Help with a new spell -- MY PLAYERS OUT!

[Ovinomancer]

I need help coming up with the level/interesting components for a new spell. Basically, this new spell is a rusting grasp spell with medium range and a 20' burst. Before anyone starts screaming, it will only effect a specific, rare metal, not all metal like RG. What level/xp/expensive materail components should this spell have? Note: I would rather avoid truly expensive material components because that would limit the plot usefulness of this spell.

 

[AuraSeer]

Which metal, exactly? A spell affecting only a plot-specific material-- perhaps "Ovinomancium"-- would be far lower in level than one affecting mithral or adamantine or anything else that might be part of the PCs' equipment. If it worked on a DR-penetrating material it'd be especially strong. (A marilith who could destroy all her attackers' cold iron weapons with one scroll would suddenly be very much harder to kill.)

If it can destroy only only plot-specific McGuffins, IMO it'd be about a half-level lower than disintegrate. I'd call it at 5th level, and as its component require the alchemically treated feeler of a rust monster, to the tune of 100 gp per casting.

 

[Lawmage]

Humm, a lot depends on what you want to rust and on the circumstances I suppose....

RG starts at 4th level...
Increase range from touch through short to medium....I would call that plus 2 levels, even three. The increased range is one thing, similar to the enlarge spell feat but the transition from touch spell to a ranged spell is a bigger deal by far. Still, lets call it plus 2.

Area effect increased from touched item to a 20 ft burst. That too is a much bigger increase than merely going from say a 5 ft burst to the 20 ft burst. What you are doing is increasing the power and the usefulness of the spell considerably. Again, it is similar to the enlarge spell feat but I would still call it plus 2 levels.

So, we are up to 8th, or even 9th, level for the new spell.

You mentioned that it was only going to effect a single, rare metal. Well, rusting grasp only effects Iron or iron alloys...Of course, iron in a mainstay and very common so the spell has lots of utility. You neglected to mention the metal in question and more importantly what it is used for...If it is a major component in armor or weapons or what not then the utility of the spell remains intact. As such, I would not allow any level reduction for the narrow focus. If the metal is truly rare and used only in specialized functions and the spell's utility is thereby decreased, I might see reducing the new spell's level to 7th.

Another thing to consider is the duration. RG as written has a duration of one round per level. It can be used to touch one object per round and effects up to a three foot radius volume of material. Essentially, the spell can effect one weapon or one suit of armor or one door per level.

If you dropped the duration of the new spell to instantaneous and limited the targets along the lines of: The spell effects one item fashioned from alloy X per caster level. All such items must be located within a 20 ft burst. Alternatively, the spell can target a single large item not to exceed five foot cube per caster level. With that in place, I might reduce the level to 6th.

As for components, you might make it something that is not terribly expensive but rather hard to get. Perhaps a piece of this rare metal that has been corroded by something, maybe naturally or even by some sort of monstrous attack. I am not sure I would impose an XP penalty for this spell though.

Lastly, is this spell going to be for a Druid or is it going to be available to other caster types?

 

[Hypersmurf]

Next stop, House Rules!

Whoosh!

-Hyp.
(Moderator)

 

[Ovinomancer]

Here's some background.
100 years ago, Kindgom A pushed Empire B out of a fertile area that Empire B had held for a long time. A Mountain range now seperates the two. During the intervening time, peaceful trade relations have opened between the two. Empire B, however, has never forgotten the defeat suffered at the hands of Kingdom A, but any military action would be difficult considering the intervening terrain and the fact that Kingdom A has good defenses.
Enter the cunning plan. Empire B has uncovered an old forge that creates armor and weapons from a strange metal found in abundance near the forge. The metal is difficult to work by normal means, but, with the forge, the crafting time and effort is significantly reduced. The forge allows Empire B the make even masterwork items at a greatly reduced cost. The metal, however, has a drawback. It corrodes very quickly when exposed to a certain combination of magical forces (ie the new spell). This has lead Empire B into a long range exploitation of the forge and the new metal. They have begun to flood the market in Kingdom A with arms and armor made of this metal, undercuttin gthe local smiths by a good margin. The idea is to not only ensure that the majority of Kindgom soldiers are wearing the new armor and weapons, but it also gives them a great source of cash flow to finance the build up of thier own forces. This is a long range plan, and I've just introduced the first shipments of the new armor and weapons to the players at level 2. I was asking for help with the spell to determine how fast to move this plot line along. I had figured it would periodically surface as an interesting note to the players until around 12th level, but if the spell is going to be 7+, I may have to rethink this.

