New spell - what spell level ? Balanced ?


Homebrew and House Rules


I thought of a new spell, the use is for "tree ant creation, teavel via plants and making a garden....."
What spell level you think?
Is it balanced ?
Remarks ?

Grow tree.
Spell lvl ???
Components : acorns or seeds
Casting time : 10 minutes
Description:
The spell is like jack and the beans. You plant a seed / acorn in the ground, and pray for 10 minutes . Slowly the tree / plant grow - to become a grown plant.
After that the magic is over, the plant remind as a natural plant of its kind.


Maybe a low level druid/ranger spell? It doesn't seem all that powerful, so maybe 1st level. I don't see this as being a spell that could be easily abused, so it's probably pretty balanced.


I agree with Dragonflyer1243, this seems similar to a minor wondrous item: Feather Tree Token. This can make a tree instantly, but is a one time use item that costs 400 gold.


the token is instnat - for the price of 400 and need a storng spell.
in out game there is no buying of magical gear nor albe to craft - so is the need...


I guess that mainly the item could give a point of reference to consider when deciding if the spell is too powerful. I wasn't really saying the spell was not necessary.


Probably second, just to prevent low-level druid swarms spamming it.


I would say 2 also, but it takes 10 min to cast. I think that nerfs it enough to be useless in combat but interesting for other situations. So my vote is 1.


If you're worried about the spell being spammed you could add a component cost, probably less than 400 gold.


Now imagine the 1st level wand of Grow Tree.

This creates full sized, permanent trees. If the trees lasted 1 hr/lvl, maybe it would be good as a first level spell. It would also need some language about not being able to rend structures, in order to not be used as a first level siege engine/door destroyer.

For permanent trees that can do damage (thorn bushes or the aforementioned utility uses) I would say level three with a minor component cost. Then you can reverse it to "Destroy Tree" which would completely eliminate normal sized plants and damage larger ones. You could also create a Shape Tree spell to make a tree suit your purposes better (shelter, increased hardness, thorns, Goodberries, etc...)


Instant tree would make it a power wall spell, as it block corridor etc .
The 10 minutes and the planting of an acorn ( which assume the squere is cleared) make it a non combat spell.
Usesge are :
1) travel via plants ( especially as a menhir savant)
2) component for lvl 6 spell that animate a treant.
3) impress the locals !
4) make shady camp side I the desert !
5) plant a orange tree for a fully grown oranges

Sovereign Court

What about rare, valuable plants? In that case this spell could make you a lot of money.


Ascalaphus wrote:
What about rare, valuable plants? In that case this spell could make you a lot of money.

it does not create a tree \ plant....

it grow one instnant for a seed.
but, yes - one can limit the tree to "commmon plants"


I say first level Druid, Ranger, Bard.
Description The caster plants a normal tree seed(No thorns or devil fruit at this spell level). They must continue casting and or performing for the full 10 minutes. The tree can be dispelled for the next 24 hours, then it's a normal tree.


Bard? Why?


Sounds like an interesting spell. First or second at most, I'd think.

Add a note about 'potential material component costs' for using special seeds, or perhaps for causing seeds to grow places where they normally wouldn't.

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I keep feeling like this should be a second level spell or higher because you're creating a permanent fixture, which is something you don't see until 3rd or higher level. Even with a 10 minute casting time, I can think of dozens of uses for this spell. I'd rather prepare this than levitate or something.
1) Delay the spell while hidden to have it grow right under someone's feet.
2) Plant the tree and climb up it to get to the second floor of a building.
3) Plant the tree in front of a door to bar someone in.
4) Create the tree, cut it down, and use it as a bridge over a river.
5) Create the tree, use the wood to craft things.
6) Create several trees to detour people
7) Create some shade or hide a camp site
8) Block a passage

You should also specify the tree's height and that the tree doesn't have fruit.


Issac Daneil wrote:
Bard? Why?

It's a cool naturalist thing to be able to make things grow by singing to them.


Cyrad wrote:

I keep feeling like this should be a second level spell or higher because you're creating a permanent fixture, which is something you don't see until 3rd or higher level. Even with a 10 minute casting time, I can think of dozens of uses for this spell. I'd rather prepare this than levitate or something.

1) Delay the spell while hidden to have it grow right under someone's feet.
2) Plant the tree and climb up it to get to the second floor of a building.
3) Plant the tree in front of a door to bar someone in.
4) Create the tree, cut it down, and use it as a bridge over a river.
5) Create the tree, use the wood to craft things.
6) Create several trees to detour people
7) Create some shade or hide a camp site
8) Block a passage

You should also specify the tree's height and that the tree doesn't have fruit.

all of which are really cool effects and uses. thats why i wanted to create it - i dont like spells to be used to min\max all the time...


1st level Druid/Ranger/Bard/Witch spell. it is just a permanent ordinary tree, nothing special, plus the 10 minute cast time balances it, even without the acorn or seed. i had homebrewed a similar 1st level spell designed to grow a years worth of 1 common crop for a village with an hour hour casting time. but required a massive amount of farm land as the focus to grow the crops.


my main concern is the ability to keep teleporting...
as menhir savant, after lvl 9 its many times a day.
plant some trees where you need to go, and carry some acorns on you.
this allow you wo travel nicely.


The only problem anyone seems to have with this as a 1st level spell seems to be the ability to grow a forest in a few hours - which is indeed quite powerful for a 1st level spell. I think that the cast time should instead be [Minimum of 10 minutes - For every 10 minutes (including the first 10) spent casting this spell, the subject plant matures 1 year]. So you can spend 30 minutes casting, and you have a 3 year-old plant, or cast it 3 times for 10 minutes each and you have 3 saplings. Of course, this would only apply to trees. For smaller plants with shorter lifespans, a 10 minute cast is all that's needed to fully mature the plant. Trees require more energy to grow, after all.


I think the spell is balanced because it's only for 1 ordinary tree at a time. It takes up a spell slot or space in a spell book(which bards use). When you run out of first level spells, you can't grow more trees till the next day. Don't get me started on how you're going to collect 50 tree seeds of the same kind to make a wand.


Buy ten apples.


Again, there is no precedent for permanent quick grow objects at first level. just because a spell has limited combat use does not mean you should lower its level.

3rd level. The tree grows to a height of ten feet + ten feet/3 caster levels, which can lead to some pretty epic trees at later levels. Also, 2d6 damage/3 levels to any structure being grown into by the tree, bypassing hardness.


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Due to the permanent nature, I think it should be second level. I would also advise a phrase that prevents the spells use to damage existing structures. Otherwise it looks good.

PS - Bards need spell books? I thought they were spontaneous casters?


Maybe 3.5 made them have songbooks, which are re-skinned spellbooks. I'll have to check my core rulebook for pathfinder.


Bards are spontaneous castes in Pathfinder.


Ok, and make it first level for druid, second level for all others.


Again, there is no precedent for creating permanent items with first level spells.

2nd if it is non damaging. 3rd if it does damage.


First spell level for druid, second spell level for all others, non-damaging. Damaging with or without thorns is second for Druids and third for others. Magical or monstrous is 5th spell level for all eligible classes. Unlike summoning, it's a free willed plant. Whomping Willows will attack the nearest target.

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I agree with goattoucher. Even for a druid spell, it should be a 2nd level spell.

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