Critigue my Spells

[Arakune]

Minor Explorer Map
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 2, Brd 3
Components: V,S,M,F
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./ level)
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Area: Circle, centered on you, with a radius of 400 ft. + 40 ft./ level
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: No (see text)
Spell Resistance: No (see text)

Useable only indoors this spell scans the area within range and displays a persistent, roughly detailed 2D map of the architecture of the building, showing all common entrances and exits of any room though not their furniture or occupants. Only secret passages know by the caster are displayed by this spell.

All rooms within range are displayed on the map but any alteration on them, such as a section of the wall collapsing and revealing a new passage, are not updated on the map unless the caster is within range.

This spell strictly bypass most metals, earth, wood and stone, but it is blocked by certain heavy materials such as lead and adamantine.

The caster can also prepare a number of additional focus equal to his caster level, and their locations are all automatically tracked down by the spell if they are within range.

This spell only works on architecture, with the focus being the sole exception.

The spell automatically dispels when the caster moves outdoor.

Arcane Material Component
A piece of parchment with a red 'X' on the middle

Focus
A piece of bronze triangle button
================================================== =======
Major Explorer Map
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 5, Brd 4
Components: V,S,M,F
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./ level)
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Area: Circle, centered on you, with a radius of 400 ft. + 40 ft./ level
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) (see text)
Spell Resistance: No (see text)

As Minor Explorer Map with the following exceptions:

It displays a 3D map which can additionally shows all unattended objects and secret passages within range.

It also displays all creatures within range who fail their will check. For purposes of this spell swarms counts as a single creature.

Arcane Material Component
A piece of parchment with a more detailed map and an 'X' on the center

Focus
A piece of gold triangle button costing at least 15gp
================================================== =======
Complete Explorer's Map
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 8, Brd 5
Components: V,S,M,F
Range: See Text
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Area: See Text
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmles) (see text)
Spell Resistance: No (see text)

As Major Explorer Map, with the following exceptions:

It targets a single building complex no matter the size, so long as it counts as a single building. It also bypasses up to 1ft of heavy metals, such as lead and adamantine.

Arcane Material Component
A small wooden map with an 'X' carved in the center.

Focus
A piece of platinum triangle button costing at least 25gp
================================================== =======
================================================== =======
Least Fiend Traps: Floor
Conjuration
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V,S,F
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Casting Time: 1 round
Duration: 1 minute/level or until discharged
Area: see text
Saving Throw: see text
Spell Resistance: see text

This spell places a magical trap on the ground that can be detected by a rogue as a normal magical trap with search DC 25 + spell level and can be normally disabled with a disable device check equal DC 25 + spell level. The caster can, however, activate the trap as a free action.

Before placing the trap, the caster needs to decide the nature of the trap:

Bear Trap: 5ft area, ref negates, SR no, 1d6 piercing and bludgeoning damage, restrain in place for 1 round/level unless it can pass a strength check with DC 15 + casting stat bonus but it becomes flatfooted until the end turn.

Spring Trap: 5ft area, ref negates, SR no, throw the target in a single chosen direction at the time the trap was set for 30ft on the horizontal and 10ft on the vertical, taking falling damage as normal from that height.

Focus
A small, round sapphire gem with an 'X' cut in one of it's faces.
================================================== =======
Lesser Fiend Traps: Floor
Conjuration
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V,S,F
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Casting Time: 1 round
Duration: 1 minute/level or until discharged
Area: see text
Saving Throw: see text
Spell Resistance: see text

As Least Fiends Traps: Floor, except for the following.

Vacuum Floor: 10ft area, fort negates, SR Yes, bring targets towards the square center for 1 round/level

Explosive Trap: 10ft area, ref partial, SR: Yes, 4d6 fire damage and throw the target 30ft on the horizontal and 10ft on the vertical in a random direction. In case the target makes the saving throw the target receives only half damage and is pushed back 5ft.

Focus
A small, round sapphire gem with gold casing with an 'X' cut in one of it's faces.
================================================== =======
Least Fiend Traps: Wall
Conjuration
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V,S,F
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Casting Time: 1 round
Duration: 1 minute/level or until discharged
Area: 5x10 ft are on the wall
Saving Throw: see text
Spell Resistance: see text

Same as with the Least Fiend Traps: Floor, but instead places a trap on the wall.

Arrow Wall: ref negate, SR no, 2d6 piercing damage.

Sliding Wall: ref negate, bullrush the opponent with a base attack bonus equal your caster level, using your casting stat modifier instead of strength.

Magnetic Wall: fort negate, SR yes, area: 10ft on a square wall, pull towards the trap center for 1 round/level

Focus
A small, round ruby gem with an square cut in one of it's faces.
================================================== =======
Least Fiend Traps: Ceiling
Conjuration
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V,S,F
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Casting Time: 1 round
Duration: 1 minute/level or until discharged
Area: 5x10 ft are on the wall
Saving Throw: see text
Spell Resistance: see text

Same as with the Least Fiend Traps: Floor, but instead places a trap on the ceiling.

Big Rock: ref negates, SR no, 3d6 bludgeoning damage, can stop the stone with a successful strength check with DC 15 + casting stat modifier but it becomes flatfooted until the end turn.

Pendulum: ref negates, SR no, 2d6 piercing damage, throw the target 20ft in one direction.

