After receiving over forty submissions, our panel of esteemed judges had the hard task of narrowing those down to five finalists, which we now present to you. Please take a look at the wondrous spells, evaluate them, and vote for one of them. We’ll be closing the poll down on April 16, 2013, so vote before then or you will forever lose your chance to help pick the winner of the Lost Magic contest.

Before we jump into the entries, we here at Kobold Press thank each and every person who made a submission to this contest! Without your creativity and your willingness to formulate rules to reflect what you imagine, contests like these would not be nearly as much fun to have as they are! Many thanks also go to the judges, and we also thank you, in advance, for voting.

There’s now a forum thread open for discussion. And just beyond the jump are the five finalists, presented in alphabetical order by spell name.

Devouring Shadow

By Sam Harris

School transmutation Level sorcerer/wizard 4, witch 4

—Casting—

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S

—Effect—

Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Target one corporeal, living creature

Duration 1 minute/level (D)

Saving Throw: Fortitude negates; Will partial (see below) Spell Resistance: yes

Upon the casting of this spell, the target creature’s shadow sweeps over and envelops the target. The target’s physical body and all worn and carried equipment are fully consumed by its shadow, which retains the size and general shape of the physical body, but in two dimensions.

While in shadow form, the target loses all extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like abilities, and may not speak, attack, or cast spells. The target gains DR 10/magic and becomes immune to poison, sneak attacks, and critical hits. The target’s material armor (including natural armor) becomes worthless, though its size, Dexterity, deflection bonuses, and armor bonuses from force effects still apply.

The transformation is traumatic, and the target may move only 5 feet per round, as a full round action. A successful Will save allows the target to move and act normally for the remainder of the effect. The target may attempt this Will save each round until successful. The target’s movement rate is otherwise unchanged, but it cannot burrow, climb, fly, jump, or swim (though it can move across the surface of a body of water). The shadow is functionally two-dimensional and can slip through the tiniest cracks, but it cannot manipulate objects or activate items. The target receives a +10 bonus to Stealth checks.

When the spell effect ends, the target reemerges from its shadow, along with all its equipment. Upon emerging, the target is fatigued. This spell may not be cast in an area of total darkness or on a creature not in contact with its shadow (e.g., a bird in flight).

Dire Servitude

By Ryan Rice

5th Level Wizard Spell (13th Age)

Ranged spell

Daily

Special: When casting this spell, make one attack roll that targets both MD and PD.

Target: One nearby enemy with 160 hp or fewer.

Attack: Intelligence + Level vs. MD and PD.

Hit (MD): The target is confused (hard save ends, 16+).

Miss (MD): The target is dazed (save ends).

Hit (PD): The target is transformed into a large, horrific demon (hard save ends, 16+).  All of its possessions are subsumed into the new form.  As a demon, the only attack the target can make is the following at-will double claw attack (in all cases, stats for “the demon” refer to the target of this spell in its original, untransformed state).

Special: The demon makes two attack rolls against the same or different targets.

Attack: The demon’s basic attack roll vs. AC.

Hit: 1d10 × (the demon’s level) damage.

Miss: Damage equal to twice the demon’s level.

Miss (PD): Damage equal to your level.

Note that the attack roll for this spell can hit both defenses or neither, or it can hit one defense but not the other, resulting in either a confused enemy in its original form or a monstrous demon in full control of its own actions.  Furthermore, the saving throws for the two effects are separate, which can lead to similar situations as the spell wears off.

7th level spell:  Target with 250 hp or fewer.

9th level spell: Target with 400 hp or fewer.

