A few spells........

[Single Shot Zombie]

I had some inspiration to come up with a bunch of spells. Please tell me if these are unbalanced, or need to be changed in any way. Thanks!

(EDIT 23/03/2007: Changes made in orange.)

Barrier
Abjuration
Level: Clr 5, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 min./level or until discharged
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

You form a translucent barrier around your own person. This barrier provides DR 20/- against physical damage, and grants temporary immunity to all energy damage. The barrier can absorb up to a total of 12 damage of either type per caster level (maximum 180 points at 15th level) before being discharged. The barrier also screens out small particles, rendering the caster immune to inhaled poisons, and the effects of spells such as glitterdust. In no way does this spell allow the caster to breath underwater. The caster can still be tripped, grappled, or bull-rushed, and adverse terrain (or spells such as solid fog) stil slows movement as normal. Spells that deal ability damage, ability drain or energy drain have their normal effect.
Material Component: A mix of ruby, sapphire, emerald and diamond dust worth 250 gp.

Explosive Retort
Evocation
Level: Sor/Wiz 3, Warmage 3
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: 5 ft.
Area: 5-ft.-radius burst, centered on you
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes

Calling up a reserve of energy, the caster releases this in a sudden explosion, blasting away any creatures next to him or her.

All creatures in the area take 1d4 force damage per two caster levels (maximum 5d4); a Reflex save halves this damage. In addition, creatures that fail a Strength check (DC equal to the spell's save DC; creatures add their size modifier and stability bonus to this check) are blasted backwards 5 feet for every 5 points of damage taken (minimum 5 ft.). If a wall or other solid object prevents a creature from being pushed back, the creature instead slams into the object, the impact dealing the spell's damage again in bludgeoning damage (no save). The movement caused by explosive retort does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Fell Recovery
Necromancy
Level: Clr 4, Drd 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

The caster taps into the target creature's own life-force in order to restore its body, healing the target of great amounts of damage. However, this method of restoration has an adverse effect on the target's own well-being.

When cast, fell recovery restores 12 hit points of damage per caster level to the target, to a maximum of 180 points at 15th level. However, this also inflicts 1d2 negative levels on the target. The target may attempt a save to resist the energy drain, but in doing so it also forgoes the healing, wasting the caster's spell. The negative levels persist for 1 hour per caster level, and typically do not last long enough for the target to suffer permanent level drain.

[Moofaa]

I like a couple of these, I hope you dont mind if I modify them to suit my mana-based spellcasting for my world. Barrier and Fel Recovery might fit well. I think Barrier would be elemental Air for wizards, and Fel Recovery would fit with my Spirit-Death type of priests.

[Fizban]

Barrier should probably have a cap to the damage it can absorb per attack or per round. This is because stoneskin can block only 10 per attack, and it's a similar spell. I'd say max 30 damage absorbed per attack. It puts a cap on it, but the spell still makes you practically invicible for the duration. I personally like it as written though.

Explosive retort: one of those awesome but also abusable in the right situation spells. If not abused, it looks pretty good.

Fell recovery.
1: Any reason this can't be arcane?,
2: What would you say if it dealt negative levels that disappear 24 hours later? I ask cause it's what I though of first when reading the flavor text, and seems like it would be more of a penalty to deal with than just the con damage (as bad as con damage is, like hp, it doesn't affect your ability to kill things).

[Vorpal Pete]

I like these spells a lot! Particularly explosive retort, since it's quite different than existing spells (that I know of, anyway).

I would suggest that explosive retort should probably make a bullrush attack on everyone within 5', rather than a simple strength check. In order to make it quicker, dice-wise, just make the bullrush result for the caster a set number, like the save DC (probably around 17 for most PCs). By calling it a bull rush instead of a strength check it allows size modifiers and stuff like stability to come into play without having to specifically enumerate it in the spell description.

I think I like fell recovery as a divine spell, since it heals quite a lot of damage, but I also like Fizban's suggestion to make it deal negative levels. Two negative levels per casting, maybe?

[Single Shot Zombie]

Ok, responding one at a time:

Moofaa - Glad you like them!

Fizban - Regarding Barrier, I basically ripped off the details of Protection from Energy, cuz it sounded like what I wanted. Hmmm........maybe I'll set the limit for physical damage, but not for energy damage. Otherwise, it'll become too much like Aura.
Well, if you can get close enough, Explosive Retort would have its maximum effect. But you have to be really close, and the damage tapers off after a while. It's more of a "save my butt from pack of charging melee troops" kind of skill.

Vorpal Pete - Took the original mechanic from the Energy Push psionic power; I still like how damage dealt is tied to distance moved. Well, I guess I'll let the victims add their size modifier and stability bonus to the check (as per a bull rush), but keep the original distance mechanic. Maybe I'll reduce it to just (Damage Dealt) feet, instead of (Damage Dealt + 5) feet.

Like the idea of negative levels. Make him lose 1d2 of em each time this is cast. Not sure if it should threaten level drain or not, though.

Feel like adding another spell or two to that list; I'll post them when I get some more ideas.

And just to let you guys know, while I largely pulled Explosive Retort out of my hat, the idea for Barrier and Fell Recovery came from outside sources. Anyone want to make a guess where?