Elements of Magic - Revised Spell Listing

[RangerWickett]

The spell you created there can't really work. The way you statted it, it would basically turn you into a self-aware patch of darkness, but since you're just shadow (and not some sort of shadow creature), you'd be unable to move or take non-mental actions, and someone turning on the lights would injure or kill you.

The problem with your version is that, as you said, you didn't really pick any specific enhancements. When you create a spell, it is certainly feasible (if your GM lets you) to just use the appropriate spell lists and pay whatever the GM decides is a reasonable MP cost, but you should look to the existing enhancements as a guideline.

To accomplish what I think you want, you'd want to use Transform Elemental 4/Transform Shadow 1/Gen 1 to turn into an elemental (using the 'Strong Defenses' and 'Different Element' enhancements). You'd be a shadow elemental, sort of like a fire elemental, only with a different element. You would keep most of the same stats as your normal race, but you'd gain elemental immunities, and probably some sort of ability to move through shadows easily.

Since there isn't really a core rules example of a shadow elemental, you'd need to wing it a bit. Basically, though, with this form you'd be much sneakier (you can hide in shadows, and perhaps even slip through cracks in walls), and that should require at least 6 MP or so. If you actually wanted ability scores and hit dice like an elemental, you'd need to also choose the 'strong creature' enhancement, which could get costly.

Does that make more sense?

 

[Micco]

Perfect! It makes perfect sense. That's exactly what I was thinking of when I tried the spell the first time. I knew it couldn't be right because it seemed so cheap. So..

Jüdel
Transform Shadow 1/Transform Elemental 4/ Move Nature 1 / Gen 1
Total MP: 7
Duration: Ten minutes
You assume the form of your shadow, which happens to look a lot like you, but flat and dark and featureless. You can slither along surfaces at your normal movement rate totally without sound. Being flat, it is possible to fit through very thin spaces ( one dimension >0.1mm, the other must be 2.5 feet.) As long as the area is not uniformly lit, you can Hide in Plain Sight. You also get a +10 bonus to your Hide skill in areas of darkness. You can only cast spells that require somatic components as you cannot make any sound or effect the material world. You have the elemental resistances and vulnerabilities of the element of Shadow.

Costs: Transform Elemental 4/Transform Shadow 1/Move Nature 1/Gen 1

Hmm...do you think it is reasonable that the spell would allow the shadow to move across any solid surface (up walls, along the ceiling, etc.) or should we buy another enhancement to account for that ability?

Thanks RW. Just what I needed to understand that. Since I'm pulling my GM into this (as opposed to the other way around) I want to make sure the costs are all very reasonable.

Second Shadow Spell:

Shadow Boxing
Evoke Shadow 4/Gen 3
Total MP: 7
Range: Touch (generally a circle around the caster)
Duration: One minute
Area: 20-ft. radius circle
Up to seven creatures (of your choice) within the area of effect at the time of casting have their shadows suddenly standup and begin attacking them. The shadows can be seen attacking with whatever weapons the owners have in their hands, or spells if they are casting at the time the spell goes off. Each round, make a ranged touch attack against each creature in the area of effect (this represents the shadows attacking their owners). Creatures struck take 1d6 points of shadow damage. This effect continues for the remainder of the duration regardless the location of the targets (it is hard to shake your shadow.) This effect can be negated using the Luminesence enhancement of the Create Light spell list or the Perfect Darkness enhancement of the Create Shadow spell list. Shadows require both light and darkness, after all.
Costs: 4 MP enduring damage, 2 MP area, 1 MP discerning.

 

[RangerWickett]

Glad I could help. However, I think the +20 bonus to Hide is far too much. Compare it to bonuses that could be granted by Infuse Air, which are much lower for that MP cost.

However, I think the form you've described would be an excellent way to grant the Hide in Plain Sight ability. Make it so that as long as the area is not uniformly lit, you can hide in plain sight, and maybe a +10 bonus in areas of darkness. People can still notice you, because a shadow moving across a wall is pretty unusual, but you've got a nice power for sneaking. Also, you'd want to make it clear whether, as a shadow, you can attack, or talk, or cast spells. I'd be inclined to say that, in order to gain the significant bonus of slipping through cracks, you should restrict yourself from being able to attack or speak, so your spells would have to be silent. Sound good?

To let the new form climb walls, I'd recommend that you require Move Nature. A big problem with balancing Transform was that it could supersede a lot of other spell lists because creatures often have abilities that you want to get. For the sake of balance, I'd say you need Move Nature.

Shadow Boxing
Evoke Shadow 4/Gen 3
Total MP: 7
Range: Touch (generally a circle around the caster)
Duration: One minute
Area: 20-ft. radius circle
You evoke an area where your opponents’ shadow turns on them, seeking revenge for years of being in their, um, shadows. The shadows can be seen attacking owners using their owner’s weapons or spells…however the owners would normally attack. Each round, make a ranged touch attack against each creature in the area of effect (this represents the shadows attacking their owners). Creatures struck take 1d6 points of shadow damage. This effect can be negated using the Luminesence enhancement of the Create Light spell list.
Costs: 4 MP enduring damage, 2 MP area, 1 MP discerning.

This is an interesting twist on how attack spells normally go. If I understand this right, every enemy within 20 ft. when you cast this (or, to be specific, up to 7 creatures within 20 ft. of the point you touch) have their shadows animated to attack them. And thereafter for one minute, you make a ranged touch attack against each of those creatures, and deal 1d6 damage if successful.

It's a little strange, because you're not the one firing a ranged touch attack; it's their ghosts. So if there's cover between the two of you, do you get a penalty to your attack? I mean, the rules allow it, but it's something I hadn't thought about. Nifty.

