A small book (9×6×2 inches) bound in simple black leather with silver trimmings. The cover reads: “The Discoveries, a chronicle of the arcane knowledge and practices laid bare in his lifetime by Eszteban The Great and his Order of the Gossamer Robed Wizards.” Originally several heavy tomes, it has been reduced to pocket size using the Lavinia’s Book of Many Pages spell contained within. With a word the bearer can return it to full size for reading at a desk, or shrink it again for carrying.
An arcane initiative discussed by Eszteban, the Magnificent and Professor Ishmael, focused on compiling a major archive of spells and magical findings since the founding of the Order of the Purple Robes. Within the order, the term also refers to newly created spells and original arcane breakthroughs.
The book appears to visually distort reality and cause headaches when observed directly. Control of the Discoveries became the core dispute among members of the Order of the Purple Robes during the crisis.
A physical copy found in Eszteban’s research room was an acid trap — the real book is housed in the upper library of the Luminous Cloud Citadel, accessible to the party as part of their agreement with the Order of the Purple Robes.
Eszteban also embedded hidden Truespeech teachings within the text.
Cantrips
Chameleon
Illusion cantrip
Casting Time 1 action · Range Self · Duration Concentration, up to 10 minutes Components V, S, M (a piece of chameleon skin)
You take on the appearance of your immediate environment, making you invisible when absolutely still. The spell has no effect on any creature that has already seen you, as long as you remain within its line of sight. The spell’s effects cease the moment you move, although small and slow hand movements may go undetected — those with line of sight can contest their Perception vs. your Stealth.
1st Level
Baelgrak’s Animated Illustration
1st-level illusion (ritual)
Casting Time 1 minute · Range Touch · Duration Permanent, until dispelled Components V, S, M (a live insect, which is crushed to make the spell)
Harnessing the power of illusion you cause an existing image — such as a drawing, painting, or tapestry — to appear to move, either continuously or in response to a trigger you determine (for example, someone turning a page, or coming within a certain distance of the image). The movement can be subtle, such as the painting of a siren who winks or waves from her rock, or more involved, such as two knights fighting. The illusion can be up to 5-foot-square in size per spell slot level expended.
Baelgrak’s Plant Grow
1st-level enchantment
Casting Time 1 action · Range 60 feet · Duration 24 hours Components V, S, M (compost)
Weaving a charm you speed up the natural growth of plant life to ten times the speed of nature. The charm takes effect on an area of soil 5-foot-square per slot level expended.
Lavinia’s Book of Many Pages
1st-level transmutation (ritual)
Casting Time 1 minute · Range Touch · Duration Permanent Components V, S, M (a collapsing paper accordion)
Using this charm you are able to turn the largest of tomes and spellbooks into a manageable and portable book just 9×6×2 inches in dimension. With a word the user can return the book to its former size for reading at a desk, or back again for carrying or reading on the go.
Meredin’s Quiet Feet
1st-level illusion
Casting Time 1 action · Range 60 feet · Duration Concentration, up to 1 hour Components V, S, M (mouse fur)
You cause the footfall of a creature within range to become completely silent for the duration, giving them advantage on Stealth checks against creatures that rely on sound for perception, such as humans. It confers no advantage when contesting a Stealth vs. Perception check against a creature with keen smell.
Resilient Object
1st-level abjuration (ritual)
Casting Time 1 minute · Range 30 feet · Duration Permanent, until dispelled Components V, S, M (a lump of basalt stone)
This charm renders usually fragile objects remarkably resilient and is typically cast to protect the vessels of magical potions or valuable ceramics. It can be cast on any object of 3-cubic-feet or smaller (or up to nine objects if each is under 1-cubic-foot in size). Objects protected by this charm have 30 hit points.
2nd Level
Bridge
2nd-level conjuration
Casting Time 1 action · Range 60 feet · Duration Concentration, up to 10 minutes Components V, S
You create a shimmering bridge of energy 5 feet wide and 30 feet long, which arcs 5 feet above the ground at its highest point.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a 3rd level spell slot or higher, you can create a bridge that is an additional 5 feet wide, 10 feet long, and arcing 5 feet higher for every extra spell slot expended. Additionally the duration of the spell increases by 10 minutes per spell slot used.
