[None of these spells made it into R&R2, overly specific Conjurations need not apply when you have 4000+ submissions, I s'pose. :)]

 

Sand Jackals.

Conjures a pack of jackals to attack the casters foes.

 

Conjuration (Summoning)

Level: Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3

Components: V, S, M

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Close (25 ft. + 5ft./2 levels)

Target, Effect or Area: Summons one jackal / caster level

Duration: 1 round/level

Saving Throw: None

Spell Resistance: No

 

Description

Nomadic human settlements wander the region now called the Perforated Plains, descendents displaced from their fallen city of Aurimar, now dwelling side by side with the same wandering tribesmen they once took back to their shining walls as slaves.  These nomads mix both simple practices with the advanced learning salvaged from the fallen city, and old ways die hard, as the men of Aurimar are still prone to send expendable minions to their death while they personally flee to live another day.  How fortunate for them that the refugees included a dozen students of conjuration, willing to trade training and service for nothing more than food and protection.  The conjuror Jilaad was said to have developed this spell to distract an opponent while he sought a more tactical view of the engagement, preferably through some sort of spyglass…

 

Spell Effect

With this invocation, the caster summons up a number of jackals that seem to rise from out of the earth.  One jackal appears for every caster level, and each has the statistics of a Small Dog (core rulebook III, pages 195-196).

 

     [Hit Dice: 1d8+2 (6 hp), Init +3 (Dex), Spd: 40 ft., AC 15 (+1 size,

     +3 Dex, +1 natural), Attacks: 1 bite at +2 melee for 1d4+1 damage,

     Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft., Saves; Fort +4, Ref +5, Will +1, Str

     13, Dex 17, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6, Listen +5, Spot +5,

     Wilderness Lore +1.*  Special ability: Scent (see core rulebook III

     p. 10).  Jackals receive a +8 racial bonus to Wilderness Lore checks

     when tracking by scent.]

 

In all respects these creatures are treated as normal jackals (small dogs) for the duration of the spell, exhibiting neither Celestial nor Fiendish template characteristics, being primarily small, yappy and annoying.

 

These creatures will perform any tasks you desire for the duration, attacking fearlessly if so directed.  Once the spell duration ends, the beasts seem to tunnel into the ground with unnatural speed and vanish in an instant.

 

Material Components: Scraps of meat equal to one meal must be tossed out over the ground as an offering to these scavengers, which then rise up out of the sand or earth to consume these morsels and then serve the casters will.  This feast does not cost them an action (as eating something that hits the ground is treated as a free action for many dogs) and the jackals may be directed to attack on the same round as they appear.

 

Unleash the Hounds.

Conjures extra-planar hounds to attack the casters foes.

 

Conjuration (Summoning)

Level: Sor/Wiz 3

Components: V, S, F

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Close (25 ft. + 5ft./2 levels)

Target, Effect or Area: Summons 1 war dog / 2 caster levels

Duration: 1 round/level

Saving Throw: None

Spell Resistance: No

 

Description

The expatriate Aurimarian conjurer Darmoj, now of the Far-Wanderers tribe, developed this spell as a form of defense from the many dangers of the Perforated Plains.  His tribes’ reliance on the sleek hunting dogs of the area was mirrored in his researches.  It was perhaps the first spell of its type, and has since been transcribed by spellcasters far from its creator’s lands.

 

Spell Effect

With a whistle and an expansive sweep of both hands, the caster summons a pack of extradimensional forces resembling hounds that obey his directives for the duration.  The spell conjures one such creature / odd level of the caster.  ‘Hounds’ have the statistics of Riding Dogs from Core Rulebook III (pg. 196).

 

     [Hit Dice: 2d8+4 (13 hp), Initiative: +2 (Dex), Speed: 40 ft., AC: 16

     (+2 Dex, +4 natural), Attacks: Bite +3 melee, Damage: Bite 1d6+3,

     Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft., Special Qualities: Scent (+4 racial

     bonus to Wilderness Lore checks when tracking by scent), Saves:

     Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1, Abilities: Str 15, Dex 15, Con 15, Int 2, Wis

     12, Cha 6, Skills: Listen +5, Spot +5, Swim +5, Wilderness Lore +1.

     A hound that hits with a bite attack can attempt to trip the

     opponent as a free action (see page 139 of Core Rulebook 1)

     without making a touch attack or provoking an attack of

     opportunity.  If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip

     the hound.]

 

Additionally, these extraplanar hounds appear as unnatural wolf-like shapes of luminous or dark smoldering force, depending on which plane they are conjured from, and the entire pack must be of the same form, either behaving as under the Celestial or Fiendish templates, as per Core Rulebook III (pages 211-212).  Rumored variants of this spell produce hound-like creatures from the elemental planes, or even that of shadow...

