Spells for research

Knight Otu · Apr 18, 2005

As it says in the thread title, these are spells I hope to research with my wizard character, and for that I've added spell names using his name as well as a more generic name. As they are supposed to get researched first, they would not immediately be available for other spellcasters, though through various means, they could be spread around.

Friend’s Mark <Ashnar's Mark>
Abjuration
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Permanent (D) (see text)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The caster chooses one of his spells that is currently active, and makes the target immune to that particular casting. This immunity is like an unbeatable spell resistance (similar to spell immunity), and reduces any hit point damage by the spell to 0. The immunity neither extends to other spells cast by the caster (including other instances of the same spell), nor grants any protection against spells cast by other casters. The spell must have a duration other than instantaneous, must still be active when friend’s mark is cast, and, at the time of casting, may be no farther than close range (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) from the caster. A caster may have no more than 1 friend’s mark per caster level in existance.
When the spell that a friend’s mark protects against ends in any way, that friend’s mark ends, too.

Sparkstrike <Ashnar's Sparkstrike>
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets: One primary target, plus one secondary target/level (each of which must be within 30 ft. of the primary target)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes
The caster creates a flitting spark of fire that jolts towards the primary target, then splits and arcs to other targets.
The spark deals 1d6 points of fire damage to the primary target. After it strikes, sparks can arc to a number of secondary targets equal to your caster level (maximum 5). The secondary sparks each strike one target and deal half as much damage as the primary one did (rounded down).Each target can attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage. You choose secondary targets as you like, but they must all be within 30 feet of the primary target, and no target can be struck more than once. You can choose to affect fewer secondary targets than the maximum.

Pyromagical Enhancement, Lesser <Ashnar's Pyromagical Enhancement, Lesser>
Transmutation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
All spells of level 3 or lower the caster casts while this spell is in effect are empowered by the destructive power of fire. This has a number of effects, depending on the nature of the spell being altered:

If the spell has the fire descriptor and deals energy damage, it deals an additional amount of fire damage equal to the caster level, to a maximum of 10.^C
If the spell deals energy damage without dealing fire damage, it instead deals fire damage, and gains the fire descriptor, but loses any other energy descriptor.
If the spell has the fire descriptor, but deals no damage, it is instead cast at the normal caster level +1. The caster may choose to forgoe this option and deal damage instead.
If none of the above conditions is met, the caster may have the spell deal 1d6 points of fire damage to its target.

Pyromagical Enhancement <Ashnar's Pyromagical Enhancement >
Transmutation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Duration: 2 rounds
This spell works exactly as Lesser Pyromagical Enhancement, except as noted above, and as follows.
The spell affects spells of up to level 5 with one of the following effects.

If the spell has the fire descriptor and deals energy damage, it deals an additional amount of fire damage equal to the caster level, to a maximum of 20.
If the spell deals energy damage without dealing fire damage, it instead deals fire damage, and gains the fire descriptor, but loses any other energy descriptor.
If the spell has the fire descriptor, but deals no damage, it is instead cast at the normal caster level +2. The caster may choose to forgoe this option and deal damage instead.
If none of the above conditions is met, the caster may have the spell deal 3d6 points of fire damage to its target.

Pyromagical Enhancement, Greater <Ashnar's Pyromagical Enhancement, Greater>
Transmutation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Duration: 4 rounds
This spell works exactly as Lesser Pyromagical Enhancement, except as noted above, and as follows.
The spell affects spells of up to level 9 with one of the following effects.

If the spell has the fire descriptor and deals energy damage, it deals an additional amount of fire damage equal to the caster level, with no maximum.
If the spell deals energy damage without dealing fire damage, it instead deals fire damage, and gains the fire descriptor, but loses any other energy descriptor.
If the spell has the fire descriptor, but deals no damage, it is instead cast at the normal caster level +4. The caster may choose to forgoe this option and deal damage instead.
If none of the above conditions is met, the caster may have the spell deal 7d6 points of fire damage to its target.

GnomeWorks · May 26, 2005

The caster makes the target immune to a spell cast by himself that is already in place...

Um... what?