Electric Missile
2nd-level evocation
Casting Time 1 action · Range 120 feet · Duration Instantaneous Components V, S
You create three crackling darts of electric energy. Each dart hits a creature of your choice within range. A dart deals 1d4+1 lightning damage to its target and you can direct them to hit one creature or several. Each targeted creature must make a Constitution saving throw or be stunned for 1 round. Any creature targeted by more than one dart has disadvantage on their save.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a 3rd level spell slot or higher, the spell creates one more dart for each slot level above 2nd.
Gossamer Shield
2nd-level abjuration
Casting Time 1 reaction (when you are hit by an attack or targeted by a spell) · Range Self · Duration Varies Components V, S
Gossamer shield is activated in the same way as shield but lasts for a number of rounds equal to the caster’s Intelligence modifier. Instead of a flat +5 AC, it offers a bonus to AC and to Dexterity saving throws equal to the caster’s Intelligence modifier for the duration.
Gossamer Ward
2nd-level abjuration (ritual)
Casting Time 10 minutes · Range 30 feet · Duration 90 days Components V, S, M (turtle shell)
You grant an object up to 20-cubic-feet in size resistance to a damage type of your choice from: acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, radiant, and thunder. For every extra level spell slot expended you can ward an object 20-cubic-feet larger, or add an extra resistance type. The resistance protects the integrity of the object, but not automatically those wearing it (armour) or in it (house, boat). For example, wearing plate mail with acid resistance would not give its wearer resistance to a Black Dragon’s breath weapon — although it might at the DM’s discretion confer advantage on their saving throw.
Valkas’ Tremendous Tremor
2nd-level evocation
Casting Time 1 bonus action · Range Self · Duration Instantaneous Components V, S
Striking the ground with your staff (or hand) you cause a powerful wave of energy, 10 feet wide and 60 feet long, to ripple through the ground in front of you. Any creature in this area of effect must make a Dexterity saving throw or fall prone. The spell’s effects are visible in the ground afterwards: earth is churned, floor tiles are cracked and broken, and the beams of a ship hull may even snap and break.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you increase the width by 5 feet and length by 10 feet for each slot level above 2nd.
3rd Level
Flash Bang
3rd-level evocation
Casting Time 1 bonus action · Range 90 feet · Duration Instantaneous Components V, S, M (a pinch of saltpeter)
You trigger a blast of magical force, accompanied by a thunderclap and flash of bright white light, that affects any creature within a 30-foot-radius of a point you choose within range. The blast does 2d10 force damage and causes victims to be stunned for 1 turn. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn’t stunned.
Forceball
3rd-level evocation
Casting Time 1 action · Range 150 feet · Duration Instantaneous Components V, S, M (varies by type)
By tinkering with the somatic and material components of the well-known fireball incantation, you are able to unleash 8d6 damage of other types on your foes:
- Forceball (a crystal worth 50 gp) — an invisible explosion of pure force
- Iceball (a single scale of a silver dragon) — a hissing white ball of death-inducing cold
- Thunderball (a thimble of rainwater gathered during a storm) — a booming detonation of thunder damage
- Acidball (a single scale of a black dragon) — a searing burst of corrosive acid
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd.
4th Level
Eszteban’s Permanent Effect
4th- to 9th-level transmutation (ritual)
Casting Time 1 hour · Range 30 feet · Duration Permanent, until dispelled Components V, S, M (a diamond worth 200 gp per spell slot expended, consumed)
Arguably the most important spell in the Discoveries, Eszteban’s formula for rendering permanent many of the multiverse’s best-known incantations. This spell must be cast directly after the “active” spell whose effects the caster wishes to make permanent, using a spell slot 4 levels higher than the one required to cast the active spell (a cantrip counting as level 0).
