Forgotten Grimoire

of the Entombed Wizard

Spellbooks
◈ Spellbooks contain a single spell and take up one slot. They
cannot be transcribed or created; they are recovered from places
like tombs, dungeons, and manors.

◈ Spellbooks sometimes display unusual properties or limitations,

such as producing a foul or unearthly smell when opened, possessing
an innate intelligence, or being legible only when held in the
moonlight.

◈ Spellbooks will attract the attention of those who seek the arcane
power within, and it is considered dangerous to display them openly.

Scrolls
◈ Scrolls are similar to Spellbooks, however:
⬩ They are petty.
⬩ They do not cause Fatigue.
⬩ They disappear after one use.

Distance, Duration & Damage

◈ All distance notations are in Squares. Squares equal to roughly 5
feet or 1.5 meters.

◈ Spells are instantaneous.

◈ Spells that last longer than a few seconds require concentration
or continued incantation to maintain up to a maximum of one minute
unless otherwise stated.
◈ Any interaction with the caster can break concentration.

◈ To determine the effectiveness of a spell’s damage or healing, roll

2d6+ Resourceful.
 Casting Spells
◈ Anyone can cast a spell by holding a spellbook in both hands and
reading the contents aloud.

◈ Upon casting a spell, they must add Fatigue to their inventory.

◈ Spells can be cast on anything you can see or touch.

◈ Spells always succeed, unless they are cast on an unwilling Creature.

◈ Spells cast on an unwilling Creature must pass a Check.

◈ Check: When casting a spell on an unwilling Creature, roll two six-

sided die and add your Resourceful modifier. The first die represents
Dawn, while the second represents Dusk. You must reach the target
number of eight (8) for your spell to be successful. If the check is a
success but the Dusk die is higher than the Dawn die, you suffer
Misfortune.

◈ Casting spells on an unwilling Creature always results in Spellburn.

Increase your Spellburn metre by one (1) each time you cast a spell on
an unwilling Creature.

◈ The world responds differently to characters who have suffered

Spellburn.
 Conjure a goblet's worth of diluted acid. It can be thrown at a
111 Acid Splash
creature or used to dissolve a fragile object.

112 Adhere Coat an object with highly adhesive slime.

113 Aid Temporarily increase one friendly creature's maximum Guard.

An audible or silent alarm (your choice) triggers when an

114 Alarm
unfamiliar creature enters a warded square.
Adapt the physical means of locomotion, survival, or predation
115 Alter Self – such as wings, gills, or talons – of a beast or monster you have
seen before.
Alter the taste of food or drink to something you consumed this
116 Alter Taste
day.
A strong wire sprouts from your arms, affixing itself to two
121 Anchor
points within three squares.
Target tiny creature reliably delivers a short message to a
122 Animal Messenger recipient, within 6 days of travel, based on a general description
of the recipient.
An object as large as a standard storage crate obeys your
123 Animate
commands as best it can.

An animal either gains human intelligence or human appearance

124 Anthropomorphize
for one day.

Living things may not enter the 2x2 square shimmering cube
125 Antilife Shell
that surrounds you.

126 Antimagic Field Magic is blocked or suppressed within this invisible 2x2 cube.

You can see through a magical floating eyeball that flies around
131 Arcane Eye
at your command.

An object is frozen in time and space within an invulnerable

132 Astral Prison
crystal shell.
Project your consciousness into the Astral Plane, separating
your mind and spirit from your physical body. Travel and
133 Astral Projection
explore other planes of existence while your body remains
dormant and protected.
You craft illusory sounds, deftly directing their origin, or
134 Auditory Illusion seamlessly transform your voice to replicate that of another
individual.
135 Augury Pose a direct question and roll on the oracle.

A creature must loudly and clearly repeat everything you think.

136 Babble
It is otherwise mute.
 A plant sprouts from the ground that emanates the smell of
141 Bait Flower
decaying flesh.
Send a creature that has failed their morale save to its home
142 Banish
plane.
143 Beast Form You and your possessions transform into a mundane animal.

