A&A School of Magic: Conjuration

Atomic Breath by Tankor89

Conjuration didn't so much as change with each new source of inspiration but instead grew and grew until my vision of it changed with it.  I didn't care much for conjuring forth damaging dealing arrows of various elements, in fact you may have noticed that spells in general have shied away from damage dealing.  Spells are as fantastic as they are useful but their use in the art of killing has rarely been pioneered.  They may be defensive but wizards in their ivory towers crafting their arcanum still cling to highbrowed notions such as pacifism and force when necessary.  Some of course are more sinister than others but few deal with outright death rays.  Besides with Conjuration you can call a creature to do that for you.

Conjuration started off with a lot of spells meant for utility.  You would likely keep little on hand if you could conjure forth anything or perhaps you'd conjure something to find what you're looking for.  It's also meant to provide for situations where in ordinary circumstances you would simply not have and item or enough of something.  Further down the line I really took to the idea of summoning forth traps rather my previously held to beliefs that Wizards somehow had enough mechanical aptitude to install their own traps or the lack of foresight to hire someone else to do it.  Another thing I wanted to explore was that in addition to summoning forth creatures a magic-user could summon a spirit into inanimate objects which you'll see in the Marionettes below and a beloved spell Chiseled Champion that didn't make the 5 only Lesser spell cut.  Lastly I needed to address the iconic Magic Missile.  In my system HP is extremely limited, three six sided dice maximum in order to recreate the feel of your favorite Samurai film.  This means that a spell that unerringly deals an automatic d6+1 at a minimum is quite powerful and often lethal spell to someone with only 3d6 for hit points.  So Magic Missile is now a most formidable spell with added decimation ability.  Forgive my long-winded devdiary here are the spells I promised.




Cantrips

• Investigative Oscillation                                                              
• A small glowing mote sweeps back and forth across a small area looking for a specific item the caster designates.  The Oscillation is no better than the Wizards own sight but is an order of magnitude faster in searching an area.
• Liam’s Greased Gradient
• The roguish Liam had to make plenty a quick escape with naught but his clothes (most of them at least) on his back.  This spell was one of many developed for the thief without his utility belt.  The spell causes any sloped surface to immediately become covered in a slick greasy substance making it extraordinarily difficult to stay upright let alone ascend.
• Bountiful Biscuits
• The War Wizard staple.  This spell summons enough biscuits to feed an entire army.  They are flaky and delicious but will spoil within 24 hours.  Remember your troops still need water and maybe a little extra to avoid scurvy.

Lesser

• Befuddling Beheader (Concentration)                             Save Negates (Trio): Instinct / Reflexes
• This conjuration summons a trio of swinging guillotines attached to the nearest ceiling.  The guillotines do not move in a set of pattern for long changing speeds and directions frequently and without warning proving disastrous to the most experienced of adventurer.  Each guillotine deals a d12, those brave enough to dash through will have to contest with all three dice of damage at once.
• Some Intrepid heroes have managed to attach a beheader to vertical columns and even trees creating a disastrous oversized weed whacker.  Only a giant sized creature has a chance of being hit by all three Guillotines simultaneously.
• Dinotrap (Concentration)                                                     Save Diminishes: Guts
• The bane of giant lizards everywhere, the caster summons forth a tremendous amount of tar to fill a 10'x10' area and enough depth to fill up to 22' provided the caster had the good graces to excavate or find one ahead of time.  This viscous bubbling asphalt is very difficult to break out even when assisted prompting a Guts save to move partially through it.  Each round someone does not escape they sink in deeper and receive a cumulative -1 penalty to their Saving Throw, while each person assisting or rope assisting grants a +1 bonus to the highest Guts Saving Throw. 
• Marionette Marauders  (Concentration)
• The puppet master's defense summons up a small army from the piles of littered junk into a swarm of mannequins.  Their movements are uncanny and unpredictable, they are quick on account of being lightweight but alas are pitiably fragile.  
• If the caster chooses to sacrifice their action rendering them defenseless then the marionettes gain his proficiencies, attack bonus and can benefit from Intrepid dice he spends.  Naturally this manner of spell requires a continuous line of sight so a clear vantage point must be balanced with a need to be kept out of harms way.
• Interloping Ruckus
• The spell that guarantees a sound nights sleep, or it so it claims in the wizards catalog from another age.  This spell is intended to provide peace of mind and spare a party by conjuring an invisible watchspirit.  Anyone with the express purpose of sneaking into these sleeping quarters will raise the alarm by the invisible guardian.  The spell rouses such a clamor that all within earshot are instantly awoken. likely in the foulest of moods.  Curiously the spell has no effect on anything that wanders into camp arbitrarily such as stumbling drunks and passing deer.
• Predator and Prey
• The signature spell of any druidic circle this call of the wild summons forth the nearest woodland creature to aid the caster in whatever way it can.  Evil acts against these woodland creatures are noted by the community which they scurried out of and as a result future calls may not be heard.
• Now as for the nature of the spells name something quite a bit different occurs when the spell is cast on a wandering monster in it's own domain.  Instead of summoning a helpful friend it instead brings out the next highest on the food chain or another apex predator.  This may end <terrible/terrifically>. 

Formidable

Fall of Cthulu: Apocalypse Vol 5.  Boom! Studios

• Numberless Tentacles from Dimensions Beyond Reason     Save Negates: Reflexes  Else: Guts
• Erupting forth from a place beyond the start and the darkest recesses of mad cultist's minds are countless tentacles from a sleeping god.  The mere sight of them is enough to cause insanity in the most weak willed observer.  Those who do not succumb are likely to be snatched up by the tentacles as an offering to the sleeping god.  
• The tentacles function as hydra heads and can be dispatched just as readily.   Given their sheer number whenever a target succeeds on their Saving Throw to avoid being grappled and drawn towards the nearest dimensional rift or former cultist head they instead suffer an automatic die of damage.
• Unerring Arcane Lancer
•  A common spell throughout the ages it is the only spell that has never been lost given it's extreme usability.  The caster summons forth a magical missile taking the shape and form of their desire which streaks across the sky to unerringly hit a target they can see.
• The lancer deals d6 +1 damage per die.  Each HD burned as part of this rolls adds another damage die.
• Each Intrepid Die burned as part of this spell duplicates the number of missiles for a new target within sight dealing the same damage.
• UP FROM THE DEPTHS
•  With an unmistakable cry he rises from the watery depths, thirty stories high he has come to punish mankind for its hubris and for the advancement it has made that can never be put back in the box.  This Godlike lizard spends most of its time wreaking havoc and causing collateral damage for the duration of the spell.  He does not obey the caster nor anyone at all.  He is a force of nature, a living representation of the age ushered in by ancient scientists.  Mere mortals do not ordinarily catch his eye but any giant creatures must be prepared to fight the king of all monsters.