Spells and feats that would not have passed a DM if presented by a player?

[DaedalusMkV]

Okay, I know this has been brought up many many times but...Shivering Touch? REALLY? God its so insane! Altho I guess if something has a low enough dexterity to be hit by your touch attack...then it's prolly better off dead
Quickened True Strike says "Hi".

A lot of the stuff I dislike has already been mentioned, but I have a real peeve of Mage Armour being a Conjuration spell. It's an effective protective spell, and similar to the Shield spell, which means that it fundamentally works in the Abjuration school. It's also a Force effect, which is virtually exclusive to Evocation. Why is it in Conjuration? Because that school wasn't good enough already? Honestly, the logic behind a lot of the school choices for spells that are thematically or mechanically sound is just weird (Cure spells being Conjuration while Inflict are Necromancy, the Orbs being Conjuration instead of Evocation, Prismatic Wall, Prismatic Spray and Colour Spray all having different schools, etc.)

[Ravens_cry]

No, the best part is how, instead of taking "2d10" damage or whatever, you take "damage as if bitten by a hippopotamus." Whoever wrote that line ... I want them to write more splats. :smallbiggrin:

Also, if you ever displease your god, you get bitten by a hippo.

edit:Ah, ninja
That's part of it yes, but the fact you get to command them is even better, in my view.
It's all around awesome though, but I personally like that part best.

[Faleldir]

Full Discipline powers. They're not broken, but you can use the bottom half without the top half, so it looks like you're getting a utility power for free. If they were homebrew and there was no precedent, I know I wouldn't allow them.

[unre9istered]

Another fantasy setting for the teleportation list that I'm really surprised to see hasn't been mentioned: Wheel of Time. Channelers (Wizards basically) can "travel" by opening gateways from anywhere to anywhere if they know where they are traveling from (rather than to as in D&D). If they don't know their current location well enough they can "skim" by opening a portal to a dark empty place, floating along for a while on a created boat or something then opening a portal at their destination. Kind of like shadow walk but on the astral plane instead of the plane of shadow.

The series actually follows a D&Dish power arc as well. The character's start off as normal villagers with exceptionally high stats. The one who becomes a channeller ends up extremely powerful (as in conquering nations nearly single handed). The other two main characters are mostly mundane but still end up as some kind of lords or something similar.


I have a real peeve of Mage Armour being a Conjuration spell. It's an effective protective spell, and similar to the Shield spell, which means that it fundamentally works in the Abjuration school. It's also a Force effect, which is virtually exclusive to Evocation.
(Emphasis added)
Putting Mage Armor in the Evocation school would go a long way towards making that not the most dropped school ever.

[Boci]

Daring outlaw/swift hunter?

PC: Hey I've goit a great idea for a feat. You know those not so powerful classes like the rogue and the scout, how about we make them into a feat?

[Heliomance]

(Emphasis added)
Putting Mage Armor in the Evocation school would go a long way towards making that not the most dropped school ever.

It really ought to be Abjuration, though.

[Telonius]

You missed the best part. You can Rebuke and Command Hippopotamuses
You Can REBUKE and COMMAND Hippotamuses!
*mind blown with glee*

When I first read this one, my thoughts were: "This has to have been a joke Feat brought on by the song, 'I want a hippopotamus for Christmas.' Any other explanation would force me to make a Sanity check."

[Greenish]

No, the best part is how, instead of taking "2d10" damage or whatever, you take "damage as if bitten by a hippopotamus." I'm afraid I'll have to disagree. The very best part of the feat is the requirement: must have defeated a hippopotamus in single combat!

[2xMachina]

Maybe the schools aren't limitations/classifications of spells.

I think the designers make it more like what someone of the school would be most likely to do.

Evocaters specialize in "blast it spells" or energy stuff, but not defense stuff like Mage Armor or conjuring up acid orbs that deal fire damage.
Conjurers conjure/summon stuff. Including acid orbs that burns/freezes/etc

If you really want to justify why the spells are such-and-such schools, it is possible. Mage armor is a conjured armor. Orb spells are acid that deal other damage. Oh, and that reminds me.

PC: I would like to make an Abjuration spell!
DM: Oh, ok, what does it do?
PC: It's an area attack that forces concentration checks to cast/act.
DM: Hmm, powerful, but ok.
PC: Also, they take lots of damage for staying in it.
DM: ... That's very strong...
PC: Then, maybe make Chaotic subtypes immune to it?

