Libram Magica

Creating game materials? Monsters, spells, classes, adventures? This is the place!
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MedievalMan
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Re: Spells Needed

Post by MedievalMan »

So Smoot, get a chance to looks over those spells yet? Sorry if I keep pestering you about it, I find myself excited at the prospect of their appearance in the spell collection.
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SmootRK
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Re: Spells Needed

Post by SmootRK »

I had only briefly looked at the material. I don't find it to be pestering... in fact, it keeps me focused on results. My only excuse is the abnormal heat the last few days... makes one lethargic and cranky. The most I have accomplished is respond to a few emails and forum posts (here, dragonsfoot, and elsewhere). I promise to get to it soon. :D
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MedievalMan
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Re: Spells Needed

Post by MedievalMan »

Yay!
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SmootRK
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Re: Spells Needed

Post by SmootRK »

So far, I added Blizzard but had to tweak it down a bit and add some details. 2d6/round for up to 5 rounds is excessive when the 4th level Ice Storm does a straight 5d6 for exactly one round. Here is the spell as I see it, downgrading the damage and adding details to moderate the spell a bit by more stringent concentration ruling:

Blizzard
D 3, MU 3
Range: 100 feet +10'/level
Duration: up to 5 rounds

Akin to a lesser Ice Storm spell, this spell calls down freezing sleet, snow, and hail in a 20 foot radius around the targeted spot. The blizzard fills a vertical volume of 40 feet, so creatures higher than that distance above the target spot are unaffected. The hail and cutting ice shards deal 2d4 points of cold damage per round to creatures in the area of effect; a successful save vs. Spells will reduce damage by half. The caster must maintain absolute concentration, being incapable of moving or even defending himself (no dexterity bonus and -4 penalty to AC), else the blizzard is ended. The spell lasts a maximum of 5 rounds regardless. At the end of the duration, the icy material disappears, leaving no trace (other than the damage dealt). Any creature naturally resistant to cold takes half damage (or one-quarter damage if it makes its save).
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MedievalMan
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Re: Spells Needed

Post by MedievalMan »

A few notes. Other then these points of contention I like what I see.

1: The Range. Blizzard is intended as an artillery spell, made for mass battle or siege warfare. Reducing the range to 100' base puts the caster in a position where he is to close to the enemy. Being completely unable to move or defend myself only the long range of the spell offers protection against archers and interceptors, such as mounted units. I have no problem with the range increasing by 10' per level but would like to see the base range restored or at least set at 300'.

2: The Damage. I can understand why you would want to change the damage to lesson the overall effect, but here is my argument against that. Like you said Ice Storm does 5d6 damage in one round vs Blizzards 2d6 damage per round for 5 rounds. Here is the difference, in one round Ice Storm will deal its full 5d6 damage to its target barring saving throw or what have you. Blizzard is only guaranteed 2d6 because after that first round the enemy could very easily move out of the affected 20' area, which cannot be moved once the spell is cast. So that's my argument for that.

3: Druid. This might seem a bit silly but Blizzard isn't really a nature based spell. The spells original (and I mean original) fluff describes it as a conjuration spell. As the caster summons the storm from somewhere else, be it the frozen north, para-elemental plane of ice, or whatever. So While I understand the change it bugs me personally. Which of course is no reason to change anything at all.
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SmootRK
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Re: Spells Needed

Post by SmootRK »

I can split the difference with range increasing it to 200 +10/level, but I really don't see that this spell should have such extreme range (as Fireball is only 100+10/level as a comparison). Just setting the bar as equivalences to other 3rd level ranged attacking spells. Lightning Bolt is even more restrictive at 50 +10/level (for another comparison).

The point of it being immobile is moot, as Ice Storm (a full level higher in spell power) is not movable either (once cast). Third level spells are limited (unwritten but implied) to d6/level damage. I can concede slightly more damage (hence the 2d4) with the potential of targets moving out of its area of effect. Against a stationary unit, the damage is still 10d4 damage which is considerable still. Another small mitigating factor is that being Cold Damage, there are substantially fewer resistant creatures to contend with (many more Fire/Flame creatures than cold ones).

