Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 therubberduck Jun 29, 2008 15:07:38	I've previously posted a pile of 1st level spells converted to rituals, but I've decided to keep going. Convert the entire way up to 9th level. Here is what have been converted until now. Alter Self Getting into the orcish camp was easy once you changed your appearance to match theirs. Level: 5 Catergory: Exploration Time: 10 minutes Duration: 1 hour Component Cost: 100 gp Market Price: 250 gp Key Skill: Arcana You assume the form of a creature of the same type as your normal form. The new form must be within one size category of your normal size. You retain all ability scores, qualities, and powers of your normal form, except for those requiring a body part that the new form does not have (such as a mouth for a breath weapon or eyes for a gaze attack). You receive none of the qualities of your new form, except for the appearance, and any extra limbs or reach inherent to the form. If the new form has wings, you cannot fly unless your old form also had wings, in which case you can fly with the speed and maneuverability of your new or old form, whichever is lesser. You can freely designate the new form’s minor physical qualities (such as hair color, hair texture, and skin color) within the normal ranges for a creature of that kind. The new form’s significant physical qualities (such as height, weight, and gender) are also under your control, but they must fall within the norms for the new form’s kind. You are effectively disguised as an average member of the new form’s race. Bless Water The water in the golden cup gains a luminiscent glow, and you think you can hear small bells tinkling from nowhere in particular. Level: 3 Catergory: Creation Time: 10 minutes Duration: Permanent Component Cost: 25 gp Market Price: 75 gp Key Skill: Religion (no check) This ritual imbues 1 pint of water with holy energy, turning it into holy water. A pint of holy water can be filled into a flask and used as a thrown weapon. When used against a creature vulnerable to Radiant energy, each pint of holy water deals 1 point of Radiant damage, and 1 point of ongoing Radiant damage (save ends). Charm Letting a drop of your own blood fall on the crude doll, you bind a connection between yourself and the fat merchant. Level: 5 Catergory: Binding Time: 8 hours Duration: 24 hours Component Cost: 25 gp per level of the target Market Price: 250 gp Key Skill: Arcana In addition to the usual material components, this ritual also requires a personal item of the creature to be charmed. This could be a part of the creatures (hair, nail-clippings), something that has been in a lot of contacts with the creatures (an often worn item of clothing), or something of great personal importance to the creatures (a fighter's favorite sword, the necklace given to him by his true love). This item is destroyed in the process of casting this ritual. If your Arcana check is lower than the target's Will defense, the creature is unaffected. If the Arcana check is higher, the creature immediately comes to regard you as a well trusted friend. The creature will not wonder why it is friendly towards you, as long as no actions are taken that might cause it to become unfriendly (theft, attacks, insults, etc). The DM should keep in mind the creature's friendly attitude when setting DCs for social skill checks, and may provide bonuses to skill challenges concerning this creature. Further, its high regard for you leads it to potentially risk itself to aid you in ways it would not for most others (subject entirely to DM's discretion and interpretation). Creatures of Intelligence lower than 3 cannot be affected by this ritual. At the end of the ritual's duration, this friendship fades rapidly and the target returns to its normal attitudes. A creature that is no longer charmed does not automatically know that it was so, but if prompted to recall its experiences during the ritual's duration may conclude this to be the case.Though this knowledge may anger the creature, it does not do so automatically. Consecrate The air seems clearer, and the sun's light suddenly stronger as you step into the interior of the shrine. Level: 5 Catergory: Warding Time: 30 minutes Duration: 24 hours (special) Component Cost: 1000 gp, plus 5 healing surges Market Price: 5000 gp Key Skill: Religion This spell blesses an area with the holy energy of your deity. Within the affected area characters with the divine power source are cut off from their deity, preventing them from channeling