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rferries
2023-12-20, 05:21 PM
Channel Champions (replaces Transformation)
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level (D)

The souls of the honoured dead swirl around you for a moment then vanish, imbuing you with their might.

You channel the spirits of long-dead warriors, gaining their skill in combat. This grants you several benefits:


You gain an enhancement bonus to your Strength score equal to your caster level (maximum +20).

You gain proficiency with all simple and martial weapons and gain Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat.

Your base attack bonus increases to equal your character level, which may grant you multiple attacks.

Your base Fortitude and Reflex saves each increase to equal one-half your character level plus 2.

You gain 5 temporary hit points per caster level (maximum 75 hp).


Disintegrate
Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Ray
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude half and Reflex half (object); see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

A blast of pure destructive force lances from your hand.

A shimmering ray springs from your pointing finger to a target that you can see within range. The target can be a creature, an object, or a creation of magical force, such as the wall created by wall of force. You must make a successful ranged touch attack roll to hit.

A creature or magical object hit by this spell takes 2d6 points of force damage per caster level (to a maximum of 40d6). A target is entitled to both a Fortitude save and a Reflex save to reduce the damage by half (succeeding on both saves reduces the damage to one-quarter). If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, it is disintegrated.

A disintegrated creature and everything it is wearing and carrying, except magic items, are reduced to a pile of fine gray dust. A disintegrated magical object is similarly reduced to dust.

This spell automatically disintegrates a Large or smaller nonmagical object or a creation of magical force. If the target is a Huge or larger nonmagical object or creation of force, this spell disintegrates a 10-foot-cube portion of it.


Disintegrate, Mass
Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: One or more rays
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial (object)
Spell Resistance: Yes

You can't help it - the mad laughter bursts out of you uncontrollably, just as the crackling bolts of power arc from your hands to lay waste to your foes.

This spell functions as disintegrate, save that it creates one ray per caster level and deals a maximum of 50d6 points of force damage to each target.

The rays must be fired at different targets, and all bolts must be aimed at targets within 30 feet of each other and fired simultaneously.

Frighten to Death (replaces Phantasmal Killer)
Necromancy [Death, Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will partial, then Fortitude partial; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

Your power shakes your victim to the core.

The target wracked by terror - its own worst fears, a phantasmal horror in the form of your choosing, or even just an overpowering sense of dread, all at your option. The target becomes panicked unless it succeeds on a Will save. If cornered, a panicked creature begins cowering. If the Will save succeeds, the creature is shaken for 1 round.

A creature that fails its Will save must also make a Fortitude save or die from fear.

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Bonus proposal: mage hand, telekinesis, etc are now evocation [Force] spells rather than transmutation.

Miss Disaster
2024-01-01, 11:10 PM
Interesting spells, RF. Like you, I fiddle with modding existing spells a lot - especially schools, subschools & descriptors.

Just some quick notes as I have to leave shortly ...

1. Mage Hand & Telekinesis as Evocation [Force] spells ... I like it. Makes way more sense, conceptually.

2. Disintegrate seems better conceptually and mechanically as Transmutation. Your modded version removed the text about Disintegrate's benefits against objects made of Force - and that's a very useful tool and game-mechanic balancing mechanism against such powerful spells. Also, off the top of my head, I'm not sure if there's another Force spell with rules text on how it deals vs. other Force spells. Also, some Force spell purists might cringe at such a high damage output for a spell descriptor that historically emphasizes low damage output. But, I personally don't see a problem with that as the Ray mechanics + the Saving Throw make this a tough attack to hit.

3. Frighten to Death ... sure, why not. Actually, your version is probably more streamlined than the original Illusion version and its sometimes-confusing rules regarding Disbelief.

4. Channel Champions ... I like it! Although I would tweak a few things. As a Necromancy spell, I would call this "Channel Dead Champions". Sounds more spooky-necro in theme and matches your flavor text. Also, this version is way better and way more powerful than the Transmutation version. Which, granted, is rarely used and could use some mechanical enhancements.

I would balance your removal of the "You lose your spellcasting ability ..." clause by stating that every time the caster is successfully hit and loses HP or Temporary HP, the necromantic connection between the caster and the dead champions is damaged & weakened ... and the caster suffers 1 point of Strength Damage. These Strength Points that are damaged come from the enhancement bonus to Strength, first.

This means that the caster better get to work and finish off his foes! Also, he may have to Dismiss the spell if too many Strength Points get pinged off (although spells like Lesser Restoration and what-not could build the enhanced bonus Strength points back up). Thematically, this risk element is very necromantic in nature, too.

***

Anyhoo, just some random thoughts. :-)

nonsi
2024-01-05, 05:30 AM
Disintegrate seems way too powerful damage wise to me.

rel
2024-01-09, 12:59 AM
Disintegrate seems way too powerful damage wise to me.

How do you figure?

Standard Disintegrate also does 2D6 per level and caps at 40D6, not 30D6.
Also the homebrew version doesn't specifically mention targeting touch AC, so that's either a mistake or quite the nerf.
The damage falls off more smoothly than before, with two saves both halving rather than 1 save basically negating, but it can now be defended against with 2 different saves, making it a lot less powerful against enemies with poor fort.

Doesn't seem like a massive boost in power over the original to me.

nonsi
2024-01-09, 05:32 PM
How do you figure?

Standard Disintegrate also does 2D6 per level and caps at 40D6, not 30D6.
Also the homebrew version doesn't specifically mention targeting touch AC, so that's either a mistake or quite the nerf.
The damage falls off more smoothly than before, with two saves both halving rather than 1 save basically negating, but it can now be defended against with 2 different saves, making it a lot less powerful against enemies with poor fort.

Doesn't seem like a massive boost in power over the original to me.

Fortitude half (instead of 5d6)
And you might disintegrate even if you make the save.

And not mention targeting touch AC is probably a mistake.

nonsi
2024-01-10, 05:40 PM
How do you figure?

Standard Disintegrate also does 2D6 per level and caps at 40D6, not 30D6.
Also the homebrew version doesn't specifically mention targeting touch AC, so that's either a mistake or quite the nerf.
The damage falls off more smoothly than before, with two saves both halving rather than 1 save basically negating, but it can now be defended against with 2 different saves, making it a lot less powerful against enemies with poor fort.

Doesn't seem like a massive boost in power over the original to me.

Now that I think of it, you're right. Both for the lower cap and that 1/4 damage is usually not enough to drop someone even half injured.

OTOH, mass disintegrate seems terrifying.

rferries
2024-02-06, 12:26 AM
Thanks for the comments everyone, I had indeed erred with the damage caps and ranged touch, now edited.