Level This Spell (Alt)

[Delta]

Here's another poll in conjunction with the proposed "Shrink Creature" spell (here: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=169362 ). Exact same effect, but range is "Personal" only. How does that change the level?

[h3]Shrink Self[/h3]
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz ?
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 hour/level

You shrink by 4 size categories. (For example, a Medium creature becomes Fine; a Gargantuan creature becomes Small). All standard modifiers for size category changes apply.

 

[Nifft]

4th.

One can get the same effect by quad-augmenting the Psionic power compression, which would make it 4th-levle equivalent.

-- N

 

[Cheiromancer]

Delta: do you mean for the spell to be dismissable? In which case, you should put a (D) after the duration.

 

[Zimbel16]

level

Thinking about it, for a M spellcaster, this is +8 to AC and +8 to hit with no significant penalty. I'll change my mind to LV 9.

 

[Zimbel16]

4th.

One can get the same effect by quad-augmenting the Psionic power compression, which would make it 4th-levle equivalent.

-- N

No.

Compression
Psychometabolism
Level: Psychic warrior 1
Display: Olfactory
Manifesting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Power Points: 1

This power causes instant diminution, halving your height, length, and width and dividing your weight by 8. This decrease changes your size category to the next smaller one. You gain a +2 size bonus to Dexterity, a -2 size penalty to Strength (to a minimum effective Strength score of 1), a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +1 size bonus to Armor Class due to your reduced size. If your new size is Tiny, you have a space of 2 ½ feet and a natural reach of 0 feet (meaning that you must enter an opponent’s square to attack). If your new size is Diminutive, you have a space of 1 foot and a natural reach of 0 feet. This power doesn’t change your speed.

All your equipment, worn or carried, is similarly reduced by the power. Melee and projectile weapons deal less damage. Other psionic or magical properties are not affected by this power. Any affected item that leaves your possession (including a projectile or thrown weapon) instantly returns to its normal size. This means that thrown weapons deal their normal damage (projectiles deal damage based on the size of the weapon that fired them). Multiple effects that reduce size do not stack, which means (among other things) that you can’t use a second manifestation of this power to further reduce yourself.
Augment

You can augment this power in one or more of the following ways.

1. If you spend 6 additional power points, this power decreases your size by two size categories. You gain a +4 size bonus to Dexterity, a -4 size penalty to Strength (to a minimum effective Strength score of 1), a +2 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +2 size bonus to Armor Class due to your reduced size.
2. If you spend 6 additional power points, you can manifest this power as a swift action instead of a standard action.
3. If you spend 2 additional power points, this power’s duration is 1 minute per level rather than 1 round per level.

This decreases your size by 2 *(at most), not 4.
This also increases Dex, and lowers Str.
To get a rough equivalent, you'd need to manifest at 13-15 points (=LV 7-8 spell) multiple times. And the effect would still be weaker.

 

[Plot-Device]

4th.

One can get the same effect by quad-augmenting the Psionic power compression, which would make it 4th-levle equivalent.

-- N

Except that the duration on compression is 1 round/level (D), and it costs 2 PP to get it to 1 Minute/level. 3 PP = 2nd level. Then it takes 6 more PP to shrink by 2 size. So you'd have to do that twice (which you can't do.). 15 PP= 9th level, and you're still not up to 1 hour/level.

 

[Delta]

Delta: do you mean for the spell to be dismissable? In which case, you should put a (D) after the duration.

It's intentionally non-dismissible.

 

[Nifft]

D'oh! My mistake. Sorry for the mis-information.

However, I'm stickin' with 4th level. It's not better than polymorph, is it?

-- N

 

[Zimbel16]

D'oh! My mistake. Sorry for the mis-information.

However, I'm stickin' with 4th level. It's not better than polymorph, is it?

-- N

That depends on what sources you allow for the Polymorph spell But yes, you could gain simular benefits from a polymorph spell, for 1 min/LV.

In any case, most of the relevant bonuses stack with polymorph (assuming a high physical stats, high nat armor race), which is the problem I have with this spell. It's not just the fact that the bonuses are high, it's the fact that they stack, and last for a long time.

I can see the argument that it's unquestionably weaker than Polymorph any Object, which is LV 8. That spell could make you fine permanently. So if you like Polymorph any Object, that's a strong argument for LV 7-.

On the other hand, I also think that both Polymorph and Polymorph any Object (as well as Shapechange) are too low of level for their effect.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Thinking about it, for a M spellcaster, this is +8 to AC and +8 to hit with no significant penalty. I'll change my mind to LV 9.

I think being so reduced in size has some pretty big penalties, otherwise by your logic, you'd be a fool not to play a gnome or halfling. And yet, IME very few pick those races.

Coincidentally, I'm having funny mental images of a wizard casting this spell, forgetting that as he casts, his spell book isn't on his "person" and then desperately trying to move his now gigantic spellbook because he can't dismiss the spell and leaving the spellbook lying around isn't such a great idea...