Variant spell descriptions

[Destil]

I do this a lot. For example, Flame strike could be...

The sky seems to momentarily part and azure moonbeams play across the area, terribly searing everything within (cleric of a blue moon).

The halfling invokes the name of Ontnar, raising her hammer, then swings it down with great force through the air. It stops level with the ground, as if she had struck a blow on an invisible object, the ground below your feet shudders and cracks appear across it, horrid gouts of flame rising from them. (cleric of Ontnar, Eberron, god of the forge and creation, warhammer favored weapon)

There's a sound like a crashing wave that rises with his voice, followed by a jet of steam that boils flesh. (cleric of the seas)

 

[jasin]

I've played an earth shugenja whose shield of faith I described as chunks of stone and earth being ripped from the ground and orbiting him and deflecting blows.

There was a superhero-inspired Eberron game where played a sorcerer called Sandman. His deep slumber involved blowing sand from his hand into opponents. Which is not really variant since deep slumber requires sand as M component, but mentioning it emphasized the sand theme.

If he had reached high enough level, I would've taken disintegrate and described it as an immensely strong and sudden abrasive blast of sand.

 

[Imp]

I make a lot of spells look, feel, smell, and sound like nothing at all.

 

[GreatLemur]

Related to your point about magic items though, can you give a few examples? Is this like taking a flame tongue and now making it a dagger, or a staff? Or is it different than that?

Sure, there's no reason the flame tongue traits ought to be limited to longswords. Or fire damage, for that matter. Why not a battle axe that shoots a cold ray?

But, really, I'm talking about the sort of philosophy that Arcana Evolved makes possible with its genericized item creation feats. For example, instead of a Brew Potion feat, there's a Create Single Use Item feat, making lots of interesting, potion-equivalent items possible. I can't see any logic in requiring wands of magic missiles to look like wands, you know? I dig the idea of a glove or a painted rock or a ring or a prosthetic eye that does the same thing.

 

[sckeener]

But, really, I'm talking about the sort of philosophy that Arcana Evolved makes possible with its genericized item creation feats. For example, instead of a Brew Potion feat, there's a Create Single Use Item feat, making lots of interesting, potion-equivalent items possible.

oh I like that...thanks for the link....

reminds me of:

I use to have cure moderate creams.....so many uses in one container. just rub the fatty lard like substance on and receive a CMW.

 

[GreatLemur]

I use to have cure moderate creams.....so many uses in one container. just rub the fatty lard like substance on and receive a CMW.

Yeah, when you think about it, healing stuff that's applied directly to the wound makes a lot more sense than healing stuff you drink.

Healing magic could be a lot of fun to customize. One of my unused character concepts for the game I'm playing that aforementioned Wizard in was a tattooed jungle savage Cleric who followed some kind of snake god. Fun thing about his bit was that his cure spells would take the form of his god actually loaning his own flesh to the healed individual. So, you guessed it, the newly-regrown skin would be conspicuously scaly for a day or more. (Interestingly, I ended up playing that Wizard instead because everyone in the game proposed a Cleric concept to the DM.)