Jack Vance Spell Naming contest

I finally got around to registering just to post this. Egotism, eh? :D

Agathralt's Persuasive Proposition (Suggestion). Dismal Failure: Target divines the caster's true intent towards it, as adjudicated by DM. Illustrious Success: Caster gets +5 on his next Persuade roll against the target.

The Scintillant Scattering (Glitterdust). Dismal Failure: The motes wildly scatter around the caster, who ends up slipping on and swallowing them. The caster is sickened for 1 minute and is prone. Illustrious Success: Creatures in the spell area itch ferociously for the spell's duration, suffering a -2 to attack rolls and skill checks.

Eloquent Exposition of Personal Excellence (Charm Person). Dismal Failure: The target becomes hostile. If the target is an attempted romantic conquest, he/she will mock the caster's undoubted ineptitude. Illustrious Success: The target gets -2 on the save, -4 for an attempted romantic conquest. In the latter case and in the likely event of success, the target will appreciate the caster's prowess regardless of actuality.

Agathralt's Rune of Insistent Inquiry (Symbol of Pain). Dismal Failure: The symbol appears, but instead of working gives its first target a rage-fuelled +10 Strength, then fades. Illustrious Success: The first Intimidate roll made against any target of the rune after its effect gets +10.

Untecilo's Timely Tenebrosity (Darkness). Dismal Failure: Daylight (as the spell) for 1 minute (or a 60-foot radius light effect if there is no access to the spell). Illustrious Success: Total darkness instead for the spell's duration, at the caster's option.

Second Sequence of Salutary Saltation (Otto's Irresistible Dance). Dismal Failure: Spell affects caster. Illustrious Success: Target is exhausted for 1 round/level after the spell's duration.

Kavalter's Acrobatic Aptitude (Jump). Dismal Failure: The first jump made after casting is the opposite forwards/backwards direction than intended, then the spell fails. Illustrious Success: All jumps made while the spell is in effect land in silence, as the spell.

Spell of Simian Sagacity (Touch of Idiocy). Dismal Failure: Target gets +4 Strength for 1 minute. Illustrious Success: Target is dazed for 1 round in addition to the spell's other effects.

Enforced Emulation of the Senescent Sun (Bestow Curse). Dismal Failure: Caster becomes terrified that the sun may go out and must stare at it, as if fascinated, for 1 minute. If he cannot see the sun, he must remedy the situation immediately. Illustrious Success: Target becomes melancholy (fascinated) for 1 round/level.

Tazvei's Abrupt Ascent (Reverse Gravity). Dismal Failure: Caster is strongly attracted to the ground and is rooted motionless for 1 hour. Illustrious Success: Caster is unaffected by the spell and may fly in its area at a speed of 10 feet with perfect maneuverability.
 

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What's the deadline on the contest?

edit: Never mind, I see it's on the webpage at the bottom: 1st July 2004
 
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Come on you wimps! We've barely had five entries! You have until the end of the month. Get cracking! Don't EN worlders have any imagination? Aren't you up to the challenge? Just remember, when those moments of doubt and confusion threaten to overwhelem you... reapeat in your head "WWGBD"? (what would Gutboy Barrelhouse do?)

JR
 

"ATTAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!"

Drifter Bob said:
Come on you wimps! We've barely had five entries! You have until the end of the month. Get cracking! Don't EN worlders have any imagination? Aren't you up to the challenge? Just remember, when those moments of doubt and confusion threaten to overwhelem you... reapeat in your head "WWGBD"? (what would Gutboy Barrelhouse do?)

JR
 

Spell Naming Contest
The dismal failures were more fun to come up with. :lol:

The Disjunction of Necromantic Impetus (d20 - Undeath to Death)
Illustrious Success: The burst radius is doubled to 80 feet
Dismal Failure: The undead are "healed" (all damage is removed)

Pamplona's Strident Steps (d20 - Expeditious Retreat)
Illustrious Success: Your speed increases by 60 ft.
Dismal Failure: Your speed is decreased by half.

Egalean's Obscuring Mist (d20 - Fog Cloud)
Illustrious Success: The fog spreads in 20-ft. radius, 20 ft. high
Dismal Failure: The fog is centered on the caster and follows the caster until the spell ends.

The Multitudinous Mage (d20 - Mirror Image)
Illustrious Success: The number of images created is 1d6 +1 per two levels to a maximum of 12 images.
Dismal Failure: The caster's vision becomes blurred and all opponents gain concealment (20% miss chance against the caster). Also, all checks that require vision (spot, etc.,) are made at -4.

The Legendary Might of Herakles (d20 - Bull’s Strength)
Illustrious Success: The subject gains +8 to Str for 1 min./level
Dismal Failure: The subject gains -4 penalty to Str for 1 min./level

The Peerless Insight of Pallas Athene (d20 - Owl’s Wisdom)
Illustrious Success: The subject gains +8 to Wis for 1 min./level
Dismal Failure: The subject gains -4 penalty to Wis for 1 min./level

The Unerring Precision of Phoebus Apollo (d20 - Cat’s Grace)
Illustrious Success: The subject gains +8 to Dex for 1 min./level
Dismal Failure: The subject gains -4 penalty to Dex for 1 min./level

The Irresistible Allure of Aphrodite (d20 - Eagle’s Splendor)
Illustrious Success: The subject gains +8 to Cha for 1 min./level
Dismal Failure: The subject gains -4 penalty to Cha for 1 min./level

The Stamina of Untiring Atlas (d20 - Bear’s Endurance)
Illustrious Success: The subject gains +8 to Con for 1 min./level
Dismal Failure: The subject gains -4 penalty to Con for 1 min./level

Creep of the Arachnid (d20 - Spider Climb)

Illustrious Success: The duration is doubled
Dismal Failure: The spell ends abruptly half way through the duration (oops!)

