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Fiery Diamond
2010-10-20, 07:11 PM
I'd like to devote this thread to "fixing" core spells. Before we begin, let's clarify and set up some premises.

First: We assume that spells are broken/unbalancing in core for a variety of reasons. Some of those reasons (feel free to add reasons to our list) include...

1) Too powerful for the level at which they become available
2) Steal the role/ability of other party members
3) Allow for one-spell domination of encounters
4) Are a "ha-ha, you can't get me!" button
5) Permit abuse of rules in order to achieve things not to be gotten

Second: We assume that a reasonable DM will get rid of things that are obviously unintended and unreasonable, such as infinite looping, and that we don't need to focus our attention on closing loopholes.

Third: We assume that in "fixing" the spells we determine are broken/unbalancing for one of our specified reasons, we may need to rewrite how the spell works in its entirety, simply assign it to a higher level, tweak it a little, or give it up as a lost cause and get rid of it (as a last resort).

Fourth: We assume that not everyone will agree on what is broken/unbalancing or why it is broken/unbalancing, so when we address a spell, we must state why we believe it is broken/unbalancing.

Fifth: We are not messing with the classes at this point, just the spells themselves. There are plenty of other threads devoted to fixing the classes, but this is a hopeless task unless we work on fixing the spells- so this thread focuses on the spells rather than the classes.

Sixth: A poster may add to the list of spells to be fixed (providing reason for its inclusion), post a proposed fix for a spell on that list, or both.

Seventh: This thread is focusing on CORE spells.

AND SO, LET US BEGIN!

Here are a few spells to start us off...

Knock: Invalidates open lock
Alter Self: Invalidates mundane disguise
Rope Trick: Ha-ha-can't-get-me button
?Glitterdust: Too early, encounter domination?
Grease: Too early?, encounter domination
?Fly: Ha-ha button?
Any Save or Die (let's make a list): encounter domination
Any Save or Lose (let's make a list): encounter domination
Cloudkill: encounter domination
Tenser's Transformation: Invalidates martial stuff
Baleful Polymorph/Polymorph/PaO: SoL, Rules abuse, steal roles
Time Stop: Encounter domination

Example proposed solution: Knock - now only works on magical locks.

Greenish
2010-10-20, 07:29 PM
Polymorph chain, from Alter Self to Shapechange. Nix entirely, or use PF versions.

Knock - allow Open Lock to open magical locks (without huge DC increase).

Casters who can learn/prepare any spell on their insanely bloated list - nix entirely, replace with spontaneous casters.

Planar Binding, Lesser, Greater, Gate, Planar Ally, Lesser, Greater - nix entirely, if the caster wants her own BSF, have her party with one.

Wildshape (not really a spell, but close enough) - Shapeshift variant from PHBII, compulsory.

Entangle - reduce area, duration.


…Might think up some more.

Godskook
2010-10-20, 07:32 PM
What level of power are you desiring to fix core spells to, relative to the tier list that JaronK made?

Godless_Paladin
2010-10-20, 07:33 PM
What level of power are you desiring to fix core spells to, relative to the tier list that JaronK made?

Spells don't have tiers in JaronK's system. Classes do.

Urpriest
2010-10-20, 07:36 PM
Alter Self invalidating mundane disguise is a little more reasonable an issue than others. For one, your disguise modifier is still relevant, it simply changes the stakes involved. Thus, it would be better to make shapechanging spells intended for disguise (rather than buffs) available to non-casting classes. I'm thinking than an alchemical alternative would be good. Have it not be too costly, but require 6 ranks in disguise to apply. Thus everyone with an interest in disguising themself gets that +10/+20 bonus. Raise the DCs accordingly if this puts the bar too high.

Urpriest
2010-10-20, 07:39 PM
Spells don't have tiers in JaronK's system. Classes do.

True, but certain spells are characteristic of Tier 1/2 classes, while others are characteristic of Tier 3/4 classes. It's a reasonable question, if poorly phrased.

