| holylink718 |
I started developing a custom spell for a Wizard I was playing way back but never finished. I recently found it again and started playing with it. I think it's balanced and a cool spell, but I thought a few extra pairs of eyes wouldn't hurt. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism only, please. :)
Dispelling Fog
Abjuration/Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Fog spread in 20 ft. radius, 20 ft. high
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell functions like Solid Fog except that, in addition to the normal effects of Solid Fog creatures within the fog are targeted by a dispel via Greater Dispel Magic, as if cast by the caster of Dispelling Fog, each round they remain in the fog.
I originally picked level 7, but bumped it up to 8 and again to 9 in hindsight. But perhaps I'm being paranoid. And I may need to work on the wording a bit. English isn't my strong point. :)
| A Man In Black RPG Superstar 2010 Top 32 |
Well, okay.
It's going to be very slow at the table. It's AOE greater dispel, every turn. The only time you'd want to cast that is when there's lots to dispel, and that's going to bog the game down something fierce.
3e doesn't actually have rules for mixed-school spells. What happens when a conjuration specialist who's forbidden abjuration wants to learn this? What happens when he wants to prep it?
When are you going to take this instead of disjunction? It's disjunction that doesn't negate magic items but leaves behind a solid fog. Since solid fog is pretty weak in PF and negating magic items is really strong, this is only situationally better than a staple 9th-level spell and is usually situationally worse.
Ninth-level spells don't come up much, so people don't tend to get too excited about them.
| holylink718 |
Well, okay.
It's going to be very slow at the table. It's AOE greater dispel, every turn. The only time you'd want to cast that is when there's lots to dispel, and that's going to bog the game down something fierce.
3e doesn't actually have rules for mixed-school spells. What happens when a conjuration specialist who's forbidden abjuration wants to learn this? What happens when he wants to prep it?
When are you going to take this instead of disjunction? It's disjunction that doesn't negate magic items but leaves behind a solid fog. Since solid fog is pretty weak in PF and negating magic items is really strong, this is only situationally better than a staple 9th-level spell and is usually situationally worse.
Ninth-level spells don't come up much, so people don't tend to get too excited about them.
Well I wasn't really worried about bogging down the game because it doesn't seem to take that long to me. Unless every single square of the AOE is occupied, and they all have multiple spells to take down. At higher level one tends to buff less, as magic items take a more dominant role (such has been my experience, anyway).
I want to say it was PH2 that introduced two schools of magic to one spell. I think it counts as either/or in terms of school specialization/forbidden. I think, anyway. It's been a while since I made this.
I was more thinking of a defensive spell. Like when someone is invading your lair you drop it in the first room from the safety of invisibility or by magic trap. Soften up the invaders, make them buff again (or just force them to continue without it).
I wasn't trying to reinvent the wheel (or the wish spell), I was just trying to come up with a unique idea to add flavor to my mage.
| Rezdave |
Funny ... when I first read the Thread Subject my thought was "just use a gust of wind" :-) Guess I missed the "-ing" part.
I think the Spell Compendium has a dispelling screen that achieves the basic effect you want at a lower level.
By the time you're casting 9th level spells you also have permanency and plenty of other options. You shouldn't need something like this to "defend your lair" because you should already have plenty of other defenses, both static and dynamic, in place. Traps, wards, dispelling screens and guards & wards along with similar things for defenses. You wouldn't want to waste a spell slot on something like this, but rather prepare a spell that will rip your opponents asunder.
Sorry, I guess folks are underwhelmed.
If you want to give "flavor" to your mage, start with their personality and grow something out from there, rather than just a new, random "trick" spell. Bigby did force-hands, Otiluke did energy and other spheres, Leomund did shelters and protections. Figure out what your guy is "about" and what is his personality and then work a variety of spells from there, basically every other level.
Give us a Kinlyhol's Mighty BLANK of BLANK series of spells at 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th levels that are related, thematic and yet not entirely derivative or simple upgrades of one another. Tie the development of these spells to his backstory and personality in such a way that we can see why an otherwise perhaps predictable progression did not take place and the chain went one direction instead of another.
That would be interesting. This spell won't get more than a yawn from the RPG Superstar judges.
Imagine that you are developing your Wizard as an NPC for the RPGS contest ... think about his background and personality and the formative episodes of his life, and then build spells around and influenced by his needs, circumstances and desires.
HTH,
Rez
| SmiloDan RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32 |
I think it's a neat idea (an AoE, persistent Dispeller), but it could probably use some tweaking. I would make it like Dispel Magic, affecting only 1 spell per target, and I would make it so the caster only has to make 1 Dispel check per round, applied to all targets in the AoE. Remember, in Pathfinder, Dispel Magic doesn't max out at 10th level, so it would still be viable at higher levels.
I think with the changes I proposed, it would be a 5th level spell.
| holylink718 |
I think it's a neat idea (an AoE, persistent Dispeller), but it could probably use some tweaking. I would make it like Dispel Magic, affecting only 1 spell per target, and I would make it so the caster only has to make 1 Dispel check per round, applied to all targets in the AoE. Remember, in Pathfinder, Dispel Magic doesn't max out at 10th level, so it would still be viable at higher levels.