divinity, unless they follow the same deity as the ritual caster. When performing the ritual, you may also choose aberrant, elemental, fey, immortal, shadow, or undead. Unaligned, evil or chaotic evil creatures of the chosen type whose level are lower than the Religion check minus 10 automatically grant Combat Advantage to other creatures when in the area of effect. If the type chosen was undead, the Channel Divinity: Turn Undead power allows the caster to add his Wisdom to damage, and Charisma to the distance pushed an additional time, when used against undead creatures within the area. Your Religion check determines the size of the warded area, which is a burst. Religion Check Result | Warded Area 9 or lower | Burst 1 10-19 | Burst 3 20-29 | Burst 5 30-39 | Burst 8 40 or higher | Burst 12 The warding effect lasts for 24 hours, but the ritual caster (not any assistants) can extend the duration by expending a healing surge every 24 hours to sustain it. The caster does not need to be in the area or even on the same plane to sustain the effect. If the ritual effect is sustained without interruption for a year and a day, the effect becomes permanent. Consecrate counters Desecrate. If a Consecrate ritual is conducted where a Desecrate ritual is in effect, neither ritual provides any effects where their areas overlap. If the duration of one of the rituals end, the other ritual takes effect in the no longer overlapping area. Curse Water The water in the wooden bowl becomes murky, and a smell of death starts to fill the room. Level: 3 Catergory: Creation Time: 10 minutes Duration: Permanent Component Cost: 25 gp Market Price: 75 gp Key Skill: Religion (no check) This ritual imbues 1 pint of water with unholy energy, turning it into unholy water. A pint of unholy water can be filled into a flask and used as a thrown weapon. Each pint of unholy water deals 1 point of Necrotic damage, and 1 point of ongoing Necrotic damage (save ends). Dark Vision Though the torches in the dank underground room are unlit, you are easily able to spot the skeletal sentries. Level: 3 Catergory: Exploration Time: 10 minutes Duration: 8 hours Component Cost: 25 gp Market Price: 125 gp Key Skill: Arcana The ritual provides darkvision to a number of creatures depending on your Arcana check. All creatures must be present at the time of casting. Arcana Check Result | Creatures affected 9 or lower | Self 10-19 | 5 20-29 | 15 30-39 | 25 40 or higher | 50 Desecrate As you enter the shrine the atmosphere makes your skin crawl, and the shadows seem to move at their own accord. Level: 5 Catergory: Warding Time: 30 minutes Duration: 24 hours (special) Component Cost: 1000 gp, plus 5 healing surges Market Price: 5000 gp Key Skill: Religion This spell imbues an area with unholy energy. Within the affected area characters with the divine power source are cut off from their deity, preventing them from channeling divinity, unless they follow the same deity as the ritual caster. When performing the ritual, you may also choose aberrant, elemental, fey, immortal, shadow, or undead. Unaligned, evil or chaotic evil creatures of the chosen type whose level are lower than the Religion check minus 10 gain regeneration 5 while in the area of effect. If the creature takes radiant damage, or damage to which it is vulnerable, the regeneration doesn't function on its next turn. Your Religion check determines the size of the warded area, which is a burst. Religion Check Result 9 or lower | Burst 1 10-19 | Burst 3 20-29 | Burst 5 30-39 | Burst 8 40 or higher | Burst 12 The warding effect lasts for 24 hours, but the ritual caster (not any assistants) can extend the duration by expending a healing surge every 24 hours to sustain it. The caster does not need to be in the area or even on the same plane to sustain the effect. If the ritual effect is sustained without interruption for a year and a day, the effect becomes permanent. Desecreate counters Consecrate. If a Desecrate ritual is conducted where a Consecrate ritual is in effect, neither ritual provides any effects where their areas overlap. If the duration of one of the rituals end, the other ritual takes effect in the no longer overlapping area. Detect Thoughts As you lean forward you hear the surface thoughts of your orcish captive. Level: 10 Catergory: Scrying Time: 10 minutes Duration: 5 minutes Component Cost: 400 gp Market Price: 1000 gp Key Skill: Arcane After completing this ritual, you can detect the surface thoughts of any creature within 10 squares of you, as long as your Arcana check