Alternate Charm Spell Rules for Dungeon Crawl Classics
While I enjoy Dungeon Crawl Classics for how it cranks up the action, magical effects, etc. the Charm Person spell just seemed to be a bit too much in play. This is my attempt to make those effects more manageable while still retaining its intent and flavor using the Cleric Turning rules as a base.
Charm Person
Description: The caster charms an enemy to become a friend! Any mundane living humanoid can be affected normally. However, the target will not perform actions that are suicidal or which a devoted friend would not otherwise perform.
Druids can also use this spell on animals. Wizards can attempt this spell on monsters with a -2 check penalty and attempt to affect outsiders and demons with a -4 check penalty.
The target’s willpower must be forcibly subverted for the caster to exercise control, so it is but a shell of its former self, operating at a -2 penalty to all rolls, saves, checks, and ability scores while under the wizard’s control.
Immune: Constructs and Undead cannot be affected by mind-affecting magic.
Intelligence Note: Animal level intelligence targets will defend the caster as long as they are reasonably able. This spell does not confer any additional ability to communicate with the targets.
Saves: The target receives another save to break the charm according to its original Intelligence, as follows: Int 3-6 = one month; Int 7-9 = three weeks; Int 10-11 = two weeks; Int 12-15 = one week; Int 16-17 = three days; Int 18+ = next day.
Morale: During combat charmed targets will take morale saves as normal. A failure means they flee, and the charm is broken. See DCC pg. 94 for morale rules.
Manifestation Roll 1d6: (1) flash of light; (2) lulling harmony; (3) black cloud; (4) glittering pixie dust; (5) black beam; (6) moonbeam from above.
Corruption Roll 1d6: (1-3) minor corruption; (4-5) major corruption; (6) greater corruption.
Misfire Roll 1d4: (1) caster falls in love with intended target; (2) 1d4 randomly determined nearby creatures fall in love with each other; (3) caster inadvertently puts intended target to sleep (Will save to resist); (4) target is not charmed but instead repulsed and angered by caster.
Spell Check of 1 Lost, failure, and worse: Roll 1d6 modified by Luck: (0 or less) corruption + misfire + patron taint; (1-2) corruption; (3) patron taint (or corruption if no patron); (4+) misfire.
Table Notes
Range = 120 ft & Line of Sight
HD = Hit Dice or number of dice rolled for hit points
NE = No Effect
W = Will save vs. Spell Check
A = Targets of equal to or less HD than the caster do not receive a save.
CL = Caster Level
Reading the table: A casting result of 20 - 23 vs 1 HD would mean 1d6 + Caster Level of 1 Hit Dice targets would need to make a Will Save.
A pdf copy of these rules is available as a free download here.
The Tiddlywiki version is located here.
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