Empowered Tiny Arcana
More rules for magic in Tiny Dungeon
Updating magic throughout Tiny Dungeon is a challenging task, particularly when striving to keep this streamlined and varied without allowing any single topic or mechanic to dominate. However, I have observations and suggestions to provide more nuance and detail to how spells and magic are handled in this rules-light D6 system.
A review of magical disciplines reveals a range of collected abilities and spells that players can use to create thematic character power sets. Spells fall into two categories: those requiring no resources, akin to cantrips in traditional RPGs, and single-use scrolls that grant one-off spells. These scrolls may represent abilities from disciplines outside of a characters original selection, or entirely improvised spells.
Improvised spells could emulate effects from other systems, allowing for more dramatic or catastrophic outcomes, such as resurrecting a character, dealing massive damage, or creating large area-of-effect attacks like a fireball or meteor. Many books published by Gallant Knight Games encourage players and game masters to collaborate in creating original spells, discussing the player's intent, and working together to balance their execution for a fun and fair experience.
Before delving into the specifics of execution, it’s essential to outline some key components and options for crafting spells. Instead of attempting to compile an exhaustive compendium of original spells, I’ll highlight a set of defining qualities that I rely on in my own gameplay. These serve as a framework for understanding and contextualizing magic in RPG systems as a whole.
Area of Effect or Number of Targets: Pretty simple. What are you hitting? language describing this includes the following, applicable to allies or enemies:
Single Target: Affects one target, typically within a specific range from the caster (e.g., 30–120 feet).
Multiple Targets: Affects a chosen number of targets within a specific range (e.g., three targets within 60 feet of the caster).
Visible Area or Surroundings: Affects everything the caster can see or everything within a set radius (e.g., 5 feet or the caster’s "Close" range).
Targeted Zone: Affects everything within a specified shape or area at a selected location within range. Examples include:
A 15-foot cone directly in front of the caster.
A 10-foot sphere placed within 30 feet of the caster.
A line extending directly from the caster up to 120 feet or their "Far" range.
Variable Effected Time
An area of effect might also include a variable duration. A classic example is a wall of flame or a sphere of blades that persists for a specific number of turns. The duration could be fixed, determined by a dice roll, or left up to the player, lasting until they choose to deactivate it or until their concentration is broken.
Damage or Healing: Also self explanatory. How many points of health is a spell taking away or giving? I'd technically include armoring as well since it's so ingrained with health, basically acting as either more resilient or temporary health points.
Set Amount: Dealing 1 or 2 damage in **Tiny Dungeon** is a common baseline. You can stick to this or adjust it. The exact value isn't as important as the concept: the spell causes a fixed "X" amount of damage or healing.
Continuous Affliction: Applies recurring damage or healing over a set or variable duration. Often used to describe poisoning or burning. For example:
1 damage at the start of each round for the next 3 turns.
1 damage for a variable duration, such as 1D6 turns.
Variable Amount: Introduces randomness with a dice roll to determine the amount. Examples include:
Dice Rolls: Using dice like 1D3, 1D6, or multiples (e.g., 2D6 damage).
Success-Based Damage: If attacks or spells require dice tests, each success (e.g., rolling 5s or 6s) could count as a hit. For example:
An advantaged attack test rolls three successes, dealing 3 hits.
This approach might not seem as impactful as rolling 2D6 for damage, but can scale well if a character gains bonuses for successful hits. For instance, a martial character whose weapon deals 2 damage per hit would consistently inflict significant damage. This effect could be amplified further if rules or abilities specify 6s explode.
Variable Damage Type
Introducing damage types can add an engaging layer of complexity by leveraging a framework familiar to many players, such as the elemental weaknesses and vulnerabilities popularized by games like _Pokémon_. For example, a spell could deal fire damage, and creatures with flammable, plant-like traits might be described as weak to fire, taking double damage when exposed to it.
Conjuration or Transformation: Conjuration involves creating objects, obstacles, or creatures, while transformation alters an existing object or creature into something else. These effects can be overt or subtle—for example, changing a creature’s size might impose multiple debilitating effects at once. Managing these mechanics requires nuance, as creating unique summonable creatures or making balanced rulings for transformations can be complex.
