A Question of Spell Authorship

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

― Margaret Mead

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.

A Vancian Science

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

Let’s begin, alphabetically, with Bigby:

1^st:

Bookworm Bane (Evocation) – Force Manipulation

Feeling Fingers (Evocation) – Force Manipulation

2^nd:

Dextrous Digits (Evocation) – Force Manipulation

Silencing Hand (Evocation/Enchantment) – Force Manipulation

3^rd:

Pugnacious Pugilist (Evocation) – Force Manipulation

4^th:

Battering Gauntlet (Evocation) – Force Manipulation

Construction Crew (Evocation) – Force Manipulation

Force Sculpture (Evocation) – Force Manipulation

5^th:

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

6^th:

Besieging Bolt (Evocation) - Force Manipulation/ projectile [Melf]

Forceful Hand (Evocation) – Force Manipulation

7^th:

Grasping Hand (Evocation) – Force Manipulation

8^th:

Most Excellent Force Sculpture (Evocation) – Force Manipulation

9^th:

Crushing Hand (Evocation) - Force Manipulation

Drawmij

Drawmij

1^st:

Beast of Burden (Alteration) – Travel – Lightens loads by Limited Levitation

Light Step (Alteration) – Travel – Limited Levitation

2^nd:

Adventure Luck (Alteration) – Like a luckstone

Breath of Life (Alteration) – Breath

Scent Mask (Illusion/Phantasm) – Breath, Mind [Rary]

3^rd:

Swift Mount (Alteration) – Travel

Marvelous Shield (Evocation) – AC [Mordenkainen, a la his Sword, but defensive and not offensive]

Iron Sack (Evocation) – protects contents [Mordenkainen]

4^th:

Hand Timepiece (Conjuration/Summoning) – Time

Instant Exit (Alteration/Conjuration) – Risky Teleport

Protection from Non-Magic Gas (Abjuration) – Breath

Tool Box (Conjuration/Summoning) – Manipulation [Bigby]

5^th:

Leomund

Flying Feat (Alteration/Enchantment) – Creates flying object – Travel – Levitation

6^th:

Beneficent Polymorph (Alteration) – Alter Other

Merciful Metamorphosis (Alteration) – Alter Other

7^th:

Instant Summons (Conjuration/Summoning) – Teleport object

Leomund:

2^nd:

Trap (Illusion/Phantasm) – Mind [Rary]

3^rd:

Tiny Hut (Alteration) – Space

4^th:

Secure Shelter (Alteration/Enchantment) – Space

5^th:

Melf

Lamentable Belabourment (Enchantment/Evocation) – Mind [Rary]

Secret Chest (Alteration/Conjuration/Summoning) – Space

Melf

2^nd:

Acid Arrow (Evocation) – alter missile

3^rd:

Minute Meteors (Evocation/Alteration) – create globes of fire

Mordenkainen:

1^st:

Buzzing Bee (Evocation) – a “summons” [Bigby]

Protection from Avians (Abjuration) – AC

2^nd:

Encompassing Vision (Alteration) – Sight

3^rd:

Defence Against Lycanthropes (Abjuration) – AC

Defence Against Reptiles (Abjuration) – AC

Defence Against Insects (Abjuration) – AC

4^th:

Celerity (Alteration/Invocation) – Movement

Mordenkainen

Electric Arc (Evocation) – Lightening, Positive Energy [Nystul]

Faithful Shield Maidens (Summoning) – Guardians

Force Missiles (Invocation/Evocation) – Energy Projectiles [Bigby/Melf]

Protection from Slime (Abjuration) – AC

5^th:

Faithful Defenders (Summoning) – Guardians

Faithful Hounds (Conjuration/Summoning) – Guardians

Involuntary Wizardry (Enchantment/Charm) – Mind [Rary]

Private Sanctum (Alteration/Abjuration) – Space [Leomund]

6^th:

Ascent – Levitation [Drawmij]

Joining – Alter matter [Drawmij]

Lucubrution (Alteration) – Mind [Rary]

Faithful Guardian (Summoning) – Guardians

Trusted Bloodhound (Conjuration) – Guardians

7^th:

