Evocation Spells! (3.5, WIP, PEACH)

[Kane0]

Thread inspired by Noctis Vigil


Lets get started!

Fireball, Mass

Fireball, Mass
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: 20-ft.-radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes
Material Component: A tiny ball of bat guano and sulfur per fireball.

As fireball, but you launch one fireball per 5 caster levels, to a maximum of 5 at Caster Level 25. These can be directed all at the same target or in different directions.
The amount of fireballs that can affect a single target is one less than you can cast with this spell. If a target is caught in the area of more than that it has no effect on them, regardless on if they save or take damage from the first one(s).


Incinerate

Incinerate
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M,
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Short (25ft + 5 ft / 2 Levels)
Target: Single creature or object
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex Partial (See text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
Material Component: A piece of flint and steel,

This spell makes the target burst into a brilliant conflagration. The target takes 1d8 points of damage per two caster levels (max 10d8).
In addition, any creature within 10ft facing the target (including the target) must make a reflex save or be blinded by the initial flash of flame for 1d4 rounds.
A creature killed by this spell is reduced to a pile of ash.


Electrocute

Electrocute
Evocation [Electricity]
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, M,
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100ft + 10ft /level)
Target: Single creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes
Material Component: An intertwined piece of copper, silver and gold wire

You create single huge arc of electricity from your hands straight into your target, sending him reeling.
This spell hits one target for 1d8 electricity damage per caster level (max 20d8) and on a failed will save also stunned for 1d4 rounds + 1 per 5 caster levels (max 4).


Heat Shield

Heat Shield
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: Medium (100ft + 10ft /level)
Target: Single fire or cold based spell
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

As you recognise an incoming heat based spell you rapidly loose your counter, minimising the damage before it is inflicted.
This spell is used as a targeted dispel magic against an impending fire or cold spell, with no cap. If the check fails you still reduce any fire or cold damage done by the spell by 1d4 per two caster levels, (max 10d4).


Icy Prison

Evocation [Cold]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: Short (25ft + 5ft / 2 levels)
Target: Single Target
Effect: Encased in Ice
Duration: One round / 2 levels
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
Material Component: a small chunk of alchemically or magically treated ice (so that it dosen't melt)

You point your finger and the target suddenly seems to grow ice around him, the freezing cold growing upwards from the ground until the target is completely encased in a block of ice.
On a failed reflex save the target is paralyzed for the duration of the spell in a block of magical ice, taking 2d6 + 1 per level (max 10) cold damage per round encased (max 5 rounds). The target can retry the save every round they are trapped in the ice. While encased in the ice fire damage equal to the amount of cold damage received melts the ice and frees the target, ending the spell. The target only takes the excess of this fire damage. Bludgeoning damage to the target is doubled and also frees the target after dealing twice the amount of damage required for fire damage to free the target.


Energized Field

Evocation [Energy]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: Medium (100ft + 10ft / levels)
Effect: 20ft radius cloud, 20ft high
Duration: One round / level
Saving Throw: Fort Half
Spell Resistance: Yes

You energize an area with pure energy. This energized field has unusual effects. Any creature within or entering the field takes 2d6 + 1 per level damage for every round within the field. A successful fortitude save halves this damage. In addition all fatigue and exhaustion effects are suppressed while within the Energized Field.


Crimson Tide

Evocation
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: Personal
Effect: 20' radius burst, 20' high
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex Half
Spell Resistance: Yes

You unleash a blast of Energy around you, acting as a catalyst for additional blasts (see below) and dealing 1d6 damage per 2 Caster levels (max 10d6) to all within the affected area, excluding the caster. A successful Reflex save halves this damage.
If this spell reduces a target to less than 0 HP an identical blast of energy occurs centered on the felled target, to a maximum number of 'generations' of bursts equal to one per 4 caster levels (max 5). Any one target cannot be affected by this spell more than once.


