A player asked me about researching a personal spell for his Wizard. Here is the gist of it
Spellsword
Transmutaion
Lvl: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Allows the caster to use his main spellcasting stat; Int for Wizards, Cha for Sorcerors; instead of his/her strength for melee attacks and Damage.
Does this seem reasonable for a 1st level? He reasons that it seems on par with Mage Armor and other lv 1 buff spells. Also that if the badguys happen to get passed the frontliners, he has something to fall back on. But in all actuallity, he also likes to run up in Melee, especially if he doesn't feel like using up a spell slot.
Spellsword
Transmutaion
Lvl: Sor/Wiz 1
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Duration: 10 minutes/levelAllows the caster to use his main spellcasting stat; Int for Wizards, Cha for Sorcerors; instead of his/her strength for melee attacks and Damage.
I think that the 10 minutes/level is a little long. I thought the whole point of being a mage was to not be in melee a lot of the time. Or at least not for a first level spell. I think most mage spells at the first level should be just defensive. If this was the case we could have wizards with a 24 intelligence by say level 20 running around swinging a heavily enchanted sword using their 24 strength to hit things for over 200 minutes. It just seems a little odd. I would think about toning it down a bit if I were you. Maybe lessen its duration. But it does show some interesting promise as a spell.
Later
my two Yuan
Director of Narrative
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I agree. The spell has promise ( might be a bit strong at later lvls ) But a good way to curb abuse is to lessen the duration to 1min/lvl or maybe even better 1rnd/lvl.
One round per level will meet your player at face value of what he presented to you as justification for researching this spell ( in case enemies break throu the front lines ) and help you by keeping your in-the-throes-of-battle spellcaster from being a wicked weapon master just because he's smart ( or charming ).
And to be honest, as far as the spell level goes, I think just attack bonus and not attack AND damage.
Hope some of this helps.
Maybe shorten the duration of this spell (1 minute/level? Bear in mind that's 10 rounds) and maybe during that time forbid them from casting any other spells (or, if this seems too restrictive, maybe during the spell they can only cast other spells of equal or lower level of this new spell).
Even then, I think its still a bit too high-powered for a first level-spell. Maybe 3rd?
Still, great idea for spell. Might even introduce it to my campaign. Is there a thread for new spells? (or something similar?) If there's not I suggest starting one.
-Lord Eisen
Just had a thought that you could introduce a 'divine' version of this for clerics (even though they are reasonably powerful melee-wise already. Wouldn't do it for Paladins though). You could call it "Blessing of the Gods" (Working title).
I agree with the previous posters on the duration of the spell. As a DM, I would not allow this spell as a 1st level spell if the duration is above 1 rd/level (at par with Shield). On the roleplaying side, I would also add a limitation on the damage bonus. I imagine well why a wizard would have a better chance to hit thanks to his high intelligence. It's less clear to me why he'd make more damage. And if it's because he going for weak spots it's more a Dex thing (see description of Sneak Attack for the rogue). So no damage bonus. You can make a parrallel with a feat in the Book of Exalted Deeds which allows a character to use his Wisdom stat for melee combat (can't remember the name on the spot) It doesn't improve damage as well.
My two cents.
Bran
Here's my version...
Spellsword
Transmutaion
Lvl: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M (a sword)
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 round/level
Allows the caster to use his main spellcasting stat; Int for Wizards, Cha for Sorcerors; instead of his/her strength for melee attacks and damage. The sword also becomes imbued with magic (+1 at level 1, +2 at level 4, +3 at level 7, etc...) for bypassing damage reduction purposes.
Ultradan
Here's my version...
Spellsword
Transmutaion
Lvl: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M (a sword)
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 round/levelAllows the caster to use his main spellcasting stat; Int for Wizards, Cha for Sorcerors; instead of his/her strength for melee attacks and damage. The sword also becomes imbued with magic (+1 at level 1, +2 at level 4, +3 at level 7, etc...) for bypassing damage reduction purposes.
Ultradan
I noticed that you combined the effect with 'Magic Weapon', thus creating a third new spell; personally, I would offer them separately and then offer them combined as a higher level spell:
- Arcane Prowess
Transmutaion
Lvl: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Duration: 2 rounds/level
Allows the caster to use his/her main spellcasting stat (Int for Wizards, Cha for Sorcerors) instead of strength for melee attacks and damage.
