Spells leveling by spell-slot

[Create Mr. Pitt]

I love the flavor of this, so I think I am going to try to work this into a game I am GMing. I was hoping this could be a thread where we discuss some ideas for creating higher levels versions of certain spells. To some extent PF already has this built in. For instance the charm/dominate line of spells easily fits this category. As do the various pits; although we could use some higher level pits to use on flying creatures, for instance. Fireball's damage increases by caster level, but increasing spell slot should allow for additional effects. Perhaps a sixth level version can hit up to half your level of targeted creatures in a medium range, rather than an AoE, at your discretion.

So here's my first entry:

4: Black Tentacles

5: Cerebral Tentacles

Like black tentacles, but adds caster's INT to CMB.

6a: Poisonous Tenatcles

Like cerebral tentacle, but on a successful grapple, does poison damage with a Fort save to resist.

6b: Grasping Teeth

Like cerebral tentacles but barbed with 15 ft reach, the barbs do additional damage. May pin already grappled creatures.

7: Tentacle Swamp

Like cerebral tentacles, but raised in a cloud operating as a Stinking Cloud with the save DC equal to Tentacle Swamps. May pin already grappled creature.

8: Cursed Tentacles

Like cerebral tentacle, but upon grappling tentacles grant 1d4 negative levels, as enervation. And with every further continued grapple the level damage is applied again.

9: Dark Tapestry Tentacles

Like cerebral tentacles. At caster's will the entirety of Dark Tapestry Tentacles, and any creatures it is grappling, to the Dark Tapestry or Dominion of the Black.

Thoughts? Other ideas along this line with other spells? I had several other iterations of black tentacles. It was hard limiting it to just one at certain levels.

[Create Mr. Pitt]

Any thoughts?

[blahpers]

I've been wanting to do this for a hypothetical homebrew caster class that only has one spell known but all the slots of a 9-level caster and a lot of ways to augment it. Problems were:

1. The ways to augment it would require customization (essentially spell research) on a per-character basis for the spell in question to make sense.

2. If the spell was higher than 1st-level, the earlier spell levels would need to be backfilled with weaker or partial versions of the spell in question.

3. Some spells just don't lend themselves well to this.

So it's a pretty hefty amount of houseruling, but I'm game if any of my players are. In any case, I highly encourage spell research along these sort of lines as it builds distinction between otherwise similar casters.

[st00ji]

blahpers wrote:

I've been wanting to do this for a hypothetical homebrew caster class that only has one spell known but all the slots of a 9-level caster and a lot of ways to augment it. Problems were:

1. The ways to augment it would require customization (essentially spell research) on a per-character basis for the spell in question to make sense.

2. If the spell was higher than 1st-level, the earlier spell levels would need to be backfilled with weaker or partial versions of the spell in question.

3. Some spells just don't lend themselves well to this.

So it's a pretty hefty amount of houseruling, but I'm game if any of my players are. In any case, I highly encourage spell research along these sort of lines as it builds distinction between otherwise similar casters.

dunno if you've read it but sounds a bit like the wizards in hugh cooks novels. only a few different abilities but can vary the affect with skill and the amount of power they put into it.

[Create Mr. Pitt]

Yeah, personally I've always felt as if heighten spell is a silly feat; casters should easily be able to place lower level spells in higher slots to take advantage of increased DCs, but if just feels more flavorful if each level is capable of improving the spell's qualities.

Buffing spells are harder to do this with. Ever improving mage armor sure makes sense to me, but I can't see give it anymore than +8 AC and only as a very high level spell. Perhaps as it scales it provides other defensive bonuses.

It's tough, but I think the players in my game will enjoy it, I will try to post some more examples like the ones above, but would appreciate additional insight. Thanks all!

[Cyrad]

I don't think adding higher level versions of spells is necessary, especially when metamagic exists and many spells (like black tentacles) are good at all levels of play.

I did consider the idea of "reverse" Metamagic, where a mage can lower the spell level by sacrificing range, duration, or radius. For example, a wizard could apply a reverse Reach Spell to dimension door to shorten its range to Close and make it a 2nd level spell. This would eliminate the need for "lesser" versions of spells and homogenize spell effects so mages don't have to wait until 5th level to get a fireball spell. One could mitigate the power spike from this added versatility by nerfing the late game power of mages in some way, such as capping the highest level of a spell a wizard can cast.

[rainzax]

lol

Shortened Spell
Slowed Spell
Weak Spell

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