Anime Spells [Archive] - Wizards Community

Anime Spells [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Yade
09-12-04, 11:15 AM This post is in conjunction with the "Anime Weapons" post that I made on the Combat and Equipment board. I wanted to separate the topics because there are bound to be different views on each.

I have a few players that are anime fans, they are good active players. The only complaint that I have is that they have a lack of global concepts. Two of them are trying to get me to allow them to build the Giga-slave spell in game. Granted the characters are all about level 20 and they are starting to develop their own epic identities, but this is just too much. I can see how a fireball starts to lose it's Umph at the higher levels but this is not a reasonable solution.

Any help would be appreciated, btw its an automatic fizzle if anyone modifies their in game somatics to match those of an anime spell. They get slapped if they stand up and do the chant.
Sacrusha
09-12-04, 12:06 PM I am not sure what you want. Do you want us to tell you how you should handle the situation, or do you want a writeup of the Giga Slave spell from Slayers?
Well, if they have fun playing the game somewhat closer to the animes they like and it doesn't bother the rest of the group, let them.

Dragon Slave
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S, XP
Casting Time: 2 rounds
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: 150-ft.-radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

Fireball, only bigger. Much bigger. 1d6 bludgeoning damage per level, cap at 20d6, fortitude save for half damage & 1d6 fire damage per level cap at 20d6, reflex save for half damage.

XP Cost: 500 XP

Let them do the flavor text.
Edited: changed the first damage part.
Kirin Corrigan
09-12-04, 12:34 PM Any help would be appreciated

I don't get it. What kind of help are you asking for? Do you want us to support your position, to debate it, to help you understand the requests of your players or to help you develop the spell(s)?

What's more, where's the problem in making a really, really big fireball as a high level spell? After all, what you've been asked by your players is just that...
Yade
09-12-04, 01:00 PM I would like help, from people who have more anime experience than I, in formulating spells that are closer to what the characters want but do not break the game. I really appreciate what Sacrusha wrote and I may use that. I would also like other players to submit anime spells here, as complete as possible, so that I may get some ideas for my players. They have an edge on me in the anime arena so I am seeking outside help so that I can accommodate this side of the game.

I think it adds a flavor to the game that they will like, and I think it would be cheesy for me to go to them and have them design the spells knowing that I have no background in anime. I hope that there are players here that have done this before and are willing to share their results.
Sacrusha
09-12-04, 02:15 PM Raguna Blade
Evocation [Chaotic]
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Duration: 3 rounds
Saving Throw: None, see text
Spell Resistance: None.

The caster gains control of a blade that is made of pure chaos. Everyone who is hit by that blade (a melee touch attack) must make a fortitude save against the spell or take 2d6 damage per caster level (max 40d6). Even on a successful save the creature or object takes 5d6 damage.
The raguna blade suffers no miss chance against incorporeal or ethereal enemies, and affects them normally, altough concealment still applies.
If the caster attempts to cast another spell while the raguna blade is still in effect, the raguna blade is dispelled immediately.

I edited the Giga Slave, introduced a second save.
Kirin Corrigan
09-12-04, 02:40 PM I think it adds a flavor to the game that they will like, and I think it would be cheesy for me to go to them and have them design the spells knowing that I have no background in anime. I hope that there are players here that have done this before and are willing to share their results.

I see.

Well, in spite of what I said before, the Giga Slave is NOT an overgrown Fireball. I totally mixed it up with the Dragon Slave, which is a true Fireball on steroids (sorry for the mistake).

The Giga Slave is more of an epic spell that calls forth the power of a being that in D&D terms is akin to an Overpower and focuses it in a sphere that's able to destroy anything. Such a spell shouldn't be in the hands of a non-epic spellcaster, IMO.

The closest non-epic spell I can think of is a 9th level spell listed in Unapproachable East, that's called Sphere of Ultimate Destruction, which essentially lets you conjure for 1 round/level a sort of Sphere of Annihilation under your control. I think this spell may work just fine, or at least it can be useful as a term of comparison.

