D&D 3E/3.5 [3.5] Noteworthy spell changes

[Bergoren]

I don't have the books yet but the 3.5 SRD has a change to Wish I'm wondering about. In 3rd edition Wish could create a item (magical or otherwise) of up to 15000gp value... The SRD for 3.5 states:

"• Create a nonmagical item of up to 25,000 gp in value.
• Create a magic item, or add to the powers of an existing magic item."

Do the hardcopies of the 3.5 books list a price cap for magic items or is it just 25000gp like non magic or still 15000gp like the 3.0 spell.

I also think the "add to the power" is not explained enough. The SRD says that if the effects are not similar then you double the price of the higher enchantment. What if the higher enchantment is the one already on the item and you are adding a lower. I'm guessing you would work the item out like you where enchanting it all at once and subtracting what the orginal cost.

So adding +5 to Hide on a cloak with +10 to Spot would be:

10000gp the highest cost
* 2
= 20000gp
+ 2500gp for the Hide
- 10000gp for the orignal enchantment
= 12500gp.

That seem right?

 

[hong]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Overland Flight

How does your nerf work, Hong?

Teleport sends you to one of 8 predetermined "moongate" locations. It's like an on-demand portal, except that you have some freedom to choose the destination. If you screw up the off-target roll, you get sent to a gate other than the one you were aiming for. Teleport /wo error eliminates this possibility.

If you've ever played Ultima 4 or 5, it's basically the same setup.

 

[allenw]

Planar Ally/Binding have been toned down:
Instead of Lesser/normal/Greater getting you 8/16/24 HD, they now get you only 6/12/18 HD. Combined with the general increase in HD for many Outsiders, this seriously reduces your options, especially for Lesser Ally/Binding (see http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=58374).

 

[drnuncheon]

Re: Re: Overland Flight

And it's the same level as teleport--a spell which is infinitely better at what it's supposed to do: get you and your party places. The only advantage of overland flight (you don't need to know where you're going) is outweighed by the fact that teleport lets you take your friends and overland flight doesn't.

I was wondering about this spell myself. Is it really a transport spell, or is it more for utility/scouting? Certainly it's got the longest duration of any similar spell - you could cast it and have it on all day, and be able to fly whenever you needed to, whether that's in combat or scouting or carrying a rope across a chasm or whatever else you might need a flying person to do...of course, the personal-only makes the 'hustle all day' part less attractive, and the fact that you can't hover...bleah.

My first impression/gut instinct was that it should be level 4, not 5, exactly because of what you describe with the comparison to teleport. Now, I'm going to wait to see it in use before I decide.

J

 

[drnuncheon]

• Create a magic item, or add to the powers of an existing magic item."

Do the hardcopies of the 3.5 books list a price cap for magic items or is it just 25000gp like non magic or still 15000gp like the 3.0 spell.

There's no gp cap, but you pay double XP plus the 5000 xp for the wish - so effectively, there's a cap.

J

 

[SubMensa]

Enlarge

Enlarge person now grants all of it's bonuses up front to a first level caster no more referencing a chart to find the % change it is now a flat +100% to height.

• Increases the target 's size one category granting reach.
• +2 str (same as before)
• -2 dex
• -1 to ac from size change, -1 to attack from size change.
• Spelled out is the fact that the enlarged weapons the target were carying do more damage because of their new size.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Re: Re: Re: Overland Flight

I was wondering about this spell myself. Is it really a transport spell, or is it more for utility/scouting? Certainly it's got the longest duration of any similar spell - you could cast it and have it on all day, and be able to fly whenever you needed to, whether that's in combat or scouting or carrying a rope across a chasm or whatever else you might need a flying person to do...of course, the personal-only makes the 'hustle all day' part less attractive, and the fact that you can't hover...bleah.

My first impression/gut instinct was that it should be level 4, not 5, exactly because of what you describe with the comparison to teleport. Now, I'm going to wait to see it in use before I decide.

J

It is a utility/scouting spell. It's also useful in combat, as in you start combat in the air. You won't maneuver very well at all, but if your opponents are land-bound or have poor ranged attacks then it's worth it. (If you want the maneuverability, you'll need to use the shorter-duration spell.)

You can use it to fly slowly beside your friends when travelling, too, taking to the air if you aren't surprised by an ogre

If you try to make it into a transport spell it will be worse than Teleport in most ways ... but it's still useful if you don't know the destination, and have to travel on your own.

PS See Invisibility rocks now! No spinning like a top!

 

[LokiDR]

Re: Re: Re: Overland Flight

I was wondering about this spell myself. Is it really a transport spell, or is it more for utility/scouting? Certainly it's got the longest duration of any similar spell - you could cast it and have it on all day, and be able to fly whenever you needed to, whether that's in combat or scouting or carrying a rope across a chasm or whatever else you might need a flying person to do...of course, the personal-only makes the 'hustle all day' part less attractive, and the fact that you can't hover...bleah.

My first impression/gut instinct was that it should be level 4, not 5, exactly because of what you describe with the comparison to teleport. Now, I'm going to wait to see it in use before I decide.

J

My gut reaction would be 4th level, range: touch.

But there has been a significant change in the area of buffs. The stat buff list is expanded to cover all stats in core rules, and every caster, bard or better, get at least a few. But they are all short duration. Fly is also a lot shorter. It seems like there was a conserted effort to prevent mages from "powering up" in the morning and having the spells last all day. Exceptions to the rule are harder to find, like overland flight.

In the context of not having hardly any long duration buffs, I think the spell looks a lot better.

 

[Bergoren]

There's no gp cap, but you pay double XP plus the 5000 xp for the wish - so effectively, there's a cap.

J

If that is true I really really hope they changed the part in the MM about spell-like abilities not costing EXP to cast. If not then everyone and their sister is going to be summoning and binding efreeti.

"For my Three Wishes of the day I would like three rings of wishes. Thank you please drive through"

Gets even worse unless you make players pay any additional EXP used when using a magic item to grant wishes.

EDIT: LokiDR The SO stand for "Sod Off" in your sig? I'm racking my brain trying to figure that out.

 

[Ranes]

I've read the thread and not seen this, so...

After a young-ish black dragon killed half the party in Monday's game, our group had a discussion about Raise Dead. In my (second printing, ie 'corrected') copy of the PHB, the description of Raise Dead states that the material component is a diamond worth 500gp. In the 3.5 PHB, this diamond component is described as costing 5000gp. I do not believe this to be a typo, on the grounds that the 5000gp component cost is also referred to in the 3.5 DMG.

That's not all.

In PHB 3.0, a first level character who's raised loses a point of Constitution in lieu of a level. In PHB 3.5, this becomes 2 points of Constitution. Again, reference to this increased Con loss is also made in DMG 3.5.

I haven't told my players yet.