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Stathfolos
2007-11-30, 01:28 AM
These ideas just came to mind. After a little tinkering, these ideas became the spells and power below. I based their levels on how powerful I thought the effects were. Let me know what you think of them.

Fires of Purgatory
Abjuration/Evocation [Fire]
Level: Cleric 9
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 full round action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes
Fires of purgation envelops your target in a column of holy fire in an attempt to purge magic from it. You to dispel any magic affecting your target. This functions just like the targeted dispel version of greater dispel magic. The spell then does 1d6 points of damage per 2 caster levels (maximum 10d6) plus an additional 1d6 points of damage for every spell effect that you successfully dispelled. Half of this damage is fire, but the other half results directly from divine power and is therefore not subject to being reduced by resistance to fire-based attacks, such as that granted by energy resistance (fire), fire shield (chill shield), and similar magic. A successful Reflex save reduces this damage by half.


Arctic Flare
Evocation [Cold]
Level: Druid 2, Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes
A ball of bright blue flame forms in your hand. The flame does not harm you, but a slight numbness pervades your hand while you hold the flame.

The arctic flare produces light equivalent to a torch while it remains in your hand. You can hurl the flame to illuminate a distant object or place. The flame continues to produce light for one round per caster level before it burns out.

You can also hurl the flame at a foe to deal damage and hamper their movement. You must succeed at a ranged touch attack to deal damage. The flame deals 1d6 points of cold damage per 2 caster levels (maximum 5d6) and reduces the target’s speed by half for 1 round per caster level (maximum 10 rounds). A successful Fortitude save reduces the damage by half and negates the speed reduction. Creatures immune to cold are also immune to the speed reduction.

Material Component: A pinch of powdered tundra moss.


System Shock
Psychometabolism [Death, Electricity]
Level: Psion/wilder 7
Display: Olfactory and visual
Manifesting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Living creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Power Resistance: Yes
Power Points: 13
You channel a heart-stopping electric shock from your own nervous system to the nervous system of a creature you touch. You must make a successful melee touch attack to deliver this power. You target is entitled to a Fortitude save throw to survive the shock. If the save is successful, the creature takes 7d8 points of electricity damage as the shock wracks its nervous system. The target might still die from the damage even if it
succeeds on its saving throw.

Non-living creatures, creatures that do not possess a nervous system, and creatures who are immune to electricity are immune to this power.

Augment: For every additional power point you spend, the damage this power deals to a subject that succeeds its saving throw increases by 1d8 points.

Mewtarthio
2007-11-30, 01:48 AM
Okay, compare system shock to crisis of life (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/crisisofLife.htm). Same level. Fort parial. Death on a failed save. The differences:

System shock can kill any creature vulnerable to death by psionic powers. Crisis of life can only kill creatures of fewer than 11 HD (or, when fully augmented, creatures two levels below you).
On a successful save, system shock deals 13d6 points of damage. Crisis of life only deals 7d6 points of damage.
Crisis of life has the [Death] descriptor; system shock does not. This theoretically means that system shock can bypass death ward.
Crisis of life does not work on creatures immune to mind-affecting abilities, while system shock does.
System shock is a touch range spell, while crisis of life is medium range.


Now let's compare it to another seventh-level spell, decerebrate, which on a failed Fort save effectively incapacitates your opponent (it's pretty close to killing them, but it's cheaper to reverse than death).

Decerebrate is Will negates, while system shock deals 13d6 damage on a failed save.
Decerebrate leaves the opponent helpless until someone can cast greater restoration (which means death in the event of a TPK, but only a temporary setback otherwise). System shock kills the victim.
System shock is touch range; decerebrate is close.


All in all, I'd say system shock is overpowered.

The_Snark
2007-11-30, 01:50 AM
Fires of Purgation- First, I'd reccomend changing the name to Purging Flame, Cleansing Flame, or Fires of Purgatory. Purgation just sounds a bit odd.

Balance-wise, it seems to be a combination of Flame Strike, Dispel Magic Reciprocal Gyre. Judging from those spells, it ought to be 1d6 damage per spell level dispelled, not per effect dispelled. The save could be changed to Will half, because dodging damage caused by your own magic turning to fire about you seems a little odd, but it could be kept as a Reflex save also.

Seems balanced. Might not even be worth a ninth-level spell, but then again, the ability to cause damage and dispel magical effects at the same time is fairly decent. I'd either change the casting time to 1 standard action and keep the spell level as is, or keep the casting time and make it an 8th-level spell. Full-round casting times are more of a pain than they seem.

Arctic Flare- This one seems most like Ray of Ice. Same damage (although there's no cap; intentional?), but Ray of Ice prevents the target from moving until they break free of a thin layer of ice. This one only reduces speed, so it doesn't look quite as good, although it can't be gotten rid of as easily. On the whole, probably a little underpowered.

System Shock- Closest comparable power is Decerebrate. Exchanges the ability to work on electricity-immune targets and range for damage even on a successful saving throw. Looks good. Maybe add an augment option allowing you to add to the damage taken on a successful saving throw?

Stathfolos
2007-11-30, 02:21 AM
@Mewthario
Thanks for the criticism. I'll add the [Death] descriptor along with a clause about electricity immune creatures (not just those without a nervous system, though that's up to DM fiat). I could up the power's level or reduce the damage on a failed save.

I thought of possibly limiting system shock by creature size. You can augment it to affect bigger creatures.

@The_Snark
Fires of Purgatory was my original name for the spell. I think I'll change it back. As for how damage is calculated, my idea was that there was a low base amount determined by caster level that was then augmented with more dice for dispelling effects.

Originally, I had the a concentration duration. First round, 1d6/2 caster levels and attempt to dispel one effect. Proceeding rounds, 1d6/4 caster levels and another dispel attempt. The spell ended once there were no more effects to dispel or caster broke concentration.

As for Arctic Flare, I did forget to add a damage cap. Thanks for pointing it out. Also, can you give me a source for Ray of Ice, as I'm not familiar with it.

System Shock - I forgot to add the augment info, but its there now.

-Edit-
System shock - Added the [Death] descriptor, added augmentation info, and reduced damage on a successful save to match with crisis of life. Thinking of possibly bumping its level up to 8.

Arctic flare - Added caps to damage dice and speed reduction duration. Thinking of possibly bumping its level down to 1.

Fires of purgation - Reverted to the original name fires of purgatory.

Stathfolos
2007-11-30, 11:44 AM
Arctic flare is now more flare-like. It produces light like a torch and can be hurled to illuminate distant objects/places/creatures for a short time.