And now a new type of spell, Pure energy!
Pure energy is resisted by either Fire or electrical resistance, but only one if the subject has both. These two resistances are half as effective against Pure energy as they would be normally. Immunity does not apply and acts as resistance 30 (which is halved)

Pure Energy Ray

Pure Energy Ray
Evocation [Energy]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Short (25ft + 5ft / 2 levels)
Effect: One ray
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Material Component: Handful of sand or clay

You have begun on the path on the most potent form of evocation. Instead of creating energy and applying it through a medium, you are experimenting with directing it straight at your foe. A beam of undiluted energy erupts from your hands and streaks towards your target in a brilliant flash.
On a successful ranged touch attack, the opponent is overloaded with energy taking 1d6 +1 damage per caster level (max 15d6 +15). This can cause a save vs death for Massive damage even if the target is normally immune to massive damage. The DC for the Massive damage is as a spell of 3rd level.


Pure Energy Spray

Pure Energy Cone
Evocation [Energy]
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 60ft Cone
Effect: One 30ft cone shaped burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: No
Material Component: Handful of assorted bits of precious metal (500gp worth)

Continuing down the path of direct application of energy, you have found a way to create a wave of energy in its most pure form. A spray of undiluted energy erupts from your hands in a brilliant flash, spreading and striking all before you.
All targets caught in the area of effect take 1d6 +1 points of damage per caster level (max 20d6 +20). A reflex save is allowed for half damage. This can cause a save vs death for Massive damage even if the target is normally immune to massive damage. The DC for the Massive damage is as a spell of 5th level.


Pure Energy Blast

Pure Energy Burst
Evocation [Energy]
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100ft + 10ft /level)
Effect: Up to 10 designated targets overloaded
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Material Component: Handful of assorted gem dust (1000gp worth)

You have mastered the art of creating and manipulating energy directly, and can simply overload targets with pure energy to kill them outright. As you cast this spell you direct this undiluted energy into your targets, charging them with far too much energy they can handle.
Select up to 1 target per 3 caster levels (max 10) within range of you. All these targets take 1d8 +1 points of damage per caster level (max 30d8+20). This can cause a save vs death for Massive damage even if the target is normally immune to massive damage. The DC for the Massive damage is as a spell of 7th level.


More will be added as I think of them. Feel free to toss me some ideas!

[Kane0]

Reserved, just in case.

[chando]

These are some really nice evocation Spells!

Cool idea with heat shield, especially if your dm likes to throw aroud fireballs with his spellcasters for old school sake :)
Mass fireball could be one firebal per 5 levels instead of 6, so you could throw 2 right away when you get the spells. It also lets you deal about the same damage as desintegrate, except it is fire damage, has multiple saves, and energy resistance is aplied twice. You could even cap it a 5 fireballs at level 25 to give it a little edge because of that.

On Incinerate, the save line should be Will Partial, Reflex Negates (see text). And dazzled is probably the weakest condition in the game, just a extra -1 to some stuff that you have to keep track of. Make it Blinded for one round, maybe just to adjacent creatures who fail their reflex save so this has some relevance at this level.

Eletrocute is cute. I mean, awesome. I would change it. I just don't get the 1d2 dazed rounds. Since its a 7 level spell, i could see a 1d4 these, just because its a real dice. :)

[Noctis Vigil]

I agree, Electrocute just isn't a 7th level spell right now. It does acceptable damage, but against only one foe, and the minor possibility of up to 2 rounds of daze just doesn't make up for the single target. At 7th level for a single target spell, even Fort save or die would be acceptable.

To put it bluntly, you're thinking too small, Kane0. This is 7th level Evocation; damage output by now on a single foe should be greater than disintegrate, or have much more severe penalties to make up for the lower damage. At the end of the day, the goal should be to make 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th level Evocation spells good enough that Wizards don't want to dump the school anymore, that they need to be able to pick Evocation as their specialization school and compete with any other school. Wizards looking for straight up damage should default to Evocation, not have to make a choice between Evocation and some other school. Think bigger. I'm going to tweak Electrocute as I think it should look; feel free to keep yours, but as it is now I'd make it maybe a 4th level spell tops, and realistically around on par with Lightning Bolt, which may actually be more powerful a spell due to increased number of targets.

Electrocute
Evocation [Electricity]
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100ft + 10ft /level)
Target: Single creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fort
Spell Resistance: Yes
Material Component: A piece of copper, silver or gold wire

You create single huge arc of electricity from your hands straight into your target, shocking them with enough force to stop a foe in their tracks.