Rising Phoenix
2010-10-20, 08:49 PM
Freedom of movement:

1) Allows unhibited movement over difficult terrain
2) Allows you to fight normally underwater
3) Against effects that grapple, entangle, paralyze or similarly inhibit your movement, provides a bonus to the appropriate roll equal to your caster level.

Glitterdust, web, protection from alighnment, magic circle against alighment, black tentacles, mind blank all follow the PF rullings.

Godless_Paladin
2010-10-20, 08:52 PM
Freedom of movement:

1) Allows unhibited movement over difficult terrain
2) Allows you to fight normally underwater
3) Against effects that grapple, entangle, paralyze or similarly inhibit your movement, provides a bonus to the appropriate roll equal to your caster level.

Glitterdust, web, protection from alighnment, magic circle against alighment, black tentacles, mind blank all follow the PF rullings.

Worse, Freedom of Movement is a dissociative mechanic.

But that's only if you care about game design principles instead of how powerful it is. If you only care about mechanical efficacy, ignore this.

Aron Times
2010-10-20, 08:59 PM
I had a Fridge Brilliance moment when I figured out why virtually all powers in 4e deal damage. Basically, hit points represent a character's fighting ability, and anything that reduces his fighting ability should reduce his HP.

The problem with save-or-die and spells in 3.5 is that they bypass the target's HP and instantly win the fight. Furthermore, when a save-or-die spell fails, the caster isn't contributing anything to the fight that round. A monster who succeeds on his save against the spell doesn't get significantly easier to defeat. When the caster finally succeeds on his save-or-die, it invalidates the noncaster's actions because he could've done it singlehandedly had he been luckier.

This is not the perfect argument against save-or-die spells, and I feel that another can make this argument stronger.

Godskook
2010-10-20, 09:15 PM
Spells don't have tiers in JaronK's system. Classes do.

Except most of the 'troublesome' spells fall on the same 3 lists: Druid, Cleric, and Sorc/Wiz. Essentially, any problem with those spells also brings up the question of how powerful the class that are based on them are supposed to be. If tier 1 power is, on average, ok, than only minor changes need be made to the worst offenders. If tier 3 power is the desired result, heavy revision is required, and for tier 5 power, we're pretty much looking at a complete re-write.

Greenish
2010-10-20, 09:19 PM
Alter Self invalidating mundane disguise is a little more reasonable an issue than others.That would be Disguise Self.

Alter Self gets you flight speed, or a huge chunk of natural armour, or a few other effects, for 10 min/level as a 2nd level spell.

Zaq
2010-10-20, 09:38 PM
Worse, Freedom of Movement is a dissociative mechanic.

But that's only if you care about game design principles instead of how powerful it is. If you only care about mechanical efficacy, ignore this.

I think that I understand what you're getting at, but I feel that an explanation would be interesting nonetheless. Please, do go on.

thompur
2010-10-20, 09:54 PM
Glitterdust: Eliminate blinding effect
Rope Trick: Duration 10 min./level
Grease: Objects only or 1 5' square
Web: 20' cone starting from caster. Duration 1rd/level
Hold Person/Monster: Any action against held creature ends spell effect.
Evard's Black Tentacles: Allow a REF. save and Escape Artist skill check
Fly: 1rd/level Avg Maneuverability/maybe require flapping of arms...
Polymorph: Maximum 1 size larger or smaller.
Polymorph any Object: objects only, no living creatures. Duration 1 min./lvl
Overland Flight: You still gotta flap!
Permanency: Eliminate
Limited Wish, Wish, Miracle: eliminate(for higher beings only)
Gate: Travel only
Shapechange: Maximum 2 sizes larger or smaller, HD=level, duration 1rd/level

Godskook
2010-10-20, 10:50 PM
Rope Trick: Duration 10 min./level


That's an all-or-nothing kind of spell. Reducing the duration like that makes it useless for the only thing its supposed to be doing.

