Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Luminous Crayon 03-02-05, 02:36 PM	A note before I begin: The following spells are designed to fit a particular homebrew magic system, posted in a thread linked in my signature. They should be fully compatible with the standard DnD magic system; simply replace "Ragecraft", "Runecraft", "Sightcraft", and similar terms with "Sor/Wiz", and you should have a very familiar-looking stat block. I'm posting these in their own thread, in addition to my alternate magic system thread, because that thread seems to be followed only by a few brave individuals who don't mind reading a huge amount of my bland prose. Though I adore and cherish those individuals for the help they've given so far, I also want feedback on these spells from a wider portion of the boards' population as well, so I'm making this second, more accessable thread, solely for these spells. I know they still need a little refinement. (Secretward, I'm lookin' at you!), but I'm quite fond of their concepts. Let me know what you think. Thanks in advance, -the Glowing Wax Stick Ignite Ragecraft 0 [Fire] V, S Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target: 1 creature or object Duration: Instantaneous Saves: Reflex Negates SR: No The target catches fire. Shocking Spark Ragecraft 0 [Electricity] V, S Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target: 1 creature or object Duration: Instantaneous Saves: None SR: Yes You make a ranged touch attack to strike your target with a coin-sized orb of electricity. With a successful attack roll, the target takes 1d3 points of electricital damage. Erode Resolve Ragecraft 0 [Fear, Mind-Affecting] S Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target: 1 creature Duration: Instantaneous Saves: Will Negates SR: Yes The target becomes shaken for 1d4 rounds. Quick Change Cloakweaving 0 [Glamer] V, S Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 10 minutes/level (D) Saves: Will Negates (see text) SR: Yes This spell changes the appearance of your clothing. It functions like Disguise Self, except that it only affects clothing and equipment, not the caster himself. If used to create a disguise (such as a hooded cloak or mask), it provides a +2 bonus to Disguise checks. Pigments Cloakweaving 0 [Glamer] V, S, M Range: Touch Target: 1 creature or object Duration: 1 day/level Saves: No SR: No This spell changes the colors of one object or one part of a willing creature. It can change eye color, hair color, or skin tone of an individual, but it takes multiple castings of pigments to affect multiple variables. Individuals changed to a color within the normal range for their species appear natural, although individuals given outlandish colors (a human with blue hair or red eyes, for example) will naturally attract suspicion. Objects colored by this spell appear as if painted or enamled. Material component: a drop of ink, paint, or similar pigment. Etching Runecraft 0 V, S, F Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 1 min/level (D) For the duration of the spell, you can engrave lines on stone, metal, or similar materials by tracing them with a finger. You can write or draw with the same precision as writing with pen and paper. The etching does not harm or weaken the surface you engrave upon. A spellcaster with this spell is considered to have the tools necessary to make Craft checks related to etching or engraving and does not take the usual -2 bonus for using Craft skills without tools, although most applications of the Craft skill will take significantly longer to complete than the spell's duration. Focus: a knife, pin, or other implement with a sharp point. Dictation Runecraft 0 V, S, F Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target: one blank book, parchment, or stack of papers Duration: 10 min/level (D) For the duration of the spell, words appear in the targeted book or paper, as if written by an invisible hand. The writing records everything you say until the spell expires or is dismissed. The spell does not record verbal spell components or any kind of magical writing, substituting nonsense syllables for such speech; it cannot be used to scribe scrolls, create a glyph of warding, or manipulate magical forces in any way. The writing force supplies its own ink, and turns pages as necessary. Focus: a pen or quill. Unseen Scribe Runecraft 1 V, S, F Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Targets: you, one creature/level, and one blank book, parchment, or stack of papers Duration: 1 hour/level (D) Saving throw: Will partial (see text) Spell Resistance: Yes This spell functions like dictation, but the writing force records the speech of all targeted creatures, so that the resulting text serves as a record of the conversation. For each individual target, a successful Will save or Spell Resistance will prevent that creature's words from being recorded by the spell. The writing force uses different colors of ink and different handwriting to distinguish the various speakers from one another, although it does not label each color and style of