Spell Preview, Day Six

Today’s spell is exclusive to the bard class. I originally intended it to deal damage to Intelligence, but ended up making it skill checks instead. It is, afterall, a cantrip spell…

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HEADACHE

School evocation; Level bard 0

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S

Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Duration 1 round/level (D)

Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes

The target gets a really bad headache that makes it harder to act and think clearly. The target takes a temporary -2 penalty to all skill checks that uses Intelligence. Furthermore, the target takes a -1 penalty to all Will saves.

Spell Preview, Day Five

I’m happy to see that so many people have joined the Spell Compendium project of late – this is really what I was hoping for when I first thought about the project. Sure, I could just publish a bunch of my own spells, but really, I’m not that creative… I need other people’s cool ideas!

Today’s spells are some that I’m particular proud of. They reinvent simple classic ideas/spells. They also take their name from a goddess, the goddess that (sort of) invented the spells. Her name is…

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ALASTRA’S BLESSING

School abjuration [good]; Level cleric 3, druid 3, paladin 3

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, DF

Range touch

Target creature touched

Duration 10 minutes/level; see text

Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)

Your touch fills the subject with a sense of wonder and awe. For a moment, the subject gazes into the heavenly realm of the goddess, Alastra. The subject receives the blessing of Alastra which gives her a +3 resistance bonus to all saves.

An aggressive action, such as attacking a creature, effectively ends this spell.

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ALASTRA’S FLOWER

School conjuration (healing); Level cleric 1, druid 1, paladin 1

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, DF

Range 0 ft.

Effect creates a magical healing flower

Duration permanent; see text

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

You conjure forth a beautiful magical flower with five large petals. Each of the five petals have the power to heal 1d6 points of damage, however, a single person can only eat one petal each day. Once a petal is eaten, the creature falls asleep and dreams nothing but good dreams. If the creature is awakened before at least four hours have passed, he awakes, but finds that he is exhausted for 10 minutes.

Spell Preview, Day Four

A few of the problems that I try to tackle in the coming Spell compendium are;

* Damage dealing bard spells (there are surprisingly few of these)

* Spells that use other spells, like arcane mark. Arcane Mark is a cool, but neglected spell that needs to see more use.

* Unique signature spells for the various classes.

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Today’s spell tries to add a bit of uniqueness to the druid class. Not a damage dealing spell, but one that could prove quite useful and may even turn the tide in just the right fight.

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ELEMENTAL STRIKE

School traansmutation [cold or fire]; Level druid 1

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S

Range touch

Target weapon touched

Duration 1 round/level (D)

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

You alter the damage type of a single weapon, so that it now deals either cold or fire damage. The weapon does not count as being magical for purposes of bypassing damage reduction.

This spell cannot alter the damage type of a magical weapon.

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Designer’s Notes: Why is this spell useful at all, you ask? Well, imagine fighting a creature vulnerable to either cold or fire… your weapon now deals double damage! Of course, on the higher levels, you probably have a magical weapon, making this spell useless… unless, of course, you have a mundane weapon lying around!

This spell was inspired by a feat a created a ways back, also called Elemental Strike. The feat, however, was inspired by Arcane Strike… another feat!

[Spells] Favorites and least favorites…

I’ve been thinking a lot about spells lately, about which spells work and which spells doesn’t. There are just some spells that I always pick when playing a wizard and some that I never give a chance. It’s not that the spells I never pick are bad, they are just… not very useful.

Let’s look at the low-level sorcerer/wizard spells from the Core Rulebook. Which spells do I always pick and which ones do I never pick!

