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

[Magus Coeruleus]

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.

Yep. Note, however that the component is now diamonds worth a total of at least 5000gp. At least PCs don't have to worry about tracking down especially rare, huge diamonds that are worth 5000gp (or more for higher level raising spells) all on their own. A little jeweler's bag full will work as well.

The increase of the CON loss to 2 is probably meant to equalize the impact on characters regardless of whether they have an even or odd CON score. WIth a -2, everyone gets a -1 to their Con-based mods.

 

[LokiDR]

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.

Ya, but isn't that a staple of fantasy? The balance is when the unhappy outsider has friends. Could you fight the entire City of Brass? If you use magic to abuse the world, the world should slap you back.

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

Close enough. I surpirsed that no one else has asked.

 

[heirodule]

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's only BARELY 4th level, because Phantom Steed is alot better for traveling rapidly. At 8th level you have a movement of 160 per round. That works out to 16mph or 128 miles in 8 hours.

I'm not even sure if the flying capacity of Overland Flight is worth making it 4th level. Or nobody noticed how "overpowered" phantom steed was and it will get nerfed later.

Of course, its somewhat unclear what the top speed of the Phantom Steed really is. If the speed is 160, does that mean it can hustle (double move) at 320? Then can the horse go 256 miles a day?

 

[LokiDR]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Overland Flight

It's only BARELY 4th level, because Phantom Steed is alot better for traveling rapidly. At 8th level you have a movement of 160 per round. That works out to 16mph or 128 miles in 8 hours.

I'm not even sure if the flying capacity of Overland Flight is worth making it 4th level. Or nobody noticed how "overpowered" phantom steed was and it will get nerfed later.

One fireball, and you don't have transportation any more. If flying, you will fall for more damage. It isn't until 14 level that terrain such as cliffs won't matter. Water is a problem untill you are in range of the overland flight. The biggest difference, I think, is that being a mounted mage in combat is bad. The almost-horse might just toss you off. A fact that is never a problem for overland flight.

For just traveling, Phantom steed is miles better. If anything is going to happen during traveling, I would probably favor overland flight. Despite the name, I think it more a tatical spell that lasts for nearly anything all day.

Of course, its somewhat unclear what the top speed of the Phantom Steed really is. If the speed is 160, does that mean it can hustle (double move) at 320? Then can the horse go 256 miles a day?

You can't "hustle" the horse very long before it drops, with only 7+lvl hp. Where did they get 7 anyway? Did they pen the spell during a day at the races?

 

[Hypersmurf]

Trainz just picked up a change to Blasphemy in another thread.

3.0:
Creatures native to the character's plane who hear the blasphemy and are not evil suffer the following ill effects:

3.5:
Any nonevil creature within the area of a blasphemy spell suffers the following ill effects.

------

A Balor's Blasphemy-at-will just changed from "Get off my Plane!" to "You're all dazed, every round, no save".

Interestingly, while creatures are no longer required to hear the Blasphemy to be affected - only to be in the area - the "Get off my Plane" effect still carries a note that "This effect takes place regardless of whether the creatures hear the blasphemy."

One would think that clarification would no longer be necessary, since they removed the condition from the primary effects...

-Hyp.

 

[Geoff Watson]

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.

The summoned efreeti will just refuse. They won't use spell-like abilities that would cost XP. See the section on Conjuring spells.

Geoff.

 

[Hypersmurf]

The summoned efreeti will just refuse. They won't use spell-like abilities that would cost XP. See the section on Conjuring spells.

To elaborate:

From the 3.5 SRD:
Spell-Like: Spell-like abilities are magical and work just like spells (though they are not spells and so have no verbal, somatic, material, focus, or XP components).

They haven't changed that bit, but:

"A summoned creature cannot use any innate summoning abilities it may have, and it refuses to cast any spells that would cost it XP, or to use any spell-like abilities that would cost XP if they were spells."

-Hyp.

 

[Bergoren]

I was thinking of something more along the lines of kidnapping one not summoning.

The point still stands, you can now use a ring of wishes to wish for more rings of wishes and creatures with the wish spell like ability can create any magic item they want no matter what the cost. So playing wishing creatures like people with half a brain they should be decked out in every magic item they can think of having.

What Efreeti in their right mind would not find a way to charm a gobin or something and tell it to wish for a Staff of Power, one of each of the +5 bonus books, a +5 vorpal greatsword.....

PS Sorry for any spelling errors, I don't keep Javascript turned on.

 

[Darkness]

The point still stands, you can now use a ring of wishes to wish for more rings of wishes ...

Assuming the guy who created the ring of wishes that you're using paid enough xp when creating the ring. Or else assuming an efreeti created it for you and set the cap high enough.

In any case, I wouldn't allow a wish to create an epic item, no matter how many xp you're willing to pay...

 

[Bergoren]

Assuming the guy who created the ring of wishes that you're using paid enough xp when creating the ring. Or else assuming an efreeti created it for you and set the cap high enough.

In any case, I wouldn't allow a wish to create an epic item, no matter how many xp you're willing to pay...

So your saying that you can't wish for any magic item at all unless the casters added in XP on the off chance someone would use it.

Bah it just seems to me that its a really stupid rule. Every Efreeti in the MM should have an unlimited supply of every magic item in the game. Since they don't have every magic item then the MM is wrong, the DMG is wrong or someone changed the spell with out thinking it through.