Need some spell advice.

LordVyreth

First Post
Here’s a spell I’m thinking of having one of my characters create. Incidentally, he’s not named Maelgoran; that was the name of an earlier character of mine that made an earlier-edition version of this spell. I need opinions about it. Is it too strong or weak for its level? Should I change any of the details? For now, the level is the most important feature, so I’d prefer ways to make the spell weaker or stronger instead of recommendations to simply raise or lower its level.

I'll also be adding a second spell around this saturday. That one will be used by NPCs in a game that I'm DMing, so if any of my players read this, comment on this first spell and then avoid this thread.

Maelgoran’s Maelstrom
Evocation (electricity)
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: 5-ft.-radius sphere (four 2x2 squares), and a 10-ft. radius sphere (16 4x4 squares.
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Reflex half or negates or Fortitude negates; See text
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell creates a spiraling vacuum of electricity that repeatedly releases built up bolts of lightning while pulling everything around it into its vortex.

If a target is in the primary area of the spell when it is created, they can make a Reflex save to avoid being trapped within the vortex as it is created. Even if the save is successful, the target will have to leave the secondary area of the spell on its next turn or be subject to the spell’s secondary effect (see below.)

Every round that the spell is active, it will fire a bolt of electricity. The caster can direct these bolts by concentrating on the spell, but otherwise it fires at the closest uncovered animate target within 30 feet (or a random target if there are multiple targets that are equidistant from the vortex.) It should be noted that the caster can only control one bolt a round, so having multiple Maelstrom’s active at once is a risky venture! These bolts generate a line from the vortex through the target and to a distance of 30 feet, unless blocked by a large object before reaching 30 feet. This line should be treated like a lightning bolt.

In addition, any creature that passes through or ends their turn within the secondary area of effect must make a Fortitude save, or be pulled into the maelstrom by the force of the vacuum the spell creates. A successful save will protect the victim for this round, though they might still be subjected to the lightning bolt, and will have to save again next round if they are still in the secondary area of effect. A character trapped inside the vortex will take 15d6 points of electric damage without an additional save. However, they can escape the vortex with another Fortitude save. The vortex won’t fire a lightning bolt on a round that a victim is trapped inside it. However, the maelstrom is of a limited size, and can only hold 256 Fine, 64 Diminutive, 16 Tiny, 4 Medium or Small, or 1 Larger or larger target. Once that number of victims are trapped, anyone else inside the secondary area will have to make a Fortitude Save still, but are only pulled right next to the vortex for no damage. If multiple targets are about to be pulled into the vortex at once and they take up more room than the vortex can contain, the closest victims are pulled in first, and two victims of equal distance are randomly selected.

All-Seeing
Necromancy (Evil)
Level: Cleric 8, Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: 10-ft. radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous and one round/level or until destroyed (D)
Saving Throw: Will half
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell summons a swarm of flying eyeballs, which can surround one creature per caster level (maximum 20.) The eyeballs will then mentally lock onto the targets, and injecting them with negative energy while studying their moves and actions, then projecting these actions to all enemies of the victims.

There will be one eyeball for every four caster levels the caster has, to a maximum of 5. The eyeballs do 2d6 points of negative energy damage each, and also gives the target a profane AC penalty of 2 points per eyeball. The AC penalty from each eye stacks, but future castings of the spell don’t stack, merely overlap. For example, a 16th level caster will create four eyeballs around each target, doing 8d6 points of damage and causing either a –4 or a –8 AC penalty. However, a will save can be made against the swarm as a whole which halves both effects. The damage is instantaneous and only inflicted once, but the AC penalty lasts until the spell’s duration ends or the eyeballs are destroyed. The eyeballs are Fine creatures with equivalent Dex equal to the caster’s primary spellcasting ability bonus 20, giving them an AC of 18 + this bonus. They have hit points equal to the caster level, and while they will automatically evade all area-effect damage caused by the caster, they take damage from all other area effects like the target. Destroyed eyes will reduce the AC penalty to the target by 1 or 2, depending on whether or not the target made its save.
 
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Well, I just added my second spell to the list. Hopefully I can get some responses to them, as I really need advice on the level of the second one.
 


Hm, the maelstrom is really good. I'd lower the damage- make the bolts 8d6 and creatures caught in it take 15d6. I'd also make a note as to what Escape Artist DC you'd have to hit to wriggle free (I say 20 + int/cha bonus). As is, I'd say it's a 9th level spell, and I understand that you wanna keep it 8th.

As to All-Seeing, it's pretty cool. A couple things you might want to consider, though: first, does it summon eyeballs or animate them? If the former, the spell should prolly be Conjuration (Summoning), though it might be (Creation). Second, I think the AC penalty is too bumpy as written. There's no mechanism for doing damage to AC, and that's essentially what you're talking about doing here (especially since penalties from the same source don't stack).

There are a couple of ways I can think of to keep the effect, though. Maybe just make it so that they eyeballs inflict a flat -4 profane penalty to targets that fail their save (who also get half damage). Alternately, you could have the eyeballs inflict dex damage- prolly on the order of 1d4 per eyeball, again with a single save negating it. I'd also eliminate the bit about destroying the eyeballs removing the penalties, but I'm a very mean dm. :)
 

Okay, I edited the spells to make them a little more balanced. Maelstrom now only does 10d6 damage with a bolt and 15d6 damage (but with no save,) to those trapped inside. However, I can still make it weaker if you think it needs it. I'm thinking either: the central vortex only has a one-square diameter, and thus only 1 medium or large creature could be trapped inside it, the lightning bolts are actually only rays that affect one target, or the spell can't be directed with concentration, and only hits the nearest target. Do you think one or more of these are necessary?

As for All-Seeing, the spell now only does 2d6 damage per eye and has a set -2 profane penalty per eye that doesn't stack with additional castings of the spell. It still does half that on a save, however, since I figure that at 8th level, most save or negate spells should be near the "die" level of strength, not a merely AC penalty. I also made the target totally area-based, and shrunk the area, reducing the likelyhood of catching an entire group in it.
 

Mm, I think you should reduce the primary area to one square. 15d6 per round is brutal.

Given that, these two spells now get my official seal of approval. :)
 

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