War Spells! Discussion and Application

[unseenmage]

War Spells are presented in Dragon 309 page 44. It's basically a template that can be applied to spells to make them affect a battlefield's worth of creatures or space.

A player must have the War Magic Study feat to cast War Spells, or even know them.


The article has a few more limitations that render them near enough impossible to use in normal gameplay.
1; You must burn a feat on even being able to use them (War Magic Study).
2; To cast a War Magic spell, you must have surveyed the area to be targeted for at least 1 minute in the past 24 hours.
3; Casting times are increased to at the very least 1 minute.
4; It's expected that if you're having access to a War Spell, you're fighting in a War Scenario; your DM should have appropriate other counters; such as your War Greater Spirit Binding Neraph with Infernal Bargainer bringing in 25 Oriental Dragons.

Creating War Spells
Modify a normal spell as follows:
- Spells modified this way gain the "[War]" descriptor.
- Spell Level: +1
- Material Components: *10 plus additional Material Component = Spell Level *Minimum CL*100gp
- Casting Time: 1 round or less becomes 1 minute, 1 minute or multiple rounds becomes 10 minutes
- Range increase to Long for attacks spells, to Medium for beneficial spells
- Range: 20' burst or spread becomes 60' burst or spread or a 100 sq. ft. area
- Targets: up to 25 creatures per CL
- If spell would summon or create one thing it summons or creates 25 per CL instead.

Researching Custom Spells is in the DMG on page 198. It normally takes 1 week per level of the spell, 1,000gp per level of the spell, and finally a DC10+ level of the spell Spellcraft check which, if failed, means you start all over with your time and money wasted. Researching new War Spells would take an additional week, 1,000gp, and add +1 to that Spellcraft DC due to the War Spells being of +1 spell level.

Living Spell (MM3pg91) War Spells could be very nasty. Especially with that automatic increase to at least medium range, gives it at least 40' land speed.

Turns out there's a list of Spell Templates each requiring a pseudo-Metamagic feat to access in Dragon 311 on page 43. Thanks Mcdt2 for pointing them out (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16132098#post16132098).

Now, lets make some War Spells of cool stuff shall we?
The Spell Template
Name
School (Subschool) [Descriptor]
Level: Class Level
Components: V, S, M, F, DF, XP
Casting Time:
Range:
Target:
Duration:
Saving Throw:
Spell Resistance:


And here's a friendly reminder from your local Psyren,


I'm not telling anyone not to use this... interesting pile set of rules. But the OP doesn't include a single line on how much work these things would need to be useful/balanced in a regular power game. So a dissenting/cautionary voice does have value here.
Thank you for reading.


WAR MAGIC STUDY [GENERAL]

You have studied war magic and can perform the complex rituals necessary to utilize it.

Prerequisites: Great Fortitude, Iron Will, spellcaster level 3rd.

Benefit: You may acquire and cast spells with the war descriptor.

Normal: War magic spells do not appear on any class spell list for a character without this feat. Such a character cannot acquire or cast spells with the war descriptor but still can aid another person who is casting such a spell.

[unseenmage]

War Spell: Minor Servitor (Savage Species), SL5, min CL9, 250xp/cu ft animated material

War Minor Servitor
War Minor Servitor
Transmutation [War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6, Clrc 8
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: One Day
Range: Medium
Target: Up to 25 cu. ft. material per CL
Duration: Permanent (D)
Saving Throw: None (object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (object)

You imbue large number of inanimate objects with mobility and a semblance of life.
The animated objects are friendly toward you.
You have no special empathy or connection with the object, although it serves you in specific tasks or endeavors if you communicate your desires to it.
The object can be of any nonmagical material, including wood, metal, stone, fabric, leather, ceramic, and glass.
You can also animate masses of raw matter, such as water, a rock from a wall, or a rock on the ground, as long as the volume of material does not exceed 25 cubic feet per caster level.
For each cubic foot of volume, the animated object has 1 Hit Die.
The objects gains Intelligence scores (roll 3d6) and Charisma scores (roll 1d3) from the spell.
This spell cannot create more than 25 creatures per caster level.
Other statistics for animated objects are found in the Monster Manual.
Material Component: 10 pieces or handfuls of material of the same type as the object to be animated worth 7,200gp
XP Cost: 250 XP per cubic foot of material affected.

War Spell: Nybor's Psychic Imprint (Nybor's Small Codex; the WotC Magic Books of Faerun archives (https://web.archive.org/web/20150905201956/http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20041215a)), SL6, min CL12, creature touched

War Psychic Imprint
War Psychic Imprint
Transmutation [Evil, Mind-Affecting, War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, M, F
Casting Time: One Hour
Range: Medium
Target: Up to 25 creatures per CL
Duration: Instantaneous and see text
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You create a magical field in the mind of the target creatures, then use that field to recreate the targets minds in gems, one gem per target. The stress of this mental attack knocks the targets unconscious and deals it enough ability drain to reduce their Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma to 0, leaving the subjects comatose.

The psychic imprints stored in the gems is unstable and dissipates after 1 day per caster level unless the gems are crafted into magic items or become part of magic items, one gem per magic item. If so used, the items become intelligent (gaining the personality, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, alignment, general memories, and languages known of the target creature). Any other properties associated with an intelligent item (such as empathy, speech, or telepathy, senses, and capabilities) must be crafted and paid for appropriately using the costs listed in the Dungeon Master's Guide. The psychic impressions have no ranks in any skills or any other abilities other than what is described above (so an item made with the impression of a powerful cleric has only general knowledge pertaining to the target's religion); to tap into these abilities the item crafter must add appropriate item capabilities (in the cleric example, the item crafter would need to pay for the "item has 10 ranks in Knowledge" lesser power).

Since the gems retain the targets personalities, any feelings the targets had toward you are echoed by the gems and the crafted items. For example, if the targets of the spell hate you, the items will hate you as well. This attitude includes any temporary modifiers to the targets mental states (since the magical field copies the targets current mental state), so a Charm Person spell on the target makes the item always view you as its best friend.

The targets can recover from their ability drain as normal, and they and the items bear each other no ill will and have no unusual reaction to each other or way to recognize each other (in a way, their minds are similar but not identical in the same way as identical twins).

Note: Normally this spell is used to recreate the minds of loyal vassals in a hoard of magic items to ensure similar loyalty in the items. The spell's creator used it to create spies in the households of her rivals, duplicating the minds of her charmed apprentices and presenting the crafted items as gifts to those she wished to observe. Some who have heard of this spell believe it can be used on armies that died recently, and, in such cases, serves to preserve the legacy of a dead heroes without imprisoning their actual minds within the items. Others believe this spell can press the targets minds into bodies of inert flesh (similar to a clone spell, except it works even if the original subject is still alive) and that has been used this way in the past to trick and subvert the unknowing.

Material Component: Gems of any types each worth at least 250gp times the total of a single target's Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma ability bonuses (so a target with Int 12, Wis 12, and Cha 10 requires a 500 gp gem and one with Int 18, Wis 18, Cha 10 requires a 2,000 gp gem) to a minimum of 9,800gp worth of gems total. If crafted into a magic item, the cost of an imprinted gem counts toward the total price of the item. One gem can hold only one psychic imprint at a time, but if its current imprint is allowed to fade, it can be reused as focus for this spell.

[unseenmage]

War Spell: Minor Creation for Greensickness (Du129, MM3pg124) spores

War Minor Creation
War Minor Creation
Conjuration (Creation) [War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Medium
Effect: Unattended, nonmagical object of nonliving plant matter, up to 25 cu. ft./level
Target:
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
You create a nonmagical, unattended object of nonliving, vegetable matter. The volume of the item created cannot exceed 25 cubic feet per caster level or more than 25 items per caster level. You must succeed on an appropriate skill check to make a complex item.
Attempting to use any created object as a material component causes the spell to fail.
Material Component: Ten tiny pieces of matter of the same sort of item you plan to create with minor creation and 4,500gp

War True Creation
War True Creation
Conjuration (Creation) [War]
Level: Creation 9
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Medium
Effect: Unattended, nonmagical object of nonliving matter, up to 25 cu. ft./level
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
The caster creates a nonmagical, unattended object of any sort of matter. Items created are permanent and cannot be negated by dispelling magics or negating powers. For all intents and purposes, these items are completely real. The volume of the item created cannot exceed 25 cubic foot per caster level. The caster must succeed at an appropriate skill check to make a complex item.
Unlike the items brought into being by the lower-level spells minor creation and major creation, objects created by the casting of true creation can be used as material components.
This spell cannot create more than 25 individual items per caster level.
Material Component: 15,300gp
XP Cost: The items gold piece values in XP, or a minimum of 1 XP per item, whichever is more.

Notes:
I like that the application of the War Spell to these makes their range medium, means you can create the material right next to the enemy. Would be nice if you could create the material in the air above them too but I think there's a caveat in the Creation subschool itself that keeps that from happening.

[unseenmage]

War Spell: Binding (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/binding.htm), min caster level

War Binding
War Binding
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: One minute
Range: Medium
Target: Up to 25 living creatures per CL
Duration: See text (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

A mass binding spell creates a magical restraint to hold up to 25 creatures per CL. The targets get an initial saving throw only if their Hit Dice equal at least one-half your caster level.

You may have as many as sixteen assistants help you with the spell. For each assistant who casts suggestion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/suggestion.htm), your caster level for this casting of mass binding increases by 1. For each assistant who casts dominate animal (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dominateAnimal.htm), dominate person (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dominatePerson.htm), or dominate monster (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dominateMonster.htm), your caster level for this casting of binding increases by a number equal to one-third of that assistant’s level, provided that the spell’s target is appropriate for a mass binding spell. Since the assistants’ spells are cast simply to improve your caster level for the purpose of the mass binding spell, saving throws and spell resistance against the assistants’ spells are irrelevant. Your caster level determines whether the target gets an initial Will saving throw and how long the mass binding lasts. All mass binding spells are dismissible.

Regardless of the version of mass binding you cast, you can specify triggering conditions that end the spell and release the creatures whenever they occur. These triggers can be as simple or elaborate as you desire, but the condition must be reasonable and have a likelihood of coming to pass. The conditions can be based on a creature’s name, identity, or alignment but otherwise must be based on observable actions or qualities. Intangibles such as level, class, Hit Dice, or hit points don’t qualify. Once the spell is cast, its triggering conditions cannot be changed. Setting a release condition increases the save DC (assuming a saving throw is allowed) by 2.

If you are casting any of the first three versions of mass binding (those with limited durations), you may cast additional mass binding spells to prolong the effect, since the durations overlap. If you do so, the target gets a saving throw at the end of the first spell’s duration, even if your caster level was high enough to disallow an initial saving throw. If the creature succeeds on this save, all the mass binding spells it has received are broken.

The mass binding spell has six versions. Choose one of the following versions when you cast the spell.

Mass Chaining
The subjects are confined by restraints that generate an antipathy (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/antipathy.htm) spell affecting all creatures who approach the subject, except you. The duration is one year per caster level. The subjects of this form of mass binding are confined to the spot they occupied when they received the spell.

Mass Slumber
This version causes the subjects to become comatose for as long as one year per caster level. The subjects do not need to eat or drink while slumbering, nor do they age. This form of mass binding is more difficult to cast than chaining, making it slightly easier to resist. Reduce the spell’s save DC by 1.

Mass Bound Slumber
This combination of chaining and slumber lasts for as long as one month per caster level. Reduce the save DC by 2.

Mass Hedged Prison
The subjects are transported to or otherwise brought within a confined area from which they cannot wander by any means. The effect is permanent. Reduce the save DC by 3.

Mass Metamorphosis
The subjects assume gaseous forms, except for their head or face. They are held harmless in jars or other containers, which may be transparent if you so choose. One container per creature required. The creatures remain aware of their surroundings and can speak, but they cannot leave the containers, attack, or use any of their powers or abilities. The mass binding is permanent. The subjects do not need to breathe, eat, or drink while metamorphosed, nor do they age. Reduce the save DC by 4.

Mass Minimus Containment
The subjects are shrunk to a height of 1 inch or even less and held within some gems, jars, or similar objects. One container per creature required. The mass binding is permanent. The subjects do not need to breathe, eat, or drink while contained, nor do they age. Reduce the save DC by 4.

