[3.5] Spells for a new class

[herrhauptmann]

I've got a homebrew base class that a friend made up a few years ago, and I've been itching to play it. The downside, not all of the spell lists were completed. And even the ones that were completed, have one or two homebrew or altered spells.

I do have the notes as dictated by said friend when he gave me the file, but my ability to build balanced spells is rather low. So I'm including at the bottom all the notes he gave me, as well as a few things (like force wind) which I did myself.
I have put this on the homebrew section asking for advice. But the guys in homebrew don't seem to want to answer.

So what does everyone think? What would you all suggest for balanced spells?
1st level spells
{table=Head]Earth|Fire|Wind|Water
Mire | Burning hands|Shocking Grasp|Grease
Tremor | Lure of flame|Fingers of Wind|Obscuring Mist
Harden| Flame Shield|Benign Transposition|Refresh
[/table]

2nd level spells
{table=Head]Earth|Fire|Wind|Water
Spike Stone (minor) | Weapon of Flame|Wind Armor|*****
Granite Hide | Flame Jet|Levitate|Blur
Earthen Grasp| Body of Fire|Wind Blade|Dehydrate
[/table]

3rd level
{table=Head]Earth|Fire|Wind|Water
Melt into Stone | Fiery Rage|Blink|Displacement
Erupting Earth| Fireball|Lightning Bolt|********
Encase in Stone| Ray of Exhaustion|Haste|******
[/table]

4th level
{table=Head]Earth|Fire|Wind|Water
Pillar of Stone | Blistering Radiance|Force Wind|***
Spike Stone | Melt Metal|Invisibility Greater|****
Stone Skin| Fire Stride|Freedom of Movement|***
[/table]

5th
{table=Head]Earth|Fire|Wind|Water
Earths Embrace| Fireburst, greater|Cyclonic Blast|Solid Fog
Passwall | Wave of Exhaustion|Teleport|****
Stoneblast| Prison of Fire|Wall of Force|****
[/table]

6th
{table=Head]Earth|Fire|Wind|Water
Earth Wave| Magma Vent|Chain Lightning|****
Stone Body | Spontaneous Combustion|Control Wind|****
Wall of Iron| Lava Skin|Greater Teleport|****
[/table]

Spell Notes for homebrew spells

All of these notes are exactly as I was given them. Aside from the 4 fully written out inside spoilers, I haven't done much work using the notes my friend gave me.
The basic idea of the spells. At each spell level, a mancer has the opportunity for damage, battlefield control, buff/debuff.
Water was supposed to have a lot of completely homebrew spells, the primordial soup of life type of thing. So lots of healing/restoratives/superbuffs.

Spoiler

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Fingers of wind: No clue
--Wind Armor: Deflection armor bonus, 1/ every 3 caster levels. Doubled against ranged attacs
--Wind blade:
--Body of Fire: Like 'Body of Sun' from SC
--Melt metal: Like heat metal, fort save DC 10+.5CL + attribute. Success (see heat metal). Fail: metal melts, take damage from molten metal. magic items get magic bonus to save.
--Fire burst: Take a fire, it explodes, 1d10/CL. max is 15d10. (Somewhere there's a chart that lists the kind of damage someone would expect from various fire sources. Torch, campfire, burning house, forest fire. Does anyone know where that's at? I'm thinking of having the radius of effect be related to the size of the fire)
--Prison of Fire: Like Force cage, can do continual heat effect same a wall of fire. Touching does 1d6 fire per round
--Lava skin: Lava on skin (as DMG), your stuff is A-OK
--Magma Vent: makes volcano. medium range. 1d6 fire falls from sky, 30ft radius, for 1 round/CL. Reflex save for half. Fail 3 saves, are covered in lava, see DMG 305.
--Erupting earth: See Ice Flowers, no ice damage, max 10d6

Spoiler

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Transmutation, Cleric6, Druid 5, mancer. Components-V/S. Casting time=1 standard action. Range: Long (400ft +40ft/level). Area: 20ft radius burst. Duration: Instantaneous. Saving Throw: Reflex half. Spell Resistance: No.
The spell causes loose rocks and dirt within the ground to explode. This flings dangerous shards and small stones through the area, turning the surface of the ground in the spell's area to dense rubble (DMG90). The shards and stones deal 1d6 points of damage per caster level (maximum 10d6).
When used in sand, the spell causes half damage (reflex for quarter), creating a large cloud of sand which is similar to an Obscuring Mist spell. However, the spell takes twice as long to dissipate under windy conditions, and is not dissipated by the casting of fire spells such as fireball, flamestrike, and wall of fire.
The spell does function on solid stone, though all damage is now bludgeoning.

--Force Wind: Upgraded gust of wind, double everything

Spoiler

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Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 120 ft.
Effect: Line-shaped gust of severe wind emanating out from you to the extreme of the range
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell creates a severe blast of air (approximately 100 mph) that originates from you, affecting all creatures in its path.

A Tiny or smaller creature on the ground is knocked down and rolled 2d4×10 feet, taking 1d4 points of nonlethal damage per 10 feet. If flying, a Tiny or smaller creature is blown back 4d6×10 feet and takes 4d6 points of nonlethal damage due to battering and buffeting.

Small creatures on the ground is knocked down and rolled 1d4×10 feet, taking 1d4 points of nonlethal damage per 10 feet. If flying, a Tiny or smaller creature is blown back 2d6×10 feet and takes 2d6 points of nonlethal damage due to battering and buffeting.

Medium creatures are knocked prone by the force of the wind, or if flying are blown back 1d6×10 feet.

