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I'm setting up a powerful NPC and I'm trying to make them cold themed (ice and cold spells are their preference) and I want to give them a ninth level spell of the same which has sent me into third party sources. I have two I like trying to choose between them and figured I'd ask what other people see as a better "cold spell" I'm leaning towards the former but its broken even for a 9th level spell so the later may be better. I'm really posting in the hopes people will still talk me into the former though I doubt it'll happen.
Darkest Night of Winter
Level 9
School: Evocation (Cold, Darkness)
Casting Time: 1 action.
Components: V, S, F (tongue from an old or older white dragon)
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level
Source: 1001 spells
You surround yourself with a sphere of darkness and heavy snowfall with a radius of 400 feet plus 40 feet per caster level. This heavy snow leaves 4 feet of snow on the ground; it costs 4 squares of movement to enter a square covered with heavy snow. Nonmagical light and magical light from a lower level light source don't penetrate this sphere. The darkness and heavy snow render all creatures, even those using darkvision subject to the blindness condition (no save). The heavy snow also obscures true seeing, blindsense (but not lifesense) and tremorsense beyond 5 feet. A creature within 5 feet has concealment (attacks have a 20% miss chance). Creatures further away have total concealment (50% miss chance, and the attacker can't use sight to locate the target).
Those subjects within the range of the spell suffer 1d6 points of cold damage per minute (no save). In addition, a subject must make a fortitude save (DC 15 + 1 per previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. Those not wearing heavy clothing or wearing any sort of armor take a -4 penalty on their saves. In addition those wearing metal armour are affected as if by a chill metal spell (no save).
Darkest night of winter can be used to counter or dispel any light spell of equal or lower level (including prismatic spells such as prismatic sphere that would not normally be affected).
Polar Midnight
School: transmutation [cold, darkness]
Level cleric/oracle 9, druid 9, shaman 9, witch 9; Mystery lunar 9
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect 30-ft. spread
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Fortitude partial; Spell Resistance yes
You plunge an area into the brutal chill of the arctic night.
Illumination conditions are dropped by two steps (though only to darkness, not supernatural darkness), and all creatures in the area take 5d6 points of cold damage and 1d6 points of Dexterity damage per round. A successful Fortitude save each round negates the Dexterity damage but not the cold damage. Any creature that doesn’t move on its turn becomes encased in a sheath of ice equivalent to wall of ice, is helpless, and cannot breathe. Corpses in the area for longer than 1 round are transmuted into solid ice; reviving the icy corpse requires true resurrection, miracle, or wish. As a move action, you may move the area of effect up to 10 feet in any direction.
Soooo anyone willing to talk me into taking the former, anyone at all?
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32
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The former is a spell to terrorize villages with. It has a huge area and makes it impossible for villagers to see or do anything, and they can't even flee if they don't know which way is out of the spell.
But against a party, it's really not so bad. The cold damage is negligible even before Resist Energy spells, the movement penalty is negated by flying, and the main challenge is going to be finding the caster unless the PCs resort to carpet bombing the area.
The latter is a spell to challenge adventurers with. The dex damage quickly adds up, and it automatically disables any character that doesn't move. This is nasty because you cannot normally 5'-step in darkness, and it combos well with e.g. tripping effects. This could make for a scary and risky encounter, depending on party level.
In both cases I'm assuming that the caster is immune to the effect and stays in the area.
Cold Ice Strike... 15D6 maximum... casts as a swift action!
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I would not consider either of these spells broken. Both of them have fairly short durations and neither instantly incapacitates the targets.
All Darkest Night of Winter really does it to make it difficult to locate anything in the area and does some minor damage if you remain in it too long. The Damage is per minute, but the duration is in rounds.
Polar Midnight is actually more effective vs a party but still fairly easy to get out of.
Darkest Night of Winter is more looks more impressive so if you are looking for awe value it is probably better.
You might want to look at Curse of the Fell Seasons. It has a 2-mile radius area and a duration of permanent.
You might want to look at Curse of the Fell Seasons. It has a 2-mile radius area and a duration of permanent.
What a fun spell!