Madness

Madness can lurk deep in the mind, waiting for the psyche to snap.

Power sources

Occult

Table of contents

Madness feats

You can take each feat only once, unless the feat’s description says otherwise. You must meet any prerequisite specified in a feat to take that feat. If you ever lose a feat’s prerequisite, you can’t use that feat until you regain the prerequisite.

Prerequisites: The ability to cast at least one spell

Whenever a creature causes you to make a Will saving throw, that creature takes psychic damage equal to half your level.

The outer layers of your mind become indecipherable to those who would plunder it. You are immune to any effect that would sense your emotions, read your thoughts, or determine you are lying, unless you allow it.

Prerequisites: The ability to cast at least one spell

You gain the ability to make a creature unaware of your magical influence on it. When you cast a spell that charms or confuses one or more creatures, you can alter one creature’s understanding so that it remains unaware of being charmed or confused.

Additionally, once before the spell expires, you can use an action to try to make the chosen creature forget some of the time it spent charmed or confused. The creature must succeed on a Will saving throw against your spell save Difficulty or lose a number of hours of its memories equal to 1 + the mana expended to cast the spell. You can make the creature forget less time, and the amount of time can’t exceed the duration of your spell.

Madness maneuvers

As a reaction, which you use when a creature that you can see within 2 meters of you attacks you, you can try to redirect the attack, provided that another creature is within 1 meter of you and within the attack’s range. The attacker must succeed on a Reflex saving throw or it must target that creature. If multiple creatures are within 1 meter of you and within the attack’s range, the attacker chooses which one to target.

You must choose to use this feature before knowing whether the attack hits or misses.

Madness spells

As an action, you confuse a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must make a Will saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 1d3 psychic damage and has disadvantage on the next attack it makes before the end of its next turn and moves 1 meter in a random direction if it can move. Roll a d8 for the direction: 1: north, 2: north-east, 3: east, 4: south-east, 5: south, 6: south-west, 7: west, 8: north-west. This movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks, and if the direction rolled is blocked, the target doesn’t move.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

At higher levels

This spell’s damage increases by 1d3 when you reach 9th level (2d3) and 17th level (3d3).

As an action, you cause your subject’s mind to wander, distracting it. Choose a creature within 5 meters. It has disadvantage on the next Perception or Insight check it makes before the end of its next turn.

As an action, you disturb creatures near you. Each creature within 1 meter of you must make a Will saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 1d4 psychic damage and moves 1 meter away from you if it can move.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

At higher levels

This spell’s damage increases by 1d4 when you reach 9th level (2d4) and 17th level (3d4).

As a reaction, which you use when you are hit by an attack or missed by 4 or less or take psychic damage, you absorb some of the incoming energy. You have resistance to psychic damage until the start of your next turn, including against the triggering damage. If the creature who damaged you is within 10 meters, it must make a Will saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 1d4 psychic damage and is staggered until the end of its next turn.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 3d4 for each additional mana expended.

As an action, you assault and twist a creature’s mind, spawning delusions and provoking uncontrolled actions. Choose a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The target must succeed on a Will saving throw or it is confused until the end of its next turn.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can expend 1 additional mana so the duration changes to 1 minute/mana, concentration and the creature is confused for the duration. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

  • You can target one additional creature for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

As an action, you whisper a discordant melody that is only heard by a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters. The creature must make a Will saving throw. If the creature can’t hear you, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it takes 3d10 psychic damage and must move away from you as far as its speed allows at the start if its next turn by the safest available route, unless there is nowhere to move.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 3d10 for each additional mana expended.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As an action, a creature that you can touch or see within 5 meters perceives everything as hilariously funny. The creature must make a Will saving throw. If the creature’s Intelligence is −3 or less, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it falls prone into fits of laughter, becoming incapacitated and unable to stand up for the duration.

An affected creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns and each time it takes damage, ending the effect on a success. The target has advantage on the saving throw if it’s triggered by damage.

