spell in a grimoire.
2: The sorcerer creates a ritual based on his/her knowledge of the
multiverse (success in the Million Spheres skill), library
research, or information that is given during play.
* The character must roll a CRITICAL SUCCESS in his/her Summoning
Skill and the creature will appear. The duration of the ritual is up
to the GM and players to determine.
* The cost in magic points is 1d8 + the POW of the creature summoned.
* If the creature summoned has human or near-human intelligence the
sorcerer can negotiate its services. Otherwise he can always attempt

to dominate the creature with a POW:POW struggle: if the sorcerer

succeeds he/she can give orders to the creature for a number of rounds
equal to the sorcerer's POW.
* Predefined creatures from other planes cannot be bound.
NOTE: Normal inhabitants of other worlds cannot be dismissed like demons or elem
entals. They remain on the plane of the Young Kingdoms unless a demon or a speci
al spell (such as Chaos Gate) is used to send them back to their home world. Obv
iously this might cause trouble to
imprudent summoners.
3. INVOKING THE LORDS OF THE HIGHER WORLDS
In the Stormbringer RPG servants of the Cosmic Forces could invoke divine interv
ention rather easily, probably too easily.
In Elric!, on the contrary, characters allieged with a Force have in principle n
o chance of succeeding in an invocation but the minimal 1%. I think this is less
fun and contrasts with the cosmic high fantasy feeling a moorcockian rpg should
have. Therefore I propose to modify the rules as
follows:
* The chance of success in invocation for an allieged character is 1/10 (round u
p) of his/her alliegiance points.
* The chance of success for Champions remains unchanged (POWx3)
I made this table because I wanted to know what kind of potions my players could
make according to their skill in Natural World and Potions.
You may change values as you see fit.
Skill
Effects
01-10

POT

1d2
Smells/Colors
11-20
1d4
Digestive
21-30
1d6
Sedative
31-40
1d8
Dizziness
41-50
1d10
Fever
51-60
1d10+1d2
atatonia
61-70
1d10+1d4
-71-80
1d10+1d6
Illness
81-90
1d10+1d8
-91-100
2d10
Evil Illness
101-110
2d10+1d2
in:

Heal
Effect Time(opt.)

Charact.

-1 Hr/Rnd

1d2
1d2 Hrs/Rnds
1d2
1d4 Hrs/Rnds
1d4
1d6 Hrs/Rnds
1d4
1d8 Hrs/Rnds

1
1
1d2
1d2

1d6
1d4
1d10 Hrs/Rnds
1d6
1d4
1d10+1d2 Hrs/Rnds
1d8
1d6
1d10+1d4 Hrs/Rnds
1d8
1d6
1d10+1d6 Hrs/Rnds
1d10
1d8
1d10+1d8 Hrs/Rnds
1d10
1d8
2d10 Hrs/Rnds

Death

111-120
121-130
131-140
141-150
ys
151-160
161-170
171-180
181-190
191-200
1 min
201-210
s
210-220
antaneous

1d6 years
2d10+1d4
1d10+1d2
1d10
2d10+1d2 Hrs/Rnds
2d10+1d6
1d10+1d2
1d10
2d10+1d4 Hrs/Rnds
2d10+1d8
1d10+1d4
1d10+1d2
2d10+1d6 Hrs/Rnds
3d10
1d10+1d4
1d10+1d2
2d10+1d8 Hrs/Rnds
3d10+1d2
1d10+1d6
1d10+1d4
3d10 Hrs/Rnds
3d10+1d4
1d10+1d6
1d10+1d4
3d10+1d2 Hrs/Rnds
3d10+1d6
1d10+1d8
1d10+1d6
3d10+1d4 Hrs/Rnds
3d10+1d8
1d10+1d8
1d10+1d6
3d10+1d6 Hrs/Rnds
4d10
2d10
1d10+1d8
3d10+1d8 Hrs/Rnds
4d10+1d2
2d10
1d10+1d8
4d10 Hrs/Rnds
so on...
so on...
so on...
so on...