 

[Cheiromancer]

I don't have EoMR, and I'm awaiting EoM:ME to come in the mail...

Is there a fairly straightforward way to convert EoMR spells to EoM:ME spells? Or do you have to reverse engineer them and start from scratch? Seeing all these neat spells makes me wonder.

 

[RangerWickett]

In EOM-R, spell effects cost MP.

In EOM:ME, spell effects increase the level of the spell, and the spell's level determines the spellcasting DC.

The MP cost in EOM-R and the level cost in EOM:ME are usually equivalent, though some costs were changed to account for the fact that in EOM:ME you can theoretically cast spells an unlimited number of times. Healing, for one, was raised in cost.

In EOM-R, there are individual spell object types: e.g., Transform Force, Transform Shadow, etc. In EOM:ME, there are just the action types: e.g., Transform. So basically the process of converting EOM-R spells to EOM:ME spells would be to strip out the object types, and convert the MP cost to a spell level.

That's not completely how it goes, since other things were streamlined, and a few spell effects were consolidated or shifted around. But it's a good baseline.

 

[Borlon]

There are some guidelines, aren't there, for converting PHB spells to the EOM basis? Something about doubling the spell level and adding 1. I imagine that some spells that are powerful for their level might be a bit stronger- they might be treated as a level higher.

I also have the impression that converting spells in this way fixes any level dependent features at or near the minimum caster level. In other words, if you want to convert a fireball you should be able to get a 5d6 20 foot radius burst of fire as a 7th level spell.

I'm just guessing here, but I bet you used some PHB spells as benchmarks to your system. Am I close?

BTW, I'm curious as to why you allowed unlimited lower level spells. Here's one mechanic: Suppose each time you cast a spell successfully on a given day you got a cumulative -1 to caster level checks (a "success penalty") that went away as soon as you failed a roll. Failed rolls would still cause -1 to subsequent rolls (a "failure penalty"). Failure penalties last until you have a chance to rest. You could choose, when casting an important spell, to reset the success penalty to zero, but after the spell is cast your failure penalty increases by 1.

This method would let you cast lots of easy spells, especially if you cast them consecutively, but would not allow you to do it indefinitely.

 

[DonTadow]

I believe the doubling and adding one technique is how to convert spells according to the unearthed arcana spell point system. The system works well with EOM. I recommend my players convert the spell, but for me and npcs, its the easiest way to go .

 

[Micco]

Judel Spell:

Glad I could help. However, I think the +20 bonus to Hide is far too much. Compare it to bonuses that could be granted by Infuse Air, which are much lower for that MP cost.

However, I think the form you've described would be an excellent way to grant the Hide in Plain Sight ability. Make it so that as long as the area is not uniformly lit, you can hide in plain sight, and maybe a +10 bonus in areas of darkness. People can still notice you, because a shadow moving across a wall is pretty unusual, but you've got a nice power for sneaking. Also, you'd want to make it clear whether, as a shadow, you can attack, or talk, or cast spells. I'd be inclined to say that, in order to gain the significant bonus of slipping through cracks, you should restrict yourself from being able to attack or speak, so your spells would have to be silent. Sound good?

Yep. I agree. I was using the Illusion Shadow Average effect as a benchmark, which I thought was a +20 to hide (basically invisibility in areas of shadow.) But I think the Illusion Shadow Simple effect (+10 to hide) is much more reasonable.

To let the new form climb walls, I'd recommend that you require Move Nature. A big problem with balancing Transform was that it could supersede a lot of other spell lists because creatures often have abilities that you want to get. For the sake of balance, I'd say you need Move Nature.

Yeah...I thought a free move up vertical surfaces was too much for all the other powers it gives. I just wasn't sure which Move list I should use. Nature it is.

I never even considered letting the target cast spells at all. It can make no sounds and cannont move objects or affect the material world. I guess you could cast a somatic only spell and deliver touch attacks. Maybe even a bonus to Shadow friendly spell lists and a prohibition on Light friendly spell lists.

Shadow Boxing Spell:

This is an interesting twist on how attack spells normally go. If I understand this right, every enemy within 20 ft. when you cast this (or, to be specific, up to 7 creatures within 20 ft. of the point you touch) have their shadows animated to attack them. And thereafter for one minute, you make a ranged touch attack against each of those creatures, and deal 1d6 damage if successful.

Correct. Just a different execution / flavor of the same damage. It didn't seem near as interesting to me to be shooting out rays of darkness or some such. Much creepier if people's shadows suddenly pop up and start attacking them! That's what I love about EoM (nice job, btw).

It's a little strange, because you're not the one firing a ranged touch attack; it's their ghosts. So if there's cover between the two of you, do you get a penalty to your attack? I mean, the rules allow it, but it's something I hadn't thought about. Nifty.

Yeah...it get's a little more power because line of sight/range doesn't effect it after the initial casting. I'm imagining this is the "sticky" version of Discerning, not the persistant area version. It is balanced, I think, by the limitation that uniform levels of light (and I would say darkness too...shadows don't exist in perfect darkness after all) completely negate the spell. I thougt about making it a save, but it lost a lot of flavor since it was a person's save the resisted the attacks, not their defense.

Think that is balanced enough? It would be much simpler to track if the touch attack was always the same after the initial casting. Of course, it could be abused if you cast it and then skipped forward in time 1 minute.

Edited versions in last post to make changes recommended.

 

[genshou]

Shadow boxing looks fine to me. I'd say that since it has the Discerning enhancement, I'd let the attacking shadows ignore cover, but I have a question for you, RangerWickett. The Discerning enhancement (as used in this spell) allows a "sticky" spell that sticks with the target(s) even if they leave the AoE. What if the spell requires an attack roll?