Protection From Dragons [Spell]

[Zexionthefirst]

Protection from Dragons
Abjuration
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 min./level; until discharged; see text (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: No; see text

This spell attempts to wards a creature from a made by a specific type of dragon. The type of Dragon (Black, Blue, Green, Red, White, Brass, Bronze, Gold, or Silver) is chosen at the time of casting the spell. This spell creates a minor magical barrier to a distance of 1 foot around the target, and this ward moves with the target for the duration of the spell. This barrier has three major effects:

First, the subject gains a +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 Luck bonus to Reflex saves against against attacks make or effects created by the type of dragon that's been warded against.

Second, the subject is immune to the effects of the Dragon's Frightful Presence. This protection extends to the dragons that are a different color then what has been warded against- against dragons of a different type then what was selected for this spell, the subject gains a +4 moral bonus against Frightful Presence.

Finally, the last effect of this minor ward weaken some of the overwhelming might of a dragon. The first time a subject of this spell is hit with a breath weapon from the selected type of dragon, that damage from that breath weapon is treated as being one age category younger vs the subject of this spell. (Effectively, a warded creature ignores the last two damage dice rolled.)

Material Components: A powdered mix of Dragon's teeth, Dragon's claws, and the scales of the type of dragon being warded against used to make a circle around the creature to be warded.



So this is geared towards fighting dragons, and as such would be far more situational then a traditional Protection from Evil, so I left it at first level. If anything, I feel it's somewhat underwhelming for a standard game. Is there anything you would recommend I add, or change? Or am I wrong, and there is some element of it that's overpowered?

This is something that would be researched in game, so that research cost should somewhat be reflected in the spell's balance. I want to make a line of Dragon slaying themed spells that I can have a character work towards researching as part of their story arc.

[Saintheart]

There's a 3rd level spell, Anti-dragon Aura, that provides the same +2 luck bonus to multiple people, and also the same +2 to AC since it nerfs a dragon's attack rolls by 2. It doesn't touch on reducing the dragon's damage. I don't really see that the limitation to a specific dragon type is really much of a drawback, since you're generally not going to fight more than one dragon at a time if you can possibly help it, and it'd be a bit of a jerk move to mislead the party into preparing for battle against the wrong colour of dragon, making this spell useless.

I tend to call this slightly overpowered for level one, going only against the spells I know. But that's just me.

[Climowitz]

I would have ir be a level 2 spell with a round/level duratio . Or level 3 with that duration on minutes.

[Zexionthefirst]

There's a 3rd level spell, Anti-dragon Aura,.

That's good enough for me. Thank you!

[noob]

So it is like protection from winged flyers but less good.(I mean taking 2 less damage dice is barely felt when the dangerous dragons does not deals damage with their breath and it does not helps the useful saves which are will and fortitude)
Also it does not protects against mind control.
So the only time where someone would take it instead of taking protection from winged flyers would be if that person plans to stack them.

[rferries]

I disagree that this is overpowered, if anything I'd say it's underpowered. For symmetry with protection from evil, I suggest the following changes:

1) Either make deflection bonus into a luck bonus as well, or make the luck bonus to saves into a resistance bonus (i.e. simply decide whether you want the spell to stack with protection from evil or not, not the current mixed stacking).

2) Make the bonus apply to all saves, not just Reflex.

3) The breath weapon resistance is a bit complicated, simply give energy resistance 5/10/etc against the energy type of the chosen dragon.

4) I'd even suggest making this protection from creatures (similar to protection from chaos/evil/good/law, there'd be one spell for each creature type e.g. dragons, undead, aberrations, etc). If you do this, I'd expand the Frightful Presence immunity into an immunity to all gaze and aura attacks from creatures of the chosen type.