This spell hits one target for 1d8 electricity damage per caster level (max 30d8). The target must make a Fortitude save, or become paralyzed for 1d4 rounds per 5 levels as its body seizes up in shock from the blast of electricity.

Keep in mind that 7th level Evocations should be at least on par with Prismatic Spray, which can make you permanently insane and drop you in a random plane or do as much as 160 damage on a good roll, and it effects everything in a 60 foot cone.

[Kane0]

Ok, just edited and added some more. Thanks for the input guys.

Actually as a matter of curiosity, why is Prismatic Ray and Spray Evocation, but Wall and Sphere Abjuration?

[Noctis Vigil]

...You raise a good question, one for which I have no answer. Maybe because they aren't direct attacks? Still, I'd have listed all of them in the same school.

[Tulya]

Probably for the same reason Stoneskin is Abjuration, while Heart of Stone is Transmutation, and that Binding is Enchantment but can turn a victim into gas.

Some later material incorporated multi-school spells, which helped to address overlapping effects. Someone could probably use that to do a mass retroconversion of older spells.

[Noctis Vigil]

Massive Assault
Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 full-round action
Range: Medium cone (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets: Up to 10 creatures per caster level
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

You fire a barrage of magical bolts into the air, which fly off to strike their targets. This spell functions as the spell magic missile, except that you fire 5 bolts per caster level, and each bolt deals 1d4+3 damage. You may effect any targets in range so long as you keep all missiles within the cone of the spell effect. No single creature may be the target of more than 2 bolts per caster level.

[Kane0]

Thats... a lot of rolling. At level 20 youd be rolling 1d4+3 for up to 100 missiles. Then each one would be subject to DR.
And you have multiple constraints operating on targeting there, a number of missiles, a range within the cone and a number of missiles per target.

How about upping damage and lowering missiles, on any target within the area? If theres only one target your doing this on at 9th level this still wouldn't be too bad.

[Noctis Vigil]

I don't want to decrease the number of missiles. The whole point of the spell was that you can hit a few targets for big damage, or a bunch of small fry to get them out of the way.

The restraints really aren't that much. The area of effect is a cone with a range of medium. So long as you remain within that cone, you can target foes freely. It's Force damage, so it overcomes DR by default. It's as magic missile, so there's no rolling to hit. I added the limit per target to keep it from becoming a kill-all-in-one-hit spell; the whole point is that it effects lots of targets. Be glad, it could be worse: on my first draft of the spell it got 10 missiles per level.

I have another variant of this in the works, so if I can get the kinks hammered out it would help.

[Kane0]

Sorry, when i read over it i was imagining Issac's Greater Missile Storm from NWN

[Yitzi]

Except for Mass Fireball as used against different targets, it still doesn't say "evocation" to me...

As I see it, evocation isn't about killing an enemy of your level with a single spell; that's what necromancy and transmutation (well, sort of) are for. Evocation is for killing huge numbers of weaker enemies; as such, a boost to evocation probably should help it do that. I'd give evocation boosted spells the same damage as existing ones, but far better area (and probably range).

[Kane0]

Hmm... I see Evocation as the creation and manipulation of energy. Most would think that would be entirely offensive but id like to be able to do more than throw elemental and force effects at enemies, i want evocation to display the same versatility that other schools offer. There is already plenty of AoE spells in the Spell Compendium and such, i was just working on some alternate functions and uses for the application of energy, like Heat shield and Icy Prison.

That said a lot of blasting spells are pretty limited, so it couldn't hurt to fix some of that up.

Edit: Also, does anyone know why acid is usually considered summoned (conjuration) instead of created (evocation)? Id love some acid evocation spells to go with the elemental styled damage

[Yitzi]

The reason acid is considered conjuration (creation subschool, though, not summoning) is that acid really isn't a type of energy, so it makes perfect sense that acid damage is done by actually making physical acid (which therefore bypasses SR but is quite weak for its level) rather than a direct effect.

If you do want to make an evocation acid effect, you should probably fluff it as some sort of corrosion-enhancing field. (After all, air has a substantial amount of oxygen, which is naturally corrosive; it simply corrodes slowly enough that life can compensate.) Make it Fort negates with allowing SR, and give it a rusting effect as well, and give it damage on par with evocation effects rather than the relatively weak* stuff acid gets.

*Well, except for the Orb spells in Spell Compendium; those are just plain broken.

