Your favorite unusual spells

[satasha]

Thanks for the suggestions.
Voadam I don't care where the spells come from. Anything can be converted.

 

[Nifft]

Could be, but I wouldn't think people would go to dragonsfoot to talk about 3e spells.

Ah, my ignorance of that place betrays me.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Imp]

1e? I always wanted to try out duo-dimension.

The field may be narrower but the spells, they get freakier.

Maybe you can convert some of the psionic powers into regular spells?

 

[exile]

I'm fond of Hail of Stone- 1st level spell in Spell Compendium and (I think) Complete Arcane.

Chad

 

[Plane Sailing]

Vortex of Teeth (Druid 4, Sorc/Wiz 4) has one of the best illustrations ever, and it's not a terrible spell either. It makes a 40' radius 20' high cylinder of magical force piranhas that eat everything for 3d8 damage/round @ rds/lvl. The best part? Entangle also just happens to have a 40' radius....

Hmmmm. Compare with the 4th level spell 'Ice Storm' (does 3d6 cold and 2d6 physical damage in a 40ft cylinder, 20ft high, for 1 round)... and this does 3d8 force damage every round for several rounds. Remind me again about whether power creep has happened in supplements or not!

 

[Plane Sailing]

A 1st level spell that has proven surprisingly useful as a last ditch defence many times over is 'Obscuring Mist'. Suddenly hiding the party from everyone can be a life saver if things are going really badly!

 

[Felon]

Hmmmm. Compare with the 4th level spell 'Ice Storm' (does 3d6 cold and 2d6 physical damage in a 40ft cylinder, 20ft high, for 1 round)... and this does 3d8 force damage every round for several rounds. Remind me again about whether power creep has happened in supplements or not!

It hasn't. You're just comparing a spell that's really really really lousy--and pretty much always has been--to one that's just adequate. There have always been problems with some spells being hands-down better than those of equal level.

EDIT--Or perhaps more accurately, there has been power creep, but that's only a bad thing if there was enough power to begin with. I think an evoker is urinating in the breeze if he just sticks to PHB spells.

Heck, I still wouldn't take vortex of teeth. What's the point of a no-save spell if the damage is crummy out of the starting gate? Guess it's hands for grinding up those rogues, monks, and ninjas with low Cons...

 

[Zurai]

Hmmmm. Compare with the 4th level spell 'Ice Storm' (does 3d6 cold and 2d6 physical damage in a 40ft cylinder, 20ft high, for 1 round)... and this does 3d8 force damage every round for several rounds. Remind me again about whether power creep has happened in supplements or not!

Well, let's compare.

Vortex of Teeth: Medium range. 40'x20' cylinder with a 5' radius safe zone in the center. Only deals damage on the caster's initiative, so enemies always have at least one round to escape the area. Deals 13.5 damage on average.

Ice Storm: Long range. 40'x20' cylinder with no safe zone. Lasts for one full round, damaging anything that begins the round in its area or moves through its area. Gives a -4 penalty to Listen checks within its area. Makes its area effectively difficult terrain. Deals 17.5 damage on average.

Comparing the two side-by-side, with no other spell effects active, they seem pretty balanced to me. YMMV.

 

[Nifft]

Makes its area effectively difficult terrain.

If the difficult terrain persisted for a while, I'd buy this as balanced.

But [Force] damage is so much better than cold + bludgeoning. I really hesitate to give the Druid any [Force] damage. I hate that blade barrier became [Force] damage. IMHO [Force] effects should be in the hands of Sorcerers & Wizards, and that's about it.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Bad Paper]

What, no love for Moon Bolt?