Wild Magic (3.5e Variant Rule)

This material is published under the OGL 1.0a.

Wild Magic

Wild magic is an optional add-on to the magic system that modifies existing arcane magic in random ways.

Spells that use wild magic are given the Wild descriptor. Spellcasters may take ranks in the Wild Magic skill to mitigate some of the randomness, and this provides a path towards learning new feats to gain even more control.

The [Wild] Descriptor

When you cast a spell with the Wild descriptor, you may make a Wild Magic skill check to prevent any Wild Surge, or just a Major Wild Surge.

A spell with the Wild descriptor cannot be affected by any other metamagic feats, except those that only modify the spell's casting time or spell components. Any other feats simply fail to function (though they still cause higher spell level slots to be used, lost magic item charges, etc, as if they were successfully used).

Wild Magic Zone

Any spell cast by a spellcaster in a Wild Magic Zone automatically gains the [Wild] descriptor.

Spells cast into a Wild Magic Zone from outside of it behave normally.

Casting a Wild Spell

1. Decide what your spell targets, what area it will affect, etc.
2. Make a Wild Magic skill roll.
3. Roll d100 on the Surge Tables, if necessary.
4. Apply minor surge, then any major surge that explicitly states it applies before determining if the spell was successfully cast.
5. Determine if the spell was cast successfully (concentration checks, saves, SR, etc.)
6. If the spell succeeded, apply any major surges (if they haven't been applied yet).
7. Resolve the spell effects (if not nullified by a surge).

Minor Wild Surge

A minor wild surge alters your caster level by the specified amount. If you caster level falls below zero, the spell automatically fails. It may also fail at other caster levels, depending on the spell. No SR or saving throw is allowed to prevent a minor wild surge.

Roll	Result
00-04	-2, plus a Major Surge
05-19	-2
20-24	-1, plus a Major Surge
25-39	-1
40-44	+0, plus a Major Surge
45-59	+0
60-64	+1, plus a Major Surge
65-79	+1
80-84	+2, plus a Major Surge
85-99	+2

Major Wild Surge

Any spell that completely fails does not create a Major Surge at all.

No SR or saving throw is allowed to prevent a major wild surge.

* Surges marked with an asterisk can be dispelled with Dispel Wild Surge.

† For surges that affect "the target" when the spell affects more than one creature (several targets, cone, spread, etc.) a random target is chosen for the surge. If the spell has no targets, or the chosen target wasn't affected by the spell (due to saving throw, SR, spell failure, etc.) the surge affects the caster, instead. (Note that spells like Earthquake have no target, even though they may have direct effects on creatures.)

‡ Surges marked with this double-dagger are applied before determining if the spell is successfully cast.

