Lonely Tylenol
First Post
In this thread Mouseferatu expressed his dismay that there aren't really any good 8th or 9th level druid spells. The ones that exist are either mostly useless or are just upgrades of lower-level effects. I happen to think that there's probably a lot of potential for high-level spells in the druidic oeuvre. That they haven't been written yet is merely a problem of timing.
This thread is intended as a brainstorming thread in which we post ideas for really excellent high-level druidic effects. There are some rules:
1. Each spell has to be druidy. That means it deals with nature, plants, animals, elements, weather, etc. If the spell looks like it would more naturally be a cleric or wizard spell, skip it.
2. No summons, unless there's a good reason for it. Druids already have lots of summoning spells (e.g. Shambler). Part of the problem is that this is just an upgrade of what the druid was doing at level 1. We want new kinds of tricks for Mr. Green.
3. Try to avoid direct damage, unless it's really cool. It's just too easy to say "xdy dice of damage in a z-foot radius," and call that a spell. If you're going to do direct damage, make it cool. See below.
4. There is no need to post a fully-developed spell unless you really want to. You don't even have to say what level it's going to be. We're looking for ideas, as simple or complex as you like. Consider this thread an idea mine for anyone who wants to write the Compleat Grand Druid.
5. The point is not to make the druid more powerful than he already is. The point is to make the spell list more interesting. Spells should be at around 8th-9th level in general power, which is beefy, but not earth-shattering. No "I drop a meteor on the city" spells. Storm of Vengeance already has that role, anyway.
Here's some examples, off the top of my head:
Glaciate [conjuration (creation)]: The druid conjures a river of ice directly from the para-elemental plane of ice. It encases everything in the area in solid, but normal, ice. All creatures in the area (a cone of some radius or another) suffer xdy cold damage and are encased in ice, rendering them Helpless, unless they succeed on a Reflex save, in which case they are moved to the edge of the effect (the edge square nearest to their original position), take half damage, and are only partially encased. These creatures are considered Entangled. Creatures with evasion or improved evasion that successfully save take no damage and are completely ejected from the effect (and land in the nearest square adjacent to the effect. If there are no unoccupied squares available, they take no damage and are partially encased at the edge of the effect). Creatures fully encased in the ice cannot breathe and must hold their breath or begin to drown. Creatures with the Heat special attack, or which otherwise can generate fire damage while helpless can free themselves automatically in a single round. Other creatures must deal enough damage to the ice to break a 5 foot cube worth in order to escape (a 5 foot by 5 foot by 5 foot cube of ice has hardness 0 and 180 hp). Creatures that are inside the ice but not helpless are able to breathe normally. To move through the ice, it must first be destroyed. The ice may be attacked and destroyed in cubes by damaging each cube individually. Effects that target an area (e.g. fireball) only affect the cubes on the surface of the ice. The ice remains permanently until it melts or is destroyed.
Curse of Viridity: The druid levels an awful curse upon his enemy that returns objects to their natural states. The target must make a Will save or become subject to the curse. Immediately, all the target's non-magical possessions drop from his body and begin to transform into whatever creature or natural object they once were. For instance, a suit of leather armour would transform into a cow, a quarterstaff would root itself and become a sapling, and a steel sword would curdle into raw ore. Magical items are likewise affected, but each is allowed another Will save to avoid the effect. The transformation takes about 10 rounds, but items are rendered useless immediately.
Alternate version: The spell Awakens one of the target's items, which instantly attacks its "master" as an animated object, to gain its freedom. If the object was a magic item, it can use its powers normally, which may use up charges, uses/day, etc. If it kills the creature which owned it, it sets out into the world to seek its own fortune, by whatever mode of locomotion it can manage.
Itch: The druid calls forth a torrent of insects from the surrounding terrain, which swarm up around the target, who gets no save against the effect. The insects are magically enhanced to penetrate most defenses (such as DR), magical or otherwise, and begin to bite, claw, and burrow into the target's flesh. This does not cause damage, but is utterly painful and distracting. The target gains a -10 penalty on attacks, damage, checks, and saving throws for the spell's duration. Spellcasters affected by this spell must make concentration checks against the spell's DC in order to successfully cast spells (as normal for casting while distracted by a spell, but with the -10 penalty to checks). While the insects are normal insects and vulnerable to damage, they occur in huge numbers, and continue to appear and attack for the duration of the spell, rendering any attempt to destroy them more or less useless. The only protections effective against the insects are those which repel vermin (e.g. Anti-life shell) or which render the target incorporeal or ethereal.