writing with a speaker's identity unless the speakers name themselves aloud. Focus: a pen or quill. Sense Watchers Sightcraft 0 S, F Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 1 min/level (D) For the duration of the spell, you can sense whether you're being watched. As soon as anyone begins actively watching, studying, or otherwise visually examining you with any more than casual interest, you are alerted with a faint tingling sensation in the back of your head. The tingling stops and restarts as the attention stops and restarts, until the spell expires or is dismissed. The spell does not indicate who is watching you. It also does not alert you if someone is scrutinizing you by means other than visual, such as hearing or scent. Likewise, this spell does not alert you to magical surveillance such as scrying, even when such surveillance includes a visual element. Focus: a small mirror. Discern Name Sightcraft 1 S Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target: one creature Casting time: one swift action Saving throw: Will negates (see text) Spell resistance: Yes You know the target's name. An image of the written name appears in your mind, and you hear it spoken in your head. You learn the target's full and correct name, including any honorifics and special titles, but not nicknames. An individual traveling in disguise, using a false identity, or making other deliberate efforts to conceal his identity or to remain anonymous gets a +4 bonus on his save against this spell. Against a target using magic to conceal his identity (such as disguise self), this bonus increases to +8. If this spell fails for any reason, you must make a Wisdom check (DC 5). Failure means that you learn an random incorrect name instead of the target's actual name. The DM should roll this check in secret. Narrative Runecraft 4 V, S, F Target: One creature Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) or Any Duration: 10 min/level (D) Saving throw: Will negates Spell resistance: Yes This spell's energies write in a blank book or set of papers, as per the dictation spell. If the target creature fails the saving throw, the text that appears records all the target's actions until the spell expires. The spell quickly and accurately records speech, movement, and other observable actions. The spell does not record thought, intention, purely mental commands, or other actions not noticeable by mundane observation. The narrative spell is considered to automatically succeed at Spellcraft checks to discern what the target does during the spell's duration. For example, it cannot track an invisible target's movements, but it will correctly note that the target cast invisibility, and will resume recording the target's actions when the invisibility spell ends. Normally, narrative must be cast on a creature within Close range, although it will continue recording the actions of a target who leaves that range, as long as the target stays on the same plane as the caster. If the caster uses the target's own handwritten signature as a focus for spellcasting, the target receives a -5 penalty on the saving throw, and does not need to be within Close range of the caster at the time of casting. Focus: a pen or quill, and optionally, the written signature of the target (see above.) Gossip Sense, Lesser Sightcraft 1 V, S Target: You Effect: spherical emanation, with a radius of 400 ft. + 40 ft/level Duration: 10 minutes/level A sixth sense alerts you whenever your name is spoken aloud within the spell's range. You hear it spoken in your head in the speaker's voice, giving you the chance to recognize the speaker if it is someone familiar to you. With a successful caster level check against a DC of 11 + the speaker's HD, you gain an accurate sense of the speaker's direction and distance away, relative to your current location. Gossip Sense Sightcraft 3 Effect: spherical emanation, with a radius of 1 mile/level Duration: 1 hour/level This spell functions like lesser gossip sense, except as noted above. In addition, each time gossip sense alerts you that someone is speaking your name, you also hear the five words the speaker says immediately before and after your name is spoken, giving you some idea of the context in which your are being mentioned. For example, if one of a group of nobles within range of Serafila's gossip sense spell notes, "I am suspicious of that foreign mage, Serafila. If you ask me, she's been poking her nose where it doesn't belong," the spell allows Serafila to hear the following: "suspicious of that foreign mage, Serafila. If you ask me, she's". Gossip Sense, Greater Sightcraft 5 Effect: spherical emanation, with a radius of 10 miles/level Duration: 2 hours/level This spell functions as gossip sense, except as noted above. In addition, greater gossip sense allows the caster to hear ten words both before and after your name is spoken, instead of five. Also, you have a 5% per caster level chance of being able to target any speaker you detect with this spell with any appropriate Sightcraft spell of 3rd level or lower, regardless of range or