[3.5]Daer'Ragh's Spellbook [PEACH]

[arguskos]

Daer'Ragh. The name struck fear and awe into the hearts of mages everywhere, the semi-mythical archmage who's spells had many varied and powerful effects, and finally, definitive proof of his existence! Now, those fools would learn the folly of denying the faith of Daer'Ragh...
-From the journals of Andu Kazar, Head Scribe of the Cult of Daer'Ragh

From the annals of history comes the tale of the archmage and master soldier Daer'Ragh. From the books of his cult come three spells today: Daer'Ragh's Physical Agility, Mental Agility, and Aura Cleansing.

(NOTE: thanks to Baldur's Gate 2 for the Daer'Ragh name and the Daer'Ragh's Aura Cleansing spell; it sounds too cool to pass up)

Daer'Ragh's Physical Agility
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Caster
Duration: 5 rounds
Saving Throw: Fort neg (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The first of Daer'Ragh's famous spells, Physical Agility grants a +2 enhancement bonus on attack rolls and a +2 enhancement bonus on damage rolls.

Daer'Ragh's Mental Agility
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: Caster
Duration: 5 rounds
Saving Throw: Will neg (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The second of Daer'Ragh's famous spells, Mental Agility affects all spells of 1st level and lower cast during it's duration as being empowered, without increasing casting time or spell level.

Daer'Ragh's Aura Cleansing
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Caster
Duration: 1 minute
Saving Throw: Will neg (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Of Daer'Ragh's known spells, Aura Cleansing is his most powerful and most signature spell. It allows the caster to automatically convert one spell into a quickened spell spontaneously. The converted spell can be of a level no higher than 5th. You may choose what to quicken at some point during the duration of Aura Cleansing. Quickening the spell ends Aura Cleansing.




So, thoughts? They feel a mite bit over-powered, but I wanted them to be powerful for fighter/mages (already a fairly weak class combination in some respects), so maybe I just went too far. Any advice?

[DracoDei]

Summon Monster spells pulling from a list 1 lower than the best a given spell can get summon 1d3 creatures. Making even one of f those 1d3+4 would be overpowered for a 3rd level slot (averages 6 which is twice what Maximizing it would give you and the worse case is 5 which is still 2 better than Maximize), and as it stands you can do it with up to 10 such spells... WAY broken... have it empower all 1st and MAYBE 2nd level spells cast in the duration instead of doing the +4 thing and it MIGHT be balanced.

[Draz74]

Physical agility is a little bit too powerful. Compare it to, say, the psionic Precognition (defensive, offensive) powers. Maybe it would be ok as a 4th-level spell.

Mental agility is WAY too powerful! +4 to ALL rolls? Compare this to Moment of Prescience, which is 5 spell levels higher and only works on one roll. I could maybe see this as a 7th or 8th level spell.

Aura Cleansing is fine, IMHO. I wouldn't take it, personally, with all the other ways in the game to cheapen metamagic; but I wouldn't want it to be lower-level, either, and I could see some people using it.

[arguskos]

Ok, see, I made Mental Agility with damage spells in mind, not thinking of things like Summon Monster. I think I might do what Draco suggested, with the auto-empowering effect. That's why I post here, because I sometimes fail at being smart. :smallbiggrin:

As for Physical, I really wanted it to be around level 2-3. Maybe if I drop the +6 to a +4? And change the bonus from competence to enhancement? Would that help it somewhat?

Also, updated:

Daer'Ragh's Mental Agility
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: Caster
Duration: 1 minute
Saving Throw: Will neg (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The second of Daer'Ragh's famous spells, Mental Agility affects all spells of 2nd level and lower cast during it's duration as being empowered, without increasing casting time or spell level.

[LurkerInPlayground]

Cat’s Grace
Transmutation
Level: Brd 2, Drd 2, Rgr 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes

The transmuted creature becomes more graceful, agile, and coordinated. The spell grants a +4 enhancement bonus to Dexterity, adding the usual benefits to AC, Reflex saves, and other uses of the Dexterity modifier.
Material Component

A pinch of cat fur.

VERSUS


Daer'Ragh's Physical Agility
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Caster
Duration: 1 minute
Saving Throw: Fort neg (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The first of Daer'Ragh's famous spells, Physical Agility grants a +6 competence bonus on attack rolls, a +4 competence bonus on damage rolls, and a +2 enhancement bonus to Dexterity.

