New Spell: Energise - what levels?

[Quartz]

I conceive these as a group of spells, possibly as an alternative to the Cure X. What do you think? What levels should they be?

Energise (Lesser, Improved, Greater, Mass)
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Various - Cleric, Paladin, Luck, Druid, Healing
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch or Close (for Mass Energise)
Target: Creature Touched or 1 creature / level, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart (Mass Energise).
Duration 1 round / level.
Saving throw: Will half (harmless) or Will half; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless) or Yes; see text.
When laying hands on a creature, you channel positive energy and the target creature gains maximum points per HD up to the caster's level. Max 5 HD for lesser, 10 HD for Improved, 20 HD for Greater. The HP gained are temporary (q.v. Aid). When the spell's duration expires, the target is healed 1 HP per HD maximised.
Since undead are powered by negative energy, this spell deals 1d6 damage per caster level - with the aforementioned maxima - to them instead of curing their wounds. An undead creature can apply spell resistance, and can attempt a Will save to take half damage.

Note that PCs automatically have maximum HP for their first level.

The rationale is that this is as much a pre-emptive spell as a reactive spell and means that PCs cannot blithely ignore wounds in the knowledge that they'll be healed.

I'm thinking levels 2, 4, and 6 for the various versions (based off Aid and Heal), and +3 levels for the Mass versions.

 

[Arkhandus]

I have no idea how this is supposed to work.

Really needs the mechanics described clearly to understand what the heck it's supposed to do.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

I think you should take a look at the following two spells I've worked up:

Cure Wounds
Cure Wounds, Mass

 

[Quartz]

I have no idea how this is supposed to work.

Really needs the mechanics described clearly to understand what the heck it's supposed to do.

Think of it as a sort of Aid spell.

Some examples:

Tordek is a 5th level fighter with a base of 30 HP (plus +3 Con adjustments so 45 HP) and is unwounded. Jozan, a 5th level cleric, casts Lesser Energise on him, bringing Tordek to 65 HP. Tordek then takes 45 HP damage when an ogre crits him bringing him to 20 HP. When the spell expires, Tordek loses the temporary HP, which are already gone, and then is healed 5 HP, bringing him to 25 HP.

Tordek and Jozan are now 10th level, and Tordek has a base of 55 HP and +4 Con for 95 HP. Jozan casts Lesser Energise on him, maximising his first 5 HD, adding 20 HP as before. In a fierce combat, Tordek takes 90 HP damage leaving him on 5 HP, so Jozan casts Improved Energise, bringing Tordek to 140 HP. When this spell expires, Tordek is reduced to 5 HP, but is then healed 10 HP, leaving him on 15 HP. They retreat to rest up and heal.

The object is that adventurers can no longer say, "Heal me up, Scotty!" and ignore wounds.

 

[Arkhandus]

Still really poorly worded, and while I kinda understand your spell now, it still doesn't make sense for how it affects undead. Rewording and clarification needed.


At least I now understand what you mean as the intent of the spell, but I think it's really going to hurt a party's capacity to survive or fight multiple battles per day, or a really tough battle, at some point. I dunno without playtesting an actual couple of battles. I guess though your whole reason is to make survival tougher by removing the relative ease of actual healing?


Anyway, three problems I see with it at least from a mechanical standpoint. One, from how I think you describe it working, it means you have to keep record of how many hit points each character and NPC received at each level/hit die. Two, how's this going to affect the use of healing potions? Going to do away with Potions of Cure X Wounds, replace them with Potions of X Energise, that don't actually heal but just toughen you up for a bit? Three, the duration is rather short, so it will be tough to keep anyone Energised for long, and will rapidly use up spell slots if you have to keep re-Energising your party to keep them from dying of the next wound they suffer.

Also, question: will the Heal spell remain as-is? Likewise, the Inflict/Harm spells?

Oh, also, just thought of this: I don't recall how temporary HP work with regards to an unconscious/dying character, but if you Lesser Energise a dying character for, say, 5 HP, and he's at -9 to begin with, does he revive at first as though he had 5 HP, or does he just get treated as being at -4, losing 1 temporary HP each round until he loses all of them and then loses the last normal HP 1 round later and dying? And what if the Lesser Energise's duration lasts longer than the number of HP it grants remain around (frex, a 4th-level cleric casting it on a 1st-level wizard), to where the person bleeds to death before the spell ends and provides them with the bit of actual healing that it grants when finished?

