Pefgis
2018-12-16, 11:21 AM
As a thought experiment, what would the "platonic ideal" or "most parsimonious" (or at least, most thematically elegant or satisfying) of a hypothetical list of spells of each school of magic (or other classification, such as damage type) at each spell level. There would definitely be gaps here, levels where an appropriate spell doesn't exist or needs to be tweaked. These would be theoretical in some cases, or combinations of existing spells, or best approximations. My goal is isn't to imply,ement a new magic system or create new spells, but to create a framework to think about-anyone who is making or tweaking spells could find it useful, and it reveals patterns in spell levels-like eighth levels being big forces of nature like earthquake or tsunami
Basically if there was only one spell per any given level per school/category, even if that spell is a combo of different spell functions, what would it be?
For example... Illusion Spells
Cantrip: Minor Illusion plus elements of prestidigitation and druid craft, like replicating a smell or taste. Basic temporary messing with senses
1st Level: Color Spray, Disguise Self, Illusory Script, and Silent Image all seem appropriate, with Silent Image being the most iconic. Hypothetically ruling them all into one spell seems feasible, as long as you can only choose one function at a time.
2nd: Invisibility and Mirror Image seem the most iconic, the others are like Blur and Silence are good too. All of these good be one function of some Arcane Misdirection spell.
3rd: Hypnotic pattern or major image
4th: Phantasmal killer and hallucinatory terrain all seem appropriate. Greater invisibility seems a good candidate for an upcasted effect of regular invisibility.
5th: Mislead/ Seeming combo. Dream doesn't seem very appropriate for illusion and fits better in a theoretical psionic or mind based category
6th: Programmed Illusion - mental prison could easily be a function of this
7th: Mirage Arcane and Project Image are good. Simulacra doesn't fit, I wouldn't even call it illusion.
8th: Something like Illusory Dragon, but less restrictive- any big monster like a demon or angel seem fine
9th: Weird
Spells not here could be reclassified on a different list-phantom steed seems like a perfect function of some theoretical summon/conjuration third level spell.
Any ideas? Or is this too fiddly and hypothetical to be useful?
Basically if there was only one spell per any given level per school/category, even if that spell is a combo of different spell functions, what would it be?
For example... Illusion Spells
Cantrip: Minor Illusion plus elements of prestidigitation and druid craft, like replicating a smell or taste. Basic temporary messing with senses
1st Level: Color Spray, Disguise Self, Illusory Script, and Silent Image all seem appropriate, with Silent Image being the most iconic. Hypothetically ruling them all into one spell seems feasible, as long as you can only choose one function at a time.
2nd: Invisibility and Mirror Image seem the most iconic, the others are like Blur and Silence are good too. All of these good be one function of some Arcane Misdirection spell.
3rd: Hypnotic pattern or major image
4th: Phantasmal killer and hallucinatory terrain all seem appropriate. Greater invisibility seems a good candidate for an upcasted effect of regular invisibility.
5th: Mislead/ Seeming combo. Dream doesn't seem very appropriate for illusion and fits better in a theoretical psionic or mind based category
6th: Programmed Illusion - mental prison could easily be a function of this
7th: Mirage Arcane and Project Image are good. Simulacra doesn't fit, I wouldn't even call it illusion.
8th: Something like Illusory Dragon, but less restrictive- any big monster like a demon or angel seem fine
9th: Weird
Spells not here could be reclassified on a different list-phantom steed seems like a perfect function of some theoretical summon/conjuration third level spell.
Any ideas? Or is this too fiddly and hypothetical to be useful?