Nu Spells 5, please evaluate

[Winternight]

Body Swap
Transmutation [Teleportation]
Level: Wizard 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Target: one willing or controlled undead on same plane and one creature touched
Duration: instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell can be used for certain types of surprise attacks, to cross areas of negative energy, and other esoteric tricks. When casting the spell, the creature touched and the undead creature
providing the material component instantaneously change places through a teleportation effect. The range is unlimited but both must be on the same plane of existence. Only the bodys swap not the equipment.
Material Component: some body piece
of the undead (hair, nail clipping, fingers
etc.)
----
Maybe a bit powerfull But in comparison with polymorph other (4lv 3.0) It's fine. I think.

 

[The Proconsul]

You need not only compare it with polymorph, but also with spells like teleport (it's sort of a polymorph-teleport mult-function spell). But even so, it seems to me that it's balanced.

And really cool, I must say...

 

[Mordane76]

I'm wondering about the apparent limitations of this spell.


As it's target is an undead touched, you have to be able to touch the undead; doesn't this limit the range of the spell significantly?

Or do you touch the undead, take some of its clippings, and then at a later time cast the spell? This could just be a matter of unclear wording or intent...

 

[Stalker0]

I'm wondering about the apparent limitations of this spell.


As it's target is an undead touched, you have to be able to touch the undead; doesn't this limit the range of the spell significantly?

Or do you touch the undead, take some of its clippings, and then at a later time cast the spell? This could just be a matter of unclear wording or intent...

By the look at the target description, the undead just has to be willing or controlled, not touched. I think of it as kind of a matrix agent thing, where all of a sudden a guy was there and then the agent swaps in.

 

[Mordane76]

OH!

I get it...

You touch a target, and you switch the target with an undead you control (and have some clippings from).


Sorry -- the wording was unclear at first. It's still a little murky, though.

 

[ValarX]

With a crafty necromancer, this spell is an instant kill for anyone who fails their save. Given that teleport can not work on a unwilling target, I'd say that this spell is extremely overpowered for the level that you are putting it at. The level should probably be somewhere between teleport without error and teleportation circle (7th to 9th). If you truly want to throw some balancing factor in there, make the ruling that an undead of HD equal to or greater than the teleported creature is required for the transportation, otherwise it fails and the spell is lost. This would tone down the spell so that it could be 6th level in my opinion, and it makes it so that a necromancer can't go around exchanging 20th level heroes for skeletons. Let's face it, tie a skeleton to a grinding stone and toss it into the ocean (since its already dead its not going to care that much), then go find your worst enemy and cast this spell on them. Now your enemy is at the bottom of the ocean minus all their equipment and you have a docile skeleton with a lot of cool equipment to loot. Take this scenario using my above suggestion, anyone want to try convincing a high level vampire to be tied to a stone and dropped in the ocean? I didn't think so.

 

[Winternight]

With a crafty necromancer, this spell is an instant kill for anyone who fails their save. ... Let's face it, tie a skeleton to a grinding stone and toss it into the ocean (since its already dead its not going to care that much), then go find your worst enemy and cast this spell on them. Now your enemy is at the bottom of the ocean minus all their equipment and you have a docile skeleton with a lot of cool equipment to loot. Take this scenario using my above suggestion, anyone want to try convincing a high level vampire to be tied to a stone and dropped in the ocean? I didn't think so.

That`s why i compared it to a polymorph other.
I thinks it's even weaker than PO. I polymorh my "worst enemy" int a fish, a mediumsized one. but still a fish .
He dies with seconds.

--
Pro of the spell:
I may kill a target, though I would not use a skelleton in the sea because it may be a fleeing spell.

Cons
touch required. (no touch attack !) -> Provokes AoO

 

[Nifft]

That`s why i compared it to a polymorph other.
I thinks it's even weaker than PO. I polymorh my "worst enemy" int a fish, a mediumsized one. but still a fish .
He dies with seconds.

--
Pro of the spell:
I may kill a target, though I would not use a skelleton in the sea because it may be a fleeing spell.

Cons
touch required. (no touch attack !) -> Provokes AoO

Since Poly Other is being changed in 3.5 for exactly that reason, it's probably not a good basis for comparison.

Check out the new limits on Baleful Polymorph (the new Poly Other insta-kill spell).

-- Nifft