It’s worth noting that conjuration extends beyond creatures or familiars. Spells like a wall of earth might deal no damage but can strategically block enemy forces in tight spaces, potentially ending an encounter faster. Similarly, conjuring hazardous terrain, such as entangling brambles or slippery ice, can disrupt movement and hinder foes. Transformation offers equally versatile options, from druidic abilities that allow a character to become another animal to partial changes like growing claws or wings, enhancing combat or exploration.
These kinds of spells will likely require the most discussion and collaborative negotiations between players and game masters. Both parties must remain open to redesign and balancing play as needed.
Nondamaging Effects: include a wide range of consequences, buffs, and afflictions that enhance gameplay by altering dynamics and providing strategic advantages. These effects are versatile and can dramatically shift the tide of an encounter. Examples include but aren't limited to:
Basic Buffing/Debuffing: In Tiny Dungeon, buffs and debuffs often involve adjusting a creature's advantage level for specific tests, such as attacks, stealth, or social interactions. For example:
A spell might grant advantage to attack rolls or impose disadvantage on enemy perception checks.
Buffs or debuffs could also amplify or reduce damage, healing, or defensive capabilities. A spell that increases damage output, for instance, can often be more impactful than a straightforward one-off effect.
Manipulation or Handicapping: These effects restrict or dictate the actions of a target, either limiting their options or compelling them to act in a specific way. Examples include:
Forced Actions: Compulsion or fear spells might force a character to flee or take specific actions during their turn.
Action Restrictions: A spell could prevent a target from casting spells, moving toward a specific creature, or attacking altogether.
Randomized Behavior: Certain effects might cause a target to attack randomly, unable to distinguish between friend and foe, creating chaos on the battlefield.
Other Utility Based Effects: Utility-based effects cover a wide range of possibilities, offering creative solutions and versatility beyond combat. While it’s impossible to list every example, some common applications include:
Teleporting oneself or another creature over a distance far greater than their normal movement speed.
Sending telepathic messages to communicate silently across distances.
Becoming invisible, which could also fall under the category of transformation.
Magically opening locked doors or chests, as well as identifying magical properties in objects or creatures.
Now with a shared language for what we can consider the elements of spells we intend to alter or provide granularity for we can advance to the actual mechanical updates I'm trying to propose.
Magic/Ability Focus Points
Focus Points (FP) are the renewable resource used for advanced spellcasting, representing a step beyond the basic magic discipline abilities outlined in Tiny Dungeon. These magic disciplines act as the equivalent of "cantrips," while advanced magic introduces more powerful effects at a cost. To keep the system streamlined, instead of implementing a complex multi-tiered spell point economy, this approach uses two straightforward tiers:
Arcanum Minus: Comparable to lower-level spells.
Arcanum Majus: Comparable to higher-level spells.
These tiers can be easily adapted for different settings:
In Cyberpunk, they might become "Hacks" and "Ice."
In Sci-Fi, they could be "Simple Tech" and "High Tech."
For Mind Powers, they might translate to "Psionica Parva" and "Psionica Magna."
Managing Focus Points
Focus Points (FP): These are a renewable resource. Regain half with a short rest and all with a long rest. Consumables like potions may be able to restore them as well.
Consider alternative rules where you regain them at a slower rate if players start spamming sleep. Alternatively, if they're less easy to abuse in execution, consider making it easier at a rate of 1 per hour of game time.
Used only for Arcanum Minus, but using more than one can increase a spells effectiveness and perhaps grant it more features and abilities.
Hyper Focus Points (HFP): These are a renewable but much harder-to-replenish resource. Players must succeed on either an **INT** or **WIS** check after a long rest to regain 1 HFP.
The type of check depends on the nature of the character’s magic. For example, a supernatural monk might rely on **WIS** to intuit the forces of nature, while a wizard would use **INT** to study and comprehend them.
HFP are spent on casting **Arcanum Majus** spells or the most powerful, upcast version of an **Arcanum Minus** spell.
Players can exchange 10 regular **Focus Points (FP)** to gain 1 HFP. Once exchanged however, one cannot reverse their decision
Allocation
Players start with 3-6 FP depending on their starting choices.