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Top 5 (0-level)

1. Detect Magic

2. Dancing Lights

3. Ghost Sound

4. Resistance

5. Mage Hand

–

Bottom 5 (0-level)

1. Read Magic

2. Arcane Mark

3. Ray of Frost

4. Flare

5. Bleed

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Top 5 (1st level)

1. Shocking Grasp

2. Magic Missile

3. Shield

4. Mage Armor

5. Floating Disc

–

Bottom 5 (1st level)

(Note that I’ve never taken any of these spell…)

1. Hold Portal

2. Magic aura

3. Erase

4. Jump

5. Animate Rope

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What are your top 5’s and bottom 5’s? Are there any spells that you have never taken and used in the game?

…and yes, this for research purposes! 🙂

Spell Preview, Day Three

Today’s spell is another one that came to me in the early hours of morning. You can ask me why, but I honestly couldn’t give you a fulfilling answer. The idea was just suddenly… there.

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WITHER

School necromancy; Level cleric 0, sorcerer/wizard 0

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S

Range touch

Target 1 cu. ft. of plant material, or 1 plant creature

Duration instantaneous

Saving Throw see text; Spell Resistance yes

As you touch the plants, they start to wither. You can use this spell to either wither 1 cu. ft. of plant material or to deal 1d6 points of damage to plant creatures of large size or smaller. Plant creatures of Large size gets a Fortitude save for half damage.

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Designer’s Notes: This is the plant equivalent of Disrupt Undead. Useful? Well, I know there aren’t a lot of plant monsters in the core books, but hey, who knows…maybe coming bestiaries will contain lots and lots of plant creatures!

Spell Preview, Day Two

Time for another spell. Today’s spell actually came to me this very morning, half an hour before I had to leave for work, but it was rather quick to write. Maybe it was quick to write because I left out a lot of important details, in which case, help me figure them out!

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SECRET WINDOW

School conjuration (creation); Level sorcerer/wizard 1

Casting Time 10 minutes

Components V, S, M (a gem worth 50gp)

Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Effect creates a window invisible to the outside world

Duration permanent

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

With this spell, the caster creates a secret window invisible from the outside. This window cannot be opened, except if the glass is broken, in which case the window is revealed.

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Designer’s Notes: This is the classic wizard window. You’ve probably met a windowless wizard tower before, but once inside, there are plenty of windows. Yes, it’s a fairly low level spell, but it has a somewhat expensive material component and as the window cannot be opened, isn’t necessarily all that useful.

An alternative way of using this spell… as a spy window between two rooms. And if you are a real rulemonger… as a doorway. First you change part of a wall into a secret window, then you break the window and enter the room…

Spell Preview, Day One

Hi everybody, it’s time for some spell previews! I’ve posted spells before, but now that I’m working on the Spell Compendium, I think it’s time to share some of the goodies.

As you read these spells, just remember that nothing is set in stone! Everything can change, especially if the spells aren’t balanced, therefore, if you have a comment, don’t hesitate to share it!

I will try to post a new spell each day (sometimes two, if they are connected).

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WATER TO ALE

School transmutation; Level bard 0, cleric 0, sorcerer/wizard 0

Casting Time 10 minutes

Components V, S

Range 30 ft.

Target up to one gallon of water

Duration permanent

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

With this spell, the caster changes up to one gallon of water into any kind of alcohol. This spell has its name because the most commonly chosen alcohol is ale and because it seems to deliver the best result. The flavor is moderate and does not compare to any alcohol that a master could brew using real ingredients. Most clerics favor wine over ale.

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ALE TO WATER

School transmutation; Level bard 0, cleric 0, druid 0,

sorcerer/wizard 0

Casting Time 1 minute

Components V, S

Range 30 ft.

Target up to one gallon of any alcohol

Duration permanent

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

This spell works like Water to Ale, except that it makes any alcohol into water instead.

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Designer’s Notes: Yes, these are simple spells, and yes, you could possibly use a prestidigitation spell to change water into alcohol… temporarily. This, however, is a permanent change.

New Spell: Wizard’s Rest

It’s time for me to get this Design Blog up and running again. I’m currently working on a few things, one of which is a Spell Compendium, so here’s a little spell that I created yesterday.