- Magic Weapon
Transmutaion
Lvl: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Weapon touched
Duration: 1 min./level
Gives a weapon a +1 enhancement bonus (as written in the PHB).
- Arcane Warrior
Transmutaion
Lvl: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 min./level
Allows the caster to use his/her main spellcasting stat (Int for Wizards, Cha for Sorcerors) instead of strength for melee attacks and damage. A single primary weapon used by the caster also becomes imbued with a +1 enhancement bonus; this bonus stacks with the caster's new attack and damage modifiers.
Whaddya think?
M
It seems too powerful, Divine favor grants only a +1 bonus per 3 levels and Bull Strength grants only +4 to the ability and it's a second level spell.
I would see something like a bonus to att/dam for one round only or casting it as a swift action with one round duration.
When all is lost, with a thought you bring an insight bonus on you that gives you the power to be more deadly than before but it last only a moment.
Nice posts. I think that these are all interesting ideas. They could be perceived as a slow and natural progression to researching Tenser's Transformation (which is 1 round/level). It would make sense to research lower level ways to buff yourself prior to being able to cast Tenser's Transformation.
igi
It seems too powerful, Divine favor grants only a +1 bonus per 3 levels and Bull Strength grants only +4 to the ability and it's a second level spell.
I would see something like a bonus to att/dam for one round only or casting it as a swift action with one round duration.
When all is lost, with a thought you bring an insight bonus on you that gives you the power to be more deadly than before but it last only a moment.
Wouldn't that underpower it... I mean, true strike is 1st level, with a +20 bonus to the next attack.
- Ashavan
I like what Marc Chin did with Arcane Prowess. The 2 rounds/ per level seems both just long enough to help and just short enough to not be horribly powerful. I think one more change I would make to make it more of a defensive spell would to make the casting time a swift action. That way is the wizard is all of a sudden faced with melee combat he does spend his first round casting the spell and then get hit again waiting to actually attack. Granted, if its a swift action then the duration might need to be 1 round/level.
Mmmmm, maybe you can go with luck bonus, they stack with true strike and keep the swift action and 1 round duration.
More seems too powerful, remember, true strike is a standard action.
Thanks for all of the responces. I had the same reservations about the duration and the Int to Damage. But mostly the duration. The damage part can be generalized in the wording of the spell description. Can say that your intellect or force of will empowers your melee attacks.
I really like the Arcane Prowess idea. That is the most reasonable trade off for an offensive combat buff for a 1st level spell, compared to the original draft of the spell.
Thanks for the favorable comments;
I'm not particularly preferential over making the spell a swift action - I envisioned it being cast by a mage already caught in melee, making a good concentration roll to do so, and then having said mage whip the assailant with his staff...
"...on the right side of his neck, two centimeters under his right ear, where his fourth vertebrae will act as an anvil as I crush his jugular against it, causing an immediate aneurism, loss of blood pressure and stroke; the poor sod will fall, not knowing why his knees suddenly bucked and his vision has gone grey on only the left side - but it won't matter, since he will lose consciousness about three seconds later and die twenty seconds after that.
(observes the party fighter, who is still madly cleaving away)
Harumpf...animals."
;-)
M
Definitely cut it to 1 rd/level (that the player even suggested 10 min/level doesn't reflect will on him/her).
I do wonder how the spell is supposed to be increasing damage. Is the caster's strength being temporarily boosted (compare to bull's strength, then)? What is the source of the increased damage (which might perhaps affect who/what might be resistant to it)?
Just a couple of thoughts.
Jack
Definitely cut it to 1 rd/level (that the player even suggested 10 min/level doesn't reflect will on him/her).
At 1 rd/level, a 1st level mage would have a duration of ONE round - too short to encourage many mages to cast it, imho.
I do wonder how the spell is supposed to be increasing damage. Is the caster's strength being temporarily boosted (compare to bull's strength, then)? What is the source of the increased damage (which might perhaps affect who/what might be resistant to it)?
Just a couple of thoughts.
Jack
My interpretation of the spell is that it grants an insight bonus, such as a Monk has when increasing his AC; the mage knows where to strike, not just when - thus the bonus to damage.
(read short scenario above)
M