Deranging Darkness (Spell)

[Ranged Ranger]

Deranging Darkness
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6, Bard 6
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Fog spreads in 20-ft. radius, 20 ft. high
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: none or Will negates; see text.
Spell Resistance: No

Deranging darkness creates a billowing mass of black misty vapors similar to that produced by a solid fog spell. In addition to slowing creatures down and obscuring sight, this spell’s vapors are highly hallucinogenic. Creatures in the deranging darkness suffers from a confusion effect, as the spell as long as they remain in the fog and for 6d2 rounds thereafter.

If a creature is under the effects of the deranging darkness for a cumulative total of 48 rounds within 24 hours, they must make a will save or the confusion will become continuous as per the Insanity spell. Greater restoration, heal, limited wish, miracle, or wish can restore the creature.

Arcane Material Component: A drop of venom and either a couple drops of ink or a pinch of powdered dried ink.

[Vaern]

Deranging Darkness
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6, Bard 6
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Fog spreads in 20-ft. radius, 20 ft. high
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: none or Will negates; see text.
Spell Resistance: No

Deranging darkness creates a billowing mass of black misty vapors similar to that produced by a solid fog spell. In addition to slowing creatures down and obscuring sight, this spell’s vapors are highly hallucinogenic. Creatures in the deranging darkness suffers from a confusion effect, as the spell as long as they remain in the fog and for 6d2 rounds thereafter.

If a creature is under the effects of the deranging darkness for a cumulative total of 48 rounds within 24 hours, they must make a will save or the confusion will become continuous as per the Insanity spell. Greater restoration, heal, limited wish, miracle, or wish can restore the creature.

Arcane Material Component: A drop of venom and either a couple drops of ink or a pinch of powdered dried ink.
d2s are an odd choice. Was that meant to be 2d6?
Given the short duration and small area of the spell, I'd shorten the necessary exposure for a creature to be subject to the secondary effect. As is, it's simply not feasible with a single casting. Even halving that, making it 24 rounds of exposure before being subject to the permanent effect, at the level 6th level spells become available the caster could bind a creature within the cloud's area for the full 11 round duration, roll 12 on the lingering confusion effect, and the subject would still be safe from the permanent confusion with only 23 cumulative rounds under its belt.

[Nerth]

I like the spell as a concept (a solid, inky cloud that also clouds the mind) and I'd like to have it at my table, which is why I'm going to go over it with a fine comb.


Deranging Darkness

Spell Name: But it isn't actual darkness, is it? It doesn't interact with darkvision et al. since it's a fog spell. Your current spell name is a cool place for even more spell ideas (imagine an area of magical darkness that inflicts a fear of the dark—and even if you think it wasn't real, something inside starts biting you), but since it's based off of a fog or cloud I would recommend a name like cloud of confusion or mist of madness or muddlemurk or something more descriptive.


Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Spell Type: Weird implications for mindless creatures. Are vermin not only immune to the confusion, but also immune to the fog's slowing and concealment? I would keep the spell as a conjuration (creation) effect, and specify that the confusion is a mind-affecting compulsion. If you're down to house rule hybrid spell schools, maybe this is both conjuration and enchantment.


Deranging darkness creates a billowing mass of black misty vapors similar to that produced by a solid fog spell. In addition to slowing creatures down and obscuring sight, this spell’s vapors are highly hallucinogenic. Creatures in the deranging darkness suffers from a confusion effect, as the spell as long as they remain in the fog and for 6d2 rounds thereafter.

If a creature is under the effects of the deranging darkness for a cumulative total of 48 rounds within 24 hours, they must make a will save or the confusion will become continuous as per the Insanity spell. Greater restoration, heal, limited wish, miracle, or wish can restore the creature.

d2s are an odd choice. Was that meant to be 2d6?
Given the short duration and small area of the spell, I'd shorten the necessary exposure for a creature to be subject to the secondary effect. As is, it's simply not feasible with a single casting. Even halving that, making it 24 rounds of exposure before being subject to the permanent effect, at the level 6th level spells become available the caster could bind a creature within the cloud's area for the full 11 round duration, roll 12 on the lingering confusion effect, and the subject would still be safe from the permanent confusion with only 23 cumulative rounds under its belt.