 

[The LMS]

just make the material component hard to find, but comes in decent supply if a source can be found. Like Ivory from a secret Elephant graveyard. Then you should be able to push it down a few more levels.

You could also make it so that it does damage too the metal over a number of rounds durring which the mage must maintain concentration. Thus the spell would be effective, but not overpowering since the PC's would be able to interupt it mid effect.

You could even go the arcana unearthed way and make the spell lower level but exotic, requiring a feat to cast it.

 

[AuraSeer]

In the situation you describe, I'd place the spell at 5th level with an expensive material component, or at 6th level with a focus. That puts it at the strong end of the spells for the level, which is sensible, because you intend it to be a world-altering force in your campaign.

Also, I'd allow a save (Reflex, or perhaps Fortitude) to negate. That will leave it very effective against the rank-and-file troopers, yet prevent it from crippling an adventuring party in one shot.

The material component should have something to do with the metal or the forge itself. Perhaps one needs a sample of the metal that has been alchemically treated, to make it a catalyst for the rapid corrosion effect. Even better, maybe the spell only works on metal that came from the same forge as the material component-- so if nation A manages to find another forge or create their own duplicate, nation B's secret weapon suddenly loses a lot of its effectiveness.

 

[Gustave Arcanus]

I happen to have an OLD Dragon (AD&D old) which describes tuning an existing spell's attributes and what level it should be, plus personal experience with fine-tuning spells.

Let's begin. *hands everyone popcorn*

Rusting Grasp starts as a 4th-level Druid spell. To make that available for Sorcerers and Wizards, add a level, making it 5th. It also affects a specific material (much like Rusting Grasp, it only works on non-magical ferrous metals), keeping it much the same.

Big difference comes from the range increase. Making it a 20' radius instead of touch would push it up two levels, making it Drd 6, Sor/Wiz 7. Adding the expensive component, be it a treated rust monster tentacle or a treated version of the material itself (which is what I would bend towards) would lower it by a level if it were 100 gp per spell level. So, it would need to be 600 gp worth to be valid. As a focus, that would push it up into the 3,000-6,000 gp range. So now we're sitting at Drd 5, Sor/Wiz 6.

Since the area remains constant, and is reasonable, that's not a change either way. Allowing a save isn't required since it won't affect magic items, though it would drop the level since Rusting Grasp doesn't allow one, nor SR. Allowing a negating save (since there is no half effect, really) would drop it one level. Though personally, I'd make it work against magic items with a negating save (Fort), and not allow a save for non-magical items, which would keep it at Drd 5, Sor/Wiz 6.

So, we're sitting with...

Gustave's Anti-Metal Burst
Transmutation
Level: Drd 5, Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M/F
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: 20-ft radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None (object) or Fortitude negates (object) (see text)
Spell Reistance: No

By use of this spell, a caster causes a metal of his choice to dissolve, crack, rust, and pit, becoming destroyed and worthless. Magical items and attented non-magical items are allowed a save to avoid destruction, unattended non-magical items are not.
Material Component: An alchemically treated sample of the metal to be destroyed, costing at least 600 gp.
Focus Component: A statuette of a knight constructed of the chosen metal, costing at least 3,000 gp.

That should be appropriate, given what it does. And of course, the material component or the focus would be interchangable. If you don't have a focus, you'll have to use the sample, and if you have the statuette, you wouldn't need anything else. Unless, of course, the statuette is mythril and you want to rip steel to shreds.