Penultimate Cogitation (Alteration) – Guardians

Sword (Evocation) – Manipulation [Bigby]

Magnificent Mansion (Alteration/Conjuration) – Space [Leomund]

8^th:

Capable Caravel (Conjuration) – Mobile Space [Leomund]

9^th:

Disjunction (Alteration/Enchantment) – Affect magic

Wizard (Conjuration) – Summons Hound – Guardian

Nystul

Nystul:

1^st:

Magic Aura (Illusion/Phantasm) – Mind [Rary]

Dancing Werelight (Alteration) – Positive energy

Flash (Evocation) – Positive energy

2^nd:

Blackmole (Evocation) – Negative energy

Blazing Beam (Evocation) – Positive energy

Crystal Dagger (Evocation/Conjuration) – Positive energy [Mordenkainen]

3^rd:

Crystal Dirk (Evocation/Conjuration) – Positive energy [Mordenkainen]

Fire Extinguisher (Evocation) – Negative energy (?)

Golden Revelation (Alteration) – reveals magic

Radiant Baton (Evocation) – Positive energy [Mordenkainen]

4^th:

Blacklight Burst (Evocation) – Negative energy

Grue Conjuration (Conjuration/Summoning) – Summons

Light Burst (Evocation) – Positive energy

5^th:

Enveloping Darkness (Evocation/Alteration) – Negative energy

Radiating Arch (Alteration) – Positive energy

Otiluke

Otiluke:

1^st:

Bubbling Buoyancy (Alteration) – Sphere/Gas

Smokey Sphere (Evocation) – Sphere/Gas

2^nd:

Boiling Oil Bath (Evocation/Conjuration) – Sphere/Fluid

3^rd:

Acid Cloud (Evocation) – Gas

Force Umbrella (Evocation) – Half-sphere [Drawmij]

4^th:

Resilient Sphere (Evocation/Alteration) – Sphere

Steaming Sphere (Evocation) – Sphere/Gas

Suppressing Field (Abjuration) – Anti-magic [Nystul]

5^th:

Electric Screen (Evocation/Abjuration) – Plane – Anti-energy [Nystul]

Polar Screen (Evocation) – Plane – Anti-energy [Nystul/Drawmij]

Radiant Screen (Evocation) – Plane – Anti-energy [Nystul]

6^th:

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

7^th:

Death Screen (Evocation)Alteration – Plane – Anti-energy [Nystul]

Fire and Ice (Evocation) – Sphere

Siege Sphere (Evocation) – Sphere

Telekinetic Sphere (Evocation/Alteration) – Sphere

Otto

Otto:

1^st:

Chime of Release (Alteration) – Sound

2^nd:

Soothing Vibrations (Enchantment/Charm) – Sound

Tone of Forgetfulness (Enchantment/Charm) – Sound/Mind [Rary]

3^rd:

Crystal Rhythms (Enchantment/Charm) – Charm

Imperative Ambulation (Enchantment/Charm) – Mind [Rary?]

Sure-Footed Shuffle (Alteration/Enchantment/Charm) – Charm

4^th:

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

5^th:

Gong of Isolation (Enchantment/Alteration) – Charm

8^th:

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

Rary:

1^st:

Empathetic Perception (Divination) – Mind

2^nd:

Aptitude Appropriator (Divination/Alteration) – Mind

4^th:

Memory Alteration (Enchantment/Charm) – Mind

Mind Scan (Divination) – Mind

Mnemonic Enhancer (Alteration) – Mind

Spell Enhancer (Alteration) – Mind

5^th:

Hesitation (Enchantment/Charm) – Mind

Mind Shield (Alteration) – Mind

Replay of the Past (Divination) – Mind

Superior Spell Enhancer (Alteration) – Mind

Telepathic Bond (Divination/Alteration) – Mind

6^th:

Urgent Utterance (Alteration) – Mind

Protect from Scrying (Abjuration/Divination) – Mind

7^th:

Plane Truth (Divination) – Mind

8^th:

Vicious Missile (Evocation) – Energy missile [Bigby/Melf/Nystul]

Tenser

Tenser:

