Path of the Sparrow

Jack’s personal spellbook is a chaotic affair: a red leather folio stuffed with loose sheets of paper, parchment, metal foil, human skin (literally anything that can be written on). The folio currently holds more than a hundred and twenty pages, with no real method of organization. The pages are mostly written in the language of Sparrows, looking like irregular, criss-crossing bird footprints, and thus completely unintelligible without the aid of magic—though a few have been ripped straight out of other spellbooks.

Sparrow-Script.jpg

Read that motherfuckers…

The pages, if they can be read, include extensive, meandering notes about Jack’s various adventures, including highly graphic depictions of his various sexual exploits (with demons) and sacrifices (also to demons), in no particular order. A thorough reading (and some re-arranging), reveals details on the spells and the underlying theories and principles of: The Apprentice’s Path, The Warlock’s Path, Finnot’s Path, The King’s Road, The Knight’s Road, Nybor’s Path, The Path of the Mind, The Path of the Red Wizards, The Road to Success, The Wild Road, and Wesley’s Anomalous Path.

The book also contains notes detailing the theory behind a new, yet, highly incomplete path of magic, referred to as “The Path of the Sparrow”. The path is, as yet, only a handful of notes detailing the interactions of certain enchantments and wild magics, and their collective dependence on the powers of the Orish-Nla demons, and the inherently magical properties of certain games of chance. The “book” contains several unique spells tied to this theoretical path, but without further research and grounding of the path’s underlying principals, it would be almost impossible for any wizard to learn them.

Path of the Sparrow

1 Indicates a spell described in the Priest’s Spell Compendium. These spells are unique to this path and not otherwise available as wizard spells.

The Sparrow’s Misplaced Pocket

(Wild Magic, Conjuration, Enchantment)
Level: 1st
Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: instantaneous
Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: 1 pocket
Saving Throw: none

Jack had always been a serial user of the Deep Pockets spell, and found that he was constantly losing small items in the pockets, and finding items that he didn’t remember putting there. At first he suspected it might just be his own lack of organization. Then he suspected that the items might somehow be transmogrifying. Then he realized the truth…all of the pockets, or rather the extradimensional spaces created by a Deep Pockets spell, not just his but all wizards the world over, were connected…

By means of this spell, a wizard can place an item into his own Deep Pocket and pull out something completely different. When casting this spell, the wizard chooses one non-magical item in his possession and places it in a Deep Pocket. The item vanishes to be replaced by a random item of the same category (i.e. a flask of oil would be replaced by a random Alchemical Item, a dagger would be replaced by a random Weapon, a blanket would be replaced by a random piece of Miscellaneous Adventuring Gear, etc). The item thus retrieved is rolled randomly from the appropriate category of mundane equipment, and can be any such item so long as it fits within the Deep Pocket (no 50-lb. anvils or ethereoscopes).

All items retrieved in this way are real and permanent, drawn from some other wizard’s Deep Pocket.

The material components for this spell are a robe, already enchanted with Deep Pockets, which is not consumed by the casting, and the item to be exchanged.

The Sparrow’s Dueling Deck

burning_ace_card_by_xxvictimxgirlxx_d3fr19p-pre.jpg(Wild Magic, Alteration, Enchantment)
Level: 2nd
Range: 30 yards
Components: V, S, M
Duration: special
Casting Time: 2
Area of Effect: 1 or more playing cards
Saving Throw: special

The somatic and material components for this spell involving shuffling a standard deck of playing cards (the deck need not be complete, but must include a Joker). At the end of the spell, the caster draws a card at random and hurls it at a target within range. The card thus thrown strikes the target unerringly as per a Magic Missile (and can be blocked by any spell or effect that would block a Magic Missile), with an effect determined by the specific card value and suit drawn (see below).

Casters of higher level may draw and throw one additional card per 5 levels of experience over 1st (2 cards at 6th level, 3 cards at 11th, 4 cards 16th, etc.). Each card must be directed at a different target within range, and each card is lost from the deck after the casting. If any card drawn is a Joker, the entire remaining deck vanishes at the end of the spell’s casting.

