Another new spell [Archive] - Wizards Community

Another new spell [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Leobardis
03-25-05, 10:57 PM I'm currently in a campaign where I'm playing a gnome wizard. After looking at the penalties for both size and spellcasting while in a grapple, I'm somewhat leery of my DM getting grapple happy and killing me off. So, for all you casters out there that just want to escape a grapple, try this on for size and tell me what you think.

Radan's Grapple Breaker

Conjuration (Transportation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 20 ft.
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You instantly transfer yourself from your current location to any other spot within range. You always arrive at exactly the spot desired. You must have line of effect to the desired location or this spell simply fails. This spell cannot transport it's caster through solid materials such as dirt, stone, or any other non-organic barrier. You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn't exceed your maximum load. If you arrive in a place that is already occupied by a solid body, you are shunted to the nearest unoccupied space and take 1d6 damage for each 5 feet travelled.

so... the range is short, and since you can't teleport through walls it'll be fairly limited to just escaping a grapple, those were the two biggest areas of cheating I could see. Please send me your thoughts.
IMarvinTPA
03-25-05, 11:06 PM Benign Transposition (http://www.imarvintpa.com/dndLive/spells.asp?ID=5035) is a 1st level spell that swaps you and an ally. So just swap the fighter or cleric into your grapple and watch the faces.

Baleful Transposition (http://www.imarvintpa.com/dndLive/spells.asp?ID=5034) can swap allies and opponents at 2nd level.

You're spell look ok as a line-of-sight Dimension Door at a lower level though. Especially when comparing to these spells.

BTW, your range line should read: "Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)" and your target line should read "You" not "Personal". Personal is used as a range.

IMarv
Leobardis
03-25-05, 11:19 PM The duration is nonstandard, I felt that medium with it's 100 feet start was to powerful, but that close didn't progress fast enough. So... the range is as stated, even though it is very similar to the 'close' range, it is not a typo.
Seeker95
03-26-05, 09:29 AM I like it. However, I think the similarity to dimension door is a little too similar. Because its intent is to break a grapple rather than to act as dimension door, I would recommend dropping the spell to 1st level and changing its range to 5' or the closest unoccupied square. It then intrudes less onto the dimension door functionality, and serves its intended purpose more directly.

One thing to keep in mind is that under a pin, the pinner can choose to prevent the pinned from speaking!
Leobardis
03-26-05, 12:32 PM I set the range as a way to hopefully, as the caster progresses in levels, escape not only the grapple, but wind up far enough away that you remain safe from attack from that character. If the range was only 5 or even 20 ft, most creatures, be thay monster or NPC, can move that far and just start another grapple.

As to being silenced in a grapple, that is the one weakness I felt I had to leave. Since the two major blocks to casting a spell in a grapple are somatic components, and a focus, and since my insperational spell dimension door has only a verbal component, I felt that it was powerful enough already.
Seeker95
03-26-05, 01:28 PM I set the range as a way to hopefully, as the caster progresses in levels, escape not only the grapple, but wind up far enough away that you remain safe from attack from that character. If the range was only 5 or even 20 ft, most creatures, be thay monster or NPC, can move that far and just start another grapple.As the caster gets higher in levels, s/he has access to spells that accomplish this already. Allowing this 1st or 2nd level spell to make dimension door un-necessary is exactly why I suggested changing the range to the closest unoccupied square. This low level of a spell should allow you to escape a grapple... not get out of harm's way entirely.
Leobardis
03-26-05, 02:49 PM I edited it to 20 ft. that way the caster could still get out of grapple and hopefully get behind an ally but not escape combat with a smart opponent.
Seeker95
03-26-05, 04:39 PM As written, I feel it just has too much caster control with too much dimension door outcome for a second level spell. Its ONLY difference is the range, and that difference is functionally minimal, given the "it does everything the caster needs" similarity.

