Ashnar Spells II

[Knight Otu]

Ashnar's Fiery Shackles
Conjuration (Creation) [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/level or until discharged (D)
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
Fiery shackles enwrap the limbs of the target, preventing it from moving in any meaningful way without harming itself.
The target can take purely mental actions (such as spells without any components), actions that only involve speaking (including spells with only verbal components), and five foot steps without discharging the spell. Any other action discharges the spell. Also, the target cannot make a successful reflex save without discharging the fiery shackles, and must remain flat-footed to prevent the spell from being discharged. However, the target is not helpless.
Discharging the spell deals 3d6 points of fire damage +1 point per caster level (maximum +10) to the target, freeing the target in the process.
The target can attempt an Escape Artist check (DC equal to the spell's DC plus 5) to escape the shackles. An Escape Artist check that fails by 4 or less means that the target could not escape, but did not cause the shackles to discharge. An Escape Artist check that fails by 5 or more discharges the shackles as above.
Focus: A set of masterwork manacles (costing 50 gp).

Ashnar's Shield Swarm
Abjuration [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: Up to 1 ally/level
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
Small shields of force start hovering around the targets, intercepting attacks made against him or her.
You create one shield per caster level, to a maximum of 15 shields, and distribute them among you and your allies as you wish, except that no character may have more than five of these shields. Affected allies gain a shield bonus to their Armor Class equal to the number of shields distributed to them. This bonus applies against incorporeal touch attacks, since it is a force effect. The shields have no armor check penalty or arcane spell failure chance.
Shields that cannot be distributed are lost.

 

[Patlin]

Ashnar's Fiery Shackles
Conjuration (Creation) [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/level or until discharged
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
Fiery shackles enwrap the limbs of the target, preventing it from moving in any meaningful way without harming itself.
The target can take purely mental actions (such as spells without any components), actions that only involve speaking (including spells with only verbal components), and five foot steps without discharging the spell. Any other action discharges the spell. Also, the target cannot make a successful reflex save without discharging the fiery shackles, nor can it benefit from its Dexterity and Dodge bonuses (if any). However, the target is not helpless.
Discharging the spell deals 3d6 points of fire damage +1 point per caster level (maximum +10) to the target.
Material Components: A set of masterwork manacles (costing 50 gp).

Interesting. Thoughts: If the target prefers, this is simply a damaging spell. The damage might be considered a little bit high, but the 50 gp material component cost offsets that in my opinion. There should be an escape artist DC to get out unharmed, either as a standard action or a full round action -- haven't decided myself which as yet. My reasoning is that it's a very escape artist sort of situation and escape artist is a bit underused in any event, so it would be good to throw the poor skill a bone. DC to equal the save DC for the spell perhaps? Or perhaps a fixed DC of 16? Failing the check by five or more would trigger the damage.

 

[Patlin]

Ashnar's Shield Swarm
Abjuration [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: Up to 1 ally/level
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
Small shields of force start hovering around the targets, intercepting attacks made against him or her.
You create one shield per caster level, to a maximum of ten shields, and distribute them among you and your allies as you wish, except that no character may have more than five of these shields. Affected allies gain a shield bonus to their Armor Class equal to the number of shields distributed to them. This bonus applies against incorporeal touch attacks, since it is a force effect. The shields have no armor check penalty or arcane spell failure chance.
Shields that cannot be distributed are lost.

I have concerns about this one. I think all targets should have to remain within close range of the caster or lose the benefit of the spell, for one thing. I'd also like to tinker with the number of shields limitation a bit: perhaps no target shall have more than one shield per three caster levels, maximum four shields at level 12? To compensate, how about a maximum number of shields equal to 2 + 1 per caster level, maximum 12 shields at level 10?