[Kane0]

Good point. Acid is a substance, not an energy, so thats out.

Would rusting effects count as evocation? I wouldve thought that would be Transmutation if anything.

Though you have provoked a thought there, Yitzi.
What would happen if you apply energy to oxygen, or air in general?

[Ernir]

I think Mass Fireball should not be allowed to overlap. Multi-target 20d6 damage at level 11 makes it... seriously good. And it gets to 30d6 really fast, especially factoring in CL boosters. I know "blasting sucks", but this is really unprecedented.

If you give it a higher dice cap than regular fireball (15 should be right), it should get some moderately level-appropriate oomph back. If you still think it's too weak, try it as a 5th level spell?

[Kane0]

At any level it would be separate damage with SR, reflex and fire resistance applied to each one individually.

If it still does turn out to be OP, i plan on limiting the amount of fireballs that can affect a single target as one less than you can cast with this spell. If they are caught in the area of more than that it has no effect on them, even if they save against either of the first two.

[Tulya]

Forcemaze
Forcemaze (Evocation [Force])
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S, M, F
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: 150 ft.
Area: 200 ft. x 200 ft. centered on you
Duration: 4 hours (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

A maze made of 10 ft. high walls of force appears over a 200ft. by 200 ft. area around you and conforming to the surface below (if there is no surface within range, no maze appears), created based on a diagram you concentrate on as you cast this spell. Space between sections of the walls must be at least 10 ft. by 10 ft., there can be no more than 2 separate continuous walls of the maze in the map design, and no areas of the maze can be enclosed entirely by walls of force. For example, a 10 ft. by 10 ft. space could be enclosed due to the creation of the maze, but one of the walls enclosing the space must have existed previously.
Creatures in the path of the walls as the maze is created are harmlessly shunted into the nearest space that would hold them, whether inside or out of the maze.

Like a wall of force spell, the walls of a forcemaze resist dispel magic, but are vulnerable to a disintegrate spell, and can be destroyed by a sphere of annihilation or a rod of cancellation. Each 10 ft. by 10 ft. square section of the walls of the forcemaze are independent of the others for the purposes of destruction and suppression effects. The walls of a permanent forcemaze regenerate one hour after being destroyed.

Forcemaze can not be created in an area already occupied by a forcemaze.

Material Component
A diagram of the maze to be generated that conforms to the required conditions, which vanishes as you cast this spell. A diagram of the maze can be memorized as this spell is prepared instead, in which case only that maze can be formed but no physical diagram is needed. A maze designed spontaneously in working memory can be used, but is typically significantly more simple than mazes created from a prepared diagram.

Arcane Focus
A large, magical sunstone worth 8000 gp must be held aloft as you cast this spell, and left in the center of the maze as an anchor for the magical working. If the gem is moved or destroyed, or its magic is suppressed or dispelled, the entire maze vanishes immediately. The maze reforms entirely one hour after the gem's exposure to an anti-magic field ends as long as the gem remains in place and the spells on the gem are still intact.
Dispel checks directed at the gem are made at a -3 penalty. Antimagic effects brought into the area of the gem after forcemaze has been cast must succeed on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level of the antimagic field) against 11 + forcemaze's caster level to suppress the gem. If a caster level check fails, the gem can not be affected by the same anti-magic field again. The walls of the maze are affected normally by antimagic field.

Permanency
You can make forcemaze permanent with a permanency spell for 4500 xp, and by using a single sunstone worth 20000 gp in the center of the maze or four 8000 gp sunstones anchored separately in each of the four quadrants of the maze instead. A permanent forcemaze can have its range doubled and its dimensions increased to 400 ft. by 400 ft. with 20 ft. high walls and an optional opaque force ceiling by paying 8000 xp and increasing the value of the sunstone or sunstones used by 50%.

Edit:
Ok, that might be a smidge long, spanning over a full page document. Spoilered it.

[bloodtide]

Edit: Also, does anyone know why acid is usually considered summoned (conjuration) instead of created (evocation)? Id love some acid evocation spells to go with the elemental styled damage

The schools of magic of most spells are mixed up to say the least. The idea is that Acid is a physical material and as some think of evocation as only energy, they then put physical things like acid in conjuration. But that is if you ignore the second part of the evocation description where it says "or tap an unseen source of power to produce a desired end. In effect, they create something out of nothing". And then just in the core spells you have evocations that create wind and ice.

