Different Harm variant

[Malin Genie]

Given that Heal cures blindness, deafness, insanity, disease and hp loss, there is no real "opposite" to Heal. Harm has arbitrarily taken the "hp" component and "reversed" it, but as much discussion on these boards has suggested this choice has led to huge balance issues.

What if Harm were more flexible but less powerful? What I am thinking about is a variant like:

You can blind, deafen, poison (as the poison spell), cause disease (as the contagion spell), cause insanity (as the insanity spell) or deal hp damage equal to 6d8 + caster level (maximum 30).

These effects do not give a save, with the exception of the secondary damage from poison or disease (DC = 16 + Wisdom bonus.)

Any thoughts?

 

[med stud]

I think it would be a bit weak if you had to chose between those effects. Maybe it could work if it gave all those conditions at one time, but allowed a save. Those passing the save would only get the damage.

I dont think that would be worse then to reduce HP to 1d4 without save...

 

[Dark Dragon]

Beware, you mentioned Harm ... Just kidding, really.

I like the idea. Considered, the spell causes all the aflictions you mentioned, when do they start? First poison damage, then wounding (the 6d8...), then illness?

The spell should never be able to kill the victim, IMHO. So, CON can't be lower than 1, the victim always has at least 1 HP (I know, I know, with 1 HP you're *technically* dead....), and so on. I'd give the spell a save (fort).

 

[Greybar]

I like the idea. How about:

4d8 + 1/level (max 20) damage (Inflict Critical)
Poison effect
Contagion effect

Note that the Poison spell doesn't have the disclaimer that it can't lower the CON below 1, so I don't see any reason to impose that limit on this new Harm.

Contagion is fairly undefined (in the SRD version anyway) so I'd suggest choosing a short list, perhaps as appropriate for the divinity granting the spell. Something that attacks CON would probably be unfair.

John