Evocation Spell Brainstorming Thread

[Lysander]

The evocations school is considered second rate, and is almost always one of the two schools dropped for specialization. It's not that it doesn't have good spells - just that it mostly makes things dead, and there are lots of other schools that make things dead and do other things too.

Let's come up with some balanced evocation spells of whatever level that will make players not just avoid banning evocation but make them want to specialize in it.

Force Object
Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Effect: One object constructed of force
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

You create in your hand an object constructed entirely out of invulnerable transparent magic force. It can copy the shape of any mundane non-magical object without moving parts costing up to 30gp such as a sword, an arrow, a pot, a helmet, a pole, a fishhook, etc. The object is entirely rigid so it is impossible to create ropes, chains, bowstrings and the like. Force objects are immune to damage of all kinds, and are unaffected by most spells, including dispel magic. However, disintegrate immediately destroys them, as does a rod of cancellation, a sphere of annihilation, or a mage’s disjunction spell. Being hit with a disintegration spell automatically destroys any force objects you are carrying. Force objects are entirely solid to incorporeal and ethereal creatures.

Material
A drawing or model of the item to be duplicated

[Drolyt]

The evocations school is considered second rate, and is almost always one of the two schools dropped for specialization. It's not that it doesn't have good spells - just that it mostly makes things dead, and there are lots of other schools that make things dead and do other things too.

Let's come up with some balanced evocation spells of whatever level that will make players not just avoid banning evocation but make them want to specialize in it.

Force Object
Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Effect: One object constructed of force
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

You create in your hand an object constructed entirely out of invulnerable transparent magic force. It can copy the shape of any mundane non-magical object without moving parts costing up to 30gp such as a sword, an arrow, a pot, a helmet, a pole, a fishhook, etc. The object is entirely rigid so it is impossible to create ropes, chains, bowstrings and the like. Force objects are immune to damage of all kinds, and are unaffected by most spells, including dispel magic. However, disintegrate immediately destroys them, as does a rod of cancellation, a sphere of annihilation, or a mage’s disjunction spell. Being hit with a disintegration spell automatically destroys any force objects you are carrying. Force objects are entirely solid to incorporeal and ethereal creatures.

Material
A drawing or model of the item to be duplicated
It might be a bit... unbalanced. Not too much, but with some creativity you could do a lot. As for another good evocation, how bout this?
Armageddon
Evocation [Air, Earth, Fire, Water]
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long
Area: 5' Radius Sphere; see text
Effect: Storm unraveling all of creation
Duration: Instantaneous; see text
Saving Throw: See Text.
Spell Resistance: None.
You summon untold arcane energies in the form of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water, ripping a hole in the fabric of creation. The spell creates a 5' diameter hole in reality. Anyone touching the hole is affected as if by a Sphere of Annihilation. The round the spell is cast everyone within 100' takes 5d6 Acid, 5d6 Cold, 5d6 Fire, 5d6 Electricity, and 5d6 Sonic damage, Reflex for half. The hole remains for one round per caster level thereafter; the hole is nonmagical and cannot be removed by any means short of divine intervention for the duration. While the hole remains the caster (and only the caster) may draw on its infinite arcane energies to deal 20d6 force damage to any creature within 100' feat of the hole once per round as a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, Fortitude for half.
Edit: Actually this spell is kinda stupid.

[deuxhero]

Here is one from an earlier thread of mine.

Ignite
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature or unattended non-magical object of up to 2 cu. ft./level
Duration: 1 round/level (see text)
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

The target catches on fire. This fire is magical, and does not affect a creature's equipment or spread to other objects, but it otherwise deals damage and can be extinguished as normal fire. When used on highly flammable materials such as firewood, the caster can choose to start either a temporary magical fire or set the object ablaze with normal non-magical fire that continues after the spell ends.

