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New spells, comments appreciated

monboesen

Explorer
A player has suggested the following spells. After my own changes they look like this. Please comment on any balance issues.

Bats Ears
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Targets: Creature touched
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The subject gains the Blindsight ability with a range of 60 ft. The sense is based on echolocation and cannot distinguish colors. Magical deafness or silence defeats the Blindsight.

Hindenweldts Resonant Barrier
Evocation
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V,S
Casting Time:1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft + 10ft/level)
Effect: Wall whose area is up to one 10 ft. square/level or a sphere or hemisphere with a radius of up to 1 ft./level (D)
Duration: Concentration +1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will half/negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

The spell creates an invisible but highly audible wall. One side of the wall emanates deafening noise and any creature within 10 ft. of that side of the wall must make a Will save or be Dazed for 1 rd. and Deafened for as long as they stay in the area and for 1d4 rounds after leaving it. Those within 20 ft. must make a Fortitude save or Deafened for as long as they stay in the area and for 1d4 rounds after leaving it. Spellcasting with somatic (S) components within 30 ft. of the wall requires Concentration checks with DC 15+1 per spell level of the spell attempted. Anyone passing the wall will take 1d8+1/2 caster level points of sonic damage (maximum 1d8+10).

Thunderstomp
Evocation
Level: 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 level)
Effect: Cone
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half/Will neg
Spell Resistance: Yes

By muttering the arcane phrases of this spell and then stomping his foot to the ground the caster creates a sonic shockwave capable of damaging, pushing and stunning creatures in the area of effect. The shockwave does 1d6 points of damage/3 caster levels (maximum 8d6). A successful Reflex save halves the damage. In addition affected creatures must make a Will Save or be Dazed for 1 rd. Lastly the shockwave bull rushes affected creatures with a Strength score of 15 + 1 /caster level. The shockwave pushes creatures back in a straight line from the caster and no longer than to the limit of the cones length. Bull rushed creatures are not pushed fast or hard enough to take damage from hitting walls or objects.

Unravel Matter
Transmutation
Level: 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft + 10ft/level)
Targets: 1 creature
Duration: 1 round per level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This complicated spell reverses the principles used in shadow magic, slowly dissolving the target of the spell from matter into illusion and eventually non-existence. When attacked by the spell the target must make a Will save or lose part of his connection with reality and be transformed into shadow matter. He will become slightly transparent and semisolid. Due to his shadowy nature any attacks or spells will only do 60 % of their normal damage, if the affected creature uses spells or abilities that does not do damage they only have 60 % of their normal effect (i.e. sleep spell affects 2d4*0,6 hd), in case of an all or nothing effect (i.e. Charm person) it is only 60 % likely to work. The next round the target must save again or be reduced to be 20 % real, doing only 20 % damage, attacks and spells only have 20 % of normal effect or only has 20 % chance of affecting the victim etc. and the target must save again the following round. If this final save is failed the target is transformed into an illusion, not capable of interacting with reality except by vision and sound as the Minor Image spell, he is also invulnerable to any effect except those that could affect illusions (i.e. Dispel magic, which will affect the target as were he a 4 level spell by the caster). The illusionary state lasts for 1d4 rounds by the end of this time the illusion disappears forever and the target dies. If any of the three Will saves are successful the spell stops progressing but the target remains in his present state for the duration of the spell.

Pop goes the Boulder
Conjuration
Level: 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft + 10ft/level)
Effect: One summoned boulder per level (max 15)
Duration: 1 min/level
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: None

For the duration of the spell the caster can summon one large boulder each round on his initiative as a free action (to a maximum of 15 boulders). The boulder appears in midair and plummets towards the ground. The caster can summon the boulder above a creature. A falling boulder does 4d6 points of damage and a succesfull reflex save halves the damage.
 
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monboesen said:
Pop goes the Boulder
Conjuration
Level: 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft + 10ft/level)
Effect: One summoned boulder per level
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: None

For the duration of the spell the caster can summon one large boulder each round as a free action. The boulder appears in midair and falls towards the ground. The caster can make a ranged touch attack by summoning the boulder above a creature. A falling boulder does 3d6 points of damage.

That one made me chuckle. I'm not sure if it should be a free action to do it, or a move action. It should definitely not be a touch attack; the boulder is physical, not an energy ray or something, and physical damaging things don't do touch attacks, in general. For instance, a boulder hurled by a giant is not a touch attack.
 

Eyes of the Bat has the potential for serious abuse if 3.0 darkness is in the game; after one battle in which the cleric cast Darkness and FR's Blindsight and proceeded to wipe out everyone else on the battlemat, we all agreed that PCs should have a much harder time getting access to Blindsight. Think on this one carefully.

I'd give Pop Goes the Weasel a reflex save instead of a ranged attack. It's more in keeping with how similar spells such as Call Lightning works, and you also avoid making it extra-nasty for arcane tricksters, who otherwise get an extra free sneak-attack every single round while the spell is in effect.

Daniel
 

Good advice from both of you. I have changed Pop goes the boulder a bit to include some of the advice. Compared to Call Lightning Storm (same level) its a arcane spell (usually does better damage), does 1d6 less damage, has shorter range, has no energy type and avoids spellresistance. Perhaps its actually a bit weak ?

And we are firmly within 3,5 rules, so no Darkness/Blindsight combination and as they already have acces to Darkvision I don't think its a spell that will see much use.

DanMcS. The spell that made me laugh (or rather go "Ohh thats cool") was the Unravel matter spell. The terror of being subjected to the spell, slowly feeling yourself getting less and less real to end as an illusion and eventually fade out is just cruel.

The spell I'm actually most unsure about is the Thunderstomp. It does an awfull lot of different things (damage, daze and moves targets) at the same time.
 
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