Blasphemy redesign -help wanted

[Asha'man]

I'll be brutally honest. I don't really want to fix Blasphemy and its ilk. I think they are cool spells, and the evil DM in me cackles whenever I get to use them. But I have to face up to it: they are broken. They are showstoppers which screw the whole party, with no save and no effective countermeasure. (Or else, they do absolutely nothing.) Simply adding saves, while probably the best solution, is dissatisfying to me. Then they become just another pack of Save-or-Lose effects. But if not that, what then? Maybe they could work like the Power Word spells, (which, conceptually, they resemble) and key off hit points rather than hit dice? Any input is greatly appreciated.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

I am not so sure the spell needs fixing that much, after all it is a 7th level cleric spell, just shy of the highest magics out there, and what will it do to your average PC? dazed for one round and weakened.

Of course, any mooks with the party {and animal companions, etc..} are pretty much toast.

Keying off level isn't too bad of a thing to do, and is easy to run in a game.

The changes I would consider are:
- Change weakened so you don't have to track random durations or deal with stat changes. Perhaps a flat -6 penalty to any STR related activity and use the 4e-like save mechanic for duration.
- Change paralyzed to the 4e-like save mechanic for duration
- Change 'killed' to an ongoing 20 points of damage, and 4e-like save mechanic for duration


That makes it a spell that is quarenteed nastyness for one round, with a chance of having ongoing nastyness


{yes, I like the 4e save mechanic }

 

[Will]

What's annoying about Blasphemy is when it gets cast twice at your party and you realize 'restoration' spells take _three frigging rounds_ to cast.

Two casts and my paladin was down to Str: 2. The paladin with Mettle and blisteringly high saves, none of which mattered.

And it's not like our party can safely use the Holy version that often because we have neutral members in the party. Great.


Not that I'm bitter or anything.

 

[Nifft]

And it's not like our party can safely use the Holy version that often because we have neutral members in the party. Great.

Use it anyway. Maybe they'll have a revelation; maybe they'll be replaced by PCs who are Good.

Casting a [Good] spell is always a Good act, even if it slaughters "innocents", right? I mean, it's their own damn fault for not being Good!

- - -

Anyway, fixing Blasphemy. Here's one solution.

Blasphemy [Evil, Sonic]
Level: Clr 7, Evil 7
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 40 ft.
Area: Nonevil effects and creatures in a 40-ft.-radius spread centered on you
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None or Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance: No or yes; see text

You utter a single word of terrible unholy potency. This blasphemous utterance strips away protective wards, dismisses summoned monsters, and hampers nonevil creatures.

First, the utterance dispels or suppresses any 'unattended' spells, effects or items with a nonevil alignment descriptor. Effects with a short duration (consecrate) are dispelled; effects with a long duration (forbiddence, hallow) are suppressed for 1 minute, as are unattended items with a nonevil alignment descriptor (such as a +2 Axiomatc Warhammer).

Second, the blasphemous word targets nonevil creatures in the area. If a creature is the subject of one or more spells or effects with the Good descriptor, the highest level such effect is dispelled automatically, but the creature is otherwise not affected.

A nonevil summoned creature who isn't warded by any Good effects may be dismissed. The blasphemer makes a caster level check as though he had cast greater dispelling on the nonevil summoned creature. Even if he fails to dismiss the creature, it is affected as any other nonevil creature (see below).

A nonevil creature who isn't warded by any Good effects, but who is wielding a weapon or wearing armor with a nonevil alignment descriptor, may choose to use his nonevil weapon or armor to "block" the blasphemy. Doing so suppresses the item for 1 minute, and the creature is otherwise not affected.

Otherwise, the nonevil creature chooses one of the following effects:
- Dazed for 1 round
- 2d6 penalty to strength for 5 rounds
- Sickened for 1 minute
- 5d10 untyped damage


Cheers, -- N

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I wonder if a lot couldn't be "fixed" if we'd change the status modifiers instead of the spell itself. (aka 4E). I haven't a clear vision yet how to do this, though.

Here's a start:

Helpless: Don't act at all.
Paralyzed: Mental standard actions only, free actions, no movement. Palalyzed is a worse condition then Stunned.
Stunned: Move Action only, lose Dex bonus to AC. Stunned is a worse condition then Dazed. Move only at half speed.
Dazed: Standard Action only. Move only at half speed.
Slowed: Reduce Movement by half.

Nauseated: -4 penalty to all checks, rolls and saves. Nauseated is a worse condition then Sickened.
Sickened: -2 penalty to all checks, rolls and saves.

Fatigued/Exhausted: Stay as they are
Panicked, Frightened, Shaken can stay as they are.

 

[Will]

The problem I have is that '2d6 str damage' can basically one-shot a slew of characters. I mean, if it hits your casters and you roll a bit lucky? You've taken them out of the fight.

Dazed doesn't bother me much at all, but an average of -7 Str per cast that's absolutely unstoppable?

Ugh.

 

[Nifft]

The problem I have is that '2d6 str damage' can basically one-shot a slew of characters. I mean, if it hits your casters and you roll a bit lucky? You've taken them out of the fight.

It's not Strength damage, it's a strength *penalty*. It doesn't stack with multiple uses (the penalty overlaps), and the penalty can be dismissed entirely with a single lesser restoration.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Will]

! Ah. The DM messed up, then.

Or I misunderstood him... either way, that's a little less onerous. Though it STILL means you can potentially shut down the casters with a few lucky rolls and a single spell.

 

[Nifft]

Though it STILL means you can potentially shut down the casters with a few lucky rolls and a single spell.

That has always been the case. It's a bad idea to be within 40 ft. of a major demon. It's a good idea to silence demons, or silence someone and have that someone grapple the demon.

A beholder's anti-magic cone shuts down casters with no save, no rolls, and possibly no escape.

A dragon's breath weapon kills casters (who don't have a lot of protection against that energy type).

(I'm not disagreeing that it needs fixing, but I'm disagreeing that insta-death effects are rare at the levels where you should expect major demons.)

Cheers, -- N

 

[Will]

Well, see, a dragon's breath weapon has several potential defenses: Reflex roll and Evasion (or ring of evasion!), protection against energy, etc.

Anti-magic cone is horrifying, yeah.

But there aren't a lot of effects that seriously shut a BUNCH of folks down and have no defenses, other than killing the source before they use it or otherwise preventing the source from taking actions.

Not saying it should definitely be removed, but it does stand out in a small class of unusual effects for this reason.

Granted, 2d6 Str penalty isn't as terrible as I had initially imagined, and a caster who really worries about such things may want Spell Turning ring or something.