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vegetablevoice
2007-08-05, 11:55 PM
These are spells I've scribbled up for the Tears of Blood setting (Community World Building). The first is basically adding color to the halflings' Travel goddess; the last three are to fill spots in new domains.

The levels of these spells are FIXED. Please help me fit the other mechanics to the level.

Ensoul Ship
Conjuration (Calling)
Level: Andmere 1
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: One half-hour
Range: Touch
Target: One ocean-going vessel
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: None

Visual description goes here.
This ritual of Andmere’s faith endows a halfling vessel with its soul. An ensouled ship gives all halflings on board a +1 sacred bonus to all Profession (Sailor) checks, and is treated as a “permanent fixture” of a temple for purposes of consecrate. An ensouled ship can also be hallowed.


Inexhaustible Vigor
Transmutation
Level: Stamina 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One living creature
Duration: 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Visual description goes here.
This spell makes the target almost impossible to keep down. The target creature is immune to fatigue, exhaustion, stunning, and sickening; any such ailments in effect when the spell is cast are suppressed for the spell’s duration. The target creature also becomes immune to non-lethal damage.

Barbed Taunt
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting, Language-Dependent (see text)]
Level: Audacity 5
Components: V, S, DF,
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: Short
Target: 1 intelligent creature
Duration: See text
Saving Throw: Will partial; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

Descriptive text blah.
By taunting an opponent, you force them to attack you. If they fail a Will save, you can choose their attack through your taunt (“Ooh, I’m so scared of your big scary axe scary thing!” “Poison gas? Which end does it come out of?”). If the target makes the Will save, or if they don’t understand the language you taunt them in, they are still compelled to attack you on their next turn, but may choose the attack normally. Successful spell resistance negates the entire spell normally.

Each round, you may continue taunting this opponent as a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. A new saving throw is rolled each round.

You may not taunt an opponent into using an attack that you don’t know they have. If you try and compel them to use an attack they don’t have or can’t use (for instance, the wizard doesn’t have meteor swarm memorized, or the creature you think is a fire-breathing red dragon is actually a giant eagle masked by an illusion), your taunt is nonsensical and does not compel them to attack you this round. You may try and attract their ire again the next round; on any round that you do attempt to make them attack you, the spell ends.


Method in Madness
Transmutation
Level: Audacity 6
Components: V, S, DF,
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: Self
Target: Yourself
Duration: 2 rounds/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Blah blah descriptive text

This spell is itself a powerful metamagic dweomer. At the end of its duration, or at any time during that duration, you may cast an offensive, single-target spell of 4th level or lower. You may enhance this second spell in the following ways, depending on how many attacks of opportunity you provoked during method in madness’ duration:

*+1 to the DC of any required saving throw (per AoO)
*+1 per die of damage (per AoO)
*One extra target (per 2 AoO; additional targets must have made AoOs against you; this effect creates a copy of the second spell)
*+10 feet of range (per AoO)




Thanks in advance for help!
-VV

Kurald Galain
2007-08-06, 06:40 AM
Okay. I take it from the sacredness that these are cleric spells?

Ensoul Ship
Enchantment would be more fitting. Duration is actually permanent. This category of spells is not really represented in D&D; my first opinion would be to increase its level, since first-level spells aren't supposed to be permanent area enchantments, but if you don't want that I'd recommend adding a semi-expensive material component (e.g. incense to burn to summon stuff). It may be nice to add some stuff like the ship being less likely to sink, or getting bonuses on hull strength or something. Is it an evil act to bind a soul like that? If not, please explain so in the description. I suppose this can be dispelled? How does it interact with other soul-related (or possibly even undead-related) spells of the exorcism kind?


Inexhaustible Vigor
Nice. Please clarify if the spell removes the adverse conditions, or whether the subject simply ignores the effects of said conditions while the spell lasts. What happens if the spell is cast on a creature already exhausted?


Barbed Taunt
For starters this needs a maximum duration (say, one round per level). I find this rather unfitting for a cleric spell; flavor-wise, it would fit best with a bard, and less so with a wizard/sorcerer. I don't think it's necessary to make it an immediate action (if it is, does it make people abort what they're doing otherwise? That needs explaining); it essentially means that target creature must attack you for the duration of the spell. Can the creature attack others as well, if the attack includes you (e.g. fireball, part of a full attack, etc)? What about indirect attacks (e.g. earthquake)? How does this interact with fear spells and similar that prevent the subject from attacking you? And I'd simplify the last paragraph to something like "if the creature is for whatever reason unable to attack you in the manner you specify, it will attack in a way of its own choice". Overall the concept is cool but the way it works is too complex and confusing.