line of effect. Read Emotion Sightcraft 0 S Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target: one creature Casting time: one swift action Duration: Instantaneous Saving throw: Will negates Spell resistance: Yes This spell gives you information about the target's current mood and emotional state. The spell provides the caster with a single adjective that best describes the target's current emotions, so targets experiencing particularly complex emotional turmoil when the spell is cast may return oversimplified results. The intimate knowledge of the target's emotions provides the caster with valuable insight when dealing with that person. After successfully casting read emotion, the caster gains a +2 Insight bonus on the next Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or Sense Motive check he makes against the spell's target. Since emotions can change rapidly, this bonus is lost if no appropriate check is made within 5 minutes of the spell's casting. Touch of Pain Ragecraft 0 V, S Range: Touch Target: one creature Duration: one round Saving throw: Fort negates Spell Resistance: Yes The caster touches the target with a melee touch attack, sending ripples of pain through the target's body from the point of contact. For the duration of the spell, the target takes a -2 penalty to the modified level check to resist Intimidation by the caster and his allies, and must succeed at a Concentration check against touch of agony's saving throw DC to cast spells or concentrate on an existing spell. Grip of Pain Ragecraft 1 V, S Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target: one creature Duration: 1 round or 1d4 rounds, see text Saving throw: Fort partial Spell Resistance: Yes The target is wracked with spasms of pain, clouding his mind an inhibiting his actions. For the duration of the spell, the target takes a -2 penalty to the modified level check to resist Intimidation by the caster and his allies, and takes a -1 penalty to attack rolls. The target must also make a Concentration check against grip of pain's saving throw DC to cast spells or concentrate on an existing spell. A successful saving throw reduces the spell's duration from 1d4 rounds to 1 round. Doors of Pain Ragecraft 2 V, S Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target: one creature Duration: 1 round or 2d4 rounds, see text Saving throw: Fort partial Spell Resistance: Yes The target is washed in overwhelming pain. For the duration of the spell, the target takes a -2 penalty to the modified level check to resist Intimidation by the caster in his allies, and takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls, AC, and all Strength-based and Dexterity-based checks. Each round while the spell is in effect, the target takes 1d8 points of nonlethal damage. The target must also make a Concentration check against doors of pain's saving throw DC to cast spells or concentrate on an existing spell. A successful saving throw reduces the spell's duration from 2d4 rounds to 1 round. Flood of Agony Ragecraft 4 V, S Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target: one creature per two caster levels Duration: 1 round or 2d6 rounds, see text Saving throw: Fort partial Spell Resistance: Yes The targets of this spell are consumed with searing pain. For the duration of the spell, each target takes a -2 penalty to the modified level check to resist Intimidation by the caster in his allies, and takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls, AC, and all Strength-based and Dexterity-based checks. Each round while the spell is in effect, each target takes 2d6 points of nonlethal damage. Each target must also make a Concentration check against flood of agony's saving throw DC to cast spells or concentrate on existing spells. Each target of the spell who succeeds at a saving throw is released from the effects of the flood of agony after only one round, rather than the usual 2d6 rounds. Secretward Wordcraft 3 [Compulsion, Mind-affecting] V, S, M Range: Touch Target: one creature Casting time: 1 hour Duration: one month per level Saving throw: Will partial Spell Resistance: Yes By casting secretward, the caster renders the target unable to speak about a particular subject of the caster's choice. Example compulsions include: "You will not disclose the details of your meeting with Councilor Thavius," "you will tell no one of the murder you have witnessed," "you will not tell anyone, including the Formerian ambassador, that you are serving as his bodyguard," and similar instructions. Secretward has no power to affect any other aspect of the target's behavior, but a creature under the effects of this spell cannot communicate about the restricted subject by any means. The subject restricted by this spell must be specific and clearly defined by the caster. A mage could use this spell to prevent the target from discussing a single act of violence, a single dwarven individual, or a particular stash of hidden gold, but no secretward could prevent the target from discussing all the violence he's ever witnessed, the entire dwarven race, or the