Eszteban’s Permanent Effect works in conjunction with: dancing lights, light, minor illusion, alarm, fog cloud, grease, illusory script, silent image, arcane lock, darkness, gust of wind, magic weapon, major image, sleet storm, Evard’s black tentacles, hallucinatory terrain, ice storm, wall of fire, wall of force, and wall of stone.
If the caster is usually able to move the effects of any given spell, they lose that ability when the effects are made permanent.
Eszteban’s Serpentine Surprise
4th-level transmutation
Casting Time 1 action · Range 60 feet · Duration Concentration, up to 1 minute Components V, S, M (a snake’s fang for every weapon transformed)
You transform up to three weapons within range into poisonous snakes, which attempt to bite their wielder(s), acting as soon as the spell takes effect (and afterwards at the same initiative as the caster). The snakes have +5 to hit, deal 1 hit point of piercing damage, and on a hit the target must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw, taking 5 (2d4) poison damage on a failed save or half as much on a successful one. The snakes have AC 13 and 2 hit points, and return to their original form if killed or when the spell ends.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a 5th level spell slot or higher, you can transform an additional three weapons for each slot level above 4th.
Hrimmar’s Dazzling Defence
4th-level evocation
Casting Time 1 minute (activated with a reaction) · Range Touch · Duration 24 hours Components V, S, M (something phosphorescent)
You weave a protective aura around yourself or a willing subject you touch that you are able to trigger using a reaction the moment you take damage from an attack. When triggered, a dazzling burst of lights blinds anyone within 30 feet of you for 1 turn, unless they succeed on an Intelligence saving throw. At the same instance you may teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. The spell must be triggered within 24 hours of casting or be lost. Only one protective aura can be active per person at one time, and it can be triggered only once.
Meredin’s Mighty Applause
4th-level illusion
Casting Time 1 action · Range 60 feet · Duration Concentration, up to 1 minute Components V, S, M (a flower in bloom)
Any humanoid within a 30-foot-radius of the targeted creature must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or be overwhelmed by a need to applaud this target, dropping whatever is in their hands to do so. This enthusiastic applause takes up the entirety of their turn. They may repeat the saving throw at the end of their turn. The spell ends for an affected creature if they take any damage.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you increase the radius by 10 feet for each spell level above 4th.
Permanent Curse
4th- to 8th-level necromancy
Casting Time 1 bonus action · Range 60 feet · Duration Permanent Components V, S
When using your action to cast blindness/deafness, bestow curse, polymorph, or Valkas’ Sleepy Touch, you can use your bonus action to attempt to make the effects of the first spell permanent, using a spell slot 4 levels higher than the active spell (on top of the slot used to cast it). The target makes two saving throws. If they pass the first, the spell has no effect. If they fail the first but pass the second, the spell takes effect as per its usual duration. If they fail both, the effects become permanent.
Casting dispel magic or remove curse may reverse the effects, but only if the caster makes a successful spellcasting check (DC = 10 + the level of the spell slot used to cast permanent curse). On a failure they must wait 24 hours before trying again; three failures require the caster to wait until they level up.
Valkas’ Sleepy Touch
4th-level enchantment
Casting Time 1 action · Range Touch · Duration 10 minutes Components V
Whispering a few cabalistic words at the very moment you touch a creature, you put them into a deep magical slumber. If the creature sees your intention or you’re in combat, make a melee spell attack roll. If you succeed, your victim must make a Constitution saving throw or fall asleep for the duration. The victim cannot be woken by any non-magical means during these 10 minutes (dispel magic or remove curse will cause the creature to wake). Every time it takes damage it may repeat its saving throw. Any attacks made on a sleeping creature are automatically treated as critical hits. If not roused by magic or damage, the affected creature can make another saving throw at the end of the spell’s duration to wake up; otherwise they continue in a deep natural sleep, waking only if roused or subjected to loud noises. Huge and Gargantuan creatures are immune.
