New Spell/Magic Item: Elemental Buffer

[nameless]

This spell is basically an improved Endure Elements, meant as a magic bullet against Flaming/Shocking/Frost/Screaming/Corrosive weapons. I was also toying with adding a level 5 spell that improves this to Resistance to 20. For magic armor, I'd put this ability at a +3, or standard price for a level 2 spell on other items. Tell me if you think I'm being a munchkin, that's about the only way to get through to me.

-nameless

Elemental Buffer
Abjuration
Level: Sor/Wiz 2, Clr 2
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 full round
Range: Touch
Target: Creature Touched
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: Will (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes

Elemental Buffer grants the user the following resistances: Fire Resistance 5, Cold Resistance 5, Electricity Resistance 5, Acid Resistance 5, Sonic Resistance 5. Each round, the first 5 damage from any of the preceding damage types is negated.

Like Endure Elements, Elemental Buffer protects the target's equipment, but does not protect the target from other side effects, such as drowning in acid, or being deafened by a sonic attack.

 

[Sagan Darkside]

It looks solid to me.

One question:

Each round, the first 5 damage from any of the preceding damage types is negated.

Does this mean if I take sonic damage - some of that is negated/reduced, but if I take fire damage in the same round that that damage is not negated/reduced?

SD

 

[nameless]

Er, I intended it to be separate 5 point reductions in each damage type. So it would (mostly) negate a Flaming, Shocking, Screaming Rapier's elemental damage all at once, just for instance.

Do you think it belongs at level 2, or level 3 though? That's my biggest concern.

-nameless

 

[Xeriar]

Probably level 3, reduce the duration to 10 minutes/level.

 

[Forrester]

In my opinion, unless you're playing in a campaign where everyone is walking around with flaming frost shocking acid weapons, this is not a 3rd level spell -- certainly not a 3rd level spell at 10min/level. The protection it grants against is pretty damn small.

I'd probably make it 3rd level and keep it one hour/level, OR, perhaps much better, make it 2nd level at one hour/level BUT it only protects against 5 points/round. So if you're dealt 3 points of acid damage and 3 points of fire damage in the same round (or in the same hit, even), it only protects against a total of 5 points of damage -- one point (randomly) is going to get through.

 

[nameless]

Here's my thinking on the level issue. A bunch of Endure Elements spells will last for 24 hours, and protect against each element separately. And that's a level 1 spell. Going up between level 1 and level 2 spells is roughly a threefold power increase (IMO). Given that, it's reasonable to assume that a level 2 spell could offer the same protection as Endure Elements, but against three times as many threats. In most cases, protecting against 3 intelligently selected damage types is adequate to protect against all the damage types encountered during the spell's duration.

For simplicity's sake, and because the practical power increase is negligible, I lowered the duration a bit (though it's still high enough to last most of the adventuring day), and simply gave resistance to all 5 energy types.

Given the feedback I'm receiving, this is probably right on as a level 2 spell *grin*, so I'll probably playtest it a little bit going on that.

-nameless