Augment

You can expend 1 additional mana to target one additional creature for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

As a reaction, which you use when a creature that you can touch or see within 2 meters of you attacks you, you can try to redirect the attack, provided that another creature is within 1 meter of you and within the attack’s range. The attacker must succeed on a Reflex saving throw or it must target that creature. If multiple creatures are within 1 meter of you and within the attack’s range, the attacker chooses which one to target.

You must choose to use this feature before knowing whether the attack hits or misses.

concentration, 1 hour/mana

As two actions, you close off areas of a creature’s mind communication and social interaction of a creature that you can touch or see within 20 meters. The creature must make a Will saving throw.

On a failure, it loses knowledge of all languages (including telepathic and body language) and is treated as illiterate for the duration.

It may still “speak”, and to it they sound completely normal, but to anyone else they appear as complete gibberish. Verbal components, if used, are not limited by this spell.

A creature can repeat the saving throw each minute, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Augment

You can target one additional creature for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As two actions, a creature that you can touch or see within 20 meters has a lust for blood. The creature must make a Will saving throw.

On a failure, it is charmed by you for the duration. While charmed, its skin turns a deep red, and a thirst for destruction glows in its eyes. It must use its actions to make melee attacks made against a creature other than itself that you mentally choose. The charmed creature can move up to half its speed before making the attacks.

The creature can act normally on its turn if you choose no creature or if none are within its reach.

On your subsequent turns, you must use two actions to maintain control over the creature, or the spell ends.

The creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Augment

Incite Passion. You can expend 1 additional mana so the charmed creature has disadvantage on Intelligence checks and cannot cast spells. If it is concentrating on a spell, it must immediately make a saving throw with disadvantage to maintain it.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As two actions, you force a creature that you can touch or see within 20 meters to see enemies everywhere. The creature must make a Will saving throw. If the creature is immune to being charmed, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it loses the ability to distinguish friend from foe, regarding all creatures it can see as enemies until the spell ends. Each time the target takes damage, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success.

Whenever the affected creature chooses another creature as a target, it must choose the target at random from among the creatures it can see within 20 meters of the attack, spell, or other ability it’s using. If an enemy provokes an opportunity attack from the affected creature, the creature must make that attack if it is able to.

Augment

You can target one additional creature for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As two actions, you incite the fears of creatures at a point within 10 meters, causing them to panic. Each creature in a sphere centered on that point must make a Will saving throw. If the creature is immune to being frightened, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it is confused and frightened of the area in the center of the sphere for the duration.

A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As two actions, you attempt to briefly partition the mind of your foe. A creature within 20 meters must succeed on a Will saving throw or a minor personality is split off their mind that is antagonistic to the main personality. The parasitic personality functions with complete autonomy from the main personality. It does not control the body physically, but it can take two actions each round that are purely mental, such as casting a spell, in the same turn that the target takes its normal actions.

The parasitic personality casts spells as if it were the target, but can only expend 1 mana when it casts spells.

The parasitic personality actively attempts to cast spells that negatively impact the target, using the most deadly to the target. You do not have control over what the parasitic personality does, though it always works against the interest of the target.

A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.

The parasitic personality does not have any effect if the main personality is hasted or subjected to a schism effect.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

As two actions, you tap into the nightmares of a creature that you can touch or see within 20 meters, causing it to see manifestations of its deepest fears in a direction you choose for the duration, visible only to that creature. At the start of each of its turns for the duration, the creature must make a Will saving throw.

On a failure, it takes 4d12 psychic damage and is frightened of the manifestations until the start of its next turn.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage and and the effect ends.

On a critical success, it takes no damage and the effect ends.

Augment
You can augment this spell with the following options, expending mana for each option.
  • You can increase the damage by 2d12 for each additional mana expended. If this spell is augmented to target additional creatures, this damage is halved.

  • You can target one additional creature for each additional mana expended. The creatures must be within 5 meters of each other when you target them.

  • Visions of Horror. You can expend 1 additional mana to cast the spell as a reaction, which you use when a creature makes an attack against you.

