For a very long time i had the urge to do something about word based magic.

But as
usual i keep procrastinating, telling to myself i had to do it, one day.
Then i came across some articles, in particular This , This and the magic system of
Ars Arcana

They all have wonderful ideas, so why not shamefully copy take inspiration and came
out with something that integrates all of that godsend in one simple system?
I will skip the analysis of GLOG magic (that you can find in weirdelfgames article,
that surely is written better than anything i could come out with)

I will only insert here the part that i liked the most:
CITAZIONE
Words of Magic

- You gain Magic Dice from various sources, such as class features or bargains with
gods. You spend these dice on spells you cast, and lose them on a 1-3 like normal.

- There are no spell slots.

- Mishaps and dooms are determined by the spell cast, so if you were cast Charm
Person, a mishap might be charming yourself, where a doom would be making you
permanently compelled to follow the commands of the first person to give you an
order.

-There are no set list of spells. Gone are the lists of 200+ spells to find in the
world, and gone is the dividing line between divine and arcane – all magic is
inherited related to faith and spirituality.

- Anyone who practices magic studies the Words – the platonic, perfected form of
some idea or concept. There are some Words that are fairly common among
practitioners, such as Fire, Blade, or Reflect. but many are hidden or given only
as a blessing, requiring one to devote themselves to a power. Worship Sem the Lord
of Change, and he may entrust you with the secret of Becoming.

- Spell casters combine two Words to produce spells. Once combined, casting these
spells is as simple as investing the magic dice for it. A character can have as
many spells combined as 2+their level, and they can move them to scrolls or books
with an hour of work. Note that says move, not copy.

- Wands, Staves, and other implements might provide their owners with access to a
Word or a few as well, or in some rare cases, even empower certain words so they
always add a free die when casting a spell with a certain Word. For example, a wand
of Fire would automatically add a Die when you use it to cast a spell with Fire in
the spell, so you can spend 1 of your own and get 2 total.
If a cast wishes to combine two on the fly, they can do so at a cost. Any dice used
on such a spell are lost on a 1-5, and and any mishaps are automatically made into
dooms.

- Words can be cast on their own for very minor effects, like what you might see
written as a GLOG cantrip. For example, you could cast Light to create a very weak
candlelight, but it still takes a magic die to do so. These effects would be very
questionably useful in a fight.

The only points i feel like changing are these:

- Every spell is made by two parts: Focus (what you want the spell to do) and Locus
(On what do you want the Focus to be applied)
- Mishaps and dooms are determined by the tables , based on the kind of Locus you
are trying to Focus.
- There are no costo to combine two on the fly. If you knok a Focus and a Locus you
can use it in every way you can imagine.
- Locus can be cast on their own for very minor effects, like what you might see
written as a GLOG cantrip. For example, you could cast Element to create a very
weak candlelight, but it still takes a magic die to do so. These effects would be
very questionably useful in a fight.
- You can limit a Locus to a school or a kind of magic (Example: only druids can
use Plants, only mage can use Illusion, and so on)

What is the main difference with this system and weirdelfgames system? Well, imho
giving too much Words to work with can give to even the most hardened DM a big
headache (or at least that was the effect on me...) so limiting them to a list of
still very interesting combination can give better result for less stress.

List of Focus
- Conjure : Bring something into being that wasn’t there before.
- Destroy : Break or weaken something that was once strong.
- Alter : Change a feature of something or the thing itself.
- Mend : Repair something or undo a physical or mental alteration.
- Protect : Strengthen something against external sources.
- Control : Manipulate a thing even without the thing wanting.

List of Locus
- Body : Organic matter except plant matter.
- Plant: That which grows and craves sunlight. Green and otherwise.
- Mind : Emotions and behavior.
- Spirit : Souls and spirits.
- Liquid: Everything in liquid state.
- Solid: Everything in solid state except organic and sentient matter.
- Element: Elemental energies that cannot exist by themselves (ex: fire, lighting,
wind).
- Illusion : Senses of sentient beings.

Another vantage of this system is that we can have a closed list of Dooms and
Mishaps that can be edited by the DM (if you dont like one you can simply change an
entry or the entire table. It's pretty modular)
This way you have a simple scheme to add your own Focus or Locus by shamefully
coping taking inspiration from what is already written.

Body Mishaps
1. Gain 1 Trauma.
2. Take 1d6 damage.
3. Random mutation 1d6 rounds, then make a
save; permanent if you fail.
4. Require triple amount of ration for 1 day.
5. Suffer in Agony 1d6 rounds.
6. Unable to speak 1d6 rounds.

Body Doom
One way to escape this doom is pierce your heart with a piece of adamantium forged
by a fire giant and blessed by priest of a god of War. Another way is to force a
mimic to assume its true shape and then devour it.

