the-sunken-reach/docs/SPELLS.md

# Spells

How spells work in this app: the campaign's spell list, how a character comes
to know a spell, who can use which spells, and what the spellcasting numbers
mean.

This describes the code as it stands. The built-in list is
`backend/src/game/data/spellsLibrary.js`. Related: [WEAPONS.md](WEAPONS.md),
[ITEMS.md](ITEMS.md), [CHARACTERS.md](CHARACTERS.md).

## Contents

1. [The basics](#1-the-basics)
2. [The spell list](#2-the-spell-list)
3. [The built-in library](#3-the-built-in-library)
4. [Granting spells to characters](#4-granting-spells-to-characters)
5. [Spell level and who can use it](#5-spell-level-and-who-can-use-it)
6. [Damage](#6-damage)
7. [Spellcasting numbers](#7-spellcasting-numbers)
8. [Starting spells](#8-starting-spells)
9. [Permissions](#9-permissions)
10. [What is not modelled](#10-what-is-not-modelled)
11. [The complete spell library](#11-the-complete-spell-library)

---

## 1. The basics

- Every campaign has its own **spell list**. A spell exists in one campaign
  only.
- A character **knows** spells from that list, each with a Prepared tick box.
- The DM runs the list and decides who learns what. Players can only prepare
  and unprepare the spells they know.
- Unlike weapons and items, a spell has **no level of its own to raise**. Its
  level is fixed, and so is its damage.

## 2. The spell list

The list is the "Spell List" card on the campaign page (DM only).

| Field | What it is |
|---|---|
| Name | Free text, up to 80 characters |
| Level | Cantrip, or level 1 to 9. Also the character level needed to use it (section 5) |
| School | Free text: Evocation, Illusion… |
| What it does | One sentence. Shown wherever the spell is shown |
| Damage | Picked from a list, or "No damage". Fixed; it does not grow |
| Starting option | Whether a brand-new character may pick it in the builder (section 8) |
| Casting time, range, duration | Stored for library spells but not shown on any screen |

A cantrip is a spell of level 0. The app always calls it a **cantrip**, never
"level 0" or "level 1".

- **Adding:** by hand with the "+ Add Spell" form (name, level, school,
  damage and what it does), or from the library.
- **Changing:** damage (the drop-down in the table) and the starting-option
  tick box. Name, level, school and description cannot be changed on screen
  once created (the API accepts it); remove and re-add instead.
- **Damage choices:** the drop-down offers "No damage", then 1 to 6, 8 or 10
  dice of d4, d6, d8, d10 or d12 (1d4 up to 10d12), plus the three unusual
  values the library uses (`3d4+3`, `2d8+4d6`, `20`).
- **Removing:** the ✕ button. Every character who knows the spell forgets it.
  There is no undo.

## 3. The built-in library

"📚 From Library" offers 131 standard spells to copy into the list:

| Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| Cantrips | 26 |
| 1 | 30 |
| 2 | 26 |
| 3 | 21 |
| 4 | 13 |
| 5 | 15 |

Before you add one, each row shows:

- whether it is a **cantrip** or its **level**, and who can use it;
- its **default damage**, or "no damage";
- its school;
- **what it does**, in a sentence.

Every library spell is listed in full in
[section 11](#11-the-complete-spell-library).

35 of the library spells deal damage and come with a default, taken from the
standard rules at the spell's own level. For example:

| Spell | Level | Default damage |
|---|---|---|
| Fire Bolt | Cantrip | 1d10 |
| Sacred Flame | Cantrip | 1d8 |
| Magic Missile | 1 | 3d4+3 (all three darts together) |
| Burning Hands | 1 | 3d6 |
| Scorching Ray | 2 | 2d6 (per ray; there are three) |
| Fireball | 3 | 8d6 |
| Ice Storm | 4 | 2d8+4d6 |
| Cone of Cold | 5 | 8d8 |

Spells that heal, protect or control (Cure Wounds, Shield, Hold Person…) have
no default. Pick a value from the Damage drop-down after adding if you want
one shown.

A spell added from the library is **not** a starting option until ticked. The
library has nothing above level 5; add higher spells by hand.

## 4. Granting spells to characters

On a character's sheet, the DM picks a spell from the list and clicks Grant.