A creature of your choice is unable to form new short-term

144 Befuddle
memories whilst you maintain concentration.
Summon phantasmal chains to immobilize a single creature
145 Bind
within your line of sight.
Summon writhing black tentacles to entangle and immobilize
146 Black Tentacles
creatures within a 3x3 square radius.
151 Blind Cause a creature to lose their sight.

You shift into the Ethereal plane. You can still see and hear
events occurring in the plane you left but cannot interact with
152 Blink
creatures or objects. Return to your original square or the
nearest unoccupied square you could previously see.

Establish a supernatural bond between yourself and a creature,

intertwining their life force with yours, and enabling them to
153 Blood Pact
share your pain; any damage inflicted on either of you will be
evenly distributed.

You switch bodies with a creature. If one body dies, the other
154 Body Swap
dies as well.
155 Breadcrumbs Leave an enchanted breadcrumb trail that persists for one day.

Manipulate light, shadows, and perceptions to create a highly

156 Camouflage convincing disguise that enables one creature to blend
seamlessly into its surroundings.

Magically launch an object weighing no more than a loaf of bread

161 Catapult
at a target.

Release a lightning bolt that forks and arcs between all creatures
162 Chain Lightning
in front of you. Has a 1 in 6 chance of rebounding back to you.

163 Charm A creature treats you as a friend.

Change the color, style, or texture of your clothing to adapt to

164 Clothing Alteration
different social situations or create a dramatic entrance.
165 Cloudkill Create a toxic cloud in a 2x2 cube.

Weaken the intellect of a creature, reducing their mental acuity

166 Cognitive Drain and causing them to struggle with rational thought and decision-
making.
 Produce colourful and etheral lights that dance around an area,
211 Colour Spray
creating a mesmerising display.

A creature obeys a single three-word command that does not

212 Command
cause it harm.

213 Comprehend You become fluent in all languages for a short while.

An object becomes obscured from view as long as you maintain

214 Conceal Object
concentration.

215 Cone of Foam Dense foam sprays from your hand, coating a creature.

You summon an elemental golem from elements you can

216 Conjure Elemental
access.

Nearby plants and trees obey you and gain the ability to move
221 Control Plants
at a slow pace.

Manipulate water within a 2x2 cube, parting it, redirecting its

222 Control Water
flow, or lowering the water level.

You may alter the type of weather or general cosmetic changes

223 Control Weather
at will, but you do not otherwise control it.

224 Counterspell Interrupt and negate the casting of another spell.

225 Cure Wounds Restore Life to a creature.

226 Curse A creature must roll at disadvantage until they take a long rest.

Grants the ability to see in darkness without needing a light

231 Darkvision
source.

You unleash a burst of intense, but harmless, solar energy in an

232 Daylight
area around you which can pierce even magical darkness.

233 Deafen All nearby creatures are deafened.

234 Decay Cause lifeless organic matter to deteriorate.

235 Detach Forcefully separate two objects that are stuck together.

You can see or hear the presence of celestial, fiendish, undead,

or consecrated and desecrated beings, objects, and places
236 Detect Magic within six squares, helping to identify the presence of strong
positive or negative energies and the alignment of creatures or
locations.
 Allows the caster to sense the presence of concealed passages,
Detect Secret
241 hidden entrances, and secret doors that are otherwise
Doors
imperceptible to the naked eye.

Read the surface thoughts of creatures nearby or delve deeper

242 Detect Thoughts
into their minds to uncover secrets and information.

243 Detect Traps Detect the presence of traps within a specific range.

A creature is disarmed and their weapon is launched two

244 Disarm
squares behind them.

Any of your body parts may be detached and reattached at will,

245 Disassemble
without causing pain or damage. You can still control them.

You may alter the physical appearance of one character at will

246 Disguise as long as they remain humanoid. Attempts to duplicate other
characters will seem uncanny.

Break down a non-magical object into its individual components

251 Dismantle and materials, providing a collection of raw materials that were
used in its creation.

An object appears to be up to two squares from its actual

252 Displace
position.

Shield a designated target from divination and scrying magic, or

253 Divination Veil create misleading impressions for those attempting to perceive
the target through such means.

Lull a creature into a deep, magical sleep filled with vivid dreams.
Dreamweaver's
254 While asleep, the target can receive cryptic visions, divine
Lullaby
insights, or hidden knowledge.

