“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that
ever has.”
―
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| Questions... And a Spot of Research.... |
Have you ever actually questioned the true authorship of
all those eponymous spells? I never did, back when. But then, for whatever
reason, I did. I suspect that niggling doubt arose when I first read the spell Mordenkainen’s
Magnificent Mansion. To my mind, this spell appeared to be little more
than an excuse for lengthy alliteration, because no other spell in Mordenkainen’s
repertoire seemed to align with it. Indeed, it appeared to my mind to align
with Leomund’s.
So, why wasn’t it one of Len Lakofka’s Leomund’s? I
suspect that might be because Len Lekofka did not write it himself. Len appears
to have been a bit of a stickler in that regard, only allowing Leomund’s name
to grace those spells he, Len, himself wrote. He may have refused the honour,
owing to that. I doubt he was given the opportunity, though, noting the above
opportunity for that triple alliteration. That said, I can find no evidence
that Len wrote Leomund’s Lamentable Belabourment either, so your
guess is as good as mine. No matter, that’s another tale.
This discussion, not that one, is in line with that,
though. It is an exploration to see how well those eponymously named spells
line up in “theme” with their body of work as a whole, and whether they might
be collaborations and not individual efforts.
It’s all just a bit of fun, really.
In an earlier post, I raised the notion that the Art of
Magic might, it its Vancian origin, might require a certain scientific method.
It stands to reason, to my reasoning, that logic must apply: Nothing comes into
being as if by magic, if you will excuse the pun; but may do so by meticulous,
and laborious research. And research is time consuming. Indeed, the AD&D
Dungeon Masters Guide tells us just that. Trial and error is an lengthy
process. One expects that sulphur might have been originally applied to earlier
attempts at creating a Wall of Fire before the far more dangerous
phosphorus [PHB 1e – 78]; and that the original creator of Wall of Ice
must have puzzled how the caster might keep a shard of ice at hand before
finally trying a shard of quartz [PHB 1e – 79] instead. You get the drift.
Thus, a wizard adept in the erudite lore and esoteric
comprehension on how to create “spatial” spells could hardly be an expert on “defensive”
spells. Could he…? He could not have applied the same lore required to weave
wards to warping space. Or so I surmise. That’s how I came to the conclusion
that Leomund, the creator of his Tiny Hut and Secure
Shelter, to say mothing of his Secret Chest, must have
been the actual creator, or at the very least a collaborator, of Mordenkainen’s
Private Sanctum and Magnificent Mansion, if you follow my
train of thought. Those spells are just too similar to his creations for him not
to have had his hand it their creation.
In that vein, I dove into the other spells by the Circle
of Eight to see how many others “overlapped” in theme. Need I say that there
were a few. It would have been surprising had there not been.
So, whose spells are similar to whose? Let’s see, shall we?
(I’ll refer to spells like Bigby’s Interposing Hand merely as Interposing
Hand throughout, in hopes of staving off Carpal Tunnel.) Where they do
appear to overlap in theme, I’ll add the wizard who I think may have had a hand
in its creation in [brackets].
