11/14/2025

Happy Friday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts!

One of the things I’ve always loved about Shadowdark is how clean and quick the magic system is… but every now and then, the tinkerer in me wants to dive elbow-deep into the arcane workshop and cook up something new. So today, we’re building a homebrew method for spell research — the kind of dusty-scroll, candle-dripping, “what was that explosion?” arcana that feels right at home in classic fantasy gaming.

And because I love a good crafting loop, this system is built around the idea that to learn a new spell, a wizard must first create a scroll of it, then study the scroll to imprint the spell into their mind.
Think of it like magical prototyping. Version 1.0 is fragile parchment; Version 2.0 is living knowledge.

Let’s get brewing!

The Core Loop: Create a Scroll → Learn the Spell

Researching a spell happens in three steps:

1. Define the spell you want to learn (player + GM collaboration).
2. Craft a research scroll (materials, cost, time, checks, and one exotic component).
3. Study the scroll to learn the spell (final Arcana check).

This naturally creates adventure hooks, downtime structure, gold sinks, and lots of cool narrative beats.

Let’s break it all down.

Here’s the cleaned-up version of Step 1 with all references to spell types/tags removed, keeping everything Shadowdark-friendly:

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Step 1: Concept the Spell (GM + Player)

Before any dice hit the table, the player and GM sit down to sketch out the spell they want to bring into the world. This is the “ink-stained fingers and arcane doodles” stage — loose, creative, and fun.

Here’s what you’ll define together:

• Spell Level (1–5): Keep it within Shadowdark’s scale.
• Basic Effect: What the spell does — blast something, reveal something, protect someone, twist reality, and so on.
• Range and Duration: How far it reaches and how long it lasts.
• Quirks or Risks: Signature magical oddities, strange drawbacks, or atmospheric side effects that make the spell feel unique.

Look Beyond Shadowdark for Inspiration

Don’t limit yourself to SHD’s current spell list. This is the perfect time to flip through spells from:

• Dungeon Crawl Classics (pure arcane weirdness)
• Old-school D&D (tight spell structures and classic effects)
• 5E or Pathfinder (good for gauging relative power levels)
• Any other favorite system with flavorful magic

Use these external spells as inspiration for:

• Effect ideas
• General power benchmarks
• Possible material components
• Thematic flavor
• What the spell might feel like in play

You’re not copying a spell outright — you’re reimagining it through the Shadowdark lens.

Finding the Right Level

Use comparison spells from other systems to gauge the rough strength of the effect, then adjust up or down to fit Shadowdark’s tighter level curve.

GM Tip:
If the effect feels too broad or powerful, bump it up a level.
If it’s narrow, situational, or purely flavorful, feel free to drop it down.

Once you’ve nailed the concept and everyone’s on the same page, it’s time to get your wizard robe dirty and begin crafting the prototype scroll.

Step 2: Craft the Research Scroll

Time Requirement

• The caster needs 1 week per spell level of dedicated downtime to research and prepare.
• Why track this on a calendar? Having a real or in-game calendar helps you manage and visualize the passage of time, especially for longer research projects. This is one more reason to lean into calendar tracking in your campaign — it gives weight to the weeks spent poring over parchments and gathering reagents.

Gold Cost

• 200 gp × spell level in materials.
  • This covers parchment or vellum, arcane ink, incense, reagent herbs, strange powders — the works.

Exotic Component (Quest Hook)

• Beyond mundane materials, each research requires a special exotic component tied to the nature of the spell (see Step 1 for thinking about the spell’s flavor).
• This component must be sourced in the world, which means adventuring, bargaining, or otherwise undertaking a short quest.
• Examples:
  • A gem from a dissonant echo in a haunted crypt
  • A feather plucked from a fey beast under moonlight
  • The crystallized horn of a deep burrowing wyrm

Scroll Creation Check

• At the end of the research week(s), make an INT check.
• DC = 12 + spell level.
  • On a success: you craft a usable research scroll.
  • On a failure: your mundane materials (ink, parchment, incense, etc.) are consumed, but you do not lose the exotic component — you can try again after another week.
  • On a critical failure (natural 1): something goes very wrong. Use the mishap table below.

Scroll Mishap Table (1d6)

These are serious failures — you’re not just failing to make a scroll, you’ve poked the beast of magical creation, and it struck back.

1. Arcane Feedback: You get blasted by a surge of raw magic. Take 1d6 × spell level damage.
2. Material Ruin: Your inks, vellum, and reagents are ruined in a flash of destructive energy. Nothing remains, even the exotic material.
3. Ritual Disaster: Your workspace is warped — runes and symbols gouge the walls or floor. The next spell scroll will cost double the amount to replace equipment and other resources.
4. Wild Magic Burst: A chaotic burst of magical energy erupts: roll a random 2nd- or 3rd-level spell effect (GM’s choice), centered on you, that triggers unpredictably.
5. Scroll Instability: You produce a scroll, but it’s volatile: when you try to use it later (or when you study it), there’s a 50% chance it backfires (GM determines how, based on spell theme).
6. Summoning Riddle: Something else gets summoned — a strange creature or magical anomaly tied to your spell’s theme (GM decides). It appears in your lab and causes a problem (possibly friendly, possibly not).

Now comes the final step!

Step 3: Study the Scroll to Learn the Spell

Once the scroll exists, the caster spends one long rest studying it.

Then they make a final INT check:

• DC = 10+ spell level

Success:
The spell is learned! The scroll crumbles into ash as the knowledge takes root.

Failure:
The scroll remains intact, but the caster cannot attempt to learn it again until they level up or complete another meaningful arcane breakthrough (GM discretion).

Example: Researching “Grave Lantern” (2nd-Level Spell)

Concept: A dim, ghost-green lantern of soul-flame that reveals invisible or undead creatures within NEAR. Lasts 1 minute.

Costs:

• 2 weeks
• 400gp in materials
• Exotic component: a candle harvested from a banshee’s shrine

Scroll Craft Check: DC 14 (10 + level 2)

Learning Check: DC 12 (10 + level 2)

Boom — a complete magical side adventure, a gold sink, some downtime, and a new custom spell.

Wrap-Up

This method gives Shadowdark wizards a real sense of arcane discovery — not just flipping through spell lists but making magic through sweat, ink, and a little danger. It fits the old-school vibe, creates story hooks, and reinforces the idea that magic is rare, mysterious, and something to be earned.

Keep on gaming!