You can’t dispel a mass binding spell with dispel magic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dispelMagic.htm) or a similar effect, though an antimagic field (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/antimagicField.htm) or Mage’s disjunction (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magesDisjunction.htm) affects it normally. A bound extraplanar creature cannot be sent back to its home plane due to dismissal (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dismissal.htm), banishment (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/banishment.htm), or a similar effect.

Components: The components for a mass binding spell vary according to the version of the spell, but they always include a continuous chanting utterance read from the scroll or spellbook page containing the spell, somatic gestures, and ten instances of materials appropriate to the form of mass binding used. These components can include such items as ten miniature chains of special metals, ten soporific herbs of the rarest sort (for slumber bindings), ten bell jars of the finest crystal, and the like.

In addition to the specially made props suited to the specific type of mass binding (cost 20,300gp), the spell requires opals worth at least 5,000gp for each HD of the targets and ten vellum depictions or ten carved statuettes of some the subjects to be captured.

[JaronK]

Note: combining this with Runesmith or Tainted Sorcerer so you don't pay material components makes this so much more fun!

Favorable Sacrifice + War Spell is extremely nasty if you're not paying material components. Specifically:

Mass Favorable Sacrifice [War]
Abjuration
Level: Cleric 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Medium
Target: 25 Creatures per Caster Level
Duration: 1 hour / level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The gems vaporize in your hand as you intone the spell. The rising vapors surround your allies, granting then the blessing of your beliefs.
The subjects receive the protection of a divine power commensurate with the value of the expended material component.
...
By expending 100,000 gp, you grant the subjects damage reduction 20/magic; resistance to acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic 20; and spell resistance equal to your caster level +10.
Material Component: Gems worth a total of 100,000 gp + 2,800gp

Imagine a CL 10 Tainted Sorcerer buffing his army with this before a battle. 250 creatures all with near immunity to elemental damage, able to easily shrug off non magic physical attacks, and with a reasonable defense vs magic!

JaronK

[unseenmage]

Note: combining this with Runesmith or Tainted Sorcerer so you don't pay material components makes this so much more fun!

Favorable Sacrifice + War Spell is extremely nasty if you're not paying material components. Specifically:

Mass Favorable Sacrifice [War]
Abjuration
Level: Cleric 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Medium
Target: 25 Creatures per Caster Level
Duration: 1 hour / level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The gems vaporize in your hand as you intone the spell. The rising vapors surround your allies, granting then the blessing of your beliefs.
The subjects receive the protection of a divine power commensurate with the value of the expended material component.
...
By expending 100,000 gp, you grant the subjects damage reduction 20/magic; resistance to acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic 20; and spell resistance equal to your caster level +10.
Material Component: Gems worth a total of 100,000 gp + 2,800gp

Imagine a CL 10 Tainted Sorcerer buffing his army with this before a battle. 250 creatures all with near immunity to elemental damage, able to easily shrug off non magic physical attacks, and with a reasonable defense vs magic!

JaronK

Where's Favorable Sacrifice from?

[JaronK]

Spell Compendium.

By the way, can this template be applied to personal spells?

JaronK

[unseenmage]

Spell Compendium.

By the way, can this template be applied to personal spells?

JaronK

It doesn't say it can't. Would make their range medium.

I get the impression it's supposed to be a little OP. Or at the very least spells affected this way are supposed to influence an entire battlefield.



Edit: War Spell: Create Crawling Claw (Monster Compendium: Monsters of Faerûn)
War Create Crawling Claw
War Create Crawling Claw
Transmutation [Evil, War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Medium
Target: up to 25 per CL severed left hands within a 15-foot-radius circle
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
You may create a number of crawling claws equal to your caster level times 50.
The hands to be transformed must all be within a 15-foot radius circle.
To begin the spell, you must cast magic circle against good (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magicCircleAgainstGood.htm)around yourself and the claws.
The magic circle need not endure throughout the War Create Crawling Claw spell's 1-hour casting time; simply initiating the spell inside the circle is good enough.
Once created, the crawling claws will be under your direct telepathic command, so long as your instructions are very simple and you are within 100 feet.
If you leave that area, you must give the crawling claws simple standing orders beforehand.
Creating a crawling claw out of someone's hand does not preclude the use of a resurrection spell to bring that person back to life.
Stories are told of adventurers who were resurrected and later attacked by their own left hands.
Material Components: Clippings from ten ghouls fingernails, and ten rings that someone else lost worth 2,800gp.

[JaronK]

Mass Arcane Fusion [War]
Universal
Level: Sorcerer 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Medium
Target: 25 Targets per CL
Duration: Instantaneous
Your targets weave two spells together in their minds and release them in a single overwhelming burst of magic.
When you cast this spell, all targets choose any 1st-level sorcerer spell they know and any 4th-level or lower sorcerer spell they know. Neither spell chosen can have a casting time longer than 1 standard action. Both spells take effect in the order they choose, as if they had cast them one after the other using only one standard action, but they don't expend any additional spell slots to cast those spells. Effectively, they cast two other spells using this spell's 6th-level spell slot. Each of the chosen spells has its normal effect, including range, target, area, duration, saving throw, and spell resistance as appropriate to the spell's level.
If either spell requires a material component, focus, XP cost, or other special cost, these must be used or paid as part of the casting of arcane fusion.

Material Component: 5kgp

There. One fifth level spell slot for an insane swarm of spells. Even if the Sorcerers you cast this on just unload with blast spells, nothing's going to survive. A level 10 Sorcerer can use a sixth level spell to launch 250 blasts... may I suggest combinations of Caustic Mire and Boiling Oil and Evard's Black Tentacles augmented by Grease? Just if you wanted to fry everyone while they're pinned in place and screaming.

JaronK

[unseenmage]

War Spell: Otiluke's Greater Dispelling Screen (Complete Arcane)

War Otiluke's Greater Dispelling Screen
War Otiluke's Greater Dispelling Screen
Abjuration [War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long
Effect: Energy wall whose area is up to one 50-ft. square/level, or a sphere or hemisphere with a radius of up to 3 ft./level
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
You create an opaque, immobile, shimmering screen of violet energy.
Any spell effect operating on a creature or unattended object that passes through the screen is affected as by a targeted dispel magic at your caster level.
Attended items that pass through are not affected by the screen, which is the only way the screen differs from a normal targeted casting of dispel magic—attended items are essentially not targeted by the screen.
Make a caster level check (1d20 + 1 per caster level, maximum +20) to dispel spell effects (DC 11 + caster level) or suppress an unattended object's magical properties for 1d4 rounds (DC equal to the item's caster level).
Spell effects not operating on objects or unattended creatures cannot pass through the screen.
A disintegrate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/disintegrate.htm) or successful dispel magic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dispelMagic.htm) removes Otiluke's Even Bigger Greater Dispelling Screen, while an antimagic field (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/antimagicField.htm) suppresses it.
Material Component: Ten sheets of fine lead crystal worth 12,800gp.

[unseenmage]

War Spell: Energy Transformation Field (Magic of Faerun)

War Energy Transformation Field
War Energy Transformation Field
Transmutation [War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Long
Area: 120-ft.-radius spread
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
You create a massive lingering zone of transformative magic that absorbs magic energy from magic items or spellcasting in order to power another spell tied to that location. The field cannot absorb magical energy from more than 25 creatures or items per caster level.
For example, you could have an energy transformation battlefield tied to a summon monster V (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/summonMonsterV.htm) spell that would summon a monster when the field had absorbed enough magic.
The field absorbs the magic of spells cast, spell-like or supernatural abilities activated, and magic items used within its dimensions.
Each source of magic provides spell levels of energy to the field equal to the spell level of the effect used.
Supernatural abilities that emulate spells provide energy equal to the spell level of the effect.
Supernatural abilities that do not emulate spells provide energy equal to the HD of the creature using the ability.
For example, a cast fireball (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fireball.htm) spell or a charge from a wand of fireballs would add three spell levels to the field's store, a potion of cure light wounds (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/cureLightWounds.htm) would add one, and a wish (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wish.htm) from a ring of three wishes would add nine.
Effects that don't have a clearly defined spell level (such as the effects of most rods) use the prerequisite caster level needed to create that item (so an immovable rod would provide 2 spell levels every time it was activated because of its levitate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/levitate.htm) prerequisite).
Effects that are absorbed give no indication as to where the magic went; they simply vanish.
The field only absorbs magic actually used within its area.
Ongoing magical effects that enter the area, including spells cast from outside the area into the field or continually functioning items such as a +1 mace, are often visibly reduced, but do not have their actual effects hindered.
For example, a continual flame (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/continualFlame.htm) would dim slightly, but its overall magic would not be affected.
An energy transformation battlefield has a single spell linked to it.
When the field has absorbed spell levels equal to the spell level of its linked spell, it automatically casts that spell at a point within the field as designated by you at the time of the casting of the field.
This expends those absorbed spell levels (although unused levels remain until they are used or expire).
The cast spell functions as if cast by you in terms of duration and all level-based spell effects.
Absorbed spell levels fade at a rate of one per day if not used.
The field automatically triggers its linked spell if it has enough stored spell levels and the duration of its previous casting has expired.
If a linked spell requires concentration to maintain, the field expends one spell level for every hour of concentration (the field's concentration is only interrupted by its complete destruction).
Spells that require a target will target the living creature nearest to the energy transformation battlefield.
Typical spells linked to an energy transformation battlefield are blindness/deafness (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/blindnessDeafness.htm), fireball (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fireball.htm), suggestion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/suggestion.htm), summon monster (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/summonMonsterI.htm), and wall of force (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wallOfForce.htm).
Spells that have a costly material component or an XP cost cannot be linked to a field, but those with a costly focus can be if the focus object is present within the field (typically sealed into a wall or in a secret compartment).
Halaster of Undermountain reputedly links false vision (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/falseVision.htm) spells to thwart those who would spy on his master dungeon.
Only Mage's disjunction (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magesDisjunction.htm), limited wish (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/limitedWish.htm), wish (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/wish.htm), or similar spells can destroy the energy transformation battlefield.
Spells of lower level such as dispel magic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dispelMagic.htm) and Dispel Magic, Greater (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dispelMagicGreater.htm) are absorbed by it, and an antimagic field (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/antimagicField.htm) prevents it from absorbing magical energy within the field but does not otherwise hamper this spell.
If two or more field spells share an overlapping area, each field has an equal chance of absorbing a spell effect in that area.
Material Component: Thirty drops of your blood, ten eyes from any humanoids, and 59,800gp worth of powdered diamond.
XP Cost: 250 XP.

[JaronK]

Wait... are exp costs multiplied? From this, it doesn't look like it.

If so, [War] Extract Gift could be an amazing stunt for a demon spellcaster. Give everybody in the area a permanent bonus (maybe a nice +2 Con?), and without telling them (just convince them they want the free bonus), grant everybody the ability to hear your "suggestions" and grant yourself the ability to see out their eyes and hear out their ears.

Even without having a demon caster, a regular caster could capture a demon and buff a city guard this way rather cheaply... I imagine a really fun plot could be created involving a Dwarven Runesmith powering an entire town via demonic gifts without telling them.

Obviously, you'd need to avoid material component costs for this to be a good plan.

JaronK

[unseenmage]

Wait... are exp costs multiplied? From this, it doesn't look like it.

If so, [War] Extract Gift could be an amazing stunt for a demon spellcaster. Give everybody in the area a permanent bonus (maybe a nice +2 Con?), and without telling them (just convince them they want the free bonus), grant everybody the ability to hear your "suggestions" and grant yourself the ability to see out their eyes and hear out their ears.

Even without having a demon caster, a regular caster could capture a demon and buff a city guard this way rather cheaply... I imagine a really fun plot could be created involving a Dwarven Runesmith powering an entire town via demonic gifts without telling them.

Obviously, you'd need to avoid material component costs for this to be a good plan.

JaronK

It doesn't say anything about xp costs being increased.

I've also been taking some liberty with the Area of Effect increase. RAW only spells listed with "20' radius burst or spread" are increased. But as that can either become 60' or 100' I've been multiplying by 3 or 5 as appropriate.

Edit: The only spell I've used it on that didn't have an xp component that scaled naturally was the Energy Transfo. Field. Minor Servitor's xp component increases for the number of HD you animate so it increased with the area of effect increase.