Now my evocation fox has always been that any spell that creates force/pressure/kinetic energy is evocation. And that evocations can create 'matter' for short times as per 'creates something out of nothing'. So summon sand pile is a conjuration, but to blast sand out of your hand at 300 miles an hour is evocation.

I also add [Acid], [Air], [Water] and [Earth] as energy types for evocation spells. So waterblast is [Water] semi matter/energy 'created out of nothing'.





Would rusting effects count as evocation? I wouldve thought that would be Transmutation if anything. What would happen if you apply energy to oxygen, or air in general?

The base effect of rusting would be transmuation, of course....but there is no reason an evocation spell could not cause it as a secondary effect.

And when you 'apply energy to air' you get spells like gust of wind...

[Kane0]

Added some more, please yay or nay

[PetterTomBos]

I find it really cool that the evocator manages to produce raw energy, as physics cannot define what sort of energy is the "pure" one. Magic taps into the chassis of the universe!

About acid and energy: with (delicate) handling of energy one could make acid out of energy and water (or some other matter, for that matter. Pun intended). You just need to separate H+ from OH- (or some other + from some other -), perhaps a membrane of some sort and pressure? An evocator using unholy amounts of pressure to create a giant pool of acid could be a cool plot point..

Idea for a spell (in the same vein as the shield)

Fiery Shield

You create an ongoing burst of flame around yourself and your allies, protecting you against ranged attacks.

Hmm, let me give it a go at different spell lvl.s:

Lvl. 0

Heat Shield
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 0
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: Personal
Target: Personal
Duration: 1 round/lvl. + concentration
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

A small tongue of flame appears in front of your body, nourished not by fuel, but by your power. Any ranged attacks with wooden ammunition is at -2 to hit you for the duration of the spell.



Lvl. 5

Heat Shield
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: 20 ft radius sphere centered at you
Target: Personal
Duration: 1 round/lvl. + concentration
Saving Throw: Reflex partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: No

With great difficulty you pour energy around yourself and your allies, at twenty feet away from you it manifests physical form. The form changes constantly between sheets of force, fire, cold, wind or anything you can think of.

As it is in place all nonmagical ammunition will simply fail, burned to pieces or forced out of it's trajectory. Magical ammunition need to make a CL check, using the minimum CL to make it. Similarily, any magical effects need to overcome a CL check.

You are free to strain yourself, putting up as much energy as you can, to gain a higher effective CL for the spell, but for each CL achived this way you turn the field unstable, dishing out 1d6 dmg/gained CL, on your turn, to every being inside the sphere. This damage is of a random energy type, and a reflex save allows to get out of the sphere before the damage is taken.


I really like the idea of making an imperfect shield of pure energy that actually hurt the people inside it.

[Yitzi]

Good point. Acid is a substance, not an energy, so thats out.

Would rusting effects count as evocation? I wouldve thought that would be Transmutation if anything.

Now that I think of it, even a general field probably would be transmutation, just like Reverse Gravity is.

[Shadow Lord]

No offense, but most of these aren't all that good. I mean, the only good one is Mass Fire Ball, and all the others just can't compete with the similar spells coming online at their respective spell levels.

[bloodtide]

1.Mass Fireball Looks ok for a mass spell, except the part where the caster can hit a target with five fireballs. There should be a limit. Even at 15th level 30d6 is a lot of damage. If you don't want to say 'only 2 fireballs can hit a single target or whatever', at least add in something like 'for each fireball that hits the target you subtract 2 from the save DC.

2.Incinerate The fire 'frighten the target? that's just weird. The fire causes a magical fear effect and the person must run from the fire? And the pile of ash part is too powerful.

3.Gender: Male

Default Evocation Spells! (3.5, WIP, PEACH)
Thread inspired by Noctis Vigil


Lets get started!

Fireball, Mass
Spoiler

Fireball, Mass
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: 20-ft.-radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes
Material Component: A tiny ball of bat guano and sulfur per fireball.

As fireball, but you launch one fireball per 5 caster levels, to a maximum of 5 at Caster Level 25. These can be directed all at the same target or in different directions.


