New Domain: Agony

[maggot]

I want a domain for pain, agony, and suffering that contains only core 3.5 spells (because that is all we use in our game). Here is what I came up with, based loosely on FR Suffering domain, updated to 3.5. I changed the granted power, because the FR Suffering granted power really sucked. And yes I realize there is a Pain domain in the BoVD, but it uses non-core spells.

Thanks for your comments.

Agony Domain
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Granted Power: You gain the extraordinary ability to amplify pain. Once per day, you may reroll a damage roll you just made. Apply the greater of the two damage totals to those affected creatures that are susceptible to critical hits. This ability has no affect on creatures immune to critical hits: Apply only the original damage total to those affected creatures immune to critical hits. You may use this ability after seeing the first damage total, but you must declare using this ability before the DM tells you the results of the damage. For example, you can reroll after seeing a low damage roll, but you cannot reroll after finding out an attack did no damage due to damage resistance.

1. Ray of Enfeeblement
2. Bear’s Endurance
3. Contagion
4. Enervation
5. Waves of Fatigue
6. Harm
7. Eyebite
8. Horrid Wilting
9. Energy Drain

Note: Many of these spells are [Evil]. Possessors of the Agony domain are often evil, and never good.

 

[Urbannen]

I think your granted power should do something about inflicting nonlethal damage, since nonlethal damage is the closest thing to just pain that you can find in the game. Maybe "your attacks are especially painful. For a number of rounds per day equal to your cleric level, your melee attacks, ranged attacks, and spells that require an attack roll deal additional nonlethal damage equal to damage dealt. Using this ability is a free action that you must declare at the beginning of the round."

I think the special power could use beefing up regardless.

As for spells, I don't see a particular reason to want to stick to just PHB spells when creating domains. It is very hard to fill in some of the levels in a satisfying way. IMO, you should scour additional products and then make up your own spells to fill in gaps. Remember that domains represent special powers that are exclusive to the god of a specific portfolio. It seems to me that a lot of the domains created by WotC are short on flavor and internal logic just because the designers didn't want to have to create new spells.

If you have to stay core, I think that most of the lower levels of this domain could simply be filled in by the inflict spells. Inflict spells are negative energy damage (which must hurt) and allow a Will save to avoid damage (which implies a mental component). In any case, I would definitely get rid of Bear's Endurance at 2nd level and replace it with Inflict Moderate Wounds. I'm not sure why Bear's Endurance is in the Suffering Domain. (Because Ilmater can really take it?)

You have skipped the obvious Symbol of Pain for the 5th level spell slot.

I might suggest Soul Bind for the 9th level spell (the soul is eternally trapped in agony) and Binding for the 8th level spell (the binding hurts, I believe, and allows you to torture whatever you have bound).

If agony can be psychic as well as physical, Symbol of Weakness, Symbol of Insanity, and Insanity might be possibilites.

 

[Nifft]

Here are some spells that I came up with to beef up Necromancy in 3.0e, before 3.5e's Necromantic selection made me happy:


Agony

Necromancy [Pain]
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: 20 ft. radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

The character directs a dark burst of necromantic agony. All living creatures caught within the spell's area suffer 1d6/level (max 15d6) subdual damage. Furthermore, any living creature which fails its Fortitude save is Stunned for 1 round/level, considered Staggered for 1 minute/level, and suffers a -4 Morale penalty to attack and damage rolls for 10 minutes/level.



Agony, Lesser

Necromancy [Pain]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: 5 ft. radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

The character directs a dim burst of necromantic agony. All living creatures caught within the spell's area suffer 1d4/2 levels (max 10d4) subdual damage. Furthermore, any living creature which fails its Fortitude save is considered Staggered for 1 round/2 levels, and suffers a -2 Morale penalty to attack and damage rolls for 1 minute/2 levels.



Bolt of Pain

Necromancy [Pain]
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level) or Half Medium (50 ft. + 5 ft./level)
Area: 5 ft. wide to Medium range, or 10 ft. wide to Half Medium range
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

The character directs a wide beam of necromantic agony. Any living creature caught withing the area takes 1d4/level (max 10d4) subdual damage. Furthermore, any living creature that fails its Fortitude save is considered Staggered for 1 round, and suffers a -1 Morale penalty to attack and damage rolls for 1 minute.



