Michael's MtG Spell thread (last update: Blockbuster 3/7/7)

[Michael Morris]

Ok first, let's clean up Supercede

Supercede
Transmutation [Blue, Red, Metamagic]
Level: (6)
Acquisistion: UUUURRR
Components: V, S, (M), (XP)
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium
Target: 1 spell
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: (See Text)
Spell Resistance: (See Text)

If you succeed at a caster level check against the caster of the target spell you may replace that spell with one you have prepared of equal or less level. You must pay the material and XP costs of the spell you choose. Saving Throws and spell resistance against the replacement spell are rolled normally. The targets of the replacement spell and the original spell are the same if possible, otherwise you may choose new targets.

 

[Michael Morris]

Today's spell. This one is also more complicated than normal for me.

Vindicate
Transmutation [Black, White]
Acquisition: 2WWWWBBBB
Level: 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium
Target: 1 object (see text)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: (see text)
Spell Resistance: (see text)

"You cannot save me - but you can remember." - Anatole.

By means of this powerful sorcery you may utterly destroy one object, kill one creature, destroy one undead or construct, or dispel one magic effect. The nature of the targetted object determines the chances of the success of vindicate. Spell resistance applies unless otherwise noted.

Non-magical objects.
Vindicate can disintegrate any nonmagical object with a cubic volumne of 5' per side per 2 caster levels to a maximum of affecting a 75' x 75' x 75' object at 30th caster level (this is sufficient to vaporize a small house - but not it's contents, which count as seperate objects). If the object is too large to be entirely destroyed it isn't subject. A saving throw to negate is granted only if the object is attended or occupied. An occupied structure gains only one saving throw from the best available among it's occupants.

Magical objects.
As above, but a cubic volume of 1' / 2 caster levels to a maximum of 15' x 15' x 15' for a 30th level caster. Remember that magic objects may save even if unattended.

Spell effects.
One single spell effect can be brought down unless it's caster makes a willpower save.

Living Creatures
Fortitude save or die. On success be dealt 1d6 / 2 caster levels to a maximum of 15d6 damage. Only true ressurection may recover the character.

Undead
Fortitude save or be destroyed utterly. On success be dealt 1d6 / 2 caster levels to a maximum of 15d6 damage.

Constructs
Fortitude save or be destroyed utterly. On success be dealt 1d6 / 2 caster levels to a maximum of 15d6 damage.

Summoned Creatures
No save, no spell resistance - the creature is simply destroyed and can't be resummoned.

Extraplanar creatures
Fortitude save or be destroyed utterly - upon success Will save or be banished - On second success be dealt 1d6 / 2 caster levels to a maximum of 15d6 damage. Spell resistance can be rolled against the destroy effect or the damage effect, but not against the banishment.

 

[Michael Morris]

And I owe you guys a spell for yesterday. Here goes.

Soulburn
Evocation [Fire, Red, Black]
Acquisition: RRRBBB
Level: (5)
Saving Throw: Ref 1/2 (see text)

This spell works like fireball except the damage cap is 15d6. Also, this spell manifests on the aether plane (or the ethereal), not on the material. It has no miss chance against incoporeal creatures. Barriers that incoporeal creatures could pass through provide no protection from soulburn. Creatures with evasion that cannot see onto the aether plane must beat the DC of this spell by 4 for evasion to work. Objects that can't be struck from the ethereal can't be damaged by this spell.

 

[Ferret]

Does it not effect the material plain at all? Oh....

 

[Michael Morris]

Does it not effect the material plain at all? Oh....

You get it? Soulburn burns the souls of its victims. Souls exist upon the aether plane and can be attacked from there (this is why ghosts can attack you).

 

[Jdvn1]

What made you choose level 5? I might bump it down to 4 since its uses are limited.

At least, can't be used against, what? Plants, Constructs, Undead, Oozes, maybe.

 

[Michael Morris]

What made you choose level 5? I might bump it down to 4 since its uses are limited.

At least, can't be used against, what? Plants, Constructs, Undead, Oozes, maybe.

Plants can be hit from the aether. Constructs are immune, but oozes aren't.

Basically, if a incorporeal creature can affect it with one of their touch attacks, so can this spell.

