Sectumsempra's Severing Slash

[Ilium]

I like that. So the attacker gets to choose which limb is removed on a failed save, but can only choose "head" if he rolls a 20 on the attack roll. Unfortunately that leads to the situation where you roll a 20, confirm the crit, and the victim still makes his save so you "only" do double damage.

Maybe it should be vorpal on a 1 for the save. That way you combine the "something got cut off" with the vorpal effect in one roll.

 

[llamatron2000]

I actually considered that too, but erased it, thinking a 10% chance of decapitation was too much. In my opinion though, if you roll a 20, no save should be allowed. The target's just that screwed.

 

[Shazman]

Personally, I'd ditch the severing effect because there are no core rules that deal with it. Make it do 1d4 con damage plus 2 hit points of damage from blood loss until healed with no save. The severing part could be flavor, but the mechanics should be con damage.

 

[llamatron2000]

But there -are- core rules dealing with severing limbs. See the entry on Hydras, for instance. It isn't much, but its -something-. Anyways, there aren't very many core rules dealing with As for modifiers given, that's harder to deal with. And con damage makes this spell a whole different beast. At 8th level, the effect should be powerful. Like a polymorph or save-or-die.

Anyways, Polymorph Any Object can be used to the same effect, can't it? "I turn the fighter into a fighter with no arms or legs!", right? That'd be a permanent change, too. This is more limited.

Also: There's spells that heal back severed limbs. This is obviously for a purpose. Core rules or not, the devs obviously understood that some people will lose limbs.

The game requires a DM for a reason. And severed limbs is one of those things that happen, which should be adjudicated by the DM. Hell, the only limiting factor I'd put on it is that these severed limbs shouldn't be bleeding out, since other creatures that lose limbs don't have to deal with it either.(I'm really tempted to say 'muscular action' here)

 

[Ilium]

I actually considered that too, but erased it, thinking a 10% chance of decapitation was too much. In my opinion though, if you roll a 20, no save should be allowed. The target's just that screwed.

I didn't mean a 20 on the attack roll OR a 1 on the save. I meant JUST the 1 on the save, for a 5% chance of decapitation. That way you know you failed (rolled a 1) AND you know the effect. All with one die roll.

You still have to roll to hit (and if you roll a 20 you can crit for double damage) but the severing is all encapsulated in the save.

 

[llamatron2000]

I didn't mean a 20 on the attack roll OR a 1 on the save. I meant JUST the 1 on the save, for a 5% chance of decapitation. That way you know you failed (rolled a 1) AND you know the effect. All with one die roll.

You still have to roll to hit (and if you roll a 20 you can crit for double damage) but the severing is all encapsulated in the save.

That works too, of course. And actually....now that I think about it, its more like what...a 7.5% chance of death?(being lazy on math here). Its probably fun if either result screws the enemy, now that I think about it, and its still less powerful than polymorph any object.

 

[Meeki]

Why don't you just spell out the effects of your limb being severed by this particular spell. You can have a random chart, but it needs to be spelled out more clearly. Maybe something like:

Minor Failure: D4
1- Auditory organ is severed target is deafened for d4 rounds.
2- Finger or finger like appendage is severed -X on skill checks, attack rolls utilizing that limb ect
3- Arm damaged blah blah
4- Leg damaged blah blah

Something like that. Have a chart for each of the different severities although I would shave it down to just two types of failure. 10 or more and between 5 and 10. Or something like that, because that is a pretty big penalty to have from a spell.

 

[Pyrex]

I tend to agree with a couple of the posters above. Trying to mechanically define limb-loss is a quagmire best not worried about. How about the following to model it?

1) Ranged-touch attack to hit for 10d6. This attack is considered Vorpal.
2) On a failed save, the target takes 1d6 damage each (rolled seperately) to STR, DEX and CON as the slashing attack severs tendons, muscles and blood vessels.

 

[RangerWickett]

I really want to cut off limbs with this thing.

Sectumsempra’s Severing Slash
Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Medium (100 ft.+10 ft./level)
Effect: One blade of force
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

A crescent-shaped blade of force flies from you to your target, causing a grievous cutting wound. Make a ranged attack, with an attack bonus of your caster level plus your Intelligence or Charisma modifier. As a force effect, it can strike ethereal and incorporeal creatures. A creature or object struck takes 10d6 points of damage.

When you cast this spell, you can choose a specific limb, body part, or other exposed piece of your target to try to sever. If you do, you take a -4 penalty to your attack roll, but the target must make a Fortitude save or have that piece cut off. The lost limb incurs appropriate penalties to the creature's actions, but causes no additional damage.

If you attempt to sever something that would kill or destroy the target, the target gets a +20 bonus to its save (but automatically fails if the damage dealt to it kills it anyway).

 

[Pyrex]

Ok, so what does severing a leg do?
What does it do to a creature with more than two legs?
How about a dragon's wing?
Beholders Eyestalks?
A Unicorn's horn?
How many limbs does a Monk have to lose before it starts affecting his Unarmed Attack routine?

I've no problem with describing the spell as damaging/disabling body parts, but it's really gnarly ground. Which is why I recommended simulating said severing with ability damage. (true, it would mean it wouldn't work on undead but...)