Feedback: magic weapon ability AND spells

[Icewalker]

This idea which may have been used, but I haven't heard of any writeups for it. it has led me to create 3 weapon enchants and 5 spells.


Arcane Feedback

Arcane feedback is an effect which causes invasive magic to reach into the targets mind and tear apart spells. This not only causes the attacked target to lose spells, but also to take damage. There is a will save for half damage, with a DC of 10 + the enhancement bonus of the weapon for Lesser Feedback, 14 + the enhancement bonus for Feedback, and 18 + the enhancement bonus for Greater Feedback.

If a Feedback weapon scores a successful blow on a target capable of casting arcane spells, roll a d4 to determine the level of spell affected, and burn one randomly chosen prepared spell or consume spell slot of the level rolled. The target then takes damage based on the level of the destroyed spell. If the target does not have any spells of the level rolled, because they are incapable of casting spells of that level or have already expended them, roll for level again.
Lesser Feedback can affect 1st to 4th level spells and deals 3 points of damage per level of the spell burnt.
Feedback can affect 3rd to 6th level spells, and deals 4 points of damage per level of the spell burnt.
Greater Feedback 6th to 9th level spells, and deals 5 points of damage per level of the spell burnt.

Lesser Feedback/Feedback/Greater Feedback:
Faint/Moderate/Moderate enchantment; CL 7th/10th/14th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Dispel Magic; Price +2/+4/+5 bonus.


Similar to the burst equivalents of Flaming or Frost weapons, there are Lesser Feedback Burst and Greater Feedback Burst abilities. These cost +3 and +5, and on a successful critical strike, burn a number of randomly selected spells equal to the critical multiplier of the weapon (x2, x3, or x4)

[Icewalker]

Feedback Spells

Lesser Feedback Ray
Enchantment [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3, Bard 3
Components: S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Ray
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will half
Spell Resistance: Yes

Lesser Feedback Ray blasts a target with a ray of arcane power, which enters their mind and seeks out their spellcasting powers, which it then burns up, causing severe pain to the subject. Lesser Feedback Ray burns three spells in their mind from a random level from 0-5 (see lesser feedback chart in the above post). After randomly determining a level, three random spells of that level are burned. If the target spontaneously casts spells, three slots are burned. If the target prepares spells, the spells which are burned are selected at random. The target then takes 1 damage per spell level burned. for example, if you roll fourth level spells, you burn three spells and deal 12 damage. A succesful will save negates half the damage from the spell.

Focus: A small crystal of any kind worth at least 25 gp.


Feedback Ray
Enchantment [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5, Bard 6
Components: S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Ray
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will half
Spell Resistance: Yes

Feedback Ray blasts a target with a ray of arcane power, which enters their mind and seeks out their spellcasting powers, which it then burns up, causing severe pain to the subject. Feedback Ray burns three spells in their mind from a random level from 0-9 (see feedback chart in the above post). After randomly determining a level, three random spells of that level are burned. If the target spontaneously casts spells, three slots are burned. If the target prepares spells, the spells which are burned are selected at random. The target then takes 2 damage per spell level burned. for example, if you roll fourth level spells, you burn three spells and deal 24 damage. A succesful will save negates half the damage from the spell.

Focus: A small crystal of any kind worth at least 100 gp.


Greater Feedback Ray
Enchantment [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Ray
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will half
Spell Resistance: Yes

Greater Feedback Ray blasts a target with a ray of arcane power, which enters their mind and seeks out their spellcasting powers, which it then burns up, causing severe pain to the subject. Greater Feedback Ray burns three spells in their mind from a random level from 5-9 (see greater feedback chart in the above post). After randomly determining a level, three random spells of that level are burned. If the target spontaneously casts spells, three slots are burned. If the target prepares spells, the spells which are burned are selected at random. The target then takes 5 damage per spell level burned. for example, if you roll sixth level spells, you burn three spells and deal 90 damage. A succesful will save negates half the damage from the spell.

The remaining feedback spells are not yet posted. I will post them as I write them up.

So, what do you think? I need ideas for the spell level and weapon ability prices in particular, as well as the enhancement bonus taken up by the weapon abilities.

[hr]

[Icewalker]

Feedback Runes
Abjuration [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3, Bard 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One touched object weighting no more than 10 lb.
Duration: Permanent until discharged (D)
Saving Throw: Will (half) and will (partial)
Spell Resistance: Yes

You write out the enchanting runes upon a book, map, scroll, or similar object. The runes, when read, attack the mind of the reader. If the reader is a spellcaster, then two spells are selected and burned at random as selected from the list below on a d% roll.

