School necromancy [evil]
Level cleric 0, sorcerer/wizard 0, witch 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range touch
Target one animal corpse of Tiny size or smaller
Duration 10 minutes
Saving Throw none
Spell Resistance no
This spell turns the mostly intact corpse of a normal animal (no larger than a common housecat) into a zombie that obeys your spoken commands. It remains animated until it is destroyed or the spell expires. No individual animal may be animated more than once by this spell. Undead created by animate animal do not count against your total HD of controlled undead.
You can only have one animate animal spell active at any one time. If you cast this spell while another casting is in effect, the previous casting is dispelled. If you make this spell permanent (through permanency or a similar effect), it does not count against this limit.
Pages 131-133 of the Bestiary contain examples of animals that can be animated by this spell. An animated animal has the following statistics:
Defense AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 12
HD 1d8+3 (7 hp)
Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2
DR 5/slashing
Offense Speed 20 ft. if Tiny (10 ft. for birds), 5 ft. if Diminutive; if the animal has intact wings, it can fly at a speed of 40 ft. (clumsy)
Melee natural weapon -2 (1 point of damage) using whatever natural attack is appropriate to the animal
CMB -2 CMD 9
Special Qualities staggered
If the GM prefers, full rules for converting a creature into a zombie can be found on pages 288-289 of the Bestiary.
Beguiling Gaze
Spoiler:
School enchantment (charm) [mind-affecting]
Level bard 0, cleric 0, sorcerer/wizard 0, witch 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one living creature
Duration 1 minute or until discharged
Saving Throw Will negates
Spell Resistance yes
The target of your beguiling gaze is impressed by your presence. You gain a +2 enhancement bonus on a single Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check against the subject. Once the spell has discharged in this way, the same creature can't be affected by your beguiling gaze for 1 minute. Creatures that cannot see are immune to the effects of this spell, as are creatures with an Intelligence score of 2 or less.
Cheat
Spoiler:
School transmutation
Level bard 0, sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components S
Range touch
Target nonmagical coin, dice, or other small object(s)
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none
Spell Resistance no
With this spell, you enchant a coin, die (or dice), or similar palm-sized object(s) being used to generate a random result such that, when thrown (as part of casting the spell), they will land as desired. Only objects small enough to fit in the caster's closed fist can be targeted by this spell.
Unless you take steps to conceal your spellcasting, any trained spellcaster (or anyone with at least 1 rank in Spellcraft) will notice that you have cast a spell, and may use Spellcraft to identify the spell as normal. Non-spellcasters will spot the casting with a DC 10 Perception check, athough they may not realize exactly what you did.
To conceal the casting of this spell, you must roll a Sleight of Hand check (or a Dexterity check if you don't have any ranks in Sleight of Hand). The result of this check is the DC for observers' Perception checks to notice the casting of this spell. Spellcasters (and anyone with ranks in Spellcraft) gain a +5 bonus to this Perception check.
Cheat does not allow you to control the result of a blind draw from a deck of cards, as the position of cards in a deck is not random, merely unknown.
Earworm
Spoiler:
School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]
Level bard 0, sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one humanoid creature
Duration 1 minute or 1 hour; see text
Saving Throw Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance yes
By humming or singing a few bars of a catchy tune, you cause the tune to become embedded in the subject's head, maddeningly repeating itself over and over until the spell expires. The subject suffers a -1 penalty to concentration checks, Intelligence-based skill checks (Disable Device, Knowledge, etc.), and any check involving attention or concentration.
After one minute, the subject may attempt another saving throw as a free action. If the save is successful, the spell ends, and the subject is immune to further castings of this spell for the next hour. If the save is failed, the earworm persists for another hour before expiring.
Creatures that cannot hear are immune to the effects of this spell, as are creatures with an Intelligence score of 2 or less.
Fester
Spoiler:
School necromancy
Level cleric 0, sorcerer/wizard 0, witch 0
Casting Time 1 standard sction
Components V, S, M (a bit of putrefied meat)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one diseased creature
Duration instantaneous; see text
Saving Throw Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance yes
With this spell, you worsen the effects of disease in a living creature. The target of this spell immediately suffers 1 point of ability damage of a type normally caused by the disease (if the disease causes more than one type of ability damage, determine randomly which ability score suffers damage). In addition, add +1 to the DC of the subject's next saving throw to resist the ongoing effects of the disease. (If the target of this spell is afflicted with multiple diseases, fester only affects one of them, chosen randomly).
After a creature has been affected by this spell, it is immune to further castings of fester for 1 full day.