Faerie Ring

By Stephen Rowe

Faerie Ring
School transmutation; Level druid 5, witch 6
Casting Time 10 minutes
Components V, S, F (a natural dirt, wood, or stone altar)
Range Touch
Area 40-ft. radius emanating from the touched point
Duration 2 hours/level
Saving Throw see text; Spell Resistance no

This spell saturates an area with the primordial power of nature and the fey, which causes arcane magic and the passage of time to become erratic. Whenever any arcane caster casts a spell within (or into) the bounds of faerie ring, roll on the following table to determine how the caster and the spell are affected. Arcane casters possessing the fey creature type, humanoid (elf) race, or the fey sorcerer bloodline may roll twice and take the more favorable result.

d%	Effect
0-20	Spell fails and causes the caster 1d6 slashing damage per spell level (Fortitude negates) as the magical backlash warps the flow of time within their body
21-40	Spell effects manifest in slow motion, and are delayed until the start of the casters next turn
41-60	Spell requires at least a full-round action to cast
61-80	Spell is cast as normal
81-100	Spell is automatically Quickened (as the feat). If a spell has a casting time of more than 1 full-round or this result is rolled by a caster twice in one round, the spell is instead cast as normal

It is dangerous for mortals to dwell within the faerie ring for long periods of time. For every full hour that passes within its bounds, living creatures that do not possess the animal or plant type are aged 1 year (Fortitude negates). This aging includes all physical signs that time has passed, such as hair and nail growth. If the creature reaches its maximum age, it dies. Death from this effect is treated as death from old age for the purposes of raise dead, or similar effects. The aging caused by faerie ring has no effect on any spell durations or conditions affecting the target.

Faerie ring can be made permanent with a permanency spell (minimum caster level 13, cost 12,500 gp).

Necromancer’s Ripost

By Ben McFarland

School necromancy; Level Destruction 8, Undead 8, Sor/Wiz 8

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, M (jade and onyx dust worth 500gp.)

Range Close (25 feet + 5ft./level)

Area of Effect  20 ft. radius + 5 ft./2 levels

Duration Instantaneous

Saving Throw Fort, Special (see below); Spell Resistance no

You cause a number of corporeal undead to explode in a burst of vile, acidic pus, killing them instantly. The spell affects 1d4 HD worth of undead creatures per caster level (maximum 20d4). Creatures with the fewest HD are affected first; among creatures with equal HD, those closest to the burst’s point of origin are affected first. Undead you command with the Command Undead feat receive no save. Other undead receive a Fortitude save, or suffer 2d6 damage. Those destroyed by damage still explode.

Anyone adjacent to an undead creature destroyed by this spell suffers 4d6 acid and force damage (Reflex save for half) from the “splash.” Those damaged by this splash effect must make a Fortitude save or suffer the effects of a strength-sapping poison. (Fort DC as spell; 1/round for 6 rounds; Initial: 1 Str Drain, Secondary: 1d2 Str dmg; Cure: 1 save)  Those immune to poison from other sources ignore this effect. Those adjacent to multiple exploding foes suffer splash damage from each exploding creature. Undead destroyed by this splash effect do not explode.

Undead casters may use this spell without risk to themselves; the primary and splash effects do not affect the caster. This spell may be cast through a scrying effect.

Portal Jaunt

By Jeff Lee

School conjuration (teleportation); Level sorcerer/wizard 3

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V/S/F (A small brass key)

Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)

Effect one door becomes a portal to another within range

Duration 1 round

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

By touching a door or gate with your focus, you turn it into a one-way portal to another such door within the spell’s range. This spell works with any crafted door, doorway, archway, or other artificial opening. It will not work with natural or accidental openings such as cave entrances or cracks in walls. You must be aware of your destination’s location or have line of sight to it. Upon completion of the spell, the door touched opens, revealing a shimmering image of the location beyond the door designated as the destination. You may then step through the door, emerging instantly out of the destination door. Alternately, you may allow one other willing creature to pass through the portal instead. Anything you carry moves through the door with you, including other creatures, willing or unwilling. For purposes of the spell, any locks, bars, or magical effects such as arcane lock are rendered ineffectual for the spell’s duration. You may only travel to a side of the door you can see or have physically been to in the past (divination effects such as clairvoyance count as seeing). Once you or a willing creature passes through, both doors then shut, ending the spell. If you or another creature do not move through the portal within 1 round, the spell ends.

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