1. All your limbs are transformed in different kind of appendages for 1 day.
2. All your limbs are transformed in different kind of appendages for 3 days.
3. You are turned into a critter permanently.
(the appendages can be fins, wings, tentacles, flail, tails etc.)

Plants Mishaps
1. Gain 1 Trauma.
2. Take 1d6 damage.
3. Random mutation 1d6 rounds, then make a
save; permanent if you fail.
4. Can only feed by photosynthesis for 1 day.
5. Rooted in the ground 1d6 rounds.
6. A flower blossom on your neck. You die if the flower is harmed (1hp). After 1d6
days the flower produces a single fruit. The first time you survive this mishap,
you can eat the fruit to regain 1d6 hp.

Plant Doom
One way to escape this doom is travel to the feywild and make a pact with an
archfey. Another way is to drink the sap of a thousand year old tree.

1. You are bound to the nearest garden or groove for 1 day. You must protect the
place at every cost and can only feed from the garden or groove plant and fruits.
1. You are bound to the nearest garden or groove for 1 day. You must protect the
place at every cost and can only feed from the garden or groove plant and fruits.
3. You became a tree, but maintain your consciousness. If the tree is cut or
rooted, you die.

Mind Mishaps
1. Gain 1 Trauma.
2. Take 1d6 damage.
3. Random mutation 1d6 rounds, then make a
save; permanent if you fail.
4. Fear 1d6 rounds against target of spell.
5. Lose 1 casting dice.
6. Cannot cast spells for 1d6 rounds.

Mind Doom
One way to escape this doom is to eat the heart of a high elf. Another way is to
marry a high elf, as the traditional marriage ceremony involves a mingling of
souls.
1. You lose the ability to cast spells for 1 day.
2. You lose the ability to cast spells for 3 days.
3. You lose the ability to cast spells permanently.

Spirit Mishap
1. Gain 1 Trauma.
2. Take 1d6 damage.
3. Random mutation 1d6 rounds, then make a
save; permanent if you fail.
4. 1d6 random nearby corpses raise as zombies
5. A random soul gain control of your body 1d6 rounds.
6. A spirit of a since long dead creature will follow you, unable to harm you but
scaring and messing with anyone around you 1d6 days.

Spirit Doom
One way to escape this doom is perform a duty for the Death. Another way is to give
peace to a restless soul without destroying it.
1. You become soulless for 1 day, falling into a catatonic state .
2.You die and your soul spend the next 1d6 days in the afterlife. You revive
afterwards as long as your body is intact. Your body will rot after 2 days unless
it is preserved in some way (the
services of an embalmer, freezing, desiccation, pickling). These preservation
methods will not affect your ability to revive :rot is the only thing that will
prevent it.
3. Your soul become lost, becoming property of a God or a Otherworldly being that
will do anything in its power to kill you and gain control over you for all
eternity.

Liquid Mishap
1. Gain 1 Trauma.
2. Take 1d6 damage.
3. Random mutation 1d6 rounds, then make a
save; permanent if you fail.
4. A random liquid near you evaporate by 1ft cube.
5. For 1 day Every time you came in contact with a liquid you absorb it like a
sponge.
6. Every blood vessel in your body swells, causing you Agony for 1d6 rounds

Liquid Doom
One way to escape this doom is to bathe into kraken blood for 6 hours. Another way
is to pledge your service to the king of the sea.
1. You become semi liquid for 1 day. (see below)
2. You become semi liquid for 3 day. (see below)
3. Your body liquify in a pool of blood and water. You die if the pool evaporates
or if another liquid is mixed with the pool.
If you turn into a semi liquid state, you appear semi translucent, but still
visible. You a loud slushing sound every time you move. Anything that touches you
became wet, included your equipment and your tools (parchment, scrolls, torch etc)
If you experience any solid impact (a small dog jumping into your shin, a slap, a
sword hit, a fall) you decrease a size until you reintegrate the liquid loss. You
can walk around, and you can squeeze and flow into every hole that is bigger than
your fist. You only require to drink.
The only spell you can cast as semi liquid is liquid spells.

Solid Mishap
1. Gain 1 Trauma.
2. Take 1d6 damage.
3. Random mutation 1d6 rounds, then make a
save; permanent if you fail.
4. You merge with the nearest flat surface for 1d6 rounds.
5. Every terrain become difficult to traverse for 1 day.
6. Every thing you have on you will merge into your form, becoming unusable for 1
day.

Solid Doom
One way to escape this doom is to lick the moisture from a medusa eye. Another way
is to transfer your soul into a golem body.
1. You become petrified for 1 day.
2. You become petrified for 1d6 days.
3. You turn into a statue, remaining aware of every thing around you. If the statue
break you die.