I would rule the necessary traits to access FP are Spell Touched and Scroll Reader. Both grant 3 FP.
Characters can have up to 15 Focus Points at a time.
Charactes can have up to 3 Hyper Focus Points at atime.
Gaining a Focus Point costs 7 experience points. Focus points can be exchanged for Hyper Focus points at any time using the previous ruling.
Casting with Focus Points
While many spells and abilities may remain free casts—particularly those from the original Tiny Dungeon source material—the foundational language in the first section of this chapter provides a framework for improvising more powerful spells or enhancing existing ones that require burning Focus Points. Furthermore, applying additional modifications can serve as inspiration for improvising upcasted versions of the same spell, requiring additional Focus Points to be spent.
I recommend limiting upcasting to Arcanum Minus, with a maximum of four Focus Points allowed per spell. Arcanum Majus cannot be upcasted and always burns one Hyper Focus Point per casting.
You'll notice that the previous section's header was titled **"Magic/Ability Focus Points."** This is because I see no reason the same mechanic couldn't apply to characters with a more martial focus. Tiny Dungeon's Martial Disciplines already introduce a mildly magical element to physically inclined characters. It’s easy to imagine adapting this system to emulate special physical attacks, similar to those gained through leveling martial classes in other RPGs, but simplifying them into moves that anyone with a new custom preceding trait can learn. The cost? Focus Points.
If you prefer a clearer distinction between magic users and martial artists, you could introduce a dual-point economy: one pool for magic and another for physical abilities. You might call the latter Stamina Points instead of Focus Points—or name it whatever fits your setting.
I hesitate to fully endorse the physical application, as I’m still experimenting with custom mechanics that distinguish a character’s emphasis between the physical and the magical. I haven’t decided whether I like defaulting to a point economy for everything, and I want to avoid cluttering my custom character sheets with an overwhelming number of checkboxes.
An alternative approach would be to allow martial characters to learn improvised traits—what I like to call _signature moves_—with built-in limitations. These limitations could then be overcome by investing experience points, similar to prestige traits. In fact, I find little need to improvise these moves at all, as simply renaming attacks from monsters in the many Tiny Dungeon supplements or the Micronomicon often works just as well.
Martial Devotee
An example custom trait I've implemented in an ongoing campaign
One point invested in this trait unlocks one signature move that can be used once a day.
An additional point invested in this trait unlocks a second signature move that can be used once a day.
A final point invested in this trait removes the (once per day) limitations of usage on the previously unlocked moves.
Pressing Blows (Signature Move)
If you successfully damage a foe with a Melee Attack, you may immediately make another attack.
Chained Strikes (Signature Move)
Any 5s 6s on your first successful strike of a turn all count as hits. Any 6s explode and each subsequent 5s or 6s also count as hits.
Martial Devotee (point variant)
An example custom prestige trait that can be purchased for 10 experience after acquiring a Martial Discipline as a trait.
You've mastered your martial discipline to such a degree that you may now learn signature moves which require spending Focus Points to be used.
Gain 3 Focus Points. You may now purchase Focus Points in the same manner as practitioners of magical disciplines or Scroll Readers.
Learn one signature move.
Which brings me to a final ingredient of the framework I didn't mention initially because it applies less to magic and more broadly to abilities as a whole.
Permitted Usage Frequency: This defines how often a character can invoke a skill or ability during gameplay. Common examples include, but are not limited to:
Once per game
At will (typically implied through wording, as with cantrips)
Once per in-game day
Once per in-game week (I phrase as _once per session_)
Once per long rest or after 8 hours of rest
Once per turn
Triggered by specific conditions or circumstances described in the ability or spell
Examples
Arcanum Minus
Channeled Blaze
Level 1: Deal 2 fire damage to any one target.
Level 2: Deal 1D6 fire damage to any one target.
Level 3: Deal 1D6 fire damage to all targets in a 10 foot cube.
Level 4: Deal 1D6 fire damage to all targets in a 10 foot cube. They're also on fire for the next 4 turns. They have to pass a save to put out the flames at the start of every turn. Fail and they take an additional 1 point of damage.
