Optional Rules: Spell Services

Sometimes the players will not have access to a particular spell, or spells, personally. They will need to find someone capable and willing to cast the spell for them, but this will come at a cost. The following table is provided for a base estimate a spell-caster may charge for their services. Most spell-casters do not usually hire out to go on adventures, preferring to stay home to serve their church, or study in their laboratories.

The formula for finding base cost is as follows: Level of Spell x Minimum Level of Caster needed to cast the spell x (10 x spell level). Thus, a first level magic-user spell, multiplied by first level caster (minimum), times 10gp, for a total of 10gp. Additional costs, such as spell components needed, of course will be added to the base spell cost.

Base Cost	Minimum Caster Level	Level of Spell
20gp	2	Cleric – first level spell
160gp	4	Cleric – second level spell
540gp	6	Cleric – third level spell
960gp	6	Cleric – fourth level spell
1,750gp	7	Cleric – fifth level spell
4,320gp	12	Cleric – sixth level spell *
8,330gp	17	Cleric – seventh level spell
10gp	1	Druid – first level spell
80gp	2	Druid – second level spell
360gp	4	Druid – third level spell
1,120gp	7	Druid – fourth level spell
2,500gp	10	Druid – fifth level spell *
3,960gp	11	Druid – sixth level spell
5,580gp	12	Druid – seventh level spell
10gp	1	Magic-User – first level spell
120gp	3	Magic-User – second level spell
450gp	5	Magic-User – third level spell
1,120gp	7	Magic-User – fourth level spell
2,250gp	9	Magic-User – fifth level spell *
4,320gp	12	Magic-User – sixth level spell
6,860gp	14	Magic-User – seventh level spell
10,240gp	16	Magic-User – eighth level spell
14,480gp	18	Magic-User – ninth level spell

* - Spells of this level or higher are generally not available except in special cases set by the Dungeon Master.

These rules are written for Swords & Wizardry Complete, but may be used with other compatable OSR rules systems.

Off-Brand Use - Spells: Purify Food and Drink

Earlier this week, the staff here at Portcullis was throwing back a few beverages and bantering back and forth about unusual applications of 1st edition (AD&D) spells. One of these topics was the off-brand use of the spell, Purify Food and Drink. By off-brand use, we mean the use of a spell in a way that it may not have been originally designed, but for which a reasonable case could be made. In this case using, Purify Food and Drink, to drive out parasites from objects, though not living beings*.

An original use of Purify Water (Food and Drink) to destroy a monster can be found under the description of the Water Weird. This brought forth suggestion that applications of the spell might also be used to cleanse doors, and other non-living objects, of other such nasty creatures as Ear Seekers, or Rot Grubs.

Of course, it was then suggested that reversing the spell to Putrefy, could potentially be used to infest objects and doors with such creatures, but the general consensus agreed that was generally beyond the scope of a first-level spell.. Though one particularly evil DM decided that they'd allow it on a roll of 25% or less. 

* - Rules for removing these horrors once they have infested a host victim have already been specified, so they do not apply to this discussion.