Keep the Magic Up by Throwing Spell Bombs in Battle

In the worlds of fantasy tabletop roleplaying games, the levels of magic and technology are always up for the Game Master to balance. I personally love the convention that most fantasy fiction is starting to move towards; that the world's overall technology level is in what we would know as the Renaissance. Science is just starting to get good, but magic dominates people's daily lives.

I've also played in games where we've had to use our spells to defend ourselves from a cyborg dragon while we were robbing a mag-lev train. Things can vary wildly depending on who runs your games. Though the overall tech levels of my games are kind of stuck in that one time, I think it's good to get a spread of what magic items could do.

Off with a bang, but helping or damaging? - Sunbeam Spellbomb by JIm nelson

This is the second Loot Drop I've written, and those are good for just about any world. I keep my magic items to be mechanics neutral, to inspire Game Masters to make them work in whichever system you play. For those who like a bit of sci-fantasy, I have the loot just for your games: spellbombs!

Spellbombs

There are many mechanics that allow a spellcaster to transfer the energy into another form. Storing them in a scroll or diluting them into a potion is common for most. There are even some grand robots that can have spells stored in their bodies to cast at their master's command. I want to take a more explosive thought.

The shell of a spellbomb is heavily runed to absorb a spell cast onto it. A low level spell is taken inside the metal casing. Pulling the pin and letting the shell shatter releases the spell as if it were cast.

The boom spells help and doom - Necrogen Spellbomb by Jim Nelson

It's often an idea to fill it with fire or lightning to turn it into some magical grenade. Why stop there? Imagine putting a summoning spell or healing spell into the spellbomb. When things seem dire, throwing a spellbomb on the ground, loaded with a fast travel spell can be the quick getaway you need. Even in a tense fight, leaving the players beaten and haggard, dropping a healing spellbomb, showering your team in white light can turn the tide.

Hands of the Inventor

To be able to save spells is a rare and costly thing. To keep it balanced, the lowest forms of magic in the systems you use could be contained in the casing of a spellbomb. Their volatile nature may lead to mishaps in their making, and perhaps special magical components are needed to put them together.

Now we want to hear from you. How would spellbombs feature in games you GM? What inventive uses can you think of, having a spell saved up for later? Let us know in our discord server or in the comments below.

Adam Ray contributes much for adventurers here on Apotheosis Studios. As co-founder of fantasticuniverses.com, he writes about card gaming and PC gaming to a corner of the internet he carved out himself. On Youtube, he can be found game mastering for No Ordinary Heroes, or editing the antics on The Hostile Atmosphere. Follow his Twitter @IzzetTinkerer.