Need some feedback on this spell people.......please!

[Plane Sailing]

Ok so I know I've posted this once already but nobody took the time to reply,(sob)! Well if at first you don't succeed etc. etc. I have revised this somewhat since last time but I really could do with the knowledge of all you sages out there because as far as my DM is concerned, he's a s clueless as me when it comes to creating spells.

You might not like my opinion

I don't think it is a good spell. You are inventing a new mechanism for avoiding attacks, but it isn't well defined enough. Furthermore 33% of the random bonuses are far too powerful (+5 to DCs? +5 to caster level?).

I'm afraid I wouldn't even consider this spell at any spell level.

What is it that you are trying to do? create a defensive spell with some offensive potential, create an offensive spell with some defensive potential? Add some mechanics to a cool idea?

 

[Darmanicus]

I sorta kinda like the idea of random benefits, but ....

1) I think the spell should have one set of random benefits. This spell, as it stands, requires you to make two rolls, yeilding two unrelated benefits. Maybe make it two separate spells.

2) A chance to defeat just any attack is too vague. Does it include spell effects or just normal melee and ranged weapon attacks? What about being set on fire, being buried under an avalanche .... are those considered "attacks"?

3) As a player, I would want to use a spell slot on something that had such unpredictable results. I don't mind a result being slightly different each time, as long as all the results are similar. A bonus that might be to offense, or defense, or caster level, or something else is way too broad. It's like having a "Make Me a Better Character" spell. I don't like the flavor of that.

1. Two seperate spells is not a bad idea although I would like the first half of this spell to grant some sort of added defensive bonus such as a standard bonus to AC and saves or maybe a varied one each round,(roll d6....1-5 = +1-+5, 6 = nothing). This way the benefits are related. Also rolling 2 dice IMO is not really a great big deal,(it's certainly quicker than a 15d6 cone of cold).

2. What I mean by attack is something launched at you intentionally be it arrow, mace, spell or even avalanche,(if this was someones intention to harm you). A natural occurence or an accident, I would rule, bypasses this protection as it was fated to happen maybe.

3. The whole point of a random happening spell is just that......something random happens and it is meant to be broad. With the latter half of this spell I was intending for a surprise bonus each round. As far as a 'Make Me a Better Character' spell is concerned, isn't that what a lot of transmutation spells do such as Cats Grace, and isn't that also the point of a beneficial spell.With the latter aspect of this spell the bonus is random and sometimes doesn't help at all, you just have to rely on chance and even then the 'Make Me Better' aspect of it might not be applicable in that round anyway.

Cheers for your thoughts though, they have been helpful.

 

[Darmanicus]

You might not like my opinion

I don't think it is a good spell. You are inventing a new mechanism for avoiding attacks, but it isn't well defined enough. Furthermore 33% of the random bonuses are far too powerful (+5 to DCs? +5 to caster level?).

I'm afraid I wouldn't even consider this spell at any spell level.

What is it that you are trying to do? create a defensive spell with some offensive potential, create an offensive spell with some defensive potential? Add some mechanics to a cool idea?

Don't worry about what I like, spell creation is a new thing for me and every opinion counts as far as I'm concerned.......I want to do this right!

Basically I'm trying to create a defensive spell that has the POSSIBILITY of defeating any sort of attack. I like the idea of chaos/probability/chance enabling you to achieve almost impossible things.........every now and then.

As you can see with me last post,which I'd only half done before I scarpered off to lunch therefore not noticing your post, the idea now is to use the first half of the spell as it is,(unless people think the attack nullifying probability is too good),and incorporate a fixed defensive element to it that affects AC and saves.

 

[Plane Sailing]

My first (next) question then is - what do you think of Blink?

As a 3rd level spell it does a lot of what you want already - 50% concealment is basically a 50% chance of negating all physical attacks upon you unless the attacker has a ghost touch weapon and/or see invisibility, which reduce it in steps. (Blink also halves damage from falls and halves damage from area affect spells plus some other nifty tricks).

So what about a 6th level spell that gives 50% concealment benefit by altering probability dramatically around the user. Basically you are paying a 6th level spell slot for concealment that can't be reduced by any magic or mundane means.

That, I think, would be a reasonable 6th level spell in terms of power, something that could be a real life saver for a PC. You might even want to extend its power to enable it to provide its concealment effect against magic spells targetted at you.

Thus, compared with antimagic field it doesn't affect as large an area, and is not certain to protect you from magic, but it does also have a chance of causing melee attacks to miss too.

What do you think of that?

 

[candidus_cogitens]

Plane Sailing is offering some good advice, for a Blink-like spell.

I also think just having a spell that boosts your AC and saves by +2 could be a decent spell. It is certainly well-defined, albeit somewhat lacking in flavor. Maybe to add a little bit of randomness back in, you could say that the spell grants +2 to a randomly determined save. Roll d3 to determine whether it boosts your reflex, fort, or will save. That would make the save-boosting aspect of the spell more of a secondary feature, mostly for flavor. The main effect of the spell, +2 AC, would be like a mage armor effect except that it stacks with whatever other armor you are wearing.

What type of AC bonus would that be? Not dodge, not deflection .... hmmm.

Obviously, this spell would be much lower than 6th level. Possibly 2nd level.

 

[KarinsDad]

I think a straight +5 to different saves each level is not chaotic enough. Why not +D4+1?

Also, I might change the list to:

1. Nothing.
2. AC.
3. All saves.
4. Attack rolls
5. Damage rolls.
6. Spell DC.

Plus, any bonus should be a luck bonus.

 

[Darmanicus]

My first (next) question then is - what do you think of Blink?

As a 3rd level spell it does a lot of what you want already - 50% concealment is basically a 50% chance of negating all physical attacks upon you unless the attacker has a ghost touch weapon and/or see invisibility, which reduce it in steps. (Blink also halves damage from falls and halves damage from area affect spells plus some other nifty tricks).

So what about a 6th level spell that gives 50% concealment benefit by altering probability dramatically around the user. Basically you are paying a 6th level spell slot for concealment that can't be reduced by any magic or mundane means.

That, I think, would be a reasonable 6th level spell in terms of power, something that could be a real life saver for a PC. You might even want to extend its power to enable it to provide its concealment effect against magic spells targetted at you.

Thus, compared with antimagic field it doesn't affect as large an area, and is not certain to protect you from magic, but it does also have a chance of causing melee attacks to miss too.

What do you think of that?

Sorry about delay in reply but at the moment I'm only able to use the PC at work.

I've just had a look at Blink and, combined with your idea, it's just the sort of thing I was after thankyou. All I've gotta do now is convince the DM to permit me to use it and get down to some serious researching.

 

[Darmanicus]

I think a straight +5 to different saves each level is not chaotic enough. Why not +D4+1?

Also, I might change the list to:

1. Nothing.
2. AC.
3. All saves.
4. Attack rolls
5. Damage rolls.
6. Spell DC.

Plus, any bonus should be a luck bonus.

Yeah that's cool, keep that list and roll a d6 and d4 each round. As far as level is concerned I'd say possibly 2nd, yes?