 |
| Bigby |
1st:
Bookworm Bane (Evocation) – Force Manipulation
Feeling Fingers (Evocation) – Force Manipulation
2nd:
Dextrous Digits (Evocation) – Force Manipulation
Silencing Hand (Evocation/Enchantment) – Force
Manipulation
3rd:
Pugnacious Pugilist (Evocation) – Force Manipulation
4th:
Battering Gauntlet (Evocation) – Force Manipulation
Construction Crew (Evocation) – Force Manipulation
Force Sculpture (Evocation) – Force Manipulation
5th:
Fantastic Fencers (Evocation) – Force Manipulation
Icy Grip (Evocation/Conjuration) – Force
Manipulation/Negative energy [Nystul]
Interposing Hand (Evocation) – Force Manipulation
Superior Force Sculpture (Evocation) – Force Manipulation
Strangling Grip (Evocation) – Force Manipulation
6th:
Besieging Bolt (Evocation) - Force Manipulation/
projectile [Melf]
Forceful Hand (Evocation) – Force Manipulation
7th:
Grasping Hand (Evocation) – Force Manipulation
8th:
Most Excellent Force Sculpture (Evocation) – Force
Manipulation
9th:
Crushing Hand (Evocation) - Force Manipulation
 |
| Drawmij |
1st:
Beast of Burden (Alteration) – Travel – Lightens loads by
Limited Levitation
Light Step (Alteration) – Travel – Limited Levitation
2nd:
Adventure Luck (Alteration) – Like a luckstone
Breath of Life (Alteration) – Breath
Scent Mask (Illusion/Phantasm) – Breath, Mind [Rary]
3rd:
Swift Mount (Alteration) – Travel
Marvelous Shield (Evocation) – AC [Mordenkainen, a la his
Sword, but defensive and not offensive]
Iron Sack (Evocation) – protects contents [Mordenkainen]
4th:
Hand Timepiece (Conjuration/Summoning) – Time
Instant Exit (Alteration/Conjuration) – Risky Teleport
Protection from Non-Magic Gas (Abjuration) – Breath
Tool Box (Conjuration/Summoning) – Manipulation [Bigby]
5th:
 |
| Leomund |
6th:
Beneficent Polymorph (Alteration) – Alter Other
Merciful Metamorphosis (Alteration) – Alter Other
7th:
Instant Summons (Conjuration/Summoning) – Teleport object
Leomund:
2nd:
Trap (Illusion/Phantasm) – Mind [Rary]
3rd:
Tiny Hut (Alteration) – Space
4th:
Secure Shelter (Alteration/Enchantment) – Space
5th:
 |
| Melf |
Secret Chest (Alteration/Conjuration/Summoning) – Space
Melf
2nd:
Acid Arrow (Evocation) – alter missile
3rd:
Minute Meteors (Evocation/Alteration) – create globes of
fire
Mordenkainen:
1st:
Buzzing Bee (Evocation) – a “summons” [Bigby]
Protection from Avians (Abjuration) – AC
2nd:
Encompassing Vision (Alteration) – Sight
3rd:
Defence Against Lycanthropes (Abjuration) – AC
Defence Against Reptiles (Abjuration) – AC
Defence Against Insects (Abjuration) – AC
4th:
Celerity (Alteration/Invocation) – Movement
 |
| Mordenkainen |
Faithful Shield Maidens (Summoning) – Guardians
Force Missiles (Invocation/Evocation) – Energy
Projectiles [Bigby/Melf]
Protection from Slime (Abjuration) – AC
5th:
Faithful Defenders (Summoning) – Guardians
Faithful Hounds (Conjuration/Summoning) – Guardians
Involuntary Wizardry (Enchantment/Charm) – Mind [Rary]
Private Sanctum (Alteration/Abjuration) – Space [Leomund]
6th:
Ascent – Levitation [Drawmij]
Joining – Alter matter [Drawmij]
Lucubrution (Alteration) – Mind [Rary]
Faithful Guardian (Summoning) – Guardians
Trusted Bloodhound (Conjuration) – Guardians
7th:
Penultimate Cogitation (Alteration) – Guardians
Sword (Evocation) – Manipulation [Bigby]
Magnificent Mansion (Alteration/Conjuration) – Space
[Leomund]
8th:
Capable Caravel (Conjuration) – Mobile Space [Leomund]
9th:
Disjunction (Alteration/Enchantment) – Affect magic
Wizard (Conjuration) – Summons Hound – Guardian
 |
| Nystul |
1st:
Magic Aura (Illusion/Phantasm) – Mind [Rary]
Dancing Werelight (Alteration) – Positive energy
Flash (Evocation) – Positive energy
2nd:
Blackmole (Evocation) – Negative energy
Blazing Beam (Evocation) – Positive energy
Crystal Dagger (Evocation/Conjuration) – Positive energy
[Mordenkainen]
3rd:
Crystal Dirk (Evocation/Conjuration) – Positive energy
[Mordenkainen]
Fire Extinguisher (Evocation) – Negative energy (?)
