Spelling Errors: A Magic Miscast Alternative
It seems uncontroversial in some circles to say that magic ought to be dangerous and highly volatile. Magic-users are a hazard to themselves and others, fooling around with powers they cannot fully understand. And most OSR-adjacent systems have a way of handling this unpredictability, be it Troika!’s OOPS! table or Last Gasp Grimoire’s many tables in its DO NOT TAKE ME FOR SOME TURNER OF CHEAP TRICKS magic system. Errant has an astonishing 300 potential miscast results based on what grimoire serves as the conduit for the magic. Not all results are dangerous (e.g., from Errant, “a newborn infant is summoned and the caster charged with its care; if the baby dies, the caster dies”). But a few dangerous results go a long way in instilling a proper degree of result in a magic-user (e.g., from Troika!, “an overflow of plasmic fluid rushes into the wizard’s head which expands to the size of a pumpkin. If the wizard is struck for 5+ Damage in one go they must Test their Luck or their head explodes, killing them and dealing 2d6 Damage to anyone standing nearby”). The quintessential quality of a magic miscast system is random chance. Thus, random tables.
I love random tables. Roll a d6: (1) Random tables are one of my favorite parts of any TTRPG; (2) Random tables are a great way to embed setting into a game system; (3) Random tables make me a better referee; (4) Random tables are high octane fuel for my brain; (5) Random tables have thoroughly warped my view of reality; (6) I am myself a random table, given life through magics most foul. But no matter how you feel about random tables, sometimes it is nice to have a simple rule that doesn’t require referencing a table, especially for more free form or casual games. You can make magic unpredictable, and perhaps dangerous, without random tables. I call this system “Spelling Errors.”
SPELLING ERRORS
When a magic-user fails to cast a spell correctly, the spell’s effect is determined by changing a few letters of the spell. The magic-user’s player and at least one other non-referee player suggest alternatives of the spell, changing a few letters from the original spelling. The referee picks from the alternatives suggested and describes how this magic effect is realized in the situation.
Simple, right? In case the rule alone fails to thoroughly stimulate your brain juices, here is a d20 table for example spelling errors, with example effects based on hypothetical contexts.
ROLL D20
Animal Fiendship. The magic-user attempted to acquire a furry little friend but instead turns the squirrel into a furry demon possessed by a lust for blood.
Animate Bread. The magic-user attempted to raise spooky skeletons but instead made sourdough. Very early-stage-pandemic.
Bone of Cold. The magic-user attempted to kill their foes with a freezing blast but instead they are just chilled to the bone. Unharmed but uncomfortable.
Burning Mans. The magic-user attempted to shoot flames from their hands but instead they summoned a festival of bohemians and fauxhemians into the dungeon.
Chaste. The magic-user attempted to boost their ally with super speed but instead imbued the fighter with a desire to abstain from intercourse.
Control Feather. The magic-user attempted to call down lightning and thunder but instead can telepathically control a feather. Useful if they are recreating the opening to Forrest Gump.
Countersell. The magic-user attempted to negate another magic-user’s spell but instead they became adroit at haggling.
Disgust Self. The magic-user attempted to alter their appearance but instead became filled with self-loathing.
Fire All. The magic-user attempted to incinerate a band of brigands but instead terminated their employment. On the bright side, they may be more willing to turn against their boss now.
Floating Bisque. The magic-user attempted to create a translucent disk to carry their excess treasure but instead summoned levitating soup.
Geese. The magic-user attempted to coat the floor with grease but instead summoned 2d6! angry geese.
Harm Person. The magic-user attempted to magically win friends and influence people but instead they maimed the intended target. Oops. Still friends?
Kobold Person. The magic-user attempted to stop a foe in their tracks but instead turned them into a subterranean person that somehow resembles both a tiny dragon and a yapping dog.
Leather Fall. The magic-user attempted to slow their descent as they plummeted from a cliff but instead caused their leather trousers to drop.
Magic Missive. The magic-user attempted to shoot unerring darts of force but instead sent a letter to their foes. Neither rain, sleet or dark of night can prevent its delivery.
Phantasmal Fork. The magic-user attempted to create an apparition in their foe’s mind but instead created spectral silverware that only they can see.
Pure Wounds. The magic-user attempted to tend to a wounded ally but instead they only made things worse.
Rotate Object. The magic-user attempted to discern an item’s location but instead rotated the item, wherever it may be, by 90 degrees.
Sleet. The magic-user attempted to put a group of enemies to sleep but instead caused a small sleet storm in the area.
Stage Hand. The magic-user attempted to grab an object from far away with an invisible hand but instead began to perform with jazz hands. The performance does not stop until someone applauds.