Help Judge a Spell: Wall of Paper

[Astalanya]

One of my players came up with this spell. Lacking decent spell guidelines that I can find, I submit it to you guys to help me judge, please.

Wall of Paper
Abjuration
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: 10-ft. square wall or a 5 ft ring centered on caster.
Duration: Concentration
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This abjuration affects paper objects, creating a large fluid mass of duplicate papers that can form barriers or envelop a single target. The individual papers created by the spells appear identical to the ones used as a material component, including the text, but a DC20 spot roll could notice they are also emblazoned with wards. They are rigid to the touch and absorb blows similarly to wood or sand.

The paper wall is a large physical manifestation that operates as a Swarm of diminutive objects, has an AC of 20 (+4 Size, +6 natural), a speed of 30, and as many hit points as the caster’s normal healthy max. The wall does not take effective damage unless targeted directly or struck by area effects, and saves as the Caster. In addition to the normal vulnerabilities of swarms, the Paper Wall takes double damage from fire and can be instantly dispelled by a successful Dispel Magicor Erase spell which destroys the wards that power the wall.

Strong winds (21+ mph) suppress the spell, causing it to take no action, but do not end the spell.
Severe winds (31+ mph) are strong enough to blow the papers away, negating the spell instantly.
The spell ceases to function if the paper becomes heavily saturated by water, magical or mundane.

Barrier: The primary function of the spell is creating a barrier that can defend the caster or her allies, or be an obstacle to an enemy. The papers in the wall are normally separate, but always lunge as a mass to intercept attacks on friendly targets, even when not specifically directed to by the caster. Because the barrier moves unpredictably it never provides total cover. It must be anchored to at least one solid object, and does not form a barrier while moving. Any attacks that the caster cannot perceive, due to blindness or other circumstances, are not affected by the barrier.

This ‘rolling’ cover is considered Soft Cover for the purpose of Reflex and Hide. The barrier can cover a space up to 10-ft square and can also take the form of a ring, five feet in diameter, centered on the caster. The barrier cannot be moved through, and forcing it against a target causes the spell to fail.

Bind: The paper swarm can also form into a solid mass wrapped tightly around a target as a grapple, pinning it on a successful melee touch. This provokes an attack of opportunity as normal, and causes the solid mass to lose the paper wall’s size bonus to AC. The binding is very painful, inflicting 1d6 of non-lethal damage per turn from cuts and constriction. The combined mass has strength of 16 and to-hit bonus equal to caster level.


Material Component: A deck of cards, a scroll, or a handful of papers. A book may be used, but this destroys the binding, as the spell tears the pages from the book. The paper quality must be good and strong. Old or cheap paper will not respond to the spell.

 

[Fieari]

You've been watching Read or Die haven't you... nice.

Question though... why does the wall have hit points equal to the caster's hp? That seems odd to me.

 

[JimAde]

I like the fact that it can be eliminated with Erase or Gust of Wind for cool mage-dueling goodness.

Some questions:

The Bind seems a bit powerful. If you succeed on a melee touch, you automatically pin? No grapple check to establish hold and then grapple check to pin? That means you get to automatically pin, say, an ogre if you can hit with a touch attack. Sure, it'll break free on its next action, but it has to take an action. Is that intentional? And since the spell covers a 10x10 area is it considered Large (+4 to Grapple Checks) or diminutive (-12 or whatever) or neither?

The description indicates you can move the spell effect. Does directing the spell take a Move action?

What, exactly, does the barrier do? Does it stop all attacks? Does it just provide Cover? Does it provide any Concealment?

 

[Tuzenbach]

For the damage it does in the "bind" category, it should be 3rd level. Either that, or knock the damage down to 1D3 or 4 per level.

Make the hps equal to the caster's INT + level. My first instinct was the caster's CON, but all the writing involved with the paper made me think otherwise!

Remember, most, if not ALL of the "wall" spells (ice, force, fire, etc., etc.) are 4th level. To all of a sudden come up with a wall spell that's 2nd is sort of odd. Based upon this, it should at least be 3rd.

 

[Astalanya]

For the damage it does in the "bind" category, it should be 3rd level. Either that, or knock the damage down to 1D3 or 4 per level.

1d3 would equal a normal person's unarmed strike in non-lethal damage, so that seems rather reasonable.

Make the hps equal to the caster's INT + level.

That's an interesting take. It's more variable that way, and strengthens with level still. Good point.