Golden Revelation (Alteration) – reveals magic
Radiant Baton (Evocation) – Positive energy
[Mordenkainen]
4th:
Blacklight Burst (Evocation) – Negative energy
Grue Conjuration (Conjuration/Summoning) – Summons
Light Burst (Evocation) – Positive energy
5th:
Enveloping Darkness (Evocation/Alteration) – Negative
energy
Radiating Arch (Alteration) – Positive energy
 |
| Otiluke |
1st:
Bubbling Buoyancy (Alteration) – Sphere/Gas
Smokey Sphere (Evocation) – Sphere/Gas
2nd:
Boiling Oil Bath (Evocation/Conjuration) – Sphere/Fluid
3rd:
Acid Cloud (Evocation) – Gas
Force Umbrella (Evocation) – Half-sphere [Drawmij]
4th:
Resilient Sphere (Evocation/Alteration) – Sphere
Steaming Sphere (Evocation) – Sphere/Gas
Suppressing Field (Abjuration) – Anti-magic [Nystul]
5th:
Electric Screen (Evocation/Abjuration) – Plane –
Anti-energy [Nystul]
Polar Screen (Evocation) – Plane – Anti-energy
[Nystul/Drawmij]
Radiant Screen (Evocation) – Plane – Anti-energy [Nystul]
6th:
Diamond Screen (Evocation) – Plane – Anti-energy [Nystul]
Excruciating Screen (Evocation) – Negative energy
[Nystul]
Freezing Sphere (Evocation/Alteration) – Negative energy
[Nystul]
Orb of Containment (Evocation) – Sphere
7th:
Death Screen (Evocation)Alteration – Plane – Anti-energy
[Nystul]
Fire and Ice (Evocation) – Sphere
Siege Sphere (Evocation) – Sphere
Telekinetic Sphere (Evocation/Alteration) – Sphere
 |
| Otto |
1st:
Chime of Release (Alteration) – Sound
2nd:
Soothing Vibrations (Enchantment/Charm) – Sound
Tone of Forgetfulness (Enchantment/Charm) – Sound/Mind
[Rary]
3rd:
Crystal Rhythms (Enchantment/Charm) – Charm
Imperative Ambulation (Enchantment/Charm) – Mind [Rary?]
Sure-Footed Shuffle (Alteration/Enchantment/Charm) –
Charm
4th:
Drums of Despair (Enchantment/Charm) – Charm/Mind [Rary]
Silver Tongue (Enchantment/Charm) – Charm/Mind [Rary]
Tin Soldiers (Alteration) – Guardian [Mordenkainen]
Tonal Attack (Enchantment/Charm) – Charm
Warding Tones (Enchantment/Charm) – Charm
5th:
Gong of Isolation (Enchantment/Alteration) – Charm
8th:
Irresistible Dance (Enchantment/Charm) – Charm [Otto has
never reached high enough level to cast this spell, let alone create it; so one
must assume he had help. Indeed, he might not have had a hand in creating it at
all. If he had not, then Rary would appear the most likely candidate.]