Edit again, War Spell: Contingency (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/contingency.htm)

War Contingency
War Contingency
Evocation [War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 7 Sha'ir 7
Components: V, S, M, AF
Casting Time: At least 10 minutes; see text
Range: Medium
Target: You and up to 25 allies per CL
Duration: One day/level (D) or until discharged
You can place another spell upon yourself and other persons so that it comes into effect under some condition you dictate when casting battlefield contingency.
The battlefield contingency spell and the companion spell are cast at the same time.
The 10-minute casting time is the minimum total for both castings; if the companion spell has a casting time longer than 10 minutes, use that instead.
The spell to be brought into effect by the battlefield contingency must be one that affects your person (feather fall (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/featherFall.htm), levitate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/levitate.htm), fly (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fly.htm), teleport (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/teleport.htm), and so forth) and be of a spell level no higher than one-third your caster level (rounded down, maximum 6th level).
The conditions needed to bring the spell into effect must be clear, although they can be general.
For example, a battlefield contingency cast with water breathing (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/waterBreathing.htm) might prescribe that any time you are plunged into or otherwise engulfed in water or similar liquid, the water breathing spell instantly comes into effect.
Or a battlefield contingency could bring a feather fall spell into effect any time you fall more than 4 feet.
In all cases, the battlefield contingency immediately brings into effect the companion spell, the latter being "cast" instantaneously when the prescribed circumstances occur.
If complicated or convoluted conditions are prescribed, the whole spell combination (battlefield contingency and the companion magic) may fail when called on.
The companion spell occurs based solely on the stated conditions, regardless of whether you want it to.
You can use only one battlefield contingency or contingency (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/contingency.htm) spell at a time; if a second is cast, the first one (if still active) is dispelled.
Material Component: That of the companion spell times ten, plus quicksilver worth 9,800gp and ten eyelashes of an ogre mage, rakshasa, or similar spell-using creature.
Focus: A statuette of you carved from elephant ivory and decorated with gems (worth at least 1,500 gp).
You must carry the focus for the battlefield contingency to continue functioning on all creatures affected.

[JaronK]

Wait, Arcane Sight can be made permanent. Can War Arcane Sight be made permanent? Because that would be amazing.

Also, a few spells to have fun with if you're buffing an army:

Aspect of the Earth Hunter: 25 of your soldiers per CL become Bulettes, capable of burrowing under the enemy and popping out to attack.

Bite of the X: Turn your army into death machines!

JaronK

[Spuddles]

Hahahaha, oh SKR, monks are overpowered, wizards need more toys.

[Silva Stormrage]

Wait so would a War Greater Planar Binding Call 25 Pit Fiends per caster level? Sure they wouldn't be under your control or bound in anyway. But that would create a good distraction or army of unstoppable evil if summoned in an enemy town.

[unseenmage]

Wait, Arcane Sight can be made permanent. Can War Arcane Sight be made permanent? Because that would be amazing.

Also, a few spells to have fun with if you're buffing an army:

Aspect of the Earth Hunter: 25 of your soldiers per CL become Bulettes, capable of burrowing under the enemy and popping out to attack.

Bite of the X: Turn your army into death machines!

JaronK

Aspect of the Earth Hunter intrigues me, would you be willing to work it up? And please include the source. Either way it's bedtime for me for now though.

War Spell: Permanency (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/permanency.htm)

War Permanency
War Permanency
Universal [War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Medium
Target, Effect, or Area: See text
Duration: Permanent; see text
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell makes certain other spells permanent. You may make one viable spell permanent, as with the Permanency (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/permanency.htm) spell, on each of up to yourself and 25 creatures per CL.
Depending on the spells, you must be of a minimum caster level and must expend a number of XP.

You can make some spells permanent only in regard to yourself.

You cast the desired spell and then follow it with the battlefield permanency spell. You cannot cast some spells on other creatures. This application of battlefield permanency can be dispelled only by a caster of higher level than you were when you cast the spell.

In addition to personal use, permanency can be used to make some spells permanent on yourself, another creature, or an object (as appropriate).

Some spells bond only two creatures per casting of permanency.

Additionally, some spells can be cast upon objects or areas only and rendered permanent.

Spells cast on other creatures, objects, or locations (not on you) are vulnerable to dispel magic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dispelMagic.htm) as normal.
Material Components: 7,200gp
XP Cost: See tables for Permanency (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/permanency.htm).

[JaronK]

Check here for every spell ever, with source: https://raw.github.com/bagelbits/dnd-3.5-tools/master/general/data/all-spells.txt

It's part of a D&D automation project a friend and I are working on. You'll find, well, every spell ever there.

JaronK

[unseenmage]

Check here for every spell ever, with source: https://raw.github.com/bagelbits/dnd-3.5-tools/master/general/data/all-spells.txt

It's part of a D&D automation project a friend and I are working on. You'll find, well, every spell ever there.

JaronK

Have you guys seen this search engine for spells (http://www.imarvintpa.com/dndlive/FindSpell.php)? it's not quite comprehensive but it comes really close. No chance your more comprehensive list could be outfitted like their search engine is there? :smallsmile:

[Psyren]

This is broken - and not even in the "haha, they missed this obvious interaction but you can make it work" way, but in the "there's no possible way to make this reasonable or balanced" way. +1 adjustment to affect half a battlefield is crazy even by WotC standards (though sadly, not by Dragons standards) and don't get me started on the "25 creatures/CL" thing.

[Spuddles]

They're not even rules for creating the spells, they're listed as "guidelines." So this sort of thing is as legitimate as any other abuse of magic thing creation.

[Silva Stormrage]

This is broken - and not even in the "haha, they missed this obvious interaction but you can make it work" way, but in the "there's no possible way to make this reasonable or balanced" way. +1 adjustment to affect half a battlefield is crazy even by WotC standards (though sadly, not by Dragons standards) and don't get me started on the "25 creatures/CL" thing.

Agreed fully, this is one of the main reasons I generally err on the side of not allowing Dragon Magazine content :smallsigh:

[Vaz]

This is broken - and not even in the "haha, they missed this obvious interaction but you can make it work" way, but in the "there's no possible way to make this reasonable or balanced" way. +1 adjustment to affect half a battlefield is crazy even by WotC standards (though sadly, not by Dragons standards) and don't get me started on the "25 creatures/CL" thing.

The article has a few more limitations that render them near enough impossible to use in normal gameplay.

1; You must burn a feat on even being able to use them (War Magic Study).
2; To cast a War Magic spell, you must have surveyed the area to be targeted for at least 1 minute in the past 24 hours.
3; Casting times are increased to at the very least 1 minute.
4; It's expected that if you're having access to a War Spell, you're fighting in a War Scenario; your DM should have appropriate other counters; such as your War Greater Spirit Binding Neraph with Infernal Bargainer bringing in 25 Oriental Dragons.

[Psyren]

The article has a few more limitations that render them near enough impossible to use in normal gameplay.

1; You must burn a feat on even being able to use them (War Magic Study).
2; To cast a War Magic spell, you must have surveyed the area to be targeted for at least 1 minute in the past 24 hours.
3; Casting times are increased to at the very least 1 minute.
4; It's expected that if you're having access to a War Spell, you're fighting in a War Scenario; your DM should have appropriate other counters; such as your War Greater Spirit Binding Neraph with Infernal Bargainer bringing in 25 Oriental Dragons.

None of those are enough to make this remotely usable. Burning a feat is on par with metamagic, surveying your casting area is easy with scrying, 10 rounds is nothing in a war (never mind preparing for an attack, when this really shines), and "oh we'll just print this and the DM can come up with some way to counter it" is an awful design philosophy. Yeah, I did come up with a counter, it's called banning all Dragon material by default and only then evaluating it.

20 rounds is not nearly enough of a barrier to stop you using this outside of a war scenario either; you can simply shave that time off your daily spell prep without missing a beat. Even just using plain old Summon Monster, you basically auto-win your first encounter every day with minimal resource expenditure, and this can be repeated throughout the day with little effort.

If this was just for blasty or crowd control... it'd still be crazy (LCB levels of crazy) but at least you could say it wasn't getting used as much prior to combat. But the summons bit is completely overboard.

[unseenmage]

The article has a few more limitations that render them near enough impossible to use in normal gameplay.

1; You must burn a feat on even being able to use them (War Magic Study).
2; To cast a War Magic spell, you must have surveyed the area to be targeted for at least 1 minute in the past 24 hours.
3; Casting times are increased to at the very least 1 minute.
4; It's expected that if you're having access to a War Spell, you're fighting in a War Scenario; your DM should have appropriate other counters; such as your War Greater Spirit Binding Neraph with Infernal Bargainer bringing in 25 Oriental Dragons.

None of those are enough to make this remotely usable. Burning a feat is on par with metamagic, surveying your casting area is easy with scrying, 10 rounds is nothing in a war (never mind preparing for an attack, when this really shines), and "oh we'll just print this and the DM can come up with some way to counter it" is an awful design philosophy. Yeah, I did come up with a counter, it's called banning all Dragon material by default and only then evaluating it.

20 rounds is not nearly enough of a barrier to stop you using this outside of a war scenario either; you can simply shave that time off your daily spell prep without missing a beat. Even just using plain old Summon Monster, you basically auto-win your first encounter every day with minimal resource expenditure, and this can be repeated throughout the day with little effort.

If this was just for blasty or crowd control... it'd still be crazy (LCB levels of crazy) but at least you could say it wasn't getting used as much prior to combat. But the summons bit is completely overboard.

Resetting Magic Traps suffer the exact same broken-ness. As do many of the elements of the Core game.
And neither of you has mentioned the SL*CL*100 gp material component that gets tacked onto these spells. For higher level spells that'll eat through WBL in no time if used every day and for lower level spells it hardly makes it worth it. Oh and as for comparing these to Metamagic there is no comparison. There's no reducing the spell level increase from these with Metamagic Reducers.

Are there niche spells that make these rules shine? Oh yeah, definitely. Are there spells that can be used with this that shouldn't be, again yes.
Like all elements of the game it has to be an agreement between the players and the DM as to what is and isn't okay.

PAO, Shapechange, Nolzur's Pigments, Shapesand, Simulacrum, Metamagic Reducers, Psionics in general these are all elements I've seen done well and I've seen taken advantage of. And honestly the problem has never been with the rules, those are never perfect. The problems arise with permissive DMs and with the pushy players who exploit them.

Okay, rant over. Please return to your regularly scheduled bannings.

[Starmage21]

Why not a "Summon Army" spell, that takes a Summon Monster 2 and summons CL 5 (third level spell) * 25 = 125 Fiendish Wolves

I'm sure there are better alternatives out there (more optimal?) but this one sounds fun.

Summon Monster 4 would get you 11*25 = 275 Dire Wolves!

At the top end of this, we could do Summon Monster 8 and summon 425 Vrocks. We can dedicate 125 of them to hold the front line, while the other 300 start doing the Dance of Ruin.

No fantasy army of men would survive any of this, and that means we still fall into magical singularity and result in a tippyverse.

[Fax Celestis]

Isaac's Greater Missile Storm
Evocation [Force, War]
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long (400' + 40'/level)
Target: Up to 25 creatures per Caster Level, no two of which may be more than 60' apart
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

A barrage of 25 magic missiles (as the spell) burst from your hands, dealing 1d4+1 damage each.

For every caster level beyond 1st, you gain an additional 25 missiles—50 at 2nd level, 75 at 3rd, 100 at 4th, 125 at 5th, 150 at 6th, 175 at 7th, 200 at 8th, and the maximum of 225 missiles at 9th level or higher. If you shoot multiple missiles, you can have them strike a single creature or several creatures. A single missile can strike only one creature. You must designate targets before you check for spell resistance or roll damage.

[Khatoblepas]

Suddenly Psions
Transmutation
Level: 7
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Medium
Target: 25 creatures/level
Duration: 1 round/level

For a brief time, the subjects of this spell achieve the mental dominance of a powerful psion, able to lash out at enemies using only the power of your mind. They revel in their new mental powers to the point that you disdain using spells, even in the form of effects from magic items. They gain a +4 enhancement bonus to Intelligence and Wisdom, 3 power points per caster level, and access to the following powers.

* Mind Thrust A: Deal 1d10 damage.
* Ego Whip A: Deal 1d4 Cha damage and daze for 1 round.
* Psionic Blast A: Stun creatures in 30-ft. cone for 1 round.
* Id Insinuation A: Swift tendrils of thought disrupt and confuse your target.
* Psychic Crush A: Brutally crush subject’s mental essence, reducing subject to -1 hit points.

