Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Vanigo 12-16-04, 06:29 PM	Not too long ago, I was thinking about language-dependent spells. AFAIK, there are only four of them in the game, and they all do very similar things. Surely there's more to language-dependant spells than suggestion? Cloak of Babble Illusion (Pattern) [Language-Dependent, Mind Affecting] Level: Sor/Wiz 2 Components: V, S, M Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 1 minute/level You cloak yourself in a screen of crazed symbols and letters drawn from every language you know. Any creature within 120 feet of you capable of reading any language you can read (including your allies) must make a will save every round it can see you or become disoriented by the nonsensical jumble of constantly shifting almost-words, taking a –2 penalty to attack rolls and armor class for the next round. Creatures may close or avert their eyes from you as if this were a gaze attack, with the exception that looking at the cloak of babble in a mirror is no safer than looking directly at it. Material Component: A piece of paper with several nonsense words written on it. Any others?
Seeker95 12-16-04, 08:34 PM	Speaking in Tongues Transmutation [Language-Dependent] Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 3 Components: V, M Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Touch Target: Creature touched Duration: 10 min./level Saving Throw: Will negates Spell Resistance: Yes This spell removes from the creature touched the ability to speak the language of any intelligent creature. Anything the target says is rendered into unintelligible babble. Nothing short of a toungues or comprehend languages spell can enable a listener to understand what the target is saying. This spell will also interfere with spellcasting for any spells requiring a verbal component. Material Component: A pinch of alum.
Vanigo 12-16-04, 08:49 PM	Well, I was thinking more along the lines of spells with the [Language-Dependent] descriptor, but that's fine too. You might want to specify that it doesn't interfere with spellcasting (unless you wanted it to, in which case you definetly need to specify that).
Shadowfax7 12-16-04, 10:16 PM	there are only four of them in the game, and they all do very similar things. Command Greater Command Suggestion and . . . which is the fourth ?? I can't seem to think of it. BTW, Seeker, I like that spell.
SpellMaster 12-16-04, 11:56 PM	Here are a few from myself. Bored Stiff Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting] [Language-Dependant] Level: Sor/Wiz 3 Components: V Casting Time: 10 minutes Range: Close Area: Spread centered on caster Duration: 10 minutes / level (D) Saving Throw: Will negates Spell Resistance: Yes By talking non-stop about something completely inconsequential, you cause the creatures within the area of effect to become unable to move. Once cast, all creatures within the area except the caster must make a Will saving throw. All those who fail become held, as per the spell, for the duration of Bored Stiff, except that they may only make a saving throw once every minute, instead of once every round. Creatures must be able to hear and understand the caster to be affected. Verbal Component: The verbal component of this spell is simply talking about some boring topic. Bored to Sleep Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting] [Language-Dependant] Level: Sor/Wiz 1 Components: V Casting Time: 5 minutes Range: Close Area: Spread centered on caster Duration: 1 hour/level (D) Saving Throw: Will negates Spell Resistance: Yes By reading inconsequential material from a book, the caster may put creatures to sleep simply through the droning, monotone recital of completely boring information. Every creature within 60 feet of the caster, excluding the caster himself, that can hear and understand the caster must make a will save at the end of the casting of this spell. All those who fail fall into a deep sleep for the duration of the spell. They may be awoken by slapping them, shaking them, etc. Any attack made against them immediately awakens them. Verbal Component: The verbal component of this spell is simply talking about some boring topic. Bored to Death Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting] [Language-Dependant] Level: Sor/Wiz 6 Components: V Casting Time: 1 hour Range: Close Target/Area: One creature, and spread centered on caster Duration: Instantaneous and 1 hour/level Saving Throw: Fortitude negates and Will negates Spell Resistance: Yes By reciting completely useless information on some abstract topic, the caster can literally bore a creature to death, while also boring all those within the area of effect to fall asleep. Once the spell is cast, the targeted creature must make a fortitude save or die immediately. It appears as if he has simply fallen asleep, though if checked carefully, it is evident he is dead. The creature must be able to hear and understand the caster to be affected. If he succeeds at his saving throw, he must still succeed at the saving throw that all creatures within the area of effect must make. All those within the area of effect that can hear and understand the caster must succeed at a will save or fall asleep for the duration of the spell. Verbal Component: The verbal component of this spell is simply rambling on about some abstract topic that has no bearing on the current conversation. These spells fit a niche in which no spells currently reside. Only specific circumstances will see these put to effective use, but they can be quite fun and fairly potent.
Vanigo 12-17-04, 12:08 AM	Command Greater Command Suggestion and . . . which is the fourth ?? I can't seem to think of it. BTW, Seeker, I like that spell. Mass suggestion. SpellMaster, I really like those spells, but don't you think you should put in something about detecting them being cast? As written, anyone who makes a DC 16, 18, or 21 Spellcraft check can identify them being cast long before they take effect. I don't think it should be impossible, either, but they should be harder to notice than that.