 |
| Rary |
1st:
Empathetic Perception (Divination) – Mind
2nd:
Aptitude Appropriator (Divination/Alteration) – Mind
4th:
Memory Alteration (Enchantment/Charm) – Mind
Mind Scan (Divination) – Mind
Mnemonic Enhancer (Alteration) – Mind
Spell Enhancer (Alteration) – Mind
5th:
Hesitation (Enchantment/Charm) – Mind
Mind Shield (Alteration) – Mind
Replay of the Past (Divination) – Mind
Superior Spell Enhancer (Alteration) – Mind
Telepathic Bond (Divination/Alteration) – Mind
6th:
Urgent Utterance (Alteration) – Mind
Protect from Scrying (Abjuration/Divination) – Mind
7th:
Plane Truth (Divination) – Mind
8th:
Vicious Missile (Evocation) – Energy missile
[Bigby/Melf/Nystul]
 |
| Tenser |
1st:
Eye of Tiger (Alteration) – Enhance self
Floating Disk (Evocation) – Plane [Otiluke]
Steady Aim (Alteration) – Enhance self
Brawl (Alteration) – Enhance self
2nd:
Deadly Strike (Alteration) – Mind [Rary]
Eye of Eagle (Alteration) – Enhance self
Hunting Hawk (Alteration) – Transforms arrow
4th:
Flaming Blade (Alteration) – weapon [Mordenkainen]
Giant Strength (Alteration) – Enhance self
Master of Arms (Alteration) – Enhance self
Running Warrior (Alteration) – Enhance self
Staff of Smiting (Alteration) – Energy [Nystul]
5th:
Destructive Resonance (Invocation/Alteration) – Vibration
[Otto]
Primal Fury (Enchantment/Alteration) – Mind [Rary]
6th:
Fortunes of War (Abjuration) – Enhance self
Transformation (Alteration/Evocation) – Enhance self
8th:
Lift – Levitation [Drawmij]
9th (10th):
Binding – Shere [Otiluke]
Telling Blow – Force damage [Bigby]
This is by no means “scientific.” There are spells that
“feel” like Bigby spells, but are not Evocation spells, just as there are
spells that effect the mind that evoked Rary, or Otto, depending on their intent:
Rary’s appear to command while Ott’s to charm (if there is a distinction
between the two, which is entirely arguable). If you disagree with me, you’ve
every right to: this is merely idle speculation on my part, perhaps of little
or no value in gaming application.
What use might this exploration be? I expect this might
be of value depending on when you might place your game. How so? Well, when do
we suppose these spells were written? They could only have been created after
said characters attained a high enough level to create them. That goes without
saying. But when might that be? I suspect, depending on the character, those
collaborations noted would be after the creation of the Circle of Eight, when
Mordenkainen had gathered them all together, and they had the time, the
leisure, the facilities, and the resources, to conduct all that research and
experimentation.
 |
| A Question of Time.... |
Length Of Research: Initial preparations
and research will consume a number of weeks equal to the level of the spell
being researched. After this initial period, there exists a chance to achieve
success, the chance being given weekly. Research therefore will always extend to
a number of weeks equal to the level of the spell being researched plus 1,
i.e., a 1st level spell will take a minimum of 2 weeks research.
Research expense accrues each and every week. There is no limit to the
extension of research, although practically, even minimal expenditure will
result in successful research after the basic period plus 6 or so weeks on the
average. [DMG 1e – 115]
Long story short, it would have taken them some time. But
how long?
1st level spells: 2 weeks each (1/2
month)
Thus all of Bigby’s 1st level spells combined
would take: 1 month; Drawmij: 1 month; Mordenkainen: 1 month; Nystul: 1.5
months; Otiluke: 1 month; Otto: 0.5 months; Rary: 0.5 months; Tenser: 2 months;
2nd level spells: 4 weeks each (1
month)
Bigby: 2 months; Drawmij: 3 months; Leomund: 1 month;
