Credit to: my friend and collaborator Julie, who wrote the ideas for the tasks for chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7; along with the ideas for the spells Summon Razor Disc, Imbue Life, and Slime Coat. Saltygoo, for writing the final version of Flames of Truth (initial idea was mine). Bottomless Sarcophagus, for the Blight spell I inverted to create Imbue Life. Team Cherry, for developing the game that this post was blatantly inspired by.

Spells that hate each other cannot be cast when they other is active, and if you use spell slots or a similar mechanics, you cannot memorize both at once.

Grimoire of Insect Divinity

This strange tome has a cover made of dark grey cloth, blank aside from the simple white mask in the center. On the spine is the title: “Gods of Insects.” The table of contents lists seven chapters, though all but the first are mostly blank.

Chapter 1: A Guide.

This chapter outlines the nature of this book: a grimoire of spells, spells considered gods among insects, but no more than powerful spells to us. Are they the gods themselves, or mere copies or shadows? The author is unsure. These spells are powerful and willful, refusing to reveal themselves unless you prove yourself to them. Each one has different desires, often conflicting.

Chapter 2: The Light.

Remember my name.

Open this chapter and place the book on the altar to a god of the sun in direct sunlight. Call the name “Radiance,” and the spell dreamweave will form on the pages as the eyes of the mask on the cover turn bright orange. Note that the deity may be displeased at this use of their altar.

Dreamweave: She appears as a fluffy, vaguely mothlike being with waving, tendril-like wings and a crown atop her head, glowing with her own light. Imperious and with a noble bearing, she insists on being at the forefront of your mind and considers other spells beneath her. Hates being underground, utterly despises Shadeform and Razor Disc.

Give a target whose name you know or who you have gotten a good look at in person a dream of your personal design. There are no limits other than your own imagination. If you choose to inflict a nightmare, the target does not heal from rest and in fact starts the morning with [dice] fewer HP, minimum zero. The [dice] invested determines the range:

1. Within line of sight
2. Same hex (6 miles if you don’t have hexes)
3. Same or adjacent nation/state/kingdom/whatever
4. Anywhere in the world
5. Anywhere amongst the planes

Alternatively, within the same range, you may ask the person [dice] questions, which will be answered via cryptic dream symbolism when you next sleep. They will not remember the questions in the morning.

Chapter 3: The Void.

Embrace Silence. Embrace dark.

Leave the tome in a place with no light or noise for a full week. Upon returning, the bottom of the cover will have black ink stains, and the spell shadeform will reveal itself.

Shadeform: They are a living shadow, six-eyed and six-armed. Their form is constantly shifting, with no consistent form beyond this. They cannot speak, and communicate through vague emotional feedback. Despises bright light and resents being called during sunny days, particularly enjoys being underground. Will attack Dreamweave on sight.

Transform into a fluid entity made of shadow for [dice]x10 minutes. In this form, you are unable to speak, take 1 damage per round spent in sunlight, and cannot physically interact with objects directly, but you make no sound, can see in darkness perfectly, and can enter a fluid state to slip through thin cracks or hide on the floor as a literal shadow. Additionally, gain [dice] of the following benefits:

• Regain your ability to speak
• Regain the ability to interact with objects, which also grants a 1d6+[dice] damage claw attack
• You can spread your silence up to 10 feet around you, preventing any noise or speech in the area
• You can float up to a foot above any solid or liquid surface

Chapter 4: The Scarlet Flame.

Burn the father, feed the child.

At midnight, burn in a lantern a page from the chapter and either a spell scroll or a written piece of history about a dead kingdom or civilization. Pour the ashes back onto the open grimoire, and the spell flames of truth will reveal itself as the cover turns a dark red.

Flames of Truth: He appears as a man with chalk white skin, scarlet eyes and dress, and black hat and cape. Flashy and flamboyant, casts himself with a dance.

You touch a lit candle, torch or lantern, making it produce an eerie deep red light for [dice]x10 minutes. [dice] of the following things glow bright red when lit by the object:

• Illusion magic
• Hidden doors and traps
• Lies
• People who wish to do you harm

Chapter 5: The Green Goddess.

Be one with the smallest.

From sunrise to sunset, on two separate days, allow a slug to voluntarily stick to your body. If it leaves or dies while the sun is still up, that day doesn’t count. After both days, place the slug on the open grimoire, and the spell slime coat will show itself as the pages take a green tinge.

Slime Coat: She appears as a huge slug, though her eyes suggest intelligence. Loving towards life, especially small life such as bugs and mosses. Disdainful of so-called civilized society, refuses to work with Razor Disc.

Coat yourself in a sticky slime for [dice]*10 minutes, halving your movement speed but allowing you to climb even sheer surfaces with little effort. Additionally, gain immunity to minor environmental damage (thorns, biting insects, anything external that deals 1 damage) and resistance to [dice] damage types (slashing, acid, etc).

Chapter 6: The Wyrm King.

Display your might.

Construct a life-size (not necessarily life-like) statue of yourself from scrap metal. Succeed without cutting yourself, and the corners of the cover will take a metal sheen as summon razor disc reveals itself.

Summon Razor Disc: He appears as a pale figure wrapped in robes with a tall, sharp-pointed crown. Assured of his greatness, but insistent that he is always in control. Hates and fears Dreamweave.

Summon a spinning metal disc up to [dice]*5 feet in diameter with a razor edge, lasting for [sum] rounds. Touching the disc deals [sum] damage, and you may spend an action to move the disc up to 15 feet, forcing anyone in its path to save or take the damage.

Chapter 7: The Sacred Root

Breed new life.

Personally raise a flower from a seed, with a page from this chapter buried in the soil. Once the flower blooms, the page will be released from the bud, containing the spell fertilize and adding white vine designs to the cover once placed back in the book.

Imbue Life: She appears as a bright white, treelike being, root from the waist down and with long branches where hair might be. Calm, almost unemotional, but nearly obsessive about bringing new life into the world.

Imbue an area up to [sum] acres in size with life energy for a duration based on [dice]:

1. [sum] rounds
2. [Sum] days
3. A season
4. Permanently

An area imbued in this way improves plant growth, ensures healthy births, doubles the effect of healing spells, and increases fertility of soil, animals, and people. Recasting with the same [dice] ends the effect if still active. As the equal and opposite of the blight spell, casting one at equal or higher [dice] will dispel the other instead of applying its effects.