Is this spell balanced and if not what changes would you recommend?

[Senko]

Travelling Caravan
School conjuration (creation); Level arcanist 6, bard 6, skald 6, sorcerer 6, witch 6, wizard 6
Casting Time 10 minutes
Components V, S, M (a chip of glass, a drop of water, and a wood splinter)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect 1 Caravan
Duration Intantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
Description

This spell creates a beautifully painted and carved caravan out of materials that are common where the spell is cast.

The caravan must be heated as normal (using the stove) and extreme heat or cold can adversely affect it and its occupants. Similarly while it provides some security and shelter to travellers this is no greater than that normally provided by a caravan of its construction.

The door, windows, and even chimney are secure against intrusion, the former two being secured with good locks and shutters while the latter has an iron grate at the top and a narrow flue.

The caravan has a windowed door at the front and a bow window at the rear. Under the rear window is a curtained platform bed with a storage cupboard underneath it. Just inside the door is a tiny cast-iron stove while on the right wall facing the rear is a chest of drawers and a small bench seat with a cushion and more storage beneath that. On the left wall is a fold down table with shelves above and a stool as well as some more storage beneath it. The spell does not provide a means of pulling it and these must be aquired seperately. Furnishings and bedding are of solid, serviceable construction. There is a small ledge at the rear outside the window along with the traces for an animal to pull the wagon while there are stairs at the front that can be pulled up and secured against the door to ensure they don't catch on terrain. The caravan has large and reinforced wheels and axle to to allow it to travel across terrain other than roads.

When cast the caster has a limited ability to desgin the decorations of the caravan such as having it in sea shades of blue or providing a pattern of a night sky on the roof.

[avr]

What's the value of the caravan? If it's high enough you might want to make it last 24 hours or have some kind of significant material component.

It seems a little high level for what it does - compare to magnificent mansion, fabricate or secure shelter.

If it's basically a specialised fabricate spell (requiring construction materials) I'd make it 3rd level. If it creates it ab initio (like secure shelter) but lasts only 24 hours maybe 4th.

[Mysterious Stranger]

This is similar to Secure Shelter except it creates more than a single structure and is instantaneous instead of 2 hours per level.

A couple problems I see is that is a caravan is kind of undefined. How many wagon’s dose it conjure? Does it also conjure the horses needed to pull the wagons? Without something to pull the wagons the spell does not work that well.

The second thing is the duration is instantaneous. This sets it up as an infinite source of money especially if it is conjuring up animals to pull the wagon.

To fix it you need to do two things define how big many wagons it conjures. 2 wagon and the animals needed to haul it for every two caster levels seems about right. Second is put a duration limitation on it. Secure shelter has a duration of 2 hours per caster level. This is a higher level spell so I would go with 2 days per caster level.

[OmniMage]

This spell seems to contradict itself. Its a conjuration spell, which can be used to summon objects and materials, but the spell itself says it uses local materials, which can be covered by transmutation magic.

The next problem is this spell makes something valuable out of nothing. (The closest item I can find is a carriage which is 100 gp). And its an instantaneous effect, so you can produce a lot of them and keep them. Most spells that produce permanent objects have a cost to prevent players from casting it a lot.

Edit: I looked some more and found that in the AP Jade Regent, a covered wagon or fortune teller's wagon is priced at 500 gp.

[*Thelith]

Just add a line that says each casting of this spell causes the previous version to disappear/revert back to raw materials. Then it can last forever, not be dispelled as an ongoing spell, and it's not a source of income.

I think the level is a little high for what it is, it could come with animals to pull it at this level and still be "weak".

[Senko]

Ok in partial order.

@AVR
Not sure but I'd say a bit more than a heavy wagon (covered and with glass windows along with furnishings) which is 100 gold. Probably somewhere between there and 200 as the only furnishings that come with it would be the equivalent of a bedroll/winter blanket. So 100 for wagon less than a gold for the bed covers and whatever value you'd assign to the cupboards/enclosed nature.