 

Focus: A masterwork whistle either carved of gold and pearl for celestial hounds, or iron and onyx to call fiendish ones.

 

[Note: Elemental or Shadow Hounds would use the templates from Manual of the Planes, which is not OGL content, and have thus been stricken from the original spell description.]

 

Waves of Sand.

The earth moves beneath the caster.

 

Transmutation

Level: Sor/Wiz 3

Components: V, S

Casting Time: 1 minute

Range: Personal

Target, Effect or Area: A 15-ft. square centered on the caster

Duration: 1 hour/level (D)

Saving Throw: None

Spell Resistance: No

 

Description

Few sights unsettle like the wizard Khalid sitting cross-legged on the earth reading a book and sipping cool tea, while his servant-boy holds a parasol to shade him from the sun.  For unlike most mages, he is moving as fast as a walking man as this happens, being carried along the ground by a small mound of soil that leaves a furrow of disturbed earth behind him.  More disturbing is the rare occasion when he travels alone and seems to walk or even jog through the wastes at the speed of a galloping horse, dust-plume rising in his wake.

 

Spell Effect

Unseen forces beneath the ground cause it to ripple and roil beneath the casters feet.  These waves of sand (or earth or soil) move the caster in any direction he wills at a speed of 30 ft./round.  If the motion is stopped for more than a single round, the mysterious forces below the ground depart and the spell expires.

 

The spell affects a patch of ground beneath the caster, who may stand or sit as he pleases, perhaps even laying down a carpet to protect his robes from contact with the dirt, while the ground moves beneath him and conveys him to his destination.  So long as they remain within 5 ft. of the caster, and are not unduly disconcerted by the movement of the ground beneath their feet, companions may be carried along by the sand, and the caster can even enact this spell while riding a mount, such as a camel or horse (requiring a riding or animal handling check at DC 18 to keep the animal from leaping off of the moving ground).

 

The moving sands provide no stable footing for anyone other than the caster, so that companions or a mount cannot move forwards, finding it all they can do to remain standing and calm on this creeping wave of sand.  The caster alone may choose to ‘walk with’ this spell, as it centers upon him as he strides forward, adding its own momentum to his own.  Any companions will fall off of the moving sands immediately and begin to fall behind if the caster takes advantage of this increased movement rate.

 

The moving patch of earth is elevated a few inches above the rest of the ground and travels over muddy ground, grassy plains, loose gravel and snow-covered fields alike, pushing small puddles and plants and light coverings of snow out of its way (although the ground will still be wet in these cases, so standing is advised).  Areas of bare stone, water more than a few inches deep or ice stop the wave of sand in its tracks, and the caster must find a way around the obstruction, or the spell ends.  Even a stream is impassible to these earthen forces, as they cannot cross a bridge or any but the shallowest fording.

 

Harness the Winds.

Summons aerial mounts to carry allies.

 

Conjuration (Creation)

Level: Sor/Wiz 4

Components: V, S, M, F

Casting Time: 1 minute

Range: Close (25 ft. + 5ft./2 levels)

Target, Effect or Area: Creates one flying phantasmal steed per caster level

Duration: Special (1 hour / level maximum)

Saving Throw: None

Spell Resistance: No

 

Description

The broken magi of the city of Aurimar now roam the Perforated Plains, but a few, such as the conjurer Mirab, are powerful enough to craft spells to carry themselves and their allies far above the blasted terrain and avoid land-bound titanspawn threats.  The conjurers of former Aurimar are ever moving, never settling down, as if they are afraid to stop running from the dangers that surround them.  Others suggest that they may be searching for something, although no one knows what that thing might be…

 

Spell Effect

The caster calls down from the sky a number of cloud-like steeds in the form of hippogriffs.  The steeds loathe the touch of the earth under their feet and stand unsteadily upon the earth to be fitted with whatever saddles or gear they are required to carry only so long as the caster maintains total concentration.  The moment he relinquishes his mental hold on these skittish beasts, they take to the air with a leap and will carry his party wherever he directs for up to 1 hour / caster level.

 

The creations of cloud and wind seem semi-solid to the touch, and share many of the same attributes as a standard hippogriff (core rulebook III, pages 118-119), with the exception of certain elemental abilities.  As elemental creatures, wind steeds have 60 ft. Darkvision, are immune to poison, sleep, paralysis or stunning and cannot be critically hit.  They do possess a discernable anatomy and can be flanked.  As creatures of wind, they have a damage resistance of 10/+1 and Sonic and Electrical resistances of 10.  The wind steeds possess no attack whatsoever, and simply fly away from any danger, flying at 100 ft./round (with average maneuverability while mounted).  They can carry a light load of 300 lbs., a medium load of 301-600 lbs. and a heavy load of 601-900 lbs.  They will not race ahead of one another, regardless of instructions, all must remain within close range of the caster and each other, and if one is encumbered, all will slow to match its pace automatically.

