Life Bubble as offensive spell

[Galomier]

Life Bubble creates a shell of tolerable living conditions around the creature. This includes toxic atmospheres etc. Could a caster modify the spell to deliberately create a harmful atmosphere around an enemy? Rough homebrew example below,

Extraterrestrial Life Bubble
1st - level Abjuration

Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: medium (100ft plus 10ft per level)
Targets: 1 creature per level (all must be within 30ft of each other)
Duration: 1 minute per level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: yes

As per Life Bubble you surround the target creature with a constant and movable 1 inch shell of smoky sulphur dioxide atmosphere. Each round the creature can make either a Will save to dismiss the spell or a Fortitude save to breath; if a creature chooses to make a Will save they are considered to have failed their Fortitude save. On a successful Will save the spell dissipates and the creature suffers 1 more round of toxic atmosphere. While affected by the toxic fumes the creature must succeed a Fortitude saving throw each round (DC = 15+1 per previous check) or spend that round choking and coughing; it can do nothing else (unless the creature has chosen to attempt a Will save to dispel the effects). A creature who chokes for 2 consecutive rounds takes 1d6 nonlethal damage. The caster can end the spell as a free action at any time during their turn however if he chooses to do so all creatures under the effect are released.

[BigNorseWolf]

Homebrew. Not a rules question.

But that seems way overpowered for a first level spell.

[Ascalaphus]

What the wolf said.

The level of a spell isn't really related to "how hard would this be to do magically" but more to "how powerful is it and how much should it cost the target to do it".

So some creatures live in atmospheres that would be toxic to others, and life bubble can make that atmosphere for that creature. For example, kalo breathe water, not air. Life bubble encases them in a thin shell of water so they can breathe. But surrounding another creature in water so that it can't breathe is not the equivalent of a first-level spell.

[Galomier]

Firstly my apologies for posting in the wrong place.

Thanks for the feed back. My initial question should have been CAN Life Bubble be used in said manner or would it require a homebrew spell.

I'll work on the variation more either debuffing it or increasing the spell level.

[SuperBidi]

As a DM, I would accept funny uses of Life Bubble to suffocate a creature which actually needs water, or special atmosphere to breathe. But clearly, I would not allow Life Bubble to be transformed into Death Bubble. This is too much of a spell variation.

[Metaphysician]

Its a valid concept for a spell, but no, I wouldn't allow one to just use the existing Life Bubble spell for that purpose. Unless I'm misremembering, it specifically provides a friendly environment for the recipient, with no choice on the part of the caster. So if you cast it on a fish, they get a bubble of water, etc.

As for the effect, I'd make it a generic "you start to suffocate" effect, without any variance in terms of fancy poisonous environments or whatnot. I'd also either allow a save to end it each round, *independent of the efforts to resist the toxic environment*, or else I'd require it to be significantly higher level.

[Galomier]

Thanks for the feedback. I was thinking along the lines of the effects of a smoke grenade but you make a good point with the suffocation rule.

I have posted a revised version in the homebrew section where it belongs.