New spells for critiquing

[Eraslin]

Hi all,
I'm trying to come up with a new line of single-target damage spells for the transmutation school. Here's what I've come up with . I'm pretty comfortable with the damage levels for the level 1 through level 3 versions of the spell, but I'm unsure on the damages for the level 4 and 5 versions. I'm also fairly torn on the save type; both will and fortitude make sense to me. Any opinions or suggestions are welcome.

-Eraslin

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Eliad's Agony, Lesser
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
SR: Yes
Save: No

This spell painfully transfigures the target's skin, flesh, and bones causing
them to tear, rip, and break. This causes 1d4+1 points of damage to the target
per 2 caster levels to a maximum of 5d4+5 damage.
Damage eval: Min = 2 x Clvl/2, Avg = 3.5 x Clvl/2, Max = 5 x Clvl/2
@ max CLvl(9): min = 10, avg = 17.5, max = 25
Power comparison:
This is, essentially, a single-target magic missile with slightly different
flavour.

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Eliad's Agony, Minor
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Save: Will, half

As Eliad's Agony, Lesser except this spell deals 1d4+1 damage per caster
level to a maximum of 10d4+10 damage.
Damage eval: Min = 2 x Clvl, Avg = 3.5 x Clvl, Max = 5 x Clvl
@ max CLvl(10): min = 20, avg = 35, max = 50
Power comparison:
More dmg, but less utility than Melf's Acid Arrow.
Less potential dmg than Flaming Sphere
Thoughts: Reduce damage die to 1d4?

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Eliad's Agony
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Save: Will, half

As Eliad's Agony, Lesser except this spell deals 1d6+1 damage per caster
level to a maximum of 10d6+10 damage.
Damage eval: Min = 2 x Clvl, Avg = 4.5 x Clvl, Max = 7 x Clvl
@ max CLvl(10): min = 20, avg = 45, max = 70
Power comparison:
Slightly more single-target damage than fireball/lighting bolt.
Substantially less dmg potential than either spell.

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Eliad's Agony, Major
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Save: Will, half

As Eliad's Agony, Lesser except this spell deals 1d6+2 damage per caster
level to a maximum of 15d6+30 damage.
Damage eval: Min = 3 x Clvl, Avg = 5.5 x Clvl, Max = 8 x Clvl
@ max CLvl(15): min = 45, avg = 82.5, max = 120
Power comparison:
Slightly more (+2/die) single-target damage than the *Orb spells from T&B,
but lacks the utility of those spells (multiple targets, and added special
effect).

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Eliad's Agony, Greater
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Save: Will, half

As Eliad's Agony, Lesser except this spell deals 2d4+2 damage per caster
level to a maximum of 30d4+30 damage.
Damage eval: Min = 4 x Clvl, Avg = 7 x Clvl, Max = 10 x Clvl
@ max CLvl(15): min = 60, avg = 105, max = 150
Power comparison:
Substantially more single-target damage then cone of cold
Less deadly than disintegrate
A little less damage than 3.5e disintegrate
Thoughts:
Bump to Level 6?
Keep as Level 5, but reduce damage somehow?

 

[Beholder Bob]

1st the name includes the word agony, but other then damage, none of these spells are painful nor inconvienent. A group of spells that just do damage add little in flavor, and a big jump up these spells have is that they do not list the damage type (bypassing immunities to various damage types). Add pain & or inconvienence - hard time moving, loss of STR or DEX, make 1/2 of dmg subdual perhaps?

2nd magic missile is outer limits 1st level spell, the absolute upper edge, and from a school known for its ability to dmg folks. Also, since it has no type, it can get creatures immune to or protected from force/mg missile. Do not use it as a base for your spell. Your 2nd lv does better then Acid Arrow (no duration, which is both good and bad, and while flame sphere can do more, it takes caster effort each round and save negates). Your 3rd lv does better then lightning (vs a single foe, but w non-type dmg). These need to do much less damage, you are exceeding the limits.

3rd damage spells (such as burning hands) were taken out of alteration in 3.5. Alteration spells did too much already. Perhaps, unless you are stuck on doing dmg:

1st: does 1 subdual/r (save negate), and suffer -1 to hit & will saves.
2nd: does d2 subdual/r (save negate), and suffer as above plus mv 1/2
3rd: does d4 subdual/r (" "), and suffer " and d3 dex & str for duration only
4th: does d6, 1/2 is subdual/r (" "), and suffer " and d6 dex & str "

Anyways, that is my gut reaction (I know, what did I eat?).

 

[Eraslin]

Good thoughts, I hadn't even considered that the damage listed is untyped. We don't tend to encounter very many creatures with any sort of energy damage reduction, so I tend to forget that it exists.

As for flavour, the point of the spells is to be a line of damaging transmutation spells not so much a line of ability debuffs. They'll be researched by a transmuter who has an extreme lack of damaging spells. What's your opinion of changing the flavour to something along the lines of:

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Eliad's Agony, Lesser.
Duration: 1 round

This spell painfully transfigures the target's skin, flesh, and bones causing them to tear, rip, and break. This causes 1d3 points of damage to the target per round per 2 caster levels to a maximum of 5d3 damage per round. While the spell is in effect the target suffers a -1 penalty to all skill checks and attack rolls.

Damage: Min: 1/2Clvl; Avg = 1.5/2Clvl; Max = 3/2Clvl
@ max Clvl (9): Min = 5; Avg = 7.5; Max = 15
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L2: 1d3 dmg / Clvl; max 10d3; same penalties
L3: 1d4 dmg/ Clvl; max 10d4; penalties increased to -2
L4: 1d4+1 dmg/ Clvl; max 15d4+15; same penalties as L3 version
L5: 1d6 dmg/Clvl; max 15d6; penalties increased to -3

-Eraslin

 

[Beholder Bob]

I like this much more - though it looks like 1st & 2nd do the same dmg and have the same duration until you reach 11th level - is the 2nd lv 1 r/lv instead of 1/2 lv?

 

[Eraslin]

Oh yes, sorry. The L1 version is the only one with a 1/2 die progression. The L2+ versions are the listed damage dice per caster level.

So, a 10th level caster would do 5d3 with the first level spell, 10d3 with the second level spell, 10d4 with the third, 10d4+10 with the fourth, and 10d6 with the fifth.

Thanks for the help.

-Eraslin

Edit: Also to clarify. The spells all have the same duration (namely 1 round). It's a fast, painful, transformation... I listed the damages as dmg/round only because the spell could potentially be effected by the extend spell feat.