They manifest the powers as a psion of your caster level does, creating displays as described in each power’s description. They lose their spellcasting ability, including your ability to use spell trigger or spell completion magic items, just as if those spells were no longer on your class list. For the duration of this spell, they use magic items and psionic items as if they were a psion with only the five powers given above on your class list.

Any unspent power points dissipate when the spell ends.
Material Component: 9100gp worth of rare incense, and a potion of fox's cunning, which must be drank by the caster (its effect is overridden by the effect of this spell).

25/CL * 1d4 Charisma damage. You do the math.

[Dairuga]

Isaac's Greater Missile Storm
Evocation [Force, War]
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long (400' + 40'/level)
Target: Up to 25 creatures per Caster Level, no two of which may be more than 60' apart
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

A barrage of 25 magic missiles (as the spell) burst from your hands, dealing 1d4+1 damage each.

For every caster level beyond 1st, you gain an additional 25 missiles—50 at 2nd level, 75 at 3rd, 100 at 4th, 125 at 5th, 150 at 6th, 175 at 7th, 200 at 8th, and the maximum of 225 missiles at 9th level or higher. If you shoot multiple missiles, you can have them strike a single creature or several creatures. A single missile can strike only one creature. You must designate targets before you check for spell resistance or roll damage.

Sadly, that one doesn't quite work. Or, I suppose it does, but the Dragon Magazine already printed a version of Magic Missile as a [War] Spell. It explicitly stated that all the enemies have to be within a 60' radius, not have at most 60 between eachother, alongside the clause that you could only strike each target with one missile.

Which makes it rather less useful, but at least not -horribly- broken. Good for taking down an army of peasants. If that restriction were not in place, god knows the BBEG would die in a single round of just this one spell.

[Fax Celestis]

I have to go, but someone should do oh lawd Paylor it's a fahr (combust), and we're the good guys (body of war), and dawn of the dead (animate legion).

[Fax Celestis]

I have to go, but someone should do oh lawd Paylor it's a fahr (combust), and we're the good guys (body of war), and dawn of the dead (animate legion).

...also preempting the inevitable:
http://gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Aint-Nobody-Got-Time-for-That.gif

[Psyren]

Resetting Magic Traps suffer the exact same broken-ness. As do many of the elements of the Core game.
And neither of you has mentioned the SL*CL*100 gp material component that gets tacked onto these spells. For higher level spells that'll eat through WBL in no time if used every day and for lower level spells it hardly makes it worth it. Oh and as for comparing these to Metamagic there is no comparison. There's no reducing the spell level increase from these with Metamagic Reducers.

- "Only" being as broken as resetting magic traps isn't exactly comforting. And those generally take more than a minute to craft, keeping them out of most players' clutches, due to boredom if nothing else. Traps also require the enemy to come to you, which is not a tactic players can generally employ.

- The costly component is a joke. That's a mere 15.3k for a 9th-level spell (or is it 17k, or 18? Do you calculate before or after adjustment? Anyway,) which is barely a blip to a 17th-level caster's WBL even if he's footing the entire bill himself. And since he's literally summoning/outfitting an army with this, the party pitching in or even the grateful city mayor is going to trivialize it even further.

- What's to reduce? It's a +1 adjustment already, most reducers won't take you below that anyway.



Are there niche spells that make these rules shine?

"Stink" is the verb I'd use, and they're not niche at all. Any summoning spell used with this gets ridiculous fast, as does any creation spell and most forms of battlefield control. Hell, you could use minor creation with this and actually turn a profit.

Take Minor Creation for instance = this costs you 4*7*100 = 2800gp. In return, you get 175 cu. ft. (25*1*7 CL) of, oh, let's say black lotus extract. Now, a single vial (3x1 inches) of the stuff is worth 4500gp... and you have over 700 times that. With one casting. And 10 minutes of prep.



PAO, Shapechange, Nolzur's Pigments, Shapesand, Simulacrum, Metamagic Reducers, Psionics in general these are all elements I've seen done well and I've seen taken advantage of.

All of those have reasonable uses. This thing is like Epic Spellcasting - there's simply no legitimate/balanced way to employ these godawful rules.

But this kind of thing is par for the course in Dragon Mag so I shouldn't be surprised.

[unseenmage]

- "Only" being as broken as resetting magic traps isn't exactly comforting. And those generally take more than a minute to craft, keeping them out of most players' clutches, due to boredom if nothing else. Traps also require the enemy to come to you, which is not a tactic players can generally employ.


Wish. Standard action. One spell.
My point was that the game is broke. No one denies that. How broke is a function of whose table you play at.

Why folk are okay with, and expected to, ad hoc for the core rules but not for the Dragon mags is beyond me. Everything needs adjudication. That's why we have DMs. And if you're fixing holes anyway why not repair the whole house instead of condemning the half you don't feel like dealing with?

That's my take on it anyway. But then I have access to all the books and magazines so my capacity to DM the whole of it at once is improved over others who would have to DM Dragon mag content in bits and pieces.

I admit too that I take a very Tippyverse-esque approach to the game. Not only is it all included, but so are all the counters to exploits. And our table's Gentleman's Agreement is more of a Mexican Standoff. If you bring the plasma cannons to bear as a player, so too will I as the DM.

I am planning to use the War Spells, but only in a game where I'm already defeating epic challenges as an 11th level character. That game's already borked. No sense holding back now. :smallbiggrin:

[Dairuga]

I have to go, but someone should do oh lawd Paylor it's a fahr (combust), and we're the good guys (body of war), and dawn of the dead (animate legion).

Welp; this should be interesting. Oh well; why not? Not -entirely- Animate legion, but close. Could be interesting as something done by the BBEG at the back of a battlefield.

Dawn of the Dead


Necromancy [Evil, War]
Level: Clr 5, Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft. / level)
Area: Corpses within a 60-ft. burst (see text)
Duration: Concentration (up to 1 minute / level)
Saving throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You cause all the corpses within the spell's radius
(Including those buried underground up to a depth
of 10 feet) to rise as undead skeletons or zombies.
Up to 25 Hit Dice worth of undead creatures per
caster level can be created in this manner.
These undead do not count toward your control
limit for commanding undead trough the rebuke undead
ability or trough spells such as animate dead.
Any undead created by this spell that move out of
its range are instantly destroyed. Likewise, when the
spell ends, all undeads created by it are instantly destroyed.

Material Component: An iron crown studded with onyx gems
worth 3,000 gold, plus one 10-gop onyx for every undead creature
animated by this spell.


And here, because the idea was downright hilarious; another one for you, Fax. Because redneck, accented worshippers of Pelor is too good to turn down.


Oh lawd Payhlor It's a fahr


Evocation [Fire, War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft. / level)
Area: creatures or combustible objects
that each weighs no more than 25 lb./level within a
60-ft.-radius burst.
Duration: instantaneous; see text
Saving throw: Reflex partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

You rub the oil against the flint and
yell out the ancient words, waving your
arms in feverent worship to the sun god.
The battlefield immediately smolders and then
bursts into bright flames.

This spell makes all combustible objects
and creatures combustible equipment within
a 60.ft.-radius burst burst into flames, even if damp.
To creatures, the initial eruption of flame
causes 1d8 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum
10d8) with no saving throw. Further, each creature affected
must make a DC 15 Reflex save or catch fire (DMG 303).
If the target is a combustible, unattended object, the initial
eruption of flame deals fire damage to the object as
noted above. The object catches fire and takes 1d6 points
of fire damage each round until consumed or someone puts
out the fire.

Material Component: A bottle of wine and a piece of flint
powdered with ruby dust, worth 1,500 gp as a whole.

[Psyren]

Wish. Standard action. One spell.

Putting aside the XP cost, which players are much more loath to pay -by the time you get 9ths the game is pretty much broken anyway. War Spells, as I illustrated, get broken a very long time before that.



Why folk are okay with, and expected to, ad hoc for the core rules but not for the Dragon mags is beyond me.

Because the playtesting for Dragon material was laughably nonexistent even by WotC's dubious standards?

According to the Giant, WotC approves every single page of the magazine before it sees print.



Everything needs adjudication. That's why we have DMs. And if you're fixing holes anyway why not repair the whole house instead of condemning the half you don't feel like dealing with?

Normally I'm fine with going in and fixing things, I just see no reason to do it here. Casters can already sway the course of entire battlefields, so these rules are adding no real benefit and lots more headache. If all I want is "bigger AoE" that's what Widen and Sculpt are for. "More summons" is overkill at 5, much less 25. Hell, Malconvoker gives you 1(!) extra and it's considered the most powerful summoner in 3.5.

[JaronK]

Have you guys seen this search engine for spells (http://www.imarvintpa.com/dndlive/FindSpell.php)? it's not quite comprehensive but it comes really close. No chance your more comprehensive list could be outfitted like their search engine is there? :smallsmile:

We're going better than that. When ours is complete, you can search via multiple methods (searching for things like "spells that are lower level for my class than for other classes" or "Conjuration [Creation and Summoning] and Evocation spells from the Sor/Wiz list" or "Cleric spells with a costly material component" or "persistable Cleric spells"). You can also use it to randomly generate arcane or divine scrolls as needed. We're almost there... this is just the database seed, effectively.

@Psyren: how would you sell all that black lotus poison, when it's about to disappear? I mean, it's a great way to poison the archer's arrows for an army, but minor creation already does that... every cubic foot has about 1000 doses anyway. Not sure the War spell is that much worse.

Obviously, these spells are absolutely silly for most games, but then again most games don't have enough people to buff or enough minions for that purpose, and many games have encounters that start with "and suddenly the enemy jumps you" for which War spells aren't so helpful anyway.

Of course, Factotums can use Sp versions of these spells as standard actions, which makes War spells insanely strong for that class... dear lord, can you imagine a low level Factotum using War Summon Monster 1 as a standard action in response to, well, anything?

Still, these are really just new spell design guidelines. We knew custom item creation needed heavy DM regulation... these rules require the same. It's about as broken as Epic Spellcasting, really.

JaronK

[Vaz]

Wish. Standard action. One spell.
My point was that the game is broke. No one denies that. How broke is a function of whose table you play at.

Why folk are okay with, and expected to, ad hoc for the core rules but not for the Dragon mags is beyond me. Everything needs adjudication. That's why we have DMs. And if you're fixing holes anyway why not repair the whole house instead of condemning the half you don't feel like dealing with?

That's my take on it anyway. But then I have access to all the books and magazines so my capacity to DM the whole of it at once is improved over others who would have to DM Dragon mag content in bits and pieces.

I admit too that I take a very Tippyverse-esque approach to the game. Not only is it all included, but so are all the counters to exploits. And our table's Gentleman's Agreement is more of a Mexican Standoff. If you bring the plasma cannons to bear as a player, so too will I as the DM.

I am planning to use the War Spells, but only in a game where I'm already defeating epic challenges as an 11th level character. That game's already borked. No sense holding back now. :smallbiggrin:

Meanwhile, my Monk 4/Fighter 7, Shadowcaster 5/Sorcerer 4/Noctumancer 2, Truenamer 11 etc are all running around with nothing to do.

It doesn't take much to break a full caster, or render non-casting classes useless in such a game, but for the majority of games which are not Tippyverse-esque, and have less of a requisite for system mastery, you're going to have to say no.

So. Sorry for making that distinction, and making people aware of just how powerful it can be, as opposed to just slinging war sized fireballs, or create food and water for armies.

Considering the number of threads that come up about "why are monks so bad, they do fine in my game", and "why are wizards so weak, they only have d4 Hitdice?" saying stuff like "oh here are War spells, they're quite good for what they do" and expecting people to just accept them as being part of the game, I don't think so.

There was possibly a reason it didn't get put forward into the Dragon Compendium, after all.

[Silva Stormrage]

Wish. Standard action. One spell.
My point was that the game is broke. No one denies that. How broke is a function of whose table you play at.

Why folk are okay with, and expected to, ad hoc for the core rules but not for the Dragon mags is beyond me. Everything needs adjudication. That's why we have DMs. And if you're fixing holes anyway why not repair the whole house instead of condemning the half you don't feel like dealing with?

That's my take on it anyway. But then I have access to all the books and magazines so my capacity to DM the whole of it at once is improved over others who would have to DM Dragon mag content in bits and pieces.