- Any class can be granted any spell. Whether a non-spellcaster should have
  one is the DM's call.
- The DM can remove a known spell with ✕.
- The owning player ticks **Prepared**. Prepared is a label: there is no limit
  on how many spells are prepared.
- **Passing a spell on.** A character's owner (or the DM) can give a known
  spell to another character in the campaign from the "Give to Another
  Character" card on the sheet. The spell moves: the giver no longer knows
  it. It cannot be given to someone who already knows it, and a recipient
  below the spell's level knows it but cannot use it yet.
- The "Spells Known" card only appears on a sheet when the campaign's spell
  list has at least one spell.
- Each known spell shows its level (or "Cantrip"), its damage, and what it
  does.

## 5. Spell level and who can use it

This is a house rule of this app. In standard D&D a 3rd-level spell needs a
5th-level caster; here the two numbers are the same.

**A character must be at least the spell's level to use it.** Cantrips are
open to everyone.

| Spell | Who can use it |
|---|---|
| Cantrip | Any character |
| Level 1 | Any character (everyone starts at level 1) |
| Level 2 | Characters of level 2 and above |
| Level 3 | Characters of level 3 and above |
| … | … |
| Level 9 | Characters of level 9 and above |

A spell above the character's level can still be **known**, but it shows
"Requires level N", cannot be prepared, and is left out of encounters. If the
DM lowers a character's level, spells now out of reach are unprepared
automatically.

## 6. Damage

A spell's damage is whatever is picked in its Damage drop-down, shown beside
the spell on the sheet and in encounters. It does not change with the character's
level, and nothing is added to it.

## 7. Spellcasting numbers

Shown only for classes with a spellcasting ability:

| Class | Spellcasting ability |
|---|---|
| Wizard | Intelligence |
| Cleric, Druid, Ranger | Wisdom |
| Bard, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock | Charisma |
| Barbarian, Fighter, Monk, Rogue | None |

| Number | Formula | Used when |
|---|---|---|
| Spell save DC | 8 + proficiency bonus + spellcasting ability modifier | A target rolls to resist your spell |
| Spell attack bonus | Proficiency bonus + spellcasting ability modifier | You roll to hit with a spell |

A character without a spellcasting class can still be granted spells, but has
no save DC or attack bonus shown.

## 8. Starting spells

In the builder's equipment step a new character can pick spells that are:

- ticked as a **starting option** in the list,
- **cantrips or level 1** (a new character is level 1), and
- only if the character's **class has a spellcasting ability**.

The number allowed is the campaign's "starting spells" setting. Starting
spells arrive unprepared.

## 9. Permissions

| Action | DM | Owning player | Other players |
|---|---|---|---|
| See the spell list | Yes | Only what their own character holds, plus the starting options while they have a character to build | The same, for their own character |
| See the built-in library | Yes | No | No |
| Add, change or remove spells in the list | Yes | No | No |
| Grant a spell from the list, or remove one | Yes | No | No |
| Give a known spell to another character | Yes | Yes | No |
| Prepare or unprepare | Yes | Yes, if the character can use it | No |
| See a character's spells | Yes | Yes | Yes |

## 10. What is not modelled

- Spell slots, and casting a spell at a higher level
- Cantrip damage increasing at higher character levels
- Limits on how many spells can be prepared or known
- Concentration, components, rituals
- Class spell lists (any spell can be granted to anyone)
- Healing amounts as a separate value (pick them in Damage if you want them
  shown)
- Applying spell damage to a target automatically

## 11. The complete spell library

Every spell "📚 From Library" offers, with the damage it arrives with.

This list is written from the app's own data by `npm run docs:lists` (in `/backend`). Re-run it after changing the data; do not edit the list by hand.