5th Level
Ishmael’s Reverse Vampirism
5th- or 7th-level necromancy (ritual)
Casting Time 12 hours · Range Touch · Duration Permanent Components V, S, M (at least three personal items of the victim’s past life, a vial of werewolf’s blood, a bathtub of holy water)
You attempt to reverse the hold of vampirism on a creature, using a minimum 5th-level slot to rescue a vampire spawn or a minimum 7th-level slot to rescue a true vampire. The process must be performed at night and ends exactly at dawn, when the vampire is forced to drink the vial of werewolf’s blood, thrown into the bath of holy water, and exposed to the sunlight of the new day.
The caster must make a spellcasting check; the DC depends on how long the target has been in a vampiric state. For every level of spell slot used above the minimum, subtract 5 from the DC.
| Time as Vampire | Vampire Spawn DC | True Vampire DC |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 1 month | 8 | 10 |
| Less than 6 months | 12 | 15 |
| Less than 1 year | 15 | 20 |
| Less than 5 years | 20 | 25 |
| Less than 25 years | 25 | 30 |
| Less than 50 years | 30 | 35 |
| 50+ years | 35 | 40 |
On a success, the person is restored to their living self with only shadowy memories of their time as a vampire; they may suffer side effects or premature aging (DM’s discretion). On a failure, the vampire remains a vampire and takes damage from the holy water. On a critical failure, the dose of werewolf’s blood proves too strong and the victim becomes afflicted with lycanthropy.
Lavinia’s Stunning Escape
5th-level evocation
Casting Time 1 minute (activated with a reaction) · Range Touch · Duration 24 hours Components V, S, M (a pair of cymbals)
You weave a protective aura around yourself or a willing target you touch that you are able to trigger using a reaction the moment you take damage from an attack. When triggered, a stunning blast of magical force affects anyone within 30 feet, doing 2d10 force damage and causing them to be stunned for 1 turn. On a successful save, the creature takes only half the damage and isn’t stunned. In addition you may turn invisible as per the conditions of invisibility (requires concentration, ends if you attack a creature) and teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. The spell must be triggered within 24 hours of casting or be lost. Only one protective aura can be active per person at one time, and it can be triggered only once.
6th Level
Improved Fly
6th-level transmutation
Casting Time 1 action · Range Self · Duration Concentration, up to 8 hours Components V, S, M (a wing feather from a migrating bird)
You gain a flying speed of 60 feet for the duration. When the spell ends, if you are still aloft, you fall to the ground.
Improved Polymorph
6th-level transmutation
Casting Time 1 action · Range Touch · Duration Concentration, up to 24 hours Components V, S, M (a live caterpillar)
Improved polymorph works the same as polymorph, with an improved duration of up to 24 hours. The caster must touch the target, making a melee spell attack if it is an unwilling target. If the caster succeeds in touching the target they receive their saving throw as usual.
Shadow Clone
6th-level necromancy
Casting Time 1 action · Range 30 feet · Duration Permanent Components V, S, M (a large mirror)
You cause a shadowy clone of your target (humanoid of Large size or smaller) to appear from a mirror, which must be within 30 feet of both yourself and your target, with no obstruction between mirror and target. The shadow clone has identical stats, skills, and equipment to your target (barring magical items), and has the same number of hit points (and spell slots, if applicable) as the target at the moment the spell is cast. The shadow clone attacks the target relentlessly until one of them dies, at which point it disappears. It also disappears if the mirror it spawned from is broken.
7th Level
Ishmael’s Heart Attack
7th-level necromancy
Casting Time 1 action · Range 30 feet · Duration Instantaneous Components V, S, M (a sheep’s heart, crushed when casting the spell)
You wrap a spectral hand around the heart of a giant-sized target or smaller within range and squeeze. The target must make a Constitution saving throw, then roll a d12 and consult the table below. Passing the saving throw adds 3 to the roll.
| d12 (+ modifier) | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Heart explodes; instant death |
| 2–4 | Heart collapses; target reduced to 0 hit points |
| 5–10 | Heart attack; target is paralysed taking 4d6 damage each round until a saving throw (one per turn) is passed |
| 11–15 | Target suffers excruciating heart tremors dealing 4d6 damage |
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using an 8th level spell slot or higher, you can target one additional creature per spell slot expended.
