SteelDraco
First Post
In the process of making a frost-themed druid, I came upon a spell from Monte Cook's Book of Eldritch Might, called Freezing Claw. I liked the idea - sort of an improved Spiritual Weapon that can freeze people solid - but my DM and I agreed that the spell was, as written, overpowered. It was, in essence, a multi-target Flesh to Stone, since it rendered each target hit that failed a Fort save helpless as they were frozen solid, without any sort of intermediate effect. It was written as Druid 6, Sor/Wiz 6.
I decided to fiddle with it, and came up with the following. I used the Dexterity damage to simulate the freezing aspect - think of it as slowly numbing the target. I also added a bunch of templating-type text, combining the effects of Spiritual Weapon and Spectral Hand. I dropped it a level to reflect the decrease in power.
How balanced do you think this is for its level? Should I change anything about it?
Claw of Winter
Conjuration (Creation) [Cold]
Level: Drd 5, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: Standard action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Effect: A small claw of ice
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes
You create a 2-foot diameter ice-blue claw that floats in the air. You direct it to move anywhere within range, making one ranged touch attack each round with your own attack bonus. Those touched by the claw suffer 3d6 points of cold damage and 1d6 points of Dexterity damage, as the claw's numbing cold slowly freezes them. A successful Fortitude saving throw negates the Dexterity damage. Should the target negate the physical damage through cold resistance, they take no Dexterity damage from the attack.
The claw always strikes from your direction. It does not get a flanking bonus or help a combatant get one. Your feats or combat actions do not affect the claw. If the claw goes beyond the spell range, if it goes out of your sight, if it eliminates a target, or if you are not directing it, the claw returns to you and hovers. Each round after the first, you can use a move action to redirect the claw to a new target. If you do not, the claw continues to attack the previous round?s target.
If an attacked creature has spell resistance, check only the first time the claw damages them. If they succeed on the SR check, that claw cannot affect them for the duration of the spell.
The claw is incorporeal and thus cannot be harmed by normal weapons. It has the cold subtype (no damage from cold attacks, +50% from fire), improved evasion (half damage on a failed Reflex save and no damage on a successful save), your save bonuses, and an AC of 20 + your spellcasting stat modifier. The hand has a number of hit points equal to your caster level.
Material Component: A chunk of ice.
I decided to fiddle with it, and came up with the following. I used the Dexterity damage to simulate the freezing aspect - think of it as slowly numbing the target. I also added a bunch of templating-type text, combining the effects of Spiritual Weapon and Spectral Hand. I dropped it a level to reflect the decrease in power.
How balanced do you think this is for its level? Should I change anything about it?
Claw of Winter
Conjuration (Creation) [Cold]
Level: Drd 5, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: Standard action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Effect: A small claw of ice
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes
You create a 2-foot diameter ice-blue claw that floats in the air. You direct it to move anywhere within range, making one ranged touch attack each round with your own attack bonus. Those touched by the claw suffer 3d6 points of cold damage and 1d6 points of Dexterity damage, as the claw's numbing cold slowly freezes them. A successful Fortitude saving throw negates the Dexterity damage. Should the target negate the physical damage through cold resistance, they take no Dexterity damage from the attack.
The claw always strikes from your direction. It does not get a flanking bonus or help a combatant get one. Your feats or combat actions do not affect the claw. If the claw goes beyond the spell range, if it goes out of your sight, if it eliminates a target, or if you are not directing it, the claw returns to you and hovers. Each round after the first, you can use a move action to redirect the claw to a new target. If you do not, the claw continues to attack the previous round?s target.
If an attacked creature has spell resistance, check only the first time the claw damages them. If they succeed on the SR check, that claw cannot affect them for the duration of the spell.
The claw is incorporeal and thus cannot be harmed by normal weapons. It has the cold subtype (no damage from cold attacks, +50% from fire), improved evasion (half damage on a failed Reflex save and no damage on a successful save), your save bonuses, and an AC of 20 + your spellcasting stat modifier. The hand has a number of hit points equal to your caster level.
Material Component: A chunk of ice.
