Some spells I've been working on...

[Ibram]

Here are some spells I've created, its a fairly large spread as far as power level goes.

I'd like to hear what ya'll think. are they balanced for their level? Does the wording make sense?

Arcane Weapon
High Magic [Enchantment]
Level: 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: One Full Round
Target: One Weapon
Range: Touch
Duration: One minute per level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Description:
With this spell the caster infuses a weapon with arcane power. This grants the weapon an enhancement bonus equal to the casters primary casting modifier. The weapon counts as magical for the duration of the spell.

Blessed Barrier
Light [Protection]
Level: 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 30 minutes
Area of effect: Area equal to one 10 foot square per caster level
Duration: 2 hours per caster level
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
Description:
With this spell the caster creates a barrier that unnatural creatures cannot pass with ease. Undead or spirits who encounter the barrier must make a will save to pass across it. This save can be attempted once every hour; if someone attacks a daemon or undead across the barrier then the barrier collapses.
Material Components: Ritual components including charms or talismans to mark the perimeter of the spell, the total cost is 10 silver per 10ft.

Consume Life
Dark [Necromancy]
Level: 5
Components: V, S, M, L
Casting Time: One Hour
Range: Personal
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: None
Description:
This horrific spell allows the caster to regain his lost youth through the act of cannibalism. For every HD of the target the casters age is reduced by one month. Note that though the body does not have to be living it must be fresh (dead no more then a day or so).
Material Components: the body of a humanoid creature
Location: This spell can only be cast on unhallowed or desecrated ground

Feet of Lead
Elemental [Earth]
Level: 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: Standard action
Target: One Creature
Range: 25 ft + 5 ft per ½ caster level
Duration: 1 round per ½ caster level
Saving Throw: Fort Negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
Description:
This spell weighs down the target, causing them to move slowly. While under the effect of this spell the target has his movement halved (rounded down), in addition the target receives a -2 penalty to all reflex saves and a -5 penalty to all tumble, jump, and swim checks.

 

[Michael Morris]

Here are some spells I've created, its a fairly large spread as far as power level goes.

I'd like to hear what ya'll think. are they balanced for their level? Does the wording make sense?

You need to read the descriptions of *all* the existing spells before writing new ones.

Arcane Weapon - broken, compare to magic weapon and greater magic weapon.
Blessed Barrier - broken, compare to repulsion and forbiddance
Consume Life - broken, compare to limited wish, wish or miracle. This must have an XP component to begin to balance regardless of level.
Feet of Lead - broken, compare to slow.

You also need to learn what the schools of magic are, what they represent and which ones are approrpriate to the spells you wish to create. You should not try to create new schools until you have practice with the existing ones.

In short, go back and re-read the last two chapters of the PHB and try again.

Edit: Additional do not do

Do not use non-standard variant ranges. Use Close (25' + 5' / 2 levels) Medium (100' + 10' / level) or Long (400' + 100' / level) only. Using custom ranges adds an unnecessary and unwanted complication to the game.

 

[Hodgie]

I like Consume Life (although I agree that the others are more than just powerful).

Two questions though:
(a) Why intelligence 7? Stupid people don't count? I would suggest making it intelligence 3+ as that is in line with 'intelligent creatures'
(b) it should have an evil descriptor.

I would also consider having consume life have a drawback of sorts. Perhaps an XP penalty as suggested, but something more flavorful would also work.

 

[glass]

First off, please don use font tags like that. Book Antiqua may be a very nice font, but it's not easy to read on screen! Now, everyone has already told you that your spells are overpowered, so I'll focus a bit more on the details (call it nit-picking, if you like).

Arcane Weapon
High Magic [Enchantment]
Level: 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: One Full Action
Target: One Weapon
Range: Touch
Duration: One minute per level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Description:
With this spell the sorcerer infuses a weapon with arcane power. This grants the weapon an enchantment bonus equal to the casters primary casting modifier. The weapon counts as magical for the duration of the spell.

There is no such things a 'One Full Action'. I assume you mean 'One Full Round'.

Target should say 'Wepon touched'.

Level should specify what classes that level spplies to.

Why specifically mention sorcrers in the spell description? Is there seom campaign specific reason why the spell is sorcerer only? If so, why 'primary casting modifier' on the next line. If it is meant to be sorcerer on, why not just say Charisma bonus. If not, you probably want to find a better way of phrasing it than 'primary casting modifier'. In either case, you should probably say bonus rather than modifier -Otherwise, the spell becomes a curse and rewards a low score.

Finally, in D&D, you enhance a weapon, you don't enchant it. There is no such things as an enchantment bonus, and adding one would be really confusing.

I get the impression that the spells you have posted are part of a much larger set of house rule, and its possible that a lot of the above comments would become irrelevant in the the face of your variant magic rules.

