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Given the following information, what would you say is the spell level of the following spell, for the classes that can cast it?
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School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]; Level bard ?, cleric/oracle ?, skald ?, others ?
CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M/DF
EFFECT
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target you plus 1 creature/3 levels
Duration 1 minute/level or until discharged
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)
DESCRIPTION
This spell imbues you and your allies with a collective will to stave off afflictions that would disrupt your goals. The targets gain a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against spells and effects that would impede movement or cause them lose control of their actions. This bonus increases by +1 for every 6 caster levels you have (maximum +4 at 18th level).As an immediate action, any of the spell's targets can end it for all affected creatures to reroll a failed saving throw that the bonus applies to.
What would you change to reduce the spell level that you believe it has? Any other changes or additions that might help fit the goals of a collective saving throw bonus?
You might be able to tell I was going for 2nd level, but I am worried it is too much.
I'm not sure on level but you should clean up the wording. Mind effecting is the wording for that. And a few other things too. The spell doesn't seem horribly strong though.maybe 3rd level because of the saves modifier. Is look at what other spells boost saves and look at those for reference
I'm not sure on level but you should clean up the wording. Mind effecting is the wording for that.
Ummm, wording for what? The OP is the one that spelled it right...
I mean the phrase "cause them to lose control of their actions" the proper wording would be mind effecting. That's all
Ohhh! "The targets gain a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against spells and effects that would impede movement or cause them lose control of their actions." should be
"The targets gain a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting spells and effects." Got it!
Or should this work against physical restraints like Web?
I'm not sure whether or not it is intended to work in web (like a freedom of movement lite?) Or not but yes you have it right
I think the idea then is that you need to define which spells & effects it would apply to in terms of game mechanics.
"... spells and effects that restrict Move actions in any way" ??? (I don't know if this is right, either.)
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Spells don't really require game mechanic terms, as you can see from protection from evil or freedom of movement.
...attempts to possess or exercise mental control over the target.
...move and attack normally for the duration of the spell, even under the influence of magic that usually impedes movement...
Generally, these phrases are accompanied by examples, however.
I just noticed that of the examples I gave, solid fog doesn't care about this spell as there is no saving throw to gain a bonus or reroll.
Here's an updated description.
DESCRIPTION
This spell imbues you and your allies with a collective will to stave off afflictions that would disrupt your goals. The targets gain a +1 morale bonus on saving throws against spells and effects that would impede movement, such as web or slow, or cause them lose control of their actions, such as the dazed condition, command or dominate person. This bonus increases by +1 for every 6 caster levels you have (maximum +4 at 18th level).As an immediate action, any of the spell's targets can end it for all affected creatures to reroll a failed saving throw that the bonus applies to. The bonus applies to this reroll.
OK, what we have is a fairly small bonus, +1 to +4, that applies to all saves within a very broad set of circumstances. We can walk through the Spell Design section of Ultimate Magic together. I'm doing this partly out of my ~~ be warned! ~~ lack of experience with this rules subset. I'm curious! I've skipped over stuff that looks "normal" to me.
Function: Give a defensive bonus to multiple allies.
Target: Multiple targets are selected -- more powerful than one target. Note that there should be a limit on how far apart the targets can be! (How much more powerful they don't say, but let's call it +1 level.)
Range: Close. (+1 level over touch.)
Duration: 1 minute/level looks normal to me, although I'll come back to this below. (+0 levels.)
Components: Non-controversial, although you should specify the M. Hmmm, a button from a uniform? (+0 levels.)
Descriptors: Mind-affecting looks right to me. Why Enchantment (compulsion), though? (+0 levels.)
Description & Multi-Purpose Spells: Why you're here. +1 to +4 morale to all saves within a broad range of circs. All saves, a broad range of circs. (I'm thinking +1 level due to the breadth of application.)
So we've achieved 3rd level. (+1 level for multiple targets, close range, & wide circs each.) And you counteract a 2nd- & a 3rd-level spell here (Web & Suggestion). So certainly no higher than 3rd.
And lo and behold, we have a decent benchmark at hand! Communal Protection from Evil (at 2nd level) lasts 1 min/level divided up among the targets (so yours lasts longer if there's multiple targets). Its range is touch, so your close range is better. OTOH, it provides +2 to AC and all saves, which is better than +1 to +4 to saves alone, and like your spell, it limits the circumstances that the spell will apply to in somewhat broad terms. It looks to me like your spell wins 2 out of 3 matches, and therefore should be one level higher -- 3rd level.
If you want a 2nd level spell, you now know what you can cut. You could make it single target; you could reduce the range to touch or the duration to 1 round/level; or you could cut back on the circs that the spell applies to. (Mind-Affecting effects only, or just Will saves, for instance.)
I hope this was helpful! I sure found the exercise interesting. :)
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Thanks for joining me in figuring this out! I forgot that Ultimate Magic had a more detailed section on designing spells.
Some random points
- Communal protection from evil can affect three times the targets that united resolve can, which takes till level 9 before it affects a party of 4.
- I noticed that M/DF spells generally don't specify the material component.
- I listed [compulsion] mostly because heroism and good hope are [compulsion]. United resolve should probably also be [emotion]..
We can also compare to good hope, a 3rd level spell:
- +2 morale bonus to all d20 rolls and weapon damage rolls
- medium range, but creatures must still be within 30 feet of each other
- minute/level duration
- 1 target per level
- no material component
Compared to heroism, united resolve has 1 step longer range, more targets, but lasts 1 step shorter duration, and much more limited benefits.
You're welcome!
Good Hope convinces me. I don't so much have a problem with United Resolve's scaling as with the broad circs -- physical & mental impedimenta. However, as you point out, Good Hope applies to all saves and a good bit more for more targets farther away. Clearly, United Resolve as you wrote it is no more than 2nd level for Bards.
So Bard 2, Cleric 3 makes sense to me, with the bonus as +1 to +4 scaling or a flat +2, whichever appeals more.
Do note that per the spell writing rules, you need to specify how close the targets must be to one another. If M/DF spells don't specify the material component, so be it.