Incinerate
Spoiler

Incinerate
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M,
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Short (25ft + 5 ft / 2 Levels)
Target: Single creature or object
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex Partial, Will Negates (See text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
Material Component: A piece of flint and steel,

This spell makes the target burst into a brilliant conflagration. The target takes 1d8 points of damage per two caster levels (max 10d8) and on a failed will save frightens the target.
In addition, any creature within 10ft facing the target must make a reflex save or be blinded by the initial flash of flame for 1 round.
A creature killed by this spell is reduced to a pile of ash.


[B]Electrocute Looks basic enough, but why is it a will save? Are you out thinking the electricity with your will power? You'd think this would be a fort save.

4.Heat Shield Spells like this that add a new mechanic are always a bad idea. The whole damage reduction idea already exists, so you should just use that. And how does a heat shield 'adsorb' fire damage?

5.Icy Prison Is way too powerful for such a low level. It's better then hold person after all. It also breaks the rule of 'a target can attempt to escape effects'. This spell is a game stopper: ''Ok Bob your stuck in the icy prison, go sit in the corner until we say you can play again''.

6.Energized Field This spell does not make any sense. First it does a healing effect of removing fatigued or exhaustion, but then it does damage? The healing is a powerful effect too, and not really a wizard type spell.

[Kane0]

2.Incinerate The fire 'frighten the target? that's just weird. The fire causes a magical fear effect and the person must run from the fire? And the pile of ash part is too powerful.

Well, what would you do if you spontaneously combust and are nearly killed in one single burst of flame covering your entire body? Also intimidate can firghten opponents and that isnt magical, hence why this spell does not have the mind effecting descriptor. The fear is a side effect of bursting into flame. Im not sure about the pile of ash though, your using a level 5 slot to hit one target with fire damage, like disintegrate but far easier to negate.



Electrocute Looks basic enough, but why is it a will save? Are you out thinking the electricity with your will power? You'd think this would be a fort save.

Will fix that.



4.Heat Shield Spells like this that add a new mechanic are always a bad idea. The whole damage reduction idea already exists, so you should just use that. And how does a heat shield 'adsorb' fire damage?

I like it, its a more fun way to counter other casters without buffing yourself prior or readying actions to dispel. Its not really a new mechanic, its just utilizing the one that feather fall operates on.



5.Icy Prison Is way too powerful for such a low level. It's better then hold person after all. It also breaks the rule of 'a target can attempt to escape effects'. This spell is a game stopper: ''Ok Bob your stuck in the icy prison, go sit in the corner until we say you can play again''.

Not at all, an average amount of fire damage frees you, making the save completely wastes the spell and there is always the option of breaking them out if your confident they can take the damage.




6.Energized Field This spell does not make any sense. First it does a healing effect of removing fatigued or exhaustion, but then it does damage? The healing is a powerful effect too, and not really a wizard type spell.

It dosent heal you, it only removes fatigue and exhaustion (energises them), which is to all in the field, which puts a damper on your rays and waves of exhaustion that you may cast. However if you stay in there you simply get 'fed' too much energy to deal with properly, damaging you. Incendiary could is a conjuration spell, so i thought Evocation could use a cool cloud spell.

EDIT: Fixed mass fireball and electrocute.

[bloodtide]

Well, what would you do if you spontaneously combust and are nearly killed in one single burst of flame covering your entire body? Also intimidate can firghten opponents and that isnt magical, hence why this spell does not have the mind effecting descriptor. The fear is a side effect of bursting into flame. Im not sure about the pile of ash though, your using a level 5 slot to hit one target with fire damage, like disintegrate but far easier to negate.

The problem is that spells don't do that. Lots of spells have scary effects, but they don't have non magical things like fear mechanical attached to them. What makes this spells fire so much more different then any other attack spell?



Not at all, an average amount of fire damage frees you, making the save completely wastes the spell and there is always the option of breaking them out if your confident they can take the damage.

The problem is it paralyzes the character effected. So, in other words, the player just has to sit there and wait for someone to do something. This does not make for a fun time just sitting around and watching other people play D&D. Worse though, to free the trapped person they take damage....so not only does the character not get to act for several rounds, but they take damage too. This would really put a downer on a player.

