Homebrew Spell [Storm of Crows, nasty conjuration]- tell me what you think

[mo]

Just been making up some spells for my character and wondering what people think of this one. Does the level look appropriate? Would you use it (if you had a nasty character)?

Mourne’s Storm of Crows
Conjuration (Summoning) [Evil]

Level: Sor/Wiz 5

Components: V, S, F

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Effect: Ray

Duration: 1 round/level (max 10) (D)

Saving Throw: Fort/half

Spell Resistance: Yes



A black ray projects from your pointing finger. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack with the ray to strike a target.

The subject immediately begins to spew a torrent of fiendish crows, dealing 1d6 point of piercing damage per level (max 10d6) to the target immediately.

The crows will storm around the target, reducing movement to half, providing 50% concealment to those within the spell effect, providing 100% concealment to any target attacked by those within the spell effect, and dealing 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage for the remainder of the spell’s duration or until dispelled.

Focus: An fertilised crow’s egg.

[edit: for diction]

 

[Piratecat]

Appropos of nothing, I read this as "storm of cows."

 

[Gez]

Hey, I thought this was a spell that summoned a crow swarm. Well, not exactly.

The Storm of Cow idea would definitely be at least 8th level, and would kill outright anyone below size Gargantuan.

 

[BSF]

You should call it a Murder of Crows to keep the Thematic.

I don't much care for the differing cover benefits because it will be more factors to juggle in game. The damage might be in line with other equivelant level spells simply because it is 10d6 + 1d6/round. Something is nagging at me that this should be higher level, but it might be kneejerk reactions rather than any solid analysis of the spell compared to other spells.

It is a conceptually cool spell and if it fits your play style go with it

 

[Ferret]

I like it a lot; yes Bard right I don't like the 100% concealment, perhaps blindness instead. You have no rules for attacking it though.

 

[wocky]

1) I don't like this:

reducing movement to half, providing 50% concealment to those within the spell effect

The spell effect is a ray... no one should be "within the spell effect". I guess you meant all those around the affected creature. You should state the area the crows occupy more clearly.

2) It sounds like a swarm of crows. Is it? (I mean, does it go by the usual swarm rules?) How many crows are spewed? Might not be important... but then again it might. The swarm bit is important, I think, as someone with the ability to control the swarm mentally might want to do it.

3) ¿How would it affect creatures of size other than medium? Spewing a crow is no laughing matter for a medium sized character, so I guess it'd kill a tiny one. A Gargantuan sized enemy wouldn't care much about it. If the size of the crows matches that of the target then the damage done by them would be greater or smaller than 1d6. A swarm of gargantuan-sized crows would be too much for a 5th level spell.
I really like the "flavour" given by the crows thing... but vomiting crows should be handled differently from a standard energy based attack.

4) I might be seriously wrong, but I don't have the PHB at hand... didn't WotC do away with the "x%" concealment as it did with the "x%" cover? I know you can optionally specify partial covers/concealments, but your spell would be forcing everyone to use it. Then again, I might be confusing the cover rules with the concealment ones.

5) I liked the "Murder of crows" name.

6) Anyway, I really like the concept, and think the spell is quite balanced. I'd certainly use it if the issues I mentioned were solved.

 

[mo]

You should call it a murder of crows

It's so glaring obvious once you've pointed it out. It has to be.

1) I don't like this:

The spell effect is a ray... no one should be "within the spell effect". I guess you meant all those around the affected creature. You should state the area the crows occupy more clearly.

I left out the area of the "storm". I was thinking a 15' radius around the target.

2) It sounds like a swarm of crows. Is it? (I mean, does it go by the usual swarm rules?) How many crows are spewed? Might not be important... but then again it might. The swarm bit is important, I think, as someone with the ability to control the swarm mentally might want to do it.

I just had a look at the swarm rules and I don't think it really works (although if someone wants to have a go I'd love to see it). I'm also quite keen on the spell guarenteeing damage for its duration rather than having a swarm which makes attack roles. The idea behind the spell was devised a conjuration which deals solid damage and means that my conjurer doesn't keep relying on evocations.

To deal with the issue of mental control, and also attacking the crows generally, perhaps I could add something along these lines to the spell description:

During the spells duration crows flick back and forward between the area of effect and the fiendish realms, ensuring that any crow damaged or otherwise interferred with is replaced (although the spell can be dispelled).