Assuming a creature was stuck in the middle of the effect, it takes them 5 rounds to escape; if they were going from one end to the other, it becomes 9 rounds instead. (This is ignoring someone casting another movement-impairing spell on top of the deranging darkness, for example.) From the mininum possible (a creature is caught on the edge of the effect and leaves, rolling minimum on the 6d2) of 7 rounds to the maximum possible of 21 rounds (9 + 12), a caster would need multiple castings of deranging darkness in order to get the insanity effect off.

Another number to keep track of is that a creature once affected only has a 30% chance each turn to try and escape (10% to act normally, 20% to flee from caster). 70% of the time they're either babbling incoherently or attacking, which means they'll be stuck in the fog for another round.

If you want to keep the power level at around confusion and insanity, I'd give each creature in the deranging darkness a Will save when they're first affected. If they succeed, they have to make another one every turn they end in the fog; once they fail one Will save, they're confused until they leave it and for 2d6 rounds thereafter. If they are confused for 10 (or 15?) rounds or more, I'd then give them one more Will save to see if the confusion is permanent as per insanity.

My personal preference would be to give them a save at the end of each of their turns even if they're confused and to lower the threshold for permanent confusion to 10 rounds.

[Ranged Ranger]

d2s are an odd choice. Was that meant to be 2d6?
Not sure how I typed did that... I had been going back and forth between 3d4 or 2d6...

Given the short duration and small area of the spell, I'd shorten the necessary exposure for a creature to be subject to the secondary effect. As is, it's simply not feasible with a single casting. Even halving that, making it 24 rounds of exposure before being subject to the permanent effect, at the level 6th level spells become available the caster could bind a creature within the cloud's area for the full 11 round duration, roll 12 on the lingering confusion effect, and the subject would still be safe from the permanent confusion with only 23 cumulative rounds under its belt.
I had intended for it to take being hit by more than one casting for permanent casting, but I think I over did it.

I like the spell as a concept (a solid, inky cloud that also clouds the mind) and I'd like to have it at my table, which is why I'm going to go over it with a fine comb.
Thanks!

Spell Name: But it isn't actual darkness, is it? It doesn't interact with darkvision et al. since it's a fog spell. Your current spell name is a cool place for even more spell ideas (imagine an area of magical darkness that inflicts a fear of the dark—and even if you think it wasn't real, something inside starts biting you), but since it's based off of a fog or cloud I would recommend a name like cloud of confusion or mist of madness or muddlemurk or something more descriptive.
Very true. Cool Idea for the other spell…

Spell Type: Weird implications for mindless creatures. Are vermin not only immune to the confusion, but also immune to the fog's slowing and concealment? I would keep the spell as a conjuration (creation) effect, and specify that the confusion is a mind-affecting compulsion. If you're down to house rule hybrid spell schools, maybe this is both conjuration and enchantment.
Good Point...

Assuming a creature was stuck in the middle of the effect, it takes them 5 rounds to escape; if they were going from one end to the other, it becomes 9 rounds instead. -SNIP-
My personal preference would be to give them a save at the end of each of their turns even if they're confused and to lower the threshold for permanent confusion to 10 rounds.
Thank you for the analysis!


Here is an Updated Version:

Miasma of Mania
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 6, Bard 6
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Fog spreads in 20-ft. radius, 20 ft. high
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: none or Will negates; see text.
Spell Resistance: No

Miasma of Mania creates a billowing mass of black misty vapors similar to that produced by a solid fog spell. In addition to slowing creatures down and obscuring sight, this spell’s vapors are permeated with mind-affecting enchantments. As soon as a creature is in the Miasma of Mania and at the end of each round the creature ends in the cloud, they must make a will save. If they fail a save, they suffer from a confusion effect as the spell as long as they remain in the fog and for 3d4 rounds thereafter.

If a creature is under the confusion effects of the Miasma of Mania for a cumulative total of 16 rounds within 24 hours, they must make a final will save or the confusion will become continuous as per the Insanity spell. Greater restoration, heal, limited wish, miracle, or wish can restore the creature.

Arcane Material Component: A drop of venom and either a couple drops of ink or a pinch of powdered dried ink.