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View Full Version : New Feat : Weak Spell [Metamagic]



Shinn
2016-07-29, 09:52 AM
Prerequisite : Caster Level 3rd.
Effect : You can use a reverse form of Metamagic for decreasing the level of a spell. For example, you could weaken a Fireball damage by cutting it in two, but it makes the spell a 2nd level spell instead of 3rd. You can use any Metamagic weakening without knowing the corresponding feat.
You must choose if a spell is affected by this feat only when choosing your spell (not for spontaneous casters).
The minimum spell level you can have is the 1st ; it's impossible to turn a spell into a cantrip.

Special : You can take this feat multiple time. The number of Metamagic weakening you can add on a same spell is dicted by the number of times you took this feat.

Jormengand
2016-07-29, 10:10 AM
So, hang on, you really want to specify that one level is halving... what? Damage? Any variable numerical effects of the spell? Any effects of the spell at all? Until I know that, and until you actually specify that one level equals a halving (also, are you using D&D division and multiplication, or real multiplication and division? In D&D, 2*2=3, so two applications would mean that a third of a fireball was a first-level spell, which is a damned good first-level spell).

I worry mainly because a first-level crushing hand, while yes it takes 8 feats but you're a wizard so you have feats coming out your butt and nothing to do with them, while yes it deals 1 point of damage (or 2-3, depending on the type of maths you're using), is still capable of grappling people at a stupid bonus. Prismatic Sphere does very little damage, but still kills people, turns them to stone, and sends them to another plane. And if you restrict the feat to spells that do nothing but damage, then it doesn't work on, I dunno, fireball? Because that melts metals, too. But at the moment it's not even restricted to spells that do damage, so you can put wish or shapechange as a first-level spell.

JeenLeen
2016-07-29, 02:12 PM
In agreement with Jormengand, this feat looks difficult to use until what 'weakening' means is fully defined. I think a large part is just that D&D's magic system is not equipped for casting spells at a lower caster level than the minimum.

You could work out what it means in all respects (duration, saving throws, damage, etc.)

Another, more feasible option, would be to put a limit such as you only being able to limit this to spells that "deal damage and do not have a saving throw". I don't know if that would rule out everything like Prismatic Wall or the Hand's grappling ability--never learned how grappling works--but something like that might work. Maybe put it how it only works on instantaneous spells as well, so duration isn't a tricky thing to work out, and it rules out stuff like summoning Summon Monster IX as a level 1 spell.