Seeking a balanced Disjunction variant

[dok]

I'm toying with changing the Disjunction spell. Not the whole thing, just how magic items are affected.

As it stands now, each item rolls a save. Failure means the item is rendered nonmagical, (not 'broken', which is 1/2 cost to re-enhance, but totally ruined) and success means no effect whatsoever.

I don't really care for the 'totally ruined' effect, especially since
a.) as a Will save, some characters are going to be much more hurt than others, and
b.) since '1' is an automatic failure, cast against an 18th-20th level party, the spell is going to destroy a large $ amount of goods.

I was considering having the magic item effect be similar to the 'area dispel' effect that Disjunction currently has. All items (no save) in the area are rendered temporarily inert & nonmagical (for say, 1 minute or 1 minute/level), but suffer no other effects and function as normal after the duration ends.

Is the "give" (no longer destroys, just suppresses for a period of time) good enough to justify the "take" (all items in the area, no saving throws) or should I just leave the spell 'as-is'.

 

[the Jester]

It is a ninth-level spell.

The ability of pcs to buy magic items (at least in many campaigns) and the predominance of magic items in treasure hordes is balanced by the game's many ways of taking magic items away (rust monsters, oozes, M's disjunction, disenchanters, green slime, etc)... I wouldn't change it.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I keep it the same except magical items are suppressed for 1d4 minutes instead of made non-magical. This actually makes it more powerful for the PCs while giving it the same benefit for the NPCs, however. PCs don't have to worry about destroying their treasure, and NPCs will generally be dead (or the encounter will at least be over) before the magical items regain their power anyway, usually.

 

[Ferret]

Conjunction
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./level)
Targets: one creature with eyes
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fort
Spell Resistance: No

This evil, evil spell causes the victims eyes to crust over, not only does this blind the poor fool, it also deals 1d6 points of temporary con damage. After 1 hour +10 min/caster level both the blindness and con damage wear off. If you take a full round action to clear your eyes you can pause the crusting of your eyes for 1d4 rounds.

Wait..not..damn.....