As always, comments are more than welcome!

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WIZARD’S REST

School conjuration (creation, healing); Level bard 1, sorcerer/wizard 1

Casting Time 1 minute

Components V, S, M (a piece of silk)

Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Effect one invisible floating bed

Duration 12 hours (D)

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

This spell creates a floating bed that can only be used by the caster. The bed is invisible to everyone, except the caster, and looks very much like he desires. The bed also comes with pillows and a blanket. While resting, the caster heals an additional 3 hp per day.

The bed hovers up to 3 ft. above the ground and is unable to move horizontally. The caster could stand on the floating bed, but it would start to descend, hovering 1 ft. above the ground.

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Designer’s Notes: I got the idea for this spell during a recent game in which I played a mid-level wizard. I was buying equipment for him and couldn’t really see him carrying either a bedroll or a blanket. What if he had a magical bed? What if he had an invisible floating bed? What a strange sight to see…

This spell could only be a cantrip, and yet, what a waste, since the caster would (probably) only need to cast the spell once per day. What if I made it 1st level and a bit more powerful… that got me thinking about adding a little healing.

However, is healing exclusive to clerics and other divine casters? And yes, I am asking… 🙂

Named Spells!

I was writing about one of the archwizards of Mor Aldenn, Amaltarius the Younger, and discovered that I wanted to bring back the named spells to the City of Mages.

Named spells bring an element of history into spellcasting, an element I really like. They also gives you an idea of how the spells were created, or that they were created. We mustn’t forget that all spells were created by someone at some point. Some spells are young, while others are ancient and have spawned entire lines of spells. A young spell may not be as widely known as an old spell, or, an old spell may have been forgotten.

Of course, to the players, all spells are available, as well they should be.

Here’s an example of a named spell in Mor Aldenn.

AMALTARIUS’ FROST CAGE                            
School evocation [Cold]; Level sorcerer/wizard 6
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target one creature
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw reflex negates; Spell Resistance yes

This spell creates a cage of ice around a target which deals damage each round. A successful Reflex save means that the target dodges the spell. While captured in the frost cage, the target cannot move and can only attack the cage itself. Each round, the target in the cage takes 1d6 points of cold damage per caster level (maximum 5d6).
The cage has 10 hp per caster level and is destroyed once it reaches 0 hp. Furthermore, if anyone attacks the target, they are actually attacking the frost cage. The cage is vulnerable to fire, which deals twice as much damage. The cage is immune to cold damage.

Any sounds within the frost cage can be hard to hear outside. Anyone listening must make a Perception check DC 20 to hear the sounds.

Crunch: Old bones, new uses

Today I present to you… a few necromancy spells that gives new and added flavor to the well-known spell… unseen servant, now with bones! I imagine that the necromancers of the Shadow Tower makes frequent use of these two spells.

Bone Servant

School necromancy; Level bard 1, cleric 1, sorcerer/wizard 1

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, M (a small bone)

Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Effect one mindless skeletal servant

Duration 10 min./level (D)

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

This spell is simliar to unseen servant, except that the servant can’t run and that it can be attacked (see below). The bone servant gives the caster 1d10 temporary hit points, and when these are expended, the bone servant cease to function.

 

Greater Bone Servant

School necromancy; Level cleric 3, sorcerer/wizard 3

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, M (a large bone weighing at least 3 lb)

Range Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Effect one mindless skeletal servant

Duration permanent (D); see special

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

This spell works like bone servant, except that it gives the caster temporary hit points equal to 1d10 + 1 per caster level (maximum +15). The bone servant is permanent until destroyed.

 

Designer’s Notes: These spells actually combine two spells, unseen servant (as previously mentioned) and false life, two of my favorite spells. The duration is severely lowered on bone servant, as opposed to unseen servant, which will hopefully still make unseen servant a very useful spell.

Thoughts and oppinions are welcome!