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So for a casual game I have been ludicrously richly endowed by my GM:
- I can research existing metamagic or make my own metamagic for 5k
- I have Arcane Thesis (-1 level adjustment for each metamagic applied; ex. Dazing (+2), Lingering (+0) Fireball takes a 5th level slot to cast)
- I have Magical Lineage
- I have Preferred Spell (Cast fireball spontaneously by sacrificing a prepared or unprepared slot)
You may have seen this Arcane Thesis fireball wielding wizard in another thread. At first, I was scared of out-damaging the entire party; however thanks to that thread, I'm stoked about the possibilities of turning fireball into less of a damage spell, and more of a control spell.
Dazing
Rime (Thanks to admixture evoker and Preferred Spell)
Lingering
Extend (House-ruled to extend lingering to 2 rounds)
Beyond those metamagic, I have the flexibility to research my own and already have one approved by my GM. (Actually, it's 2 metamagic for the price 1!) These two feats give me low damage, highly versatile fireballs across the battlefield. Imagine combining Break/Lingering/Rime/Extend together! Imagine littering the battlefield with 8 2x2 squares that last for 2 rounds, can do minor damage and entangle creatures for 3 rounds, and do the same to those who enter those squares later.
Benefit: You may apply this metamagic only to a fireball spell:
You can break a spell, as if casting a weaker version multiple times.
A creature does not take any additional damage or suffer any effects beyond the first effect if an area is hit by more than one part of the Break Spell.
This feat has two modes:
Break - Break Spell splits into 2 mini spells or 4 micro spells of this spell. A Break Spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than it's actual level.
Big Break - Big Break Spell splits into 4 mini spells or 8 micro spells of this spell. A Big Break Spell uses up a spell slot two levels higher than it's actual level.
These mini and micro spells are as described in Micro/Mini Spell, except are treated as a 3rd level spells and have a range of long.
Benefit: You may apply either form of this metamagic only to a fireball spell:
A micro spell is treated as a 1st level spell for all purposes, has a reduced range of close, a reduced radius of 5ft, and all variable damage becomes the minimum amount. (Ex. 6d6 becomes 6 damage) A micro spell uses up a spell slot two levels than the spell’s actual level.
A mini spell is treated as a 2nd level spell for all purposes, has a reduced range of medium, a reduced radius of 10ft, and all variable damage becomes 2. (Ex. 7d6 becomes 14 damage) A mini spell uses up a spell slot one level lower than the spell’s actual level.
Special: Micro/mini spell is not treated as a metamagic for the purpose of abilties that would reduce a spell’s slot when metamagic is applied, such as Magical Lineage.
Anyway, my goal right now is to create some spell-like metamagic. What does that mean? Researching metamagic (many that would branch off of lingering spell) that would make fireball immitate different kinds of spells, such as:
Wind Wall
Glitterdust
Antimagic field (Well, maybe not)
Ray of Exhaustion
Icy Prison
Grease
Stone Call
The idea is to turn fireball into battlefield control and debuffing. So, suggestions on developing some fun and balanced homebrew spell-like metamagic that I could apply to fireball? (Or frost/shocking/corrosive ball if that better suits the flavor of the metamagic?)
Dot.
Getting to apply whatever spell effect I want, whenever I want, in any combination I want seems kind of dull, so how about this?
Benefit: Choose one of the following abilities below; you can only select the ability if the spell deals the appropriate kind of damage.
Fire: When a creature takes damage from this spell, they become exhausted for a number of rounds equal to the original level of the spell. If the spell allows a saving throw, a successful save negates the exhaustion effect. If the spell does not allow a save, the target can make a fort save to negate the exhaustion effect.
Cold: The area of the spell becomes slippery for a number of rounds equal to the original level of the spell. When a creature takes damage from this spell, they fall prone. If the spell allows a saving throw, a successful save negates falling prone. If the spell does not allow a save, the target can make a reflex save to negate falling prone. A creature can walk within or through the slippery area at half normal speed with a DC 10 Acrobatics check. Failure means it can't move that round (and must then make a Reflex save or fall), while failure by 5 or more means it falls (see the Acrobatics skill for details). Creatures that do not move on their turn do not need to make this check and are not considered flat-footed.
Electricity: The air is laced with charged particles that glow, covering everyone and everything in the area, visibly outlining invisible things for the duration of the spell. When a creature takes damage from this spell, they are blinded for a number of rounds equal to the original level of the spell. If the spell allows a saving throw, a successful save negates the blinding effect. If the spell does not allow a save, the target can make a will save to negate the blindness effect. Each round at the end of their turn blinded creatures may attempt new saving throws to end the blindness effect.
Acid: The area of the spell becomes difficult terrain for a number of rounds equal to the original level of the spell. When a creature takes damage from this spell, they become sickened for a number of rounds equal to the original level of the spell. If the spell allows a saving throw, a successful save negates the sickened effect. If the spell does not allow a save, the target can make a fort save to negate the sickened effect.
An elemental augment spell uses up a spell slot three levels higher than the spell’s actual level.
Benefit: You can only apply this metamagic to fireball. Choose one of the following abilities below; you can only select the ability if the spell deals the appropriate kind of damage.
Fire: When a creature takes damage from this spell, they become exhausted for a number of rounds equal to the original level of the spell. A successful save negates the exhaustion effect.
Cold: The area of the spell becomes slippery for a number of rounds equal to the original level of the spell. When a creature takes damage from this spell, they fall prone. A successful save negates falling prone. A creature can walk within or through the slippery area at half normal speed with a DC 10 Acrobatics check. Failure means it can't move that round (and must then make a Reflex save or fall), while failure by 5 or more means it falls (see the Acrobatics skill for details). Creatures that do not move on their turn do not need to make this check and are not considered flat-footed.
