Help me create a spell - "Sonic Boom!"

[PapaZorro]

I'm playing a whip-wielding Magus right now, and was thinking...
Since the whip was Man's first creation to break the speed of sound and create a sonic boom - why not turn it up to 11!
I've never really created any spells so please lend me your advice on making it not too powerful but still good. What I primarily want to get out of it is the ability to Daze or Stun an opponent.

School: Evocation (Sonic)
Level: 2? 3?

CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (??? a piece of hair from a Banshee?)

EFFECT
Range: 0 feet
Effect: whip of sonic energy
Duration 1 minute/level (D) or until discharged (see text)
Saving Throw: none or Fortitude???; Spell Resistance: yes

DESCRIPTION

You create a length of sonic energy buzzing from your hand, functioning as a whip appropriate for your size. Anything you strike with the whip takes damage and must make a Fortitude saving throw or become Dazed from the sonic boom created by the contact with the whip. This spell ceases to function in an area of Silence.

After you have successfully used the whip to hit a creature a number of times equal to your caster level, the water is expended and the spell is discharged.

I was also playing around with the idea of maybe having it carry 1d6 or 1d4 sonic damage as well.
Basically what I need help with:
- Level of the spell. I figured since there is a saving throw, it's not inherently more powerful than Sound Burst which is a level 2 spell. It's fairly similar to Flame Blade and River Whip which are also level 2 spells. You also have to hit regular AC instead of Touch AC to make to spell a little less powerful. And I went with it imposing Dazed instead of Stunned, and Sound Burst causes Stunned.
- Also, if it might be better as a spell that functions more like Frostbite, that you have to use as a melee attack (though with Spellstrike could channel it through your whip).

Advice/thoughts/ideas?

[PapaZorro]

Anyone???...

[LuxuriantOak]

I'm not very good with building spells from scratch, I prefer to use what is already made (from my POV we had enough spells a long time ago)
Why not refluff this one - it's a directional force that sends opponents flying, the description is " a minor earthquake" but it could just as well be "superman clapping his hands together"

just my 5 cents.

Edit: I guess what I'. (and you should be) asking is: "what is it you want to do, and why?"

if you want to use a whip - there is a proficiency for that.
if you want the whip to be magic - there is gold for that.
if you want to do damage - you have a couple of spells in the magus list for that and a conducting whip could mean delivering them looks cool/is more practical.
if you want to deliver conditions then there are the before mentioned spells and many other I'm sure.

So what part of the idea you have is it that you can't already do with the existing material.

(note: I'm not critcizing or being difficult, just trying to find the path of least resistance to your goal.)

[Create Mr. Pitt]

Dazing metamagic adds three levels to a given spell, so I would figure out what level any other effects this spell might have and then add three levels to it. It seems like the basic sonic damages is almost non-existent, so I might allow it as a level 3 spell, possibly level 4. Actually since it dazes for 1 minutes per level definitely 4th level; maybe even 5th, depending on the area of the effect.

So 4th or 5th level makes the most sense to me. Also there definitely has to be a save. Daze on a hit against AC no save is borderline 6th.

[PapaZorro]

Whoops, I meant the Dazing condition should only last 1 round.
Also, if you take out the sonic damage then the only effect is a save vs Dazing vs a single target, targeting regular AC AND involving a save. Versus Sound Burst which effects multiple opponents at once, only has a saving throw (no attack role), and makes them Stunned, not just Dazed.

[PapaZorro]

Also compare to Hideous Laughter which also make them Prone, and lasts for much longer, but is single target. That is a level 1 spell / level 2 spell depending on class.

[EldritchBoar]

Create Mr. Pitt wrote:

Dazing metamagic adds three levels to a given spell, so I would figure out what level any other effects this spell might have and then add three levels to it.

This.

Another similar effect comes from Dazing Assault, a feat which requires a BAB of +11 and imposes a -5 on all attacks.

Dazing is a pretty nasty effect, so a spell that allows you to daze multiple times in a round for minutes should be quite high-level.

Also note that most whip-creating spells are rounds/level and not minutes/level. A low-level weapon-creating spells that lasts minutes/level is Holy Ice Weapon, but I would consider it an exception (also, it's for cleric/oracle and inquisitor only). All these spells are at least 2nd level, but I suppose a spell creating a weapon without special properties could be 1st level.

Personally I would limit this to 1 round/level, dealing 1d4+casting stat of sonic damage and dazing for 1 round on a failed Fortitude save. 4th level is probably fair.

Since you are using a Magus, a simpler and cheaper option could be to just take Ear-Piercing Scream and make it a touch Magus spell so you can use it with Spellstrike.

[Doomn]

Perhaps you could use the Jolt cantrip, keep the type as electric (simulating lightning), and add the Dazing Spell metamagic (simulating either thunder or a sonic boom), for a total level of 3. So, you have a spell that does 1d3 electric damage and dazes for 0/1 round (or, an argument could be made for 3).

If you wanted it to simulate a whip more, you could change it to 1 point of non-leathal damage (with the whip drawbacks, or without) and daze for 1 (or 2/3) rounds. It could be kept as a level 3 spell with a dazed duration of 3 rounds, or even knocked down to a level 2 spell with a dazed duration of 1 round.

As always, just my two coppers...

-Doomn

[Grey_Mage]

A recurring daze effect that can be pre-buffed is potentially game changing at low levels..

If I were your GM, I would offer the below suggestions/concerns:

Since the premise is a SONIC BOOM:

-You needn't hit them so much as get near them for the pressure wave of the BOOM to affect them. Target Touch AC. Although this ups the power level of the spell, I feel it would be a necessary aspect as described since sonic damage would bypass armor. Touch AC seems more appropriate, power level notwithstanding.

-Add in a deafen effect for the BOOM (sound) lasting 1d4 rounds - Reflex save. Think war movies after a localized explosion, everything is quiet for a few seconds.

-Damage 1d4 (+1 / 2 CL, Max: +5) At least 1 pnt of sonic damage must go through for the secondary effects to apply.

-Duration: 1 minute or until discharged. Makes it more difficult to pre-buff it but still function if cast early in combat. Note: since it creates the weapon rather than buffing an existing whip, both hands are free allowing easy metamagic rod use. I'm not sure how I feel about this but leaning towards its okay.

-I see this as a level 3 spell.

Edit: A cumulative save bonus should be in place to prevent a "stun lock" scenario, say +1 per time targeted, hit or not, beginning with 2nd attack (up to +5)

The daze condition specifies it typically lasts 1 round, but I would quantify it in the spell description as well.

[Grey_Mage]

Other notes, basically just wordsmithing suggestions:

1) "functioning as a whip appropriate for your size" means any creature with a +1 Armor bonus or +3 Natural Armor bonus is immune to your spell as it is for a normal whip. Until you get to the next line...

2) "Anything you strike with the whip takes damage..." Rules lawyering players might suggest this mean the whip can damage anything including opponents with DR or hardness, objects, ect...