This spell should be rewritten so the trapped character can attempt an escape every round. After all a 3rd level spell effect should not just auto paralyze. At 3rd level Icy Prison should just make a cage, not have a character killing automatic effect.






It dosent heal you, it only removes fatigue and exhaustion (energises them), which is to all in the field, which puts a damper on your rays and waves of exhaustion that you may cast. However if you stay in there you simply get 'fed' too much energy to deal with properly, damaging you. Incendiary could is a conjuration spell, so i thought Evocation could use a cool cloud spell.


Removing fatigue and exhaustion is more a cleric effect. For being 'energized' and an arcane spell you want a more temporary effect...like it just suppresses them while they are in the cloud. Are you thinking this is a positive energy spell then?

[Kane0]

The problem is that spells don't do that. Lots of spells have scary effects, but they don't have non magical things like fear mechanical attached to them. What makes this spells fire so much more different then any other attack spell?


That is true. Can you recommend an alternative?



The problem is it paralyzes the character effected. So, in other words, the player just has to sit there and wait for someone to do something. This does not make for a fun time just sitting around and watching other people play D&D. Worse though, to free the trapped person they take damage....so not only does the character not get to act for several rounds, but they take damage too. This would really put a downer on a player.

This spell should be rewritten so the trapped character can attempt an escape every round. After all a 3rd level spell effect should not just auto paralyze. At 3rd level Icy Prison should just make a cage, not have a character killing automatic effect.


Alright ill allow a new save every round.



Removing fatigue and exhaustion is more a cleric effect. For being 'energized' and an arcane spell you want a more temporary effect...like it just suppresses them while they are in the cloud. Are you thinking this is a positive energy spell then?


Ok, i can change it to suppress instead of remove.

Hmm. The problem i see is that thematically evocation falls down in regard of energy. What kind of energy does evocation make and control? Elemental? Not quite. Force? Again, not quite. Positive or negative? Definitely not. Thats why I gave evocation an energy to call its own: Pure. It is very similar to force and Pos/Neg in that you can kind of point at it and say "That is energy", but it is not governed by planar and alignment cosmology like positive and negative. It is simply energy, nothing more and nothing less. It is not given a form like fire, lightning or force is. That is how i'm attempting to make evocation unique from the other schools.

Out of curiosity, what do you think of the energy chain?

[bloodtide]

Hmm. The problem i see is that thematically evocation falls down in regard of energy. What kind of energy does evocation make and control? Elemental? Not quite. Force? Again, not quite. Positive or negative? Definitely not. Thats why I gave evocation an energy to call its own: Pure. It is very similar to force and Pos/Neg in that you can kind of point at it and say "That is energy", but it is not governed by planar and alignment cosmology like positive and negative. It is simply energy, nothing more and nothing less. It is not given a form like fire, lightning or force is. That is how i'm attempting to make evocation unique from the other schools.

How does evocation fail in regards to energy? Evocation has all types of energy.

The problem with the 'pure energy' idea is that it's too much of a good thing. The pure energy is immune to all protection spells and other such effects. As no one has anything vs pure energy, then it can effect everyone.

And what is 'pure energy' anyway? Energy has to be some type of energy.

Out of curiosity, what do you think of the energy chain?[/QUOTE]

Pure Energy Ray, instant death at 5th level on top of a damage type that effects everyone is way too powerful. And it only gets worse as the spells go up in levels. 'Pure energy' done in this way is just too powerful.

[Kane0]

It more fails at high levels due to the energy that it makes is usually not that hard to negate or minimize.

I was under the impression that dr/- blocked this kind of damage. This couldnt possibly be the only source of untyped, unblockable damage could it? Can you recommend anything? Maybe fire and electrical resistance both offer half protection against pure energy?

Maybe the chain is a little OP, but you get Phantasmal Killer and Cloudkill before this, and ray does less than disintegrate, so i thought it was in the middle somewhere. Maybe only one effect or the other? Also the death is always via massive damage, which you can be made immune to.

Edit:

And what is 'pure energy' anyway? Energy has to be some type of energy.

Pure energy by its definition has no type, thats why it is evocation only and more powerful than energy 'diluted' via giving it a 'real' form (fire, electricity, force). The fact that all other energies have a type is due to the fact that they are made from altering pure energy into the form it is to be given.