255 Drown Cause a creature's lungs to fill with water.

The ground begins shaking violently. Structures may be

256 Earthquake
damaged or collapse.

261 Elasticity Your body can stretch up to one square.

Elemental
262 Provide a creature resistance to an element.
Protection

A straight wall of ice, fire, wind, or lightning three squares long

263 Elemental Wall
and two squares high rises from the ground.

Enchanted Imbue a chosen object with the ability to speak a predetermined

264
Utterance message when triggered by a specific condition or touch.

265 Enemies Abound A creature loses the ability to distinguish friend from foe.

266 Enlarge Double the size of a creature or object.

 Grants the caster the ability to remove writing or markings from
311 Erase
surfaces with a wave of their hand.

An object up to the size of a lockbox explodes, causing damage

312 Explode
to any within an adjacent square.

313 Farsight See things as far as the horizon clearly.

Instil an overwhelming sense of fear and dread within a creature,

314 Fear
causing them to experience paralysing terror.

Instantly slow the rate of descent for multiple creatures,

315 Feather Fall
preventing fall damage and allowing controlled descents.

Induce a comatose-like state in a creature that is

316 Feign Death
indistinguishable from death.

321 Filch A visible item teleports to your hands.

Launch a luminous orb of energy into the heavens. A radiant trail

322 Flare of light marks your position, visible to both allies and
adversaries.

Allows the caster to summon a sturdy, flat, levitating disc of

323 Floating Disc magical energy capable of carrying objects no heavier than a
suit of armour.

324 Fly You gain the ability to fly in the air.

Summon a dense fog that emanates from your presence,

325 Fog Cloud
enveloping the surroundings in a shroud of mist.

You create a warded 3 x 3 square radius area that prevents any

326 Forbiddance
creature within from magical travel of any kind.

331 Forest Whispers Grants you the ability to converse with creatures of the forest.

332 Frenzy A creature erupts in a frenzy of violence.

333 Funeral Rites A corpse you nominate cannot become undead.

334 Gate A portal to a random plane opens.

Preserve the body of a deceased creature, halting the process

335 Gentle Repose of decay and extending the window for resurrection or ritual
purposes.

336 Gills Grants a creature the ability to breathe underwater.

 Change the appearance of an object to match another object
341 Glamour
you have interacted with today.

342 Gravity Shift You can change the direction of gravity, but only for yourself.

343 Grease Create a slippery and oily substance on a 3x3 square surface.

A creature develops the overwhelming urge to possess a visible

344 Greed
item of your choice.

345 Guidance A creature rolls with advantage on their next check.

Summon a concentrated burst of wind in a three-square-wide

346 Gust
cone directly ahead of you.

Attune your voice to the surroundings, empowering your words

351 Harmonic Chorus to resonate across vast distances with heightened clarity and
resonance.

352 Haste A creature can move three additional squares.

You touch a creature, igniting within them an intense and

consuming hatred towards a chosen individual or group. This
353 Hatred
malevolent emotion fuels their relentless urge to bring about the
target's downfall and obliteration.

354 Hear Whispers You can hear faint sounds clearly.

You inspire bravery in a creature, granting them immunity from

355 Heroism fear or panic. However, a creature in this state will refuse to
retreat.

You curse a creature, preventing them from benefiting from the

356 Hex
effects of a Long Rest.

361 Hideous Laughter A creature is overcome by intense, involuntary laughter.

You can magically seal and lock a door, gate, or other entryway,
362 Hold Portal
preventing unauthorized access.

You can manipulate the perceptions and thoughts of a creature

363 Hypnotism you touch, inducing a trance-like state. A creature in this state
will truthfully answer yes-or-no questions.

