D&D 3.x [3.5] Noteworthy spell changes
- Thread starter ForceUser
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I was compiling the changes listed here for my own benefit, and I thought others might find it useful. This is all just cut and paste from other posts in this thread:
Aid: Aid now adds 1d8 + caster level in temp hit points instead of just 1d8
Analyze Dweomer: Analyze Dweomer is now 1 action casting time and identifies one item per round or identifies all spells on one person per round (spell, effect, caster level).
Animate Dead: Animate dead is now a Sor/Wiz4 spell (was Sor/Wiz5) and costs only 25 gp/HD (was 50 gp/HD).
Augury: Augury now has a casting time of one minute
Awaken: Awaken now only costs 250 XP, not 500
Barkskin: Barkskin does, indeed, stack with true natural armor. It is considered an enhancement bonus
Blade Barrier: Blade barrier is now a standard action to cast and lasts 1 min/level; it can now ONLY be cast as a vertical wall (either a plane or a cylinder
Burning Hands: Burning hands is now evocation
Call Lightning: Call lightning storm is exactly like 3.5 call lightning, except damage dealt is 5d6 per bolt (or 5d10 outdoors in a storm), with maximum 15 bolts
Calm Emotions: Calm Emotions now affect all in 20 ft. radius, not xd6 HD
Clairaudience/voyance: Clairaudience/Clairvoyance reduced to Long Range.
Cloudkill: Cloudkill changed to 1d4 Con poison damage, from 1d10 poison damage
Create Undead: Create undead and create greater undead are now not only Clr spells, but also Sor/Wiz spells of the same level (i.e., 6 and 8, respectively).
Darkness: Darkness and Deeper Darkness now shed supernatural shadow rather than the unpenetrable darkness of yore.
Death Ward: Death Ward now blocks death effects, energy drains, and spells that use negative energy.; This includes Harm and Inflict Spells.
Deathwatch: Deathwatch has the [evil] descriptor, so good clerics can no longer use it to keep an eye on their companions' status.
Delayed Blast Fireball: Delayed Blast Fireball specifies its max damage is 20d6
Destruction: Destruction has been clarified - it consumes the creature, but not the phat loots on its person
Dimension Door: Conjuration spell; Dimension door lets you take 1 additional medium sized creature per 3 caster levels
Disintegrate: Disintegrate is an insane spell. 2d6/level damage
Divine Power: Divine Power is +6 enhancement bonus to strength and 1 temporary hitpoint per level, and fighter BAB
Endure Elements: Endure Elements (1st level) no longer gives resistance 5 to an element, it just protects you from natural temperature extremes
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.
Evard’s Black Tentacles: Evard's Black Tentacles now 1 round/level an incredible grapple check bonus and immune to damage from everything.
Eyebite: Eyebite is now a necromancy spell, and an [evil] one at that, that has only one effect, to sicken the target.
Feeblemind: Feeblemind now lets CHA drop to 1, too. Also, INT- and CHA-related skills can't be used anymore.
Fire Seed/Flame Strike: Fire Seeds and Flame Strike are down to d6's.
Flame Arrow: Flame Arrow now simply gives the flaming property to projectiles (+1d6), so no unlimited fiery bolts anymore... but the duration is up to 10 min / lvl
Flame Strike: Fire Seeds and Flame Strike are down to d6's.
Fly: Fly lasts 1 min/level and gives you a fly speed of 60 feet, or 40 feet if in medium or heavy armor
Forbiddance: The passworded version of forbiddance is a lot cheaper now, 1,000 extra gp vice 5,000 gp
Forcecage: Forcecage now requires the material component at the time of casting, not during preparation of the spell. So finally sorcerers can cast it, too
Freedom of Movement: Freedom of Movement now provides automatic freedom from grapples
Glitterdust: Glitterdust does what it did before (reveals creatures) and gives a -40 penalty to Hide checks
Grease: Grease now forces you to make a DC 10 balance check to move within or through the greased area, and if you fail you can't stop, and if you fail by more than 5 you fall down. ; It also grants a +10 bonus on Escape Artist or Grapple checks to escape a grapple or being pinned
Greater Magic Fang: Greater magic fang can indeed be applied as a +1 bonus to all extremities with one casting. Furthermore, both GMF and MF can be made permanent with a permanency spell
Gust of Wind: Anyone read the new Gust of Wind? They changed it a lot. First they gave it a lot of power, like a strong wind in the environment section. Then, they made it last for a duration (don't remember how long) so the wizard can avoid missile attacks and reduce Listen checks for the time. Then they made all that completely useless because it is a line effect! All any creature has to do is step 5 feet and continue shooting arrows at you!
