I'm working on some new spells for my wizard. The other thread's become more about new ideas rather than balancing the existing ones (my fault). So, I want to go back and focus on each spell, starting at the bottom.
As a GM, would you allow someone to take this spell? As a player, can you think of any way to abuse it? Are there any existing spells/feats/class abilities/etc. that would be cheapened by including this spell?
School transmutation; Level sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S
Range touch
Target 1 dirt, mud or clay object, up to 1 lbs./level
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Will negates (object); Spell Resistance yes (object)
This spell causes a small dirt, mud or clay object to solidify into stone. The stone can be of any type, but never anything of value. The resulting object retains a moderate amount of detail, but cannot hold an edge.
This spell cannot be used on a creature composed of dirt, mud or clay, nor on any substance currently under the effect of any other spell.
This can be replicated mostly by Prestidigitation. I think maybe 1lb/lvl might be a little high for a cantrip that could eventually make a bridge or a staircase over a wall or something like it. I do like the spell though.
...bridges and staircases are heavy...
Still. It's like a minor stone shape, almost. I do like the spell, but my gut feeling is bad.
Edit: It's basically a free transmute mud to rock at level 1. You could trap your enemy's feet in stone for a cantrip.
I forgot. I was going to add in a line that the object can't be part of a larger mass of mud. Also, it doesn't shape anything. You have to do that bit manually.
Can you think of any way to abuse this spell though? The worst thing I can think of is stuffing a lock with mud and then turning it to stone. Of course, a lock stuffed with mud isn't terribly usable anyway. Trapping someone's feet is definitely too much for a cantrip, but I don't think you could get away with that with the extra restriction.
BTW, transmute mud to rock works in 10-ft. cubes. One 10 foot cube of mud/clay is roughly 100,000 lbs.
I think I would put a duration on it, instead of being a spontaneous effect. Perhaps just have it revert to mud after 24 hours, like create water.
While it might be difficult to abuse, I don't feel that permanent alterations should be within the scope of a cantrip.
The only other transmutation cantrip that makes a direct permanent change in mending, although things like acid splash can permanently dissolve something.
I don't see how this could be used to hold anyone to the ground. If you're sinking far enough into the mud for this to be effective, you're probably only moving 5 feet a round as it is.
At best, one could say that a failed reflex save would make a target lose balance and force them to make an acrobatics check to keep from losing their move action. That's two checks you can make to keep from simply losing a move action after the caster spent a standard action in combat to cast it. That's plenty fair for a cantrip.
Basically it dries out mud, right? Not that big of a deal. Perhaps change the area to one square foot instead of the weight that scales.
Congratulations, you can make mud bricks. A task also accomplished by leaving them in the sun, though the spell is much faster.
With those changes seems fine to me.
Did you mean 1 cubic foot? It does dry out mud or clay, but what you get out of it is a little more stone-like than ceramic-like (at least as written). I was considering rewriting that bit to suggest that the results are similar to what you'd get from kiln-firing it.
Also, it's a full round to cast, so it's even less combat useful.
Any other thoughts? I've made some of the suggested changes to the wiki page. Any GMs out there that would not allow someone to learn this spell?
I've changed the duration to 24 hours. I can't really see how leaving it instantaneous would cause problems, but since most other people have reservations about that, I changed it anyway.
I'm fine with instantaneous. All it's really doing is drying out mud. Leaving it in the sun for 24 hours effectively accomplishes the same thing.
Ditto. Instantaneous is fine, especially if you're upping the cast time to 1 round.
I would have allowed the original version, honestly.
Ok. I changed it back to instantaneous. I also changed the wording to state that the resulting stone is similar to what you'd get from drying or baking it normally.
Unless someone can find some way to abuse this, I think I can just about call this one done. Thanks for all the advice.
I would go so far as to word it so it could dry out other things as well that fit within the area. Books, for example.
Frankly a generous DM will allow the same general effect with the prestidigitation spell.
Yeah. I suspect our GM would let us at least partially dry out a book with Prestidigitation, so I would want this spell to be something a bit different. I'll have to check with him though.
Yeah. I suspect our GM would let us at least partially dry out a book with Prestidigitation, so I would want this spell to be something a bit different. I'll have to check with him though.
In that case renaming it to something like 'desiccate' might be more appropriate, it might have some additional uses depending on what you use it on.
I think there's more to sun-drying bricks than just taking the water out, but I'm not too sure about that.