Blessed Healing
Level 1: Heal any one target for 3 HP
Level 2: Heal any 2 targets for 1D3 Hp
Level 3: Split 1D6 HP of healing however you wish between any targets of your choosing within 30 feet of you.
Level 4: Split 9 HP of healing however you wish between any targets of your choosing within 30 feet of you. You may heal one of these targets of any burns or poisons they're afflicted by.
Lightning Bolt
Level 1: Deal 4 lightning damage to any one target and take 1 lightning damage yourself. If the target is in water, all creatures (friendly or unfriendly) within 10 feet of it sharing the same body of water take 2 lightning damage.
Level 2: Deal 2D6 lightning damage to all targets (friendly or unfriendly) in a 15 foot line in front of you and take 1D3 lightning damage to yourself. If you or any of the targets are in water, all creatures (friendly or unfriendly) within 10 feet of it sharing the same body of water take 3 lightning damage.
Level 3: Split 9 lightning damage however you wish between any targets of your choosing within 15 feet of you. Take 2 lightning damage to yourself.
Level 4: Split 3D6 lightning damage however you wish between any targets of your choosing within 20 feet of you. Any of these targets can only take a maximum of 5 lightning damage each. Take 4 lightning damage to yourself.
Transfigure
Level 1: A creature's right and left hands are suddenly turned upside down and swap sides, completely throwing off all coordination in their sudden shock. Their attacks are all disadvantaged for 3 turns.
Level 2: Every bone below their waste is temporarily calcified and fused effectively petrifying their ability to move. They can't take the move or evade actions for 1D3 turns. All successful hits against them deal an additional point of damage.
Level 3: A creature shrinks to half their size for as many turns as the caster can maintain concentration. Until it's broken, their movement speed, damage, and health are all halved. They deal a minimum of 1 damage still. Their attacks test down a level of advantage. If they die, the spell is broken and the removed half of their health is returned, but they remain unconscious.
Level 4: A creature is completely transformed to a completely harmless animal like a frog or sheep for as long as the caster can maintain concentration. They're effectively treated as knocked out. This cannot be cast on creatures with 8 or higher HP.
Blazing Wall
Level 1: A 5 foot line of fire bursts into being anywhere of your choosing within 15 feet of you. Anything that passes through it catches for 1D3 turns and takes 2 damage each turn they're on fire.
Level 2: A 10 foot line of fire bursts into being anywhere of your choosing within 20 feet of you. Anything that passes through it catches for 1D3 turns and takes 2 damage each turn they're on fire. They test at the beginning of their turns to put out the fire
Level 3: A 10 foot line of fire bursts into being anywhere of your choosing within 30 feet of you. Anything that passes through it catches for 1D6 turns and takes 1D3 damage each turn they're on fire.
Level 4: A 15 foot line of fire bursts into being anywhere of your choosing within 30 feet of you. Anything that passes through it catches for 1D6 turns and takes 1D6 damage each turn they'rs on fire.
Psionic Darts
Level 1: Spread 3 damage as you wish between any targets within 30 feet of you.
Level 2: Deal 1D3 damage to any 3 targets within 30 feet of you.
Level 3: Spread 2D6 damage as you wish between any targets within 60 feet of you.
Level 4: Deal 1D6 damage to 2D6 worth of targets within 100 feet of you.
Magic Armor
Level 1: Prevent the next 3 damage to a target creature this turn.
Level 2: Prevent 1D6 worth of damage as it occurs to any targets of your choosing within 30 feet of you this turn.
Level 3: Block the next 1D3 strikes as they hit to any targets of your choosing within 30 feet of you this turn.
Level 4: Until the end of combat, 3 targets within 30 feet of you gain a layer of armor with 2 points of durability and prevents 2 damage from successful hits each turn. This ability can't stack on it self, although it can be used to reinforce creatures who are already armored.
Abyssal Shadow
Level 1: Create a shadowy cloud that extends over a 15 feet circle in an area within 30 feet of you until you dismiss it or lose concentration. Creatures in this cloud make all attacks with disadvantage.
Level 2: The cloud now extends 20 feet and has no effect on creatures that are friendly to you.
