Perhaps there is magic in music. Who hasn’t been moved by a beautiful melody or felt sorrow from hearing a mournful dirge?
The Song tradition draws upon music’s innate power and weaves magic through each note played or sung, stirring the emotions in those who hear it. A tradition focused on sound in all its forms, much of its spells take the form of magical melodies that one can sing or play, enabling performers to produce magical effects through their performances. More powerful manifestations of Song magic go beyond these modest melodies, with many spells offerings ways to create and manipulate sound, from cacophonous blasts of sonic energy to droning monotones that put listeners into fugue states.
Many users of Song magic discover the tradition by accident. After beginning life as performers, they find their songs and stories affecting listeners more strongly than they should be able to, evidence of the awakening magical ability coming to the fore through the user’s music. Others who would learn Song magic seek out apprenticeship with a bard, one of those legendary minstrels who have achieved mastery of the tradition.
Filthy Limerick
Target One creature within short range
You tell an obscene rhyme. If the target can hear you, make a Will attack roll against the target’s Will. On a success, the target becomes impaired for 1 round. When impaired in this way, the target grants 1 boon on rolls made to attack it.
Project Voice
Duration 1 minute
For the duration, anything you say or sing can be heard up to 1 mile away.
Song of Friendship
Target Each creature you choose within short range that can hear you
You concentrate for 1 minute, during which time you sing. When you finish, each target must make a Will challenge roll. On a failure, it becomes charmed for 1 hour or until it takes damage.
Uplifting Melody
Duration Concentration, up to 1 minute
When you cast the spell, and when you use an action to concentrate on it, choose one creature within short range that can hear you. The creature makes its next attack roll or challenge roll before the end of the round with 2 boons.
Cacophonous Utterance
Area A 3-yard-long cone originating from a point in your space
You loose a booming blast of noise from your mouth. Each object made of glass or crystal in the area takes damage equal to its Health. Each creature in the area must make a Strength challenge roll. A creature takes 2d6 damage and becomes deafened for 1 minute on a failure, or just takes half the damage on a success.
Song of Courage
Target Each creature you choose within short range that can hear you
Duration 1 minute
For the duration, each target cannot become charmed, compelled, or frightened while it remains within short range of you and can hear you. The effect ends immediately if you stop singing or cast another spell.
Song of Inspiration
Duration 1 minute
When you cast the spell, and on each of your turns for the duration, choose one creature within short range of you that can hear you. The target makes its next attack roll or challenge roll with 2 boons. The effect ends immediately if you stop singing or cast another spell.
Song of Valor
Duration 1 minute
When you cast the spell and on each of your turns for the duration, choose one creature within short range of you that can hear you. The target deals 1d6 extra damage with weapon attacks for 1 round. The effect ends immediately if you stop singing or cast another spell.
Stirring Refrain
Duration 1 minute; see the effect
When you cast the spell, and again on each of your turns for the duration, choose one creature within medium range that can hear you. The creature can move up to its Speed without triggering free attacks. The effect ends immediately if you stop singing or playing or you cast another spell.
Battle Chant
Target Up to five creatures you choose within medium range that can hear you
Duration Concentration, up to 1 minute
You begin chanting. For the duration, each target makes attack rolls with 1 boon and deals 1d6 extra damage on melee attacks it makes.
Rousing Ballad
Target Up to five creatures you choose within medium range that can hear you
You recite a bit of poetry to awaken new courage in each target. A target that has 1 or more Insanity or the charmed, compelled, or frightened affliction makes a Will challenge roll with 1 boon. On a success, the target removes 1 Insanity or removes one of the specified afflictions from itself.
Song of Captivation
Duration Concentration, up to 1 minute
When you cast the spell, and when you use an action to concentrate on it, choose one creature within short range that can hear you. The target must get a success on a Will challenge roll or become charmed for the duration. While charmed in this way, the creature can take only slow turns and must move toward you on its turn if it is more than 10 yards from you. The effect ends immediately if you stop singing or cast another spell.
Song of Healing
Target Each creature you choose within short range that can hear you
You concentrate for 1 minute, during which time you sing. When you finish, each target that was within short range of you for the entire performance heals damage equal to its healing rate.
Song of Serenity
Target Any number of creatures within short range
Duration Concentration, up to 1 minute
For the duration, and for as long as each target can hear you, you grant the targets 3 boons on challenge rolls made to resist the effects of the frightening and horrifying traits and to resist gaining Insanity. In addition, when you cast this spell and whenever you use an action to concentrate on it, you can remove the charmed or frightened affliction from every target.
Infectious Groove
Duration 1 minute
You play a lively tune. When you cast the spell, and on each of your turns for the duration, choose one creature within short range. The creature must get a success on a Will challenge roll or be moved up to its Speed in a direction you choose and then become immobilized until the end of the round.
Song of Dread
Duration Concentration, up to 1 minute
When you cast the spell, and when you use an action to concentrate on it, choose one creature within short range that can hear you. The target must make a Will challenge roll. It becomes immune to this casting of the spell on a success, or becomes impaired for the duration on a failure. While impaired in this way, the creature is also slowed.