Haste: Haste no longer gives an extra partial action (since partial actions dont exist anymore). Instead, you get an extra attack during a full-attack action. The AC bonus was reduced from +4 to +1, but you also get +1 to attacks and reflex saves. All modes of speed get an enhancement bonus of +30 ft.; Haste affects 1 creature/level instead of just 1 creature
Heal: Heal heals 10/level hit points, up to 150. Mass heal caps out at 250
Holy Sword: Holy sword no longer doubles the damage dealt, instead it adds +2d6 holy damage
Holy Word: Banishment via holy word now allows the target a Will save with a -4 penalty; Blasphemy, holy word, dictum, and whatever the chaotic one is now have different effects based on the targets' hit dice relative to your caster level instead of using flat HD numbers.
Identify: Identify now takes one hour to cast, affects only one item, and reveals all powers, activation requirements, and charges. Still costs a 100gp pearl for arcane casters
Invisibility: Invisibility is now 1 minute/level.
Keen: Keen spell and weapon enhancement no longer stack with Improved Critical
Magic Stone: Magic stone now deals 1d6+1 damage per stone, or 2d6+2 verses undead. It is now a druid spell as well
Magic Vestment: Magic vestment is no longer +1 AC per 3 levels, instead it is +1/4
Mass Cure: All mass cure spells are now close range and affect one creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart. This is a step up from 3.0's healing circle
Mass Heal: Heal heals 10/level hit points, up to 150. Mass heal caps out at 250
Maze: Maze requires the target to make an INT check (DC20) each round to escape, or wait until 10 minutes have passed. Plus, SR applies
Mirror Image: Mirror image has been clarified: an attacker must be able to see the images to be fooled. If you are invisible or the attacker shuts their eyes, the spell has no effect. By extension then, if a creature closes its eyes and uses blindsight to find you, you're hosed. Also, it is made very clear that the images occupy a cluster of spaces within 5 feet of at least one other figment or you
Neutralize Poison: Neutralize Poison now lingers for 10 minutes/level
Nystal’s Magic Aura: Also note that undetectable aura is part of Nystul's magic aura
Otto’s Irresistable Dance: Otto's irresistible dance actually tells you what it means to be "unable to do anything but caper and prance", namely: It gives a -4 penalty to AC, -10 penalty to reflex saves, negates the AC bonus from a shield, and you draw attacks of opportunity every round.
Planar Ally: All versions of planar ally now cost lots of money to use, plus a little XP. For instance, to get a planar ally from the median spell to aid you in a single combat will cost 100 gp per HD of the creature called, plus 250 XP
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.; 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.
Ray of Enfeeblement: it does not stack.; Ray of Enfeeblement doesn't grant a saving throw anymore
Reincarnation: Reincarnation now only gives humanoid forms to choose from.
Resurrection: Resurrection costs 10,000 gp and you still lose a level
Righteous Might: Righteous Might is +8 size bonus to strength and +4 size bonus to constitution and +4 enhancement to natural armor and 5 10 or 15/evil (or good if you channel negative energy) damage reduction at 9th, 12th, and 15th levels respectively
Shapechange: Shapechange now gives the caster the Su abilities of the form. You can now change into a dragon and breathe, then change into a Beholder and hit opponants with eye rays or Anti-Magic
Shield: Shield now provides a +4 shield bonus to AC, and you dont have to keep track of facing.
Shocking Grasp: Shocking Grasp now does 1d6/level (max 5d6) instead of 1d8 +1/level (max +20).
Shout: Shout now does 5d6 sonic damage, not 2d6
Silence: Silence spell now a 20 ft. radius
Spiritual Hammer: Spiritual hammer has been buffed. It now does 1d8 force damage +1 point per 3 caster levels (max +5). Also, it now uses your BAB + Wis modifier to hit instead of just BAB
Tasha’s Hideous Laughter: Tasha's Hideous Laughter now lasts 1 round/level
Telekinesis: Telekineses violent thrust is clarified, and there is an excellent option to use it 1r/level for "special combat manouvers" (grapple, disarm etc)
Teleport: Conjuration spell; Teleport is only good for 100 miles/caster level
Wall of Force: Wall of Force no longer has the hemisphere choice
Web: Web entangles even if save made, you're just not stuck
Wish: The text now clearly states that a wish spell always costs at least 5000 XP to cast
craftyrat
Aid: Aid now adds 1d8 + caster level in temp hit points instead of just 1d8
Analyze Dweomer: Analyze Dweomer is now 1 action casting time and identifies one item per round or identifies all spells on one person per round (spell, effect, caster level).