Roll	Simple Name	Result
01-03	Blind *	You are affected by uncontrolled clairvoyance for one round per adjusted caster level, minimum 1. You are effectively blinded, unable to see anything except what's going on in the other location, which might be in any spot on the same plane.
04-06	Deaf *	You are affected by uncontrolled clairaudience for one round per adjusted caster level, minimum 1. You are effectively deafened, unable to hear anything except what's going on in the other location, which might be in any spot on the same plane.
07-08	Caster Stunned *	You are stunned for a number of rounds equal to your adjusted caster level divided by two, minimum one.
09-10	Target Stunned * †	The target is stunned for a number of rounds equal to your adjusted caster level divided by two, minimum one.
11-12	Caster Dazed *	You are dazed for a number of rounds equal to your adjusted caster level divided by two, minimum one.
13-14	Target Dazed * †	The target is dazed for a number of rounds equal to your adjusted caster level divided by two, minimum one.
15-16	Quicken	You are slightly hasted, as if the spell was quickened. If you wish, you may take another action, unless you already cast another quickened spell this round, or otherwise cannot take any more actions. If the spell's casting time is longer than a round, this surge has no effect.
17-18	Teleport	You teleport randomly to a point within the spell's range (if the spell's range is not determined by distance, there is no effect). Roll 1d8 on the grenadelike weapon table to determine in which direction you move (1 being in front of you, 5 being behind you), then randomly determine the distance, to a maximum distance of 1,000 feet or the spell's range, whichever is smaller. If the teleportation would send you into solid rock or any other place without adequate space, then you are shunted to the closest open space.
19-21	Wild Caster *	You emanate a wild magic zone out to 30 feet for one round per adjusted caster level.
22-24	Wild Target * †	The target emanates a wild magic zone out to 30 feet for one round per adjusted caster level.
25	Caster Dispel	An area-effect greater dispelling is centered on you. Use the minor surge caster level adjustment when you make the check (1d20 + adjusted caster level, maximum +20).
26	Target Dispel †	An area-effect greater dispelling is centered on the target. Use the minor surge caster level adjustment when you make the check (1d20 + adjusted caster level, maximum +20).
27	Caster Antimagic	You emanate an antimagic field out to 10 feet for one round per adjusted caster level.
28	Target Antimagic †	The target emanates an antimagic field out to 10 feet for one round per adjusted caster level.
29-30	Drain Magic	The area around you, to a distance of 30 feet, is drained of magic for one round per adjusted caster level. Spells, spell-like abilities and supernatural abilities cannot be invoked in that area (but if they are invoked from outside the area, they may still affect targets within the area).
31	Caster Mirror *	You gain a single mirror image that lasts for one round per adjusted caster level.
32	Target Mirror * †	The target gains a single mirror image that lasts for one round per adjusted caster level.
33-34	Total Failure	The spell fails. Any material components are used up. The spell or spell slot is used up.
35-36	Benign Failure	The spell fails. Any material components are not used up. The spell or spell slot is not used up.
37	Swap and Lose ‡	A different spell of the same level is cast instead of the desired spell. For 'prepared' spellcasters, the spell is chosen randomly from those already prepared. For 'spontaneous' spellcasters, the spell is chosen from all spells of that level you know. (If there are no other spells prepared or slots unused, instead treat this surge as Total Failure.) The spell affects the same target or area, if possible. If there are multiple targets to the first spell, but the new spell needs only one, choose one randomly. Otherwise, the spell is centered on you. 'Prepared' casters lose both spells, while 'spontaneous' casters lose two slots.
38	Swap and Keep ‡	A different spell of the same level is cast instead of the desired spell. For 'prepared' spellcasters, the spell is chosen randomly from those already prepared. For 'spontaneous' spellcasters, the spell is chosen from all spells of that level you know. (If there are no other spells prepared or slots unused, instead treat this surge as Benign Failure.) The spell affects the same target or area, if possible. If there are multiple targets to the first spell, but the new spell needs only one, choose one randomly. Otherwise, the spell is centered on you. 'Prepared' casters lose neither spell, and 'spontaneous' casters lose no slots.
39-40	Go Again	The spell works as normal, but the spell or spell slot is not used up.
41	Delay	The spell's effects are delayed for one round per adjusted caster level, divided by two, minimum one. (If the spell is targeted, the delayed spell affects the original target(s) if they are still in range, or else the spell has no effect.)
42-46	Visual Display *	The spell is accompanied by harmless visual effects, such as mist, ghostly flames, color changes, illusory snakes, and so on. These effects remain for the spell's duration.
47-51	Audio Display *	The spell is accompanied by harmless auditory effects, such as howls, hissing, thunder, keening, and so on. These effects remain for the spell's duration.
52-53	Audio-Visual Display *	The spell is accompanied by harmless audio and visual effects, such as howls, hissing, thunder, keening, etc. with mist, ghostly flames, color changes, illusory snakes, and so on. These effects remain for the spell's duration.