@Mysterious Stranger
Still 1 structure I'm using the term caravan instead of wagon because that's how I think about them (wagons are open, caravans are enclosed) but you only get 1 caravan not a caravan of wagons. If you see the difference? Influenced by modern caravans I guess. I can change that from caravan to wagon to make it clearer easily enough.

As stated in the spell no it does not summon the horses/mules to pull it. I figure a mage capable of casting this can also cast mount to get a horse to pull it or provide other means of motivation.

I don't want to put a duration on it specifically so it doesn't vanish leaving you and your gear sitting on the ground in the middle of a blizzard/sandstorm. Its why I gave the spell several levels over secure shelter. I'd be more inclined to adopt either an expensive component e.g. a gem equal to value of the wagon minimum value X. I don't mind needing to pay for it just want it permanent and available if say a mage gets stranded somewhere away from civilization.

@Omnimage
I found that odd as well but its in the wording of secure shelter and I included it to allow GM's to for example say you can't use it in a desert as there's nothing to contribute to it if they want to run a particular adventure type.

It was the fact that heavy wagons are only 100gp that made me think making it a permanent spell wouldn't hurt that much as by the time you can cast 6th level spells that's not much money and a mage has other more effective ways to break the economy if their inclined to do that. I figured the 500 GP fortune Teller/Cover wagon came with a lot more hence the higher price (fully furnished plus it adds stats to the caravan mechanic there).

@Thelith
The level is primarily to account for it being permanent creation. I'd as I said above be more inclined to add an expensive material component than make it dispellable in any way. This isn't about dodging a relatively small (at that level) price its about convenience and a mage being able to provide transport if they need it.

@AVR/Mysterious Stranger/Omnimage
Its heavily based on secure shelter including the "use local materials line". I changed what your summoning removed the magical protections and temperature control along with the unseen servant, made it permanent and downgraded the protection from "its really stone" that secure shelter has to it being normal materials and added a few levels to allow for that permanancy.

So would you be happy if I changed "caravan" to wagon" and added say a gemstone worth 150 GP as a material component, could make the gem worth 500 gp (but for that I'd want the caravan fully furnished)? Would you raise/lower spell level with these changes?

[Coidzor]

150 gp sounds fine as the material component for a modified, specialized Fabricate that's Conjuration instead of Transmutation.

I'd look at tweaking things again if you were looking to use something like an improved version of the Caravan rules in Jade Regent in the same game you had this spell, though.

Alternatively, if you were just worried about the duration expiring in a dicey situation, make it have a week-long duration and give the option to reset the duration for an existing caravan by casting the spell again while inside of it.

[avr]

A gemstone worth 150 gp (or a matchbox-sized model of the caravan/covered wagon worth 100 gp?) seems fine for the material component of a 3rd level spell IMO.

[TxSam88]

I would put this spell on par with a Safecamp wagon

https://www.aonprd.com/MagicWondrousDisplay.aspx?FinalName=Safecamp%20Wagon

As for "Being stranded", any mage who could cast the spell you are describing, could also cast Teleport, and is only a couple of levels away from Greater Teleport.

Secure Shelter is 4th level and the spell you propose in on par with it, barring your desire for permanence. I'd say get rid of the Permanence, give it hours/level and an ability to be recast before it dissipates and you're good.

With the ability to cast other shelters, and how easy it is to cast other spells that transport items, I really see no need for this spell. but I think it's balanced, as long as the items are not permanent.

[OmniMage]

If the spell used a gem that was worth the price of the caravan or wagon you got, I would be fine with the spell being instantaneous. I'm not dead set on any other detail of the proposed spell.

[Pizza Lord]

I think at 6th-level this should be fine with some changes.

• Like the others, I initially hear 'caravan' and think of a group of wagons, but reading the spell it is readily obvious that it is referring to a single wagon and 'caravan' is the description of the type, so that's perfectly fine.

• I would also have a valuable Material Component as others have said. 100—150 gp is acceptable. Either a valuable object like a gemstone or something unique, ie. a wooden model worth 100 gp that the caster assembles during the casting time.