Melf: 1 month; Mordenkainen: 1 month; Nystul: 3 months; Otiluke: 1 month; Otto:
1 month; Rary: 1 month; Tenser: 2 months
3rd level spells: 6 weeks each (1.5
months)
Bibgy: 1.5 months; Drawmij: 4.5 months; Leomund: 1.5
months; Melf: 1.5 months; Mordenkainen: 4.5 months; Nystul: 6 months; Otiluke: 2
months; Otto: 4.5 months; Rary: 6 months
4th level spells: 8 weeks each (2
months)
Bibgy: 6 months; Drawmij: 8 months; Leomund: 2 months;
Mordenkainen: 10 months; Nystul: 6 months; Otiluke: 6 months; Otto: 10 months;
Rary: 8 months; Tenser: 10 months
5th level spells: 10 weeks each (2.5
months)
Bibgy: 12.5 months; Drawmij: 2.5 months; Leomund: 5
months; Mordenkainen: 12.5 months; Nystul: 5 months; Otiluke: 7.5 months; Otto:
2.5 months; Rary: 12.5 months; Tenser: 5 months
6th level spells: 12 weeks each (3
months)
Bibgy: 6 months; Drawmij: 6 months; Mordenkainen: 15
months; Otiluke: 12 months; Rary: 6 months; Tenser: 6 months
7th level spells: 14 weeks each (3.5
months)
Bibgy: 3.5 months; Drawmij: 3.5 months; Mordenkainen: 10.5
months; Otiluke: 14 months; Rary: 3.5 months
8th level spells: 16 weeks each (4
months)
Bibgy: 4 months; Mordenkainen: 4 months; Otto: 4 months;
Rary: 4 months; Tenser: 4 months
9th level spells: 18 weeks each (4.5
months)
Bibgy: 4.5 months; Mordenkainen: 9 months; Tenser: 9
months
Total time per character:
Bibgy: 41 months (3.5 years); Drawmij: 28.5 months (2.4
years); Leomund: 9.5 months (0.8 years); Melf: 2.5 months; Mordenkainen: 67.5
months (3 years); Nystul: 21.5 months (1.8 years); Otiluke: 43.5 months (3.6
years); Otto: 22.5 months (1.9 years); Rary: 41.5 months (3.4 years); Tenser:
38 months (3.2 years)
That’s a lot of time! It goes without saying that they
could not have created them all in one go. I imagine they were puzzled out in
fits and starts.
 |
| Of Sound Mind and Body |
One imagines that at least a month of rest might follow
each creation, perhaps even before, as well, further extending that time.
 |
| The Cost.... |
I wonder what all this creation cost them?
Cost Of Research: The basic cost for
spell research is only 200 gold pieces per spell level per week. […] To the
base cost must be added a weekly variable of 100 to 400 gold pieces per level
of the spell, the variable accounting far additional materials needed. If no
library of materials is owned by the researcher, the base cost increases by a
factor of 10 (2,000 gold pieces per spell level per week), the researcher being
assumed to be acquiring arcane texts and scrolls, thus creating a library.
[DMG 1e – 115]
Simple math says 400 gp/week/spell level with a library;
2400 gp/week/spell level without, on average. Let’s look at what the total cost
of each of Bigby’s, Mordenkainen’s, and Tenser’s spell research would cost,
individually.
Bigby:
1st: 1,600 gp with, 9,600 without
2nd: 6,400 with; 38,400 without
3rd: 7,200 with; 43,200 without
4th: 38,400 with; 240,400 without
5th: 100,000 with; 600,000 without
6th: 57,600 with; 345,600 without
7th: 39,200 with; 235,200 without
8th: 51,200 with; 307,200 without
9th: 64,800 with; 388,800 without
Mordenkainen:
1st: 1,600 gp with, 9,600 without
2nd: 3,200 with; 19,200 without
3rd: 21,600 with; 129,600 without
4th: 64,000 with; 384,000 without
5th: 27,000 with; 648,000 without
6th: 144,400 with; 864,400 without
7th: 117,600 with; 705,600 without
8th: 51,200 with; 307,200 without
9th: 129,600 with; 777,600 without
Tenser:
1st: 3,200 gp with, 19,200 without
2nd: 6,400 with; 38,400 without
4th: 64,000 with; 384,000 without
5th: 40,000 with; 288,000 without
6th: 48,000 with; 345,600 without
8th: 51,200 with; 307,200 without
9th: 129,600 with; 777,600 without
I could add the totals up, but what would be the point?