result – 10 is higher than the subject's Will defense. Creatures of animal intelligence have simple, instinctual thoughts that you can pick up. You are free to change the target of your scrutiny throughout the duration of the ritual. Note that you do not have access to memories, or subconscious thoughts. Only the immediate, surface thoughts of the target is available to you. Detect Undead Meditating, you see in your mind the undead of the dungeon around you, hanging as blops of murky light in a pitch black abyss. Level: 3 Catergory: Exploration Time: 10 minutes Duration: Instantaneous Component Cost: 25 gp Market Price: 125 gp Key Skill: Religion You become aware of the presence of all undead within an area depending on your Religion check. You gain knowledge the direction, approximate range, and aura strength of all encounters which contain undead within the area. Religion Check Result | Radius around Caster 9 or lower | 10 squares 10-19 | 25 squares 20-29 | 50 squares 30-39 | 100 squares 40 or higher | 200 squares The aura strength of an encounter depends on the encounter's XP total. XP Total | Aura strength 499 or less | Faint 500-999 | Moderate 1000-2499 | Strong 2500 or more | Overwhelming If less than half of the XP of the encounter comes from undead, the aura strength drops by one level. Fire Trap Grinning you watch the raider open your backpack which proceeds to blow up in his face. Level: 5 Catergory: Warding Time: 1 hour Duration: Until discharged Component Cost: 100 gp Market Price: 250 gp Key Skill: Arcana Use this ritual to protect any object that can be opened (whether a door, chest or book). When someone other than you opens the object, the object releases a Burst 1 explosion. The explosion deals an amount of fire damage equal to your Arcana check result. The item protected by the trap is not harmed by this explosion. You can use the fire trapped object without discharging it, as can any individual to whom the object was specifically attuned when cast. Attuning a fire trapped object to an individual usually involves setting a password that you can share with friends. Creatures are entitled to a Perception check to detect the fact that the object is trapped. Unless the creature is actively searching for traps, this is a passive check. The check's DC equals your Arcana check result. The DC to disable the Fire Trap with Thievery is equal to your Arcana check result + 10. Goodberry Focusing on the berries in your palm, you feel natural goodness streaming into them. Level: 1 Catergory: Creation Time: 1 hour Duration: 24 hours Component Cost: 25 per berry Market Price: 50 gp Key Skill: Nature You make an amount of berries depending on your Nature check magical. When such a berry is consumed as a Standard Action, you spend a healing surge. Instead of the hit points you would normally regain, you regain10 hit points.. Any berries not consumed within 24 hours lose their magic, and become normal berries again. Nature Check Result | Berries Enchanted 9 or lower | 1 berry 10-19 | 3 berries 20-29 | 5 berries 30-39 | 7 berries 40 or higher | 9 berries Hide from Animals The great bear doesn't seem to notice you as you sneak past it towards the passage in the back of its den. Level: 6 Catergory: Exploration Time: 10 minutes Duration: 10 minutes Component Cost: 140 gp Market Price: 360 gp Key Skill: Nature The affected creatures become Invisible to beasts and magical beasts. Beasts are automatically affected, and will generally not react to your presence at all. Magical beasts are unaffected if their Will defense is higher than your Nature check. If their Will is lower, you are invisible to them, but they will still react to your presence if they become aware of it. If a warded creature attempts to touch or in any way attacks another creature (even with a spell), the ritual ends for all recipients. If a creature moves farther than 2 squares away from the caster, that creature becomes visible, but all other recipients are unaffected, and the creature becomes Invisible again if it moves within 2 squares the caster again. The ritual can protect a number of creatures depending on your Nature check. All creatures must be within 2 squares of you at the time of casting. Nature Check Result | Creatures affected 9 or lower | Self 10-19 | 5 20-29 | 15 30-39 | 25 (range increases to 5 squares) 40 or higher | 50 (range increases to 5 squares) Hide from Undead Though your skin crawls as you pass the undead sentries, they seem oblivious to your presence. Level: 6 Catergory: Exploration Time: 10 