Daggerheart Diaries: The Wild Magic Table
A new wild magic table, inspired by the 5E D&D wild magic table, adjust for Daggerheart and Merithaya.
Today's post features a table that I had made for the Veridia arc of my current campaign, but generalises nicely for lots of different settings (with a few exceptions). It reimagines one of my favourite mechanics for 5E D&D for a Daggerheart game. Today I present my Wild Magic surge table!
I know now there are several of these available online, but I thought it would be fun to try and make my own! I took a lot of inspiration from these online resources and the original 5E wild magic table, and some of the effects are direct Daggerheart conversions of the original wild magic effects.
Many of the creatures mentioned are specific to the Merithaya setting but with a few substitutions this could also be used in other campaign locations (or just include the creatures mentioned in your world too!) - see the notes at the end if you want to make substitutions.
Without further ado, here is the table. I used this by calling for a roll when a caster uses a magical ability in an area where magic is unstable - any mentions of a caster in the rules refer to the player using the ability that triggered a roll. If you roll for an effect not triggered by a caster, either pick a random target nearby or roll again.
D100 | Result |
|---|---|
1-2 | A magical explosion centres on the triggering magic. The caster takes 2d20 points of damage and is knocked prone. |
3-4 | Small fireflies flicker around the caster, making them more visible to enemies. They are Vulnerable until they successfully avoid an attack, or until a Short Rest (whichever is first) - the fireflies harmlessly dissapate. |
5-6 | The earth around the caster emits a pulse of natural energy, causing plants and vines to grow at an increased rate. Within Close range of the caster's current location, movement is reduced to Very Close (with no agility roll) or Close (with an agility roll). |
7-8 | Spectral butterflies flicker around the caster, causing them to be distracted and have disadvantage on their next action or attack roll, after which the butterflies fly away. |
9-10 | The caster transforms into a colourful bird. They transform back after 1 minute, or after they are hit with an attack (they suffer damage as normal). While a bird they can Fly and have +2 to their evasion, but have disadvantage on all action rolls (including attacks) and cannot use any equipment. |
11-12 | The magical effect attempted falters and disappates as the tides of magic ebb. |
13-14 | Restorative energy floods through the caster, healing 1 HP. |
15-16 | A cloud of D6 Rainlings* appears. They use their action to flee as fast as possible to the nearest tree canopy. |
17-18 | A small raincloud appears over the caster's head, and follows them around until their next Short Rest. |
19-20 | The caster is teleported to Close range in a random direction. |
21-22 | A beautiful aura of soothing green and blue lights passes through the area. Everyone in Close range gains a Hope. |
23-24 | The sky turns the colour of a sunrise, no matter the time of day. The DM loses a Fear. |
25-26 | A small shower of leaves surrounds the caster, giving them +1 to evasion until they are hit with an attack |
27-28 | The next spell you cast is enhanced with great power - any dice rolled as part of the spell's effect are doubled. |
29-30 | A soothing scent blows on the breeze, clearing a stress from the caster. |
31-32 | The ground beneath the caster's feet turns into quicksand - their movement is reduced to 0 until they pass a DC15 Strength action roll. |
33-34 | The caster's skin turns vivid green. It lasts until the curse is removed by magical means. |
35-36 | Every creature within Close range becomes invisible until their next action roll. While Invisible they count as hidden and cannot be targeted by attacks or actions. |
37-38 | Magical energy strengthens the caster - they gain resistance to physical damage until after they have been hit by physical damage. |
39-40 | The caster can Fly until their next Short Rest. |
41-42 | Haunting music can be heard within Far range of the caster for the next minute. |
43-44 | The caster loses the ability to speak for a minute. |
45-46 | The world becomes slightly darker, and strange spirits claw at the edges of the caster's vision. The GM gains a fear. |
47-48 | 3 faint duplicates appear around the caster. Every time the caster is targeted, the GM must roll a D20. On a 10 or lower, a duplicate is hit instead, and fades away to nothing. All duplicates fade on a Short Rest. |
49-50 | The fate of the world shifts slightly - the next time you roll with fear, treat it as a roll with hope instead. |
51-52 | A glowing shield of light protects the caster, granting resistance to magical damage until after they have been hit by magical damage. |
53-54 | The sky darkens briefling and a Starwing** appears overhead, then flies off towards the nearest place where it is night time. |
55-56 | A pool of water appears at the caster's feet and small water spirits dance around their feet. |
57-58 | A Sunbird*** appears and is hostile to everyone nearby. |
59-60 | Spirits of every element appear and dance around the caster for a minute. |
61-62 | The magic courses through the body of the caster, fully clearing all HP and Stress. |
63-64 | All ongoing magical effects within Close range of the caster are dispelled. |
65-66 | The caster transforms into a small tree for 1d10 minutes. While a tree, they are resistant to physical damage, but cannot move. |
67-68 | If you die within the next minute, you are immediately clear all your HP and return to life. |
69-70 | You cannot be intoxicated for the next 5D6 days. |
71-72 | Lightning sparks and jumps between nearby creatures - three creatures of the caster's choice take 2D12 magical damage. |
73-74 | A geyser bursts from the earth, throwing all creatures within Very Close range of the caster back to Far range. |
75-76 | There is a flash of light, and the caster is sent to another plane for a minute, or until the end of the scene. It is up to the GM what plane the caster arrives on. |
77-78 | The caster sprouts a pair of fragile crystal antlers, that shatter when they next take an attack. The caster has advantage on Presence rolls while they have the antlers. |
79-80 | The caster glows with a subtle light for the next 10 minutes, illuminating up to Close range with dim light. The light is a colour of the caster's choice. |
81-82 | The caster speaks in a different language (GM's choice) for d12 hours. |
83-84 | The caster's essence is temporarily sapped. One of the caster's domain cards is forced to their vault. They may retrieve it as normal. |
85-86 | There is a shift in the balance of fate - the next time you roll with hope, treat it as a roll with fear instead. |
87-88 | Until the scene ends, you can teleport to close range once per spotlight. |
89-90 | A shard of solidified magical erupts from the ground. The caster must make an Agility reaction roll or take 3d6 physical damage as it pierces through them. |
91-92 | The air around the caster freezes, slowing all creatures other than the caster within Close range of the caster's current location for 1 minute. |
93-94 | The caster regains all limited uses of abilities (once per day/session/etc). |
95-96 | The caster's hair grows rapidly for a minute, with a rainbow of colours flowing through it as it grows. |
97-98 | A breeze blows through the area with the stench of carrion. All PCs in Very Far range lose a Hope. |
99-100 | The caster permanently gains +1 to their main spellcast trait. They can only benefit from this once - if they roll this result again reroll on the chart. |
The creatures mentioned in the table are summarised here, although will feature in more detail in later blog posts! Stat blocks for Starwings and Sunbirds will feature in later blog posts!
- *Rainlings are small creatures that are herded by Cloud Shepherds. They take the form of small rainclouds or patches of fog/mist. Any small spirit would work to replace these with.
- **Starwings are enormous shadowy creatures - they are very rarely seen other than on clear starry nights when patches of stars suddenly appear to shift and fly away. Some say they are related to the Starry-Eyed Exile. Some large and inscrutable creature would act as a good substitution for these.
- ***Sunbirds are fire elemental spirits that take the form of a phoenix like bird, although they lack the power of rebirth. They are usually found in a thicket in Preyalor, and some enterprising rangers of that area have learned to train them. A small Tier 1/2 opponent would be suitable (although any tier would work depending on player level).
I hope you can make use of this, or at least use parts of it as inspiration for your own wild magical effects in your games!