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Inspired by Clive Barker's Undying... Cackling Skulls!
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<blockquote data-quote="Naathez" data-source="post: 3130867" data-attributes="member: 17791"><p>I LOVED Undying, and LOVED the mechanics for channeled spells in the PHB II. So it seemed obvious to merge the two...</p><p></p><p>Unfortunately, I'm definitely not very good at balancing spells. I'm DMing at the moment, and would like this to be a spell my players can find... so it's quite important that it isn't too powerful, or weak. I don't care for pinpoint accuracy in balancing, but I don't like gross unbalance either... so Enworlders, anyone care to help me?</p><p></p><p>Here's the spell as I wrote it:</p><p></p><p><strong>Cackling Skulls</strong></p><p>Necromancy (Fire)</p><p>Sor/Wiz 3</p><p>Components: V,S,M</p><p>Casting time: See below</p><p>Range: Close</p><p>Target: 1 creature</p><p>Duration: Instantaneous</p><p>Saving Throw: See below</p><p>Material Components: Bone shards crudely painted in the likeness of stylized skulls</p><p></p><p><em>One, two, and finally three cackling skulls leap out the ground and start hovering above your outstretched hand, and as you intone fell words of power their cackling becomes almost unbearable, until they finally catch on fire. You release them at your opponent, their chittering and laughing a tad unnerving even to you as they slam him in an explosion of flame and bone shards.</em></p><p></p><p>This spell conjures 1 to 3 skulls and propels them towards an enemy. The struck enemy is dealt damage, and all creatures in a radius around the struck enemy are frightened by the skulls' ominous cackling. </p><p></p><p>The spell has different effects depending on the time taken to cast it:</p><p></p><p>swift action: 1 skull is conjured. Damage dealt is 1d6, and creatures in a 5' radius are shaken.</p><p>Standard action: 2 skulls are conjured. Damage dealt is 2d6, and creatures in a 10' radius are shaken.</p><p>Full round action: 3 skulls are conjured. Damage dealt is 3d6, and creatures in a 10' radius are frightened.</p><p>2 rounds: The skulls ignite. Damage dealt is 3d6+2d6 fire, and creatures in a 10' radius are frightened.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Thank you for helping!</p><p></p><p>PS: YES, there i a story hour in my sig. YES, hasn't been updated in ages. YES, we're still playing. YES, I want to update it. NO, I don't know when I will. But YES, please, do feel free to say things like "Oh please WHY won't you update it it's SO interesting and exciting and we're STARVING for more!"...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Naathez, post: 3130867, member: 17791"] I LOVED Undying, and LOVED the mechanics for channeled spells in the PHB II. So it seemed obvious to merge the two... Unfortunately, I'm definitely not very good at balancing spells. I'm DMing at the moment, and would like this to be a spell my players can find... so it's quite important that it isn't too powerful, or weak. I don't care for pinpoint accuracy in balancing, but I don't like gross unbalance either... so Enworlders, anyone care to help me? Here's the spell as I wrote it: [B]Cackling Skulls[/B] Necromancy (Fire) Sor/Wiz 3 Components: V,S,M Casting time: See below Range: Close Target: 1 creature Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: See below Material Components: Bone shards crudely painted in the likeness of stylized skulls [I]One, two, and finally three cackling skulls leap out the ground and start hovering above your outstretched hand, and as you intone fell words of power their cackling becomes almost unbearable, until they finally catch on fire. You release them at your opponent, their chittering and laughing a tad unnerving even to you as they slam him in an explosion of flame and bone shards.[/I] This spell conjures 1 to 3 skulls and propels them towards an enemy. The struck enemy is dealt damage, and all creatures in a radius around the struck enemy are frightened by the skulls' ominous cackling. The spell has different effects depending on the time taken to cast it: swift action: 1 skull is conjured. Damage dealt is 1d6, and creatures in a 5' radius are shaken. Standard action: 2 skulls are conjured. Damage dealt is 2d6, and creatures in a 10' radius are shaken. Full round action: 3 skulls are conjured. Damage dealt is 3d6, and creatures in a 10' radius are frightened. 2 rounds: The skulls ignite. Damage dealt is 3d6+2d6 fire, and creatures in a 10' radius are frightened. Thank you for helping! PS: YES, there i a story hour in my sig. YES, hasn't been updated in ages. YES, we're still playing. YES, I want to update it. NO, I don't know when I will. But YES, please, do feel free to say things like "Oh please WHY won't you update it it's SO interesting and exciting and we're STARVING for more!"... [/QUOTE]
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Inspired by Clive Barker's Undying... Cackling Skulls!
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