minutes Duration: 10 minutes Component Cost: 140 gp Market Price: 360 gp Key Skill: Religion The affected creatures become Invisible to all undead creatures. Nonintelligent undead creatures are automatically affected, and will generally not react to your presence at all. Intelligent undead are unaffected if their Will defense is higher than your Religion check. If their Will is lower, you are invisible to them, but will still react to your presence if they become aware of it. If a warded creature attempts to turn undead, touch an undead creature, or attacks any creature (even with a spell), the ritual ends for all recipients. If a creature moves farther than 2 squares away from the caster, that creature is no longer protected, but all other recipients are unaffected, and the creature comes under the protection of the ritual again if it moves within 2 squares the caster again. The ritual can protect a number of creatures depending on your Religion check. All creatures must be within 2 squares of you at the time of casting. Religion Check Result | Creatures affected 9 or lower | Self 10-19 | 5 20-29 | 15 30-39 | 25 (range increases to 5 squares) 40 or higher | 50 (range increases to 5 squares) Invisibility Sphere As the last few syllables pass your lips, you see transparency spreading from your hands up your arms, to completely envelope you. Level: 10 Catergory: Deception Time: 10 minutes Duration: 10 minutes Component Cost: 400 gp Market Price: 1000 gp Key Skill: Arcana The affected creatures become Invisible. If a warded creature attempts to touch or in any way attacks another creature (even with a spell), the ritual ends for all recipients. If a creature moves farther than 2 squares away from the caster, that creature becomes visible, but all other recipients are unaffected, and the creature becomes Invisible again if it moves within 2 squares the caster again. The ritual can protect a number of creatures depending on your Arcana check. All creatures must be within 2 squares the caster at the time of casting. Arcana Check Result | Creatures affected 9 or lower | Self 10-19 | 1 20-29 | 3 30-39 | 5 40 or higher | 10 Longstrider You step becomes quicker, and your pulse quickens as magic flows through your body. Level: 3 Catergory: Exploration Time: 1 minute Duration: 24 hours Component Cost: 10 gp/subject Market Price: 125 gp Key Skill: Nature (no check) This ritual affects up to 10 creatures within 5 squares of the caster. Within 1 minute of the completion of the spell, the affected creatures must start running, or the ritual ends immediately. While the creatures are running, add 4 to their overland speed for purpose of hourly or daily travel. The ritual can end in one of three ways. If a creature stops running, the ritual ends for that creature. If the caster stops running, the ritual ends for all recipients. If a creature moves farther than 5 squares away from the caster it loses all benefits of the ritual. If the creature manages to come within 5 squares of the caster again, it once again gains all benefits. If 24 hours pass, the ritual ends immediately. Pass Without Trace As you move through the room, no footsteps appear in the dust, and the cobwebs bounce back into shape behind you. Level: 3 Catergory: Exploration Time: 10 minutes Duration: 8 hours Component Cost: 25 gp Market Price: 125 gp Key Skill: Nature All subjects can move through any type of terrain without leaving any trace. Tracking the subject under the influence of the ritual is impossible without magical means. If a creature moves farther than 5 squares away from you, that creature loses the benefits of the ritual, but all other recipients are unaffected, and the creature regains the benefits if it moves within 5 squares of the caster. The ritual can protect a number of creatures depending on your Nature check. All creatures must be within 5 squares of you at the time of casting. Nature Check Result | Creatures affected 9 or lower | Self 10-19 | 5 20-29 | 15 30-39 | 25 40 or higher | 50 Reduce Person As you shout the last two incantations, the man within the arcane circle quickly shrink to half his size. Level: 3 Catergory: Exploration Time: 10 minutes Duration: 30 minutes Component Cost: 25 gp Market Price: 125 gp Key Skill: Arcana The subject of this ritual is reduced to half size, halving his height, length and width, and dividing his weight by 8. The subject becomes Small. Equipment carried by the person is reduced along with the person. Reduce weapon dice by 1 size (1d8 to 1d6, 1d4 to 1d3, 2d6 to 1d10, 2d4 to 