gr8artist
2013-04-29, 03:17 AM
So, I'm going to run my players through a game where they're helping a wizard with research for a new spell. They're going to be tricked into thinking he's a good guy, but really he's not. *shocker*
Anyway, the quest will consist of three steps, three mini-objectives to take out rival wizards and retrieve some experimental new spell scrolls. (Such spells will be things like enlarged fireball, a normal spell with the benefits of a metamagic built in.)
The players are then asked to bring the scrolls back to the evil wizard after each mini-quest. But prior to bringing back the third, the players will be informed of his deceit and provided an option: bring back a forgery.
If they accept, and bring back at least one forgery spell, then the result the wizard makes will be different from the spell he would have made from all 3 actual experimental spells.
Anyway, that's the background for these reward spells. Because of the questing involved, the spells are a little more powerful than spells of equal level... I think. I would appreciate feedback, let me know what you think of these... I want them to be strong, but not game-breaking, since we're in a round-robin campaign and I'm not always the DM.
Also, do you think spells like this are a good reward for players? Our campaign allows nearly infinite access to magical crafting and custom items... I wanted to spruce things up a little.
Black Hole (at least 1 forgery)
School Conjuration; Level sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a potion of mage hand worth 25 gold)
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area 20-ft.-radius spread centered around a tiny rift
Duration Concentration +1 round, up to 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: none; Spell Resistance no
This spell causes a rift to open between the material and ethereal planes, pulling everything in the target area inward, before holding it in place and crushing it.
Every creature within the area of the spell is the target of a drag combat maneuver check each round at the end of your turn, including the round that black hole was cast. Creatures that enter the area of effect are immediately subjected to this check. When determining the rift’s CMB, the rift uses your caster level as its base attack bonus, has an initial strength score of 18, and is treated as medium sized. The rift’s strength score increases by +1 after every round of concentration, to a maximum of 30 after 12 rounds. Roll only once for the entire spell effect each round and apply the result to all creatures in the area. Every object in the area is subject to this effect as well; use the lifting and dragging rules from pages 169-170 to determine the whether an object is moved or not.
If the spell succeeds in pulling a creature or object adjacent to the effect’s point of origin, that subject takes 1d6 points of damage plus the rift’s current strength modifier and becomes grappled. The rift may grapple any number of creatures simultaneously, but may only grapple creatures adjacent to the point of origin. Make only one check each round for all combat maneuvers, but treat this result as 5 higher for the purposes of maintaining grapple checks against the rift’s victims. Each round that black hole succeeds on a grapple check, it deals 1d6 damage plus the rift’s current strength modifier. The CMD of black hole, for the purposes of escaping the grapple, is equal to 10 + its CMB.
The rift created by black hole cannot be damaged, but it can be dispelled as normal. The entire area of effect is considered difficult terrain whie the rift lasts. Immovable objects or objects too heavy to be moved by this spell take 1d6 points of damage + the rift’s current strength modifier every round. Any creature creature killed by this spell, as well as any object reduced to 0 hit points, is reduced to dust and transported to the ethereal plane.
Conflagration (return all three experimental scrolls)
School Evocation [fire]; Level sorceror/wizard 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (an oil of spark worth 25 gold)
Range medium (100 ft. +10 ft./level)
Area cylinder (20 ft. radius, 40 ft. high)
Duration concentration +1 round, up to 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Reflex half, see text; Spell Resistance yes
This spell causes a fiery explosion, which then turns into a twisting column of opaque flames that persists and deals damage over time.
When you cast this spell, the air in the area of effect immediately combusts, dealing 1d6 points of fire damage per two caster levels you possess (maximum 10d6) to every creature and unattended flammable object in the area. A successful reflex save halves this damage. This explosion creates almost no pressure, but a very loud roar. This spell sets fire to combustibles and can melt metals with low melting points, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, and bronze.
The fire continues to burn after the initial explosion, dealing 3d6 points of fire damage to every creature and unattended object in the area every round at the end of your turn, starting with the round after you cast this spell. This damage increases by 1d6 on the second round of concentration, and every two rounds of concentration afterward, to a maximum of 10d6 after 14 rounds. Opponents entering the area of effect take this damage immediately, and don’t receive a save. Opponents who receive damage from this spell after the initial round are caught on fire, and take an additional 1d6 points of fire damage every round until the fire is extinguished. The DC to extinguish these flames is equal to the DC of this spell.