Vase: will negates, SR Yes, blind and deafen target for 1 round/level.

Focus
A small, round emerald gem with a triangle cut in one of it's faces.

[TuggyNE]

First off, you should ask a mod to move this into Homebrew.


Explorer's Map
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 1

This seems solid, although maybe bump it up a level; it's arguably a good bit more powerful than know direction (0), at least as useful as locate object (2), and comes disturbingly close to replacing find the path (6).


Adventurer's Map
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 3

This one is definitely too low a level. Maybe 4th, or even 5th.


The map displays all entrances and exists known by the caster, and indicates if there are still 'entrances' or 'exists' unknown to the caster. It also tracks all creatures with hostile intent towards the caster on the same room of the caster.

When this spell is active the caster have effective unlimited line of sight (but not line of effect) in the room.

Minor typos struck out/underlined.


Arcane Focus
A gold triangular button.

It's implied that this is more expensive than the focus for explorer's map, but no price is given.


Spring Trap: 5ft area, ref negates, SR no, throw the target in a single chosen direction at the time the trap was set for 30ft on the horizontal and 10ft on the vertical, likely the target taking failing damage.

The last clause should be something like "causing the target to take falling damage as normal from that height"; however, 10' falling is not much and easy to negate with e.g. Tumble check; consider either upping it or remove the possibility to simplify use.


Explosive Trap: 10ft area, ref partial, SR: Yes, 2d6 fire damage and throw the target 30ft on the horizontal and 10ft on the vertical in a random direction.

You don't mention what the Reflex reduces. 2d6 fire halved, no ability to avoid being thrown?


Fiend Traps: Wall
[...]
Area: 5x10 ft are on the wall

I'd change this to "Area: 10' square on a vertical wall".


Fiend Traps: Wall

Should be ": Ceiling".


Vase: will negates, SR Yes, blind and deafen target for 1 round/level.

Will negates? Seems odd.

[SamBurke]

Thing is, those Fiend Traps have a LOT of uses... probably too many for their level. I'd bump it up at least a level, and adjust the damage accordingly, if you must.

[Arakune]

Thanks tuggyne, I will edit it accordingly.

EDIT: I edited with the critique. I didn't knew the Explorer map was tat good, I was only aware that wizards were in demand for more divination stuff giving a mini map like in a PC would greatly help the survival of the party.

[karkus]

On the first one, you could base more off of it, such as a 3D map that requires a 3rd level spell slot, a 2D map that shows enemies and allies for a 4th level spell slot, and then a 3D map that shows enemies and allies that requires a 5th level slot. Also, if you want to enlarge the area that you can see (make it something like "a 10 foot cube/caster level"), you can make more powerful versions of it, such as a 9th level spell that shows you an entire dungeon complex (that would be very good, especially for Diviners, because the only 9th-level Divination spell is Foresight), as opposed to the 3rd-level spell that shows a mid-sized building.

Another thing that you could try is to give the people who will be detected a Will save. It would be Harmless for detecting your allies, but the DM could roll a Will save for each enemy to be detected (they would not be alerted).

As for the Trap spells, change the names on the "Least" spells to "Minor." That's usually how the pattern in D&D spellcasting goes.

Otherwise, it seems fair to me. Not a lot of people take advantage of traps, and if you make those spells Creation effects, you could, very easily, trap your stronghold, and even trap the area behind you in case if enemy reinforcements come along.

[karkus]

On the first one, you could base more off of it, such as a 3D map that requires a 3rd level spell slot, a 2D map that shows enemies and allies for a 4th level spell slot, and then a 3D map that shows enemies and allies that requires a 5th level slot. Also, if you want to enlarge the area that you can see (make it something like "a 10 foot cube/caster level"), you can make more powerful versions of it, such as a 9th level spell that shows you an entire dungeon complex (that would be very good, especially for Diviners, because the only 9th-level Divination spell is Foresight), as opposed to the 3rd-level spell that shows a mid-sized building.

Another thing that you could try is to give the people who will be detected a Will save. It would be Harmless for detecting your allies, but the DM could roll a Will save for each enemy to be detected (they would not be alerted).

As for the Trap spells, change the names on the "Least" spells to "Minor." That's usually how the pattern in D&D spellcasting goes.

Otherwise, it seems fair to me. Not a lot of people take advantage of traps, and if you make those spells Creation effects (permanent, but will either break or will have to be reset once used up), you could, very easily, trap your stronghold, and even trap the area behind you in case if enemy reinforcements come along.

[nedz]

Explorer's map replicates a piece of paper and a pencil, its probably a cantrip.
Its possible I'm misinterpreting it though.

Does it just map out the rooms which the caster has been into, or room as yet unvisited ?
How would it cope with rotating rooms ?
How would it cope with non-euclidean buildings ?
What happens if a building has floors with multiple sub-levels, i.e. ramps ?
What about mezzanines ?
What happens if you cast it in a moving lift ?
Does it reveal secret doors ?


Adventurer's map has become lost ?

The trap spells are slightly reminiscent of the AD&D spell Leomund's Trap, except that LT created a fake trap which couldn't be removed.

There is also the +2 metamagic feat Earthbound Spell from PH2, which can be used to set many spells as traps.

[Arakune]

Some updates on the spells and addition of two more.