A thick layer of ice spreads across a touched surface,

364 Icy Touch
encompassing an area of up to 2 x 2 squares.

Grants you detailed knowledge and insights into the properties,

365 Identify history, and magical attributes of an object including the name
of its current owner if there are any.

366 Illuminate A floating light moves according to your command.

 Create a convincing illusion of a trapped object complete with
411 Illusory Snare lifelike mechanisms, visual cues, and auditory warnings to
discourage interaction.

Create illusory terrain within a 5 x 5 square area that appears

412 Illusory Terrain
and feels convincingly real.

Render written text invisible until triggered by a condition of

413 Invisible Ink
your choice, such as heat or light exposure.

Compel a creature to succumb to an irresistibly captivating

414 Irresistible Dance
dance.

415 Jinx A creature fails its next saving throw.

416 Knock A mundane or magical lock unlocks loudly.

421 Leap You leap up to three squares in height, once.

You transform the air surrounding you, turning it into a fluid

422 Liquid Air
medium through which you can swim.

You feel compelled to move in the direction of an object or

423 Locate
creature you can picture in your mind.

Summon a gentle, silvery moonlight in a chosen area, bathing it

424 Lunar Radiance in a soft, soothing glow. This light provides low-light vision and
an atmosphere of tranquility.

425 Lunar Slime A surface becomes reflective.

Create an invisible hand that you can control, enabling you to

426 Mage Hand
manipulate objects from a distance.

The effectiveness of all nearby magical effects is reduced by

431 Magic Dampener
half.

Release a gleaming bolt of pure magical energy that can

432 Magic Missile
navigate corners and obstacles to hit its intended target.

Erase dirt, grime, and stains from objects or creatures, restoring

433 Makeover items to a newer state and enhancing the appearance of
creatures.

A sturdy, furnished cottage materializes for an hour. You have

434 Manse
the ability to grant or deny entry to it at your discretion.

Your pockets are constantly replenishing with marbles, refilling

435 Marble Craze
every 30 seconds.

436 Meld Into Stone Merge with a stone surface.

 Create a complex illusion that overlays a designated area with
441 Memory Mirage vivid and nostalgic images. The illusion varies for each creature
that observes it.

442 Mend Instantly repair minor damages to objects.

443 Miniaturize A creature you touch is shrunk down to the size of a mouse.

Ignite candles, torches, or other small fire sources with a snap of

444 Minor Pyrotechnics
your fingers.

An illusory duplicate of yourself appears in an adjacent square

445 Mirror Image
and is under your control.

A mirror transforms into a portal linked to another mirror you've

446 Mirrorwalk
looked into today.

451 Misty Step Instantly teleport to a location up to five squares away.

Summon a dense, obscuring mist to shroud an area within a 5-

452 Misty Veil square radius around you, forming a foggy veil that reduces
visibility and halves movement.

Modify the memories of a creature by either erasing specific

453 Modify Memory
ones or implanting entirely new ones.

454 Molten Metal Raises the temperature of a metal object to red-hot levels.

455 Multiarm You temporarily gain an extra arm.

456 Mute A creature is rendered mute.

Create an unseen protective barrier that surrounds you during a

461 Nature's Sanctuary long rest, granting resistance against environmental hazards,
weather conditions, and harmful terrain effects.

A sphere of darkness, three squares wide, materializes in front

462 Night Sphere
of you, depicting the night sky.

Renders objects and barriers opaque and impervious to normal

463 Obfuscate
vision.

You transform into any inanimate object ranging in size from a

464 Objectify
grand piano to an apple.

465 Ooze Form You transform into a living jelly.

466 Pacify A creature develops a strong aversion to violence.

 Conceal your group's tracks and muffle noise, making it easier to
511 Pass Without Trace
move stealthily through dungeons and avoid detection.

512 Pen An instrument for writing appears in your hand.

513 Phobia A creature becomes terrified of an object of your choice.

A pit, 3x3 squares wide and 3 squares deep, opens up in the

514 Pit
ground.

A creature undergoes rapid evolution, transforming into a future

515 Primal Surge
version of its species.

Provoke a potent reaction in a target, compelling them to direct

516 Provocation
their focus towards you.

Exert the equivalent force of one man to pull an object of any

521 Push / Pull
size toward you or push it away from you.

Bathes the area in sparkling dust, unveiling invisible targets by

522 Radiant Reveal coating them in shimmering particles, making them visible to all
observers.

A skeleton emerges from the ground to serve your commands.