With or without a personal library spell research is a costly endeavour,
however pursued. The thing is, their total costs is incalculable, to be
truthful. We can be sure that these three (indeed, all the wizards noted above,
apart from perhaps Melf) have a vast personal library. But no one can have a
complete library. One imagines they must surely have had to consult each
another’s from time to time, and they might even have had to pay the presumably
exorbitant fees demanded by The Great Library of Greyhawk, or some other, to
gain access to their collections. I expect that would not be cheap. And I would
expect their fees would not be waved in light of the Circle’s quiet notoriety.
I wonder: What might be the cost of gathering such a library, whether
purchasing those tomes, or financing the expeditions to steal them or unearth
them from long-lost tombs. However these libraries came to be, and whatever the
costs they might need incur, to examine rare and secret tomes in private or
“public” collections would be staggering, to say the least.
I suppose that’s why the Citadel of Eight and the Circle
of Eight spent so much time exploring dungeons. We – I, anyway – were led to
believe that they were questing after magic items and fell tomes (I refer to Mordenkainen’s
Fantastic Adventure) to add to their personal collections, but I’m
beginning to believe that wasn’t the whole reason for such ventures. I’m
beginning to believe they risked life and limb because they needed the cash!
I imagine we must then add yet another month between each
bout of research to keep up their pace of “Balancing” the Flanaess, be they networking
in far-reaching courts; or chasing down, apprehending, and euthanizing those irritating
adversaries that needed such attention. All that must keep an aspiring archmage
busy and away from his library and laboratory.
Let’s assume employment of a sage and an apprentice or
two might aid in the pursuit of their research; but the DMG was pretty clear
that spell research and creation was a time-consuming and lengthy process.
I expect that most of these spells (the higher-level
ones, anyway) must have been penned in the 570s, and presumably in either
Mordenkainen’s citadel, or in the City of Greyhawk, where innumerable tomes could
be had to aid them in their pursuit, and they had access to each others’ input.
(Rary is excluded from these calculations, he not being
mentioned all that often in canon, and he may have had quite a few years at his
disposal at his tower in Lopollo, prior to joining the Circle; that said, he
could only have aided the others after joining the Circle of Eight, to my mind.
As to Otiluke, he appears to have been a rather sedentary soul, so his time for
research is not in question: he had quite a bit of time on his hands between
his joining and passing, between Oligarch sessions.)
So, when exactly could these spells have been created.
One might have to ponder their life histories, and when they each might have
attained what level to divine when each of their spells might have been
created.
One imagines that any wizard can research spells; but one
also assumes that the wizard must be able to cast 2nd level spells
to have any hope in creating one.
Shall I pursue such an exploration? I shall.
Was this a useful exploration? Unlikely. Who, after all,
would possibly care whether Mordenkainen’s Magnificent Mansion was
created by Mordenkainen or Leomund, or whether it was a collaboration of the
two. Me, apparently.
But it was fun, all the same. For me, anyway.
"Never memorize anything you can look up."
― Albert Einstein
One must always
give credit where credit is due. This piece is made possible primarily by the
Imaginings of Gary Gygax and his Old Guard, Lenard Lakofka among them, and the
new old guards, Carl Sargant, James Ward, Roger E. Moore. And Erik Mona, Gary
Holian, Sean Reynolds, Frederick Weining. The list is interminable.
Special thanks
to Jason Zavoda for his compiled index, “Greyhawkania,” an invaluable research
tool.
The Art:
Bigby, by Sam Wood, Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Drawmij, by Sam Wood, Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Mordenkainen, by Thomas Denmark, from Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007
Nystul, by Sam Wood, Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Otto, by Sam Wood, Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000
Rary, by Andrew Hue, from Dungeon Magazine #103, 2003
Tenser, Greyhawk Trading Card #213, 1992
Sources:
2010
Players Handbook 1e, 1978
2011A
Dungeon Masters Guide, 1st Ed., 1979
2011
Unearthed Arcana, 1985
2023
Greyhawk Adventures, 1988
2121
Tome of Magic, 1991
Players Option: Spells and
Magic, 1996
Complete
Mage, 2006
Miniatures
Handbook, 2003
Shipwrack,
2005
Arcane
Power, 2009