Giggles
Spoiler:
School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]
Level bard 0, sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a feather)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one humanoid creature
Duration 1 round/level (maximum 5 rounds); see text
Saving Throw Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance yes
This spell causes a humanoid creature to erupt into a fit of giggling. The subject suffers a -2 penalty to Stealth checks, and has a 20% chance to fumble and miscast any spell with a verbal component. Depending on the situation, the subject may also suffer penalties up to -4 on Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate checks while giggling. Each round for the duration of the spell, the subject may attempt a new save as a free action. If successful, the giggling is suppressed for that round.
Jinx
Spoiler:
School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]
Level bard 0, sorcerer/wizard 0, witch 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature
Duration 1 minute or until discharged
Saving Throw Will negates
Spell Resistance yes
The affected creature suffers a -1 penalty on its next attack roll, saving throw, or skill check.
Muffle
Spoiler:
School illusion (glamer)
Level bard 0, sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 minute (D)
Saving Throw none
Spell Resistance no
You reduce the volume of sounds you make, including your footsteps. You gain a +1 competence bonus on Stealth checks. Also, add +1 to the DC of Perception checks made to hear you when you are not trying to be stealthy. When speaking while under the effect of this spell, the listener must succeed at a DC 5 Perception check in order to understand you (remember to apply any appropriate modifiers, as described under the Perception skill, Core Rulebook p. 102). Muffle does not inhibit spellcasting.
Sharpen
Spoiler:
School transmutation
Level paladin 1, sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range touch
Target nonmagical piercing or slashing weapon
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none
Spell Resistance no
With this spell, you instantly sharpen a piercing or slashing weapon. The weapon gains a +1 bonus to damage on its next successful attack. Multiple castings of sharpen do not stack.
Spook
Spoiler:
School necromancy [fear, mind-affecting]
Level bard 0, cleric 0, sorcerer/wizard 0, witch 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one living creature with 4 or fewer HD
Duration 1d4 rounds; see text
Saving Throw Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance yes
The affected creature becomes shaken. Each round, the subject may attempt a new saving throw as a free action to end the effect. After the spell expires, the subject is immune to further castings of this spell for 1 minute.
I'm looking for feedback on all of these. I've posted animate animal before, but I included it here, because why not? I'm looking for any glaring balance issues, suggestions for improvement, stuff like that. In particular, I'm wondering a couple of things:
1. Should jinx give a -2 penalty? (I envisioned it as a sort of opposite to guidance, but I wonder if -1 is too weak considering the victim gets a save.)
2. Is sharpen a problem, given that arrows exist?
On the whole, they look OK to me. I do like Earworm.
Sharpen's problem with arrows is its duration. Make it temporary (say 1 min/level) and that goes away. Sure, you can sharpen a dozen arrows before each fight (if you know the fight is coming) but that takes a while and you probably have better things to do.
Jinx is OK. It's very similar to my Minor Curse except the duration which I increased to make up for the saving throw. And it's enchantment vs necromancy, and similar differences.
Looking at sharpen, I'm guessing you got the idea for the mechanics looking at the Whetstone. Since you can already do what your doing permanently to a set of 32 arrows for 1 silver piece (just hire out an untrained hireling), I don't really see an issue. Besides, as soon as +1 Longbows are a thing, this spell becomes practically worthless.
I've got misgivings about Animate Animal. It just seems ripe for abuse. I forsee wizards stocking up on dead snapping turtles, sending these to see if the way is clear of traps. Although the number of Paladins smiting the hell out of their rucksacks might just make this worth the slight imbalance.
"Your backpack begins to writhe, and make small gurgling noises."
"What the heck? I use Detect Evil."
"There's some malicious entity within your backpack."
"KILL IT WITH FIRE!"
(2 to 3 swings later)
"The Zombie Chicken is Defeated. Although it's to bad your bard was already down to 1 hit point before this thing attacked."
Jinx is OK. It's very similar to my Minor Curse except the duration which I increased to make up for the saving throw. And it's enchantment vs necromancy, and similar differences.
Similar differences... hmmmm :)
I actually had a hard time choosing a school for this one. Guidance is a divination, but a spell that essentially does the opposite clearly isn't divination. I dismissed necromancy, since the penalty isn't fear-based, and it's not really affecting the life-force or anything (though thinking of it as a curse makes sense). It's not an illusion, it's not a transmutation, I couldn't justify making it universal... I finally settled on enchantment, reasoning that it places a self-sabotaging compulsion in the target's mind. This also means that undead, constructs, etc. are immune, which works thematically.
I like your minor curse, but I'm thinking of a rebuild of it for my game, so jinx and minor curse can coexist in the same world without too much overlap. The way I'd build it is to be more of an opposite to resistance. Necromancy, close range, 1 minute duration, Will negates, -1 to all saves for the full duration. What do you think?
Moto Muck wrote:
I would add that spook doesn't stack if the target is already shaken.
This actually goes without saying. Conditions like shaken, dazzled, sickened, etc. never stack with themselves.
