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View Full Version : Feat, Spell, Magic Item, or Simply something that just shouldn't be allowed



Scalenex
2007-03-12, 09:12 PM
I was planning on playing a multi-class Barbarian/Sorcerer (yes I'm going for Rage Mage). I was planning on focusing on buff spells. Some buffs have fairly short durations and if I wanted more than one, I'd have to spend a few turns casting spells which would mean that for some battles, certain buffs would wear off first rather than all at once like in the comic where Roy throws Sabine threw the window. I was thinking of a feat that lets you hold onto a spell and release it later with other spells. A magic item or spell could also do the same thing. For example, my Barbarian/Sorcerer casts Mirror Image, Shield, and Heroism while preparing when the enemies are near but not upon my PC party and holds them. Then when the baddies show up he gets all the ability increases at once. Now if that cost a feat or something, I'd think it would be fair in this instance. But that power is ripe with potential for abuse, such as releasing 20 magic missiles at once. How should this Feat be modified to make it useable?

Jack_Simth
2007-03-12, 10:53 PM
There is a spell like that. It's called Time Stop. It's 9th level for very good reason. Actions are about the most valuable thing in combat.

Caduceus
2007-03-13, 12:52 AM
Pick one buff at a time and run with it is my advice. Maybe two. And Extend Spell works, too.

The_Snark
2007-03-13, 02:46 AM
There's something like this already, I swear. Delay Spell, or something. It'll only give you five rounds of time, though... maybe not that useful.

Imrix.
2007-03-13, 06:56 AM
Isn't there something called Contingency? Lets you cast a certain number of spells of a certain level or lower, then activate them all at once when a particular ocndition is met.

Caduceus
2007-03-13, 07:08 AM
You could set the condition for whenever you rage or something. I was going to mention it, but I thought it might be too high a level for low-level characters to use. I can't remember, and I'm too lazy to check the SRD.

Scalenex
2007-03-13, 01:20 PM
Contingency is sixth level spell, I'm starting at first level. One would have to be a 12th level sorcerer to get it. My DM plans for us to get all the way to 20th level, give or take, but it's still a long wait for a multi-class character to get to 12 levels in one class, even if I take prestige classes like Rage Mage or Eldritch Knight that boosts my caster level. So yeah, I was looking for a low level thing.

levi
2007-03-13, 02:31 PM
I think the comparison to Time Stop is a bit unfair. After all, he dosn't get free time in which to cast the spells, he has to cast them as the enemy grow steadily nearer. (At least as far as I can tell by the way Scalenex described it.) Now, the major balance issue I see here is that it shouldn't allow you to cast a bunch of spells when you wake up in the morning and then set them all off when the bloop hits the fan.

I see a pretty simple way to deal with this. You have to cast a spell every round, if you don't, they all go off. So sure, you could cast fifteen magic missles and hold them, but the moment you stop, they all go off. It still takes you fifteen rounds to cast them all and you can't hold them indefinetly.

If you want to hold the charge for some time, pehaps a non-broken option would be to allow for a number of rounds equal to your modifier for your spellcasting stat. These rounds would all be cumulative. For example, you have a +3 Cha mod and cast Blur into the doohicky (feat, spell, item, whatever) on the first round. One the second and third round you don't cast any spells. Then, on the fourth round you cast Jump. As you've already used up two of your three non-casting rounds, you can only hold the charge for one more round. You can release the charge as a swift action.

If that's still too powerful, you can put a targeting restriction on it also, so that you can only cast spells that target you. Not limited to personal range spells, but when the doohicky goes off, every spell in it has you, the caster, as it's target. (Best not load it up with fireballs.)

If there's a need to limit the number of spells the doohicky can hold, you can base that off your casting stat mod too. You can combine this option with the holding the charge option above for a nicely limited version. The doohicky can only hold as many spells as your casting stat mod, and only for that many rounds, whether you cast into it or not. For example with the +3 Cha mod from above, you cast Mage Armor into it. That's round number one of three. On the next two rounds, you can either cast more spells into it, or simply wait. Either way, when your three rounds are up, it goes off.

I'm not gonna venture into writing specific mechanics, but I think some combination of the above could make for a balanced version.

Collin152
2007-03-14, 10:31 PM
Craft Contingent Spell from complete Arcane. It even works post mortem!