re:spells, replacing one energy type w/another What do you think?

[Spatula]

Ooh, do it for Freezing Hands!

Freezer burn, of course!

 

[paulewaug]

It is partly the fault of 3e which doesn't treat different energy types consistently (in the way that, say, "Elements of Magic" by Natural 20 Press does).

IMC and IMO the way that different elements in spells should be handled is via spell research for new spells.

I imagine that my opinion doesn't run with the crowd in this instance, but you did inquire after opinions!

Cheers

Hey Plane Sailing!...you are right I do want opinions, thanks!
I think that the research aspect is a good idea and can definately add a lot of flavor to the development of different spell aspects.
So this again brings up the entire issue of how a campaign handles magic.
I also agree that the Elements of Magic is a very good system (although IMO it does still need a Little work, and they seem to be doing that but hey what a task! What a system. I am impressed by all the work that has gone into it!). I will likely use it someday to run my game. (There Are a lot of things in it that I really like.)


coyote6 and Sejs:
that is a good point about sonics and Silence, I hadn't even thought of that (duh...).

Li Shenron
"btw, Force is not an energy type"

ahh, I suppose that's true..just like Negative Energy...not so much an "Energy Type" as much as the others actually being "Element types."

Thanks so far all the input, this is very helpful!
At this point I am planning on getting T&B and it looks like there is a bunch of other stuff in it that I will hopefully be using ,sooner or later, in my game. (I already have a player thinking about becoming an Alienest. heheh)

At this point I don't see any problem with "peripheral effects."
Things that could have burned before become flash frozen and break, or are ruined in some way, from the freezing.
(After all it's not Cryogenics, it would not have a preserving quality. Rather it would be a "reverse Fireball", kind of a quick-flash loss of all the heat from the affected things. Kinda like in Mortal Kombat..cool visual BTW IMO )

And Lightning can easily have the same affects/effects of fire. It starts fires and scorches/destroys things. Acid does tend to "burn" and dissolve stuff. So i don't see any real probelms there.

Granted Elements of Magic is a much more realistic/believable way to handle it, but there is a lot of stuff in the game of D&D that doesn't always fall in the real of believable/realistic. Cinemagraphic is the best term for the context of the things possible in this game IMO.
D&D = movies ( & video games -at worst)
EoM = written fantasy (What they were shooting for in the 1st place with that supplement.)

cool keep the ideas and opinions coming!

So far I am sold on the idea and think that T&B sounds useful.
And I think the Energy Substitution could be cool.

I will have to think about if I want the spells to be all seperate or go the "Feat method." Both ways seem to work at this point.
So Force is definatly out by way of Negative energy being out.

Maybe I'll call it "Element Substitution."

 

[Hypersmurf]

ahh, I suppose that's true..just like Negative Energy...

No, no, no... not "just like Negative Energy".

There are seven types of Energy Damage. Fire, Cold, Electricity, Sonic, Acid, Positive Energy, Negative Energy.

There are a lot of effects that involve only the first 5, but Positive and Negative Energy are both Energy types.

"Force" is not an Energy type. It's more like Holy or Unholy damage than Negative Energy, in that sense.

-Hyp.

 

[Suldulin]

Ooh, do it for Freezing Hands!

-Hyp.

Your spell drains the heat from the creatures, transfering it to flash and blaze around them, igniting nearby flammable objects while frost forms on the creature's skin