Detect Experience

[hong]

DETECT EXPERIENCE

Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 1, Clr 1, Drd 1, Brd 1, Rgr 1, Pal 1, Sha 1, and in fact everything else 1
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 ft.
Area: Quarter circle emanating from the character to the extreme of the range
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You can sense the presence of uncollected experience points (sometimes known as "monsters" or "quests"). The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area or subject:

1st Round: Presence or absence of experience points.

2nd Round: Number of creatures, objects, or hazards awarding experience points in the area and the challenge rating for the largest single experience point award present. If the strongest challenge rating is at least four higher than your character level, you are stunned for 1 round by thoughts of the incredible experience to be gained, and the incredible likelihood of dying while trying to collect it, and the spell ends. While you are stunned, you can't act, you lose any Dexterity bonus to AC, and attackers gain +2 bonuses to attack you.

3rd Round: The challenge rating and location of each experience point award. If an award is outside your line of sight, then you discern its direction but not its exact location.

Note: Each round, you can turn to detect experience points in a new area. The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Broken.

Note the components: "V,S,DF" no mention of a material component for an arcane class. Also, you don't mention if the spell detects the potential absence of experience points (e.g. several spells, item creation, permenant level drain).

Other than that, I think it's solid. I look forward to seeing it in PCGen.

 

[Destil]

Tone it down a little. Most spells like this require some basic sort of check to determine the exact nature or general amount of things present. A skill check (profession[meta-gamer], for instance) would go a long way towards making this the equivalent of detect magic, detect poison and not some omni-radar for all things XP.

As is it's almost on par with using scry on the DM while he's making a module, or clearaudience / clairvoyance to get at his notes / over his screen. Way to much fir 1st level.

 

[BMF]

You're joking right??

That reminds me of when I was 12, and we used to tell the players what levels all the NPCs were. The players would then use that knowledge to beat up everyone lower level than them. They would also automatically flee from anyone who was much higher level than they were.

DM: You walk into the bar and see a bunch of zero level folks, and a couple of first and second level people, mostly thieves. But over in the corner, you see a 12th level fighter!

Players: We avoid that guy!

Seriously, I don't think there is a need for something like that. It is too much meta-gaming for one thing. And it dimisihes the quality of the game, in my opinion.

If you really want to have a factor like that in your game, use skills like Sense Motive. Let the character's pick up on a steely gleam of confidence in the high level NPC. When the rogue finds a trap, describe how challenging it is, rather than telling him an abstract number (which might not be very accurate anyway).
Of course, the rules about magic items by level let a detect magic spell do the same basic thing as this. Someone with a lot of magic items probably also has a lot of levels. Of course, there are ways to foil detect magic too. Which means, if you are going to use this spell in a game, you should also create a spell that blocks or fools it too.

No "Detect Experience" Without "Conceal Experience" or Illusory Experience."

I do hope you are joking though. But if you're not, hey, its you're game. If you like players having this sort of knowledge, cool.... Its not for me though.

 

[Sammael99]

DETECT EXPERIENCE

Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 1, Clr 1, Drd 1, Brd 1, Rgr 1, Pal 1, Sha 1, and in fact everything else 1
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 ft.
Area: Quarter circle emanating from the character to the extreme of the range
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You can sense the presence of uncollected experience points (sometimes known as "monsters" or "quests"). The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area or subject:

1st Round: Presence or absence of experience points.

2nd Round: Number of creatures, objects, or hazards awarding experience points in the area and the challenge rating for the largest single experience point award present. If the strongest challenge rating is at least four higher than your character level, you are stunned for 1 round by thoughts of the incredible experience to be gained, and the incredible likelihood of dying while trying to collect it, and the spell ends. While you are stunned, you can't act, you lose any Dexterity bonus to AC, and attackers gain +2 bonuses to attack you.

3rd Round: The challenge rating and location of each experience point award. If an award is outside your line of sight, then you discern its direction but not its exact location.

Note: Each round, you can turn to detect experience points in a new area. The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.

Hong, you're funny !!!

(when you put your mind to it )

 

[Numion]

You're joking right??

Nooo... that hong fellow, he never jokes.

 

[DDK]

Seriously, I don't think there is a need for something like that. It is too much meta-gaming for one thing. And it dimisihes the quality of the game, in my opinion.

Right on. And shouldn't this be in House Rules anyway? Though I'm guessing it's a troll...

 

[Tom Cashel]

Well, at least Sammael and Numion have their humor filters turned on.

Is there a higher level version that would allow one to detect specific experiences? Then you could use them to distract your foes.

NPC villain: Now you will all feel my wrath! (twirls mustache)

PC: Tsk, tsk! What would your dear old mother say if she saw you now? And she with the gout and all.

NPC: (tears welling up) I'm so ashamed!

And so forth.

 

[dead_radish]

Couple questions - does this detect the other party members as well? If so, would they get a will save to prevent you from learning just how much better you could be if you killed them?'

Is there a detect loot spell as well?

And shouldn't this also be blocked by tri-fold or quatro-fold pieces of cardstock?

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Couple questions - does this detect the other party members as well? If so, would they get a will save to prevent you from learning just how much better you could be if you killed them?'

Now that's an important question...