Animate Dead: Animate dead is now a Sor/Wiz4 spell (was Sor/Wiz5) and costs only 25 gp/HD (was 50 gp/HD).
Augury: Augury now has a casting time of one minute
Awaken: Awaken now only costs 250 XP, not 500
Barkskin: Barkskin does, indeed, stack with true natural armor. It is considered an enhancement bonus
Blade Barrier: Blade barrier is now a standard action to cast and lasts 1 min/level; it can now ONLY be cast as a vertical wall (either a plane or a cylinder
Burning Hands: Burning hands is now evocation
Call Lightning: Call lightning storm is exactly like 3.5 call lightning, except damage dealt is 5d6 per bolt (or 5d10 outdoors in a storm), with maximum 15 bolts
Calm Emotions: Calm Emotions now affect all in 20 ft. radius, not xd6 HD
Clairaudience/voyance: Clairaudience/Clairvoyance reduced to Long Range.
Cloudkill: Cloudkill changed to 1d4 Con poison damage, from 1d10 poison damage
Create Undead: Create undead and create greater undead are now not only Clr spells, but also Sor/Wiz spells of the same level (i.e., 6 and 8, respectively).
Darkness: Darkness and Deeper Darkness now shed supernatural shadow rather than the unpenetrable darkness of yore.
Death Ward: Death Ward now blocks death effects, energy drains, and spells that use negative energy.; This includes Harm and Inflict Spells.
Deathwatch: Deathwatch has the [evil] descriptor, so good clerics can no longer use it to keep an eye on their companions' status.
Delayed Blast Fireball: Delayed Blast Fireball specifies its max damage is 20d6
Destruction: Destruction has been clarified - it consumes the creature, but not the phat loots on its person
Dimension Door: Conjuration spell; Dimension door lets you take 1 additional medium sized creature per 3 caster levels
Disintegrate: Disintegrate is an insane spell. 2d6/level damage
Divine Power: Divine Power is +6 enhancement bonus to strength and 1 temporary hitpoint per level, and fighter BAB
Endure Elements: Endure Elements (1st level) no longer gives resistance 5 to an element, it just protects you from natural temperature extremes
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.
Evard’s Black Tentacles: Evard's Black Tentacles now 1 round/level an incredible grapple check bonus and immune to damage from everything.
Eyebite: Eyebite is now a necromancy spell, and an [evil] one at that, that has only one effect, to sicken the target.
Feeblemind: Feeblemind now lets CHA drop to 1, too. Also, INT- and CHA-related skills can't be used anymore.
Fire Seed/Flame Strike: Fire Seeds and Flame Strike are down to d6's.
Flame Arrow: Flame Arrow now simply gives the flaming property to projectiles (+1d6), so no unlimited fiery bolts anymore... but the duration is up to 10 min / lvl
Flame Strike: Fire Seeds and Flame Strike are down to d6's.
Fly: Fly lasts 1 min/level and gives you a fly speed of 60 feet, or 40 feet if in medium or heavy armor
Forbiddance: The passworded version of forbiddance is a lot cheaper now, 1,000 extra gp vice 5,000 gp
Forcecage: Forcecage now requires the material component at the time of casting, not during preparation of the spell. So finally sorcerers can cast it, too
Freedom of Movement: Freedom of Movement now provides automatic freedom from grapples
Glitterdust: Glitterdust does what it did before (reveals creatures) and gives a -40 penalty to Hide checks
Grease: Grease now forces you to make a DC 10 balance check to move within or through the greased area, and if you fail you can't stop, and if you fail by more than 5 you fall down. ; It also grants a +10 bonus on Escape Artist or Grapple checks to escape a grapple or being pinned
Greater Magic Fang: Greater magic fang can indeed be applied as a +1 bonus to all extremities with one casting. Furthermore, both GMF and MF can be made permanent with a permanency spell
Gust of Wind: Anyone read the new Gust of Wind? They changed it a lot. First they gave it a lot of power, like a strong wind in the environment section. Then, they made it last for a duration (don't remember how long) so the wizard can avoid missile attacks and reduce Listen checks for the time. Then they made all that completely useless because it is a line effect! All any creature has to do is step 5 feet and continue shooting arrows at you!