Sorry if all this sounds harsh, but I am trying to be constructive.


glass.

 

[glass]

Blessed Barrier
Area of effect: Area equal to 10 square feet per caster level

I think you mean one 10ft square per caster level. 10 square feet does not even cover one space.

Consume Life
Components: V, S, M, L
Location: This spell can only be cast on unhallowed or desecrated ground

I assume the L component is for location? I like it, but again, we seem to missing a lot of introductory info.

Feet of Lead
Casting Time: One action
Range: 24 ft + 5 ft per ½ magic bonus
Duration: 1 round per ½ magic bonus

Odd range and duration (especially 24 ft+...). And what is a magic bonus? Also, probably 'one standard action' casting time.


glass.

 

[Ibram]

thanks for the info, I went back and edited the spells somewhat.

The school info is setting specific. In short spells from Dark/Light are cleric spells, High/Elemental are wizard. also anyone IMC who uses magic is refered to as a sorceror (I went back and changed sorceror to caster).

Arcane Weapon: does seem a bit powerful, perhapse 1/2 primary spell casting modifier would work instead. since the range is touch and the target is one weapon does it realy need to say "one weapon touched"?

Blessed Barrier: I changed the wording on the area to be a bit clearer, since the spell only effects unnatural creatures (daemons, undead, ect...) then I dont think its TO powerful at its level. It will mostly hold back lower level creatures, and with the material cost and casting time it wont be cast all that often.

Consume Life: I'm experimenting with adding additional components to spells, IMO that lets spells be a bit more powerful for their level. The two additional components are L (location) and T (time). This spell can only be cast on desecrated/unhallowed ground which serves to limit it somewhat. Perhapse it should cost an ability point as well, say Con or Cha? the 7 int requirement was to make sure that it was used on sentient creatures, I've changed it to be range personal, and a material component of "a humanoid creature".

Feet of Lead: Fixed the wierd typo on the range and duration.

 

[Ibram]

Two more spells from my sorcery file. Both are available to clerics, with Blessed Sight also being found on the paladins spell list.

Blessed Sight
Light [Judgment]
Level: 1
Components: V, S
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 minute per level
Saving throw: None
Spell Resistance: None
Description:
Through this spell the casters ability to detect lies and falsehoods increases. While under the effect of this spell the caster gains a +5 divine bonus to sense motive and spot checks, the caster also gains a +2 bonus to saves vs. spells from the sphere of Illusion.

Deaths Grasping Hand
Dark [Necromancy]
Level: 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: Standard Action
Target: One living creature (cannot target outsiders, undead, or constructs)
Range: 25ft + 5ft per Level
Saving Throw: Fort ½
Spell Resistance: Yes
Description:
Through this spell the caster unleashes a bold of necromantic energy, draining away part of the targets life energy. This spell is a ranged attack; it deals 2d8 + Wisdom bonus in necromantic energy and heals the caster for ½ damage dealt. If the target makes her save then the damage is reduced by ½ and the caster receives no healing.

 

[domino]

Hmm. Ranged v touch
2d8 v 1d6/caster level
fort save for half v no save
half damage into hit points v full damage into hp
permanent hp v temporary

The ranged attack makes me thing it's a bit broken compared to vampiric touch, but not by much. It would be a lot worse if it scaled with level, so it seems ok to me.

 

[moritheil]

Replace "a bit powerful" with "horrifically overpowered" and you have a better idea of how broken it is. Arcane Weapon absolutely must be higher level, regardless of whether or not you halve the bonus it gives. In fact, it's not even the place of a mage to do such a thing, so normally it would take a Limited Wish to do something like this (7th level, IIRC).

Yes, it really does need to say one weapon touched. Stick with convention.

Arcane Weapon: does seem a bit powerful, perhapse 1/2 primary spell casting modifier would work instead. since the range is touch and the target is one weapon does it realy need to say "one weapon touched"?

 

[Michael Morris]

Replace "a bit powerful" with "horrifically overpowered" and you have a better idea of how broken it is. Arcane Weapon absolutely must be higher level, regardless of whether or not you halve the bonus it gives. In fact, it's not even the place of a mage to do such a thing, so normally it would take a Limited Wish to do something like this (7th level, IIRC).

Yes, it really does need to say one weapon touched. Stick with convention.

First he needs to learn it - which he obviously hasn't.

Ibram - I'm not trying to be mean here though I can see how the post can be read that way. You simply need to work with the existing spells first before designing your own. You need to understand what the current spells do so that you can use them as a reference when deciding the level of your new spells. And this takes time to do.

Take it from a guy that's written over 700 spells for 3e and 3.5. Spellcrafting is not something you can learn to do overnight or without researching the existing spells.