Card Value Effect
A to 10 The card deals an amount of damage to the target equal to its numerical value, from 1 to 10 hit points, of a type determined by the card’s suit, and suffers a secondary effect determined by the card’s suit.
Jack The caster and the target Teleport, swapping places (no save). The target must also make a save vs. spell or be afflicted with a secondary effect determined by the card’s suit.
Queen The target must save vs. spells or be polymorphed into the opposite sex (treat this as a curse). The target must also make a second save vs. spell or be afflicted with a secondary effect determined by the card’s suit.
King Deals 1 point of damage per level of the caster. The target must save vs. spells or suffer the effect of the card’s suit for 1 round per level of the caster (rather than a single round). A target that was knocked prone is unable to rise during this time.
Joker A Wild Magic Surge occurs.
Suit Effect
Clubs The card deals magical bludgeoning damage to the target, and the target must make a save vs. spells or be knocked prone by the force of the blow.
Diamonds The card deals ice and cold damage to the target, and the target must make a save vs. spells or be Slowed for 1 round (until the start of the caster’s next turn).
Hearts The card deals magical piercing damage to the target, and the target must make a save vs. spells or drop what it is holding and flee in terror for 1 round.
Spades The card deals magical slashing damage to the target, and the target must make a save vs. spells or be Blinded for 1 round (until the start of the caster’s next turn).

The Sparrow’s Unfettered Hordes

(Conjuration, Wild Magic)
Level: 3rd
Range: 5 yds.
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 round per level
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: special
Saving Throw: N/A

This highly-dangerous spell opens a one-way, temporary gate to the plane of Abyss. The gate appears as a murmurating spiral of incorporeal birds, which appear anywhere the caster desires within range. Each round, starting the round after the spell is cast, one Manes (least tanar’ri) rushes screaming forth from the gate. The caster has no control over manes summoned in this way, and the manes act on their own (very limited) volition—which typically means rushing mindlessly forward and clawing the first thing within reach.

In addition, each round the murmurating gate moves 1d6 x5 feet in a random direction (including upward), determined by whatever random means the DM deems appropriate. The caster has no control over where the gate moves after its inital summoning, which may result in the demons appearing in inconvenient locations (such as in the midst of the caster’s own party). Once summoned the manes remain permanently, until destroyed or banished (potentially leaving the caster with quite a mess to deal with once whatever they were summoned for is complete).

The material components for this spell are a candle made from human fat, a few drops of strong acid, and a small, live mammal (to be sacrificed at the end of the casting).

The Sparrow’s Deeper Pockets

(Alteration, Enchantment)
Level: 4th
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 24 hours + 2 hours per level
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: 1 garment
Saving Throw: N/A

A substantial improvement on the classic Deep Pockets, this spell enables the wizard to specially prepare a garment so as to hold far more than it normally could. A finely sewn gown or robe of high-quality material (at least 50 gp value) is fashioned so as to contain numerous hand-sized pockets. One dozen is the minimum number. The Deeper Pockets spell then enables these pockets to hold a total of 50 pounds (1.5 cubic feet in volume) per caster level1 as if it were only 10 pounds of weight. Furthermore, there are no discernible bulges where the special pockets are.

Each special pocket is actually an extradimensional holding space. The default mode of the spell is to have 10 pockets each holding 5 pounds per level (¼ cubic foot volume per level each). If the robe or like garment is sewn with 100 or more pockets (200 gp minimum cost), 100 pockets can be created to contain ½ pound of weight per caster level and ⅛ cubic foot volume per level each.

If the spell duration expires while there is material within the enchanted pockets, or if a successful Dispel Magic is cast upon the enchanted garment, all the material suddenly appears around the wearer and immediately falls to the ground. The caster can also cause all the pockets to empty with a single command.

In addition to the garment, which is reusable, the material components of this spell are a tiny golden needle and a strip of fine cloth given a half-twist and fastened at the ends.

1 To a maximum of 1000 lbs of weight, or 30-cubic feet of volume, at 20th level.

The Sparrow’s Abyssal Pocket

(Conjuration, Enchantment, Wild Magic)
Level: 5th
Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1d6 turns + 1d3 turns per level
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: special
Saving Throw: N/A

Some of the Sparrow’s magical contemporaries think perhaps that he did not understand the concept of a “pocket dimension” or perhaps that he took it too literally when he created this spell, but the wild mage strongly disagreed. By turning a Deep Pocket inside out, this spell allows the caster to enter a safe, personal extradimensional space similar to a Rope Trick, while at the same time, allowing a fragment of the Abyss to take his place.

When this spell is cast, the caster, and up to seven others creatures in contact with him, instantly disappear into a place of safety where no creature can find them. Spells cannot be cast across the interdimensional interface, nor can area effects cross it. Those in the extradimensional space can see out of it as if there were a window centered on the caster’s previous position of roughly the same size and shape as the caster themselves. A creature may leave the space at any time by spending a round squeezing out through this hole, but may not re-enter from the outside.