I think with the changes I proposed, it would be a 5th level spell.
I did not notice that. I made this back in 3.5 and have not played a mage at high enough level to notice the difference in Pathfinder. That's interesting.
Now that's the kind of assistance I was looking for. :)
Edit:
Dispelling Fog
Abjuration/Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Fog spread in 20 ft. radius, 20 ft. high
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell functions like Solid Fog except that, in addition to the normal effects of Solid Fog, creatures within the fog are targeted by a dispel via Dispel Magic, as if cast by the caster of Dispelling Fog, each round they remain in the fog. The caster makes one dispel check per round and compares that result against all affected spell effects. This spell cannot be used as a normal Dispel Magic for purposes of counterspell.
How's that? I'm most concerned with the last line. It can still be used to counterspell another Dispelling Fog, it just cannot be used to counterspell anything like a normal Dispel Magic can be used.
| holylink718 |
Funny ... when I first read the Thread Subject my thought was "just use a gust of wind" :-) Guess I missed the "-ing" part.
I think the Spell Compendium has a dispelling screen that achieves the basic effect you want at a lower level.
By the time you're casting 9th level spells you also have permanency and plenty of other options. You shouldn't need something like this to "defend your lair" because you should already have plenty of other defenses, both static and dynamic, in place. Traps, wards, dispelling screens and guards & wards along with similar things for defenses. You wouldn't want to waste a spell slot on something like this, but rather prepare a spell that will rip your opponents asunder.
Sorry, I guess folks are underwhelmed.
If you want to give "flavor" to your mage, start with their personality and grow something out from there, rather than just a new, random "trick" spell. Bigby did force-hands, Otiluke did energy and other spheres, Leomund did shelters and protections. Figure out what your guy is "about" and what is his personality and then work a variety of spells from there, basically every other level.
Give us a Kinlyhol's Mighty BLANK of BLANK series of spells at 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th and 9th levels that are related, thematic and yet not entirely derivative or simple upgrades of one another. Tie the development of these spells to his backstory and personality in such a way that we can see why an otherwise perhaps predictable progression did not take place and the chain went one direction instead of another.
That would be interesting. This spell won't get more than a yawn from the RPG Superstar judges.
Imagine that you are developing your Wizard as an NPC for the RPGS contest ... think about his background and personality and the formative episodes of his life, and then build spells around and influenced by his needs, circumstances and desires.
HTH,
Rez
I appreciate the thought, but I really don't care if everyone jumps to use my spell. As I said earlier, I wasn't trying to make a bad@$$ spell that was the new staple to all mages (or even most). I was just trying to create a cool spell that may have some use from time to time.
And I would never, ever care what the RPG Superstar judges thought about my spell. No offense, of course, but I don't waste one second wondering if my stuff is "RPG Superstar" material. I have seen too many awesome submissions get trashed by the judges and crap get praise to waste my time trying to please them. :)
| Rezdave |
I appreciate the thought, but I really don't care if everyone jumps to use my spell. As I said earlier, I wasn't trying to make a bad@$$ spell that was the new staple to all mages (or even most). I was just trying to create a cool spell that may have some use from time to time.
I think you kinda missed the point about my post. You claimed that you wanted to develop "flavor" for your mage, but I found the spell very "vanilla" without the benefit of little flecks of actual bean mixed in.
Try looking at my post again, but this time think "flavor" rather than a mechanical review.
R.
| holylink718 |
holylink718 wrote:I appreciate the thought, but I really don't care if everyone jumps to use my spell. As I said earlier, I wasn't trying to make a bad@$$ spell that was the new staple to all mages (or even most). I was just trying to create a cool spell that may have some use from time to time.I think you kinda missed the point about my post. You claimed that you wanted to develop "flavor" for your mage, but I found the spell very "vanilla" without the benefit of little flecks of actual bean mixed in.
Try looking at my post again, but this time think "flavor" rather than a mechanical review.
R.
Okay, perhaps you misunderstand me. I was not asking for advice on how to add flavor to my character. I was asking for mechanical help. I only brought the flavor up because I was saying that it was not meant to be a super duper spell that causes my enemies to quake with fear at the mere thought of facing. Just an original spell. Nothing more, nothing less.
I see no point in continuing this part of the conversation. I think I got what I came for but if anyone has any input on the mechanics of the spell itself (and not the flavor), then I am all ears. Otherwise, I am not interested. I mean no disrespect, but that is what I came here for.
| Leonis472 |
3e doesn't actually have rules for mixed-school spells. What happens when a conjuration specialist who's forbidden abjuration wants to learn this? What happens when he wants to prep it?
This isn't true. Player's Handbook II has rules for spells of more than one school, which is appropriate because it introduces several. In that ruleset, characters who have one school banned can't prepare spells from that school, even if it's half from an acceptable school. This information comes from that book, page 95. It also says characters who have a benefit like Spell Focus for both schools the spell belongs to, they can still only apply it once.