1^st:

Eye of Tiger (Alteration) – Enhance self

Floating Disk (Evocation) – Plane [Otiluke]

Steady Aim (Alteration) – Enhance self

Brawl (Alteration) – Enhance self

2^nd:

Deadly Strike (Alteration) – Mind [Rary]

Eye of Eagle (Alteration) – Enhance self

Hunting Hawk (Alteration) – Transforms arrow

4^th:

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]

5^th:

Destructive Resonance (Invocation/Alteration) – Vibration [Otto]

Primal Fury (Enchantment/Alteration) – Mind [Rary]

6^th:

Fortunes of War (Abjuration) – Enhance self

Transformation (Alteration/Evocation) – Enhance self

8^th:

Lift – Levitation [Drawmij]

9^th (10^th):

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....

Speaking of research, how long would it have taken those characters to create all their spells?

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 1^st 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?

1^st level spells: 2 weeks each (1/2 month)

Thus all of Bigby’s 1^st 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;

2^nd 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

3^rd 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

4^th 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

5^th 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

6^th 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

7^th 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

8^th level spells: 16 weeks each (4 months)

Bibgy: 4 months; Mordenkainen: 4 months; Otto: 4 months; Rary: 4 months; Tenser: 4 months

9^th 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

Conditions Under Which Spell Research Is Possible: It is absolutely mandatory for the researcher to be of sound mind and body and to have privacy and seclusion free from interruption during the course of his or her spell study. This necessity precludes any adventuring or general interaction during the period of research. It requires about 8 hours per day of work, and only an hour or two per day can be spent doing other things - instructing underlings, disbursing funds, etc. Any interruption of research will be a setback. Each day of such hiatus will cause 1 full week of last time. Also, as noted above, a library must be at hand, and this means that either the researcher must have his or her own stronghold or highly private quarters, or obtain them prior to beginning the project. If a personal library is not possessed, the research must be carried on in or within one day's journey of a town or city in which the research materials can be obtained. [DMG 1e – 115]

One imagines that at least a month of rest might follow each creation, perhaps even before, as well, further extending that time.

The Cost....

Of course, research and development costs.

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:

1^st: 1,600 gp with, 9,600 without

2^nd: 6,400 with; 38,400 without

3^rd: 7,200 with; 43,200 without

4^th: 38,400 with; 240,400 without

5^th: 100,000 with; 600,000 without

6^th: 57,600 with; 345,600 without

7^th: 39,200 with; 235,200 without

8^th: 51,200 with; 307,200 without

9^th: 64,800 with; 388,800 without

Mordenkainen:

1^st: 1,600 gp with, 9,600 without

2^nd: 3,200 with; 19,200 without

3^rd: 21,600 with; 129,600 without

4^th: 64,000 with; 384,000 without

5^th: 27,000 with; 648,000 without

6^th: 144,400 with; 864,400 without

7^th: 117,600 with; 705,600 without

8^th: 51,200 with; 307,200 without

9^th: 129,600 with; 777,600 without

Tenser:

1^st: 3,200 gp with, 19,200 without

2^nd: 6,400 with; 38,400 without

4^th: 64,000 with; 384,000 without

5^th: 40,000 with; 288,000 without

6^th: 48,000 with; 345,600 without

8^th: 51,200 with; 307,200 without

9^th: 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 cost 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!

A Well Stocked Library

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 2^nd 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:

The-Alchemist by rodg-art

Book by kuteynikovroman

Bigby, by Sam Wood, Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000

Drawmij, by Sam Wood, Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000

Wizard-in-the-woods by mattforsyth

Elven-Knight-Portrait by vyerran

Mordenkainen, by Thomas Denmark, from Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk, 2007

Nystul, by Sam Wood, Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000

Gerard-Ged-Sparrow by pallastyto

Otto, by Sam Wood, Living Greyhawk Journal #0, 2000

Rary, by Andrew Hue, from Dungeon Magazine #103, 2003

Tenser, Greyhawk Trading Card #213, 1992

Hourglass-2 by sostitanic1912

Wizard by thegryph

Treasure-chest by selebriana

Library by angelforme

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