1d6). Any item that leaves a character's possession regains its old size, though this does not change weapon damage for ranged weapons. Soften Earth and Stone Below your hands the wet ground transforms into deep pit of mud. Level: 8 Catergory: Exploration Time: 10 minutes Duration: Permanent Component Cost: 150 gp Market Price: 680 gp Key Skill: Nature When this spell is cast, all natural, undressed earth or stone in the spell’s area is softened. Magical, enchanted, dressed, or worked stone cannot be affected. Earth or stone creatures are not affected. Wet earth becomes thick mud, dry earth becomes loose sand or dirt, and stone becomes soft clay that is easily molded or chopped. The amount of material that can be changed depends on your Nature check. Nature Check Result | Amount of 1 square cubes affected 9 or lower | 2 cubes 10-19 | 4 cubes 20-29 | 10 cubes 30-39 | 20 cubes 40 or higher | 25 cubes Depending on how the ritual is used, the terrain may become difficult or hindering terrain, or the ritual might merely make it easier to dig somewhere. Speak with Animals You feel a sense of natural awareness flowing over you. Level: 1 Catergory: Exploration Time: 10 minutes Duration: 1 hour Component Cost: 10 gp Market Price: 50 gp Key Skill: Nature Using this ritual you gain the ability to comprehend the calls, grunts, howls, body postures and other methods of expression of beasts. Be aware that a beast's or magical beast's natural ability to comprehend advanced subjects is limited by its intelligence score. Most animals will have a neutral or hostile attitude towards the character depending on circumstances. If your Nature check is 15 or higher, you are also capable of talking to beasts, and understanding magical beasts. If your Nature check is 25 or higher, you are also capable of talking to magical beasts. If your Nature check is 35 or higher, you are capable of magically enhancing a beast or magical beast's ability to comprehend, allowing you to give complicated requests, or ask complicated questions. For purpose of understanding your requests and questions, the creature counts as having an intelligence score equal to your own, unless it was already larger. Only one animal at a time can possess this ability to comprehend, which it can retain until the end of the ritual, however you can transfer the ability from one animal to another. Status You pick up your speed as you suddenly feel the scout ahead fall unconscious. Level: 1 Catergory: Exploration Time: 10 minutes Duration: 1 hours Component Cost: 10 gp Market Price: 50 gp Key Skill: Arcana or Religion The ritual can affect up to 10 targets, which must be present at the casting of the ritual. You are aware of direction and distance to the creatures and any conditions affecting them: unharmed, wounded, bloodied, dying, blinded, dazed, deafened, diseased, dominated, immobilized, petrified, poisoned, slowed, stunned, unconscious, weakened, or the like. The distance out to which you can detect the targets, depends on your Arcana or Religion check. Arcana or Religion Check Result | Range 9 or lower | 5 squares 10-19 | 10 squares 20-29 | 30 squares 30-39 | 60 squares 40 or higher | 100 squares If a target moves out of range, you immediately lose all contact to them. If the affected target returns to within range, you regain contact. The ritual ceases to function for a target if it leaves the plane, or if it dies. Tree Shape While the wind rustles through your branches, you watch the brigand band march by, unaware of your presence. Level: 5 Catergory: Exploration Time: 10 minutes Duration: 8 hours Component Cost: 100 gp Market Price: 250 gp Key Skill: Nature (no check) By means of this ritual, you are able to assume the form of a Large living tree or shrub or a Large dead tree trunk with a small number of limbs. For all purposes you appear to be a normal tree, though a person trained in Arcana, may be able to Sense the Presence of Magic, and afterwards Identify the Ritual. While in tree form, you can observe all that transpires around you just as if you were in your normal form, and your hit points and defenses remain unaffected, though you have an effective Dexterity score of 0 and a speed of 0 squares. All clothing and gear carried or worn changes with you. You can dismiss tree shape as a minor action at which point the ritual ends. Unseen Servant As you rest, an invisible presence moves around, mending cloths, bringing you refreshments and polishing your companion's armor. Level: 1 Catergory: Exploration Time: 10 minutes Duration: 24 hours