 

[Michael Morris]

Part of the beauty of multicolor spells is that - since they are harder to acquire, you can let them do more damage.

Meteor Storm
Evocation [Earth, Fire, Green, Red]
Acquisition: RRRRRGGGG
Level: 8
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Long
Area: 10' radius bursts (see text)
Duration: 1 round / level
Saving Throw: Ref 1/2
Spell Resistance: Yes

Well, there goes the neighborhood

You may choose to do one of the following at the beginning of each of your turns: 1) Call down a 2d6 fireball-like burst within the range -- This is a free action and doesn't count as a spell. 2) Drop a spell slot and call down a fireball-like burst within the range that deals 2d6 / level of the expended spell slot. -- This is a move equivalent action that provokes an attack of opportunity.

There can be no obstructions between the intended target point and the open sky. Half the damage dealt by this spell is impact damage - the rest is fire damage.

 

[Technik4]

Greetings Morris! I haven't posted in quite some time, but at one point I was in a (short) pbp Dusk game and I also remembering going through spells with you for a time.

At any rate, here's some feedback for Meteor Storm:

Pretty neat, but potentially expensive (too expensive?). First, I guess does 2) count as a spell? 1) Says it specifically does not, which makes it ambiguous as to wheter or not the second function does. Secondly, you can expect to blow through a lot of spell slots to get decent mileage from this spell. Here's some numerical analysis:

Quickened Fireball (7th level slot) 35 damage, half-save, large area (20' radius) + Maximized Cone of Cold (8th level slot) 90 damage, half-save, large area (60' constricted by cone template) = 125 damage in pretty managable areas

Meteor Shower (8th level slot) + Expending a 7th level slot to activate a meteor (which you cannot do until the next round) 49 damage, half-save, med area (10' radius), quite restrictive (must be outside).

Assuming you can call down 2 meteors in a turn (as it only requires a move-equivalent) you could blow 2 more 8th level slots for 108 damage on the initial round (but, now you've used 3 of your 8th level slots).

Basically, there is power there, but it isn't efficient at all. Its also, imo, rather restrictive (although I like the flavor, it does weaken the spell).

Suggestions:
Change duration to 1 round/ 2 caster levels.

Make the free fireballs equal to 1/4 caster level (rounded down), but make it count as using a quickened spell. This is a slight buff (max 5d6 at 20th level) because for the next few minutes you can rain down "free" mini-fireballs. 2d6 is just too low to bother with (considering you've used an 8th level slot).

Make the second part not count as using a spell for the turn (but make it count against 'quickened spells per turn'). Since you can't use both modes together, add the 'free' fireball to the one you pay for with a slot. So you get spell slot x 2d6 + 1/4 Caster level d6. Thus a 15th level spellcaster (who is eagerly waiting to exercise her new power) spends one turn casting Meteor Shower, then on the next expends another 8th level slot and gets a 20d6 meteor (in a 10' radius) (70 damage, save for half, restrictions on when/where). For the next 5 rounds she can call down free 4d6 fireballs or spend more slots for meteors (a 3rd level slot would be 10d6 (6d6 +4d6) which is equivalent to a fireball she could have used in that slot (although the radius is a bit smaller).

Just my thoughts,

Technik

 

[Cheiromancer]

And I owe you guys a spell for yesterday. Here goes.

Soulburn
Evocation [Fire, Red, Black]
Acquisition: RRRBBB
Level: (5)
Saving Throw: Ref 1/2 (see text)

This spell works like fireball except the damage cap is 15d6. Also, this spell manifests on the aether plane (or the ethereal), not on the material. It has no miss chance against incoporeal creatures. Barriers that incoporeal creatures could pass through provide no protection from soulburn. Creatures with evasion that cannot see onto the aether plane must beat the DC of this spell by 4 for evasion to work. Objects that can't be struck from the ethereal can't be damaged by this spell.

In light of your comments, I would replace the bolded text with

Since this spell manifests on the aether plane (or the ethereal) and extends to the material, it has no miss chance against incorporeal creatures

As it is written, it is too easy to read it as affecting only ethereal and incorpeal creatures.

[nitpick]
Mind you, I don't think there is any special relationship between the ethereal and incorporeal creatures. It is not generally true, I don't think, that incorporeal creatures have ethereal bodies. [/nitpick]