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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kinem" data-source="post: 5845651" data-attributes="member: 24234">Instead of trying to design spells for PF right away, maybe you should start by playing it (as a spellcaster).Anyway, the most important and interesting part of a spell (especially a new spell that you hope people will use) is the multi-paragraph description that gives all of the quirks, what-ifs, and various points of flavor that can be exploited by clever players in the right situations. This does not exist in 4E, of course.You have to see what spells already exist. The other thing is that you have to be careful about game balance. Your first proposed spell, "Force Shield" is obviously a rip-off of the regular spell Shield, and poorly designed. It potentially gives a +13 bonus to AC, much too much for a 1st level spell. (+13 is the max bonus a 20th level character can have in any given ability score, so any spell or ability that is based off an ability score should be considered as potentially +13 for balance evaluation.) Its bonus to Reflex saves makes it obviously more powerful than Shield even if the bonus were just +4, which again is no good. The regular Shield spell also protects against magic missile spells, which adds to its power a little but is very situational and thus OK. Any bonus also needs a type, in this case a shield bonus, so it won't stack with other shield effects.A casting time of an immediate action (which can be used as a reaction to being attacked) is very powerful, and spells like that should be very limited; typically they only last for 1 round.As paradox said, there's no such thing as an 'encounter' duration. You need to specify duration in terms of time.Finally, I'll note that focus items are rare for spells and make more sense for spells with unusual effects.</blockquote>

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