Tyndmyr
2010-10-20, 11:27 PM
Knock: Invalidates open lock

It does. It can be used to be a jerk, if the wizard is displacing the rogue. Alternatively, if you don't have a rogue, it's fairly cool. Therefore, easier to handle by just not being a jerk about how you use it.

Edit: Having it give a modifier to open lock, as alter self does to disguise, might be apros.


Alter Self: Invalidates mundane disguise

It's a +10 modifier to disguise. This is quite helpful, but does not actually invalidate disguise, as someone who pumps the skill can easily get more. And of course, they stack.


Rope Trick: Ha-ha-can't-get-me button

Well, for resting. And frankly, being attacked while asleep is something that gets old pretty quickly. Magic SHOULD have a means to provide safety, and this is the next logical step after alarm.


?Glitterdust: Too early, encounter domination?

Well, it's the same level as see invisibility, and serves a similar purpose. Both have pros and cons, but the blinding effect is powerful in addition. Tacking another level onto it seems reasonable.


Grease: Too early?, encounter domination

I suspect the real problem is the no save portion. Rewrite the whole thing so it has a save, like the pathfinder version(but without the min/level increase in duration), and you're at an appropriate level for the spell. Still handy, but less crazy.


?Fly: Ha-ha button?

Well, you need fly to appear before dimension door and your superior fly options. Otherwise, it doesn't have a useful niche. It's already fairly short duration for a handy buff. About the only thing you could do is mess with the fly speed, like they did going from 3.5 to 3.0, but frankly, the speed is generally not that important. It's an iconic ability, and making it irrelevant would be unfortunate. So, not a lot to be done about it.


Any Save or Die (let's make a list): encounter domination

Core SoDs suck. These are not your problem. Consider that any charger build essentially does the equivalent of a SoD every turn. The only difference is that it's called an attack roll. It's very easy to design characters to plaster single targets. If anything, SoDs are poor when compared to control.


Any Save or Lose (let's make a list): encounter domination

Well, things like curse are particularly nasty. Consider the duration, and the power of the debuff. Losing half your actions, for instance? Crazy strong. There's a lot of weak willed targets, too.

Now, we have the aoe SoLs. Those are probably more important because a good portion of encounters have multiple mobs, and single target spells, while helpful, do not dominate those. Even worse, consider no-save targets. Consider Solid Fog as one example.


Cloudkill: encounter domination

Situational. A great many boosts to saves vs poison exist(all but two of the phb races have a boost against the save for this spell), and the HD restrictions prevent it from being a BBEG threat. Hardly overpowered.


Tenser's Transformation: Invalidates martial stuff

It's a trap.


Baleful Polymorph/Polymorph/PaO: SoL, Rules abuse, steal roles

The whole polymorph line is pretty problematic. Limit them in some way(Possibly longer cast times), and keep PaO from being a permanent way to avoid level adjust and RHD for awesome creatures.


Time Stop: Encounter domination

Well, yeah, it's crazy. But it's a 9th level spell. They're pretty much all crazy. There's not much you can do with this tier short of avoiding it. It's just a training ground for the insanity of epic spellcasting.

Telonius
2010-10-21, 07:43 AM
Forcecage. Currently: Unless you have some sort of teleportation, you lose no save. Change to: Reflex negates.

Divine Power. Currently: nyaah, nyaah, I'm as good of a fighter as the Fighter now, and I can still cast spells. Change to: War Domain only.