The entire area of effect is considered difficult terrain while the fire burns, and the fire obscures all vision past 10’ and provides concealment to creatures inside it.
Anyway, the quest will consist of three steps, three mini-objectives to take out rival wizards and retrieve some experimental new spell scrolls. (Such spells will be things like enlarged fireball, a normal spell with the benefits of a metamagic built in.)
The players are then asked to bring the scrolls back to the evil wizard after each mini-quest. But prior to bringing back the third, the players will be informed of his deceit and provided an option: bring back a forgery.
If they accept, and bring back at least one forgery spell, then the result the wizard makes will be different from the spell he would have made from all 3 actual experimental spells.
Anyway, that's the background for these reward spells. Because of the questing involved, the spells are a little more powerful than spells of equal level... I think. I would appreciate feedback, let me know what you think of these... I want them to be strong, but not game-breaking, since we're in a round-robin campaign and I'm not always the DM.
Also, do you think spells like this are a good reward for players? Our campaign allows nearly infinite access to magical crafting and custom items... I wanted to spruce things up a little.
Black Hole (at least 1 forgery)
School Conjuration; Level sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a potion of mage hand worth 25 gold)
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area 20-ft.-radius spread centered around a tiny rift
Duration Concentration +1 round, up to 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: none; Spell Resistance no
This spell causes a rift to open between the material and ethereal planes, pulling everything in the target area inward, before holding it in place and crushing it.
Every creature within the area of the spell is the target of a drag combat maneuver check each round at the end of your turn, including the round that black hole was cast. Creatures that enter the area of effect are immediately subjected to this check. When determining the rift’s CMB, the rift uses your caster level as its base attack bonus, has an initial strength score of 18, and is treated as medium sized. The rift’s strength score increases by +1 after every round of concentration, to a maximum of 30 after 12 rounds. Roll only once for the entire spell effect each round and apply the result to all creatures in the area. Every object in the area is subject to this effect as well; use the lifting and dragging rules from pages 169-170 to determine the whether an object is moved or not.
If the spell succeeds in pulling a creature or object adjacent to the effect’s point of origin, that subject takes 1d6 points of damage plus the rift’s current strength modifier and becomes grappled. The rift may grapple any number of creatures simultaneously, but may only grapple creatures adjacent to the point of origin. Make only one check each round for all combat maneuvers, but treat this result as 5 higher for the purposes of maintaining grapple checks against the rift’s victims. Each round that black hole succeeds on a grapple check, it deals 1d6 damage plus the rift’s current strength modifier. The CMD of black hole, for the purposes of escaping the grapple, is equal to 10 + its CMB.
The rift created by black hole cannot be damaged, but it can be dispelled as normal. The entire area of effect is considered difficult terrain whie the rift lasts. Immovable objects or objects too heavy to be moved by this spell take 1d6 points of damage + the rift’s current strength modifier every round. Any creature creature killed by this spell, as well as any object reduced to 0 hit points, is reduced to dust and transported to the ethereal plane.
Conflagration (return all three experimental scrolls)
School Evocation [fire]; Level sorceror/wizard 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (an oil of spark worth 25 gold)
Range medium (100 ft. +10 ft./level)
Area cylinder (20 ft. radius, 40 ft. high)
Duration concentration +1 round, up to 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Reflex half, see text; Spell Resistance yes
This spell causes a fiery explosion, which then turns into a twisting column of opaque flames that persists and deals damage over time.
When you cast this spell, the air in the area of effect immediately combusts, dealing 1d6 points of fire damage per two caster levels you possess (maximum 10d6) to every creature and unattended flammable object in the area. A successful reflex save halves this damage. This explosion creates almost no pressure, but a very loud roar. This spell sets fire to combustibles and can melt metals with low melting points, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, and bronze.
The fire continues to burn after the initial explosion, dealing 3d6 points of fire damage to every creature and unattended object in the area every round at the end of your turn, starting with the round after you cast this spell. This damage increases by 1d6 on the second round of concentration, and every two rounds of concentration afterward, to a maximum of 10d6 after 14 rounds. Opponents entering the area of effect take this damage immediately, and don’t receive a save. Opponents who receive damage from this spell after the initial round are caught on fire, and take an additional 1d6 points of fire damage every round until the fire is extinguished. The DC to extinguish these flames is equal to the DC of this spell.
The entire area of effect is considered difficult terrain while the fire burns, and the fire obscures all vision past 10’ and provides concealment to creatures inside it.