Electricity: The air is laced with charged particles that glow, covering everyone and everything in the area, visibly outlining invisible things for the duration of the spell. When a creature takes damage from this spell, they are blinded for a number of rounds equal to the original level of the spell. A successful save negates the blinding effect. Each round at the end of their turn blinded creatures may attempt new saving throws to end the blindness effect. (This is a will save)
Acid: The area of the spell becomes difficult terrain for a number of rounds equal to the original level of the spell. When a creature takes damage from this spell, they become sickened for a number of rounds equal to the original level of the spell. A successful save negates the sickened effect.
An elemental augment spell uses up a spell slot three levels higher than the spell’s actual level.
Interesting? More importantly, balanced? Not quite happy with acid yet, (redundant with Sickening Spell?) but otherwise, I think I like it.
@Tacticslion: Glad the topic seemed interesting enough to warrant a dot. :3
So my first metamagic was imitating Ray of Exhaustion, Grease, Glitterdust, or Stone Call. So now let's try Wind Wall! (And actually use lingering this time!)
Prerequisite: Lingering Spell
Benefit: The following effects are active as long as a lingering spell persists. At the beginning of your next turn and every round thereafter, creatures within the area take damage from the spell once again, except it's the minimum damage. (8d6 becomes 8 damage) The edges of the area of this spell acts as the wind wall spell.
A firestorm spell uses up a spell slot two levels higher than the spell's actual level.
Could also call it Blizzard/Lightning Storm? Make it only work on Fire/Elec/Cold damage? Anyway, interesting? Balanced?
Reworked the previous metamagic;
Prerequisite: Lingering Spell
Benefit: The edges of the area of this spell acts as the wind wall spell. This effect is active as long as a lingering spell persists. A storm spell uses up a spell slot two levels higher than the spell's actual level.
Special: When you have this feat, increase the duration of Lingering Spell by 1 round. (This applies even if storm spell isn't being used)
Now works with any element.
I dropped the min damage over time, as it could get kind of ugly when combined with dazing spell or the homebrew elemental augment spell. (New save every round)
Also, extend may no longer be house-ruled to stack with lingering in response to the new special clause within storm spell.
Prerequisite: Selective Spell
Benefit: Creatures that are selected to be safe from the effects of your fireball can be imbued with the power of a spell. As you cast an imbue spell, sacrifice a 3rd level or lower prepared spell of one of the following types:
Targets one creature: This spell is cast upon one of the creatures selected by selective spell.
Targets one creature/level, no two... 30 ft apart: This spell is cast with creatures selected by selective spell as the targets; they can be farther than 30 ft apart.
Communal spell, targets creatures touched: This spell is cast and the duration divided among creatures selected by selective spell.
An imbue spell uses a spell slot three levels higher than the spells actual level.
Special: An imbue spell can only produce its spell effect once; even if Twin Spell, Break Spell, or anything makes you cast the same spell more than once. However, you may break up an imbue spell that targets more than one creature across your multiple spells.
I really like this one. Playing off of selective spell to buff with fireball! I like the image: my fireballs lay waste to my enemies, but invigorate my friends with haste!
But is it busted... I hope not? It does require you to sacrifice a prepared spell and is limited to 3rd level or lower spells, so that does help balance the +3 cost.
Well, talked with my GM, and it sounds like Elemental Augment, Storm, and Imbue have all passed the test for usage in our group. I'm still trying to come up with at least one more metamagic that branches off of lingering spell, but other than that, I'm pretty stoked with how these metamagic have turned out. Especially when used alongside my gifts from the GM!
Prerequisite: Selective Spell
Benefit: You can teleport creatures within your spell.
In addition to the creatures you select with selective spell, you can select unoccupied squares within the area of the selective spell. (For example, if you have +7 Int modifier, you can select 4 creatures to be safe from the effects of your spell and 3 unoccupied squares)
You can teleport creatures safe from the effects of your spell to one of the designated unoccupied squares. A creature may make a will save to resist this effect.
Posting this as a half-idea. So far it's too powerful to use, the most worrisome abuse is when it's combined with Break Spell.
Heh, still working on this!
I wasn't quite satisfied with Imbue Spell, so here's another take on a buffing metamagic.
Benefit: Creatures that are selected to be safe from the effects of your fireball are charged with power.
Anyone affected by a charge spell gains 1 charge that lasts for 1 minute. You can expend a charge to gain one of the following benefits as a free action:
Gain HP equal to twice the level of this spell. If your HP is below 0, the charge is automatically expended to gain HP.
Gain a +2 to hit on a single attack roll. This can be used after the attack roll is made, but before results are revealed.
Move 5 extra feet when taking a 5 foot step, 10 extra feet when taking a move action, or 20 extra feet when charging.
An imbue spell uses a spell slot two levels higher than the spells actual level.
Basically a series of minor buffs that help you reach just a little bit farther when in a pinch.
And that metamagic inspired another one!
Benefit: One creature selected to be safe from the effects of your fireball gains 5 charges. All charges are expended to give the creature HP; this healing functions as breath of life.
A phoenix spell uses a spell slot four levels higher than the spells actual level.
One thing to remember with this metamagic, is that I can control the level of the fireball from Micro, Mini, normal, to Heightened. (1, 2, 3, 4+) This will reduce or increase the healing accordingly, but it's nice be able to adjust the heal to the right amount. (Micro heals 10, Mini 20, normal 30, etc.)
These haven't been cleared by my GM yet, but I'm anxious to get the idea out of my head.