Divination/Contact Other Plane. Currently: No limits on times cast means extremely paranoid spellcasters can find out exactly what's coming at them at all times and prepare accordingly. Change to: Contacting divine or extraplanar beings in this manner can be accomplished once every 30 days with no penalty. More often than that carries an amount of risk. Each contact thereafter carries a cumulative 5% risk of angering the being and incurring the Int/Cha decrease (or Wis decrease if the divine version is cast). [Alternates: Cumulative 5% chance of being driven insane, being given a Geas, the being sends an Aleax after you, similar effects]

Summoning spells in general. Currently: Possibility for spellcasting abuse. Change to: Summoned creatures will not use spells or spell-like abilities that would cost you XP if you were to cast the spell. Called creatures will only cast such spells free of charge if the action would directly serve their own interests (i.e. a Planetar might freely cast Greater Restoration on a person who Called it if they were fighting a Pit Fiend, but not if they were fighting an Inevitable). Otherwise Called creatures will not cast the spell unless the person who Called it provides the XP for the casting.

Psyren
2010-10-21, 09:18 AM
Forcecage. Currently: Unless you have some sort of teleportation, you lose no save. Change to: Reflex negates.

That's a bit harsh - utterly defeating a level 7 spell with a prohibitively expensive material component by rolling a die.

I would at least put a penalty on the save, which reflects the difficulty of getting to the edge of the spell in time to be able to roll out of it before it forms. Alternatively, I would only allow a save if the character is near one of the edges (which makes the "barred cage" version more attractive than the "windowless cell")

thompur
2010-10-21, 09:21 AM
Alter Self/Polymorph/Shapechange: You have to have knowledge of what your changing into. If you haven't encountered the creature 'in game', you need to make the appropriate knowledge check.
AS - DC 15
PM- DC 20 plus 5 for Ex abilities, plus 10 for Ex qualities
SC- DC 30 plus 5 for Ex qualities, plus 10 for Su Abilities

Urpriest
2010-10-21, 09:36 AM
That would be Disguise Self.

Alter Self gets you flight speed, or a huge chunk of natural armour, or a few other effects, for 10 min/level as a 2nd level spell.

Hence why I specified its effect on mundane disguise. Obviously the fact that it's a member of the polymorph chain gives it problems of its own, which would be solved through different means. But the OP seems concerned with its applicability to disguise.

Urpriest
2010-10-21, 09:44 AM
Alter Self/Polymorph/Shapechange: You have to have knowledge of what your changing into. If you haven't encountered the creature 'in game', you need to make the appropriate knowledge check.
AS - DC 15
PM- DC 20 plus 5 for Ex abilities, plus 10 for Ex qualities
SC- DC 30 plus 5 for Ex qualities, plus 10 for Su Abilities

This kind of restriction, while useful in some games, is not useful in general. There will always be games where a character encounters broken monsters, and you don't need all that many broken monsters to exploit the spell.

Here's an illustrative example: many DMs consider restricting animal companions to reasonable environments the druid could live in. This is all well and good, until you run a game set in a jungle full of awesome dinosaurs. I actually encouraged a druid player to get a fleshraker because it fit the setting, unaware that it was the most powerful animal companion out there. There will always be campaigns where this sort of thing happens, because all monsters have a use somewhere.

Lans
2010-10-21, 09:48 AM
Forcecage. Currently: Unless you have some sort of teleportation, you lose no save. Change to: Reflex negates.
Couldn't we give walls of force hp/hardness?


Divine Power. Currently: nyaah, nyaah, I'm as good of a fighter as the Fighter now, and I can still cast spells. Change to: War Domain only. I think dropping the strength boost to +4 would also be a good option, or even scrapping it entirely.




Summoning spells in general. Currently: Possibility for spellcasting abuse. Change to: Summoned creatures will not use spells or spell-like abilities that would cost you XP if you were to cast the spell. Called creatures will only cast such spells free of charge if the action would directly serve their own interests (i.e. a Planetar might freely cast Greater Restoration on a person who Called it if they were fighting a Pit Fiend, but not if they were fighting an Inevitable). Otherwise Called creatures will not cast the spell unless the person who Called it provides the XP for the casting.
Another problem is that the calling spells are that they are based on HD and not CR. Which can just be fixed by just putting CR in for HD.

