RC to DCC spell conversion

I shamelessly steal adventures wholesale to use in my games.  I know a lot of people look down on that, and have never used anything but entirely home-brewed scenarios meticulously tailored for the players and their characters, but I'll use an adventure as-is in my game if it's good enough, and I'll modify it to fit if it's not.  Not that I don't come up with individualized adventures for my games...I just don't have any problems with using a good idea.  I won't apologize.

Now, these days, I've been pretty intrigued with the Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG.  I've played a few solo thingies to test drive the rules, and I ran a couple of short adventures for my kids (in which we barely got past the 0-level funnel before they griped about being pulled away from their computer games).  If I were to get a regular game group together again, I'd push hard to play DCC. 

Many times in the past, when using a D&D adventure with AD&D or vice versa, if the spell listings for NPC magic-users and clerics didn't line up exactly with the rules system I was using at the time, I'd just use the rules for the spells in the other system.  DCC magic is so flavorful, though, that I'd hate to just use the relatively bland D&D style spells when I don't have to.  Of course, DCC says outright that unimportant NPCs don't even need the formality of named spells; they can get by with "3d6 magic blast, 3/day" if you want.  But for important NPCs, at least, I'd want to convert them as closely as possible.  Since DCC was pretty directly inspired by D&D/AD&D, many of the spells are directly analogous (Snake Charm -> Snake Charm), and converting from one system to the other is super simple.  Some of the DCC spells are combinations of the D&D type spells, and some of these combinations are not so obvious (Passwall, Wall of Stone, Stone to Flesh, et al are combined into Transmute Earth).  So, for my own reference, if for no one else's, I've compiled a list of D&D Rules Compendium spells and their DCC equivalents.

Clerical – Most abilities could be replicated with the Cleric class Divine Aid ability, if necessary.

1

Cure Light Wounds – (Clerical Lay on Hands ability)

Detect Evil – Detect Evil

Detect Magic – Detect Magic

Light – Darkness (This covers the reversed version at least.)

Protection from Evil – Protection from Evil

Purify Food and Water – Food of the Gods

Remove Fear – (possibly Word of Command, if “peace” or “courage” can be considered a valid command)

Resist Cold – Resist Cold or Heat

2

Bless – Blessing

Find Traps – Detect Evil

Hold Person – Paralysis and/or Cure Paralysis (for the reversed version)

Know Alignment – Second Sight (This doesn't allow direct knowledge of a person's alignment, but can possibly be used to figure it out.  Not a direct fit, but can be used in a pinch.)

Resist Fire – Resist Cold or Heat

Silence 15' Radius – Word of Command (SILENCE!)

Snake Charm – Snake Charm

Speak with Animal – Second Sight (Can't be used to give commands or whatnot, but in some cases the information gained by Second Sight might be communicated by animals from the area.  "Don't go that way!")

3

Continual Light – Darkness (Reversed version again)

Cure Blindness – Restore Vitality or Clerical Lay on Hands ability

Cure Disease – Neutralize Poison or Disease or Clerical Lay on Hands ability

Growth of Animal -

Locate Object – Second Sight (Again, depending on how it's used, Second Sight could be made to serve this spell's purpose)

Remove Curse – Remove Curse and/or Curse (for the reversed version)

Speak with the Dead – Speak with the Dead

Striking – Divine Symbol and/or Stinging Stone

4

Animate Dead – Animate Dead

Create Water – Food of the Gods

Cure Serious Wounds – (Clerical Lay on Hands ability)

Dispel Magic – Exorcise or Remove Curse

Neutralize Poison – Neutralize Poison or Disease

Protection from Evil 10' Radius – Protection from Evil

Speak with Plants – Second Sight (See Speak with Animal above)

Sticks to Snakes – Sticks to Snakes and/or Wood Wyrding

5

Commune – Second Sight

Create Food – Food of the Gods

Cure Critical Wounds – (Clerical Lay on Hands ability)

Dispel Evil – Banish, Exorcise, and/or Remove Curse

Insect Plague – Vermin Blight

Quest – Lotus Stare

Raise Dead – (not possible for the most part; however see DCC#74 Blades Against Death, or p 306 of the DCC rulebook)

Truesight – Detect Magic

6

Aerial Servant – Binding or Spiritual Weapon

Animate Objects – Spiritual Weapon

Barrier – Whirling Doom

Create Normal Animals -

Cureall – Neutralize Poison or Disease, Restore Vitality, or Clerical Lay on Hands ability

Find the Path – Second Sight

Speak with Monsters – Second Sight (See Speak with Animal above)

Word of Recall -

7

Earthquake – Cause Earthquake

Holy Word – Affliction of the Gods

Raise Dead Fully – (see Raise Dead above)

Restore – Restore Vitality

Survival – Weather Control or Resist Cold or Fire (These two spells don't cover as wide a variety of situations as Survival does, but gets you most of the way there.)