idea of currency in general. A creature under the effects of a secretward spell cannot bypass this restriction by writing things down, offering hints of any kind, answering questions about the subject, or any other methods. In fact, a creature who is asked questions about a subject he is magically prohibited from discussing can only respond with, "I cannot answer that question," or a similar response. Spellcasters using detect thoughts or other means to examine the target without requiring his active communication may discover information on the restricted subject if they succeed at a Will save against the secretward spell; failure indicates all thoughts related to the restricted subject are black, murky, and unreadable. No matter whether the saving throw succeeds or fails, the target is unable to discuss the forbidden subject. If the saving throw fails, the target is similarly prevented from discussing the secretward spell that affects him, or actively seeking a spellcaster to cast dispel magic on him. A target who succeeds on the saving throw is capable of informing others that about the spell, which may lead to the spell's being dispelled or otherwise negated, leaving the target able to talk freely once again. Even though a target who saves successfully against secretward can discuss the spell that affects him, he is still prevented from discussing the forbidden subject until the secretward is dispelled or its duration expires. This prevents a character from circumventing the spell's restrictions by saying something like, "I am under a spell that prevents me from telling anyone that I am the ambassador's bodyguard." Note that the spell's long casting time and the requirement that the caster touch the target to cast the spell make secretward difficult to cast, since the caster must find some way to make the target stay still for an hour. Secretward can easily be cast upon a target that is willing or tied up, and some casters have been known to risk casting secretward upon sleeping targets (although the spell fails if they awaken and break the touch contact.) Material component: a powder made from crushed opal and butterfly wings, worth at least 50 gp, to be sprinkled on the target during casting. Call Animal Animism 0 V, S, M Range: Personal Target: You Casting time: 1 standard action Duration: Instantaneous Saving throw: Will negates (see text) Spell Resistance: Yes By casting this spell, you compel the nearest animal to come to your location, using its normal means of travel to the best of its abilities. This spell cannot cause an animal to attempt transportation unnatural to its species, such as causing a fish to leave water or a horse to climb a tree. Wild animals receive no saving throw, but domesticated or trained animals can make a Will save to resist the effect. Creatures with Intelligence of 3 or greater are immune to this effect. This spell has no effect on the animal's behavior besides causing it to come to your location; creatures summoned this way might be hostile toward the caster. This spell only affects animals within Medium range (100 ft. + 10 ft./level); if no appropriate animal is within range of the spell, the spell has no effect. Material component: a drop of honey.
Luminous Crayon 03-02-05, 06:31 PM	Come on, now. Anybody? Bueller? This thread left the front page so fast if left skid marks.
Luminous Crayon 03-03-05, 10:40 AM	Oh, come now. 24 views, and the only reply is me, bringing the thread back to page 1 and begging feedback. If the whole assortment is so boring you can't think of anything constructive to say about it, reply and say so, and at least save me the embarrassing duty of bumping this thread.
Atarmalake Stormspire 03-03-05, 11:33 AM	Luminous Crayon, Just to let you know... I like the 'Dictation' and 'Unseen Scribe' spells. Very cool for Role Playing Meetings and such like that. Pigments is good because you can change things for longer than the one hour limit of Prestidigitation... I like the ideas behind the spells... I am probably not the person to talk to about seeing if they are ballanced or not. But all in all... pretty decent. Lake :cheer:
Seeker95 03-03-05, 11:35 AM	LC... it's too much all at once. Multiple new spells in a single thread is daunting. And in this one, you have 21 spells. You aren't likely to get many folks reading past the first two spells when the initial post sends the scroll bar on the right to a mere one inch in height. That said... What are the game effects of ignite? Setting someone on fire with a zero-level spell seems a little powerful, depending on what "being set on fire" does. And no SR? For a cantrip that targets someone? Erode Resolve should last only a single round if you want it to remain a cantrip. As is, it is a 1st level spell. For quick change, I'd make the target clothing only... not equipment. Unless you want to bump it up to first level as well. For pigments, I'd make the duration a single day only. In general, your cantrips are being made with a little too much versatility and variability. That said, I like the concepts for just about all of them.