Chess435
2010-10-21, 09:52 AM
Time stop, Cloudkill, Forcecage.

Otherwise known as Game, Set, Match.

Urpriest
2010-10-21, 09:55 AM
Another problem is that the calling spells are that they are based on HD and not CR. Which can just be fixed by just putting CR in for HD.

Eh, I feel like this latter is a bad idea. CR isn't supposed to be part of the mechanics of anything besides XP gain.

Frankly, even a CR limit wouldn't be useful, since CRs are differently calibrated than player resources. Summoning, like polymorphing, either needs to be limited to specific cases, divorced from the actual monsters (like PF did with the polymorph chain), or fixed along with the monsters themselves.

Godless_Paladin
2010-10-21, 09:59 AM
Time stop, Cloudkill, Forcecage.

Otherwise known as Game, Set, Match.

Except for all the people who can actually do something about it.

Eldan
2010-10-21, 10:05 AM
Well, here's a few I've implemented:

Knock: Takes a full round to cast. As part of it, make an open lock check with a bonus equal to half your caster level (max +5). Allows opening magical locks.

Grease: Increases balance checks on slanted or narrow surfaces by +4. Otherwise, only requires reflex saves and covers a single 5ft. square.

and in the other direction, but in my opinion just as important:

Fireball deals less damage, but has the effects of explosive spell quasi-included.

Godless_Paladin
2010-10-21, 10:07 AM
There is such a thing as going too far with the nerfbat. If you make a spell into something people will not prepare, you didn't fix it, you removed it from the list of viable options.

Urpriest
2010-10-21, 10:10 AM
There is such a thing as going too far with the nerfbat. If you make a spell into something people will not prepare, you didn't fix it, you removed it from the list of viable options.

True. Any examples here you intended to point out?

Lans
2010-10-21, 10:19 AM
Eh, I feel like this latter is a bad idea. CR isn't supposed to be part of the mechanics of anything besides XP gain.

Frankly, even a CR limit wouldn't be useful, since CRs are differently calibrated than player resources. Summoning, like polymorphing, either needs to be limited to specific cases, divorced from the actual monsters (like PF did with the polymorph chain), or fixed along with the monsters themselves.

Even if the CRs are calibrated differantly from players resources basing the spell off of it will still be better than basing it off of HD, and will bring it to a more balanced plane. The other fixes involving Exp spells and the like would be necessary also.

Eldan
2010-10-21, 10:22 AM
Additionally, CR is really wonky in 3.5. Just compare your average dragon to, say, an inevitable of the same challenge rating and you'll see what I mean. An Ethergaunt, if played cleverly, will eat any amount of demons his level for breakfast.

Chen
2010-10-21, 10:30 AM
For the Polymorph line I'd suggest:

Polymorph should grant size bonuses to your stats instead of actually changing your physical stats. You should gain movement modes of the form you're in and the natural attacks and natural armor. Alter self should really just be like disguise self. No granting of movement modes, natural armor or whatever. It just makes you look different. Hell merge it with disguise self and remove one of them. Remove Shapechange completely and leave PAO with the same restrictions as polymorph when changing into other creatures.

Glitterdust should probably not make the creature blind but rather give them something like a 20% miss chance. More in line with the level of the spell I'd say.

Godless_Paladin
2010-10-21, 10:35 AM
There is such a thing as going too far with the nerfbat. If you make a spell into something people will not prepare, you didn't fix it, you removed it from the list of viable options.


True. Any examples here you intended to point out?

Plenty, but I'll just give one for the sake of brevity.


Knock: Takes a full round to cast. As part of it, make an open lock check with a bonus equal to half your caster level (max +5). Allows opening magical locks.

A tenth level character takes a 2nd level spell slot gets a +5 to a cross class skill of limited utility. A third level character gets a +1, having used up one of their valuable 2nd level slots that day. A character using a scroll of it gets a +1 (unless they're paying the price of a 5th level spell scroll). It doesn't even help on mundane locks, which get to pretty impressive OL DCs on their own.