8th Level
Ishmael’s Memory Blank
8th-level necromancy
Casting Time 10 minutes · Range 30 feet · Duration Permanent, until dispelled Components V, S, M (a preserved human brain)
You create an invisible field of energy up to 20 square feet in size that attacks the memory of any sentient being that passes through its plane from a single direction determined by the caster, causing it to forget anything that happened in the last 48 hours on a failed Intelligence saving throw. On a successful save the creature remembers all incidents as usual. At the DM’s discretion, those who fail may recall hazy details or have dreams that reveal certain incidents from their memory blank.
Summon Guardian
8th-level conjuration (ritual)
Casting Time 1 hour · Range 30 feet · Duration Permanent, until death Components V, S, M (amethysts worth 50 gp × the challenge rating of the guardian summoned, consumed)
The caster attempts to summon an aberration, elemental, fiend, or otherworldly monstrosity from their native plane to guard a space within range. They must make a spellcasting check with a DC equal to twice the challenge rating of the guardian they are trying to summon. On a failure nothing happens and the material components are wasted. On a success the guardian is conjured and bound to guard the space from intruders.
The caster can give simple instructions (provided they share a language), such as “pose a riddle to intruders before attacking” or “attack anyone other than myself and my servants”. Otherwise the guardian attacks any creature of Small size or above other than the caster who comes within its movement range. It fights to the death before returning to its post if victorious, and will not stray more than 200 feet from its post during combat. The guardian is bound until their death (or that of the caster); guardians requiring food and water will die if the caster does not provide it. Typical guardians include genies, sphinxes, gorgons, displacer beasts, demons, devils, minotaurs, medusas, and nagas.
At Higher Levels. Casters using a 9th level spell slot gain advantage on their spellcasting check.
9th Level
Eszteban’s Storm Defence
9th-level conjuration
Casting Time 1 hour · Range 1,000 feet · Duration Permanent Components V, S, M (a metal rod and a large glass orb)
You invoke a raging storm to permanently protect a building or area from intruders. The potency of this spell is locked into its material component — the glass orb. Destroying the orb negates the spell.
High Winds. Incredibly strong winds blow in a 300-foot-radius from the focus point. Anyone trying to walk through these winds must make a DC 12 Strength (Athletics) check per round, or be pushed 1d8×5 feet in a random direction and knocked prone. Anyone trying to fly in this zone must make a DC 15 Strength (Athletics) check, or be buffeted 1d8×10 feet in a random direction.
Lightning Strikes. The storm rages more fiercely within 200 feet of the focus point. Every round there is a 20% chance that lightning supercharges the atmosphere in this zone, doing 8d6 lightning damage to anyone in it (half on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw). Additionally, any individual within 200 feet has a 5% chance per round of receiving a direct hit from a lightning bolt, doing 12d6 damage (half on a successful DC 20 Constitution saving throw).
Ishmael’s Demon Dreams
9th-level illusion
Casting Time 1 hour · Range 300 feet · Duration Permanent Components V, S, M (an onyx statue worth 1,500 gp)
Using a demonic statue as a focus, you create a powerful mind illusion that takes hold the minute someone falls asleep within 300 feet of the statue. The person has a vivid dream where they come face to face with a demon from the abyss, on a desolate plane of ruin. The demon immediately attacks the victim — any damage it inflicts counts as psychic damage in the real world, and the victim dies if reduced to 0 hit points.
If the victim realises they are in a dream, they can try to wake up: once per turn they can use a bonus action to make an Intelligence saving throw, or use their main action to make the same saving throw with advantage. For every 5 hit points of damage inflicted by the demon, the DC of the save is reduced by 1. The spell is broken if the statuette is broken.
| d20 | Demon |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Shadow Demon |
| 3–4 | Barlgura |
| 5–6 | Vrock |
| 7–8 | Chasme |
| 9–10 | Hezrou |
| 11–12 | Yochlol |
| 13–14 | Glabrezu |
| 15–16 | Nalfeshnee |
| 17–18 | Marilith |
| 19 | Goristro |
| 20 | Balor |