Fixing overpowered spells.

[IndyPendant]

Here's a list of some of the over-the-top spells I've seen used in my campaign, and the fixes I've proposed for them. Some have come from discussions with my players, some have come from posts here. What steps have you taken to reduce the impact of your over-the-top spells?

Black Tentacles: As per the PHB, except that the tentacles are considered to be medium-sized until 12th caster level.

Dimension Door: As per the SRD, except that the target location must be within your line of sight, currently being viewed via some other means (such as Scry), or a location that you have studied carefully or is very familiar to you (as per Teleport).

Ray of Enfeeblement: As per the PHB, except that the strength penalty does not affect encumbrance.

Silence: As per the SRD, except that only the target of the silence spell cannot cast spells with verbal components. Everyone else within the area of effect is treated as deafened for spellcasting purposes. In all other respects, Silence is treated as per the SRD.

Some fixes I'm working on, but haven't quite managed to fully work out the details of:

Blindness/Deafness: Reducing the Permanent to a duration, probably of 1 min/level. (The problem here is that Permanent blindness is *deadly*--even tho it's dispellable. However, I haven't been able to think of a duration-based fix I like, particularly when you compare the spell to Glitterdust.)

Teleport: The target location is warned of the incoming teleporters at least one full round before they appear. (This fix to the spell seems easiest, and arguably makes the most sense from a flavour viewpoint. Unfortunately, a raises a *HUGE* can of worms when you try to work out the rules, so it's still a work in progress.)

Edit: Improved Dimension Door's description to make it more clear.

 

[Thanee]

Black Tentacles: As per the PHB, except that the tentacles are considered to be medium-sized until 12th caster level.

Do you play the spell, that the tentacles try to grapple everything in the area *every* round?

Because, that is not how I understand the spell. It only tries to grapple once, when it's cast, and then only if a creature newly enters the area (from the outside).

Dimension Door: As per the SRD, except that the target location must be within your line of sight, currently being viewed via some other means (such as Scry), or a location that you have studied carefully or is very familiar to you (as per Teleport).

I can see, that you want to remove the teleporting into unknown territory here.

But why do you want to disallow to teleport to a location you have seen already (like a couple minutes ago), but not studied carefully?

Ray of Enfeeblement: As per the PHB, except that the strength penalty does not affect encumbrance.

Well, this makes no sense. I see, where you are coming from, but really, then just drop the spell entirely or give it a Fort save (and no ranged touch attack, a renaming would also be appropriate), if you feel it's too strong.

Silence: As per the SRD, except that only the target of the silence spell cannot cast spells with verbal components. Everyone else within the area of effect is treated as deafened for spellcasting purposes. In all other respects, Silence is treated as per the SRD.

A good fix for this spell is to change the casting time to one round.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

Two fixes, I would consider:

Polymorph is a personal spell (duration is increased to 10 min./level).

Gate only allows to call creatures up to your caster level (max 25 HD).

Bye
Thanee

 

[calypso15]

Your Dimension Door fix really makes it crappy. One of it's biggest uses is as an uh-oh spell. I'm in a grapple? Dimension Door, 200ft in any direction. You just got caught in a room, and the ceiling is going to crush you? Dimension door 10 ft, so you're just outside the room.

Requiring that you see the target location gets rid of most of it's best uses.

Calypso

 

[IndyPendant]

Do you play the spell, that the tentacles try to grapple everything in the area *every* round?

Because, that is not how I understand the spell. It only tries to grapple once, when it's cast, and then only if a creature newly enters the area (from the outside).

Oh gods, no! Delete this, please! Don't let this degenerate into another "BT works this way!" "No, it works this way, stupid!" thread for 128917231289 posts!

Heh. Errr...edit: I'm exagerrating for dramatic effect. You don't have to actually delete it, of course.: )

(For the record, yes I have read that thread and agree with you, and thanks. But please please PLEASE don't hijack my thread, dammit! : )

 

[Thanee]

This is the house rules forum. It doesn't matter, how it is done by the RAW, it only matters, how you do it.

Bye
Thanee

 

[IndyPendant]

Your Dimension Door fix really makes it crappy. One of it's biggest uses is as an uh-oh spell. I'm in a grapple? Dimension Door, 200ft in any direction. You just got caught in a room, and the ceiling is going to crush you? Dimension door 10 ft, so you're just outside the room.

Requiring that you see the target location gets rid of most of it's best uses.

Calypso

Well, it's still a get-out-of-grapple-free spell, my way. And of course, you are so often stuck in rooms with collapsing ceilings, that's a problem...

Seriously though, line-of-sight gives a *lot* of leeway. For example, my players once DD'd onto the edge of the roof of a warehouse the baddies had shut tight, from their vantage point of the street quite a distance away. They pounced on the scouts up there and managed to kill them without sparking any alarms below. They then gained access inside from the rooftop, basically bypassing the enemies' plans.

In a dungeon? Spend an hour or so studying a 'safe room' that you've found and cleared. If you have a desperate need to, DD to that room. (It's the rare dungeon that is too far away for that.) Sure, you'll have to hoof it back--but the whole point of the spell is to bring down to 'useful' from 'err...you don't have it? What are you, stupid?!?' : )