Method in Madness
First, you should define "offensive" and "single-target". Second, metamagic in 3E is done by feats, really. Third, why is this an immediate action? And fourth, this is very confusing - what is the point and goal of this spell? Flavor-wise it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to empower a spell by having other people attack you. Oh, and does "using" it end the spell?
This is easily abusable by standing still somewhere, provoking AoOs that don't get "taken" since nobody is around, or by provoking AoOs from allies who will intentionally miss. Plus there is no limit. And the four effects are widely varying in power (note the difference in how Heighten, Empower, Split/Chain, and Enlarge work).

vegetablevoice
2007-08-06, 04:36 PM
Thanks for the feedback!

ENSOUL SHIP -- the fluff for this is that the souls of halfling ships are the children of the God of Nature and the Goddess of Travel. This spell is the "christening" moment that makes the physical boat a Child of Andmere. That's why I made it a Conjuration [calling] rather than Enchantment. I didn't really want it dispellable, which is why I went for instantaneous duration rather than permanent -- the magic happens, poof, and then the magic is done and the soul's in the boat.

I like the expensive material component -- incense, probably a very special bottle of wine. I'll make that tweak. Any other suggestions on 1st-level-appropriate mechanics for this?

INEXHAUSTIBLE VIGOR -- I'm fairly happy with this one; wasn't sure if it was overpowered or not. Not sure what the question is on exhausted creatures receiving the spell -- that condition is suppressed for the duration, just like the others. Or am I missing something?

BARBED TAUNT -- I agree, this one will definitely be cross-listed for bards, but I thought it would fit the new Audacity domain well. It needs its wording much improved from what I've got now. I'll try and do a rewrite with your suggestions in mind.

METHOD IN MADNESS -- OK, this one needs the most help. :smallsmile: What I'm shooting for is a spell that encourages the caster to do REALLY STUPID THINGS, and uses that sacrifice of stupidity to accomplish something REALLY COOL. In my head, it's charging a mass of pikemen, getting cut up as normal -- and then blowing them all up. Or strolling right up to a dragon, going about your business, maybe making fun of him, and blowing him up. But I'm looking for a mechanical way to encourage that level of (yes) Audacity. (And a sixth level spell for that domain.)

With those things on the table, more thoughts?

Thanks again,
-VV

mikeejimbo
2007-08-06, 04:46 PM
Minor minor nitpick for Ensoul Ship: Casting times of half an hour don't seem to exist. You should probably have it 10 minutes or one hour.

Collin152
2007-08-06, 05:02 PM
Minor minor nitpick for Ensoul Ship: Casting times of half an hour don't seem to exist. You should probably have it 10 minutes or one hour.

Clearly they exist, but remain unprecedented.

mikeejimbo
2007-08-06, 05:18 PM
Clearly they exist, but remain unprecedented.

All right, I retract my earlier statement.

People yell at ME when I make spells with non-standard casting times...

Collin152
2007-08-06, 05:44 PM
All right, I retract my earlier statement.

People yell at ME when I make spells with non-standard casting times...

Well, it all depends. If it were a Move-action casting time, you could cast it twice, or cast another spel the same round, or cast those two and a quickened one, and so forth. A Half Hour's casting time is essentially the same limitation as an Hour casting time, in that it's impractical for any situation you hadn't planned for.

Kurald Galain
2007-08-07, 02:58 AM
I didn't really want it dispellable, which is why I went for instantaneous duration rather than permanent
I'd suggest that instead, if you don't want it dispellable, you give it a permanent duration and note in the spell description that it's not subject to dispel magic. It sounds clearer that way.


Not sure what the question is on exhausted creatures receiving the spell
Probably the same, but it may be worth spelling out to avoid confusing people.


What I'm shooting for is a spell that encourages the caster to do REALLY STUPID THINGS
Ah, now I see. That's a pretty cool idea. If I think of something I'll let you know. I think you should only count AoOs that actually hit, though - it's too easily abusable otherwise.