Material Component
A handful of rust and powdered aluminum.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Incendiary Updrafts
Evocation [Air, Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level (see text)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

You pour elemental energy into the air around your body, and rise upwards on a column of superheated air.

You gain a fly speed of 90 feet (perfect) for the duration of the spell. Additionally, any creature both below you and within a 5 foot radius column centered upon you takes 1d6 points of fire damage per three caster levels (maximum 7d6 damage). A creature can only take damage in this fashion once per round.

Utility? Check. Damage? Check. Area denial? Check. Short duration to make up for the effects? Check.

[Anonymouswizard]

Utility? Check. Damage? Check. Area denial? Check. Short duration to make up for the effects? Check.

Bottled genie, check.

This looks good, but again my players see the sorcerers spontaneous casting and extra spells per days as awesome, so I won't be using these.

[Oslecamo]

I would say it's easier to give to evocation what conjuration stole from it. You'll be killing two birds with one stone.

Teleport and all it's friends and orbs for starters. Glitterdust too I guess.

[Bayar]

It might be a bit... unbalanced. Not too much, but with some creativity you could do a lot. As for another good evocation, how bout this?
Armageddon
Evocation [Air, Earth, Fire, Water]
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long
Area: 5' Radius Sphere; see text
Effect: Storm unraveling all of creation
Duration: Instantaneous; see text
Saving Throw: See Text.
Spell Resistance: None.
You summon untold arcane energies in the form of Air, Earth, Fire, and Water, ripping a hole in the fabric of creation. The spell creates a 5' diameter hole in reality. Anyone touching the hole is affected as if by a Sphere of Annihilation. The round the spell is cast everyone within 100' takes 5d6 Acid, 5d6 Cold, 5d6 Fire, 5d6 Electricity, and 5d6 Sonic damage, Reflex for half. The hole remains for one round per caster level thereafter; the hole is nonmagical and cannot be removed by any means short of divine intervention for the duration. While the hole remains the caster (and only the caster) may draw on its infinite arcane energies to deal 20d6 force damage to any creature within 100' feat of the hole once per round as a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, Fortitude for half.
Edit: Actually this spell is kinda stupid.

OH GOD SPELL SPAM !!!

I'd so scribe this on scrolls as an artificier and then boost it all the way up to eleven with metamagicks.

[Drolyt]

I would say it's easier to give to evocation what conjuration stole from it. You'll be killing two birds with one stone.

Teleport and all it's friends and orbs for starters. Glitterdust too I guess.

Yeah. I didn't know teleport was originally Evocation, but that would make it useful again. Also why is Miracle Evocation but not Wish?

[Magnor Criol]

Yeah. I didn't know teleport was originally Evocation, but that would make it useful again. Also why is Miracle Evocation but not Wish?

Inconsistency. =p

I don't think teleport fits in evocation, really. You're not evoking any force, just moving yourself. It doesn't fit in conjuration for the same reasons. Not sure where it really belongs...perhaps simply universal?

[Zexion]

If you look at the idea of teleportation as warping the space around you, then yes, it does fit under evocation.

[deuxhero]

And if you look at Teleport and it's kin as doing the same thing you do to summon/call a monster...

[Lysander]

If you look at the idea of teleportation as warping the space around you, then yes, it does fit under evocation.

I figure Conjuration works as a catchall for inter-dimensional travel. What I think evocation actually deserves are spells like Fly and Telekinesis. Movement requires acceleration. Force = mass X acceleration. Wizards wouldn't ban evocation as quickly if it meant losing flying spells.

Anyway, I like ignite. I remember that spell.

Armageddon is thematic but way overpowered. It basically lets you summon an artifact onto anybody's face for an instakill no save. Maybe it should just create a raging inferno of elemental forces like you describe.

Incendiary Updraft is cool. What's the maximum height of the column?

Here's another spell:


Electric Aura
Evocation [Electricity]
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: See text
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Reflex half; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

Bright flashes of electricity crackle around your being. You only take half damage from electric attacks.