Arachne's Cursed Weavings (d20 - Web)
Illustrious Success: The web strands are very strong and sticky. The Strength check is DC 25 and the Escape Artist check is DC 30 to break loose.
Dismal Failure: The caster is caught in the web which is centered on him.

Peer of Ares (d20 - Transformation)
Illustrious Success: You gain a +6 enhancement bonus to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution, a +4 natural armor bonus to AC, a +7 competence bonus on Fortitude saves, and proficiency with all weapons.
Dismal Failure: You become enraged, as a barbarian of the same level as your caster level. You receive the bonuses from raging instead of the bonuses from this spell and you still suffer the -2 penalty to AC. You must attack the nearest creature, friend or foe, in melee.

Jaunt of the Jungle (d20 - Transport via Plants)
Illustrious Success: You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn’t exceed your double maximum load. You may also bring one additional willing Large or smaller creature (carrying gear or objects up to its maximum load) or its equivalent per three caster levels.
Dismal Failure: You smash into the plant you are travelling to and take falling damage as if falling from a height equal to your level x5 feet. Watch out for that tree!
A similar effect can be applied to Tree Stride :)


Imperfect Duplicate of Icy Gloom (d20 - Simulacrum)
Illustrious Success: The duplicate has the real creature’s levels or Hit Dice (and the appropriate hit points, feats, skill ranks, and special abilities for a creature of that level or HD).
Dismal Failure: The duplicate begins melting immediately, losing 1 HD or level per round, writhing painfully and howling in madness if possible. The melting is visibly obvious and quite disgusting to most viewers. The duplicate will seek to escape from the caster, cannot be reasoned with and is otherwise useless.
 

Tatterdemalion's Excellent Ambulatory Assistment (Expeditious retreat): Dismal Failure: The spell decreases the caster's land speed by five feet. Illustrious Success: The spell increases the caster's land speed by 40 feet rather than 30.

Eomai's Blue Bolt (Lighting bolt): Dismal failure: The caster is knocked prone by an unexpected recoil, and slides five feet backwards. Illustrious Success: The DC of the reflex saving throw against the spell is increased by 3.

The Cantrip of Elementary Luminescence (Light): Dismal Failure: A flare of light blinds the caster for 1d6 rounds unless he makes a reflex save at the same DC as if he had cast a spell upon himself. Illustrious success: Bright light extends for thirty feet, and dim light for another thirty feet. If the caster desires, he may dim the light back to the normal radius, but may not lessen the radius beyond normal.

Tatterdemalion's Tentacular Teratogeny (Black Tentacles): Dismal failure: A single tentacle forms in the five-foot square in which the caster is standing. It attempts to grapple the caster, but with a grapple check modifier of half the spell's normal chance. Illustrious Success:The grapple check modifier for the tentacles is increased by 3.

Carcuin's Dependable Fastening (Arcane Lock): Dismal failure: The caster becomes temporarily attached to the portal he is attempting to lock. Breaking free requires a strength check at DC 13. The caster's attachment to the portal will dissipate after 1d4 minutes. Another person may pull the caster free by making the strength check on his behalf, but at cost to the caster's dignity. Illustrious success: The DC to break open a door or portal affected by the spell is increased by 15 rather than by 10.

Carcuin's Manufactory Masterpiece (Fabricate): Dismal Failure: The original materials shape themselves into a bizarre and visually unpleasant arrangement, utterly unuseful for the task at hand. Illustrious Success: The object crafted by the spell is beautiful and ornate commensurate with its nature, sporting rococo flourishes and fine details drawn from the caster's subconscious memories. It will generally function better than expected if it is put to a test, usually having 150% of such an object's normal hit points.

Carcuin's Volumetric Diminution (Shrink Item): Dismal Failure: The item targeted by the spell emits a warbling whistle, like a teakettle, and quivers violently. If the item is held in a person's hand, he must make a Dexterity check at DC 12 to maintain his hold upon the item or he will drop it. The item will otherwise topple over or may dance or vibrate in place, depending upon its size and shape. The whistling and quivering will persist for five rounds, then subside. The sound is not damaging, but may alert malefactors or guards to the caster's presence. Illustrious success: The spell's duration is increased by an additional day per level of the caster
 

Contest entries

Excellent submissions. I especially liked the dismal failure outcomes for Carcuin's Dependable Fastening (hilarious) and the Imperfect Duplicate of Icy Gloom (tragicomic). I'm not sure if the Greek pantheon references will be considered admisable or not but I'll leave that up to Pelgrane! They certainly roll off the tongue nicely enough.

JR
 

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