Level 3: The cloud now inflicts a confused delirium on creatures that are unfriendly to you. They have to pass a Wisdom save before they can attempt moving out of it. Whenever they land their attacks they must flip a coin to see if they instead struck the nearest creature friendly to them instead.
Level 4: The cloud now extends 30 feet and saps at the life force of any creatures unfriendly to you stuck inside of it. Whenever they fail a Wisdom save to attempt moving out of it they take 1D3 damage.
Magic Jaunt
Level 1: Any 1 target of your choosing can now take the move action twice without effecting their action economy for 1D3 turns.
Level 2: Teleport any 1 target of your choosing anywhere within 120 feet of you.
Level 3: Swap the positions of any 1D6 targets (rounded up to an even number) within 120 feet of you.
Level 4: Teleport up to 6 targets of your choosing anywhere within 180 feet of you. This can effectively allow you to remove your party from combat if you wish, letting you flee without any kind of test or save.
Psionic Strike
Level 1: Add 1D3 damage to the successful strike of any 1 target of your choosing until your next turn.
Level 2: Add 1D6 damage to the strike instead.
Level 3: Add 1D3 to 1D6 successful strikes instead.
Level 4: Add 1D6 to 3 successful strikes. Any 6s rolled during these hits explode into rolls for additional damage.
Arcanum Majus
Unquenchable Inferno
Deal 6D6 damage to all creatures within a 30 foot sphere anywhere within 60 feet of you. Any 6s rolled during these hits explode into rolls for additional damage. These creatures are also on fire for 1D6 turns and take 1D3 damage at the start of their turns. Heroic or Solo creatures take half damage from these spells.
Heaven's Rejuvination
Restore all HP to all friendly creatures within 30 feet of you. If any Friendly creatures in this range have been downed, they're restored to half health. If any have died, they're restored to one health.
Archmage's Psionic Torrent
Deal 3D6 damage to every unfriendly creature within 60 feet of you.
Disruptive Field
You create a chaotic astral aura 15 feet around you. Creatures other than yourself caught in this aura can't cast spells or invoke scrolls. All magical equipment other than your own caught in this aura lose all magical properties and traits until the end of the spell becoming temporarily mundane. The aura lasts 1D6 rounds of combat.
Time Warp
All friendly creatures within 100 feet of you flit and fold back in time wreaking havoc on your enemies. Double their permitted number of actions until your next turn. Attacking more than once doesn't effect its advantage level.
Magical Twists and variations
Supplements like Tiny Cthulhu provided much of the inspiration I needed for further variation. Many of its spells require a Corruption test, taken with either advantage or disadvantage. The risk of gaining Corruption in that system closely parallels my Focus Points economy. To further merge these concepts—or make Corruption function even more like Focus Points—consider the following traits. Note that were I to run Tiny Cthulu I would not require every spell or ability come baked with a Corruption test. I'd likely take it on a case by case basis depending on the spells potential impact.
Mind-Warping Magic
You have tapped into the arcane mysteries of the multiverse, warping reality—and your own mind—in the process. The boundaries of sanity blur as you wield powers that defy comprehension, but these gifts come at the cost of your mental and physical stability.
Corrupting Power: You can now use Corruption instead of, or in addition to, Focus Points to cast spells. A point of Corruption counts as 2 Focus Points, but Corruption cannot be sacrificed to gain Hyper Focus Points. Spending Corruption may also increase a spell’s level or trigger unpredictable side effects that impact both you and your target.
Forbidden Knowledge: You can learn spells that require Corruption to cast.
Reality Distortion: When casting known spells using Corruption, choose one of the following effects to enhance the spell:
Induce Madness: The target must make a WIS save or suffer a random madness effect (e.g., hallucinations, paranoia, or uncontrollable laughter) for 1d3 rounds. Spending an additional Corruption increases the duration to 1d6 rounds.
Invoke Terror: The target must make a WIS save or become terrified, fleeing from you for 1d3 rounds. Spending an additional Corruption upgrades the effect—they become paralyzed and must pass a hard WIS save each round to break free. Attacks against them have advantage. If the attacker already has advantage, they gain +1 to the highest non-passing die during their roll.
Drain Vitality: The target must make a STR save or suffer a debilitating weakness, making their attacks Hard for 1d3 rounds. Spending an additional Corruption increases the duration to 1d6 rounds or raises the difficulty to Cursed.