• Not sure what the drop of water material component has to do with it.

• I would alter the 'This spell creates a beautifully painted and carved caravan out of materials that are common where the spell is cast.' line and change it to, 'This spell creates a beautifully painted and carved wooden caravan wagon.'
The wording is fine for making a hut or shelter, where it could be sod, stone, dirt, or whatever. It's not so good for a wagon. I don't want to be thinking about someone casting this in the desert and it being made of sand or something else, even if it otherwise works and functions like a wooden one. Just keep it as a wooden wagon with the glass windows.

• I would also add in the caveat that a caster can have no more than one such created wagon at a time and that additional castings either repair the current wagon (unless totally destroyed) or that a new one is created and the old one vanishes.

[Andostre]

I think it's worth defining how many beasts are necessary to pull the wagon.

[Goth Guru]

How about it creates a full sized wagon based on the material component , a detailed toy version. The quality is based on the cost of the wagon and additional treasure. A one gp toy will create just a balsa wood fake. Spending the full 10GP per caster level can result in a fully equipped wagon with bedding, curtains, ect.

Magic item can be a feather token or a capsule like in Dragon Ball.

[Mysterious Stranger]

Another thing you could do is to change the duration from instantaneous to permanent. This would still allow it to be used for long term but also make it less valuable. I would still have some sort of material component maybe 25-50 gp would be about right. To me that would be about a 5th level spell.

Otherwise the 150 gp material component sounds about right for a 6th level spell.

[Senko]

So reponses to specific things here (I am reading those I don't respond to just don't have anything to say in response). . .

@Multiple
I think I'll keep it instantaneous and being able to summon as many as you like. The adjustments being made in response to later posters should keep it from being used as a money making scheme which I think is your main concern.

@Pizza Lord
Makes sense I'll adjust that part of the description.

@Adostere
One horse. I can adjust the part talking about not getting something to pull it so that's clear.

@Goth Guru
Hmm I think I can work with this.

So revised spell as it stands currently . . .

Travelling Wagon
School conjuration (creation); Level arcanist 6, bard 6, skald 6, sorcerer 6, witch 6, wizard 6
Casting Time 10 minutes
Components V, S, M (a small model of a wagon, see description for cost and effects)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect 1 Wagon
Duration Intantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
Description

This spell transforms a small model of a wagon worth 250, 500 or 1,000 GP into an actual travelling wagon. The model used determines the look and appearance of the created wagon as well as it quality as follows . . ..

250 GP
This creates a poor quality wagon that looks almost unfinished (missing paint, cracked windows, partially rotted boards) and lacks any kind of interior furnishing. This wagon has a door at the front with stairs leading down to just above the ground and a ledge at the rear with traces where a hitched horse or other animal can pull it. In addition for every week of use a d10 must be rolled on a 2-4 something breaks that takes 2d4 hours to repair while on a 1 something breaks that can't be repaired and renders the wagon unuseable). Do to its poor construction this wagon can only be used on roads and covers up to 32 miles per day.

500 GP
This model creates a solid wagon that has a windowed door at the front and a bow window at the rear. Under the rear window is a curtained platform bed (covered by a rough if warm blanket) with a storage cupboard underneath it. Just inside the door is a tiny cast-iron stove while on the right wall facing the rear is a chest of drawers and a small bench seat with a cushion and more storage beneath that. On the left wall is a fold down table with shelves above and a stool as well as some more storage beneath it. Furnishings and bedding are of solid, serviceable construction. There is a padded ledge at the rear outside the window along with the traces for an animal to pull the wagon while the stairs at the front can be pulled up and secured against the door to ensure they don't catch on terrain. The wagon must be heated as normal (using the stove) and extreme heat or cold can adversely affect it and its occupants. The door, windows, and even chimney are secure against intrusion, the former two being secured with good locks and shutters while the latter has an iron grate at the top and a narrow flue. The caravan has large and reinforced wheels and axle to to allow it to travel across terrain other than roads although doing so will reduce its speed depending on the difficulty (GM discretion).