    The damage is reduced to 2d12 and additional augments to the damage increase the damage by 1d12 for each additional mana expended, instead of the normal increase.

concentration, 1 minute/mana

d10Effects
1–2Vision of the Far Realm. It takes 5d6 psychic damage and can’t move or use any actions this turn.
3–5Rending Rift. It takes 13d6 force damage.
6–8Wormhole. It takes 8d6 force damage, is teleported, along with everything it is wearing and carrying, up to 5 meters to an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see, and is knocked prone.
9–10Chill of the Dark Void. It takes 8d6 cold damage, and it is blinded until the end of the turn.

As two actions, you shatter the barriers between realities and timelines, thrusting a creature that you can touch or see within 10 meters into turmoil and madness. At the start of each of its turns for the duration, the creature must make a Will saving throw.

On a failure, the creature must roll a d10 to determine its behavior for that turn.

On a success, the creature must roll a d10 and take half as much damage as listed and the effect ends.

Augment

You can increase the damage by 3d6 for each additional mana expended.

M (mercury, phosphorus, and powdered diamond and opal worth 1,000 sp, consumed)

As you spend 1 minute to cast this spell, you inscribe a harmful glyph either on a surface (such as a section of floor, a wall, or a table) or within an object that can be closed to conceal the glyph (such as a book, a scroll, or a treasure chest). If you choose a surface, the glyph can cover an area of the surface no larger than 2 meters in diameter. If you choose an object, that object must remain in its place; if the object is moved more than 2 meters from where you cast this spell, the glyph is broken, and the spell ends without being triggered.

The glyph is nearly invisible, requiring a Perception check against your spell save Difficulty to find it.

You decide what triggers the glyph when you cast the spell. For glyphs inscribed on a surface, the most typical triggers include touching or stepping on the glyph, removing another object covering it, approaching within a certain distance of it, or manipulating the object that holds it. For glyphs inscribed within an object, the most common triggers are opening the object, approaching within a certain distance of it, or seeing or reading the glyph.

You can further refine the trigger so the spell is activated only under certain circumstances or according to a creature’s physical characteristics (such as height or weight), or physical kind (for example, the ward could be set to affect hags or shapechangers). You can also specify creatures that don’t trigger the glyph, such as those who say a certain password.

Once triggered, the glyph glows, filling a sphere twice as big as normal with dim light for 10 minutes, after which time the spell ends. Each creature in the area when the glyph activates is targeted by its effect, as is a creature that enters the area for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there.

Insanity. Each target must make a Will saving throw.

On a failure, the target is driven insane for 1 minute. An insane creature can’t use actions, can’t understand what other creatures say, can’t read, and speaks only in gibberish. The GM controls its movement, which is erratic.

As two actions, you blast the mind of a creature that you can touch or see within 20 meters, shattering its intellect and personality. The creature must make a Will saving throw. If the creature has no moisture in its body, the spell has no effect on it.

On a failure, it takes 6d6 psychic damage and the creature’s Intelligence and Charisma become −5. The creature can’t cast spells, activate magic items, understand language, or communicate in any intelligible way. The creature can, however, identify its friends, follow them, and even protect them.

On a critical failure, it takes twice as much damage.

On a success, it takes half as much damage.

On a critical success, it takes no damage.

After 30 days, the creature can repeat its saving throw against this spell. If it succeeds on its saving throw, the spell ends.

The spell can also be ended by a restoration spell augmented to 4 mana or miracle or wish.

Augment sizes

1 stamina die/mana2 stamina dice/mana3 stamina dice/mana4 stamina dice/mana5 stamina dice/mana
Cone3 meters long5 meters long10 meters long10 meters long20 meters long
Cylinder1-meter-radius, 3 meters high2-meter-radius, 6 meters high3-meter-radius, 9 meters high4-meter-radius, 12 meters high5-meter-radius, 15 meters high
Line5 meters long, 1-meter wide5 meters long, 2-meter wide10 meters long, 2-meter wide10 meters long, 2-meter wide20 meters long, 2-meter wide
Sphere1-meter-radius2-meter-radius3-meter-radius4-meter-radius5-meter-radius
Wall5 meters long, 2 meters high, 1 meter thick5 meters long, 4 meters high, 1 meter thick10 meters long, 6 meters high, 1 meter thick10 meters long, 8 meters high, 1 meter thick20 meters long, 10 meters high, 1 meter thick