Song of Revels
Duration Concentration, up to 1 minute
When you cast the spell, and when you use an action to concentrate on it, choose one creature within short range that can hear you. The target must get a success on a Will challenge roll or become impaired for 1 minute. While impaired, the target must take a slow turn each round, and you decide how the target moves during that turn, provided you can see it. An affected creature can use an action to make a Will challenge roll. A creature removes the affl iction on a success, or gains 1 Insanity on a failure.
Song of Ribaldry
Duration Concentration, up to 1 minute
When you cast the spell, and when you use an action to concentrate on it, choose one creature within short range that can hear you. The target must make a Will challenge roll. It becomes immune to this casting of the spell on a success, or becomes impaired for the duration on a failure. While impaired in this way, the creature is also slowed.
Sorrowful Dirge
Target Up to ten creatures you choose within medium range that can hear you
You sing or play a mournful tune. Each target must get a success on a Will challenge roll or become impaired for as long as you concentrate, up to 1 minute. When impaired in this way, a target is also slowed. When you use an action to concentrate on the spell, each affected target must get a success on a Will challenge roll or gain 1 Insanity. An affected target can use an action to make a Will challenge roll and ends the effect on itself with a success. This effect ends for all targets if you stop singing or playing or you cast another spell.
Maddening Drone
Duration Concentration, up to 1 minute
An eerie droning noise emanates from your mouth for the duration. When you cast this spell, and again when you use an action to concentrate on it, choose one creature within medium range that can hear you. The creature must make a Will challenge roll. It becomes immune to this casting of the spell on a success, or it becomes dazed for the duration on a failure. When dazed in this way, the creature grants 1 boon on attack rolls made against it and makes challenge rolls to resist attacks with 1 bane. If the creature cannot hear you at all at the end of the round because it is deafened, in an area sound cannot reach, or is far enough away that the GM deems the sound cannot reach it, it removes the dazed affliction from itself.
Song of Slumber
Duration Concentration, up to 1 minute
When you cast the spell, and when you use an action to concentrate on it, choose one creature within short range that can hear you. The target must make a Will challenge roll. It becomes immune to this casting of the spell on a success, or becomes slowed for the duration on a failure. While slowed in this way, the creature is also fatigued. If the creature cannot hear you at the end of the round, it removes these afflictions. If the target is already slowed, it instead falls asleep for 1 hour.
Swords of Plowshares
Target Each creature you choose within medium range that can hear you
You sing or play a song of peace and harmony. A target must get a success on a Will challenge roll with 1 bane or become affected by your music for as long as it can hear you sing or play your instrument. If the target takes damage, gains Insanity, or is beyond medium range at the end of any round, the effect ends for that target. A target affected in this way cannot use actions to attack or cast attack spells.
Enthralling Song
Target Any number of living creatures within short range that can hear you
You play or sing a lively melody. Each target must get a success on a Will challenge roll or become enthralled for as long as you concentrate and continue to play, up to 1 hour. An enthralled creature is dazed, and on each of its turns, it must move to stay with medium range of you. If an affected creature cannot see or hear you on its turn, the effect immediately ends for that creature.
Song of Discord
Duration Concentration, up to 1 minute
When you cast the spell, and again when you use an action to concentrate on it, choose one creature within medium range that can hear you. The creature must make a Will challenge roll with 1 bane. It becomes immune to this casting of the spell on a success, or becomes compelled for the duration on a failure. When compelled in this way, a creature makes attack rolls with 1 boon and deals 1d6 extra damage.
If a creature compelled by this spell takes damage, it can make a Will challenge roll with 1 bane and removes the affliction from itself on a success or gains 1 Insanity on a failure. The creature also removes the affliction if it cannot hear you at the end of the round.
Song of Heroes
Target Up to three creatures within short range that can hear you
Duration 1 minute
For the duration, or until it can no longer hear you, each target gains a +20 bonus to Health and a +2 bonus to Speed, and makes attack rolls and challenge rolls with 2 boons. The effect ends immediately if you stop singing or cast another spell.
Song of Seduction
Area A 20-yard-radius sphere centered on a point in your space
Duration Concentration, up to 1 minute
You sing or play an eerie song that twists the heartstrings of anyone that can hear it. The music spreads through the area and lasts for the duration. If you move, the area moves with you and remains centered on a point in your space. Each creature in the area when you cast the spell or that enters the area must make a Will challenge roll with 1 boon. A creature becomes charmed for 1 hour on a failure, or becomes immune to this casting of the spell on a success. A creature charmed in this way must take a fast turn each round and move closer to you by the shortest available route until it can come no closer. If the creature cannot get any closer to you, it can act normally, though still taking a fast turn. If a creature charmed by this spell takes damage, it makes a Will challenge roll with 3 banes. It removes the charmed affliction from itself on a success, or gains 1 Insanity on a failure.