3) ¿How would it affect creatures of size other than medium? Spewing a crow is no laughing matter for a medium sized character, so I guess it'd kill a tiny one. A Gargantuan sized enemy wouldn't care much about it. If the size of the crows matches that of the target then the damage done by them would be greater or smaller than 1d6. A swarm of gargantuan-sized crows would be too much for a 5th level spell.
The crows will storm around the target, reducing movement to half and giving concealment to those within the spell effect as well as providing total concealment to any target attacked by those within the spell effect. Those in teh area of effect suffer 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage for the remainder of the spell’s duration or until it is dispelled.
I really like the "flavour" given by the crows thing... but vomiting crows should be handled differently from a standard energy based attack.

You're probably right - but do you have any suggestions?

Perhaps the spell can only target small or larger creatures (I don't think it would kill a dwarf outright) - thereby dealing with the fine, tiny and diminutive creatures. With a larger creature there would simply be a larger volume of crows, dealing the same damage because they are less effective, and filling the larger area of effect around the target (a large creature generally being 10' by 10', and the 15' area of effect being around that).

4) I might be seriously wrong, but I don't have the PHB at hand... didn't WotC do away with the "x%" concealment as it did with the "x%" cover? I know you can optionally specify partial covers/concealments, but your spell would be forcing everyone to use it. Then again, I might be confusing the cover rules with the concealment ones.

You're right - I just had a look at the SRD. Perhaps this for the spell covering all suggestions:

Mourne’s Murder of Crows

Conjuration (Summoning) [Evil]

Level: Sor/Wiz 5

Components: V, S, F

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Effect: Ray

Duration: 1 round/level (max 10) (D)

Saving Throw: Fort/half

Spell Resistance: Yes



A black ray projects from your pointing finger. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack with the ray to strike a target.

The subject is immediately beings to spew a torrent of fiendish crows, dealing 1d6 point of piercing damage per level (max 10d6) to the target immediately.

The crows will storm around the target at a radius of 15’, reducing movement to half and giving concealment to those within the spell effect as well as providing total concealment to any target attacked by those within the spell effect. Those in the area of effect suffer 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage for the remainder of the spell’s duration or until it is dispelled.

During the spells duration the crows flick back and forward between the area of effect and the fiendish realms, ensuring that any crow damaged or otherwise interfered with is replaced.

The spell cannot target any creature of a smaller size than small.





Focus: An inseminated crow’s egg.






Thanks for all the suggestions

 

[Olive]

Why not make it an area effect spell, but otherwise the same. Everyone in the area takes the initial piercing damage as the crows burst out, and then people in the same area take the bludgeoning damage? No ray, where as the current spell is kinda mixing extablished mechanics a bit...

 

[mo]

Why not make it an area effect spell, but otherwise the same. Everyone in the area takes the initial piercing damage as the crows burst out, and then people in the same area take the bludgeoning damage? No ray, where as the current spell is kinda mixing extablished mechanics a bit...

At your suggestion:

Mourne’s Murder of Crows

Conjuration (Summoning) [Evil]

Level: Sor/Wiz 5

Components: V, S, F

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level

Effect: 20-ft.-radius spread

Duration: 1 round/level (max 10) (D)

Saving Throw: Fort/half initial damage, Reflex/none each round thereafter

Spell Resistance: Yes (initial effect), No (subsequent damage if any)



Any creature of small size or larger in the area of effect immediately beings to spew a torrent of fiendish crows, dealing 1d6 point of piercing damage per level (max 10d6) to the target immediately.

The crows will storm around the area of effect reducing movement to half and visibility to zero to those within the spell effect, as well as providing them with concealment against attacks from outside the area. Those in the area of effect suffer 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage for the remainder of the spell’s duration or until it is dispelled.

During the spells duration the crows flick back and forward between the area of effect and the fiendish realms, ensuring that any crow damaged or otherwise interfered with is replaced.

Focus: A fertilised crow’s egg.

 

[knight_isa]

I'd have two concerns:

1) You do near maximum damage as soon as you can get it (or maximum if you're a sorcerer), since it caps ad 10d6 and 10 rounds, and you can't cast it until 9th level (or 10th, for a sorcerer).

2) It's non-elemental damage, so there's no real defense against it. That makes it way better than alternatives like cone of cold and even the 6th level acid fog.

I actually liked the ray version better, since the initial damage only applied to a single target. As a burst, I'm not sure what I'd do for damage... possibly 1d4/level, max 15d4, Fort 1/2.

Either way, I think I'd remove the cap on the duration.