The longer duration (over 4th level ice storm), even with smaller damage over this period, is still a bonus/perk. The caster can control a battlefield more effectively with this, than Fireball, Lightning Bolt, or even the 4th level Ice Storm. In many battlefield situations that characters may encounter (namely dungeons and similar areas), the caster can create a barrier, giving time for companions to act, move, and otherwise react to situations. Battlefield control spells, like Entangle, Tentacles, Grease, and more, have certain intangible effects that go far beyond simple damage dice dealt.

Druid - when I look at it, it is a weather control/summoning type of spell, where druid should be a natural (of course, not druid in the WoW sense - different sort of caster in that game for certain). But, this was just a subjective add-on thought to the spell. This is certainly debatable; I just don't see much reason to be terribly restrictive with it.

But, those are just my counter-thoughts and rationales behind the changes I put in. It is all, of course, debatable... however, I am a pretty good judge of balancing factors. I do a lot of comparisons when coming up with such suggestions.
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MedievalMan
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Re: Spells Needed

Post by MedievalMan »

Alright I concede, I don't really have any argument against what you have said other than my personal feelings.


And I just realized Ice Storm is Blizzard by another name. Now I feel stupid. Same effects and everything, well no point in adding it now I guess.

Should have really looked it up...

At least I still have Frost Armor.
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SmootRK
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Re: Spells Needed

Post by SmootRK »

MedievalMan wrote:Alright I concede, I don't really have any argument against what you have said other than my personal feelings.


And I just realized Ice Storm is Blizzard by another name. Now I feel stupid. Same effects and everything, well no point in adding it now I guess.

Should have really looked it up...

At least I still have Frost Armor.
If that is how you feel, I would actually prefer to pare it down further to try to make it into a second level spell instead. There is a certain lack of offensive spells for 2nd level.

Such changes to make 2nd might be:
range down to 50+10/level
damage 1d4 per round (for 5 rounds max)
but I would probably drop the immobile thing, making it "caster may move about defensively, but may not attack nor cast other spells while maintaining concentration on the blizzard." (or something about like that).
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MedievalMan
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Re: Spells Needed

Post by MedievalMan »

Sounds find to me.
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MedievalMan
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Re: Spells Needed

Post by MedievalMan »

I went ahead and looked around in another book I have which is full of spells. Seeing as you said you needed 2nd level damage spells here are the best two I could find. I also included a simple Cleric buff spell that looked really cool.

Forked Lightning
D 2 Range: 25 feet + 5 feet per level
MU 2 Duration: Instantaneous

Two arcs of electricity spring from the casters fingers to strike two separate targets. The caster must make a ranged attack roll to hit his chosen targets. Inanimate objects cannot be damaged by this spell. Each bolt deals 1d6 points of electricity damage + 1 point of damage per caster level (maximum +10). For every two levels past 3rd, the caster gains an additional bolt of Forked Lightning, to a maximum of 5 bolts. If there are fewer than the maximum allowed targets then the extra bolts do not appear and are wasted; a single bolt can only strike a single creature.

Frost Bolt
D 2 Range: 25 feet + 5 feet per level
MU 2 Duration: Instantaneous

The caster flings forth a large shard of ice. The caster must succeed at a ranged attack roll to hit with the Frost Bolt. The bolt deals 3d6 points of damage and the creature becomes chilled for 1d4 rounds. A chilled creature moves and attacks at a drastically slowed rate. It can only take a move or a standard action each turn. Additionally, the target suffers a -2 penalty to AC, melee attack rolls, melee damage rolls, and saves vs Dragon Breath. Creatures resistant to cold damage are not affected by the chilled condition.

Inner Fire
C 2 Range: 25 feet + 5 feet per level
- Duration: 1 minute / level

The caster draws forth the potential of an allies fighting spirit and wreathes him in his own energies. The target gains a +2 bonus to damage rolls and a +2 bonus to AC for the duration of the spell.
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