54-55	Psionic Display *	You manifest a random psionic display (auditory, visual, mental, olfactory, or material). If psionics do not exist in your campaign, then Audio-Visual Display occurs, instead.
56-57	Caster Blur *	You become blurred for one round per adjusted caster level.
58-59	Target Blur * †	The target becomes blurred for one round per adjusted caster level.
60-61	No DC ‡	The DC for the spell becomes 0. It cannot overcome any spell resistance.
62-63	Up DC ‡	The DC for the spell increases by +2. You make checks to overcome spell resistance with a +2 bonus.
64-65	Half Range ‡	The spell's range is halved. If the spell's range is not determined by distance, there is no effect.
66-67	Up Range ‡	The spell's range is increased by 20%. If the spell's range is not determined by distance, there is no effect.
68-69	Half Duration	The spell's duration is halved. If the spell's duration is concentration, instantaneous or permanent, there is no effect.
70-71	Up Duration	The spell's duration is increased by 20%. If the spell's duration is concentration, instantaneous or permanent, there is no effect.
72	Level-2 ‡	The spell's actual level is modified by -2. If the level of the spell becomes less than zero, the spell fails. In any event, the new level of the spell does not affect what spell slot gets erased. (A sorcerer casting a 3rd-level spell that gets shunted down to 1st level still loses a 3rd-level slot.) All other effects dependent on spell level are calculated according to the new level.
73	Level-1 ‡	The spell's actual level is modified by -1. If the level of the spell becomes less than zero, the spell fails. In any event, the new level of the spell does not affect what spell slot gets erased. (A sorcerer casting a 3rd-level spell that gets shunted down to 2nd level still loses a 3rd-level slot.) All other effects dependent on spell level are calculated according to the new level.
74	Level+1 ‡	The spell's actual level is modified by +1. If the level of the spell becomes higher than you are able to cast, the spell fails. In any event, the new level of the spell does not affect what spell slot gets erased. (A sorcerer casting a 3rd-level spell that gets pushed up to 4th level still loses a 3rd-level slot.) All other effects dependent on spell level are calculated according to the new level.
75	Level+2 ‡	The spell's actual level is modified by +2. If the level of the spell becomes higher than you are able to cast, the spell fails. In any event, the new level of the spell does not affect what spell slot gets erased. (A sorcerer casting a 3rd-level spell that gets pushed up to 5th level still loses a 3rd-level slot.) All other effects dependent on spell level are calculated according to the new level.
76-77	All Minimized ‡	All variable, numeric effects of the spell are minimized (treat as if each die was a 1; 2d4+2 would yield 4; 4d6-1 would yield 3).
78-79	All Halved ‡	All variable, numeric effects of the spell are halved.
80-81	All Up ‡	All variable, numeric effects of the spell are increased by 20%.
82-83	All Maximized ‡	All variable, numeric effects of the spell are maximized (2d4+2 would yield 10; 4d6-1 would yield 23).
84-87	Energy Change ‡	The spell changes energy type (equal chances: acid, cold, electricity, fire, sonic). If the spell has no energy type but causes damage, the damage becomes that type of energy. If the spell deals no damage, there is no effect.
88-89	Air	You open a momentary portal to the Plane of Air and are accosted by a howling blast of air that deals 1d4 sonic damage for every two adjusted caster levels, minimum one, to you and everyone within 10 feet of you. The noise can easily be heard by a human from 100 feet away, and from 150 feet with a Listen check (DC 10).
90-91	Earth	You open a momentary portal to the Plane of Earth. A large, irregular chunk of stone materializes near you and fragments, damaging everyone within five feet. Roll 1d8 on the grenade-like weapons table to determine the direction from you (1 being in front of you, 5 being behind you), and then 1d10 to determine how many feet away. The damage is 1d6 per every two adjusted caster levels, minimum one.
92-93	Water	You open a momentary portal to the Plane of Water. You and everyone else within five feet are hit by a sudden torrent of pure water from above. There is no other effect beyond being drenched (though the drenching itself may cause problems if you are holding a torch, for example).
94-95	Fire	You open a momentary portal to the Plane of Fire and are accosted by a gout of flame that deals 1d6 fire damage for every two adjusted caster levels, minimum one.
96-97	Negative *	You open a momentary portal to the Negative Energy Plane and are accosted by a wave of negative energy that deals 1d6 damage per two adjusted caster levels, maximum 5d6, minimum 1d6. In addition, you must make a Fortitude save or gain 1d3 negative levels for 1d8 hours. (There is no chance for the negative levels to become permanent.)
98-99	Positive *	You open a momentary portal to the Positive Energy Plane and are accosted by a wave of positive energy. If you have any negative levels, it harmlessly and instantly removes 1d4 of them. Otherwise, it heals 1d6 damage per two adjusted caster levels, maximum 5d6, minimum 1d6, with any extra health becoming temporary hit points that disappear in 1d4 hours.
100	Double Surge ‡	Roll twice, ignoring duplicate results and any result that tells you to roll again. Both surges occur simultaneously, but if they affect the same spell aspect, they are applied in the sequence they were rolled. For example, rolling All Minimized and All Up would cause you to reduce all dies to 1, then increase the totals by 20%. But if you rolled those results in reverse, you would apply the 20%, then reduce all dies to 1, effectively wiping out the effect of the first surge.