With this revision, there are a number of permutations, including: at 3rd level a caster could give 1 shield to each of 5 allies; a 6th level caster could give two shields to each of 4; a 12th level caster or higher could give 4 shields to each of 3 allies. At that point, it's very much like a "mass shield" spell, and circumvents that spell's self-only limitation. Not bad for a spell only one level higher, though you miss the magic missile immunity thing.

 

[Bront]

1st Spell:

Interesting. Thoughts: If the target prefers, this is simply a damaging spell. The damage might be considered a little bit high, but the 50 gp material component cost offsets that in my opinion. There should be an escape artist DC to get out unharmed, either as a standard action or a full round action -- haven't decided myself which as yet. My reasoning is that it's a very escape artist sort of situation and escape artist is a bit underused in any event, so it would be good to throw the poor skill a bone. DC to equal the save DC for the spell perhaps? Or perhaps a fixed DC of 16? Failing the check by five or more would trigger the damage.

The damage is in line with a Scorching Ray spell, though the other effects make up for it.

I would suggest a few things. Either A) Make it a ranged touch attack to schackle them, or B) make it a Reflex save to avoid, since it is a physical binding, not a mental one. I also agree that there should be a DC to escape (10+Caster level?). I also suggest that you simply say they need to be flat footed in order to not set it off instead of mentioning the dex/dodge issue.

It should be a material focus, not component. It's too expensive for what it does to be not reusable.

Also, I'd make it (D), just because.

2nd Spell

I have concerns about this one. I think all targets should have to remain within close range of the caster or lose the benefit of the spell, for one thing. I'd also like to tinker with the number of shields limitation a bit: perhaps no target shall have more than one shield per three caster levels, maximum four shields at level 12? To compensate, how about a maximum number of shields equal to 2 + 1 per caster level, maximum 12 shields at level 10?

With this revision, there are a number of permutations, including: at 3rd level a caster could give 1 shield to each of 5 allies; a 6th level caster could give two shields to each of 4; a 12th level caster or higher could give 4 shields to each of 3 allies. At that point, it's very much like a "mass shield" spell, and circumvents that spell's self-only limitation. Not bad for a spell only one level higher, though you miss the magic missile immunity thing.

Shield Swarm should be a 3rd level spell in my opinion. Assuming it is, I think it's just fine.

 

[Bront]

*Bump*

Just going through proposals, seeing what's still out there. Any thoughts on this KO?

 

[Knight Otu]

Ashnar's priorities have shifted somewhat. I'd still like to have these spells, but if Ashnar gets out of his current situation, he has other plans first regarding spell research.

 

[Bront]

I see. Well, if you have thoughts to get these closer to approval, I'm always here to listen, even if they don't end up being used.

 

[B4cchus]

My 2 coppers:

I think the first spell is underpowered:
thedamag is below par with scorching ray, it has a save,
SR applies, expensive material component and the target has a way to avoid the damage.
The only thing scorching ray has that this spell does better is the required ranged touch attack.
I think at least two or of those issues should be improved: more damage, no save and/or SR and a focus instead of a component. Flavou wise i agree that some ranged touch requirement and an escape artist DC to get out would be in place.

The second spell feels slightly overpowered. Especially because, as written, the ac bonus stacks with everything and it is a force effect that also blocks vs incorporeal attacks.
Naming the ac bonus would fix that a great deal.

 

[Velmont]

The second spell feels slightly overpowered. Especially because, as written, the ac bonus stacks with everything and it is a force effect that also blocks vs incorporeal attacks.
Naming the ac bonus would fix that a great deal.

True, but as the spell is written, I would think it is a shield bonus, so maybe just naming it shield bonus would be fine. For a wizard, it has little impact, as very few wizard have shield bonus (but they could, a mithral buckler has no spell failure...)

 

[Knight Otu]

Ahem.

Affected allies gain a shield bonus to their Armor Class equal to the number of shields distributed to them.

Anyway, there was a cleric spell I wasn't considering when writing the spell (shield of faith) that points to shield swarm still being too powerful.