Elemental Mishaps
1. Gain 1 Trauma.
2. Take 1d6 damage.
3. Random mutation 1d6 rounds, then make a
save; permanent if you fail.
4. A random object near you catch fire.
5. A lightning fall on 1d6 random creatures around you.
6. You start to glow with increasing intensity every round. Everyone that have you
in sight must make a Cos check each round or be blinded. Lasts 1d6 rounds.

Elemental Dooms
One way to escape this doom is to journey into one of the elemental planes and eat
the core of an ancient elemental.. Another way is to find the Elemental Fountain
and become an elemental yourself.

1. Every metallic object near you are attracted to you like a magnet 1 day. If the
item is metallic and bigger than you, make a Str check or become stuck with it.
2 You become lighter than air for 3 days. If not anchored to the ground in some way
you levitate away until you exit the atmosphere.
3 The ground around you erupt like a volcano, spilling magma and molten rocks in
every direction and continue to do so until you die.

Illusion Mishaps
1. Gain 1 Trauma.
2. Take 1d6 damage.
3. Random mutation 1d6 rounds, then make a
save; permanent if you fail.
4. All sighted creatures are invisible to you for
the rest of the day.
5. Blind 1d6 rounds.
6. Eruption of random illusions (dancing brooms, pink elephants) shoot out of your
hands and fill the area. It's similar to being caught in a tornado of butterflies.
Everyone must make a Wis check each round to do anything that depends on sight.
Lasts 1d6 rounds.

Illusion Dooms
One way to escape this doom is to journey into the mirror-realm and eat one of the
eyes of the
beholders found there. Another way is to perform the Ritual of Prismax: a duel to
the death against three of your mirror selves from alternate universes, fought in a
neutral battlefield.

1. A 10' square mirror appears and you are compelled to enter it (you have been
summoned by a parallel universe). The mirror disappears after you enter it. You
lose a random item, gain a random item of approximately equal value, and your HP is
reduced to 0. You return the next morning, shivering.
2. You turn into an illusion for a day. See below.
3. You turn into an illusion permanently. If you turn into the illusion, you appear
normal, but you have no smell or taste. You can make no sounds. You cannot be felt,
anyone touching you
feels like they are touching thick fog. If you experience any solid impact (a small
dog jumping
into your shin, a slap, a sword hit, a fall) you pop like a balloon, lose 1d6
points of Constitution that cannot be recovered as long as you remain an illusion,
and reform the next morning somewhere nearby. While you can walk around, you cannot
pass through walls, nor can you squeeze under doors. It's similar to having Str 0—
you can touch a doorknob but are too “weak” to turn it. You are only affected by
visible things. Strong winds and invisible stalkers have no effect on you.
Illusions are real to you. If someone summons an illusory dragon, it is a real
dragon as far as you are concerned (and you do not pop like a balloon if the dragon
bites you). You require food and drink, but can only eat illusory food and drink.
The only spell you can cast as an illusion is illusion.

For damage and duration of the spells i suggest to look up This article directly
from the designer of Glog, Skerples. I will extract the most interesting part
because i know you are lazy, just like me:

CITAZIONE
When designing spells:
Steal from other people as much as possible. There are plenty of spell lists in the
Index.
Adapt, reflavour, or modify an existing spell if you can.
Use consistent phrasing for effects.
Whenever possible, use [dice] and [sum] instead of specifying damage.
E.g. Fireball doesn't do [dice]xd6 damage, it does [sum] damage.
Use the following spells to calibrate your effects: Magic Missile, Fireball, Knock,
Sleep. Damage-dealing spells shouldn't be significantly better than Fireball or
Magic Missile. They can be a bit better, but consider adding a restriction.
Use [dice] and [sum] vs HD to balance spell effects.
Use [dice] and [sum] for range only if range really matters. [dice]x100' range is a
minor variable. Most of the time, stuff will be within 100'.
Shorter is better. If you have a class with a long spell, make the rest of the
spells short.

I know what you reader are thinking:

CITAZIONE
What a second you magnificent error of a DM, Why you wrote PBTA in the description
if you are talking only about GLOG?

Because, my dear reader, while i was writing this i couldn't help thinking about
how this system could be perfect for a PBTA game. How?

- On a 10+ the spell is cast and take full effect like descripted by the caster
- On a 7-9 the caster, among it's other options, can roll or choose on the mishap
table, based on the Locus used.
- On a 6- , between all the Judge hard moves, there still can be the possibility of
using Dooms to make the game more grim and interesting, if that's the case.

But how to design those spell on the fly? What Skerples (bless his soul) told us
about Glog design its still valid for creating PBTA spells.