Sweet Dreams.... Or Not! Two New Spells

[Chriskaballa]

I was brainstorming about random stuff last night, pawing through Magic cards mindlessly, and writing down random things in a notebook. So my train of thought crashed and I pulled out these two spells....


Tranquil Sleep
Enchantment (Compulsion)
Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 3
Components: S, F
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Until the creature sleeps
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The next time the affected creature sleeps, it is filled with calm and warmth, ensuring a good night's rest. The creature is comfortable no matter what conditions he is sleeping in, and has no trouble falling asleep if he wants to. If wearing armor while asleep, the creature is not fatigued the next day. The creature affected by this spell needs only half the normal amount of sleep required for his species, but when he wakes he is fully rested and recovers double the normal amount of hit points he would have gained from a normal night's sleep. Though this spell does provide the benefits of a full night's sleep, the target may not regain arcane spells until he has had the full eight hours of required rest. If the creature is disturbed during this quasi-magical sleep, he awakens fully within one round and can ascertain exactly what woke him up, and the spell does not end if this happens; the creature may fall back asleep as if uninterrupted.

Tranquil sleep counters and dispels insomnia.

Focus: A small silk pillow about the size of a human palm.


Insomnia
Enchantment (Compulsion)
Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 day/2 caster levels
Save: Will negates (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes

You give a single creature the nagging desire to sleep, but the complete inability to do so. The creature is unable to sleep, being kept awake by the spell at all times. The creature affected by this spell may make a Will save at the time of casting, and the spell has no effect if this save succeeds. If the save fails, insomnia sets in. The creature affected must make a Fortitude save (DC15, +4 per previous night without sleep) or become fatigued. If the creature is already fatigued, it becomes exhausted. For each night the target is forced to stay awake, he receives an effective -1 penalty to all ability scores, though no ability score may fall below an effective level of 8. The affected creature gets a Will save against this spell each night at a -2 penalty; success means the creature is able to sleep that night. When the save is passed, all effective ability reductions and fatigue penalties are removed after the night of sleep.

Insomnia counters and dispels tranquil sleep.


Thank you for taking time to look at these spells. Comments, suggestions, changes, or corrections are welcome, especially corrections to my choice of spell school and suggestions for what level the spells should be for each class I have listed and/or if any other classes should get the spells.

~Chris

 

[handforged]

I love these two spells. I think that they should both be Brd2, Sor/Wiz3. For flavor I think that both of these spells should be given to the bard(level 4) before either Sorceror(level 6) or wizard(level 5).

For balance, however I think that the save system for Insomnia should be reworked, as now it is a little too powerful. I think that the subject should be allowed to save every night to try to sleep until the spell duration ends. The saves for consecutive nights would increase by two from the original spell DC by two for every consecutive night without sleep. A successful save does not end the spell, but rather grants a night of sleep, and sets the DC back to the original. I think that the ability damage should only apply on days of failed saves(-1 per day) and should not go below 8.

Both spells should counter and dispel each other.

I think that both spells should be Enchantment (Compulsion).

I also think that Insomnia should also be a touch spell.

Feel free to let these suggestions end up in the trash.

~hf

 

[Saeviomagy]

Insomnia sounds like a good curse for Bestow Curse. That doesn't stop it from being made into a lower-level spell in it's own right though.

The first one could prove problematic, especially since it would potentially allow a magic user to sleep at any time of the day, wake up from 4 hrs of sleep and restock his full spell allotment. This would significantly increase the abilities of arcane casters when compared with divine casters, something I think should be avoided.

 

[SevenSir]

On my PCs' first night out in the jungle they went to sleep at like 7 PM because they thought, "well, we're pretty injured and the cleric's out of spells, so we better bed down." I'm doing my best to avoid this happening again, but I like Tranquil Sleep for that sort of situation. I guess I should have had them all make Will saves or not be able to fall asleep till later, but I didn't think of it.

Insomnia's cool, especially for a political intrigue adventure. That evil duke won't understand what the heck's wrong with him...oh, and no SR? That's a little harsh. It's a specifically targetted spell, the sort that's usually easy fodder for the SR question.

 

[Chriskaballa]

I have implemented some of the suggested changes...

• Corrected schools of both spells
• Added spell levels as suggested
• Removed the 'regain arcane spell' factor from Tranquil Sleep
• Changed save mechanic for Insomnia

Any more suggestions or balance changes?

~Chris

 

[handforged]

I hadn't thought about the 4 hour spell regain, so that is a good change, I think they look great now.

~hf