Bane Spells - Spells vs Races [Archive] - Wizards Community

Bane Spells - Spells vs Races [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Fharghanar
11-07-06, 07:18 PM Are there any spells that only work vs specific races? Or rules for creating/modifying spells to only work against specific races?

Say in the next six months, my character knows he'll be fighting an army of pixies. Is it feasible to make a Fireball spell that is 2nd level, but only affects pixies? Or still 3rd level, but does 2d6/level?

Basicly, I'm looking for a way to trade versatility for power. Only works against a specific race or type (maybe fey) but is more powerful since it's so specific.

Also, are there race detection spells? Something that'll reveal the location of every fey within 200 feet? Basicly, fey RADAR? Anything like that?
CryoSilver
11-07-06, 07:51 PM There's Detect Undead and Undeath to Death as examples...
Fharghanar
11-07-06, 07:58 PM Detect Undead is a good place to start. Or maybe Locate Object is better? Make it 4th level, only detects fey, larger radius, longer duration?

As for Undeath to Death, it's just Circle of Death for the unliving. Just created to compensate for the positive/negative thing. Think more like.. Circle of Death for only Zombies, or something.
runestar
11-07-06, 10:02 PM s it feasible to make a Fireball spell that is 2nd level, but only affects pixies? Or still 3rd level, but does 2d6/level?
I could argue that this would still be a 3rd lv spell, or should actually warrant a higher spell slot. Think about it, my fighter could now wade into melee while the mage rained fireballs down centered around him, impervious to those area affecting spells while the pixies fall like flies.:cool:
Fharghanar
11-08-06, 12:20 AM Right, but I'm still spending 3 weeks and 3000g for that benefit. It's scope is hugely limited, eh?

Fireball aside, what about something like a ray? Maybe like Searing Light doing extra damage to undead.. but instead, only does damage to undead. What sort of bonus damage would that warrent? Or just a single target. Does 2d10 damage/lvl to target fey, fort for half. Or whateva.

That sort of thing. I know there are spells that do extra damage based on alignment.

So, no precedent for this?
runestar
11-08-06, 01:20 AM I only know of a spell from UE which bestows the bane enhancement on your weapon. The spellguard prc from PGTF lets you choose what races to affect or ignore with your area affect spells. Other then these, I am not aware of any other precedents...:(
Dunamin
11-08-06, 03:55 AM If you're going to be fighting fey, remember to have your allies break out the cold iron weapons.
Fabius Maximus
11-08-06, 08:09 AM There is a feat in Complete Mage that works like the Rangers' Favoured Enemy abilites with spells.

I can also imagine a metamagic feat called 'Bane Spell' which uses a spell slot one or two levels higher.
Sildatorak
11-08-06, 09:44 AM I can also imagine a metamagic feat called 'Bane Spell' which uses a spell slot one or two levels higher.
Or you could take the Bane Magic feat that has you choose a type (and a subtype if you go outsider or humanoid) and then your damaging spells deal 2d6 more to creatures of that type. I am typing from memory, though, so I might have messed it up.
CryoSilver
11-08-06, 11:05 AM I'm of the opinion that since fey are generally pretty weak (d6 Hit Die and poor Fortitude saves) you'd be better off coming up with save or dies (or other Fortitude based spells), combat buffs and defenses (since fey tend to have lots of SLAs).

Maybe a 5th level save or die that fey take a -2 penalty to save against? Call it "Faerie-Bane" or something catchy.
Fharghanar
11-08-06, 12:28 PM I'll check out that Bane Spell and the Ranger Favored Enemy Spell thing, or whatever it is in the Complete Mage.

I'm not fighting fey. It's just an example. But that answers my question - no real guidelines or precedent for making spells that are engineered vs a specific race. I guess that'd just be too broken. Know you're going to fight giants for the next 3 months? Spend 3 weeks and 3kgp to make a giant slaying spell. Own em up.