Travel -

Wish – (Clerical Divine Aid ability)

Wizardry -

DCC Cleric spells with no Rules Cyclopedia equivalent: Holy Sanctuary, Bolt from the Blue, True Name, Sanctify/Desecrate, Righteous Fire

Druid – Under RC rules, a druid can use any Cleric spell that does not affect alignments (such as Protection from Evil).  In addition, they have access to the following spells.

1

Detect Danger – Detect Evil

Faerie Fire -

Locate – Second Sight (See Locate Object above)

Predict Weather

2

Heat Metal

Obscure

Produce Fire

Warp Wood – Wood Wyrding

3

Call Lightning – Bolt from the Blue and/or Righteous Fire

Hold Animal – Paralysis

Protection from Poison

Water Breathing

4

Control Temperature 10' Radius – Weather Control

Plant Door

Protection from Lightning

Summon Animals

5

Anti-Plant Shell

Control Winds – Weather Control and/or Binding (for the control of air elementals aspect)

Dissolve

Pass Plant

6

Anti-Animal Shell

Summon Weather – Weather Control

Transport Through Plants

Turn Wood – Wood Wyrding

7

Creeping Doom – Vermin Blight

Metal to Wood

Summon Elemental – Binding (DCC doesn't seem to have a spell for elemental summoning, except maybe for the Wizard spell Demon Summoning.)

Weather Control – Weather Control

Magic-user

1

Analyze – Detect Magic

Charm Person – Charm Person

Detect Magic – Detect Magic

Floating Disc – Force Manipulation

Hold Portal – Ward Portal

Light – Cantrip or Wizard Staff

Magic Missile – Magic Missile

Protection from Evil -

Read Languages – Comprehend Languages

Read Magic – Read Magic

Shield – Force Manipulation and/or Magic Shield

Sleep – Sleep

Ventriloquism – Ventriloquism and/or Cantrip

2

Continual Light – Cantrip or Wizard Staff

Detect Evil – Detect Evil

Detect Invisible – Detect Invisible and/or Wizard Sense

Entangle – Ropework

ESP – ESP

Invisibility – Invisibility

Knock – Knock

Levitate – Levitate

Locate Object – Locate Object

Mirror Image – Mirror Image

Phantasmal Force – Phantasm

Web – Spider Web

Wizard Lock – Ward Portal

3

Clairvoyance – Wizard Sense

Create Air – Water Breathing (Create Air has some drawbacks and advantages that Water Breathing doesn't have, but this is the best fit.)

Dispel Magic – Dispel Magic

Fireball – Fireball

Fly – Fly

Haste – Haste and/or Slow

Hold Person – Paralysis

Infravision – Ekim's Mystical Mask

Invisibility 10' Radius – Invisibility

Lightning Bolt – Lightning Bolt

Protection from Evil 10' Radius – Protection from Evil

Protection from Normal Missiles – Force Manipulation 

Water Breathing – Water Breathing

4

Charm Monster – Charm Person

Clothform – Mending (Clothform has more uses than just repairing items, but this is the best fit.)

Confusion – Mind Purge

Dimension Door – Planar Step

Growth of Plants – Enlarge

Hallucinatory Terrain – Phantasm

Ice Storm/Wall of Ice – Chill Touch and/or Control Ice

Massmorph – Phantasm

Polymorph Other – Polymorph

Polymorph Self – Polymorph

Remove Curse -

Wall of Fire – Control Fire

Wizard Eye – Wizard Sense

5

Animate Dead – Binding (Assuming an undead spirit is not native to the material plane, as it belongs in some afterlife.  It doesn't really animate dead bodies, but can be used to take over undead spirits at the GM's discretion.)

Cloudkill – Choking Cloud

Conjure Elemental – Binding or Demon Summoning (Assuming elementals are a form of not-necessarily-evil demon.)

Contact Outer Plane – Consult Spirit

Dissolve – Transmute Earth

Feeblemind – Mind Purge

Hold Monster - Paralysis

Magic Jar – Transference

Passwall – Transmute Earth

Telekinesis – Ropework, Levitate, Gust of Wind, and/or Fly (A lot of spells have some sort of "distance manipulation" component, but no DCC spells have the versatility of Telekinesis.)

