New descriptions for old spells

[Dave Blewer]

Exactly!

I once had a dwarf wizard's fireballs explode in an area like a volcanic erruptionrather than fly through the air as a pellet of fire...

 

[Dark Helmet]

How about a Flame Strike doing flame damage, but also a booming voice from the god in question that shakes the target to the core of its being?

Or just before the Flame Strike, the booming god-voice says "Pull my finger!"