Anonymous Warrior wrote:
Looking at sharpen, I'm guessing you got the idea for the mechanics looking at the Whetstone. Since you can already do what your doing permanently to a set of 32 arrows for 1 silver piece (just hire out an untrained hireling), I don't really see an issue. Besides, as soon as +1 Longbows are a thing, this spell becomes practically worthless.
You make a good point. You are correct that I was looking at the whetstone as the basis for sharpen. I thought it reasonable that a 0-level spell could do in seconds what a mundane piece of equipment can do in minutes. My concern regarding arrows came from the difference between 4 per hour vs. 10 per minute. Mudfoot's solution works from a game balance perspective, but I don't like how it turns it from a mundane result into an ongoing spell effect. Moto Muck's solution works as well, but it does so by placing an artificial restriction on the spell that is hard to justify in the game world (other spells do this, of course, but I like to avoid it where possible). But ultimately, "solving" the arrow problem simply means that anyone who wants a quiver full of properly honed arrows needs to spend several hours of downtime with a whetstone (or, as you say, hire an unskilled laborer). Sparing the player that chore hardly seems game-breaking in that light.
Anonymous Warrior wrote:
I've got misgivings about Animate Animal. It just seems ripe for abuse. I forsee wizards stocking up on dead snapping turtles, sending these to see if the way is clear of traps.
I understand where you're coming from, but I don't see the scenario you describe as abuse. I actually did think about this as I was conceptualizing the spell. It's the most obvious use of the spell for adventurers. But sending a tiny animal down a hallway should rarely actually find a trap. They are simply too light to trigger any but the most sensitive pressure plates, will miss trip wires unless they are placed low enough, and are probably too close to the ground to trigger invisible beams or the like. Most trap designers don't want their traps going off every time a mouse happens by, so they design their traps accordingly. I'm not saying that a zombified weasel shambling down a trapped hallway would never successfully discover a trap, but it's hardly a foolproof technique. As for magic traps that vaporize everything that passes through, there is already a 0-level spell to detect those. It's called detect magic.
Another issue is that most PCs are of an alignment that would take issue with animating the dead for any purpose. Carrying around a bagful of roadkill for use as undead mine detectors doesn't mesh well with many PCs' moral codes. Good-aligned clerics can't cast the spell at all, and are unlikely to approve of another character in the group doing so. In any case, repeatedly casting evil spells will likely have negative consequences over time for nonevil characters.
Animate animal already exists in my world (none of the rest of these cantrips have been added yet). The party wizard found it in the spellbook of a vanquished necromancer. It hasn't caused any problems yet, but this is due mostly to the fact that the cleric couldn't cast it even if he didn't find the idea utterly abhorrent, and the wizard won't add it to her spellbook because it's disgusting, and she knows she'd never use it.
Another thought: fester ought to have the evil descriptor, huh?
This actually goes without saying. Conditions like shaken, dazzled, sickened, etc. never stack with themselves.
Not quite.
Quote:
Becoming Even More Fearful: Fear effects are cumulative. A shaken character who is made shaken again becomes frightened, and a shaken character who is made frightened becomes panicked instead. A frightened character who is made shaken or frightened becomes panicked instead.
So if the target is already shaken, a casting of spook will make them frightened.
I would add that spook doesn't stack if the target is already shaken.
Jeraa wrote:
Quote:
This actually goes without saying. Conditions like shaken, dazzled, sickened, etc. never stack with themselves.
Not quite.
Quote:
Becoming Even More Fearful: Fear effects are cumulative. A shaken character who is made shaken again becomes frightened, and a shaken character who is made frightened becomes panicked instead. A frightened character who is made shaken or frightened becomes panicked instead.
So if the target is already shaken, a casting of spook will make them frightened.
Besides, as soon as +1 Longbows are a thing, this spell becomes practically worthless.
The way that sharpen is written, it would stack with an enhancement bonus.
I'll change sharpen so it provides an enhancement bonus. The whetstone should probably have the same change.
Moto Muck wrote:
Also maybe just make sharpen target melee weapons?
I'm thinking this might be a good idea after all. There's a big difference between 4 arrows an hour and 600 arrows an hour. This effectively transforms every masterwork longbow into a +1 longbow.
Looking closer at the whetstone, and by a very strict reading of the rules, it doesn't work on ammunition. Not sure if that's intended, but if it is, I can see why now.
I've got misgivings about Animate Animal. It just seems ripe for abuse.
As for animate animal, I agree.
What if I remove the part where it obeys your spoken commands? It just comes to life and shambles around a bit. If you want it to do something specific, you have to command it through some other means. Maybe it automatically attacks your enemies (like summon monster), but that's it (it's pretty useless as a combatant anyway, even at 1st level). With this version, it might not even follow you unless you find a way to command it.