Feedback Chart
{table=head]Roll|Spell Level Targeted|Damage Dealt (failed save)|Estimated hp of d4 HD caster of appropriate level

1-20|
0|
4|
4

21-38|
1|
2|
4

39-54|
2|
4|
10

55-68|
3|
6|
14

69-80|
4|
8|
18

81-90|
5|
10|
22

91-94|
6|
12|
26

95-97|
7|
14|
30

98-99|
8|
16|
34

100|
9|
18|
38[/table]

The chart also has the damage that would be dealt on a failed save, and the estimated hp of a d4 HD caster of the appropriate level, to help understand the power of the spell. If the spell level rolled is higher than the readers maximum spell level, then take their highest instead. The damage dealt is halved on a successful will save.

If the reader is not a spellcaster, they take 2d4 int damage instead. This damage is halved on a successful will save.

The target then must make a second Will save, or forgets what the runes said. After read, they disappear off the page.

[Fizban]

Between the Demonhunter thread and this I almost thought someone was about to try a Warcraft setting. Which already exitsts btw, but that's not the point.

Right off the bat, DC 25+enhancement bonus is excessive, considering that the base DC of a lv 9 spell is 23.

I won't give a specific idea, but rather a host of possibilities that are all much simpler.

Spells lost:
You could simply burn their highest available slot, it's been done before.
You could burn x dice of spell levels, say 1d4, 1d4+2, and 1d6+2, payed in a combination of spells/slots of the target's choice.

Damage: x or x dice/spell level burned is the easiest and best way to do this. I'd suggest 1d4/level is the most you can do without it just being a death sentence (assuming you burn their highest slot).

Save: well, you may or may not have a save, but there's a few ways to determine it if you do:
Flat DC
DC= 10+ damage (or a fraction thereof) dealt by the hit
DC= 10 (or more)+the amount by which the hit succeded
DC= 10 (or more)+the enhancement bonus of the weapon
DC= 10 (or more)+a relevent ability bonus of the wielder
DC= a combination of the above three

Now, for any of these, I would suggest it only be usable once per round, say requiring a standard action to activate and allowing only one attack. It's a very variable ability, either too weak or an instant kill against any spellcaster, so choose carefully.

Edit: also, for your balance consideration:


Mindcrusher

Any psionic creature struck in combat by a mindcrusher weapon loses a number of power points equal to half the amount of hit point damage the weapon deals (only the base damage of the weapon contributes to the power point loss; additional damage from high Strength or other sources does not cause additional power point loss). A psionic creature that is out of power points (or has none) must succeed on a DC 17 Will save (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatStatistics.htm#will) or take 1d2 points of Wisdom damage.
Strong psychometabolism; ML 12th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#craftPsionicArmsAndArmor), psychic vampire (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/psychicVampire.htm); Price +2 bonus.Now, the fact that it specifically drains power points makes it a little harder to adjudicate under magic/psionics transparency, but it drains very few spell levels.
1st level spell=1 point
2nd=3
3rd=5
4th=7
So, you're not likely to drain anything higher than 3rd level for less than a +2 bonus, and that's without extra damage.

[jlousivy]

I'd almost say that it should be a +4/5/6 ability or higher. Question, can this be applied to ranged weapons? However i think this ability is far too powerful to be allowed to hit on every successful attack. I agree with Fizban on the standard action. Granted I don't want to start up the debate on 'casters vs fighters' and how a caster could so something worse or anything. But this seems to be far too.... mage-bane. Alot of extra damage AND removing spell slots? I'd suggest toneing down the damage if you do both, the removal of a spell-slot is powerful enough as-is.

As for the spells--- well I'm not too great at saying if a high level spell is 'balanced/overpowered/underpowered'

[Icewalker]

Removing spell slots isn't that bad, I think. casters generally have enough. The standard action activation is probably a good idea, I like it, especially considering a rogue with two of these could burn like 5 spells per turn at higher levels...

I like my percentile charts...but I guess it could be easier to burn a rolled level. The only issue with that is that then, on say...2d4, the roll that has the highest chance of occuring is 5, as opposed to having a higher chance of burning a low level spell. Or if it is a single die then equal chances per spell level, and I kind of like lower chances of higher spell levels, considering the devastation you could cause by burning their few high level spells. I also like having a chance of burning various spell levels instead of highest.

I guess it could use a weakening. Spell level burnt perhaps? I like the damage levels, and with the standard action, and lowering the spell levels it can burn, I think it'd do better. I have that hp chart, showing the damage shouldn't neccesarily devastate a caster, unless they have unusually low health, as the save is pretty easily attainable for Lesser and Normal and it halves the damage.

Reworking the save to be 10+? may be better than the enhancement bonus version, how bout DC = 5 + damage dealt for lesser, 10 + damage dealt for normal, and maybe 15+DD for greater?

It would apply to ammo.

[Firestar27]

How much of an enhancement bonus to the weapon would these be worth?
(ex: a flaming enhancement is equal to a +1 enhancement. Therefore, a +1 flaming longsword is priced as a +2 longsword.)
Or will you not have them be worth enhancement bonuses and instead have them be worth raw gp? If so, how much?