Anyway, post your own high-level druid spells, and let's make the upper levels more interesting for druids.
This thread is intended as a brainstorming thread in which we post ideas for really excellent high-level druidic effects. There are some rules:
1. Each spell has to be druidy. That means it deals with nature, plants, animals, elements, weather, etc. If the spell looks like it would more naturally be a cleric or wizard spell, skip it.
2. No summons, unless there's a good reason for it. Druids already have lots of summoning spells (e.g. Shambler). Part of the problem is that this is just an upgrade of what the druid was doing at level 1. We want new kinds of tricks for Mr. Green.
3. Try to avoid direct damage, unless it's really cool. It's just too easy to say "xdy dice of damage in a z-foot radius," and call that a spell. If you're going to do direct damage, make it cool. See below.
4. There is no need to post a fully-developed spell unless you really want to. You don't even have to say what level it's going to be. We're looking for ideas, as simple or complex as you like. Consider this thread an idea mine for anyone who wants to write the Compleat Grand Druid.
5. The point is not to make the druid more powerful than he already is. The point is to make the spell list more interesting. Spells should be at around 8th-9th level in general power, which is beefy, but not earth-shattering. No "I drop a meteor on the city" spells. Storm of Vengeance already has that role, anyway.
Here's some examples, off the top of my head:
Glaciate [conjuration (creation)]: The druid conjures a river of ice directly from the para-elemental plane of ice. It encases everything in the area in solid, but normal, ice. All creatures in the area (a cone of some radius or another) suffer xdy cold damage and are encased in ice, rendering them Helpless, unless they succeed on a Reflex save, in which case they are moved to the edge of the effect (the edge square nearest to their original position), take half damage, and are only partially encased. These creatures are considered Entangled. Creatures with evasion or improved evasion that successfully save take no damage and are completely ejected from the effect (and land in the nearest square adjacent to the effect. If there are no unoccupied squares available, they take no damage and are partially encased at the edge of the effect). Creatures fully encased in the ice cannot breathe and must hold their breath or begin to drown. Creatures with the Heat special attack, or which otherwise can generate fire damage while helpless can free themselves automatically in a single round. Other creatures must deal enough damage to the ice to break a 5 foot cube worth in order to escape (a 5 foot by 5 foot by 5 foot cube of ice has hardness 0 and 180 hp). Creatures that are inside the ice but not helpless are able to breathe normally. To move through the ice, it must first be destroyed. The ice may be attacked and destroyed in cubes by damaging each cube individually. Effects that target an area (e.g. fireball) only affect the cubes on the surface of the ice. The ice remains permanently until it melts or is destroyed.
Curse of Viridity: The druid levels an awful curse upon his enemy that returns objects to their natural states. The target must make a Will save or become subject to the curse. Immediately, all the target's non-magical possessions drop from his body and begin to transform into whatever creature or natural object they once were. For instance, a suit of leather armour would transform into a cow, a quarterstaff would root itself and become a sapling, and a steel sword would curdle into raw ore. Magical items are likewise affected, but each is allowed another Will save to avoid the effect. The transformation takes about 10 rounds, but items are rendered useless immediately.
Alternate version: The spell Awakens one of the target's items, which instantly attacks its "master" as an animated object, to gain its freedom. If the object was a magic item, it can use its powers normally, which may use up charges, uses/day, etc. If it kills the creature which owned it, it sets out into the world to seek its own fortune, by whatever mode of locomotion it can manage.
Itch: The druid calls forth a torrent of insects from the surrounding terrain, which swarm up around the target, who gets no save against the effect. The insects are magically enhanced to penetrate most defenses (such as DR), magical or otherwise, and begin to bite, claw, and burrow into the target's flesh. This does not cause damage, but is utterly painful and distracting. The target gains a -10 penalty on attacks, damage, checks, and saving throws for the spell's duration. Spellcasters affected by this spell must make concentration checks against the spell's DC in order to successfully cast spells (as normal for casting while distracted by a spell, but with the -10 penalty to checks). While the insects are normal insects and vulnerable to damage, they occur in huge numbers, and continue to appear and attack for the duration of the spell, rendering any attempt to destroy them more or less useless. The only protections effective against the insects are those which repel vermin (e.g. Anti-life shell) or which render the target incorporeal or ethereal.
Anyway, post your own high-level druid spells, and let's make the upper levels more interesting for druids.
Guess I have a few holes to fill in my own lineup- but the ideas posted by others above could be helpful in that regard!