 

They may be commanded to swoop low or to evade attacks or to rise beyond archery ranges, but they can never attack, bite, claw, slam or trample.  Riders however are free to launch spells or arrows (should their proficiencies and / or Concentration checks allow).  Once saddled, mounted and / or otherwise equipped and released into flight, the wind steeds will only return to the earth but once, remaining their for a single round (long enough for riders to dismount with some dignity) before they dissipate into a gaseous clouds breeze that return to the sky, all gear and equipment remaining on them dropping to the ground.

 

Material Components: An offering of incense or strong perfumes worth at least 50 gp.

 

Focus: A small bone whistle, carved from the wing-bone of an eagle, falcon or hawk.  After a short ritual involving the offering of scents, the whistle is blown and held to the casters lips throughout the duration of the wind steeds’ time on the ground.

 

Night Terrors.

Conjures a pair of shadow panthers.

 

Conjuration (Summoning)

Level: Sor/Wiz 5

Components: V, S, F

Casting Time: 1 minute

Range: Close (25 ft. + 5ft./2 levels)

Target, Effect or Area: Conjures a pair of shadow panthers for one task

Duration: 1 night (12 hours maximum)

Saving Throw: None

Spell Resistance: No

 

Description

The nomadic tribesmen of the Perforated Plains claim a great heritage, but today it is as the rest of their former kingdom, merely dust.  Their legacy of conjuration lives on, even in the works of Nhangya, the dreaded penumbral lord, or, more correctly, penumbral lady, who held a dark place in her heart for the lands of her birth and the parents who left a sickly she-child to die at the hands of the desert.  This spell has recently come to light with her death and serves to explain some, if not all, of the terrors that accompanied her nocturnal travels throughout her former homeland.

 

Spell Effect

This spell can only be cast at night, and the creatures conjured vanish at daybreak, regardless of the success or failure of their mission.  Once the summoning is completed, two panthers as black as night seem to coalesce from the shadows, but the only surety is the sight of the faintly glowing golden eyes and stark white ivory teeth, as their hide is blackest night.

 

The panthers serve the caster for the night, as guardians, warriors or even assassins.  Both have the base statistics of Leopards (core rulebook III, pages 197-198), but modified with an additional +10 circumstance bonus to Hide checks in darkness or shadowy areas, 60-ft. Darkvision, Damage Resistance 5/+1, Cold Resistance 5, immunity to life-energy and ability draining effects and immunity to all Necromantic spells.  The cats are destroyed by the touch of sunlight and take extra damage from many light related attack spells (being treated as undead for the purpose of sunburst, etc), although they are not subject to turning / rebuking.

 

    [Hit Dice: 3d8+6 (19 hp), Init +4 (Dex), Spd: 40 ft., climb 20 ft.,

    AC: 15 (+4 Dex, +1 natural), Attacks: 2 claws at +1 melee for 1d3+1

    damage, 1 bite at +6 melee for 1d6+3 damage, Face/Reach: 5 ft. by

    5 ft./5 ft., Saves; Fort +5, Ref +7, Will +2, Str 16, Dex 19, Con 15, Int

    2, Wis 12, Cha 6, Balance +12, Climb +11, Hide +9*, Listen +6,

    Move Silently +9, Spot +6.  Special attacks include Pounce (Ex): if it

    leaps upon a foe during the first round of combat, it can make a

    full attack even if it has already taken a move action, Improved

    Grab (Ex): to use this ability, the panther must hit with its bite

    attack.  If it can get a hold it can rake with its rear claws twice at +6

    melee inflicting 1d3+1 damage each, and Scent (see core rulebook

    III p. 10).  *In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, the racial

    Hide bonus increases by +8.]

 

The cats may only be set to a single task when they are summoned, to guard the caster or a person she designates, to attack a certain foe or group of foes who are currently present, or to find and kill one designated target.  If the latter mission is chosen, the panthers must be allowed to taste a sample of the targets blood, after which they will be able to scent that targets presence within a mile and will move through the shadows at best speed to that targets current location to complete their mission, which they will only deem complete when they have eaten their targets heart.  A spellcaster who is within close range and able to counterspell this casting, causes the panthers not to disappear, but to turn and hunt down their summoner…

 

Focus: A pair of matching black panther figurines, each weighing about a pound.  One must be made of onyx, the other of jet, and both set with tiny topaz eyes and insets of ivory for claws and fangs, worth 500 gp. for the pair.