Even abjuration steal Evocations thunder.

[lsfreak]

PC: I would like to make an Abjuration spell!
DM: Oh, ok, what does it do?
PC: It's an area attack that forces concentration checks to cast/act.
DM: Hmm, powerful, but ok.
PC: Also, they take lots of damage for staying in it.
DM: ... That's very strong...
PC: Then, maybe make Chaotic subtypes immune to it?

Even abjuration steal Evocations thunder.

Forgot the best part: Will save or dazed every round.

Really, though, 9th level spells should be powerful. Many of them are either 'brokenly powerful' (gate, time stop) or 'brokenly weak' (meteor swarm) though.

[Wonton]

Forgot the best part: Will save or dazed every round.

Really, though, 9th level spells should be powerful. Many of them are either 'brokenly powerful' (gate, time stop) or 'brokenly weak' (meteor swarm) though.

For those not in the know, we're talking about Maw of Chaos (SpC).

And I think the best part is the 1d6/level UNCAPPED damage. Suck it, Vengeful Gaze of God.

[Serenity]

I love teleportation and all the spells like it, because, as a DM, I find the travel sections boring. I don't have the time or the patience to throw more than one random encounter at them anyway, so unless the campaign is supposed to revolve around wilderness exploration, I end up skipping over the travel anyway.

[Flickerdart]

I love teleportation and all the spells like it, because, as a DM, I find the travel sections boring. I don't have the time or the patience to throw more than one random encounter at them anyway, so unless the campaign is supposed to revolve around wilderness exploration, I end up skipping over the travel anyway.
But you'd be screwing over all the PCs that put ranks in Fording and took Resist Disease! :smalltongue:

[Ormagoden]

Having just been introduced to Ghostwalk [3.0]

Circle magic:



PARTICIPATION
To participate in circle magic, a person must have the Circle
Magic feat (it doesn’t matter if the participants are of different
divine spellcasting classes, such as cleric, druid, and ranger).
One participant stands at the center of the circle, usually the
most powerful or experienced character present. The center
character is known as the circle leader. A circle requires two
to five participants plus the circle leader. All participants in a
circle must stand within 10 feet of each other and must be in
contact with natural earth or stone.

Circle Powers
The first use of circle magic is to empower the circle leader
with the strength of all the participants. This requires 1 full
hour of uninterrupted concentration on the part of all participants
and the circle leader, during which time they attune
themselves to each other through the conduit of the earth
under their feet. Each participant casts any single prepared
spell, which is consumed by the circle and has no effect
other than expending the prepared spell. The spell levels
expended by the circle participants are totaled as circle
bonus levels. Each bonus level may be used to accomplish
the following effects.
1. Increase the circle leader’s caster level by one for every
bonus level expended (maximum caster level 20th).
2. Add Empower Spell, Maximize Spell, or Heighten Spell
metamagic feats to spells currently prepared by the circle
leader. Each bonus level counts as one additional spell level
required by the application of a metamagic feat to a spell. The
circle leader may add the feats listed to a spell even if he does
not know the feat, or if the addition of the feat would raise the
spell level past the highest level of spell the circle leader can
normally cast (maximum spell level 10th).
These effects last for 24 hours or until expended. Circle
bonus levels may be divided up as the circle leader sees fit.
For example, Selorian Firesinger leads a circle in which four
participants each cast 2nd-level spells. Selorian chooses to
use three circle bonus levels to maximize his flame strike spell,
and five to increase his caster level from 10th to 15th level for
all level-based variables in his spells. The maximized spell is
used up when he casts his flame strike, and the increased level
effect remains for the next 24 hours. Many high-level spellcasters
of Galaedros in Sura-Khiri lead circles on a daily basis
to better defend their lands against the yuan-ti


Yeah that... (I'm told thats not the worst from Ghostwalk either!)

[Greenish]

Having just been introduced to Ghostwalk [3.0]

Circle magic:



PARTICIPATION
To participate in circle magic, a person must have the Circle
Magic feat (it doesn’t matter if the participants are of different
divine spellcasting classes, such as cleric, druid, and ranger).
One participant stands at the center of the circle, usually the
most powerful or experienced character present. The center
character is known as the circle leader. A circle requires two
to five participants plus the circle leader. All participants in a
circle must stand within 10 feet of each other and must be in
contact with natural earth or stone.