I admit too that I take a very Tippyverse-esque approach to the game. Not only is it all included, but so are all the counters to exploits. And our table's Gentleman's Agreement is more of a Mexican Standoff. If you bring the plasma cannons to bear as a player, so too will I as the DM.

I am planning to use the War Spells, but only in a game where I'm already defeating epic challenges as an 11th level character. That game's already borked. No sense holding back now. :smallbiggrin:

The main reason why people are fine with ignoring some of the broken rules and abilities in the core rulebooks is because the core rulebooks can be used without breaking the game. Yes it involves overlooking shape change, clever uses of wish, planar binding etc but it can be done.

War spells are pretty much impossible to use and not break the game into a million pieces. Psyren has the good comparison of them and epic spells.

Also as a side note, is there a fallacy for the line of reasoning, "The DM exists so nothing is broken". I seem to faintly remember it but I can't remember the exact name.

[unseenmage]

Meanwhile, my Monk 4/Fighter 7, Shadowcaster 5/Sorcerer 4/Noctumancer 2, Truenamer 11 etc are all running around with nothing to do.

It doesn't take much to break a full caster, or render non-casting classes useless in such a game, but for the majority of games which are not Tippyverse-esque, and have less of a requisite for system mastery, you're going to have to say no.

So. Sorry for making that distinction, and making people aware of just how powerful it can be, as opposed to just slinging war sized fireballs, or create food and water for armies.

Considering the number of threads that come up about "why are monks so bad, they do fine in my game", and "why are wizards so weak, they only have d4 Hitdice?" saying stuff like "oh here are War spells, they're quite good for what they do" and expecting people to just accept them as being part of the game, I don't think so.

There was possibly a reason it didn't get put forward into the Dragon Compendium, after all.

See the funny thing about this is that the game I'm using these in I'm the only spell using player and all the other characters are epic melee builds. And I'm not outshining them because of the houserules, the DM, and the players.
Which is just like any other game. The levels of customization vary from group to group.
I'm not, nor did I ever, say that the War Spells were supposed to be equal, fair, or fixed. All I'm saying is that they're a fun toy and that I'm going to play with them. If you don't want to play with this toy that's fine by me.

I know our group will enjoy them and that they'll fill a need for an encounter or three. Then we'll set this toy aside and play with some new ones.

[Vaz]

So, basically, you're saying "These aren't broken, because we houserule"?

Just to clarify, you understand? If that's the case, then my point stands. Out the box, they're broken. Just making people aware of that; similar to how I houserule ban PAO because not only are its rules unintelligible, but because it's broken in its application.

[Psyren]

@Psyren: how would you sell all that black lotus poison, when it's about to disappear?

"About to disappear" 7 hours later, you mean. Even without selling it, you smear the city archers' arrows with that stuff and you've literally just saved them hundreds of thousands of gold. And unless the enemy army is composed of undead/constructs/etc. they are quite screwed.


It's about as broken as Epic Spellcasting, really.

JaronK

You're really not helping your case :smalltongue:

[unseenmage]

So, basically, you're saying "These aren't broken, because we houserule"?

Just to clarify, you understand? If that's the case, then my point stands. Out the box, they're broken. Just making people aware of that; similar to how I houserule ban PAO because not only are its rules unintelligible, but because it's broken in its application.

So you're saying Core Books aren't broken because you houserule PAO? Seems like the same policy to me.

For my part, I never claimed they weren't broken. Just not any more broken than the rest of the game.

Additionally, Twice War Spells have been compared to Epic Spells but there is no comparison there. Epic Spells do literally and actually anything. No Adjudication, no limits.
War Spells are much more like Custom Magic Items, as was mentioned once before. And they're almost exactly like Custom Spells. +1 Spell Level and based off of an existing spell and only possible with your DM's permission.

[JaronK]

"About to disappear" 7 hours later, you mean. Even without selling it, you smear the city archers' arrows with that stuff and you've literally just saved them hundreds of thousands of gold. And unless the enemy army is composed of undead/constructs/etc. they are quite screwed.

My point is you can already do that with standard Minor Creation. One casting should arm about 7000 arrows with poison (or if you prefer, 5000 arrows, and 2000 melee weapons). War doesn't do anything here.


You're really not helping your case :smalltongue:

I'm not claiming they're unbroken or anything, I'm just specifying how broken they are. And they're like epic casting... they're guidelines that could easily be used to make insane spells, and a DM would have to regulate them carefully to avoid that, but they could be used reasonably as well. So... guidelines. Just like the custom item creation guidelines or epic spellcasting.

JaronK

[Gemini476]

This looks like it would be quite devastating with Imbue Arrow, to be honest.
Although you may start to run into the issue of the radius being greater than the range of your bow.

[Psyren]

I'm not claiming they're unbroken or anything, I'm just specifying how broken they are. And they're like epic casting... they're guidelines that could easily be used to make insane spells, and a DM would have to regulate them carefully to avoid that, but they could be used reasonably as well. So... guidelines. Just like the custom item creation guidelines or epic spellcasting.

There is no reasonable way to use the epic casting rules as written. Your recourse is to kludge in a bunch of ad-hoc foci, in which case you may as well make something up on your own. Same here.

[Fax Celestis]

There is no reasonable way to use the epic casting rules as written. Your recourse is to kludge in a bunch of ad-hoc foci, in which case you may as well make something up on your own. Same here.

Psyren, love you bro, but relax. We get it, it's broken. Doesn't mean I still don't like making (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=198573) and reading (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=173921) absolutely (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63584) ludicrous (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57301) things (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63989).

[Psyren]

Psyren, love you bro, but relax.

I am relaxed. I'm just giving my opinion, as is my right.

I'm not telling anyone not to use this... interesting pile set of rules. But the OP doesn't include a single line on how much work these things would need to be useful/balanced in a regular power game. So a dissenting/cautionary voice does have value here.

[unseenmage]

Psyren, love you bro, but relax. We get it, it's broken. Doesn't mean I still don't like making (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=198573) and reading (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=173921) absolutely (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63584) ludicrous (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=57301) things (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63989).

Agreed, and those linked creatures are things of beauty broken horror from beyond the Core. Wish I'd been around for their respective debuts.

[unseenmage]

I am relaxed. I'm just giving my opinion, as is my right.

I'm not telling anyone not to use this... interesting pile set of rules. But the OP doesn't include a single line on how much work these things would need to be useful/balanced in a regular power game. So a dissenting/cautionary voice does have value here.

If that's your request all you had to do was ask. Coming right up.

(Honestly I thought the fact that they were Dragon mag content and obviously under-crunched would be enough of a warning but whatevs.)

[Tvtyrant]

The problem is that many of these spells are balanced by casting time
Insert arcane Archer here.

[JaronK]

The problem is that many of these spells are balanced by casting time
Insert arcane Archer here.

And insert Factotum here.

But they're also balanced by material component cost... insert Runesmith, Shadowcraft Mage, or Dweomerkeeper here. Though in all fairness, those classes are broken too.

JaronK

[unseenmage]

War Spell: Prestedigitation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/prestidigitation.htm)

War Prestidigitation
War Prestidigitation
Universal [War]
Level: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Medium
Target, Effect, or Area: See text
Duration: 1 hour
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: No

Battlefield prestidigitations are minor tricks that novice war spellcasters use for practice.
Once cast, a battlefield prestidigitation spell enables you to perform simple magical effects for 1 hour. The effects are minor and have severe limitations.
A battlefield prestidigitation can slowly lift up to 25 pound of material.
It can color, clean, or soil items in a 3-foot cube each round.
It can chill, warm, or flavor up to 25 1-pound masses of nonliving material.
It cannot deal damage or affect the concentration of spellcasters.
Battlefield prestidigitation can create up to 25 small objects, but they look crude and artificial. The materials created by a battlefield prestidigitation spell are extremely fragile, and they cannot be used as tools, weapons, or spell components.
Finally, a battlefield prestidigitation lacks the power to duplicate any other spell effects. Any actual change to an object (beyond just moving, cleaning, or soiling it) persists only 1 hour.
Material Component: 50gp

[Psyren]

Ha! I read your disclaimer. Your neighborhood Psyren shall leave you to homebrew in peace then :smalltongue:

[JaronK]

Just having more fun... let's try this one:

Industrial Revolution (War version of Unseen Crafter) [Races of Eberron]
Conjuration (Creation) [War]
Level: Artificer 3, Bard 3, Cleric 3, Magewright 3, Mystic 3, Sorcerer 3, Wizard 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Medium
Effect: 25 invisible, mindless, shapeless servant per caster level
Duration: 1 day / level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell functions as unseen servant, except that it summons far more servants and the unseen crafters can be assigned any one task that can be accomplished by the use of the Craft skill. Appropriate tools and materials must be provided for the unseen crafters; they make Craft checks using your ranks in the skill plus your bonus for the relevant spellcasting ability (Intelligence for artificers, wizards, and magewrights, Charisma for bards and sorcerers, and Wisdom for clerics).
An unseen crafters can take 10 or attempt to work more quickly (as described in the Craft skill description, page 70 of the Player's Handbook), but this must be part of the commands they are given when the spell is cast. Once the unseen crafters have completed the assigned tasks, the spell ends as if dismissed. If the unseen crafters leave work undone, any creature or other unseen crafters can continue it.
Special: When the unseen crafters are commanded to repair a warforged, they receives a +10 bonus on its Craft check.
Material Component: a jewel encrusted hammer worth 1500gp

In related news, the War version of Magecraft costs 600gp to cast and gives all of them +5 to craft checks, in case you needed that. This only lasts for one day though, so you'd have to recast daily.

A level 10 Wizard casting these spells with an int of 20 can create 250 craftsmen who all have a +5 to all craft checks and last for 10 days, for a cost of 1500gp. Admittedly, regular workers can probably do it cheaper, but these guys don't have to be fed and work tirelessly all day long... so they actually work as much as three workers each (normal workers work 8 hours). Eat your heart out, Fabricate... now we can do massive scale public works projects!

JaronK

[unseenmage]

Just having more fun... let's try this one:

Industrial Revolution (War version of Unseen Crafter) [Races of Eberron]

snip

A level 10 Wizard casting these spells with an int of 20 can create 250 craftsmen who all have a +5 to all craft checks and last for 10 days, for a cost of 1500gp. Admittedly, regular workers can probably do it cheaper, but these guys don't have to be fed and work tirelessly all day long... so they actually work as much as three workers each (normal workers work 8 hours). Eat your heart out, Fabricate... now we can do massive scale public works projects!

JaronK

Ohhh, nice. Can't believe my Artificer playing asterisk didn't think of that one. :smallwink:
Next time someone comes across the boards asking for tips on creating crafting sweatshops this is definitely going to be the go-to suggestion from me.

[JaronK]

Considering I have a current character who's a Tainted Sorcerer (to heck with material components) who can thus also free extend that spell... I think I might actually use that. He's got a CL of 21 anyhow. 525 workers, all with a +15 bonus to crafting anything (Tainted Sorcerer... so broken), working for 42 days per casting. And you can cast this spell a few times per day! The only hard part is getting sufficient tools for all of them. At 5gp a pop, that can add up when you've got a few thousand working simultaneously...

JaronK

[unseenmage]

Considering I have a current character who's a Tainted Sorcerer (to heck with material components) who can thus also free extend that spell... I think I might actually use that. He's got a CL of 21 anyhow. 525 workers, all with a +15 bonus to crafting anything (Tainted Sorcerer... so broken), working for 42 days per casting. And you can cast this spell a few times per day! The only hard part is getting sufficient tools for all of them. At 5gp a pop, that can add up when you've got a few thousand working simultaneously...

JaronK

Shapesand from Sandstorm and Explosive Packs from Secrets of Sarlona should prove worthwhile. Both Creatable with Craft Alchemy.

[JaronK]

Huh, I didn't even think of that. I was just going to do large scale public works projects... maybe a War version of Wall of Stone (how would that work?) for materials, a War version of Stone Metamorphosis to turn that stone into Elukian Clay, and then create raised roads and tunnels through the mountains to turn his town into a trade mecca.

JaronK

[unseenmage]

Huh, I didn't even think of that. I was just going to do large scale public works projects... maybe a War version of Wall of Stone (how would that work?) for materials, a War version of Stone Metamorphosis to turn that stone into Elukian Clay, and then create raised roads and tunnels through the mountains to turn his town into a trade mecca.