1,000
This model creates a marvelous work of art that has every little detail cared for. The interior is fully furnished with high quality even luxurious items. The door and windows, are further secured by arcane locks. The temperature inside the hut is 21° C if the exterior temperature is between -18° and 37° C. An exterior temperature below -18° or above 37° lowers or raises the interior temperature on a 1-degree-for-1 basis. Thought the stove can be used to help warm it in extreme cold. It also features an enhanced undercarriage and wheels allowing it to travel up to 40 miles per day on roads. Again this wagon can travel off roads but this will reduce its speed.

All model versions do not provide a beast of burden to pull the wagon and these must be provided seperately. A normal horse is capable of pulling it fully loaded plus a certain degree of additional weight. For purposes of determining how much extra the horse can pull use its carry capacity and deduct anything the traveller brings in from that total.

[Senko]

Seems I was trying to adapt the wrong spell should have used this one from blood of ancients much easier. Swap ship to wagon, maybe have types of wagon based on CL (Poor Quality, Good Quality, High Quality, Royal, Magical) With the last two being visually similar but the last having arcane looks, magical heating, maybe mounts or an unseen servant.

Summon Ship
Source Blood of the Ancients pg. 17
School conjuration (creation); Level arcanist 4, bard 4, cleric 4, occultist 3, oracle 4, psychic 4, skald 4, sorcerer 4, summoner 3, summoner (unchained) 3, warpriest 4, wizard 4
Casting
Casting Time 10 minutes
Components V, S, F (a miniature ship; see text)
Effect
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect One conjured ship
Duration 1 day/level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
Description
When you cast this spell, you must hold out a miniature model of the ship you intend to create. The spell assembles a ship from raw materials conjured from other planes, taking a shape similar to the miniature ship in your hand. The miniature ship must be elaborately carved and worth 10% of the price of the type of ship it represents. The ship comes with all equipment necessary for sailing or rowing the ship but provides no crew or cargo. If you attempt to conjure the ship into a location where there isn’t a sufficient amount of water to keep the ship afloat, the spell fails. The ship displaces all water and Medium or smaller aquatic animals within its space when it appears, but the location must be otherwise unoccupied at the time of casting the spell. You can cast this spell again to extend the duration of the conjured ship, replacing the remaining duration with the new spell’s duration. When the spell’s duration ends or the spell is dismissed, the ship instantly stops moving and then falls apart over the course of a minute.

The largest type of ship that you can summon depends on your caster level, as indicated by the table below.

Caster Level Ship Type Focus Cost
7th Keelboat 300 gp
11th Longship or sailing ship 1,000 gp
13th Junk 1,500 gp
15th Warship 2,500 gp
17th Galley 3,000 gp

[Goth Guru]

Well sure if you want a prairie schooner.

[Senko]

Goth Guru wrote:

Well sure if you want a prairie schooner.

Well obviously you'd adapt that table and spell e.g. . .

Caster Level Wagon Type Focus Cost
7th Abandoned 10 gp (Broken down malfunctioning wagon)
11th Caravan/Wagon (Depending on term you use) 50 gp basic wagon
13th Masterwork Wagon 100 gp (Better wheels, a stove, locks, etc)
15th Royal Wagon 250 gp (bettr locks andd materials e.g. crystal windows)
17th Magic Wagon 500 gp (magic materials like darkwood and throne glass, magical effects like temperature control and arcane locks etc)

[Coidzor]

I'm not sure why you're keen on sabotaging yourself with the CL 7 version, there.

I'd suggest something more along the lines of a Cart, if you really want to, although a cart is probably more equivalent to a rowboat than a keelboat.

[Senko]

Coidzor wrote:

I'm not sure why you're keen on sabotaging yourself with the CL 7 version, there.

I'd suggest something more along the lines of a Cart, if you really want to, although a cart is probably more equivalent to a rowboat than a keelboat.

There are times and places where a battered shoddy wagon/caravan can help you blend in. You want a wagon you can buy one for slightly more than this spell.