Another Slayers' famous spell is the Ragna Blade, and its closest D&D incarnation is the 9th level spell Black Blade of Disaster listed in Magic of Faerun. Change its name into "Ragna Blade" and you're good to go.

Now, the most famous Slayers's spell is the Dragon Slave (the overgrown fireball, so to speak), which gets cast fairly frequently in the anime and is fairly destructive. Now since the Dragon Slave is not nearly as powerful as the two spells mentioned above, it can't be of 9th level too. Thus, it should be of 8th level at most. I'd make it something along these lines:

Dragon Slave
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S, XP
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: 5-ft.-radius/level spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: none
Spell Resistance: none

This spell conjures and propels a powerful sphere of fire that explodes on impact, dealing 1d6 points of damage per caster level (max 20d6) to everyone being caught in the blast. Half of the damage is Fire damage and the other half results directly from the sheer explosion and is therefore not subject to being reduced by resistance to fire-based attacks. This spell ignores the hardness of any non-magic item or object.

XP Cost: 500 XP

---
I actually made it up as I was typing (stealing some ideas from Sacrusha), so it may not be perfectly balanced... The damage output isn't that great, but it ignores Spell Resistance and gives no Saving Throw, so in the end it deals damage fairly reliably. If you think a Saving Throw should be warranted, you may want to reduce (or outright take away) the XP cost.

Anyway, hope this helps. :)
Sacrusha
09-12-04, 03:06 PM Err, yes, I meant Dragon slave when I wrote Giga Slave, edited now. And took something from your variant to change mine, Kirin. Hope you don't mind.

Giga Slave can easily be written as:
the DM rolls a d100, if (s)he rolls higher than 50 you have won the battle, else you have lost the campaign. The roll cannot be influenced in any way.
->Not very playable.
Kirin Corrigan
09-12-04, 03:46 PM And took something from your variant to change mine, Kirin. Hope you don't mind.

Absolutely! (After all, I took something from yours in the first place... ;) )