You also gain a few at will abilities based on your control of electricity:

Fly - You gain a flight speed of 10 with perfect maneuverability. When the electric aura spell ends your ability to fly ends immediately rather than fading slowly.
Lightning Bolt - As the spell but only producing a 30ft line and only dealing 2d6 damage. Using this ability requires a standard action.
Electric Burst - As a standard action all creatures and objects within 10ft of you take 2d6 electric damage. This ability allows a reflex save for half damage.

As a standard action you can also choose to release the energies of the spell to deal 1 point of electric damage for each minute of duration remaining to all creatures and objects within 30ft (maximum 50 damage, reflex save for half damage). Using this ability ends the Electric Aura spell prematurely.

[deuxhero]

*checks the damage for a persisted Electric Aura* Ow.

[Lysander]

*checks the damage for a persisted Electric Aura* Ow.

That would require an epic slot, but even so good point. I'll cap the damage.

[lesser_minion]

3.0 Teleport spells were Transmutation - you change a property of the target, namely its location.

It was moved because the 3.5 designers felt conjuration was underpowered somehow. I'm still trying to figure that one out.

They also refluffed the power word spells to allow them to be in enchantment. They would have been prime candidates for moving to evocation in their 3.0 incarnation.

I think a few "you assume control over the flow of X" spells could be quite interesting candidates.

I brewed up a quick light/dark spell in that sort of style.


Command the Light

Evocation [light, darkness, fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 8, Clr 8
Components: V,S, M
Casting Time: One standard action
Range: 60ft
Area: Spherical emanation, centred on you, and extending to the extreme of the spell's range (see text)
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: see text
Spell Resistance: no

Darkness and light alike seem to flow like water at your command.

While this spell remains in effect, the caster may change the illumination level of any part of the area as a free action. Natural light or darkness sources, or those arising from a spell of lower level than this one, may be suppressed if you wish. For these purposes, smoke and fog are considered 'darkness sources', as well as objects that actually radiate darkness.

In addition to mundane levels of illumination (no illumination, shadowy illumination, and bright light), the caster can create a number of magical forms of illumination. All of the illumination levels a caster may create with this spell are explained below:


Pure Darkness. A space with this level of illumination is treated as having no illumination at all. In addition, creatures which are normally able to see in darkness are still unable to see into, out of, or through an area of pure darkness.
No Illumination. Areas with this level are treated as being in darkness. While this is magical darkness, it does not inhibit abilities such as darkvision.
Shadowy Illumination. This functions in the same way as the shadowy illumination generated by a darkness spell, granting concealment (20% miss chance) to all creatures and objects within the area.
Bright Illumination. Most creatures can see normally in an area of bright illumination, although some creatures respond differently. Note that this is not treated as natural sunlight.
Blinding Illumination. Creatures within such an area must make a reflex save or be blinded. If they fail the reflex save, they must also make a fortitude save - if this fails, the creature permanently loses its eyesight.
Pure Illumination. Magical concealment and deception is far weaker in an area of pure illumination. Figments and glamers are suppressed while brought into such an area, while phantasm and shadow effects cast into or from such an area fail. Additionally, while a transmuted creature or object is within such an area, its assumed form appears transluscent, and its true form is visible. Pure illumination does not render creatures such as hellcats invisible. It does nothing to reveal other creatures with a natural invisibility, such as will-o-wisps, invisible, however.
Brilliant. The area is bathed in the distilled light of the sun. A creature takes d6 damage per caster level if it starts its move within, moves through, or ends its move within, an area of brilliant illumination. This damage is maximised and treated as untyped against undead, outsiders, and plant creatures which are harmed by natural sunlight. The creature may attempt a reflex save for half damage.


In regions where this spell's area overlaps with that of another casting of the same spell, or a similar effect, neither caster may choose the illumination level.

Material Component: A smokestick and a sunrod.

Taste the flexibility.