Hmmm....also, does it count as maximizing the 1st-level hit die of a character, since their 1st-level HD is already maximized (and thus apparently grants no benefit with the spell)? So would Tordek in your first example actually be healed of 4 HP at the end, instead of 5, since the first HD was already maximized before the spell affected him?

 

[Quartz]

Still really poorly worded, and while I kinda understand your spell now, it still doesn't make sense for how it affects undead.

Simply because it's a positive energy spell.

Rewording and clarification needed.

I rather gathered that. I'd appreciate advice on rewording it.

I guess though your whole reason is to make survival tougher by removing the relative ease of actual healing?

Not quite: to make players more respectful of wounds.

Anyway, three problems I see with it at least from a mechanical standpoint. One, from how I think you describe it working, it means you have to keep record of how many hit points each character and NPC received at each level/hit die.

I had assumed a fixed number per level.

Two, how's this going to affect the use of healing potions? Going to do away with Potions of Cure X Wounds, replace them with Potions of X Energise, that don't actually heal but just toughen you up for a bit?

That's the thought. Makes ambushes more dangerous.

Three, the duration is rather short, so it will be tough to keep anyone Energised for long, and will rapidly use up spell slots if you have to keep re-Energising your party to keep them from dying of the next wound they suffer.

Good point. Perhaps the spells should be 1 min / level and Dismissable?

Also, question: will the Heal spell remain as-is? Likewise, the Inflict/Harm spells?

Heal / harm, yes. Heal has effects other than curing HP. I haven't got as far as the Inflict side yet but I can see a negative-Energy Energise working on undead. Note that Greater Energise will grant more temporary HP than Heal will cure, but they are temporary. A 20h level fighter with a Con of 26 and 1 HP remaining would be Greater Energised to 360 HP by a 20th level caster, but the temporary HP mostly go away at the end of the spell, leaving him on 21 HP whereas Heal gives permanent HP, leaving him on 151 HP.

Oh, also, just thought of this: I don't recall how temporary HP work with regards to an unconscious/dying character, but if you Lesser Energise a dying character for, say, 5 HP, and he's at -9 to begin with, does he revive at first as though he had 5 HP, or does he just get treated as being at -4, losing 1 temporary HP each round until he loses all of them and then loses the last normal HP 1 round later and dying? And what if the Lesser Energise's duration lasts longer than the number of HP it grants remain around (frex, a 4th-level cleric casting it on a 1st-level wizard), to where the person bleeds to death before the spell ends and provides them with the bit of actual healing that it grants when finished?

A character below 0 HP that is cured of at least 1 HP is automatically stabilised. As for your example, consider your 1st level wizard at -9 HP. He gets Energised so he gains 4 HP and his HP become -5. For the four rounds that the spell lasts, the mage does not stabilise, leaving him on -9, then the spell ends and he's cured 1 HP, putting him on -8 and stable.

Hmmm....also, does it count as maximizing the 1st-level hit die of a character, since their 1st-level HD is already maximized (and thus apparently grants no benefit with the spell)? So would Tordek in your first example actually be healed of 4 HP at the end, instead of 5, since the first HD was already maximized before the spell affected him?

The first HD still gets maximised. See my second example where Tordek has lost all but 5 HP.

 

[Arkhandus]

I meant how it affects undead still doesn't make sense. The fact that it is a positive energy spell is a DUH fact, and has nothing to do with it. That part really doesn't need pointing out.

What I meant is I can't grasp how it's supposed to affect them. The wording for how it works against them doesn't make much sense. I dunno if it does 6 damage per caster level, or if it does some other wierd amount of damage derived from calculating the undead's HP from every single hit die (remember that undead tend to have lotsa hit dice for their CR!) and then calculating how much damage it takes from every damage die of the spell? I dunno. It's confusing and I'm not sure how it's supposed to work.

 

[Quartz]

It does 1d6 damage per caster level. Says so right there in my OP.

 

[Quartz]

Here's a thought: drop the damage to undead and make these spells arcane spells. Clerics still get the actual healing spells, but now arcane casters can temporarily significantly boost HP.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Here's a thought: drop the damage to undead and make these spells arcane spells. Clerics still get the actual healing spells, but now arcane casters can temporarily significantly boost HP.

If you are going to do this I'd reecommend only giving it to bards, and if you are using Healers (if you are using that class) as a sp ability.