Remember, most, if not ALL of the "wall" spells (ice, force, fire, etc., etc.) are 4th level. To all of a sudden come up with a wall spell that's 2nd is sort of odd. Based upon this, it should at least be 3rd.

The level of the spell was one of the first concerns that I had, since so many of them -- and other supplements' walls, like Oriental Adventures' "Wall of Bones" is also level 4. It seems to me it should be at the least 3rd, potentially 4th. However, the borderline between 3/4 is rather fuzzy I think.

 

[Astalanya]

More thoughts that come across my mind:
This would be much better as a Conjuration (Creation) spell than an actual Abjuration spell. The walls seem to fall across the line of evocation or conjuration, whereas this one could be seen as protective, but most abjuration spells don't do well when 'forced' upon other people.

I'm still very tentative about level. A spell automatically pinning someone and forming an impassable barrier seems rather potent, still, for third level. It's not quite Phantasmal Killer or Wall of Fire for sheer burn power, so to speak, but I'd like to ensure that it is reasonable.

The Bind seems a bit powerful. If you succeed on a melee touch, you automatically pin? No grapple check to establish hold and then grapple check to pin?
That's what the player presented, yes. I've been mulling it over in my mind, because back up True Strike before this spell (or Bull's Strength/Cat's Grace, or any other spell that improves your to hit chances -- and what mage in combat they're prepared for, worth their salt, is likely to go without at least one?) and you've got an automatic success on a creature more or less guaranteed. Touch attacks are easy to make, after all.

Sure, it'll break free on its next action, but it has to take an action. Is that intentional?
I'm guessing so.

And since the spell covers a 10x10 area is it considered Large (+4 to Grapple Checks) or diminutive (-12 or whatever) or neither?
Well, that's the thing. By the description here, I get the impression there's lots of little things working in conjunction. If the paper is treated as a "swarm" (of notes! Eee! College student's nightmare!) -- then it shouldn't have a grapple check, by the MM 3.5. Looking in there, none of the swarms had Grapple checks. Even the "tiny" creatures - a bat being about equivalent in size to a piece of paper, minus the weight, surely - were limited from it. So the bind ability gets a bit wonky on how it would do a grapple check. It's not a big Black Tentacle we're managing here.

The description indicates you can move the spell effect. Does directing the spell take a Move action?
Yes.

What, exactly, does the barrier do? Does it stop all attacks? Does it just provide Cover? Does it provide any Concealment?
The player opted not to provide concealment. It provides cover by trying to intercept attacks, but then that leads me to wonder -- what happens if there's more than one target, and if it tries to move in front of "x", does it take away cover from "y"?

 

[Chaldfont]

This is a pretty cool idea. Your player sounds like he has a great imagination! You want to encourage this, so I'd err on the side of powerful (but that's just my DMing style).

I think I'd tackle this effect a different way. Make the spell summon a "paper swarm". You can make up stats for a paper swarm and even give the swarm a "binding" special ability that mimics the binding effect of the current spell.

This way you get cover (just command the swarm to stand between you and your foes), you get the cool gift-wrapped-foe effect, and you get all of the distracting qualities of a swarm. If you make several sizes of swarm with scaling CR's, you can add paper swarm to the summon monster list at various levels.

Another way to do it would be to break the spell up into different spells, so you can lower the level but scale the effects with caster level. You could have cloud of papers (provides concealment or cover, distraction), pages of binding (pin effect) and even death of a thousand paper cuts (like a fireball but does slashing damage instead of fire).

 

[vithofnir]

i agree that it should be a conjuration spell. that might also justify a "wall" spell being 3rd level. its really a different sort of animal than the other wall spells.

i've already stuffed a wad of papers in my spell bag and am heading out to paper the dungeon, lol.

did you ever see the anime "read or die" - lots of ideas for higher level variations on the paper spell college.

i thought i read about another spell in enworld, but can't find it: "wall of arms"
anybody know where that post is?

 

[Anubis]

Just a note, not all wall spells are Level 4. In fact, most of them arent'.

Wall of Fire, Level 4
Wall of Force, Level 5
Wall of Ice, Level 4
Wall of Iron, Level 6
Wall of Stone, Level 5
Wall of Thorns, Level 5

It depends on what the wall does. It it summons a swarm, though, it should be a summon spell, not a wall spell. I'm not aware of any other wall spell that does such a thing. Maybe there should be two spells. One would be wall of paper, which would be Level 2, and the other would be swarm of paperback books, and that would be Level 3.

 

[Ferret]

I think I like the spell, but what happens to the paper (before and) after? Is it the actual paper component used or is it a copy?