Teleport – Planar Step

Wall of Stone – Transmute Earth

Woodform – Mending (See Clothform above)

6

Anti-Magic Shell – Magic Bulwark

Death Spell – Emirikol's Entropic Maelstrom

Disintegrate – Emirikol's Entropic Maelstrom

Geas -

Invisible Stalker – Invisible Companion, Eldritch Hound, or Lokerimon's Unerring Hunter

Lower Water -

Move Earth – Transmute Earth

Projected Image – Replication

Reincarnation – Replication

Stone to Flesh – Turn to Stone and/or Transmute Earth

Stoneform – Transmute Earth and/or Mending

Wall of Iron – Transmute Earth

Weather Control –

7

Charm Plant – Charm Person

Create Normal Monsters – Animal Summoning or Monster Summoning

Delayed Blast Fireball – Fireball (No delayed aspect, but this is the best fit.)

Ironform – Mending (See Clothform above)

Lore – Detect Magic and/or Locate Object

Magic Door – Planar Step and/or Ward Portal

Mass Invisibility – Invisibility

Power Word: Stun – Slow (This is the closest fit.)

Reverse Gravity -

Statue – Transmute Earth

Summon Object – Planar Step (best fit)

Sword -

Teleport Any Object – Planar Step

8

Clone – Replication

Create Magical Monsters – Animal Summoning or Monster Summoning

Dance -

Explosive Cloud – Choking Cloud

Force Field – Force Manipulation

Mass Charm – Charm Person

Mind Barrier – Magic Bulwark (best fit)

Permanence – (Most applicable spells have a permanence aspect at higher levels of effect.)

Polymorph Any Object – Polymorph

Power Word: Blind -

Steelform – Mending (See Steelform above)

Symbol – Runic Alphabet, Mortal and/or Runic Alphabet, Fey

Travel – Planar Step

9

Contingency -

Create Any Monster – Animal Summoning, Monster Summoning, or Demon Summoning

Gate – Planar Step (best fit)

Heal -

Immunity – Magic Bulwark

Maze – Planar Step (best fit)

Meteor Swarm – Fireball and/or Magic Missile

Power Word: Kill -

Prismatic Wall – Force Manipulation (best fit)

Shapechange – Polymorph

Survival -

Timestop -

Wish -

Patron spells not considered. DCC spells with no RC equivalent: Feather Fall, Find Familiar, Flaming Hands, Invoke Patron, Patron Bond, Arcane Affinity, Fire Resistance, Forget, Nythuul's Porcupine Coat, Ray of Enfeeblement, Scare, Scorching Ray, Shatter, Strength, Breathe Life, Eternal Champion, Make Potion, Sword Magic, Write Magic, Lokerimon's Orderly Assistance, Hepsoj's Fecund Fungi

Love that Dyson Logos map style

One Page Dungeon is done, I think.  I used the Dyson Logos map style, and the map looks pretty good, except for some parts I did in colored pencil instead of ink.  Ah well, it still looks way better than what I do when I make maps for my own use.  It's easy to make it look good with that method, so thanks, Mr Logos.

Waves are very hard things to model with a sense of realness.  What I've done so far isn't exactly as user friendly as I'd hoped, and the next step has only been worse.  As the natural endpoint of a wave's lifespan, breaking on a shoreline should be covered with some amount of realistic detail, but I've decided there is no way to make it game-able, even as pre-game preparation.  Not impossible, just not worth the effort.  I mean, there are three basic types of breakers hitting the shores of the world, and you could pretty much just figure out what the shore slope is in a given area and assign a type appropriately, but unless I'm misinterpreting the information I've found, to get a full picture, you need to also take into account wave period and height (which I already do) and do a multistep calculation to work out how high the wave gets as it approaches the shore, slows down when it starts hitting bottom, and the wave energy goes into piling up water higher than the original wave, eventually ending in a breaking wave of a certain height taking place in a certain depth of water.  The calculations aren't too hard, but one step does involve reading information off a pretty esoteric chart, which kind of complicates it.  Also, since I've pointed out how waves can decay in height while leaving their period pretty much the same, there are too many possible inputs to just turn it all into an easy-peasy table, no matter how much number crunching I'm willing to do.  So, for characters struggling in the surf, whether against sahuagin raiders or simply to reach shore, I'll probably figure out some generic, close-enough workaround and leave it at that.

But, God help me, I'll probably end up procrastinating with the equations for months before I finally step away once and for all.

Long time between posts

I've been doing a little research on a few more wave related topics (I have a reason for this obsession, I really do, which I will reveal in the fullness of time), and doing a lot of procrastinating with old Dragon magazines.  I've also been working on a one page dungeon for this year's contest, and have decided that one page is a real challenge.  It's real easy to just throw together a forgettable handful of rooms, and it's real easy to spin an interesting concept into several pages.  Getting something interesting down to one page with enough detail to still be interesting takes some work.