[Noctis Vigil]

I like your idea for Pure energy, Kane0. It's something special that sets Evocation apart. I do agree that proper spell levels need to be reworked a bit for some of your spells, though.

SoDs need to be thought out very carefully. I don't see much of an issue with a 5th level SoD personally, but I do disagree with a bit of it. Instead of making everyone make a save against massive damage, just increase the damage dealt; GMs will apply the save against massive damage as per normal rules. Also, because Pure energy forces an SoD when someone is hit with it, it becomes impossible to write more spells for it below a certain point (as stated, 5th-6th). If it's something Evocation alone gets that makes it special, Evokers should get it right from the start.

[Kane0]

Ok, fixed up most of the spells. Pure energy now does just damage and have added a clause bypassing immunity to massive damage for purposes of the spell.
If anybody would like to suggest some others i make please dont hesitate.

Edit: My first thread to reach two pages, personal best! :smallbiggrin:

[ericgrau]

Mass fireball: Twin fireball is a 7th level spell and twin is one of the better metamagics. If you say that targets don't take extra damage from overlapping fireballs then that could tone it down a great deal, maybe even making it a 6th level spell.
Incinerate: ~Scorching ray + quicken lesser glitterdust? Cool, though maybe a bit weak for the level if the blindness doesn't also affect the target.
Electrocute: Cool. Though if the stunning isn't mind effecting it's one of the best save-or-loses out there even if it does 0 damage. I think people underestimate the combination of two lesser effects by focusing too much on one effect.
Icy Prison: Cool :P.
Energized Field: Cool. I like how in extremely desperate situations it might include a high HP melee ally in the area together with enemies.
Pure Energy Ray: Do you mean 1d4 per caster level? Even at level 20 it's a 50:50 shot of actually getting 50 damage. OTOH it gets really good once empowered. I'd make the massive damage save DC text "equal to the spell save DC" or "equal to the spell save DC minus 2" if you want (same as 13 + casting stat modifier if the caster doesn't have spell focus). Rather than adding a new confusing save DC mechanic.
Pure Energy Ray, Pure Energy Blast: Ditto on the save DC mechanic. Pure Energy Blast runs into the opposite problem in that with 17 d8s every single target will almost certainly receive over 50 damage each. Since nothing is immune and since you don't have to worry about hitting allies, this spell is much better than other 9th level spells like wail of the banshee.

[Kane0]

Im glad you like them. :smallsmile:



Mass fireball: Twin fireball is a 7th level spell and twin is one of the better metamagics. If you say that targets don't take extra damage from overlapping fireballs then that could tone it down a great deal, maybe even making it a 6th level spell.

When you have two fireballs only one will affect a single target, but when you get 3 then two of them will affect and so on.



Incinerate: ~Scorching ray + quicken lesser glitterdust? Cool, though maybe a bit weak for the level if the blindness doesn't also affect the target.

Fixed to include the target.



Electrocute: Cool. Though if the stunning isn't mind effecting it's one of the best save-or-loses out there even if it does 0 damage. I think people underestimate the combination of two lesser effects by focusing too much on one effect.

The stun isnt mind effecting at this stage, no.




Pure Energy Ray: Do you mean 1d4 per caster level? Even at level 20 it's a 50:50 shot of actually getting 50 damage. OTOH it gets really good once empowered. I'd make the massive damage save DC text "equal to the spell save DC" or "equal to the spell save DC minus 2" if you want (same as 13 + casting stat modifier if the caster doesn't have spell focus). Rather than adding a new confusing save DC mechanic.

At the moment it is 1d6 per caster level + caster level, to a maximum of 15d6 +15. That allows it to reach 50 damage at higher levels despite energy resistance potentially lowering it. It also allows it to be metamagiced well.
Fixed up the save DC to be equal to a DC from that spell level -2.



Pure Energy Ray, Pure Energy Blast: Ditto on the save DC mechanic. Pure Energy Blast runs into the opposite problem in that with 17 d8s every single target will almost certainly receive over 50 damage each. Since nothing is immune and since you don't have to worry about hitting allies, this spell is much better than other 9th level spells like wail of the banshee.


At a level 9 spell I want evocation to be worth it, a 'capstone' making evocation worthy of being a specialty school again. Fixed the DC and the whole resistance issue though.