523 Raise Dead Their intelligence is extremely limited, and they can only follow
basic instructions.

The spirit of a nearby corpse materializes and will respond to a

524 Raise Spirit
single question.

525 Read Mind You can hear the surface thoughts of nearby creatures.

526 Remove Curse Instantly remove a curse from a creature.

Creates a potent burst of energy that forcefully propels

531 Repulse
adjacent creatures or objects back two squares.

Transform a 5x5 square radius area of rock into mud. When

532 Rock to Mud reversed, Mud into Rock transforms a 5x5 square radius area of
mud into rock.

A creature perceives the world through an optimistic lens,

533 Rose-tint
fostering enhanced trust and positivity during its duration.

Purify and consecrate a chosen area, imbuing it with holiness

534 Sanctified Ground that repels undead creatures, causing them to instinctively
avoid entering.

You and a chosen companion can seek refuge within a 2x2

535 Sanctuary Embrace square radius protective circle. While inside, you can't attack,
but you both become invulnerable.

536 Scent Manipulation Significantly modify the scent of a creature, object, or area.
 You have the ability to perceive the world through the eyes of a
541 Scry
creature you made contact with earlier today.

542 Sculpt Elements Inanimate material obeys your touch like pliable clay.

Convey a brief message to a creature you're familiar with, even

543 Sending
if they reside in another plane of existence.

Select a specific type of object (key, gold, arrow, jug, etc.). You
544 Sense
gain the ability to detect the nearest instance of that object.

Bring shadows to life, shaping them into intricate forms and

545 Shadow Puppet
figures that can convey stories or messages through puppetry.

Allows the caster to manipulate and control sand as an

extension of their will, sculpting it into shapes, launching it as
546 Shape Sand
projectiles, creating barriers, and moving through sandy
environments with ease.

551 Shield A creature you touch is shielded from mundane attacks.

Alter the nearby environment into a fluid, shadowy landscape,

Shifting
552 causing the terrain to become challenging to navigate and
Shadowscape
illusions to appear more convincing.

Reduce the size and weight of an object, rendering it compact

553 Shrink Item and more manageable for transport, while retaining its inherent
attributes.

554 Shroud A creature you touch becomes invisible until it moves.

555 Shuffle Two creatures instantly switch places.

Create a 3x3 square radius of complete silence, nullifying all

556 Silence sound, impeding verbal spellcasting, and offering a stealth
advantage.

561 Slick You become undoubtedly persuasive.

Transform your body and all belongings into living smoke under
562 Smoke Form
your control.

You possess the ability to detect even the most subtle traces of
563 Sniff
scents.

You can instantly extinguish any source of mundane light within

564 Snuff
your line of sight.

Infuse a gentle, soothing sensation onto a creature's skin,

565 Soothing Touch
offering temporary relief from pain or discomfort.

Inanimate items arrange themselves according to categories of

566 Sort
your choosing.
 Capture the departing soul of a dying creature within an
enchanted container, allowing for potential resurrection,
611 Soulbind Satchel
communication, or mystical applications. This spell must be
cast shortly after the creature's death.
612 Spark Create a jolt of electricity.

Establish communication with undead creatures, forging a

connection between the living and the deceased realms,
613 Speak with Undead
enabling you to gather information or potentially sway their
actions.