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Yade 09-12-04, 11:15 AM	This post is in conjunction with the "Anime Weapons" post that I made on the Combat and Equipment board. I wanted to separate the topics because there are bound to be different views on each. I have a few players that are anime fans, they are good active players. The only complaint that I have is that they have a lack of global concepts. Two of them are trying to get me to allow them to build the Giga-slave spell in game. Granted the characters are all about level 20 and they are starting to develop their own epic identities, but this is just too much. I can see how a fireball starts to lose it's Umph at the higher levels but this is not a reasonable solution. Any help would be appreciated, btw its an automatic fizzle if anyone modifies their in game somatics to match those of an anime spell. They get slapped if they stand up and do the chant.
Sacrusha 09-12-04, 12:06 PM	I am not sure what you want. Do you want us to tell you how you should handle the situation, or do you want a writeup of the Giga Slave spell from Slayers? Well, if they have fun playing the game somewhat closer to the animes they like and it doesn't bother the rest of the group, let them. Dragon Slave Evocation [Fire] Level: Sor/Wiz 9 Components: V, S, XP Casting Time: 2 rounds Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level) Area: 150-ft.-radius spread Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: see text Spell Resistance: Yes Fireball, only bigger. Much bigger. 1d6 bludgeoning damage per level, cap at 20d6, fortitude save for half damage & 1d6 fire damage per level cap at 20d6, reflex save for half damage. XP Cost: 500 XP Let them do the flavor text. Edited: changed the first damage part.
Kirin Corrigan 09-12-04, 12:34 PM	Any help would be appreciated I don't get it. What kind of help are you asking for? Do you want us to support your position, to debate it, to help you understand the requests of your players or to help you develop the spell(s)? What's more, where's the problem in making a really, really big fireball as a high level spell? After all, what you've been asked by your players is just that...
Yade 09-12-04, 01:00 PM	I would like help, from people who have more anime experience than I, in formulating spells that are closer to what the characters want but do not break the game. I really appreciate what Sacrusha wrote and I may use that. I would also like other players to submit anime spells here, as complete as possible, so that I may get some ideas for my players. They have an edge on me in the anime arena so I am seeking outside help so that I can accommodate this side of the game. I think it adds a flavor to the game that they will like, and I think it would be cheesy for me to go to them and have them design the spells knowing that I have no background in anime. I hope that there are players here that have done this before and are willing to share their results.
Sacrusha 09-12-04, 02:15 PM	Raguna Blade Evocation [Chaotic] Level: Sor/Wiz 9 Components: V, S Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Personal Duration: 3 rounds Saving Throw: None, see text Spell Resistance: None. The caster gains control of a blade that is made of pure chaos. Everyone who is hit by that blade (a melee touch attack) must make a fortitude save against the spell or take 2d6 damage per caster level (max 40d6). Even on a successful save the creature or object takes 5d6 damage. The raguna blade suffers no miss chance against incorporeal or ethereal enemies, and affects them normally, altough concealment still applies. If the caster attempts to cast another spell while the raguna blade is still in effect, the raguna blade is dispelled immediately. I edited the Giga Slave, introduced a second save.
Kirin Corrigan 09-12-04, 02:40 PM	I think it adds a flavor to the game that they will like, and I think it would be cheesy for me to go to them and have them design the spells knowing that I have no background in anime. I hope that there are players here that have done this before and are willing to share their results. I see. Well, in spite of what I said before, the Giga Slave is NOT an overgrown Fireball. I totally mixed it up with the Dragon Slave, which is a true Fireball on steroids (sorry for the mistake). The Giga Slave is more of an epic spell that calls forth the power of a being that in D&D terms is akin to an Overpower and focuses it in a sphere that's able to destroy anything. Such a spell shouldn't be in the hands of a non-epic spellcaster, IMO. The closest non-epic spell I can think of is a 9th level spell listed in Unapproachable East, that's called Sphere of Ultimate Destruction, which essentially lets you conjure for 1 round/level a sort of Sphere of Annihilation under your control. I think this spell may work just fine, or at least it can be useful as a term of comparison. Another Slayers' famous spell is the Ragna Blade, and its closest D&D incarnation is the 9th level spell Black Blade of Disaster listed in Magic of Faerun. Change its name into "Ragna Blade" and you're good to go. Now, the most famous Slayers's spell is the Dragon Slave (the overgrown fireball, so to speak), which gets cast fairly frequently in the anime and is fairly destructive. Now since the Dragon Slave is not nearly as powerful as the two spells mentioned above, it can't be of 9th level too. Thus, it should be of 8th level at most. I'd make it something along these lines: Dragon Slave Conjuration (Creation) Level: Sor/Wiz 8 Components: V, S, XP Casting Time: 1 round Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level) Area: 5-ft.-radius/level spread Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: none Spell Resistance: none This spell conjures and propels a powerful sphere of fire that explodes on impact, dealing 1d6 points of damage per caster level (max 20d6) to everyone being caught in the blast. Half of the damage is Fire damage and the other half results directly from the sheer explosion and is therefore not subject to being reduced by resistance to fire-based attacks. This spell ignores the hardness of any non-magic item or object. XP Cost: 500 XP --- I actually made it up as I was typing (stealing some ideas from Sacrusha), so it may not be perfectly balanced... The damage output isn't that great, but it ignores Spell Resistance and gives no Saving Throw, so in the end it deals damage fairly reliably. If you think a Saving Throw should be warranted, you may want to reduce (or outright take away) the XP cost. Anyway, hope this helps. :)
Sacrusha 09-12-04, 03:06 PM	Err, yes, I meant Dragon slave when I wrote Giga Slave, edited now. And took something from your variant to change mine, Kirin. Hope you don't mind. Giga Slave can easily be written as: the DM rolls a d100, if (s)he rolls higher than 50 you have won the battle, else you have lost the campaign. The roll cannot be influenced in any way. ->Not very playable.
Kirin Corrigan 09-12-04, 03:46 PM	And took something from your variant to change mine, Kirin. Hope you don't mind. Absolutely! (After all, I took something from yours in the first place... ;) )