To keep this low level requires that it be significantly less useful than DD, in my opinion. If you really want a 2nd level dimension door, consider any one of the following limitations: Teleports caster 5' or to closest open square.
Teleports caster 1d10 squares in desired direction.
Teleports caster up to 40' in random direction.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Leobardis 03-25-05, 10:57 PM	I'm currently in a campaign where I'm playing a gnome wizard. After looking at the penalties for both size and spellcasting while in a grapple, I'm somewhat leery of my DM getting grapple happy and killing me off. So, for all you casters out there that just want to escape a grapple, try this on for size and tell me what you think. Radan's Grapple Breaker Conjuration (Transportation) Level: Sor/Wiz 2 Components: V Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: 20 ft. Target: You Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: No You instantly transfer yourself from your current location to any other spot within range. You always arrive at exactly the spot desired. You must have line of effect to the desired location or this spell simply fails. This spell cannot transport it's caster through solid materials such as dirt, stone, or any other non-organic barrier. You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn't exceed your maximum load. If you arrive in a place that is already occupied by a solid body, you are shunted to the nearest unoccupied space and take 1d6 damage for each 5 feet travelled. so... the range is short, and since you can't teleport through walls it'll be fairly limited to just escaping a grapple, those were the two biggest areas of cheating I could see. Please send me your thoughts.
IMarvinTPA 03-25-05, 11:06 PM	Benign Transposition (http://www.imarvintpa.com/dndLive/spells.asp?ID=5035) is a 1st level spell that swaps you and an ally. So just swap the fighter or cleric into your grapple and watch the faces. Baleful Transposition (http://www.imarvintpa.com/dndLive/spells.asp?ID=5034) can swap allies and opponents at 2nd level. You're spell look ok as a line-of-sight Dimension Door at a lower level though. Especially when comparing to these spells. BTW, your range line should read: "Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)" and your target line should read "You" not "Personal". Personal is used as a range. IMarv
Leobardis 03-25-05, 11:19 PM	The duration is nonstandard, I felt that medium with it's 100 feet start was to powerful, but that close didn't progress fast enough. So... the range is as stated, even though it is very similar to the 'close' range, it is not a typo.
Seeker95 03-26-05, 09:29 AM	I like it. However, I think the similarity to dimension door is a little too similar. Because its intent is to break a grapple rather than to act as dimension door, I would recommend dropping the spell to 1st level and changing its range to 5' or the closest unoccupied square. It then intrudes less onto the dimension door functionality, and serves its intended purpose more directly. One thing to keep in mind is that under a pin, the pinner can choose to prevent the pinned from speaking!
Leobardis 03-26-05, 12:32 PM	I set the range as a way to hopefully, as the caster progresses in levels, escape not only the grapple, but wind up far enough away that you remain safe from attack from that character. If the range was only 5 or even 20 ft, most creatures, be thay monster or NPC, can move that far and just start another grapple. As to being silenced in a grapple, that is the one weakness I felt I had to leave. Since the two major blocks to casting a spell in a grapple are somatic components, and a focus, and since my insperational spell dimension door has only a verbal component, I felt that it was powerful enough already.
Seeker95 03-26-05, 01:28 PM	I set the range as a way to hopefully, as the caster progresses in levels, escape not only the grapple, but wind up far enough away that you remain safe from attack from that character. If the range was only 5 or even 20 ft, most creatures, be thay monster or NPC, can move that far and just start another grapple.As the caster gets higher in levels, s/he has access to spells that accomplish this already. Allowing this 1st or 2nd level spell to make dimension door un-necessary is exactly why I suggested changing the range to the closest unoccupied square. This low level of a spell should allow you to escape a grapple... not get out of harm's way entirely.
Leobardis 03-26-05, 02:49 PM	I edited it to 20 ft. that way the caster could still get out of grapple and hopefully get behind an ally but not escape combat with a smart opponent.
Seeker95 03-26-05, 04:39 PM	As written, I feel it just has too much caster control with too much dimension door outcome for a second level spell. Its ONLY difference is the range, and that difference is functionally minimal, given the "it does everything the caster needs" similarity. To keep this low level requires that it be significantly less useful than DD, in my opinion. If you really want a 2nd level dimension door, consider any one of the following limitations: Teleports caster 5' or to closest open square. Teleports caster 1d10 squares in desired direction. Teleports caster up to 40' in random direction.