JaronK

That also sounds pretty cool. I'd like to see a comparison between that plan and the purely mundane version including pricing hirelings and using the Profession Miner skill from Races of the Dragon.

Another fun use would be War True Creation plus the crafting to flood the market with coins minted with your character's likeness on them. :smallcool:

[Vaz]

Have them craft their own tools :D.

War Body Outside Body?

Clone all targets into 4 slightly weaker copies of themselves at the cost of 10 HP for each clone when they die.

With an army of 3rd level Barbarians, cloning them all (with 1/4 HP), provided they have the ability to be healed fairly quickly (War lesser vigor) gives you a free quadruple sized army, leading to death by swarming, even if they only have 15HP or so, considering they can Rage, they're getting battered.

Admittedly, that is an 8th level spell so is decidedly powerful anyway - combine with Mental Pinnacle for Hilarity, though.

[JaronK]

New one: War Vampiric Touch!

Theft of Vitae [Player's Handbook]
Necromancy
Level: Corrupt Avenger 3, Death Master 4, Duskblade 4, Envy Domain 5, Gluttony Domain 5, Initiate of Falazure Feat 4, Necromancy Domain 4, Sorcerer 4, Telflammar Shadowlord 3, Wizard 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long
Target: 25 Living creatures/lvl, no two of which may be more than 60ft apart
Duration: Instantaneous / 1 hour; see text)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
You must succeed on a ranged touch attack against every target in range. Your touch deals 1d6 points of damage per two caster levels (maximum 10d6). You gain temporary hit points equal to the damage you deal. However, you can't gain more than the subject's current hit points +10 from each individual target, which is enough to kill the subject. The temporary hit points disappear 1 hour later.
Material Component: a gold vampiric fang worth 1500gp

Yay, fuel yourself with loads of hitpoints!

Jaronk

[Telok]

Summon Swarm and Fell Drain Sonic Snap say "Hi!"


Summon Swarm
Conjuration (Summoning)[War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Effect: One swarm of bats, rats, or spiders
Duration: Concentration + 2 rounds
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You summon 25 swarms per caster level of bats, rats, or spiders (your choice), which attacks all other creatures within thier areas. (You may summon the swarms so that they share the areas of other creatures.) If no living creatures are within its area, the swarms attack or pursue the nearest creatures as best they can. The caster has no control over the targets or direction of travel.

Arcane Material Component
Ten large red cloths and 500 gp.
125 swarms at the minimum caster level. Mix up your types or make them all spiders and stack them in one 10*10*10 cube. That should only be 5d3 Strength damage a round to anything that isn't poison immune.

I'm not even going to touch the sonic snap one.

[Sith_Happens]

I'm not even going to touch the sonic snap one.

I believe it's called "Summon Wightocalypse."

[Fax Celestis]

Disarmament
Evocation [Sonic]
Level: Brd 3, Chaos 3, Clr 3, Destruction 3, Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long (400' +40'/level)
Target: Up to 25 creatures or objects per level
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (object); Will negates (object) or Fortitude half; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes (object)

You create a loud, ringing noise that breaks solid, nonmagical objects or damages crystalline creatures.

Targeted against a single solid object, regardless of composition, weighing up to 10 pounds per caster level, this spell can sunder objects. Targeted against a crystalline creature (of any weight), disarmament deals 1d6 points of sonic damage per caster level (maximum 10d6), with a Fortitude save for half damage.

[Agrippa]

Let's try this one on for size people.

War Greater Teleport
Conjuration (Teleportation)
Level: Wiz/Sor 8
Components: V, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Medium
Target: You and up to 25 Medium sized creatures per CL
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None and Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: No and Yes (object)

As greater teleport (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/teleportGreater.htm), but this version allows the teleportation of 25 Medium sized creatures per caster level.

Material Components: 10 black star sapphires worth 1,000 gp each and two silver fingerless gloves with quartz embedded in the palms worth 1,400 gp each. The 10 black star sapphires are to be placed at equidistant locations surrounding the recipients of this spell. The caster wears the fingerless silver gauntlets while chanting the incantation and brings his hands togther in a forceful clap.

[unseenmage]

War Spell: Energize Potion (Book of Exalted Deeds)

War Energize Potion
War Energize Potion
Transmutation [War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3, Cleric 4, Druid 4, Wrath 3,
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long
Effect: 30-ft.-radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell transforms 10 magic potions into a volatile substance that can be hurled out to the specified range.
The spell destroys the potion and releases a 30-foot-radius burst of energy at the point of impact.
The caster must specify the energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic) when the spell is cast.
The potion deals 1d6 points of damage (of the appropriate energy type) per spell level of the potion (maximum 3d6).
For example, a potion of displacement transformed by this spell deals 3d6 points of damage.
An energized potion set to deal fire damage ignites combustibles within the spell's burst radius.
Material Component: 10 magic potions whose total worth is no less than 1,500gp

War Spell: Excavate (Underdark)

War Excavate
War Excavate
Transmutation [War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Medium
Effect: One 8-ft.-by-24-ft. opening, 3 ft./level deep
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
As with passwall (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/passwall.htm), you create a massive passage through wooden, plaster, or stone walls, but not through metal or other harder materials.
If the wall's thickness is more than 3 foot per caster level, then a single battlefield excavate spell simply makes a niche or short tunnel with the stated dimensions.
Several battlefield excavate spells can be used in succession to breach very thick walls by forming a continuing passage.
Unlike passwall, battlefield excavate is an instantaneous effect that does not end and cannot be dispelled; any passage it creates is permanent.
Material Component: 10 pinches of excavated earth and 15,300gp

War Spell: Explosive Cascade (Magic of Faerun)

War Explosive Cascade
War Explosive Cascade
Evocation [Fire, War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long
Effect: Twenty-five 1-ft.-radius spheres
Area: 25 separate areas of one 5-ft.-square/level, each of which must be connected in one continuous path; each path must have at least one 5' space between them unutilized by this spell.
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes
You cause 25 bright balls of flame to bound and skip across the battlefield, damaging targets within their areas.
The area is the path of the flame, and it deals 1d6 hit points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 10d6) to all creatures and objects within its area.
each path must have at least one 5' space between them unutilized by this casting of this spell.
Each of the 25 separate continuous paths cannot be caused to come within
The flame lights up the area as if it were a torch.
Small sparks and decaying flames remain in the area for 1 round, shedding light as candles but dealing no damage.
If the damage from the flame destroys an interposing barrier, the flame can move beyond the barrier if it has not reached its maximum area.
Material Component: Bat guano, sulfur, and copper packed into 10 metal tube with one closed end worth 4,500gp.

War Spell: Fabricate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fabricate.htm)

War Fabricate
War Fabricate
Transmutation [War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: See text
Range: Medium
Target: Up to 30 cu. ft./level; see text
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
You convert material of one sort into a product that is of the same material. Creatures or magic items cannot be created or transmuted by the fabricate spell. The quality of items made by this spell is commensurate with the quality of material used as the basis for the new fabrication. If you work with a mineral, the target is reduced to 3 cubic foot per level instead of 30 cubic feet.
You must make an appropriate Craft check to fabricate articles requiring a high degree of craftsmanship.
Casting requires 10 minutes per 30 cubic feet (or 3 cubic foot) of material to be affected by the spell.
Material Component: The original material, which costs the same amount as the raw materials required to craft the item to be created and 7,200gp.

War Spell: Simulacrum (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/simulacrum.htm)

War Simulacrum
War Simulacrum
Illusion (Shadow) [War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 8, Sha'ir 8
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: 12 hours
Range: Medium
Effect: Twenty-five duplicate creatures per CL
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Battlefield Simulacrum creates 25 illusory duplicates per caster level of up to ten creatures.
The duplicate creatures are partially real and formed from ice or snow.
They appear to be the same as their originals, but they have only one-half of the real creatures levels or Hit Dice (and the appropriate hit points, feats, skill ranks, and special abilities for a creature of that level or HD).
You can't create battlefield simulacrums of creatures whose Hit Dice or levels exceed twice your caster level.
You must make a Disguise check when you cast the spell to determine how good the likenesses are.
A creature familiar with the original might detect the ruse with a successful Spot check (opposed by the caster's Disguise check) or a DC 20 Sense Motive check.
At all times the battlefield simulacrums remain under your absolute command.
No special telepathic link exists, so command must be exercised in some other manner.
Battlefield simulacrums have no ability to become more powerful.
they cannot increase their level or abilities.
If reduced to 0 hit points or otherwise destroyed, they revert to snow and melt instantly into nothingness.
A complex process requiring at least 24 hours, 100 gp per hit point, and a fully equipped magical laboratory can repair damage to a simulacrum.
Material Component: The spell is cast over ten rough snow or ice forms, and ten pieces of the creatures to be duplicated (hair, nail, or the like) must be placed inside the snow or ice.
Additionally, the spell requires powdered ruby worth 1,000gp per HD of the battlefield simulacrums to be created, and an additional 12,000gp in ice-cold unguents.
XP Cost: 100 XP per HD of each the battlefield simulacrums to be created (minimum 1,000 XP).

[unseenmage]

Let's try this one on for size people.

War Greater Teleport
Conjuration (Teleportation)
Level: Wiz/Sor 8
Components: V, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Medium
Target: You and up to 25 Medium sized creatures per CL
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None and Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: No and Yes (object)

As greater teleport (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/teleportGreater.htm), but this version allows the teleportation of 25 Medium sized creatures per caster level.

Material Components: 10 black star sapphires worth 1,000 gp each and two silver fingerless gloves with quartz embedded in the palms worth 1,400 gp each. The 10 black star sapphires are to be placed at equidistant locations surrounding the recipients of this spell. The caster wears the fingerless silver gauntlets while chanting the incantation and brings his hands togther in a forceful clap.

Nice, I almost did War Greater Plane Shift.

[The Mentalist]

I'm not going to get involved in this madness but I may see if I can make some homebrew BC and Summoning spells that are in the same vein as these without being this... yeah... I have no words.

[JaronK]

Here's my version of Mass Evacuation... suitable for pulling a town out of harm's way or suddenly repositioning an army! It's the War version of Gemjump, from SpC


Mass Evacuation
Conjuration [Teleportation, War]
Level: Sorcerer 7, Wizard 7
Components: V, S, F, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Unlimited; see text
Target: You and willing creatures totaling up to 25/ level; see text
Duration: Until triggered
Saving Throw: None; see text
Spell Resistance: No; see text
You mutter over the iridescent, faceted gem. It twinkles in response, and you feel a strong link between you and the stone. When you speak the word, the two of you will be reunited.
This spell teleports you to the location of a specially prepared gem.
You initially cast gemjump upon the focus, which you must touch. As a standard action any time after you prepare the stone, you can utter a command word and instantly teleport to the location of the gem, provided you and the stone are on the same plane.
The teleport is always on target (as though you are using a greater teleport spell). If the area containing the gem is too small for you, you appear in the nearest sufficiently large space.
You can transport, in addition to yourself, 25 Medium or smaller creatures per caster level, and can bring along objects as long as their weight does not exceed your maximum load.
An unwilling creature can't be teleported by gemjump. Likewise, a creature's Will save (or spell resistance) prevents items in its possession from being teleported. Unattended, nonmagical objects receive no saving throw.
Focus: A gem worth 500 gp and 9100gp in incense, which must be burned over the gem during casting.

A 15th level Wizard could rescue a village by pulling out 375 people with a single casting! And it even casts as a standard action.

JaronK

[The Mentalist]

Just some ideas for this though...

Enervation
Halaster's Fetch II (With Vivacious from the Planar Handbook makes a Positive Energy Bomb. I like Owls)
Awaken (I like it with plants in this case)
Animal Growth
Greater Mighty Whallop
Revivify (the component free 1 round Resurrection from Spell Compendium)
Call Dragon (to recreate the scene from that dreadful D&D movie)
Divine Power (army of Peasants? No problem)
Heroism (A few castings of this and you have competent fighters)
Summon Instrument (Instant Orchestra)
Create Trap (For when you need a lair TODAY)

Edit: Bestow Curse on an entire town could be fun.
Temporal Stasis for the famed "sleeping army"
Snake's Swiftness could set up some archer covering fire, especially Twinned and Repeated

Edit 2: Let's not forget the staples either. Overland Fly, Blink (or Persisted Blink at 9th level spells), Haste, Streamers, Protection from Energy, Polymorph, Heal, True Strike, Wraithstrike...