Yeah, I don't think so. Cat's Grace grants a +2 bonus to AC, ranged/finessed attacks and Reflexes and Dex-based skills.

Then you have a spell that can grant up to a +7 on attack rolls (up to +5 if you change it to +4) and grants an extra 4 damage per attack. And you're still up to +1 on AC/Reflexes/Dex-based skills.

This spell also completely upstages Bull's Strength, which grants a measly +4 strength. +6 to hit? +4 to damage? Wow, this spell practically gives you better than +8 strength with respect to combat! The difference in duration is almost irrelevant, since most fights don't last past ten rounds.

This is an amazingly good buff for a 2nd level spell. Please do change it to an enhancement bonus so that it isn't stackable. I'd also consider making the duration shorter, upping the level of the spell and/or nerfing some of the bonuses.

[arguskos]

Hmm. Point taken.

Ok, so, do these spells look better:


Daer'Ragh's Physical Agility
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Caster
Duration: 5 rounds
Saving Throw: Fort neg (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The first of Daer'Ragh's famous spells, Physical Agility grants a +2 enhancement bonus on attack rolls and a +2 enhancement bonus on damage rolls.


Daer'Ragh's Mental Agility
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: Caster
Duration: 5 rounds
Saving Throw: Will neg (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The second of Daer'Ragh's famous spells, Mental Agility affects all spells of 1st level and lower cast during it's duration as being empowered, without increasing casting time or spell level.
Ok, these feel more appropriate to their level, since they don't overshadow anything that has come before, and are merely flavorful and uncommon effects.

These look alright now?

[LurkerInPlayground]

No, now it's too weak. Bull's Strength grants exactly the same things in melee. The only difference is that your spell permits the same benefits for ranged attackers as well, only it gets a laughably useless duration.

The wording isn't clear about what the damage bonus applies to either. Is it just attacks, or does it include spells?

[arguskos]

No, now it's too weak. Bull's Strength grants exactly the same things in melee. The only difference is that your spell permits the same benefits for ranged attackers as well, only it gets a laughably useless duration.

The wording isn't clear about what the damage bonus applies to either. Is it just attacks, or does it include spells?
Actually, I wasn't sure how to word it. I intended it to only be for physical attacks (read: not spells), but haven't seen an example of that sort of wording (nor of this style of effect from a spell).

I did give each of these spells swift casting times, so you can swift Physical, then open up with a full attack. Maybe if I increased it back to +4, but left it at 5 rounds? But then... it outclasses Bull's/Cat's, and casts faster. >_< I am really terrible at this.

[LurkerInPlayground]

Actually, I wasn't sure how to word it. I intended it to only be for physical attacks (read: not spells), but haven't seen an example of that sort of wording (nor of this style of effect from a spell).

I did give each of these spells swift casting times, so you can swift Physical, then open up with a full attack. Maybe if I increased it back to +4, but left it at 5 rounds? But then... it outclasses Bull's/Cat's, and casts faster. >_< I am really terrible at this.
Ah, I hadn't noticed the swift cast.

Although I'm not sure +2 damage really means all that much to a full-caster. It's useful for delivering touch spells or ranged touch spells, so to that end, +2 to damage isn't terribly useful. I also don't know that it's worth a slot just to ensure that your spell connects.

I can see this spell coming in somewhat handy for a gish or an assassin, but the benefits are kind of modest compared to the other things you can do with a 2nd level spell slot.

[arguskos]

Ah, I hadn't noticed the swift cast.

Although I'm not sure +2 damage really means all that much to a full-caster. It's useful for delivering touch spells or ranged touch spells, so to that end, +2 to damage isn't terribly useful. I also don't know that it's worth a slot just to ensure that your spell connects.

I can see this spell coming in somewhat handy for a gish or an assassin, but the benefits are kind of modest compared to the other things you can do with a 2nd level spell slot.
The idea was indeed for a fighter/wizard gish (as I mentioned in the intro post as my frame of reference).

I guess I might let it be +4 attack/+2 damage, and be done with these spells. Hopefully, my next set won't be as flawed as these were. *plans to write out Black Hole Sun*

Thanks for the aid, Lurker. :smallsmile:

[Draz74]

Actually, I think the terribly-short-duration but swift-action-casting-time version is pretty well-balanced. Yeah, actually both of your revisions that you self-quoted look pretty good.