Component Cost: 10 gp Market Price: 50 gp Key Skill: Arcana The servant can accomplish simple tasks such as fetching things, cleaning, or mending, doing so at your mental command. The servant is undetectable, and cannot attack or be attacked. It has an effective Strengh score of 2 for purpose of carrying things, or open stuck doors. The servant is limited to staying in a small area, the size of which depends on your Arcana check. The area is centered around the point of summoning (the position of the caster during the ritual). Arcana Check Result | Range 9 or lower | 3 squares 10-19 | 5 squares 20-29 | 10 squares 30-39 | 15 squares 40 or higher | 20 squares Wood Shape The door beneath your hands creak loudly as the planks twist out of shape. Level: 5 Catergory: Exploration Time: 10 minutes Duration: Permanent Component Cost: 50 gp Market Price: 250 gp Key Skill: Nature Wood shape enables you to form one existing piece or object of wood into any shape that suits your purpose. While it is possible to make crude coffers, doors, and so forth, fine detail isn’t possible. Alternatively you can warp wood. A warped door springs open (or becomes stuck, requiring a Strength check to open, at your option). A boat or ship springs a leak. Warped ranged weapons are useless. A warped melee weapon causes a -4 penalty on attack rolls. Floors become difficult terrain. You can also unwarp wood (effectively warping it back to normal) with this ritual, straightening wood that has been warped by this spell or by other means. You can shape an amount of cubic feet equal to your Nature check result. You can combine multiple consecutive wood shape rituals to shape an object that is too large for you to shape with a single ritual.
#2 therubberduck Jun 29, 2008 15:08:12	The following rituals are new ones, on which I'd really like comments (though comments on the old ones are still appreciated). I'm especially interested in your thoughts on Consecrate, Desecrate and Fire Trap, seeing how fire trap deals damage, and consecrate and desecrate effects local combat. Alter Self, Consecrate. Darkvision. Desecrate, Detect Thoughts, Disguise Self, Fire Trap, Hide from Animals, Soften Earth and Stone, Status, Tree Shape, Wood Shape. For those that have given the rituals a look over in the previous thread, I've tweaked Invisibility Sphere (higher level), Goodberries (now work as very weak potions) and Longstrider (streamlined the rules). If you've gotten your own conversions, feel free to post them. If they are cool, I'll add them to the list.
#3 archtyrant_terevoth Jun 29, 2008 15:44:39	Alter Self: What about winged creatures. you should probably state if the wings are non-functional or if they work. If the wings work, then the spell could be seriously very powerful. Bless Water: 1 damage and 1 ongoing damage is pretty terrible. I'd definitely increase it somewhat. Charm: I like what you did with charm, That's pretty cool that you need the hair clippings and such. I like that idea. You may want to add something about how the variable component cost works. Do you automatically know how much gp it's going to cost? What happens if you don't have enough ritual components? Etc. Consecrate: I guess it's okay, though the combat advantage things seems a bit weird, given that it helps rogues more than clerics. I'd consider just saying that creatures in the area gain weakness 5 to radiant or something, but only against clerics of that deity. That way it actually helps out defending clerics more so than rogues. Darkvision: This ritual seems very powerful, as darkvision is rare in 4E. I'd probably make it so that you can only enchant one person at a time, or just outright raise the cost. Also, I'd make the skill roll determine the duration. Sometihng like 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 8 hours. Detect Thoughts: I suppose you could allow this one, but I've never really been a fan of these spells, as they tend to be real plot breakers. Plus reading minds has always felt more like a psionic thing to me. Detect Undead: Offhand this ritual seems like it would be a pain for the DM to describe at high levels, since he has to tell you the distance and direction of every undead within 200 squares. Maybe you want to have it just detect the most powerful undead in range, just to make it easier. Disguise self: I'd get rid of the interaction thing. Remember that 4E uses passive perception, not actual perception checks, and you're only going to make one arcana roll. I'd say that a character could actively look for an illusion