<!-- BEGIN GENERATED: spell-library -->
### Cantrips (26)

Usable by any character.

| Spell | School | Damage | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acid Splash | Conjuration | 1d6 | Hurl a bubble of acid at one or two creatures within 5 feet of each other. |
| Blade Ward | Abjuration | — | Resist bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage until your next turn. |
| Chill Touch | Necromancy | 1d8 | A ghostly hand deals necrotic damage and prevents healing. |
| Dancing Lights | Illusion | — | Create up to four torch-sized lights that you can move. |
| Druidcraft | Transmutation | — | A small, harmless nature-flavored effect: predict weather, sprout a seedling, and the like. |
| Eldritch Blast | Evocation | 1d10 | A beam of crackling energy strikes one creature for force damage. |
| Fire Bolt | Evocation | 1d10 | Hurl a mote of fire that deals fire damage on a hit. |
| Friends | Enchantment | — | Advantage on Charisma checks against one creature for the duration. |
| Guidance | Divination | — | Add 1d4 to one ability check of your choice. |
| Light | Evocation | — | An object sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius. |
| Mage Hand | Conjuration | — | A spectral hand manipulates objects, opens doors, and carries small items. |
| Mending | Transmutation | — | Repairs a single break or tear in an object. |
| Message | Transmutation | — | Whisper a message to a target that only they can hear, with a whispered reply. |
| Minor Illusion | Illusion | — | Create a sound or an image of an object for the duration. |
| Poison Spray | Conjuration | 1d12 | Project a puff of noxious gas that deals poison damage. |
| Prestidigitation | Transmutation | — | A minor magical trick — light a candle, clean an object, chill or warm food, and the like. |
| Produce Flame | Conjuration | 1d8 | A flickering flame in your hand sheds light and can be hurled for fire damage. |
| Ray of Frost | Evocation | 1d8 | A ray of freezing energy deals cold damage and slows the target. |
| Resistance | Abjuration | — | The target adds 1d4 to one saving throw of its choice. |
| Sacred Flame | Evocation | 1d8 | Radiant flame descends on a creature that must succeed a Dexterity save or take damage. |
| Shillelagh | Transmutation | — | Imbue a club or quarterstaff with magic, using Wisdom for its attack and damage. |
| Shocking Grasp | Evocation | 1d8 | Lightning springs from your hand, dealing damage and preventing reactions. |
| Spare the Dying | Necromancy | — | A creature you touch that has 0 hit points becomes stable. |
| Thorn Whip | Transmutation | 1d6 | A vine-like whip deals damage and drags the target closer. |
| True Strike | Divination | — | Gain advantage on your next attack roll against the target. |
| Vicious Mockery | Enchantment | 1d4 | A string of insults deals psychic damage and imposes disadvantage on the target’s next attack. |

### Level 1 (30 spells)

Needs character level 1.

| Spell | School | Damage | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alarm | Abjuration | — | Set an audible or mental alarm against intruders. |
| Animal Friendship | Enchantment | — | Convince a beast that you mean it no harm. |
| Bane | Enchantment | — | Up to three creatures subtract 1d4 from attack rolls and saves. |
| Bless | Enchantment | — | Up to three creatures add 1d4 to attack rolls and saves. |
| Burning Hands | Evocation | 3d6 | A thin sheet of flame sweeps out from your hands. |
| Charm Person | Enchantment | — | A humanoid you can see regards you as a friendly acquaintance. |
| Color Spray | Illusion | — | A dazzling array of flashing colors can blind weak creatures. |
| Command | Enchantment | — | Speak a one-word command a creature must obey. |
| Comprehend Languages | Divination | — | Understand any spoken or written language. |
| Cure Wounds | Evocation | — | A creature you touch regains hit points. |
| Detect Magic | Divination | — | Sense the presence of magic within 30 feet. |
| Disguise Self | Illusion | — | Change your appearance, including clothing and gear. |
| Entangle | Conjuration | — | Grasping weeds and vines sprout in a 20-foot square. |
| Faerie Fire | Evocation | — | Objects in a 20-foot cube are outlined in light, granting attackers advantage. |
| Feather Fall | Transmutation | — | Falling creatures slow to a gentle descent. |
| Fog Cloud | Conjuration | — | A 20-foot-radius sphere of fog heavily obscures the area. |
| Guiding Bolt | Evocation | 4d6 | A flash of light streaks to a target, dealing radiant damage. |
| Healing Word | Evocation | — | A creature you can see regains hit points. |
| Hunter's Mark | Divination | 1d6 | Deal extra damage to a marked target and track it magically. |
| Identify | Divination | — | Learn the properties of a magic item or the nature of a spell affecting a creature. |
| Jump | Transmutation | — | A creature's jump distance triples. |
| Longstrider | Transmutation | — | A creature's speed increases by 10 feet. |
| Mage Armor | Abjuration | — | A protective magical force gives the target a base AC of 13 + Dex modifier. |
| Magic Missile | Evocation | 3d4+3 | Three darts of magical force each strike a target unerringly. |
| Protection from Evil and Good | Abjuration | — | Protect a creature from aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. |
| Shield | Abjuration | — | An invisible barrier grants +5 AC until the start of your next turn. |
| Sleep | Enchantment | — | Creatures in a 20-foot radius fall unconscious, weakest hit points first. |
| Speak with Animals | Divination | — | Comprehend and verbally communicate with beasts. |
| Thunderwave | Evocation | 2d8 | A wave of thunderous force sweeps out, damaging and pushing creatures. |
| Witch Bolt | Evocation | 1d12 | A beam of lightning forms a sustained arc that damages the target each turn. |