Haste: Haste no longer gives an extra partial action (since partial actions dont exist anymore). Instead, you get an extra attack during a full-attack action. The AC bonus was reduced from +4 to +1, but you also get +1 to attacks and reflex saves. All modes of speed get an enhancement bonus of +30 ft.; Haste affects 1 creature/level instead of just 1 creature
Heal: Heal heals 10/level hit points, up to 150. Mass heal caps out at 250
Holy Sword: Holy sword no longer doubles the damage dealt, instead it adds +2d6 holy damage
Holy Word: Banishment via holy word now allows the target a Will save with a -4 penalty; Blasphemy, holy word, dictum, and whatever the chaotic one is now have different effects based on the targets' hit dice relative to your caster level instead of using flat HD numbers.
Identify: Identify now takes one hour to cast, affects only one item, and reveals all powers, activation requirements, and charges. Still costs a 100gp pearl for arcane casters
Invisibility: Invisibility is now 1 minute/level.
Keen: Keen spell and weapon enhancement no longer stack with Improved Critical
Magic Stone: Magic stone now deals 1d6+1 damage per stone, or 2d6+2 verses undead. It is now a druid spell as well
Magic Vestment: Magic vestment is no longer +1 AC per 3 levels, instead it is +1/4
Mass Cure: All mass cure spells are now close range and affect one creature/level, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart. This is a step up from 3.0's healing circle
Mass Heal: Heal heals 10/level hit points, up to 150. Mass heal caps out at 250
Maze: Maze requires the target to make an INT check (DC20) each round to escape, or wait until 10 minutes have passed. Plus, SR applies
Mirror Image: Mirror image has been clarified: an attacker must be able to see the images to be fooled. If you are invisible or the attacker shuts their eyes, the spell has no effect. By extension then, if a creature closes its eyes and uses blindsight to find you, you're hosed. Also, it is made very clear that the images occupy a cluster of spaces within 5 feet of at least one other figment or you
Neutralize Poison: Neutralize Poison now lingers for 10 minutes/level
Nystal’s Magic Aura: Also note that undetectable aura is part of Nystul's magic aura
Otto’s Irresistable Dance: Otto's irresistible dance actually tells you what it means to be "unable to do anything but caper and prance", namely: It gives a -4 penalty to AC, -10 penalty to reflex saves, negates the AC bonus from a shield, and you draw attacks of opportunity every round.
Planar Ally: All versions of planar ally now cost lots of money to use, plus a little XP. For instance, to get a planar ally from the median spell to aid you in a single combat will cost 100 gp per HD of the creature called, plus 250 XP
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.; 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.
Ray of Enfeeblement: it does not stack.; Ray of Enfeeblement doesn't grant a saving throw anymore
Reincarnation: Reincarnation now only gives humanoid forms to choose from.
Resurrection: Resurrection costs 10,000 gp and you still lose a level
Righteous Might: Righteous Might is +8 size bonus to strength and +4 size bonus to constitution and +4 enhancement to natural armor and 5 10 or 15/evil (or good if you channel negative energy) damage reduction at 9th, 12th, and 15th levels respectively
Shapechange: Shapechange now gives the caster the Su abilities of the form. You can now change into a dragon and breathe, then change into a Beholder and hit opponants with eye rays or Anti-Magic
Shield: Shield now provides a +4 shield bonus to AC, and you dont have to keep track of facing.
Shocking Grasp: Shocking Grasp now does 1d6/level (max 5d6) instead of 1d8 +1/level (max +20).
Shout: Shout now does 5d6 sonic damage, not 2d6
Silence: Silence spell now a 20 ft. radius
Spiritual Hammer: Spiritual hammer has been buffed. It now does 1d8 force damage +1 point per 3 caster levels (max +5). Also, it now uses your BAB + Wis modifier to hit instead of just BAB
Tasha’s Hideous Laughter: Tasha's Hideous Laughter now lasts 1 round/level
Telekinesis: Telekineses violent thrust is clarified, and there is an excellent option to use it 1r/level for "special combat manouvers" (grapple, disarm etc)
Teleport: Conjuration spell; Teleport is only good for 100 miles/caster level
Wall of Force: Wall of Force no longer has the hemisphere choice
Web: Web entangles even if save made, you're just not stuck
Wish: The text now clearly states that a wish spell always costs at least 5000 XP to cast
craftyrat
Plane Sailing
Astral Admin - Mwahahaha!
Jhyrryl said:
ooo, I'd not noticed that - it definitely clamps down on the abuses of lantern archons I'd been making (scry foe, summon bevys of lantern archons, get them to teleport it and zap them from range and steal stuff).
Craftyrat: since Jhyrryl is too humble to mention it himself, I'll note that he is making a full spell-by-spell listing of changes over in this thread http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=57425
Cheers
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