Imp Breeding

Imp Breeding

I need to flesh out my take on Spell Breeding. This is an expanded look at the Cantrip Imps Template from my Witch class. [Rules inspired by: https://goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2016/05/mutant-spells.html]

B: Cantrip Imps

Having more than one Familiar invites an unpleasant but useful opportunity. When Familiars breed they lay Devil Spawn in your soul. At the start of every session roll a d20. If you roll under the number of Familiars you possess, an Imp is born. Imps are just like regular Familiars, except they only know one Familiar spell and one random cantrip from any spell list. Randomly determine their parents.

After successfully casting their cantrip nine times they mature and become a regular Familiar (gaining all the Familiar Spells). They lose their cantrip and gain either one of their parent’s unique spells or a Mutant Spell derived from one or both of them. Roll a d6:

1: Parent Spell with Drawback
2-4: Parent Spell
5: Parent Spell with Improvement & Drawback
6: Parent Spell with Improvement

Random Improvements Table

d20	Improvement	Effect
1	Improved Effect	The spell does more of whatever it does. 2d6 damage becomes 3d6, charm becomes obsession, etc.
2	Improved Range	The range of the spell improves by one category.
3	Improved Area of Effect	The spell affects a wider area (+50%), or more targets (+d4).
4	Improved Duration	The spell improves its duration. It becomes [Original Duration]+d4.
5	Improved Applicability	The spell affects a broader category of targets. Charm person becomes charm biped.
6	Cascade	If the spell is successful, a half strength version will jump to an adjacent area or target.
7	Fast	You can cast the spell as a free action.
8	Potent	Targets get -4 to their Save.
9	Subtle	You can cast this spell quietly and without being noticed.
10	Graceful	You have more control over your spell. You can create gaps in your fireball, for example.
11	Elemental Transmutation	The spell changes elements or orientations. Fireball becomes lightningball, protection from evil becomes protection from good, charm person becomes charm bird (or perhaps infuriate person), web becomes freedom of movement.
12	Vitalizing	Casting the spell heals the witch for d3 HP.
13	Elemental Infusion	The spell gains an additional elemental type. The DM reworks the spell as needed to account for this (after all, what does Burning Teleport do?).
14	Imp Vortex	All Imps you possess merge with the Familiar. All of their Cantrips combine with the Familiar’s Unique Spell (like in Demonic Fusion).
15	Blood Sorcery	Each d3 damage you elect to take allows you to add an extra MD to the spell.
16	Demonic Rebirth	Your Familiar awakens to it’s full infernal potential and becomes a more potent demon. It has 2HD and Will 14 and gains a second Unique spell. It still serves you but must be paid twice the usual amount of HP.
17	Imp Litter	d3 additional Imps are born, they all have the same spell when they mature.
18	Demonic Fusion	Your Familiar has fused with another one of your Familiars, rolled at random. Their Unique Spells merge together into something new and strange. Fireball+ cure light wounds becomes cureball (which is broken as all hell, but just roll with it). Charm person + heat metal becomes charm fire (and once you befriend a fire, it will do favors for you). Cure wounds + cause wounds becomes Open void rift (because that's like dividing by zero or something). If there is no other Familiars in your body to fuse with, your Familiar dies of loneliness. As it rots away inside your soul, you digest it. Gain one free Witchblood Template.
19	Infernal Witch	Your Familiar has fused with you irrevocably. It no longer takes up residence in a specific body part and it can’t be cast out or removed. It loses all of its spells. In return you either gain a related Demonic Power chosen by the DM or the inherent ability to cast its Unique Spell spell 2/day.
20	Double Improvements!	Roll for two Improvements (ignoring further results of 20).

Random Drawbacks Table

d20	Drawback	Effect
1	Worsened Effect	The spell does less of whatever it does. 2d6 damage becomes 1d6, charm becomes placate.
2	Worsened Range	The range of the spell worsens by one category. A helpful spell with a range of 'touch' is reduced to 'self only'. Re-roll if this would reduce a damaging spell's range below 'touch'.
3	Worsened Area of Effect	The spell affects a smaller area (-50%), or fewer targets (-d4). Re-roll if this would reduce a spell to fewer than 1 target.
4	Worsened Duration	The spell shortens its duration. It becomes [Original Duration]-d4. If the duration is instantaneous but creates a permanent effect (such as with knock or cure light wounds), the spell's effect becomes temporary. For example, the door would re-lock itself and the wounds would reopen after 10 minutes.
5	Worsened Applicability	The spell affects a narrower category of targets. Charm person becomes charm man or charm thief.
6	Sacrifice	The Familiar requires a unique reagent or offering to cast the spell. This item always takes up an inventory slot.
7	Weak	Targets get +4 to their save.
8	Dawdling	The Familiar takes one extra round to cast the spell.
9	Exhausting	You are stunned for one round after casting this spell.
10	Smoke Bound	The Familiar requires you to take a dose of Strange Drugs to cast the spell.
11	Maddening	You take 1d4 Wis damage when you cast this spell. It heals 1 point / day.
12	Aneurysm	You take [dice]d3 damage when you cast the spell.
13	Greedy	You must burn an MD to cast this spell.
14	Casting Conditions	The spell can only be cast under certain conditions (time of day, environment, etc).
15	Unreliable	The spell has a 2-in-6 chance of fizzling.
16	Erratic	The spell has a 1-in-6 chance of going off in a random direction or targeting a random target (including yourself).
17	Willful	Your Familiar becomes more strong willed and stubborn. It’s Will increases to 15. It often talks to you. Roll a random starting personality and goals. If it is angry at you, it may refuse to be cast its spells. If it is especially pleased, it may enhance its spells in a way that you request. If mistreated it may request (or plot) its release, or the release of all of your Familiars.
18	Corruptive	The spell is tainted by anti-cosmic power. Every time you cast it you gain 1 CD.
19	Luckeater	You must burn one Fate Die to cast the spell.
20	Double Drawbacks!	Roll for two Drawbacks (ignoring further results of 20).