### Level 2 (26 spells)

Needs character level 2.

| Spell | School | Damage | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aid | Abjuration | — | Bolster allies with additional hit points. |
| Alter Self | Transmutation | — | Assume a variety of minor physical changes. |
| Animal Messenger | Enchantment | — | Send a tiny animal to deliver a short message. |
| Blindness/Deafness | Necromancy | — | Blind or deafen a creature that fails a Constitution save. |
| Blur | Illusion | — | Your outline blurs, giving attackers disadvantage. |
| Darkvision | Transmutation | — | Grant a creature darkvision out to 60 feet. |
| Enhance Ability | Transmutation | — | Grant advantage on checks with one chosen ability. |
| Enlarge/Reduce | Transmutation | — | A creature or object doubles or halves in size. |
| Flaming Sphere | Conjuration | 2d6 | A 5-foot-diameter sphere of fire rolls where you direct it. |
| Gust of Wind | Evocation | — | A line of strong wind pushes creatures and extinguishes flames. |
| Hold Person | Enchantment | — | Paralyze a humanoid that fails a Wisdom save. |
| Invisibility | Illusion | — | A creature you touch becomes invisible. |
| Lesser Restoration | Abjuration | — | End one disease or condition afflicting the target. |
| Levitate | Transmutation | — | A creature or object rises vertically and can be moved. |
| Mirror Image | Illusion | — | Three illusory duplicates of yourself spring into being. |
| Misty Step | Conjuration | — | Teleport up to 30 feet in a burst of silvery mist. |
| Moonbeam | Evocation | 2d10 | A silvery beam of pale light shines down in a 5-foot-radius cylinder. |
| Pass without Trace | Abjuration | — | The party becomes exceptionally difficult to track. |
| Scorching Ray | Evocation | 2d6 | Three rays of fire streak toward targets within range. |
| Shatter | Evocation | 3d8 | A sudden loud ringing noise deals thunder damage in a 10-foot-radius sphere. |
| Silence | Illusion | — | No sound can be created within or pass through a 20-foot-radius sphere. |
| Spider Climb | Transmutation | — | A creature gains the ability to move on vertical surfaces and ceilings. |
| Spiritual Weapon | Evocation | 1d8 | A spectral weapon attacks a target and can be moved each turn. |
| Suggestion | Enchantment | — | Plant a reasonable-sounding suggestion in a creature’s mind. |
| Web | Conjuration | — | Thick, sticky webs fill a 20-foot cube. |
| Zone of Truth | Enchantment | — | Creatures in a 15-foot-radius sphere can’t speak a deliberate lie. |

### Level 3 (21 spells)

Needs character level 3.

