The Spellbooks of Mydwandr...

Spellcasters in the Mydwandr RPG (and its eponymous setting) exploit a natural talent known to few beyond the mysterious elves, shaping the materials of creation into sorceries both powerful and (oftentimes) deadly if cleverly deployed. The result is a game wherein players fashion effects on the fly, no spell list required or available. A feature, not a bug, albeit one that may take some getting used to. Fortunately, there are tricks to tapping the game's potential in ways consistent with Mydwandr's spellbinding mechanics.

In Mydwandr, magic is something formed on the spot, which means players will improvise and no doubt remember which effects were allowed by the rules (and the referee) and proved effective in critical situations. When this happens, the enterprising magician can write these down in their PERSONAL SPELLBOOK for future reference. These can be named (i.e., Sye's Slippery Slope) with coverage/range, duration, and a descriptive text covering anything else the character may need to know, all drawn from actual in-game experience.

What follows is a sample spell, cast in the heat of the moment and subject to Mydwandr's spellcasting rules, formalized here as part of the character's spellbook:

Faren's Falling. Coverage/Range: Self  Duration: Triples (Rounds)

By means of this magic, the caster becomes feather light to fall safely and without injury at a rate of 10'/round to the ground. Should the spell terminate before the descent is complete, damage taken is limited to what distance remains. A life-saving conjuration.

This isn't Vancian. Players remain free to improvise spells on the fly. But by building a list of proven spell effects, spellcasters enjoy both the convenience of a traditional spellbook, complete with ready-to-cast magic of their own creation, and the challenge of conducting the sort of research spellbinders are known for. Ambitious referees might also place FOUND SPELLBOOKS as treasure. These serve mainly as good advice, making spellcasting easier while encouraging the improvisation and research Mydwandr enables.

The goal is a creative culture. Over time, the campaign will have its own spell list made by generations of spellbinders (and referees) adding to the setting's lore, available to new players with the continued option of impromptu effects. And really, isn't this what D&D and its many offspring are already, by implication, doing? Their voluminous offerings must have originated somewhere, after all, and Mydwandr turns the idea on its head. Regardless, the use of spell books should make spellcasting easier and research within reach...