Circle Powers
The first use of circle magic is to empower the circle leader
with the strength of all the participants. This requires 1 full
hour of uninterrupted concentration on the part of all participants
and the circle leader, during which time they attune
themselves to each other through the conduit of the earth
under their feet. Each participant casts any single prepared
spell, which is consumed by the circle and has no effect
other than expending the prepared spell. The spell levels
expended by the circle participants are totaled as circle
bonus levels. Each bonus level may be used to accomplish
the following effects.
1. Increase the circle leader’s caster level by one for every
bonus level expended (maximum caster level 20th).
2. Add Empower Spell, Maximize Spell, or Heighten Spell
metamagic feats to spells currently prepared by the circle
leader. Each bonus level counts as one additional spell level
required by the application of a metamagic feat to a spell. The
circle leader may add the feats listed to a spell even if he does
not know the feat, or if the addition of the feat would raise the
spell level past the highest level of spell the circle leader can
normally cast (maximum spell level 10th).
These effects last for 24 hours or until expended. Circle
bonus levels may be divided up as the circle leader sees fit.
For example, Selorian Firesinger leads a circle in which four
participants each cast 2nd-level spells. Selorian chooses to
use three circle bonus levels to maximize his flame strike spell,
and five to increase his caster level from 10th to 15th level for
all level-based variables in his spells. The maximized spell is
used up when he casts his flame strike, and the increased level
effect remains for the next 24 hours. Many high-level spellcasters
of Galaedros in Sura-Khiri lead circles on a daily basis
to better defend their lands against the yuan-ti


Yeah that... (I'm told thats not the worst from Ghostwalk either!)The example spell is rather telling. :smallamused:

[Il_Vec]

Imagine that your gaming group plays corebooks only. That means PHB + DMG + MM1. The kind of group that thinks the fighter, paladin and barbarian are the melee guys, and clerics/druids are just casters with healing/utility. Try convincing them that Complete Champion is an ok book.

[Ormagoden]

The example spell is rather telling. :smallamused:

What's really scary is there is nothing saying you can't do this more than once in a given day. Sure it takes an hour each time but you only need to drop a few spells and ALL the clerics in your group are Caster level 20th. Or you just maximize/heighten/enlarge everything you have prepared.

[Fawsto]

Imagine that your gaming group plays corebooks only. That means PHB + DMG + MM1. The kind of group that thinks the fighter, paladin and barbarian are the melee guys, and clerics/druids are just casters with healing/utility. Try convincing them that Complete Champion is an ok book.

And that's, fellows, my mission on earth. That and world dominance.

[Ravens_cry]

When I first read this one, my thoughts were: "This has to have been a joke Feat brought on by the song, 'I want a hippopotamus for Christmas.' Any other explanation would force me to make a Sanity check."
Honey, life is one big sanity check.
We all fail.

[EagleWiz]

Player: So, I have an idea for a spell
DM: Yesssss....
Player: You know how at high levels wizards get to kill huge monsters with a single spell?
DM: Welll.....
Player: Right, well I want to do that at low levels.
DM: How about no.
Player: Well, the monster would get a save...
DM: No.
Player: And it wouldn't kill them, just make them completley harmless and defenceless for the rest of the battle.
DM: No.
Player: And it only effects creatures with low HD because by the time I fight bigger ones I will have the other "I win" spells
DM: Hmm....
Player: And obviously it would be able to hit all enemys within a 30 foot cone.
DM: NO!
Player: And it does it by hitting them in the face with light!
DM: RULEBOOK TO THE HEAD!

[Wonton]

Player: So, I have an idea for a spell
DM: Yesssss....
Player: You know how at high levels wizards get to kill huge monsters with a single spell?
DM: Welll.....
Player: Right, well I want to do that at low levels.
DM: How about no.
Player: Well, the monster would get a save...
DM: No.
Player: And it wouldn't kill them, just make them completley harmless and defenceless for the rest of the battle.
DM: No.
Player: And it only effects creatures with low HD because by the time I fight bigger ones I will have the other "I win" spells
DM: Hmm....
Player: And obviously it would be able to hit all enemys within a 30 foot cone.
DM: NO!
Player: And it does it by hitting them in the face with light!
DM: RULEBOOK TO THE HEAD!

Color Spray? A bit broken, yes, but if your group is anything like mine (which consists of six players who are mostly powergamers), enemies having 5 HD kicks in about halfway through level 1.