 

[NOTE: The template modifications provided above would ideally be substituted with those for a Shadow template creature on Manual of the Planes, pages 190-191, but that book is not currently OGL content, AFAIK.  If it is, I will happily revise it to suit.]

 

Sand Serpents.

Conjures serpents of sand to attack foes.

 

Conjuration (Creation)

Level: Drd 5, Sor/Wiz 5

Components: V, S, M

Casting Time: 1 full round

Range: Close (25 ft. + 5ft./2 levels)

Target, Effect or Area: Creates 1 tiny viper / caster level or 1 giant constrictor of sand

Duration: 1 round/level

Saving Throw: None

Spell Resistance: No

 

Description

The conjurers of the Perforated Plains are known for many tricks, all of them to some extent deadly.  Their culture has survived its own destruction and their peoples now wander a titanspawn filled wasteland, so it is little surprise that their traditional tactic in battle is to send an expendable minion into battle while they flee to safer grounds.   Lacking the slave-armies they once mustered, some now turn to conjuration magics to cover their inevitable retreat.  Sokath was known to prefer conjuring serpents and other venomous creatures, and is believed to have created this enchantment before his untimely death.

 

Spell Effect

The caster pours forth a handful of sand onto the ground and evokes one of two options, either a hissing next of sand vipers, or a single enormous earthen constrictor.

 

If the vipers are chosen, the caster creates one / caster level, each having the statistics of the Tiny Viper (core rulebook III pages 201-202), with the exceptions being that sand vipers cannot swim, and that their venom is not a toxic fluid, but is instead as dust, dehydrating their victims with the same end result as normal Tiny Viper venom.  Temporary Constitution damage from their ‘venom’ can be regained at one points / hour of rest, so long as a dull days ration of water is consumed for each point lost.  Once affected by the bite of a sand viper, the ‘venom’ of another cannot affect a victim.

 

     [Hit Dice ¼ (1 hp), Init +3 (Dex), Spd: 15 ft., climb 15 ft., AC: 17 (+2

     size, +3 Dex, +2 natural), Attacks 1 bite at +5 melee for 0 damage +

     poison, Face/Reach: 2 ½ ft. by 2 ½ ft. (coiled)/0 ft., Saves; Fort +2,

     Ref +5, Will +1, Str 6, Dex 17, Con -, Int -, Wis 12, Cha 2, Balance

     +11, Climb +12, Hide +18, Listen +8, Spot +8.  Special abilities

     include Scent (see core rulebook III p. 10) and Poison (DC 11

     Fortitude save, initial and secondary damage 1d6 Con).]

 

Alternately, the caster may choose to call up a single huge constrictor of earth and sand to crush his foes in its stony coils.  Such a creature has the statistics of a Huge Constrictor (core rulebook III, pages 201-202).

 

     [Hit Dice: 11d8+11 (60 hp), Init +3 (Dex), Spd: 20 ft., climb 20 ft.,

     AC: 15 (-2 size, +3 Dex, +4 natural), Attacks: 1 bite at +13 melee for

     1d8+10 damage, Face/Reach: 15 ft. by 15 ft. (coiled)/10 ft., Saves;

     Fort +8, Ref +10, Will +4, Str 25, Dex 17, Con -, Int -, Wis 12, Cha 2,

     Balance +11, Climb +18, Hide +3, Listen +9, Spot +9.  Special:

     Improved Grab (if it succeeds on a bite attack, it can constrict

     automatically), Constrict (can constrict up to Large size foes for

     1d8+10 damage / round) and Scent (see core rulebook III p. 10).]

 

Either version attacks as the caster directs, and if reduced to zero hit points fall immediately into the dust from which they were made.  Being constructs of sand, stone and earth, these creations are immune to many forms of attack, including mind-influencing effects, poisons, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects or necromantic effects.  They are not subject to critical hits, subdual damage, ability damage or drain or energy drain.  They are not at risk of death from massive damage, but when they reach 0 hit points, they are destroyed, making them like constructs in that regard as well.  They do not heal naturally, nor can traditional healing magic repair them or restore their lives if slain.  Both varieties of sand serpent have 60-ft. range Darkvision.

 

Material Components: A handful of sand or gravel that has steeped for a night in snakes blood and then been dried.  Sand is either shaken out into small streams, which become vipers as they hit the ground, or is poured out in one long stream to form a huge constrictor.  If tiny pebbles of gravel are used, they are thrown semi-randomly to the ground and ‘hatch’ into vipers, or arranged in a curving line pattern that fuses into a constrictor.