[unseenmage]

War Spell: Awaken Sand (Sandstorm)

War Awaken Sand
War Awaken Sand
Transmutation [War]
Level: Druid 7, Sand 7
Components: V, S, DF, M, XP
Casting Time: 24 hours
Range: Medium
Target: 25 15-ft. areas of sand within range per CL
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
You awaken twenty-five regions of sand, or similar material, to humanlike sentience per caster level.
To succeed, you must make a DC 18 Will save.
The awakened sand is friendly toward you.
You have no special empathy or connection with sand you awaken, although it serves you in specific tasks or endeavors if you communicate your desire to it.
The sand creatures you awaken have the same statistics as a Huge animated object with a base land speed of 40 feet and a burrow speed of 20 feet.
Unlike normal animated objects, awakened sand beings have the earth subtype, and their Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores are each 3d6.
A sand being has immunity to polymorphing.
The awakened sands can each speak one language you know, plus one additional language that you know per point of Intelligence bonus (if any) they have.
A sand creature can engulf Large or smaller creatures as a standard action.
They cannot make slam attacks during a round in which they engulf.
The sand creatures merely have to move over the opponents, affecting as many as they can cover.
Opponents can make attacks of opportunity against the creatures, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw.
Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a DC 19 Reflex save or be engulfed; on a success, they are pushed back or aside (opponent's choice) as the creatures move forward.
Engulfed opponents are considered grappled and are trapped within the sand creature's body.
The sand creature deals 1d6+3 points of damage to trapped opponents each round after the one in which it engulfed them.
Opponents that need to breathe risk suffocation (see page 304 of the Dungeon Master's Guide).
The save DC is Strength-based.
Sand creatures are amorphous and can do anything sand would be expected to do—hide perfectly atop other sand, form into dunes and drifts, and pour through small openings (although passing through an opening two size categories smaller than the creature takes a full-round action).
Material Components: Powdered gems and precious metals worth 9,100gp
XP Cost: 500 XP per sand creature created.

War Spell: Water to Acid (Stormwrack)

War Water to Acid
War Water to Acid
Transmutation [Water, War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long
Area: Up to twenty-five 1 cu. ft. volumes per level
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
You transform a volume of water into an equal volume of acid, which deals damage to creatures that come into contact with it.
You cannot transform water inside a creature's body, but you can affect water surrounding it.
Water containing more than a trace of dissolved or suspended substances can't be affected by this spell.
You can fill a flask with acid produced in this way and throw it as a splash weapon that deals 1d6 points of acid damage on a direct hit and 1 point of acid damage from a splash (see page 128 of the Player's Handbook).
Each round a creature is in contact with the acid, it takes 1d6 points of acid damage.
Underwater, the acid created by this spell dissipates after 1 round/caster level.
The acid dissolves metallic objects it contacts.
It deals 1d6 points of damage per round and ignores the object's hardness.
A magic item makes a Fortitude saving throw each round for half damage.
Material Component: A few drops of vinegar, and 2,800gp

War Spell: Spell Theft (Complete Scoundrel)

War Spell Theft
War Spell Theft
Abjuration [War]
Level: Bard 5, Hexblade 5, Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long
Target: Twenty-five creatures per CL
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Winding your magical grip around the dweomers that augment your opponents, you rip them away and feel their energies rise around you.
You attempt to steal opponent's beneficial spell effects for yourself.
Upon casting this spell, you instantly discern all spells currently affecting the targets (including their effects).
For each spell so discerned, you can make a dispel check (1d20 + your caster level, maximum +15) against a DC of 11 + the spell's caster level.
If the check succeeds, you gain the effect of the spell for the remainder of its duration, as if it had been cast on you instead of the original target, and the opponent loses that effect.
Only spells capable of being dispelled can be affected by spell theft.
In addition, if you are not a legal target of the spell to be stolen, your dispel check automatically fails.
For example, if you cast battlefield spell theft on an army's dire bear mounts affected by bull's strength (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/bullsStrength.htm) and animal growth (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/animalGrowth.htm), you could steal only the effect of the first spell unless you were also of the animal type.
Material Component: 4,500gp

War Spell: Slime Hurl (Champions of Ruin)

War Slime Hurl
War Slime Hurl
Conjuration (Creation) [War]
Level: Initiate of ghaunadaur 6
Components: V, S, DF, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long
Effect: Seventy-five globs of green slime per CL
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
You conjure and hurl seventy-five roughly spherical globs of dark green slime at your enemies.
You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to strike a target with a slime glob (roll separately for each glob, using your best ranged attack bonus).
Any creature struck by a glob is coated in a patch of green slime (see Dungeon Master's Guide page 76) and begins to experience its effects immediately.
You can hit a creature with multiple globs, each of which must be dealt with separately but only up to three globs per target.
The conjured green slime does not disappear automatically and must be destroyed in the normal way.
Material Component: 6,600gp

[The Mentalist]

Some of my thrown together attempts, expecting balance issues with a few of them.
Battlefield Blessing
Battlefield Blessing
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Cleric 5, Paladin 4,
Components: V, S, DF,
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 20'/level
Area: The caster and all allies within a 20'/level burst, centered on the Caster
Duration: 1 min/lvl
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes (Harmless)

This spell blesses an entire army, (or town, or congregation) granting them a +1 Morale Bonus to Fear saves and attack rolls as well as 1d8 Temporary Hitpoints

Charm the Court
Charm the Court
Enchantment (Charm) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sorc/Wiz 8, Bard 6
Components: V
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Medium (100'+10'/lvl)
Targets: 10 humanoid creatures/lvl
Duration: 1 day/level
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell requires your targets to be able to hear you and you to give a speech for the duration of the casting. It may not be the target of a Silence Spell feat. Upon casting this spell the targets have their reactions towards you raised by 1 step (to a minimum of Indifferent and a Maximum of Helpful) this spell effect does not stack with itself.

Trade Route

Trade Route
Transmutation
Level: Cleric 9, Sorc/Wiz 9
Components: V, S, XP,
Casting Time: 1 day
Range: 10 mile/lvl
Area: a Line 5'/CL wide and 10 miles/CL long
Duration: Instant
Saving Throw: Reflex Negates
Spell Resistance: No

This spell creates a well-crafted road in the area of the spell, this road is straight and flat, carving tunnels through hillsides and constructing bridges over gaps. You may half the width of the area to double the length or quarter it to quadruple the length) Any creature in the area when the spell is cast must make a Reflex save or be Blown Back to the nearest square outside of the area of the spell.
Cost: 1000xp

Citadel

Citadel
Transmutation
Level: Cleric 9, Sorc/Wiz 9
Components: V, S, XP
Casting Time: 1 day
Range: Personal
Area: 100'/CL burst centered on caster
Duration: Instant
Saving Throw:
Spell Resistance: No

This spell crafts a building of your specifications in the area of the spell, removing existing material and adding new material. The construction may only be of wood, stone, earth, steel, or lead. Any creature in the area when the spell is cast is moved to the nearest empty location within the new construction. You must make a Craft check for any detailed work within the structure.

Cost: 2500xp


Simulacrum Forge

Simulacrum Forge
Transmutation
Level: Sorc/Wiz 9
Components: V, S, M, XP,
Casting Time: 1 day per HD of the desired creature
Range: Touch
Effect: One magical portal
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You may create a portal upto 2' in diameter per Caster Level that any creature entering must make a Fortitude Save or be killed and consumed by the portal. The portal holds the template for one creature chosen at the time of casting it may have no more HD than 1/2 your Caster Level and every time the amount of HD consumed by the portal equals the Hitdie of the chosen creature a duplicate of the creature is created.

Material Component: Magically enchanted clay worth 10000gp per HD of the chosen creature
XP Cost: 5000 per HD of the chosen creature.

[Vaz]

Adamantine Wings of War


Transmutation (War)
Level; Sor/Wiz 8, Wu Jen 8
Components; V, S, M
Casting Time; 1 Minute
Range; Medium
Target; 25 Creatures/Level
Duration; 1/hr Level

You feel an instant of searing pain from your back, which swiftly fades into a sensation of ultimate freedom.
You sprout a pair of dull gleaming wings made of overlapping feathers of dark metal.
You grow a pair of adamantine wings.
The wings grant you a fly speed of 60 feet (or 40 feet if you wear medium or heavy armor or carry a medium or heavy load), with good maneuverability.
If you are not flying, you can use a standard action to make one wing attack or a full attack action to make two such attacks (as if they were natural weapons).
Each wing deals 2d6 points of slashing damage (plus your Strength modifier), and threatens a critical hit on a 19-20.
The wings are considered both magic and adamantine for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction or penetrating hardness.
Wing strikes are not additional attacks; they replace any other attack or full attack action.
As a swift action, you can choose to launch the adamantine feathers as a burst of razor-sharp blades.
This attack takes the form of a 60-foot cone-shaped burst.
All creatures within the cone take 10d6 points of damage (Reflex half; spell resistance applies).
Since this is a spell effect, damage reduction does not affect the damage dealt by the cone.

Material Cost; An ornate brooch of purest Adamantine metal, crafted in the shape of a Bat or Feathered Wing, worth 12,000GP.

Essentially, transform an army into flying monstrosities; and have them go in front of an enemy; and unleash 3750d6 of Adamantine Death.

Golden Statues (War Amber Sarcophagus)
For 1/day level, turn upwards of 375 targets into Golden Statues for up to 15 days or more.

War on the Library; (War Amanuensis, Cleric 1, Sor/Wiz 1)
Requires a bit of work, but if you assume it copies down 25 books/level, you have an entire library in your hand.

War Disquietude (Bard 2)
1 minute casting time, range Long, 25 Creatures/level, must pass a Will Save or restricts movement to avoid physical contact, even with allies.

Investiture of the Steel Devil; http://dndtools.eu/spells/fiendish-codex-ii-tyrants-of-the-nine-hells--67/investiture-of-the-steel-devil--1188/

Put it on Cavalry in lines of 2 ranks, and you have at least 10 creatures affected by it; aka, +14 to Attack and AC. Be very cheeky, and tell them to carry little mice etc in pockets. +6 to AC and attack for each mouse that they carry.

[Agrippa]

Nice, I almost did War Greater Plane Shift.

It just seems that greater teleport is the perfect spell for warfare. Think about it for a minute. Imagine transporting troops and supplies anywhere you are aquainted with for any distance with no chance of failure.

[JaronK]

What's Trade Route modeled off of? Or Citadel?

Meanwhile, here's a horribly messed up spell to combine with an undead chicken army or similar mindless minions, based on the Vengeance spell from Secrets of the Phoenix:

Vengeful Pyroclasm
Abjuration
Level: Shugenja (Fire) 5
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Medium
Target: 25 creatures/CL
Duration: 24 hours or until discharged
Saving Throw: None; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes
This bizarre spell is often used as a last resort by Isawa shugenja in dangerous combat situations, and those who have seen it in action learn to avoid those who bear its telltale glow.
When it is cast, all targets become suffused with a pale red light for 24 hours. If any are killed at any point during this time, that target's body explodes, inflicting 1d8 points of damage per caster level in a 60ft-radius. This damage is raw force, and cannot be countered by elemental resistance. They may choose to cancel this spell at any time, even as a free action immediately before they are slain, thus preventing the possibility of accidentally harming their own allies when the power of vengeance is unleashed.

JaronK

[The Mentalist]

What's Trade Route modeled off of? Or Citadel?


Fabricate.

[unseenmage]

War Spell: Glyph of Warding (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/glyphOfWarding.htm)

War Glyph of Warding
War Glyph of Warding
Abjuration [War]
Level: Clr 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Long
Target or Area: Up to 25 objects per CL or up to 15 sq. ft./level
Duration: Permanent until discharged (D)
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: No (object) and Yes; see text

This powerful inscription harms those who enter, pass, or open the warded area or objects. A war glyph of warding can guard a bridge or passage, ward a portal, trap chests or boxes, and so on.

You set the conditions of the ward. Typically, any creature entering the warded area or opening the warded objects without speaking a password (which you set when casting the spell) is subject to the magic it stores. Alternatively or in addition to a password trigger, glyphs can be set according to physical characteristics (such as height or weight) or creature type, subtype, or kind. Glyphs can also be set with respect to good, evil, law, or chaos, or to pass those of your religion. They cannot be set according to class, Hit Dice, or level. Glyphs respond to invisible creatures normally but are not triggered by those who travel past them ethereally. Multiple glyphs cannot be cast on the same 5 ft. area. However, if a cabinet has three drawers, each can be separately warded.

