ScionoftheVoid
2010-03-30, 06:32 AM
From a message I sent, responding to a request for some interesting uses for spells (spoilered for length).
Polymorph Any Object is very useful for defending or attacking a city, I always mention turning buildings into Great Wyrms but it is just a great mental image.
A Widened Transmute Metal to Wood or Transmute Rock to Mud is very useful for massed combat on the scale of a war.
Transmute Mud to Rock can provide stable foundations for buildings.
Temporal Stasis is great for use on guardians of particular cities or towns, as is Flesh to Stone (instant hero, just add appropriate counter spell).
Stone to Flesh and Wall of Stone in combination can create food for dogs and other working creatures/pets which eat meat.
Telekinesis is useful in building and can be a substitute for Fabricate in that use.
Sympathy can get people to go where you want (Pied Piper style or just making people get up and go to church).
Sunburst and its ilk can be used as an extermination service ("We remove rats, bats, insects, spiders and vampires. For more information, please Send to...").
Sending and similar could be used as a mobile phone network of sorts.
Doctors performing more dangerous operations will want a Status spell handy (though that's only if the patient has something that can't be solved by magic, so the doctor will want a scroll or two rather than a wand).
Stone Tell and other Divinations make crime somewhat more difficult to escape unidentified.
Statue on more mundane guards could be useful.
Soul Bind is useful for dangerous executed people (hey, it requires a Will save, but the target is the corpse of a person.:smallconfused: Trap the Soul, Flesh to Stone and Binding are also useful for the smae kinds of people. Probably not Temporal Stasis though, they can't be killed whilst under its effect).
Nightmare is like cyber-bullying, but worse (anonymous, painful and deeply upsetting, except it can literally knock the target out).
Speaking of which stalkers have Divinations and restraining orders are carried out with spells like Geas and anti-Scrying abilities (public service, enforced by Geas or Mark of Justice. That would be funny to watch "Hey, mister, bet you can't hit me!" *repeats 20 times* "That's it! Aaargh!").
Control Weather is good for holiday destinations, as is Plant Growth for farming communities (formed as entertainment. Who would want to grow food to eat when there are so much better ways? People would just use the spell to feel good about themselves because they could grow more food than traditional farmers with less effort).
Shrink Item is good for reducing storage space, as is Reduce Person for housing (until the people had a child.:smalleek: Do spell effects active on a parent at time of conception affect the child?).
Sculpt Sound makes musical performers who look good have the option of lip-synching, and makes any musical performer nervous.
Only new music will be significantly appreciated, music sharing goes to a whole new level with Modify Memory (let someone remember a 5 minute-or-less performance that the caster has been to. That could also be used for other forms of performance) and Sculpt Sound (broadcast music. That could be used as radio as well. With mostly Bards operating it there won't be many really bad presenters, either).
People can live forever (or near it) with Reincarnate, as long as it is cast before their natural death (it returns them in a young body. Kill someone and Reincarnate them so they won't die until you stop repeating the process. Not for everyone, some people won't like the risk of being brought back in a form they won't like, others just don't want to be killed by spell, weapon or accident every few decades/centuries (depending on Reincarnated race)).
I've read about some of those (e.g. the last one) before and did not think of them myself. Most of them are my thoughts while going through the PHB spell descriptions from the end back to "Quench" though. Any particular gems? Sorry for the Wall of Text spell, BTW.:smalltongue:
This thread is for people to share interesting uses for spells that they have thought of and heard of. Uses for powers, melds, bindings, invocations, showcasting, truenaming, et al are also welcome and encouraged. Lets get those ideas flowing, people!:smallsmile:
Edit: Added more paragraphs. Happy now?
Polymorph Any Object is very useful for defending or attacking a city, I always mention turning buildings into Great Wyrms but it is just a great mental image.
A Widened Transmute Metal to Wood or Transmute Rock to Mud is very useful for massed combat on the scale of a war.
Transmute Mud to Rock can provide stable foundations for buildings.
Temporal Stasis is great for use on guardians of particular cities or towns, as is Flesh to Stone (instant hero, just add appropriate counter spell).
Stone to Flesh and Wall of Stone in combination can create food for dogs and other working creatures/pets which eat meat.
Telekinesis is useful in building and can be a substitute for Fabricate in that use.
Sympathy can get people to go where you want (Pied Piper style or just making people get up and go to church).
Sunburst and its ilk can be used as an extermination service ("We remove rats, bats, insects, spiders and vampires. For more information, please Send to...").
Sending and similar could be used as a mobile phone network of sorts.
Doctors performing more dangerous operations will want a Status spell handy (though that's only if the patient has something that can't be solved by magic, so the doctor will want a scroll or two rather than a wand).
Stone Tell and other Divinations make crime somewhat more difficult to escape unidentified.
Statue on more mundane guards could be useful.
Soul Bind is useful for dangerous executed people (hey, it requires a Will save, but the target is the corpse of a person.:smallconfused: Trap the Soul, Flesh to Stone and Binding are also useful for the smae kinds of people. Probably not Temporal Stasis though, they can't be killed whilst under its effect).
Nightmare is like cyber-bullying, but worse (anonymous, painful and deeply upsetting, except it can literally knock the target out).
Speaking of which stalkers have Divinations and restraining orders are carried out with spells like Geas and anti-Scrying abilities (public service, enforced by Geas or Mark of Justice. That would be funny to watch "Hey, mister, bet you can't hit me!" *repeats 20 times* "That's it! Aaargh!").
Control Weather is good for holiday destinations, as is Plant Growth for farming communities (formed as entertainment. Who would want to grow food to eat when there are so much better ways? People would just use the spell to feel good about themselves because they could grow more food than traditional farmers with less effort).
Shrink Item is good for reducing storage space, as is Reduce Person for housing (until the people had a child.:smalleek: Do spell effects active on a parent at time of conception affect the child?).
Sculpt Sound makes musical performers who look good have the option of lip-synching, and makes any musical performer nervous.
Only new music will be significantly appreciated, music sharing goes to a whole new level with Modify Memory (let someone remember a 5 minute-or-less performance that the caster has been to. That could also be used for other forms of performance) and Sculpt Sound (broadcast music. That could be used as radio as well. With mostly Bards operating it there won't be many really bad presenters, either).
People can live forever (or near it) with Reincarnate, as long as it is cast before their natural death (it returns them in a young body. Kill someone and Reincarnate them so they won't die until you stop repeating the process. Not for everyone, some people won't like the risk of being brought back in a form they won't like, others just don't want to be killed by spell, weapon or accident every few decades/centuries (depending on Reincarnated race)).
I've read about some of those (e.g. the last one) before and did not think of them myself. Most of them are my thoughts while going through the PHB spell descriptions from the end back to "Quench" though. Any particular gems? Sorry for the Wall of Text spell, BTW.:smalltongue:
This thread is for people to share interesting uses for spells that they have thought of and heard of. Uses for powers, melds, bindings, invocations, showcasting, truenaming, et al are also welcome and encouraged. Lets get those ideas flowing, people!:smallsmile:
Edit: Added more paragraphs. Happy now?