A thing that’s been pretty common over the ten-plus years that CORE20 has been slouching its way from house rules to alpha playtest to proper playtest is that things get added to the rules that are pretty cool. And then a year or two later, I notice something else in the rules that I hadn’t thought about at the time of creating the New Cool Thing that suggests all kinds of potential for a Newer Cool Thing.
That was the situation I noted earlier this year when fine-tuning the “Lineages”chapter of the CORE20 Players’ Guide, and checking the setup of the eldritch affinity trait:
Eldritch Affinity
Choose a school of magic. You have a +1 bonus to the challenge throw for magic you channel of that school, including from spells and magic items. The most common schools for dwarf eldritch affinity are abjuration, evocation, and transmutation, but you can select any school of magic that fits your character’s backstory.
Eldritch affinity provides a nice mechanical benefit for spellcasting characters to boost the saving throws against certain of their spells. But it also provides a bit of suggested story by having each lineage’s version of eldritch affinity talk about the most common schools of magic tying to the spellcasting traditions of that lineage. (As with all such suggestions in CORE20, however, you’re always free to choose a different option that makes sense for your character.)
Over a few iterations of the trait, I divided up the schools of magic between the twelve worldborn lineages in ways that touched on some of the broad themes underlying how characters of a particular lineage connect to the traditions of their past, and it all eventually felt pretty good. Except much later, I then took another look at human, lizardfolk, and orc eldritch affinity, all of which suggested divination as one of their schools of magic — and thought to myself, “Wait… how many divination spells have saving throws?”
The answer, traditionally, is “Not many.” Detect thoughts and scrying have always been the big two (and scrying in CORE20 loses the saving throw in favor of the caster making a Magic check to connect to their target). So I thought I’d fix that.
Glimpse of the Future
The following divination spells are brand-new to CORE20, and are set to appear in the version 1.1 playtest rules update, coming soon!
Blood Tell
Divination
Components: Lexis, somatic
Range: 60 feet
Area: 15-foot-radius sphere
Targets: Each living creature in the area
Duration: 1 minute per caster level
Magic taps into the prophetic power of blood for each living creature in a 15-foot-radius sphere within 60 feet, forcing them to succeed on a Will save or reveal their weaknesses when gravely wounded. When an affected target is bloodied, you learn their lowest saving throw modifier and any immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities they have. While the target remains bloodied, you know how many critical points they have, and they have disadvantage on defense rolls, saving throws, and opposed skill checks against you.
Broken Will
Divination
Components: Lexis, somatic
Range: 60 feet
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round per caster level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Visions of inescapable fate sap the willpower of the target creature, which must succeed on a Will save or have a d12 bane on Will saves for 1 round per caster level.
Harrowing Fate
Divination
Components: Lexis, somatic
Range: 60 feet
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round per caster level
Saving Throw: Will negates (refocus at end of turn)
One creature within 60 feet is harrowed with visions of their own misfortune. The target must succeed on a Will saving throw or have disadvantage on all d20 rolls for 1 round per caster level, refocusing the save at the end of each turn.
Arcane Material Component: A pinch of black sand.
Malicious Tell
Divination
Components: Lexis, somatic, material
Range: 120 feet
Area: 15-foot-radius sphere
Targets: Each creature in the area
Duration: 1 minute per caster level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (refocus on taking damage or having another condition imposed)
The power of grim fate permeates each creature in a 15-foot-radius sphere within 120 feet, forcing them to succeed on a Fortitude save or grant other creatures prophetic warnings of their intended physical actions. While the spell is in effect, each target has disadvantage on attack rolls, defense rolls, challenge throws, and skill checks using Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution. A target can refocus the save on taking damage or having a condition imposed on them.
Arcane Material Component: The torn corner of a playing card.
Mind Dart
Divination
Components: Lexis, somatic
Range: 60 feet
Target: One creature
Duration: 10 minutes per caster level
Saving Throw: Will negates
A tendril of divinatory power lashes out at one creature within 60 feet, who must succeed on a Will saving throw or have their presence bound to you. On a failed save, the target takes 1d6 psychic damage per caster level (maximum 5d6) and gains no benefit against you from concealment or total concealment for 10 minutes per caster level.
Open Mind
Divination
Components: Lexis, somatic
Range: 60 feet
Area: 15-foot-radius sphere
Targets: Each creature in the area
Duration: 1 minute per caster level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Magic assails the thoughts of each creature in a 15-foot-radius sphere within 60 feet, which must succeed on a Will save or reveal themself to you. You immediately learn each affected target’s attitude toward you and your allies — friendly, indifferent, unfriendly, or hostile — and you have advantage on Persuasion checks involving them.
Uncertain Fate
Divination
Components: Lexis, somatic, material
Range: 60 feet
Area: 15-foot-radius sphere
Targets: Each creature in the area
Duration: 1 minute per caster level
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
Shadowy visions of the future attempt to bind themselves to each creature in a 15-foot-radius sphere within 60 feet, forcing them to succeed on a Reflex save or have their fate temporarily unbalanced. Whenever an affected creature obtains a clear success on a skill check or saving throw, or a clear hit on an attack roll, they become overwhelmed by uncertainty over their next actions and are dazed until the end of their next turn.
Arcane Material Component: A copper piece.