When casting the spell, you weave a tracery of faintly glowing lines around the warding sigil. A glyph can be placed to conform to any shape up to the limitations of your total square footage. When the spell is completed, the glyph and tracery become nearly invisible.

Glyphs cannot be affected or bypassed by such means as physical or magical probing, though they can be dispelled. Mislead (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/mislead.htm), polymorph (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/polymorph.htm), and nondetection (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/nondetection.htm) (and similar magical effects) can fool a glyph, though nonmagical disguises and the like can’t. Read magic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/readMagic.htm)allows you to identify a war glyph of warding with a DC 13 Spellcraft check. Identifying the glyph does not discharge it and allows you to know the basic nature of the glyph (version, type of damage caused, what spell is stored).

Note: Magic traps such as war glyph of warding are hard to detect and disable. A rogue (only) can use the Search skill to find the glyph and Disable Device to thwart it. The DC in each case is 25 + spell level, or 29 for war glyph of warding.

Depending on the version selected, a glyph either blasts the intruder or activates a spell.

Blast Glyph
A blast glyph deals 1d8 points of damage per two caster levels (maximum 5d8) to the intruder and to all within 5 feet of him or her. This damage is acid, cold, fire, electricity, or sonic (caster’s choice, made at time of casting). Each creature affected can attempt a Reflex save to take half damage. Spell resistance applies against this effect.

Spell Glyph
You can store any harmful spell of 3rd level or lower that you know. All level-dependent features of the spell are based on your caster level at the time of casting the glyph. If the spell has a target, it targets the intruder. If the spell has an area or an amorphous effect the area or effect is centered on the intruder. If the spell summons creatures, they appear as close as possible to the intruder and attack. Saving throws and spell resistance operate as normal, except that the DC is based on the level of the spell stored in the glyph.
Material Component: You trace the glyph with incense, which must first be sprinkled with powdered diamond worth at least 4,800gp.

War Spell: Greater Glyph of Warding (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/glyphOfWardingGreater.htm)

War Greater Glyph of Warding
War Greater Glyph of Warding
Abjuration [War]
Level: Clr 7
This spell functions like war glyph of warding, except that a greater blast glyph deals up to 10d8 points of damage, and a greater spell glyph can store a spell of 6th level or lower.
Material Component: You trace the glyph with incense, which must first be sprinkled with powdered diamond worth at least 13,100 gp.

War Spell: Ghoul Glyph (Libris Mortis: The Book of the Dead)

War Ghoul Glyph
War Ghoul Glyph
Necromancy [War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3, Hunger 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long
Effect: Twenty-five glyphs per CL; each of which must fit within a separate 1-ft. square
Duration: Permanent until discharged
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes
You inscribe twenty-five glyphs per caster level, each of which must fit within a different 1-ft. square, that paralyzes any living creature of Large or smaller size that enters, passes, or opens the warded area.
You can scribe the glyph to be visible as faintly glowing lines, or invisible.
You can inscribe a war ghoul glyph on a portable object, but if the object is moved more than 5 feet, the glyph fades.
Conditions for triggering a war ghoul glyph are stringent.
It takes effect on any creature except yourself that moves to or within 2 feet of it.
It affects invisible creatures normally but is not triggered by those that travel past it ethereally.
Only a single war ghoul glyph can be inscribed in a 5-foot square.
War ghoul glyphs cannot be affected or bypassed by such means as physical or magical probing, though they can be dispelled.
Mislead (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/mislead.htm) and nondetection (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/nondetection.htm) can fool a war ghoul glyph.
Read magic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/readMagic.htm) allows identification of a war ghoul glyph with a successful DC 13 Spellcraft check, if the glyph is noticed before it is activated.
A rogue (only) can use the Search skill to find a war ghoul glyph and Disable Device to thwart it. The DC in each case is 28.
When a glyph is activated, the subject is paralyzed for 1d6+2 rounds.
Additionally, if the subject fails his Fortitude save, the paralyzed subject exudes a carrion stench that causes retching and nausea in a 10-foot radius.
Those in the radius must make a Fortitude save or take a -2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks until the spell ends.
Material Component: You trace the glyph with earth from a ghoul's lair, and magical unguents worth 1,500gp.

War Spell: Suppress Glyph (Magic of Faerun)

War Suppress Glyph
War Suppress Glyph
Transmutation [War]
Level: Cleric 7 (Deneir),
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Medium
Area: 300-ft.-radius emanation centered on target ally.
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (object)
You gain an enhanced awareness of magical writing within range.
Magical writing such as a glyph of warding (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/glyphOfWarding.htm), explosive runes (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/explosiveRunes.htm), sepia snake sigil (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/sepiaSnakeSigil.htm), or a symbol spell is covered by a blue nimbus of light (which sheds light equal to a candle).
This reveals the location of the writing but prevents it from being triggered.
You and other creatures could read a book warded by explosive runes, or open a drawer guarded by a glyph of warding, or pass through a doorway protected by a symbol spell without effect.
This spell covers and negates any active or triggered magical writing (such as a quickly scribed symbol of fear (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/symbolOfFear.htm) or a triggered symbol of death (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/symbolOfDeath.htm)), although creatures that have already succumbed to the effects of the writing are unaffected.
Once this spell ends, all magical writing in the area can be triggered normally, and active or triggered writings resume their function if they have any duration left.
Material Component: Fluorescent powder worth 9,100gp.

Sadly, Elder Glyph of Warding (LoM) is already a 9th level spell so he couldn't be with his friends today for the War Spells costume ball. :smallfrown:

[unseenmage]

War Spell: Grim Revenge (Book of Vile Darkness)

War Grim Revenge
War Grim Revenge
Necromancy [Evil, War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long
Target: Twenty-five living humanoids per CL
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
The hand of the subjects tear themselves away from one of their arms, leaving bloody stumps.
This trauma deals 6d6 points of damage.
Then the hands, animated and floating in the air, begins to attack the subject they sprang from.
The hand attacks as if it were a wight (see the Monster Manual) in terms of its statistics, special attacks, and special qualities, except that it is considered Tiny and gains a +4 bonus to AC and a +4 bonus on attack rolls.
The hand can be turned or rebuked as a wight.
If the hand is defeated, only a regenerate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/regenerate.htm) spell can restore the victim to normal.
Material Component: 4,500gp

[Fax Celestis]

Daisy Cutter
Evocation [Fire, War]
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long (400' + 40'/level)
Target: Up to 25 creatures per caster level
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Will negates, Reflex half; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

A spray of sparks leaps from your fingers into the targets' bodies, waiting silently for its death.

You place a tiny quantity of pure elemental fire within each creature, which interacts with the energy released by its death to create a small explosion. When a targeted creature is killed, its body explodes in a burst of flame, dealing fire damage to each adjacent creature equal to twice the target's HD or twice your caster level, whichever is less (maximum 20 points).

Treat creatures with less than 1 HD as having 1/2 HD for the purpose of this spell's effect (so the spell deals 1 point of fire damage when triggered). A successful Reflex save halves this damage.

Daisy cutter has no ill effect on a target's body before its death.

A target receives a Will save to negate the spell's effect.

Material Component: Eleven splinters of charred bone, at least one of which is the bone of a red dragon valued at 500 gp or more.

aka: don't march in formation, you morons

[mregecko]

Someone had to do it....

Ribbons of Pain
Evocation [War]
Level: Cleric 6, Sorcerer 6, Wizard 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 10m
Range: Long
Effect: Up to four streamers per target
Duration: 1 round / level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

You cause hundreds of red, razor-sharp streamers to shoot forth from the your hands and enrobe your enemies.
You may fire one streamer, plus one additional streamer for every three levels beyond 9th (to a maximum of four streamers at 18th level), at up to 25 targets per caster level.
A streamer moves on its own, pursuing its target without your concentration, hovering in the same space as the target with a readied touch attack.
Whenever the target next takes any sort of action, the streamer makes a touch attack against it (at the caster's base attack bonus).
On a successful attack roll, the streamer deals 5d10 points of damage.
If a target takes no actions for the duration of the spell, the streamers around it disappear with no effect.
Streamers can be attacked (AC 20), but only magic weapons have any effect on them.
Any successful attack destroys a streamer.

The thought of locking down an opponent's army with ribbons is amazing. 20th level caster, lock down 500 people with 4 ribbons each. Have fun breathing (and nothing else) for the next 20 rounds.

[Fax Celestis]

Head Count
Transmutation [War]
Level: Wu Jen 8
Components: V, S, AF
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long (400' + 40'/level)
Target: Up to 25 creatures per caster level
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial; see text
Spell Resistance: No

When you cast this spell, you flick a silk scarf at up to 25 creatures per level within range, magically propelling it toward the target.

The scarves assume an ironlike hardness on the way, and then wrap around each creature's neck.

You must have line of sight to each target and hit with a normal ranged attack. If you hit, each target must make a Fortitude saving throw; failure indicates that the scarf has decapitated the victim.

A target creature that makes its save takes 1d4 points of damage per caster level (maximum 20d4) before freeing itself from the decapitating scarf.

Constructs and most undead (except vampires) are not immediately killed by decapitation, and take only 6d4 points of damage whether they make their save or not.

Oozes, aberrations, and other creatures without a head are immune to the spell's effects.

Focus: At least one silk scarf per target.

Material Component: An expertly crafted scarf worth at least 12,000GP

[The Mentalist]

Head Count


I'm imagining an anime style attack where he throws out this 300 foot scarf and spins it around and cuts off the heads of everyone nearby.

[Fax Celestis]

Sonic Boom
Evocation [Sonic, War]
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long (400' + 40'/level)
Area: 100' radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude and Reflex and Will partial; see text
Spell Resistance: No

You create a loud noise equivalent to a peal of thunder.

The spell has three effects. First, all creatures in the area must make Will saves to avoid being stunned for 1 round. Second, the creatures must make Fortitude saves or be deafened for 1 minute. Third, they must make Reflex saves or fall prone. Creatures that cannot hear are not stunned, but might still fall prone.

Material Component: At least 1500GP worth of thunderstones

[JaronK]

War Stonefire from Shining South would be hilarious, as it would quickly burn down a dungeon (yes, one made of stone). Talk about an awesome way to dungeon crawl!

JaronK

[Fax Celestis]

Okay, I know this is an old thread, but I just had this terrifying thought:

Strike As One
Transmutation [War]
Level: Druid 3, Sorcerer 4, Wizard 4
Components: V, S, M, DF,
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: Allied creatures in a 60-ft. radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Allied creatures in the spell's area can immediately make one melee or ranged attack. Taking this action doesn't affect the subject's normal place in the initiative order. This is a single attack and follows the standard rules for attacking.

This spell does not allow the subject to make more than one additional attack in a round. If the subject has already made an additional attack, due to a prior casting of this spell, from the haste spell, or from any other source, this spell fails.

Material component: 1500gp worth of snake's scales
Actually probably one of the saner war spells.

[JaronK]

The casting time on that is one minute, making it useless.

And please don't necro.

JaronK

[Buckozz]

I'm amazed no one has mentioned that you could shadowcraft mage quite a lot of these

[Jervis]

This is broken - and not even in the "haha, they missed this obvious interaction but you can make it work" way, but in the "there's no possible way to make this reasonable or balanced" way. +1 adjustment to affect half a battlefield is crazy even by WotC standards (though sadly, not by Dragons standards) and don't get me started on the "25 creatures/CL" thing.

Keep in mind it takes 24 hours of sitting in a place to cast them. So you can only do it on a familiar battlefield

Edit: WHY HAS NO ONE MADE WAR SHIVERING TOUCH YET?

That’s a 4th level spell that deals 3d6 Dex damage to 25 creatures per CL in range.

[daremetoidareyo]

War grim revenge? Make an army out of opposing archers hands?

[liquidformat]

So first off cool find though I feel like since these are 'War Spells' they should have a requirement of number of characters casting the spell together in order to cast said spell. I might look at how to do that and it would add a bit more 'balance' to these.

Anyways don't have enough time to do writeups right now but here are a list of spells I think could be fun to use this on, with a cursory look.
Launch Bolt
Righteous Might
Call Avalanche
Frostfell

[Peelee]

The Mod on the Silver Mountain: Few war spells bring the dead back to life.