1 year
2d4 months
1 month
3d6 da
1d6 days
2d8 hrs
1 hr
2d10 min

2 rnd
Inst

The effect time must be chosen to be either hours or rounds as the GM judges bes
t for the effect or change.
When making a potion, a player must decide whether it will be a healing potion,
a potion which increases characteristics, or a potion that has some other effect
. The POT is relevent for potions which have some adverse or undesired effect on
another.
To find the proper ingredients, the PC must roll against Natural World, and will
find herbs up to his Natural World skill according to the table above.
To prepare a potion with those herbs, the PC must roll against Potions to make o
ne of a power up to his Potion skill, according to the same table.
Example: Krean of Org searchs for 2d10 POT herbs (he has 95% in Natural World).
He succeeds at the roll. At his lab he tries to use the herbs to make poison but
he has only 80% in Potions, so he can only make poison of up 1d10+1d6 POT.
The PC may, buy, borrow, steal, or get by any means, herbs whose POT exceeds his
Natural World skill level and use them according the above
rules.
In the same way, he can hire the services of a higher skilled PC or NPC to make
good use of herbs whose POT exceeds his own Potion skills.
Chaosium's newest game of the Young Kingdoms, Elric!, offers an impressive magi
c system which allows characters to cast many of the small spells seen in the El
ric novels. Although I was originally somewhat leery of the idea, I think the re
sult is a good one. There are sufficient detriments to spell casting, that parti
es of adventurers are unlikely to wander about the Young Kingdoms, Hell's Razor
constantly upon their blades.
However, even with the minor magics of Elric!, the system still seems somewhat i
ncomplete. I first hit upon this problem when designing the Melnibonean Spell, T
he Runesleep [see V3.4]. The normal procedures for spellcasting, which allow for
short-lived spells which may be cast very quickly, seemed inappropriate. Since

then, I've considered the problem a bit more, and I now offer, as a solution, a
new manner of spells: Enchantments.
The Elric! rules touch briefly upon Enchantments, saying that they are: "a form
of magic which imbued objects and places with one or more qualities that permane
ntly changed its characteristics or behavior" (Elric! rules, page 107). I would
suggest that that is only one aspect of Enchantments. More completely, an enchan
tment is any spell that has some type of permanent effect upon the world. These
might be the Armoring, Binding and Matrix Enchantments of RuneQuest, or the anci
ent enchantments alluded to in Elric! or modern rituals, known by the most power
ful of sorcerers.
All enchantments have three defining characteristics:
* LENGTH OF CASTING - Enchantments take an extended amount of time to cast. Most
modern enchantments will take 1D8 hours to cast. More
powerful enchantments, such as the ones described on page 108 of the Elric! book
could take considerably longer.
* DURATION OF SPELL - Universally, enchantments are of a permanent duration, alt
hough some of them (such as The Runesleep and The Hidden Soul) may be broken und
er certain conditions.
* EXPENDITURE OF POWER - Due to their strength, Enchantments take something out
of their caster. The weakest ones, such as the examples
given below, drain but one POW. Greater ones might require the sacrifices of ent
ire villages.
As examplse of enchantments, I would first offer two extant spells, Brazier of P
ower (Elric! pg 77) and The Runesleep (vol.3.4). Clearly, they meet two of the c
riteria of enchantments already, for they each require a point of POW to be spen
t and they both have permanent effects upon the world. By naming them enchantmen
ts, we also extend their casting time to 1D8 hours. In both cases, it seems appr
opriate.
Finally, I offer one new enchantment, a spell of the East, drawn from the Elric
books:
The Hidden Soul (4)

[Spells of the Unseen World]

"He had put his soul into the body of a cat so that no rival sorcerer might stea
l it when he slept."
-The Bane of the Black Sword III, 1
Enchantment. Cost is 1 POW. Range is touch. Chaotic. With this spell, the sorcer
er is able to put his soul into the body of an animal, protecting himself from c
ertain foul enchantmants (notable among them, the soul stealing abilities of Sto
rmbringer). However, in turn, the sorcerer also increases his vulnerability. If
the animal which holds the sorcerer's soul should die, so shall he. This enchant
ment may be brought to an end if the sorcerer and the animal exchange blood. Kno
wledge of this enchantment is limited to the unknown kingdoms of the east. Howev
er, it might be known by travellers to the Young Kingdoms who originated in thos
e far away lands.