Large creatures are unable to move forward against the force of the wind, or if flying are blown back 1d6×5 feet.

Huge or larger creatures may move normally within a gust of wind effect.
A gust of wind can’t move a creature beyond the limit of its range.

Any creature, regardless of size, takes a -4 penalty on ranged attacks and Listen checks in the area of a gust of wind.

The force of the gust automatically extinguishes candles, torches, open campfires and similar unprotected flames. It causes protected flames, such as those of lanterns, to dance wildly and has a 90% chance to extinguish those lights.

In addition to the effects noted, a gust of wind can do anything that a sudden blast of wind would be expected to do. It can create a stinging spray of sand or dust, fan a large fire, overturn delicate awnings or hangings, heel over a small boat, and blow gases or vapors to the edge of its range.

Force wind can be made permanent with a permanency spell.

--Flame Jet: Lightning bolt, but fire damage

Spoiler

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Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 120 ft.
Area: 120-ft. line
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes

You release a powerful stroke of fiery energy that deals 1d6 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 10d6) to each creature within its area. The bolt begins at your fingertips.

The lightning bolt sets fire to combustibles and damages objects in its path. It can melt metals with a low melting point, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, or bronze. If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the bolt may continue beyond the barrier if the spell’s range permits; otherwise, it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does.

--Spontaneous Combustion, like disintegrate, success and you take fire damage

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Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Ray
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial (object)
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell is a sign that perhaps a mancer has reached not just the limit of his ability to draw on the raging inferno of the Plane of Fire, but that he might even being drawing a little of his power from infernal hellflames. This is demonstrated by the spells ability to burn even that which should be unburnable, such as the strongest adamantine armor. Fortunately, using even a spell such as this has no effect on the final disposition of his soul.

A thin, red ray springs from your pointing finger. You must make a successful ranged touch attack to hit. Any creature struck by the ray takes 2d6 points of damage per caster level (to a maximum of 40d6). Any creature reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by this spell spontaneously, leaving behind only a trace of fine ash, and oftentimes, part of a single limb, curiously unscorched. A cremated creature’s equipment is unaffected.

When used against an object, the ray simply cremates as much as one 10-foot cube of nonliving matter (even stone and metals). Thus, the spell disintegrates only part of any very large object or structure targeted. The ray affects even objects constructed entirely of force, such as forceful hand or a wall of force, but not magical effects such as a globe of invulnerability or an antimagic field.

A creature or object that makes a successful Fortitude save is partially affected, taking only 5d6 points of fire damage. If this damage reduces the creature or object to 0 or fewer hit points, it is entirely cremated.

Only the first creature or object struck can be affected; that is, the ray affects only one target per casting.

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

So, could we get a better description of the mancer? I'm a bit confused.

Anyway, the Heart of [Element] spells from Complete Mage seem right up your alley.

[Eloel]

Take a look at Wu Jen for ideas.

Edit:
If you want core, Lesser Restoration for L2-Water
Sleet Storm & Displacement for L3-Water
Scrying, Wall of Ice & Control Water for L4-Water
Cone of Cold & Spell Resistance for L5-Water
Globe of Invulnerability, Freezing Sphere & Heal for L6-Water

should do what I think you're trying to do.

[herrhauptmann]

Geh, sorry forgot to include the description fo the mancer.
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showt...19#post5970319

When magic ran amok/dwindled (in the campaign world, arcane power dwindled due to a plotline), the powers of the elements began to run to become unbalanced.
In an effort restore the balance, the Goddess of nature created the mancers. A new breed of warrior/priests. Though rarely given missions as a typical priest or druid, their mere presence served to balance the elements. The few missions they were bestowed, generally involved the protection of an elemental node, or the neutralization of a threat to the balance (such as stopping an elemental lord from creating a planar rift between the plane of fire and the prime material).
While the mancers are referred to as 1 class, they are truly 4 distinct classes, as each one grows in his power, he gains new abilities, separate from those of his fellows.
*A big thing to remember, is that an earth mancer can't cast spells from the air/water/fire mancer spell lists* So while the Heart of X spells seem like a good idea, a big part of their draw (the stacking) is outside the power of a single mancer.

[Eloel]

It might be worth noting that in general the "schools" have some stereotypes, from various games & media. Earth spells are "staying power" based, Air spells are "mobility" based, Fire spells are "offensive" and Water spells are "healing". While your's might vary, making it too different will probably not going to be a popular idea.

[herrhauptmann]

Take a look at Wu Jen for ideas.

Edit:
If you want core, Lesser Restoration for L2-Water
Sleet Storm & Displacement for L3-Water
Scrying, Wall of Ice & Control Water for L4-Water
Cone of Cold & Spell Resistance for L5-Water
Globe of Invulnerability, Freezing Sphere & Heal for L6-Water

should do what I think you're trying to do.

I'll check the wu-jen later. Though I'd previously always ignored them as a class. "I'm an asian looking mystic who can't eat meat" was always my interpretation of the class.

It might be worth noting that in general the "schools" have some stereotypes, from various games & media. Earth spells are "staying power" based, Air spells are "mobility" based, Fire spells are "offensive" and Water spells are "healing". While your's might vary, making it too different will probably not going to be a popular idea.

Not too worried about popularity first and foremost.
I think that part of the idea of giving everyone a variety of spells, is similar to the healbot problem. If water is only healing/restoration, then no one is going to play a water mancer unless they're the last member to join a group, and are told to play one. Just like in some games blasting ends up being weak, so the fire mancer would be weak because he's mostly blasting, and weaker still since fire is one of the most common immunities/resistances.