My GM is allowing me to come up with some custom fire spells for a Fire Sorc I have in one of her games. I came up with these two but am looking for input to make sure they are balanced and reasonable.
Thank you for you input in advance.
Pyroclastic Surge
School Conjuration [fire]; sorcerer/wizard 3;
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M
Range Medium ( 100 feet + 10 feet per caster level).
Area 30-ft.-radius area
Target 1 creature per 2 caster levels
Duration instantaneous/1 rounds per 2 caster levels/see below
Saving Throw no/See below
Spell Resistance no
DESCRIPTION
Pyroclastic Surge summons clinging magma from the elemental plane of fire and releases it in energetic shafts under the casters enemies. Small portals are briefly opened under the targets and columns of lava are shot up to a 20 foot height, searing the targets and covering them in hot lava which clings to them and inhibits their movement.
Each target immediately takes 1d8 per 2 caster levels in fire damage (maximum 10d8). Each target also becomes entangled and suffers 1d6 fire damage per round afterwards for the duration of the spell unless they make a fortitude save to shake off the clinging magma. A successful fortitude save negates the entangle effect and additional fire damage.
An entangled creature moves at half speed, cannot run or charge, and takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls and a –4 penalty to Dexterity.
An entangled character who attempts to cast a spell must make a concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) or lose the spell.
Creatures larger than Huge are unaffected by the entangle effect but must still save for the extra damage.
Winged creatures entangled while flying must make an additional Reflex save each round they are affected or be unable to fly and fall to the ground taking appropriate falling damage.
The material component is a small piece of obsidian worth 1 GP which is consumed in the casting.
Consume Flames
School Evocation [fire]; sorcerer/wizard 3;
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range Self
Area 10-ft.-radius per level emanation
Target Self
Duration 1 hour/ caster level
Saving Throw Yes
Spell Resistance Yes
DESCRIPTION
Consume Flames gives the caster power over mundane and magical fires in the area of effect and allows them to siphon the heat of those fires to defend themselves or empower their magic. When doing this they can reduce or extinguish the fires they are affecting and the flame/heat from the fire travels to them where it is literally drawn into the casters mouth and swallowed.
Each round the caster wishes to use the effect of this spell they can use either a standard, move, swift or immediate action to consume up to their caster level in points of fire. Only one action can be spent this way per round. Fires are reduced in size by the points consumed and if reduced below their size value are extinguished.
A caster can store up to a maximum of 2 x their caster level in ‘fire point’s at one time.
While this spell is active a caster can perform one of three effects:
1) Immediately use the points ingested to heal themselves on a 1 for 2 basis (1 HP of damage healed per 2 points consumed)
2) Store the points for use later to enhance a spell that does HP damage. The caster can expend 1 point per die of damage the spell does to enhance it for +1 damage per die. Using points in this fashion is considered part of the casting of the spell and takes no additional action.
3) Lastly, the spellcaster can reduce the intensity of enemy fire effects enacted in the area of the spell by one point of damage per point spent with a maximum number of points spent equal to the caster’s level. This requires a successful use of Spellcraft or Knowledge Arcana to identify the spell or effect and then an immediate action to siphon it’s heat. For each point spent in this use they reduce the damage of the effect by 2 points.
Fires are roughly rated by their size, just like monsters are, and for the purposes of this spell are worth a certain amount of points:
Small Fires are worth 1 point (5x5 ft square of fire / campfire size)
Medium fires are worth 2 points (2- 5x5 ft squares of fire)
Large Fires are worth 4 points (4-5x5 cubes of fire)
Huge fires are worth 16 points(16-5x5 cubes of fire)
Gargantuan fires are worth 64 points (64-5x5 foot cubes of fire)
Colossal fires are worth 256 points (256-5x5 foot cubes of fire)
Fires smaller than small, such as candles, torches, lanterns or incidental fires are automatically snuffed out in the area of effect of the spell if the caster so chooses, with no benefit to the caster.
Creatures with the fire subtype are affected by the spell as it leaches away the heat that makes them up. They will take the damage listed below according to their size while they are in the area of the spell unless they make a fortitude save each round they are within it’s effect.
Creature is Small or smaller - 1d6
Medium - 2d6
Large - 3d6
Huge or Larger – 4d6
The casters own spells are never negatively impacted by their use of this spell.
Would love any input from the boards. Feedback on appropriate levels or whatever would be great. Want to make sure these are fair and balanced.
First off, thank you both for your feedback.
Not really a power issue, but I probably would do this different. It's not so much an area effect as an effect that targets creatures in a certain area. I would probably just go with '1 creature per 2 caster levels, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart.' or something similar. Depends on what you have envisioned of course, I am only commenting.
Actually that part was the GM's preference. She finds it easier to treat stuff like a grenade even it it has a limit of 'X Targets'. She hates having to measure out the 30 foot distance from each target to each other target and finds it easier to use a template. So a circle X wide and choose X targets in that area is what she likes.
Not sure why you went with 1d8 damage. Not a huge thing, but since the continuous damage is 1d6, it means less dice switching. Also, d6s are more common.
Specifically so it was not just like Fireball. The assumption is that the portals open on the ground and shoot up the lava 20 feet and the targets are hit. The fort save represents their physical ability to resist the heat and get the lava off before more damage occurs.
