Spells and effects that aren't in the books

[Crothian]

One of the things I do a lot is have spells and magicaly effects that don't exist in the books. I don't actually write the spells up I just describe what they do. It's rare that a player ever gains access to the spells because they are specialized spells. For instance tonight the group will probably run into a priest of the water god. He will have spells that only priests of the water god have access to. Since none of the players are clerics, it's highly doubtful that they will ever have need to know the spells.

I know a lot of DMs feel that they have to take things from the same sources as the players to keep things fair. I've always felt that as long as what I'm created is fair (at least in my mind) it should be okay.

So, what is you all's opinions of DMs creating things for the NPCs that the players never get to use either by design or circumstance?

 

[Grazzt]

I've always felt that as long as what I'm created is fair (at least in my mind) it should be okay.

So, what is you all's opinions of DMs creating things for the NPCs that the players never get to use either by design or circumstance?

I agree Croth-. And I too have done the same thing on occassion mostly with spells or special abilities. Havent done it lately, but I have done it in the past.

 

[Henry]

I've done it, too, and it REALLY adds to the suspension of disbelief in my games, and refreshes some of the "lost mystery."

Recently, I described the site of an ancient battle in a throne room to my players. When I got to the stalactite shooting out of the roof, and the elf skeleton pinned through the ribcage to the floor by that stalactite, I had one of the wizard players exclaiming, "Hmh. Now how in the did they do THAT!?!?!"

TO describe an effect that isn't a normal spell gives you not only the sense that "this is something new," but it gives you a marvelous plot hook when your players go SEEKING that marvelous new power.

 

[Czhorat]

You might want to formalize things a little bit for the sake of balance. Even if you aren't going to hand a spell out to the players, you ought to know its level, range, area of effect, duration, etc. If you make all these things up on the fly there'd be too great a temptation to cheat, either in favor of or against the characters.

You should also be careful in how many specialized spells you create. While it's unlikely that one of your players would multiclass to a cleric of a god with a water domain, what if it did happen and that player asked about that cool water spell he saw? If you look through the PH, you'll see that relatively few cleric spells are restricted to one domain only. THe idea of using specialized magic effects probably adds more flavor, but if you use it too often it will start to feel as if you're cheating. In my opinion, players should be able to pull MOST of the tricks they see evil spellcasters using.

 

[Mercule]

As long as it's theoretically possible for the PCs to learn it -- or there's a good reason why not -- I'd have no problem.

 

[Zappo]

I'm with Mercule. I don't like stuff that the PCs can't have just because they are PCs - but aside from that, it's OK. I let NPC spellcasters have custom spells and items all the time; since they, too, can do research and make magical items, it's only reasonable.

 

[alsih2o]

i do it all the time, and if they go bonkers for it i have a new plot hook for them to aquire the power

 

[Crothian]

I'm with Mercule. I don't like stuff that the PCs can't have just because they are PCs - but aside from that, it's OK. I let NPC spellcasters have custom spells and items all the time; since they, too, can do research and make magical items, it's only reasonable.

It's not that they can't have it because they are PCs. It's they can't have it because they are not of right class or race. There is only one spellcaster in the group and it's a Mage Blade (from Arcana Unearthed). I don't feel domains do even to make clerics of different gods seem different. So, I add what I call god spells. They are like domain spells except they are granted by a certain god instead of just a domain. Many of these spells I have little notes on but have never taken the time to define them all. I have Wizards who create their own spells. So, these spells would be availible to a Wizard who took the time to try to research them.

 

[Zappo]

Yep, that sounds just like the kind of stuff I do all the time.

Tangentially... I, too, feel that domains don't do enough to make clerics of different deities really stand out. So, I sometimes substitute the turn undead power for clerics of specific deities with another power. I design this power so that, like turning, it is only useful in specific circumstances, where it is very useful. For example, I have a player who is playing a priest of a god of silence. It's a minor god, so I wanted to give him a less powerful ability than turning. He can't turn undead, but he can instead counter sound-based effects. It has been of great help to the party in several instances.

 

[Henry]

Interesting side note - In one session, my PC's came across a high-level wizard and his entourage fighting an enormous dragon. At the end of the encounter, the Wizard cast the Osseus Eruptus spell from Arcane Strife - and the dragon failed its save. The look on the PC wizard's face was worth the price of admission.

Arcane Strife (Henry does Pimp Dance) contains plenty of jaw-dropping spells in this vein, already statted out and ready to go, just in case one of your wizards DOES want the power. Go for it!!!