Lost Book of Magic Table of Contents

For those interested here is the Table of Content I planning to flesh out in the Lost Book of Magic.

Men & Magic

Introduction
Characters (Clerics)
Cleric (Specialization)
Characters (Magic-users)
Magic-users (Specialization)
Characters (Rogues)
Mountebank (Specialization)
Mountebank (Additions)

Races
Viridians

Magic in the Wilderlands (additions)
The Arts of Magic
Magic Spells by Art
Cleric Spells by Level
Magic-User Spells by Level
The Dominion

Monsters & Treasures

Monsters
Faeries
Men(Magic-users)
Men(Mages)
Men(Wizards)
Men(Artificers)
Men(Rune-casters)
Men(Theurgists)

Magic Items
Portals
Viz
Wolds
Magic Item Creation

Underworld & Wilderness Adventures

Order of Thoth
History
Traditions
Institutions
Hierarchy
Order of the Viridian Eye
History
Traditions
Institutions
Hierarchy

Order of the Trehaen
History
Traditions
Institutions
Hierarchy

Order of the Tree
History
Traditions
Institutions
Hierarchy

Order of Thor
History
Traditions
Institutions
Hierarchy

Order of the Forge
History
Traditions
Institutions
Hierarchy

Order of Set
History
Traditions
Institutions
Hierarchy

Locales
Guild of Arcane Lore (City-State)
Damoraxes Workshop (Gormmah)
Circle of Meath (Werewood)
Circle of the Fountain (Loshain)
Hall of Ragnar the Bold (Croy)
Hammer’s Forge (Thunderhold)
Brotherhood of Malnar’s Flame (Viridistan)

The only new Mechanic I am introducing is stuff that effect one's caster level. I.e. things like how many d6s a fireball can do and any other level based effect that are in spells. Obviously will have a bigger impact in a AD&D campaign more than a OD&D campaign. The main reason for this is that magic poor and magic rich regions are a feature of my campaign. If your caster level goes to zero you can't cast spells.

I am also going to focus on ready made NPCs in the Monster & Treasure sections. Outlining typical members of each order. And in the Wilderness and Adventure Section I am going to create ready made locales that hopefully most people can use for their own campaigns. There will be maps of course.

I am shooting to complete this by October or November

Magic Item Creation

I been working on a project I call the Lost Book of Magic. In the three years since I released Majestic Wilderlands I ran several campaigns using Swords & Wizardry. Along the way I further developed the rules and background I use to run magic in my setting. The Lost Book of Magic collects all that together much in the same way the Majestic Wilderlands collected my rulings and notes for the campaign as a whole.

One central chapter is the creation of magic items. The system is fairly system. Each item has a cost to create and takes X time. It is fairly expensive and takes enough that players think twice before making it themselves. It also serves as the foundation for the pricing of magic items. Being able to buy magic items has always been part of my campaigns.

I recently completed a rough draft of the chapter and formatted it. You can download it from here. I appreciate any comments. It is a synthesis of what I read in the AD&D DM's Guide, the Rules Cyclopedia, and the prices I developed from GURPS Magic. It currently limited to the list of magic items (and effects) found in the Swords & Wizardry Core Rules.

Magic Item Prices

Since I published the Majestic Wilderlands, I ran several campaigns using Swords & Wizardry Core. In one of my campaigns the players are starting a point where they can create and buy magic items. One of the things I done is brought over the details of magic when I ran the Majestic Wilderlands using GURPS and other systems. My style since refereeing AD&D in the early 80s has been that Magic Items can be bought and sold. I always treated it similar to historical trading in luxury items. Low power items can be bought in shops catering to the wealthy, while the rest have to be commissioned or bought at elite auctions.

My previous price lists were based on the power levels of various magic item in the system I was using (GURPS, Fantasy Hero, D&D 3.X, etc). And now I am working on a list that reflects Swords & Wizardry. It doesn't need to be exact in the ballpark is just fine. I would like to get folk's opinions on what I come up with so far.

I am currently working on Weapons and Armors

I have the following base categories. I am going to set a +1 weapons as the base cost everything else is a factor. For example if you say that a +1 swords costs 1,000gp then a +5 sword, which is 15x, will cost 15,000gp.

+1 missile .1x
+1 missile weapon 2x
+1 melee weapon 1x
+1 shield 1x
+1 armor 2x

I multiply the above prices by 3 for +2
I multiply the above prices by 6 for +3
I multiply the above prices by 10 for +4
I multiply the above prices by 15 for +5

+5 to Hit and +5 to Damage is the max bonus from any combination

I get the factors by adding the pluses 1+2=3, 1+2+3=6,1+2+3+4=10, 1+2+3+4+5=15.

+1 Damage vs foe is 1/2x
+2 Damage vs foe is 1.5x
+3 Damage vs foe is 3x
+4 Damage vs foe is 5x
+5 Damage vs foe is 7.5x

This adds on top of the base bonus. Again there is a max of +5 damage so a Sword of +3 to hit, +5 vs Undead cost 6x for +3 Plus 1.5x (+2 damage vs foe) for 7.5x. IF you decided that +1 weapons cost 1,000 gp then a +3 Sword +5 Damage vs Undead is 7,500d.

This effect add on top of the base +
Extra Attack 5x
Destroy Undead 10x
Throw and Return to Hand 2x
Light, 15ft radius 1/4x
Light, 30ft radius 1/2x

Flaming Weapon 2.5x
Freezing Weapon 2.5x
Dancing Weapon 5x

Arrow Deflection Armor 10x
Ethereal Armor 15x
Fiery Armor 5x

All of this is going to be incorporated into a follow-on to the Majestic Wilderlands I am calling the Lost Book of Magic. After I finish Scourge of the Demon Wolf and some maps for Tim of Gothridge Manor I will start working on it.