About Epic Spells
Thanx for the tip ashockney , was nice reading. For the others, Andy Collins' post is
here.
About what I changed and why.
First the why: First of all, IMC I have a rather low-magick world. This goes especially for the number and power of items, and I feel the power of casters should at least in a minor way be equalized. Secondly, I am by definition against spells that give no saving throw, and I am against spells that have a permanent duration. This goes both ways, to my and to my players benefit. Thirdly, Save-or-Die is more in the disadvantage than in the advantage of the players. Even though I do have lots of smart baddies that rather live to fight another day and so have been harrassing the players for about 8 levels now, the players have to survive every encounter (well at least, almost every one); I am allowed to fail a save now and then...
Finally, the Save-or-Die can accidentally turn an encounter that was either meant to merely scare the characters or to be the big-bad-climactic-enbattle into an anti-climax. All not befitting the campaign, and not what my players nor my baddies deserver after lots of levels building up tension and hate.
So, what did I change. Remember that though it may work for my campaign, it may not work for yours.
Shield
Since we almost never play with the battlegrid the spell now gives just a +2 AC (and the immunity agains MM) exactly as if it were a normal shield. Therefore, it is compatible with Mage Armor and ordinary suits of armor, but not with ordinary shields (it gives a special shield armor bonus just as a shield does). Also, it can now be cast on others with range touch.
Blindness/Deafness
Duration down to hours or days per level
Geas/Quest
Added a savingthrow
Feeblemind
Duration down to 1d4+1 rounds. I've already had quite a discussion about int 1 creatures, and this spell effectively makes the target an almost mindless animal that only reacts to the FFF impulses. It is either Fighting (if it thinks it has a chance), Fearful, or Fleeing (from the Fear, Fight, Flight). This is bad enough for most spellcasters, no need to add to the insult to make it permanent (remember the save-or-die).
Haste
After the duration, the character is fatigued (as per the DMG). I did however add a new 1st level Clr spell (0 level for Travel domain) Remove Fatigue. Also nice for those characters wanting to sleep in armor.
Harm
Added a saving throw. A failed save does death, a succesfull save does 1d6 per caster level damage. (It had no saving throw at all at first).
These were the most important changes, if I remember some more I will tell them.
Luck!
Chris
my question to you is: what would you consider underpowered spells?
