(3.5) True Haste, by request (Spell)

[DracoDei]

I have posted this a few different places, and Temotei requested I give it its own thread. I was actually thinking the same thing, so here it is.


True Haste
Target: One Creature/5 levels (Minimum 1)

As per Haste(Including which level it is for which classes) except that no bonus to base movement rate is given, but if the creature forgoes the extra attack granted, or does not attack in a given round it gains an additional move action. If a creature is benefiting from both Haste and True Haste (or spells or effects with similar results), the effects do not stack. It must decide at the time of casting, and again at the beginning of its turn which to benefit from until the start of its next turn.




Discussion/Background:
Basically when I was working on updating my Wing Dragons from 3.0 (or was it 2nd?) to 3.5, I thought that the 3.5 version of Haste was a bit weaksauce for the physical embodiment of Flight, but I was informed that the 3.0 version overpowered casters. So I made this as a patch (it was just an SLA after all...). Later, I edited it into the format you see here, and posted it to some threads about narrowing the Fighter vs Full-caster gap. It is much more useful for a fighter, and gives the advantage in a multi-round one-on-one slug-fest (before feats etc, are taken into account) more firmly to the person who wins initiative/is more aggressive (IE they lead with an Full-Attack, rather than leading with a Standard, and then the more stationary combatant getting a full-attack on them). Obviously it also helps rogues, since they can Tumble into a flanking position and then get off a full salvo of sneak-attacks before their d6 HD selves are subject to possible return attacks. It does make full-attacking monsters (including/especially dragons*) significantly more powerful but I think we can live with that.

*It is probably one of a Wing Dragon's more devastating abilities, since they get Sneak Attack dice equal to half their age category, and whose breathweapon boils down to "No Save, No SR, just Blinded for as long as you stay anywhere near me", so they don't need a flanker.