Bloodtide_the_Red 12-17-04, 12:25 AM	Well, Bored Stiff is just Improved Hold Person, though I guess it does take 10 minutes to cast and can only effect folks that speak your language....but it just feels too powerful. As writen, it can effect any number of creatures that can be effected by enchantments and share your language. So you could walk into a tavern and hold everyone for a couple hours? Bored to sleep looks even worse. A 1st level super sleep spell. As long as the creature is effected by enchantments and can understand your language..you can put them to sleep, for hours...... sure you have to read for five minutes, but after that you have a room full of sleeping folks..for hours... Bored to death? Talk for an hour and kill someone? an hour? How could you even use this spell? how you you get someone to sit there for even five minutes, let alone a hour, for some boring topic. In all theas spells just feel weird to me. You get a super powerful magic effect, just because the spell is limited to languages. That does not seem right. Sure there will be a handful of creatures you can't effect, but in general, you can effect everything. BT
mycroft65536 12-17-04, 12:36 AM	I see these spells used by teachers in a classroom. Bored to death could be a perticularly harsh final exame.
SpellMaster 12-17-04, 11:15 AM	Bloodtide, those spells are, in my opinion, balanced with, for one, the extremely long casting time, and thus have more powerful effects for their level. When will you be able to speak for five minutes on a completely boring and inconsequential topic without being told to shutup, get thrown out of a tavern, bound and gagged, shot, etc? And that's just for the sleep effect. The others have even longer casting times. Only extremely specific situations, like I said, will see these get any use. One situation I can think of is being in prison. You sit there in your cage/cell/box and ramble on and on, annoying the hell out of the guards (fun in its own right), but also gaining a fairly useful effect. Note that each of these effects allows a save to negate, only work within close range (those further most likely get annoyed), and only work if the creautures understand you (not always true). I do not believe these are overpowered in the least, simply because of their extremely, next-to-never-happen specific circumstances, and long casting times. Consider it more a ritual than a spell (although without the animal skulls, finger bones, eyes of newt, etc). Anyways, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
SpellMaster 12-17-04, 11:19 AM	Mass suggestion. SpellMaster, I really like those spells, but don't you think you should put in something about detecting them being cast? As written, anyone who makes a DC 16, 18, or 21 Spellcraft check can identify them being cast long before they take effect. I don't think it should be impossible, either, but they should be harder to notice than that. Also Message. As for the identifying DCs, it's a very good idea, but how would it be implemented? Simply increase the DC by 5? 10? Ideas are certainly welcome here.
Kyy'Dakh 12-17-04, 12:25 PM	Here's an attempt of mine, though I don't have a lot of experience with designing non-damaging spells: Text Spray Illusion (Pattern) [Language-Dependent, Mind-affecting] Level: Sor/Wiz 2 Components: V, S, M Casting Time: 1 action Range: 15' Area: 15' Cone Duration: See text Saving Throw: Will negates (see text) Spell Resistance: Yes You hold out your hand and spray a stream of illusory text of one language you can read, made of nonsensical phrases, incomplete sentences, and just plain gibberish, overloading the minds of those who read the text. Creatures in the area are affected according to their HD: 3 or fewer HD: Paralyzed for 2d4 rounds, then confused for 1d3 rounds. 4-5 HD: Dazed for 1d3 rounds 6 or more HD: Dazed for one round. Text spray does not affect sightless or illiterate creatures. A creature who identifies text spray can close its eyes to avoid being affected. Material Component: A piece of unwanted mail (or a 133tspeak thread)
Seeker95 12-17-04, 01:12 PM	Berlitz Publishing Divination [Language-Dependant] Level: Sor/Wiz 2, Bard 2 Components: S Casting Time: special (see text) Range: Touch Target: One written text Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: No This spell permits the translation of a text or document from one language to another. The caster must trace his finger along each line of text. As he does so, the text is translated from the original language to any one language the caster knows. The original text is replaced. Text is translated at a rate of one page per minute. Each casting of the spell can translate up to one hour of text. Those texts of longer than 60 pages require multiple castings of the spell, although such castings need not be in immediate succession. For languages without a written script, the text is transliterated, using the script of the original text.
Vanigo 12-20-04, 04:11 AM	Also Message. As for the identifying DCs, it's a very good idea, but how would it be implemented? Simply increase the DC by 5? 10? Ideas are certainly welcome here. Bluff check with a circumstance bonus opposed by observer's Spellcraft. Seeker: How is that language-dependent? The [Language-Dependant] descriptor means the spell only works on creatures that speak the language you use when you cast it. This spell doesn't even affect creatures.