with active perception checks, but only if they specifically look for it. Otherwise they just rely on passive perception. Fire Trap: The damage scaling is way off on this spell. It does massive damage at low level, and damage you wouldn't care about at all at high levels. Hide from animals/Undead/Invisibility sphere: I'd probably remove the aprt about the creature being able to exit the spell, then re-enter it to get the benefit. As it could involve a character walking out, firing an arrow, then walking back in (all without discharing the spell). I'd also have the check determine the radius of the hiding aura, instead of the number of creatures affected. Let it just ward whoever can fit. Also, these spells are very potent, as they allow you to take what is effectively a free surprise round. So I may place some extra limitation on them, though I'm not sure what. Invisibility got hit hard with the nerfbat in 4E, and these seem a bit too good to bestow mass invisibility at such a low level. Longstrider: Seems ok. It's a weaker version of phantom steed. Pass without trace: Honestly i never really liked this spell, because it made it so you could pull back and rest and it was impossible for monsters to track you. Really I don't feel like it has any place in the game at all, as it encourages PCs to do a series of hit and run attacks against monsters. Speak with animals: I'd probably make it a bit higher in level and more costly, with a shorter duration. You probably don't want your PCs talking with every animal they encounter after all.
#4 therubberduck Jun 29, 2008 18:08:46	Alter Self: Right. I'll make it a bit more clear, that you don't receive any new abilities (except for size and reach). Bless Water: Ah, but consider that skeletons, zombies, etc are vulnerable to radiant damage. So against those creatures it deals 6 or 11 points of damage, and the same amount of ongoing damage. Not quite so shabby. Charm: Hmm.. I hadn't considered that. Might be a good argument for going back to a static cost. Not as many sub-clauses. Consecrate: Well, I wanted something for the generic effect that is easy to keep track of, and Combat Advantage is. And so is your idea. Still.. anyone got a second opinion on this? I'm not sure which one I prefer. Darkvision: Right. Unless anyone else protests I'll follow you advice. Probably up the level too. Detect Thoughts: I had those thoughts too, which is why I bumped the level up, and gave it (I seem to remember) a high cost for its level. Right now its on the same level as Consult Mystic Sages. Bumping it to Consult Oracles level (16) I think would be too much, given how Consult Oracle can provide answers known by any creature, dead or alive, and not just a living creature within range. Level 12 maybe? Detect Undead: Well, the thing that I consider a brilliant idea on my part is the fact that the spell doesn't detect individual undead. It detects an entire encounter. Maybe I should make it more clear, but I'm not quite sure how to do that neatly. Disguise Self: Well, I stole the mechanic from Hallucinatory Creature, so I think its proper procedure for illusions. But I'm dropping the ritual entirely. Just noticed that Disguise Self is already a wizard power. Fire Trap: Right. Guess I'll have to go with table-based damage. How does the following sound: Arcana Check Result | Damage 9 or lower | 2d10 10-19 | 3d8 20-29 | 4d8 30-39 | 4d10 40 or higher | 5d10 Which is stolen from the Medium column of the Limited Damage Expressions table of DMG p.185. Invisibilities: Just needs to state that the spell collapses, even if an affected creature is out of range when he attacks. As for the balance issues, how about this as the new table? Arcana Check Result | Area of Effect 9 or lower | fizzles 10-19 | Self 20-29 | Burst 1 30-39 | Burst 2 40 or higher | Burst 3 Could also make it so that the ritual will end at the moment that a target decides to engage in combat. Thus giving the opponents a chance to roll initiative. Pass Without Trace: Well, if the players want to spend the money, and risk being surprised while casting the ritual, to make hit'n'run I think its just fine and dandy. In this case, I think its a case of personal preferences, not game balance. Speak With Animals: Again, I think the time and money should compel any serious players no to interrogate every creature in their path. Especially since the answers they'll receive are pretty rudimentary until they hit DC 35.