A strikingly deceptive yet captivating illusion of your choosing

614 Spectacle manifests under your control. It can be as large as a palace,
complete with lifelike movement and sound.
Summon a spectral riding horse, ethereal and capable of
615 Spectral Steed carrying you. This ghostly mount provides temporary
transportation, dissipating after a day of service.
Weave a spinning blade of pure air, effortlessly clearing away
616 Spellsaw
plant material in its path. Otherwise, it poses no threat.
621 Spider Climb You possess the ability to climb surfaces akin to a spider.
Convert stone into living flesh. Reversed: transmute flesh into
622 Stone to Flesh
stone.
Envelops a touched creature in a protective layer of magical
623 Stoneskin
stone, providing them with Armor 3.
Summon or banish a 3x3 cube of earth. Newly summoned cubes
624 Summon Cube
must be connected to existing earth or other cubes.
Summon a loyal and magical familiar creature of your choosing.
625 Summon Familiar
While it can follow basic commands, it retains its own will.
A stone statue, sculpted to the size of a mule, emerges from the
626 Summon Idol
ground.
Summon
631 Interdimensional Summon an interdimensional entity using its true name.
Being

632 Sunburst Generate a sudden burst of blinding sunlight.

You transform into a swarm of crows, rats, or piranhas,
633 Swarm
becoming vulnerable only to blast attacks.
Craft symbolic images or patterns in the air or utilize existing
634 Symbolic Imagery
materials on walls or floors.
Any spell that is directed towards you, is instead cast towards
635 Target Lure
an object you nominate.
You can telekinetically shift an object weighing no more than a
636 Telekinesis
longsword.
 Two creatures are able to share their thoughts, regardless of the
641 Telepathy
distance between them.

An object or person within your sight is instantaneously

642 Teleport transported from one location to another within a 3x3 square
radius.

An expanse of dense trees and undergrowth rapidly emerges

643 Thicket
within a 3x3 cube

Causes objects to either rearrange themselves neatly or create

644 Tidy / Untidy
a chaotic mess.

645 Time Control Time in a 3x3 square bubble slows down.

Enables you to briefly glimpse the past or future of your current

646 Time Glimpse
location.

Causes a limited area, encapsulated within a 3x3 cube, to erupt

651 Toxic Bloom with toxic flora and noxious fumes, inflicting poison damage and
obscuring visibility.

652 True Sight You perceive through all nearby illusions.

653 Upwell A spring of seawater materializes at your feet.

You create a vision for a creature that they perceive as truly

654 Vision
from the the future, present or past.

Create a stone wall that is three squares long and two squares
655 Wall of Stone
tall.

656 Warmth or Chill Manipulate the temperature of a creature, object, or area.

661 Water Walk Allows you to walk on water surfaces.

662 Web Your wrists shoot thick webbing.

Create a gentle, magical breeze that carries whispers or faint

663 Whispering Breeze
sounds.

A rudimentary depiction of a drawn tool or item manifests

664 Widget before you, remaining visible for a brief period before fading
away.

Your finger can shoot a stream of ulfire-colored paint. This paint

665 Wizard Mark is only visible to you and can be seen at any distance, even
through solid objects.

You can see through objects. When directed towards flesh, you
666 X-Ray Vision
see only bones.
Credits

This is a work that stands on the shoulders of many giants. Inspiration, spells
and their descriptions have been found from many corners of the OSR. I have
done my best to rewrite these spells so that they don’t appear exactly as
they did where I found them. Some of these are original creations, but this
list belongs to everyone. It’s my hope that something like this will become a
standard so that we don’t need to keep reinventing the wheel with each new
system.

You have 216 spells ready to go thanks to these creators:

Yochai Gal (Cairn), Ben Milton (Knave), Chris McDowall (Into the Odd),
Gavin Norman (Old School Essentials), Vladimir Arabadzhi (Into the
Dungeon), Cryptic Keyway, By Odin’s Beard (Runecairn), Melsonian Arts
Council (Troika), and many others in the OSR space.

This work is not endorsed by anyone named in this text.

Many of these spells have been inspired by Dungeons and Dragons’ 5th
Edition, which is now released under the Creative Commons, and were
rewritten in the way advised by Cryptic Keyway in his article written
Tuesday, November 1st, 2022 titled “Knave-ifying 5E Spells”.
The spell system is based on the one that appears in Cairn, by Yochai Gal.

The system for measuring distances by squares is inspired by the upcoming

MCDM RPG from Matt Colville and his team.

Licence

This text is licenced under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0

International (CC BY-SA 4.0) Licence. Please provide credit to the creators in
the “Credits” section of this text. Without them, this work would not have
been possible.