Ray of Agony

Necromancy [Pain]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Ray
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

The character directs a dark beam of necromantic agony. The character must make a ranged touch attack to hit, and if the ray hits a living creature, it deals 1d4/level (max 15d4) subdual damage. Furthermore, if the creature fails its Fortitude save, it is considered Stunned for 1 round/level, Staggered for 1 minute/level, and suffers a -4 Morale penalty to skill checks and attack rolls for 10 minutes/level.




Ray of Pain

Necromancy [Pain]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Ray
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

The character directs a dim beam of necromantic agony. The character must make a ranged touch attack to hit, and if the ray hits a living creature, it deals 1d4/2 levels (max 5d4) subdual damage. Furthermore, if the creature struck fails its Fortitude save, it is considered Staggered for 1 round, and suffers a -2 Morale penalty to attack and damage rolls for 1 minute.



Feel free to use them.

-- N

 

[Nifft]

Oh, and I've always thought that the Merciful weapon special ability was a good synergy for a Pain Domain. Perhaps expending a Turn Undead attempt allows you to give your weapon the Merciful quality for one minute?

-- N

 

[maggot]

I think your granted power should do something about inflicting nonlethal damage, since nonlethal damage is the closest thing to just pain that you can find in the game. Maybe "your attacks are especially painful. For a number of rounds per day equal to your cleric level, your melee attacks, ranged attacks, and spells that require an attack roll deal additional nonlethal damage equal to damage dealt. Using this ability is a free action that you must declare at the beginning of the round."

I think the special power could use beefing up regardless.

Thanks for the reply. I agree the special power needs to be more special. I thought about nonlethal damage, but couldn't work it in. I even considered your power but only for one attack per day. Having it last for multiple rounds is a little over the top because it is effectively doubling damage against a lot of foes. Then again, melee ability start to suck when a cleric becomes high level.

The current FR pain domain power is very weak. I almost went with deal 2 STR and DEX damage with a touch attack once/level/day. Still weak at higher levels.

As for spells, I don't see a particular reason to want to stick to just PHB spells when creating domains.

For good or for bad, this is a design constraint. It is not going to change.

If you have to stay core, I think that most of the lower levels of this domain could simply be filled in by the inflict spells. Inflict spells are negative energy damage (which must hurt) and allow a Will save to avoid damage (which implies a mental component). In any case, I would definitely get rid of Bear's Endurance at 2nd level and replace it with Inflict Moderate Wounds. I'm not sure why Bear's Endurance is in the Suffering Domain. (Because Ilmater can really take it?)

The domain is already necro-heavy. 8 of nine spells are necromancy. I wanted something outside necromancy, and the idea of enduring more pain yourself through increased toughness appealed to me.

You have skipped the obvious Symbol of Pain for the 5th level spell slot.

Having Symbol of Pain, a very situtational spell, as a domain spell is very weak. If you ever want to spend the cash and time to make a Symbol of Pain, you could certainly spare the 5th level regular slot. Still, I concidered it. Maybe if I drop Symbol of Pain to 4th level domain (and raise Enervation to 5th), their would be some effect to having the Symbol of Pain in the domain. Oh for the 3.0 days when you could quickly scribe the symbol, that would have been worth it.

I might suggest Soul Bind for the 9th level spell (the soul is eternally trapped in agony) and Binding for the 8th level spell (the binding hurts, I believe, and allows you to torture whatever you have bound).

Soul bind is already on the cleric list at 9th level, so it suffers from the Symbol of Pain situation. I could see a domain with one situational spell at the same level, but two or three would make the domain unplayable. Well, only worth it if the domain power was very good.

If agony can be psychic as well as physical, Symbol of Weakness, Symbol of Insanity, and Insanity might be possibilites.

I'm not big on the symbols, but insanity might work. Feeblemind is in the FR pain domain.

Thanks for your reply. It got me thinking again.

 

[maggot]

Oh, and I've always thought that the Merciful weapon special ability was a good synergy for a Pain Domain. Perhaps expending a Turn Undead attempt allows you to give your weapon the Merciful quality for one minute?

-- N

The name sounds the exact opposite of the Pain domain. What does "Merciful" do?

 

[Nifft]

The name sounds the exact opposite of the Pain domain. What does "Merciful" do?

Yes, it's not intuitive, which is why I bring it up.

It causes any weapon to deal an extra +1d6 damage on every hit, but converts all weapon damage to Subdual ("pain").

-- N