Twist Flesh: The target must make a CON save or undergo a random body-altering transformation (e.g., growing extra limbs, shrinking in size, or partially transforming into another creature) for 1d3 rounds. Spending an additional Corruption makes the transformation more extreme or extends its duration to 1d6 rounds.
Seasoned Occultist
In addition to spending experience points, you must sacrifice 3 Corruption slots to acquire this trait. You do not need to test for Corruption in the following situations:
Encountering anything less than a greater minion or monster of an undead, alien, or interdimensional origin.
Reading a lesser tome.
Being temporarily mentally infiltrated or possessed. You may still be possessed, but you will not lose Corruption Points as a result. Additionally, when something attempts to possess you, you test with advantage.
At the end of every 6-hour rest period, you may make a disadvantaged test to regain 1 Corruption Point. You may also recover Corruption Points during downtime using the methods outlined in the "More Sinister Corruption" chapter.
However, if you lose all your Corruption Points over the course of your adventures, you cannot recover in a meaningful way through simple handicaps. Instead, one of the following occurs:
You are made permanently insane.
Instantly die of fright.
Be irreversibly mentally infiltrated or possessed effectively losing control of this character, and must make another to continue.
Also, Tiny Cthulhu, by introducing the concept of alternative sacrifices for magic, directly inspired my fused Focus Point magic economy system and other alternative sacrifices incorporated alongside it. If one can wield magic that risks their mind, why not introduce magic that endangers the body as well?
Blood Magic
You have delved into a forbidden school of magic, fraught with danger. Blood is life, and you dare to wield it for dark purposes.
Empowered Blood: You can now use HP instead of, or in addition to, FP to cast spells. Spending HP may increase a spell’s level and trigger additional effects.
Forbidden Knowledge: You can learn spells that specifically require HP to cast.
Magic Insanguination: When casting previously known spells using HP, choose one of the following effects to enhance the spell:
Amplify Power: Double the spell’s damage, number of targets, or range. For each additional HP spent, add +1 damage. If doubling damage multiple times, apply this bonus after the final doubling (may consider limiting how many times damage may be doubled).
Bypass Defenses: Ignore Magical Resistance, deal half damage to creatures with Magical Invulnerability, or change the spell’s elemental damage type.
Impose Conditions: Stun, Weaken, or Push the target. If you choose Push, the target is thrown 2 range zones from their current location. Spending more than 1 HP and selecting this option twice knocks the target unconscious. Only one target can be knocked unconscious per turn.
Inflict Grievous Wounds: Force the target to make a CON save. On a failure, they suffer continuous blood loss, taking 1 damage at the start of each turn until they succeed on another CON save or receive healing. Spending more than 1 HP and selecting this option twice makes the CON saves harder, with the target taking damage before attempting their save.
This trait in particular could work excellently in tandem with a character aiming for a vampiric or dhampir (half vampire) concept. Other homebrew traits could lean into this school of magic to regenerate their pool of HP more quickly. The overall effect lets them play on the edge of a delicate balance constantly losing and gaining their health.
Vampiric Regeneration
Whenever this creature lands an attack it recovers 1 HP licking the delicious blood it just drew from its victims wounds on its fingers/weapon.
Vampiric Lineage
In addition to this creatures weapon masteries it has an advantaged bite attack. On a successful hit, it deals 1 damage and gains 1 HP.
If either of these ideas appeals to you, and you’re not overwhelmed by managing multiple point economies, you might even consider a magical trait that merges physical and magical abilities—something akin to a "Spell Sword." Perhaps my earlier idea for Stamina Points caught your interest, and you can envision a series of magical signature moves or spells designed to be used alongside physical strikes, consuming both Stamina and Focus Points at once.
I won’t attempt to define such a trait here, as my goal is to illustrate the flexibility of a point-based system rather than set anything in stone. However, I would likely restrict these traits from gaining Hyper Focus Points. Advanced spells would have far more drastic effects, and combining them with Blood or Warping Magic could push them beyond balance. These branches of magic impose limits on ultimate power but allow for a wider range of potent spells with diverse effects.