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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Other Revised Alter Self, Charm Person, Knock spells



rferries
2017-09-15, 04:39 AM
I've tackled some of the problem spells. Ironically I think I may have been too hard on alter self; perhaps I should have stopped at just limiting it to humanoids. It's a nice utility spell for when you want to infilitrate a drow city or visit a locathah colony; instead of nerfing it because it can duplicate water breathing perhaps water breathing should be set at a lower level. Or alter self could come with a list of acceptable humanoids it can mimic (merfolk, lizardfolk, etc.)... I'm tempted to make alter self last for 24 hours and affect your whole party, to make infiltration/underwater campaigns possible.

I made the polymorph descriptor; some creatures specifically have immunity to it after all. It covers everything from alter self to flesh to stone to polymorph any object.

Alter Self
Transmutation [Polymorph]
Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 min/level (D)

"Time for a change."

You assume the form of a humanoid creature. The new form must be within one size category of your normal size. The maximum HD of an assumed form is equal to your caster level, to a maximum of 5 HD at 5th level. You can change into a member of your own kind or even into yourself.

You retain your own ability scores. Your class and level, hit points, alignment, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses all remain the same. You retain all supernatural and spell-like special attacks and qualities of your normal form, except for those requiring a body part that the new form does not have (such as a mouth for a breath weapon or eyes for a gaze attack).

You keep all extraordinary special attacks and qualities derived from class levels, but you lose any from your normal form that are not derived from class levels.

If the new form is capable of speech, you can communicate normally. You retain any spellcasting ability you had in your original form, but the new form must be able to speak intelligibly (that is, speak a language) to use verbal components and must have limbs capable of fine manipulation to use somatic or material components.

You acquire some of the physical qualities of the new form while retaining your own mind. These qualities include natural size, some mundane movement capabilities (walking, swimming, and gliding, to a maximum speed of 120 feet for gliding or 60 feet for swimming), natural armor bonus (maximum +1), natural weapons (maximum 2 claws, 1 bite), racial skill bonuses (only on Listen, Spot, and checks based on physical ability scores), and any gross physical qualities (presence or absence of wings, number of extremities, and so forth). A body with extra limbs does not allow you to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal.

You do not gain any extraordinary special attacks or special qualities not noted above under physical qualities, such as darkvision, low-light vision, blindsense, blindsight, fast healing, regeneration, scent, and so forth.

You do not gain any supernatural special attacks, special qualities, or spell-like abilities of the new form. Your creature type and subtype (if any) remain the same regardless of your new form. You cannot take the form of any creature with a template, even if that template doesn’t change the creature type or subtype.

You can freely designate the new form’s minor physical qualities (such as hair color, hair texture, and skin color) within the normal ranges for a creature of that kind. The new form’s significant physical qualities (such as height, weight, and gender) are also under your control, but they must fall within the norms for the new form’s kind. You are effectively disguised as an average member of the new form’s race. If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on your Disguise check and you ignore the penalties for being disguised as a different race, gender, or age.

When the change occurs, your equipment, if any, either remains worn or held by the new form (if it is capable of wearing or holding the item), or melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When you revert to your true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on your body they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items you wore in the assumed form and can’t wear in your normal form fall off and land at your feet; any that you could wear in either form or carry in a body part common to both forms at the time of reversion are still held in the same way. Any part of the body or piece of equipment that is separated from the whole reverts to its true form.

Focus
A small piece (e.g. tuft of hair, a few scales, etc.) from a creature of the race you wish to transform into. If you use the spell to impersonate a specific individual, viewers who are familiar with that creature take a -4 penalty on their Spot checks if the material component came from the individual in question.

Charm Person
Enchantment (Charm)[Mind-Affecting]
Level: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One humanoid creature
Duration: One hour/level
Saving Throw: Willnegates
Spell Resistance: Yes

"Any friend of yours is a friend of mine!"

This charm makes a humanoid creature more likely to trust you and your allies. You gain a +10 enhancement bonus on Diplomacy checks made to influence that creature's attitude, and it always counts as "wanting to believe you" during Bluff checks (-5 penalty to the creature's Sense Motive check). Anyone you introduce to the target as a friend or ally gains these benefits against the target, as well.

If the creature is currently being threatened or attacked by you or your allies, it receives a +5 bonus on its saving throw. Any act by you or your apparent allies that threatens the charmed person breaks the spell. You must speak the person’s language to communicate your intentions, or else be good at pantomiming.

The enhancement bonus on Diplomacy checks increases to +20 at caster level 5th, and to +30 (the maximum) at caster level 9th.

Knock
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One door, box, or chest with an area of up to 10 sq. ft./level
Duration: One minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You speak an arcane password and rap the end of your staff on the on the formidable adamantine door. The barrier somehow seems more inviting, and you step back to let the rogue get to work.

The knock spell helps to open stuck, barred, locked, held, or arcane locked doors. For the duration of the spell, any creature that attempts to open the target gains a +10 enhancement bonus on Open Lock checks (and may use that skill untrained).

Knock affects secret doors, as well as locked or trick-opening boxes or chests. It also loosens welds, shackles, or chains (provided they serve to hold closures shut). Knock does not raise barred gates or similar impediments (such as a portcullis), nor does it affect ropes, vines, and the like. The effect is limited by the area. Each spell can undo as many as two means of preventing egress.

If you or another creature are bound with nonmagical restraints (up to and including masterwork manacles), you may choose to cast this spell on those restraints to automatically undo them. The spell has no verbal or somatic components when you cast it in this way.

The enhancement bonus on Open Lock checks increases to +20 at caster level 5th, and to +30 (the maximum) at caster level 9th.

Knock counters and dispels arcane lock.