The one thing that it remains useful for? Countering Arcane Lock (without just using a more versatile "Dispel Magic"), something that Rogues just plain can't get through with Open Lock.

Eldan
2010-10-21, 10:38 AM
Hmm. True. Make it bonus equal to caster level check, then. Or 5+1/2 caster level, that should work. You also don't need thieves tools. In a party without a rogue, there can be cases when this is your best option.

Godless_Paladin
2010-10-21, 10:39 AM
Hmm. True. Make it bonus equal to caster level check, then. Or 5+1/2 caster level, that should work. You also don't need thieves tools. In a party without a rogue, there can be cases when this is your best option.

:smallconfused:

Or I could cast Silence with a 2nd level slot and break the lock without so much as a squeak. And then, as a bonus, after barging in through an unexpected entryway I can throw the item I cast Silence on at the spellcasters inside or something.

If that doesn't work, a +6 to open lock probably isn't going to either unless you already have a pretty nice bonus, because those lock DCs can be nasty. Also, are you even allowed to take 20 on your version of Knock? I mean, a mere 150gp mundane lock has an Open Lock DC of 40.

The one point that remains relevant is that Rogues can't open Arcane Locks, only people with Knock can. I find it odd that that's the only part you actually didn't change. The part that screws over Rogues and requires arcane assistance in order to break and enter. Why not just change Arcane Lock so that it's not countered only by Wizards?

Telonius
2010-10-21, 10:55 AM
Couldn't we give walls of force hp/hardness?
It's a possibility, but I think it would be pretty hard to get it to the "goldilocks level" of not being too high or too low. (i.e. do we want Fighters but not Rogues to be able to get out of it?)



I think dropping the strength boost to +4 would also be a good option, or even scrapping it entirely.

I've thought about scrapping it too, but I do think that the spell's bonuses would be something a War god would reasonably want to give to his followers. Leaving aside extra domain spell or DMM shenanigans, I really wouldn't see a problem if a Cleric of Heironeous or Hextor had access to this once a day as a Domain spell. It just doesn't make as much sense to me (either mechanically or fluff-wise) that Yondalla or Boccob or some of the others would give it out as a standard spell.

Eldan
2010-10-21, 10:56 AM
Who has adamantine at level 3?

Anyway, at the time this was mostly thought for the rogue/wiz gish I had at the time who complained that Knock was mostly useless for him since his open lock was good enough anyway.

kestrel404
2010-10-21, 11:16 AM
Just fixing the spells themselves isn't really enough. To 'fix' most of these spells you would have to remove both the spell and the mechanics that make the spell necessary - because every core spell has been around long enough that it has become the key to a particular puzzle (which is unsolvable without it). For example:


Knock: Invalidates open lock

It is also a requirement when encountering magically locked doors.

Example proposed solution: Knock - now only works on magical locks.
This would help, but the fact that 'magical locks' exist that can keep out a rogue (an entire class devoted primarily to getting past locked/trapped/inaccessible areas), makes this spell very poorly designed for any sort of balanced game.

As a fix, I would allow a wizard to use his Caster Level as a bonus to the pick lock attempt (must be rolled, no taking 10 or 20 unless you get the spell at-will) - this allows a Wizard to double as a rogue for this particular skill, once per spell cast, but is not an automatic 'I win' button over the rogue.
Then I would give Rogues the ability to use Knock at Class level 1/day/die of sneak attack (classes that grant sneak attack dice stack with rogue for this).


Alter Self: Invalidates mundane disguise
The entire Polymorph line is utterly and completely broken. The ability to 'become' a creature that has a fly speed of 90', or 10 natural armor, or a Burrow speed should be roughly a 4th-5th level spell. EACH. The ability to replace your physical attributes with those of a given monster for rounds/level is roughly an 8th-9th level spell (depending on the monster) - and that's assuming you don't get any of the monster's special abilities other than natural attacks/movement speeds.