Other Information

Here are some other rules required or useful for dealing with Wild Magic.

SKILL: Wild Magic (Wis)

Use this skill to prevent Wild Surges.

Check: You can attempt to prevent Wild Surges when you cast a spell with the Wild descriptor. The base DC for negating all wild surges is 20 + the level of the spell. The base DC for only negating the chance for a Major Surge is 15 + the level of the spell. You must choose which DC to use before you make the check, and you may only make this check once per spellcasting.

Action: None. Making a wild magic check doesn't require an action, it is made as a part of a spellcasting action.

Try Again: No.

Special: This is a cross-class skill for all classes by default. Use the Wild Mage feat to gain this as a class skill.

Synergy:If you have 5 or more ranks in Concentration, you get a +2 bonus on Wild Magic checks.

If you have 5 or more ranks in Wild Magic, you get a +2 bonus on Use Magic Device checks when trying to activate an item blindly.

FEAT: Imbue With Wildness [Metamagic]

You have learned how to cause random fluctuations in normal spells.

Prerequisite: At least 2 ranks in Wild Magic, and you have learned and cast at least two different spells with the Wild descriptor.

Benefit: A spell enhanced with this feat gains the Wild descriptor, with all the restrictions and benefits that entails. (For example, any other spell-modifying metamagic feats applied to it become useless.) If the spell already has the Wild descriptor, this feat has no effect on it. A spell imbued with wildness takes up a spell slot one level higher than its actual level.

FEAT: Wild Mage [General]

You have gained insight into the fundamentals of Wild magic.

Prerequisite: Imbue With Wildness, at least 2 ranks in Wild Magic, and you have learned and cast at least two different spells with the Wild descriptor.

Benefit: You gain a +2 insight bonus to Wild Magic checks. Wild Magic is now a class skill.

Special: A wizard may select Wild Mage as one of his bonus feats.

FEAT: Wild Master [General]

You have gained incredible insight into the fundamentals of Wild magic.

Prerequisite: Wild Mage, Imbue With Wildness, at least 9 ranks in Wild Magic, and you have learned and cast at least four different spells with the Wild descriptor.

Benefit: The +2 insight bonus to Wild Magic checks granted by the Wild Mage feat increases to +4. Furthermore, you may reroll any wild magic result once a day. This can either be a Wild Magic skill roll, or any surge roll. You must take the result of the reroll, even if it's worse than the original roll.

Special: A wizard may select Wild Master as one of his bonus feats.

FEAT: Wild Savant [General]

You have gained almost god-like insight into the fundamentals of Wild magic.

Prerequisite: Wild Master, Wild Mage, Imbue With Wildness, at least 15 ranks in Wild Magic, and you have learned and cast at least six different spells with the Wild descriptor.

Benefit: As Wild Master, but you may now reroll any two wild magic results each day. These can either be a Wild Magic skill rolls, or any surge rolls. You must take the result of the reroll, even if it's worse than the original roll.

Furthermore, before any major wild surge roll, you may select which target of your spell may receive its effects, or you can decide to take the effects yourself. If your chosen target isn't affected by your original spell (due to SR, saving throws, etc), the surge affects you as normal. If the surge doesn't affect a target of the spell, the surge behaves as normal.

Special: A wizard may select Wild Savant as one of his bonus feats.

SPELL: Dispel Wild Surge

Dispel Wild Surge

Abjuration
Level:	Brd 1, Clr 2, Drd 3, Pal 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components:	V,S
Casting time:	1 standard action
Range:	Medium (100 ft + 10 ft/level)
Target, or Area:	The effects of one wild surge, or all effects of wild surges in a 30ft-radius burst
Duration:	Instantaneous
Saving Throw:	None
Spell Resistance:	No

As Dispel Magic, but it only dispels the effects major wild surges. Instantaneous effects, such as a surge that dispels magic, or a surge that modifies the spell itself, cannot be dispelled. For example, you may dispel the illusory snakes that surged into being with a spell, but you may not dispel the surge that caused an Acid Fog to be maximized, nor a surge that delayed your Charm Person.

You must succeed at a caster level check to dispel the surge. You do not automatically succeed when you try to dispel surges you created yourself, but you may add a +2 circumstance bonus to the roll.

Of those listed in the major surge table, only the ones designated by an asterisk (*) may be dispelled, keeping in mind the restrictions above. (For example, you cannot dispel the health granted by contact with the Positive Material Plane, but you can dispel the temporary hit points.)

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