Luminous Crayon 03-03-05, 11:53 AM	LC... it's too much all at once. Multiple new spells in a single thread is daunting. And in this one, you have 21 spells. You aren't likely to get many folks reading past the first two spells when the initial post sends the scroll bar on the right to a mere one inch in height.Ah, is that what it is? Honestly, it hadn't even occurred to me that that might be a problem. I mean, I guess I could break it up into a lot of seperate threads, but I feel like that would clutter the boards quite a bit. Next time I'll know better. What are the game effects of ignite? Setting someone on fire with a zero-level spell seems a little powerful, depending on what "being set on fire" does. And no SR? For a cantrip that targets someone?Actually looking up the game effects of being on fire is something I've been meaning to do for some time. I believe it's something on the order of 1d4 fire damage per turn, and you can take an action to extinguish yourself before taking any damage. The lack of SR is because the spell basically has the same effects as holding a burning torch to someone's clothes (if I were using a normal magic system, it'd be a Conjuration effect), and no SR made sense to me. However, you're not the only person who's complained about lack of SR for Ignite, so I may well end up changing that. Erode Resolve should last only a single round if you want it to remain a cantrip. As is, it is a 1st level spell.Upon reflection, you're probably right. In general, your cantrips are being made with a little too much versatility and variability. That said, I like the concepts for just about all of them.More like level 0.5 than level 0, perhaps? That's a helpful insight. I'll get to work on scaling back the cantrips some, and then update. Maybe just split the entire thread into smaller ones based on theme (the Pain spells in one thread, the Gossip Sense spells in another, etc.) to hopefully get a little more feedback. Thanks.
dragoncc 03-03-05, 01:13 PM	[QUOTE=Luminous Crayon]snip. Ignite Might want to specifiy that it ignites only flammable objects. Shocking Spark Similar to some I saw on SKR's site & liked. Erode Resolve Like it, but duration is a bit long for 0 level (as Seeker95 pointed out). Quick Change Breaking up disguise self, "Brilliant". Pigments See above, but way too long of duration for 0 level. How about 2 hours/level. Etching interesting. Dictation Very useful. Unseen Scribe A big jump in functionality, targets, & duration; may be a 2nd level spell. Sense Watchers A bit much for a 0-level spell IMO, but maybe not as I reread it. I'm thinking some bonus to sense motive & new use of it for such a spell. Discern Name Pretty powerful, really. not sure about this one. Maybe rework the bonuses to be something like a bonus equal to the target's ranks in bluff skill or something to make it more useful at lower levels, but more difficult at mid & possibly impossible at high levels (which is more what I think this type of spell should do). Narrative Whoa, auto succeed at Spellcraft checks? Maybe make it auto succeed at spellcraft checks for spells/effects that are equal to or lesser than the highest spell level of the caster, cause there's no reason why a mid level caster should know exactly what an epic-level caster did exactly without any doubt IMO. Anywhere on the same plane for a 4th level spell? Gossip Sense Use a similar mechanic for a special ability available to my sorcerers, so I have no problem with this one. Read Emotion I like this one as is. Touch of Pain I'm torn at this one being too strong for a cantrip, but too weak for a 1st level spell as well. Grip of Pain Same as above (between 1st & 2nd). Doors of Pain Think this one should probably be 3rd. Flood of Agony which makes this one a 5th level spell IMO Secretward I like this one alot. Call Animal Awesome, but a drop of honey? There, that wasn't hard, well except that I accidently closed the webpage I was replying on the first time & I was only 2 spells from being done :weep: I guess that's why I didn't get very many replys to my spells section as well though, now that I've replied to yours. It did take a while to read through them all & respond.
Luminous Crayon 03-03-05, 02:02 PM	Narrative Whoa, auto succeed at Spellcraft checks? Maybe make it auto succeed at spellcraft checks for spells/effects that are equal to or lesser than the highest spell level of the caster, cause there's no reason why a mid level caster should know exactly what an epic-level caster did exactly without any doubt IMO. Anywhere on the same plane for a 4th level spell?This is actually justifiable in the setting I've designed it for, since magic caps off at 5th level spells. There are no epic spellcasters, nor even casters capable of managing 6th level spells; as a 4th level spell, Narrative is one of the more powerful magic effects available in the setting. I've been playing with the idea of having Narrative instead use 10 + caster level + spellcasting ability score modifier as a skill check for Spot, Listen, Spellcraft, and other skills that may be needed to find out just what the target of the spell is doing. I basically designed this spell to be a written-down version of Scrying, so the "anywhere on the same plane" business actually has a precedent in that spell.