At the same time that the caster and any companions vanish, the violently inverted extradimensional space allows a fragment of the Abyss to pass through into the caster’s previous position. 1 initiative segment after the caster disappears, a Wild Surge occurs, centered on the caster’s previous position. The following round, a creature from the Abyss emerges in that same spot. The caster has no control over the creature, nor over what type of creature appears (roll for a Random Abyssal Encounter). The creature is free and acts of its own volition, and remains until slain, banished, or until the spell’s duration ends.

The material components for this spell are a robe, already enchanted with Deep Pockets, which is not consumed by the casting, and 1 random item contained in the robe (determined randomly by the method of the DM’s choosing), which is destroyed by the inversion of the pocket.

The Sparrow’s Cartomancy

(Wild Magic, Divination)
Level: 6th
Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: special
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: the caster
Saving Throw: special

The somatic and material components for this spell involving shuffling a standard deck of playing cards (the deck must be complete, and must include a Joker). At the end of the spell, the caster draws a card at random and reads the signs therein to predict his future. Casters of higher level may draw and throw one additional card per 5 levels of experience over 1st (2 cards at 6th level, 3 cards at 11th, 4 cards 16th, etc.).

Each card has a unique effect on future events, triggered by specific conditions or actions. The effects of the card become “hung” (much like a Contingency spell) until such time as the specified triggering event occurs. If any card drawn is a Joker, the entire remaining deck vanishes at the end of the spell’s casting. Any other cards are returned to the deck at the end of the casting.

If The Sparrow’s Cartomancy is cast again before all of the cards’ effects have triggered, the new casting replaces the old and any untriggered effects are lost.

Suit Card Value Effect
Clubs 2 to 10 You gain a bonus equal to the card’s value (+2 to +10) on the next attack roll you make.
Jack The next Hostile NPC you meet is instantly affected by a Dire Charm spell (a normal save applies).
Queen The next time you draw a weapon, it becomes affected by an Enchanted Weapon spell.
King The next time you roll Initiative, you are 1d4 3rd-level creatures instantly appear to aid you, as if you had cast a Monster Summoning III spell.
Ace Your next attack roll automatically succeeds and automatically deals a Critical Hit.
Diamonds 2 to 10 You gain a bonus equal to the card’s value (+2 to +10) to your AC against the next attack roll made against you.
Jack The next time you are targeted by any attack, you immediately benefit from a Blink spell.
Queen You are immediately affected by a Find Treasure spell.
King The next time you are targeted by a spell of 4th-level or less, you immediately gain the benefits of Spell Immunity against that spell, negating it and rendering you immune to that spell in all its forms for the normal duration.
Ace The next attack against you automatically misses, and counts as a Critical Failure.
Hearts 2 to 10 You gain a bonus equal to the card’s value (+2 to +10) to your next saving throws
Jack The next time you would be afflicted by a Curse, the effect is immediately removed as per a Remove Curse spell cast at your level.
Queen The next NPC you meet whose sexual orientation would lean your way, is instantly Charmed (as per a Charm Monster spell).
King The next time you roll initiative, you immediately gain the benefits of a Deathguard spell.
Ace The next NPC you meet automatically has a Friendly Reaction towards you, regardless of the circumstances or any past interactions.
Spades 2 to 10 The next time you make a Non-weapon Proficiency check, you gain a bonus equal to the card’s value (+2 to +10) to your Proficiency Score.
Jack The next time you fail any Attack roll, Saving Throw, Ability Check, or Proficiency check, you can immediately re-roll the results, as if you had been targeted by an Alternate Reality spell.
Queen The next time a creature attempts to Scry on you, you immediately gain the benefits of a Detect Scrying spell.
King The next time you are reduced below 50% of your maximum Fatigue Points or Hit Points, you are affected by a Dispel Exhaustion spell.
Ace Your next Non-Weapon proficiency check automatically succeeds and is a Critical Success.
Joker Joker A Wild Magic Surge occurs, and the deck is lost.

Proposed Additions:

  • The Sparrow’s Accursed Gift (Enchantment) — afflict the target with any curse the caster suffers (5th?)
  • The Sparrow’s Many Things (Conjuration, Enchantment, Wild Magic) — Draw a card, target is afflicted as per a Deck of Many Things (does not require the actual Deck) (8th? 9th?)
  • The Sparrow’s Pocket Tunnel (Enchantment, Wild Magic) — Teleport to a random location occupied by another mage, destroy any extradimensional containers they have (lower level than teleport?)

Path of the Sparrow

Ruins of Adventure Brand_Darklight SirKnightly