#5 archtyrant_terevoth Jun 29, 2008 20:34:12	Bless Water: Ah, but consider that skeletons, zombies, etc are vulnerable to radiant damage. So against those creatures it deals 6 or 11 points of damage, and the same amount of ongoing damage. Not quite so shabby. Hmm. I hadn't considered the vulnerability. Actually that does make it quite a bit better. You're dealing a minimum of 12 damage against something that's radiant vulnerable, and possibly more. Yeah, that's pretty good. Detect Thoughts: I had those thoughts too, which is why I bumped the level up, and gave it (I seem to remember) a high cost for its level. Right now its on the same level as Consult Mystic Sages. Bumping it to Consult Oracles level (16) I think would be too much, given how Consult Oracle can provide answers known by any creature, dead or alive, and not just a living creature within range. Level 12 maybe? Yeah, mostly this one is going to be a matter of personal preference and quest structure. Detect thoughts is one of those spells that can either be utterly useless (in straight-up dungeon crawls) to completely plot-breaking (in political/mystery campaigns). Detect Undead: Well, the thing that I consider a brilliant idea on my part is the fact that the spell doesn't detect individual undead. It detects an entire encounter. Maybe I should make it more clear, but I'm not quite sure how to do that neatly. Yeah, it's still going to pinpoint a variety of different spots, which may be hard to represent exactly at long distances if PCs want to get specific. Fire Trap: Right. Guess I'll have to go with table-based damage. How does the following sound: Arcana Check Result | Damage 9 or lower | 2d10 10-19 | 3d8 20-29 | 4d8 30-39 | 4d10 40 or higher | 5d10 Which is stolen from the Medium column of the Limited Damage Expressions table of DMG p.185. Yeah, that's a good basis point. Single traps are rather hard to do in 4E, because it's unlikely any one attack will kill, so at most it just slows you down a bit to use healing surges. I was thinking maybe take down the damage but make it more of an encounter style trap. That is, the box keeps firing stuff at the one who opened it, and his allies until the trap is either disarmed or destroyed. Maybe it could create some kind of little fire spirit or something that tosses fire bolts. That makes a fire trap a bit more interesting than the 3.5 *BOOM* followed by "Ok that was annoying, lets all spend our healing surges". Invisibilities: Just needs to state that the spell collapses, even if an affected creature is out of range when he attacks. As for the balance issues, how about this as the new table? Arcana Check Result | Area of Effect 9 or lower | fizzles 10-19 | Self 20-29 | Burst 1 30-39 | Burst 2 40 or higher | Burst 3 Could also make it so that the ritual will end at the moment that a target decides to engage in combat. Thus giving the opponents a chance to roll initiative. I like the table, and so long as you put something in there to prevent peopel from attacking then running to the spell, that exploit should be fixed. As far as invisibility in general, having it start out with a roll for initiative would probably be pretty good. That negates the surprise factor at least. It's still quite powerful as a stealth effect, but still rather risky, since you're dropping your stealth in the middle of an enemy encampment, and thus probably don't have 10 minutes to recast it and leave. So I could see that working. Pass Without Trace: Well, if the players want to spend the money, and risk being surprised while casting the ritual, to make hit'n'run I think its just fine and dandy. In this case, I think its a case of personal preferences, not game balance. Yeah, possibly. It's just that 10 minutes is a lot less time to find the party than 6 hours and getting hit while casting a ritual is a lot worse than getting hit while sleeping. Speak With Animals: Again, I think the time and money should compel any serious players no to interrogate every creature in their path. Especially since the answers they'll receive are pretty rudimentary until they hit DC 35. I'd probably still at least cut the duration a bit. An hour is a very long time. And they're sure to talk to every animal they meet. You probably want it more of a spell where you find a badger or a wolf or something and then cast the spell, as opposed to casting it beforehand and being able to chat with a ton of animals. Of course, this is more another flavor concern. If you want your quests to have a lot of animals to talk to, I don't think that's necessarily wrong. It's just that it's something you probably should be prepared for.