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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cheiromancer" data-source="post: 3072728" data-attributes="member: 141">Re: Blindness/Deafness and Bestow CurseLet's compare the two spells:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Blindness/deafness: V only, medium range, permanent (D) duration,  living target, fort negates, 2 options (flexible), 2nd level </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Bestow curse: touch range, permanent duration, creature target, will negates, 3 options (flexible), 4th level (arcane)</li> </ul>If we improve the parameters of bestow curse to those of blindness/deafness we get the following:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Bestow curse +2 (stilled), +2 (dismissible), Touch to close +8, close to medium +4.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">+16 total, +8 after using the half-in-mitigation and full-as-factor rule for tinkering with seeds.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">USP = 12 (for a 4th level spell) + 8 = 20.</li> </ul>Blindness/deafness would go from USP 8 to USP 12 if the living target restriction were removed (treating it as a -4 minor restriction)- this would also require changing the saving throw type, since most non-living creatures are immune to effects with fortitude saves that don't affect objects.  If you considered bestow curse to be a 3rd level spell (as it is on the cleric list) then it would be bit lower than 20- but I think this would be better handled as an area of special clerical expertise.The gap between USP 12 and USP 20 is difficult to bridge; I'm wondering if, for extrapolation purposes, we should think of blindness/deafness as two levels higher; alternatively, you could decide that a 2nd level blindness/deafness should have the parameters of bestow curse as well as a restriction to living creatures.  If you compare greater bestow curse to bestow curse you can see that a -1 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks and skill checks is worth +2 SP.  Based on this, the rest kinda falls into line:Seed: Afflict Necromancy Root Spell: Blindness/deafness, bestow curse Spellcraft Prerequisite: 8 or 16; see textComponents: V,S or V; see textCasting Time: 1 standard actionRange: Touch or 300 ft.; see textTarget: Creature touched or one creature; see textDuration: Permanent or Permanent (D); see textSaving Throw: Will negates Spell Resistance: YesThe afflict seed bestows some negative condition upon the target as determined by the caster at the time of casting. There are two options for determining the base seed's Components, Range, Target and Duration.  At a Spellcraft Prerequisite of 8, the caster uses the first option of each pair; at a Spellcraft Prerequisite of 16, the caster uses the second.  In either case the caster can choose from one of five effects:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Afflict one of the target's senses: sight, hearing, smell (includes taste), touch or a special sense that the target possesses. If the target fails its saving throw, the sense selected doesn't function for the spell's duration, with all attendant penalties that apply for losing the specified sense. Factor: For each additional sense beyond the first which is affected by this seed, increase the Spellcraft Prerequisite by +8. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Afflict one of the target's ability scores with a –2 penalty. Factor: For each additional –1 penalty assessed to the ability score, increase the Spellcraft Prerequisite by +1. This seed cannot afflict a character’s ability scores to the point where they reach less than 1. Factor: To afflict an additional ability score, increase the Spellcraft Prerequisite by +8. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Afflict the target with a –2 morale penalty on attack rolls, ability checks, skill checks and saving throws. Factor: For each additional –1 penalty assessed to all four of these categories, increase the Spellcraft Prerequisite by +2. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Afflict the target with either a –2 penalty on caster level checks, a –2 penalty to spell resistance, or a –2 penalty to some other aspect of the target which is specified in the development process. Factor: For each additional –1 penalty assessed to these categories, increase the Spellcraft Prerequisite by +2. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Afflict the target's capacity to act.  Each turn, the subject has a 50% chance to act normally; otherwise, it takes no action. Factor: To reduce the chance of action to 25%, increase the Spellcraft Prerequisite by +8.</li> </ul>You may also invent your own curse using these options as guidelines.  The effect of a specialized curse must be specified during spell development.Factor: If you increase the Spellcraft Prerequisite by +4 then only a wish, miracle or epic spell which uses the [dispel] seed can remove the effects from the target.Mitigating factor: If you restrict the target to living creatures, reduce the Spellcraft Prerequisite by -4; you may change the saving throw to Fortitude negates.*****edit: added mitigating factoredit2: added "hard to remove" factor, and "afflict additional ability score" factor.edit3: latest version is in post 204That global factor is based on using the parameters of bestow curse rather than that of blindness.</blockquote>

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