Typically, with an effect like this, there would be a Reflex save to avoid some or all of the effects of the spell. If you make it a Reflex save for half, I could easily see the damage going up to 1d6 per caster level, similar to fireball. If they fail, then they're entangled and take additional damage each round.
Again, the damage progression is slower at 1D8/2 levels rather than every level so I upped the die size one step. Still does far less damage than a fireball but the chance for the snare is what makes the spell more usefull. At third level I could not see keeping the fireball damage progression and having a snare effect too when fireball is third level too.
Your call whether to keep it a flat DC 15, or state that it uses the spell's DC to 'shake off'. Of course, being entangled lowers Dex, which will make the Reflex save tougher.
With the assumption of the fortitude save in the original spell it is assuming the spell DC. The one save determines if you take additional damage and are snared or if you avoid them both.
Probably don't really need all that in there. If you're keeping this on a computer, using a link would be better. Just a cosmetic thing, but if you are going to list the things to remember, don't forget that the additional 1d6 fire damage per round is considered continuous damage and as such also requires a Concentration check.
This will be stored digitally but I don't have a laptop so will be using printed sheets for referance so I put the appropriate rules in the spell so I didn't have to look it up in the book when I use the spell. I thought it easier to have it there already.
I will add in the continuous damage notation and clarify that the effect is at ground level to start and jets 20 high from there.
Otherwise does it seem ok for a 3rd level spell? It has some battlefield control built in but lower damage and potential targets to start than Fireball. At higher levels it could be more useful and if heightened at high levels could be really useful.
Consume flames,
Assuming you store up 20 points as a 10th level caster, that means that you can add an additional 200 points of fire damage to your next fireball at 10th level, doing an average of 235 points of fire damage. This might be considered over-strong. I recommend making it a flat additional point of damage per point spent. That makes the average fireball do 55 points of damage.
I must have miss-typed something. What you suggest is what I intended from the start. You can ONLY spend one point per die of damage and that ONLY adds one point per die of damage.
So in your example I could spend 10 points on a 10D6 fireball to make it do 10d6+10 damage. I would then have 10 points left 'saved'. The intent was that you had to use points equal to the dice of damage being done to give the whole spell +1 damage per die.
I will retype it to make it clearer. Adding 200 points of any damage would be straight up broken.
Pyroclastic Surge
Duration instantaneous/1 rounds per 2 caster levels/see below
DESCRIPTION
Each target also becomes entangled and suffers 1d6 fire damage per round afterwards for the duration of the spell unless they make a fortitude save to shake off the clinging magma.
A quibble, good sir:
If this is instantaneous, you might be better off changing the wording in the entangle section to refer to the duration of the effect, rather than the duration of the spell.
Also, to clarify, the instantaneous effect is the portal opening, magma spewing forth, and then the portal closing, yes? I'd think a reflex/half save (vs the immediate damage) to get the heck out of the way when a portal opens under you might be reasonable.
Also, I would word the spell so it's clear that the targets get a new fort save each round to shake off the magma.
This is a hell of a spell though. I like it.
A quibble, good sir:
If this is instantaneous, you might be better off changing the wording in the entangle section to refer to the duration of the effect, rather than the duration of the spell.
Noted. Will clarify that in the writeup we're going to use.
Also, to clarify, the instantaneous effect is the portal opening, magma spewing forth, and then the portal closing, yes? I'd think a reflex/half save (vs the immediate damage) to get the heck out of the way when a portal opens under you might be reasonable.
Really trying not to make another reflex based save spell. Similar to Stormbolts the assumption is that the effect is too fast to dogde so the fortitude saves are the other avenue. Plus it gives an option for use on things that have good reflex and evasion.
Also, I would word the spell so it's clear that the targets get a new fort save each round to shake off the magma.
Honestly I am trying to make this a one save spell. The snare effect is similar to, buyt less effective thatn, that of the tanglefoot bag which only gives one save (and only for a partial effect reduction at that) as well at that is a cheap to use alchemy item so I don't think the snare as one save is too bad.
This is a hell of a spell though. I like it.
Thank you very much.
Any opinion on the Consume Flames spell?
Also, I would word the spell so it's clear that the targets get a new fort save each round to shake off the magma.Honestly I am trying to make this a one save spell. The snare effect is similar to, buyt less effective thatn, that of the tanglefoot bag which only gives one save (and only for a partial effect reduction at that) as well at that is a cheap to use alchemy item so I don't think the snare as one save is too bad.
Understood. As a DM it isn't simply the single-save entangle that would bother me, but the synergy between the entangle, the recurring fire damage, the unavoidable scaling initial damage, the lack of spell resistance, the level of the spell, and the fact that it selectively targets only your foes. All those advantages with only a single save seem like too much power for an instantaneous level three spell.
That may sound like I don't like anything about the spell, but that's not what I mean. It just feels too awesome. I'd crank something back before I allowed this in a game I was running. I'd probably either require a fort save per round to stop the entagle/fire, or make the duration concentration based and change the flavor to reflect that. (Not saying that you should do those things, it's your spell, just personal opinion.)
Any opinion on the Consume Flames spell?
I'll have to get more coffee in me before I try to parse it. Will look at it in a bit.
It just feels too awesome. I'd crank something back before I allowed this in a game I was running. I'd probably either require a fort save per round to stop the entagle/fire, or make the duration concentration based and change the flavor to reflect that.
OK, that sounds fair actually. I'll run it past my GM and keep that as an alteration if she has the same opinion.
Your summation points out some benefits I had not realized before.