If you want a 2nd level equivalent of Alter selve, make the spell an illusion with visual, tactile and auditory affects that gives +10 to disguise checks. That should improve it enough to make it better than Disguise self.


Rope Trick: Ha-ha-can't-get-me button
It's a cute idea, but making the entrance of the spell unassailable is ridiculous. Just have the entrance be invisible, but anything outside the hole that has Scent, Blindsight or can see invisible is perfectly able to notice the dimensional portal hanging in mid air filled with tasty snacks inside. It should also not provide cover from area effect spells that go off on the outward-facing side of the portal, and only partial cover against ones that go off behind it. Second level is also a bit too early for this spell - I'd put it at 3rd.


?Glitterdust: Too early, encounter domination?
Not necessarily too early. It's a good spell but not game-ending. I'd make anything that is immune to critical damage immune to the blinding effect, make it a Fort save instead of a will save, and move the spell to Evocation.


Grease: Too early?, encounter domination
Pathfinder fixed this just fine. If you don't move more than 5 feet, you're not flat footed.


?Fly: Ha-ha button?
Should be rounds/level. Higher level flight spells can last longer. And most enemies should either have a ranged attack or be smart enough to run away from the flying thing they can't hit. This is more of an issue with insufficiently creative GMs, IMO.


Any Save or Die (let's make a list): encounter domination
Mostly bad because they're un-fun. My games have using SoD spells listed as 'war crimes' in just about every country's legal code. Having them written in your grimoire without a permit/written dispensation from a local authority is grounds for exile. If my players use SoD spells against their enemies, then the enemies use them against the PCs.


Any Save or Lose (let's make a list): encounter domination
I considder these more of a challenge than broken (with some exceptions). Specific examples may yield specific fixes, but for the most part I'm not especially opposed to the equations of 'one action, one spell, on enemy on the ground'. Area of effect SoL spells (such as Cloudkill, below) should generally be nerfed somewhat.

My biggest problem with these spells is that they tend to be either Conjuration, Enchantments or Transmutation spells, almost invariably (there are some Illusions as will, but not many). This should be fixed. These spells really ought to be spread out over every school of magic, not concentrated in the schools that are most powerful even without them.


Cloudkill: encounter domination
Not the most broken of spells, but also pretty darned nasty for a 5th level spell. I'd fix this in two ways - make it less lethal and make it more easily disrupted. First, you eliminate the '6 or fewer HD' effects - all creatures should be treated equal by this spell, which means 1d4 con damage/round if they fail their save. That's nasty enough, I should think. Second, as soon as you make your Fort save you should be able to ignore the effects of the spell, like most poisons. Between these, the pure brutal lethality of the spell is significantly lessened.

Second, wind effects like those that can dispurse an obscuring mist spell should also work to move/dispurse the solid fog. That way, no only can an enemy caster with a wind spell prepared stop your solid fog with the standard rock/paper/scissors duel that wizard conflicts regularly turn into, a particularly crafty one can turn a PC's solid fog against the caster's own party!


Tenser's Transformation: Invalidates martial stuff
Honestly, this spell is not all that hot. The fact that it is in some ways better than the Fighter class just points out how bad Fighters have it. Also, it should be an enchantment spell, not a transmutation spell.


Baleful Polymorph/Polymorph/PaO: SoL, Rules abuse, steal roles
Covered above. Although, if we're making Polymorph an 8th level spell, Baleful Polymorph should be rolled up into it. PAO and Shapeshift should be banned outright.


Time Stop: Encounter domination
While ridiculously powerful, you really have to work to use this effectively. I think that properly fixing the other spells will make this one less ridiculous. However, I think that the time it gives you should be made into a static 2 rounds - the minimum you would normally get. That's still pretty awesome, but it IS a 9th level spell.