| Spell | School | Damage | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animate Dead | Necromancy | — | Raise a skeleton or zombie from a corpse to fight for you. |
| Beacon of Hope | Abjuration | — | Bolster creatures against despair, granting advantage on saves and max healing. |
| Call Lightning | Conjuration | 3d10 | A storm cloud forms and you can call down bolts of lightning. |
| Counterspell | Abjuration | — | Interrupt a creature casting a spell. |
| Daylight | Evocation | — | A 60-foot-radius sphere of bright light spreads out. |
| Dispel Magic | Abjuration | — | End one active spell affecting a creature, object, or effect. |
| Fear | Illusion | — | Creatures in the cone become frightened and drop what they’re holding. |
| Fireball | Evocation | 8d6 | A bright streak explodes into flame, dealing fire damage in a 20-foot radius. |
| Fly | Transmutation | — | The target gains a flying speed of 60 feet. |
| Haste | Transmutation | — | Double the target’s speed and grant an extra action. |
| Lightning Bolt | Evocation | 8d6 | A stroke of lightning blasts out in a line, dealing lightning damage. |
| Mass Healing Word | Evocation | — | Up to six creatures you can see regain hit points. |
| Nondetection | Abjuration | — | Hide a target from divination magic. |
| Protection from Energy | Abjuration | — | Resistance to one damage type of your choice. |
| Remove Curse | Abjuration | — | Lift a curse from a creature or object. |
| Revivify | Necromancy | — | A creature that died within the last minute returns to life with 1 hit point. |
| Sleet Storm | Conjuration | — | Freezing rain falls in a 40-foot-radius cylinder, icing the ground. |
| Slow | Transmutation | — | Up to six creatures are hindered, halving their speed and worse. |
| Spirit Guardians | Conjuration | 3d8 | Protective spirits swirl around you, damaging enemies that enter. |
| Stinking Cloud | Conjuration | — | A 20-foot-radius sphere of yellow, nauseating gas spreads out. |
| Water Breathing | Transmutation | — | Up to ten creatures can breathe underwater. |

### Level 4 (13 spells)

Needs character level 4.

| Spell | School | Damage | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banishment | Abjuration | — | Send a creature to a harmless demiplane. |
| Blight | Necromancy | 8d8 | Necromantic energy withers a creature, dealing necrotic damage. |
| Confusion | Enchantment | — | Creatures in a 10-foot-radius sphere act randomly. |
| Dimension Door | Conjuration | — | Teleport yourself (and possibly a companion) to a spot you can visualize. |
| Fire Shield | Evocation | 2d8 | Wreathe yourself in flame that damages attackers and grants resistance. |
| Freedom of Movement | Abjuration | — | The target’s movement is unaffected by difficult terrain and restraints. |
| Greater Invisibility | Illusion | — | The target becomes invisible even while attacking. |
| Guardian of Faith | Conjuration | 20 | A Large spectral guardian appears and attacks enemies near it. |
| Ice Storm | Evocation | 2d8+4d6 | Hail hammers a 20-foot-radius cylinder, dealing bludgeoning and cold damage. |
| Polymorph | Transmutation | — | Transform a creature into a new form. |
| Stone Shape | Transmutation | — | Reshape a chunk of stone into a form you desire. |
| Stoneskin | Abjuration | — | The target gains resistance to nonmagical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. |
| Wall of Fire | Evocation | 5d8 | Conjure a wall of fire that damages creatures passing through it. |

### Level 5 (15 spells)

Needs character level 5.

| Spell | School | Damage | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animate Objects | Transmutation | — | Up to ten nonmagical objects animate and fight for you. |
| Cloudkill | Conjuration | 5d8 | A 20-foot-radius sphere of poisonous, yellow-green fog billows out. |
| Cone of Cold | Evocation | 8d8 | A blast of cold air deals cold damage to everything in the cone. |
| Contagion | Necromancy | — | Infect a creature with a magical disease. |
| Dispel Evil and Good | Abjuration | — | Protection and the ability to banish otherworldly creatures. |
| Dominate Person | Enchantment | — | Attempt to beguile a humanoid and control its actions. |
| Flame Strike | Evocation | 8d6 | A column of divine fire roars down, dealing fire and radiant damage. |
| Greater Restoration | Abjuration | — | Undo a debilitating effect: reduced ability score, exhaustion, or curse. |
| Hold Monster | Enchantment | — | Paralyze one creature that fails a Wisdom save. |
| Insect Plague | Conjuration | 4d10 | A swarm of biting, stinging insects fills a 20-foot-radius sphere. |
| Legend Lore | Divination | — | Learn what you know, or have heard, about a name, place, or object. |
| Mass Cure Wounds | Evocation | — | Up to six creatures in a 30-foot-radius sphere regain hit points. |
| Raise Dead | Necromancy | — | Return a dead creature to life, as long as its body is mostly intact. |
| Wall of Force | Evocation | — | An invisible wall of force springs into existence, impenetrable to physical force. |
| Wall of Stone | Evocation | — | A nonmagical wall of solid stone springs into existence. |
<!-- END GENERATED: spell-library -->