I guess the idea of limiting the versatility of a spell to increase it's power in this way is broken. Why learn much else offense wise when you could have a spell that owns up each racial type and scales with level?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Fharghanar 11-07-06, 07:18 PM	Are there any spells that only work vs specific races? Or rules for creating/modifying spells to only work against specific races? Say in the next six months, my character knows he'll be fighting an army of pixies. Is it feasible to make a Fireball spell that is 2nd level, but only affects pixies? Or still 3rd level, but does 2d6/level? Basicly, I'm looking for a way to trade versatility for power. Only works against a specific race or type (maybe fey) but is more powerful since it's so specific. Also, are there race detection spells? Something that'll reveal the location of every fey within 200 feet? Basicly, fey RADAR? Anything like that?
CryoSilver 11-07-06, 07:51 PM	There's Detect Undead and Undeath to Death as examples...
Fharghanar 11-07-06, 07:58 PM	Detect Undead is a good place to start. Or maybe Locate Object is better? Make it 4th level, only detects fey, larger radius, longer duration? As for Undeath to Death, it's just Circle of Death for the unliving. Just created to compensate for the positive/negative thing. Think more like.. Circle of Death for only Zombies, or something.
runestar 11-07-06, 10:02 PM	s it feasible to make a Fireball spell that is 2nd level, but only affects pixies? Or still 3rd level, but does 2d6/level? I could argue that this would still be a 3rd lv spell, or should actually warrant a higher spell slot. Think about it, my fighter could now wade into melee while the mage rained fireballs down centered around him, impervious to those area affecting spells while the pixies fall like flies.:cool:
Fharghanar 11-08-06, 12:20 AM	Right, but I'm still spending 3 weeks and 3000g for that benefit. It's scope is hugely limited, eh? Fireball aside, what about something like a ray? Maybe like Searing Light doing extra damage to undead.. but instead, only does damage to undead. What sort of bonus damage would that warrent? Or just a single target. Does 2d10 damage/lvl to target fey, fort for half. Or whateva. That sort of thing. I know there are spells that do extra damage based on alignment. So, no precedent for this?
runestar 11-08-06, 01:20 AM	I only know of a spell from UE which bestows the bane enhancement on your weapon. The spellguard prc from PGTF lets you choose what races to affect or ignore with your area affect spells. Other then these, I am not aware of any other precedents...:(
Dunamin 11-08-06, 03:55 AM	If you're going to be fighting fey, remember to have your allies break out the cold iron weapons.
Fabius Maximus 11-08-06, 08:09 AM	There is a feat in Complete Mage that works like the Rangers' Favoured Enemy abilites with spells. I can also imagine a metamagic feat called 'Bane Spell' which uses a spell slot one or two levels higher.
Sildatorak 11-08-06, 09:44 AM	I can also imagine a metamagic feat called 'Bane Spell' which uses a spell slot one or two levels higher. Or you could take the Bane Magic feat that has you choose a type (and a subtype if you go outsider or humanoid) and then your damaging spells deal 2d6 more to creatures of that type. I am typing from memory, though, so I might have messed it up.
CryoSilver 11-08-06, 11:05 AM	I'm of the opinion that since fey are generally pretty weak (d6 Hit Die and poor Fortitude saves) you'd be better off coming up with save or dies (or other Fortitude based spells), combat buffs and defenses (since fey tend to have lots of SLAs). Maybe a 5th level save or die that fey take a -2 penalty to save against? Call it "Faerie-Bane" or something catchy.
Fharghanar 11-08-06, 12:28 PM	I'll check out that Bane Spell and the Ranger Favored Enemy Spell thing, or whatever it is in the Complete Mage. I'm not fighting fey. It's just an example. But that answers my question - no real guidelines or precedent for making spells that are engineered vs a specific race. I guess that'd just be too broken. Know you're going to fight giants for the next 3 months? Spend 3 weeks and 3kgp to make a giant slaying spell. Own em up. I guess the idea of limiting the versatility of a spell to increase it's power in this way is broken. Why learn much else offense wise when you could have a spell that owns up each racial type and scales with level?