Knight Otu · May 26, 2005

GnomeWorks said:
Um... what?

For example:
The caster creates a Wall of Fire, and makes it permanent. There are a few people he'd like to invite freely beyond the wall of fire, though. He could cast the mark on them while near the wall of fire. He could not do so before, as the spell is not yet in place. If the wall of fire somehow gets dispelled, the marks vanish.

Velmont · May 27, 2005

Knight Otu said:
[/list] This spell can be enhanced by an internal metamagic effect, and prepared or cast as an 4th or 8th level spell, with the following effects:

The maximum spell level that can be affected is 5th level for a 4th level spell, or 9th level for an 8th level spell.

The duration increases to 2 rounds for a 4th level spell, or 4 rounds for an 8th level spell.

The damage cap for additional damage rises to 20 for a 4th level spell, and is fully waived for an 8th level spell.

The caster level increase is +2 for a 4th level spell, or +4 for an 8th level spell.

The damage is 3d6 for a 4th level spell, or 7d6 for an 8th level spell.

Those kind of upgrade to a spell is something generally found for psion's power. I don't remember spells that have such upgrade for being prepared in higher slots. I don't have a clue how is the spell balance, but I would leave such upgrade to powers and not to spells.

GnomeWorks · May 27, 2005

I like the spells.

However, I agree with Velmont on the third one. An "internal metamagic effect" is... somewhat odd and very much more psionic in feel than magical. Also, it isn't clear if all effects happen at each level of use, or if only one can apply. But being able to do something like that automatically in a spell would be one incentive to pursue researching your own spells...

It could go either way. As it stands, it looks fairly balanced, if a little unusual. The first spell needs to be clarified a little more (I understood your example, Knight Otu, but the wording in the spell itself needs to be made clear or an example included), and the third one needs to note if all effects apply at each spell level or only one.

Assuming those issues are cleared up, I approve this proposal.

Knight Otu · May 28, 2005

Those kind of upgrade to a spell is something generally found for psion's power. I don't remember spells that have such upgrade for being prepared in higher slots. I don't have a clue how is the spell balance, but I would leave such upgrade to powers and not to spells.

An "internal metamagic effect" is... somewhat odd and very much more psionic in feel than magical. Also, it isn't clear if all effects happen at each level of use, or if only one can apply.

The spell is somewhat inspired by the old AD&D spell chromatic orb, a 1st level spell that rose in power, from damage dealing to, eventually, becoming an instant death spell, while remaining a 1st level spell. I like the idea itself, but the chromatic orb spell is quite broken, so that's where the "internal metamagic" comes in.
As for which effects of the internal metamagic effects apply, it is all that could apply. So, the first two effects always apply, and the others apply depending on which spell is altered.

The first spell needs to be clarified a little more (I understood your example, Knight Otu, but the wording in the spell itself needs to be made clear or an example included)

How would you suggest to reword it? I'm not sure how I can make it much clearer (writer's blindness on my part).

Bront · May 28, 2005

How about "This spell grants Spell Imunity (as per the spell) against one spell already in effect that was cast by the caster of this spell."

Knight Otu · May 29, 2005

I want to avoid "cast by the caster," actually. It may be just me, but it sounds a bit clunky. How about:

"The caster chooses one of his spells that is currently active, and makes the target immune to it."

Bront · May 29, 2005

Knight Otu said:
I want to avoid "cast by the caster," actually. It may be just me, but it sounds a bit clunky. How about:

"The caster chooses one of his spells that is currently active, and makes the target immune to it."

try add ""The caster chooses one of his spells that is currently active, and makes the target immune to that particular casting as per the Spell Imunity spell."

You need to make it clear that it's only one single spell that is already cast by the caster, and no other (spell or caster). Cast by the caster may sound clunky, but it is quite accurate and clear.

Knight Otu · May 29, 2005

I've updated the wordings for the Mark and the Enhancement. I did not mention the spell immunity spell in the first spell, since I already do so in the second sentence.

I also added superscripts to the enhancements to link the effects of the metamagic effect to the effects of the normal spell. That seemed like a good idea.