New Spell sound fair?

[rubycona]

I hope this is the right place for this question...

I'm just trying to be fair, and so I thought I'd ask what you guys thought of this spell.

I'm calling it Will of the Dragon (since I'm a dragon-bloodline Pathfinder Sorc)

Abjuration, Level 1, Sorc/Wiz
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 Swift Action (or should it be called a free action?)
Range/Target: Personal
Duration: Instantaneous? (See text)

As a swift (free?) action, can interrupt and grant self a +1/ 3 CL (to a maximum of +5) bonus to Will Saves against Mind Affecting magics only. The spell will only grant the Will bonus to a single spell in any given round, and can only be used once per round. This bonus stacks with all Will Save bonuses.


What do you guys think? My character is obsessed with not being affected by mind-affecting spells, hence trying to come up with this one. Does it seem fair for a 1st level spell, considering the limitations (like, if I'm hit by 2 mind magics in the same round, it only helps with one)? The benefit being, no matter whose turn it is, if someone tries to mess with my mind, I get an extra bonus, if I'm willing to drop the spell for it.

Thanks for your help :)

[sreservoir]

Conviction (SpC, Clr 1) is +2 +1/6 CL (max +5) morale to all saving throws for 10 min./level, so this shouldn't be too bad.

add a bonus type, and I guess immediate instantaneous for one saving throw, and it'll be a fairly weak spell.

[rubycona]

So you think this spell is underpowered, then? I suppose I'll call it a morale bonus.

And I realized I goofed... it's 1 + 1/3 CL, sorry sorry, to max of +5. That'd cap me at level 12, which suits me just fine. Do you think 2 + 1/6CL is a better progression?

If it's underpowered, what alteration do you think would make it comparable to its level? Again, keeping in mind, she only worries about mind-affecting magics, and is trying to make a spell specifically to that end.

[Epsilon Rose]

I can't really comment much on the power (mine is not the best eye for balance) but you might consider allowing it to effect more saves (perhaps still limited to one a round) as CL increases.

Also I think you're looking for an immediate action which can be used on somonelse's turn (as aposed to both free and swift which require it to be you're turn). If you did that you could also give a bonus for casting it as a standard action.

[Gamer Girl]

Will of the Dragon, Abjuration, Level 1, Sorc/Wiz


Casting Time: 1 Swift Action (or should it be called a free action?)

-This would be an Immediate Action, so you can do it when it's not your turn, such as when you get effect by a spell.


Duration: Instantaneous? (See text)

Instantaneous is fine, and most effects last at least the round. So letting you get the will bonus for the whole round is not overpowered.

The progression of 1 + 1/3 CL, to max of +5 looks fine to me.

To give the spell a bit of more power, you don't want it to be a morale bonus. Plenty of stuff can already give a morale bonus. So for the spell to be a bit more unique make it unnamed bonus.

[sreservoir]

competence, insight, resistance seem appropriate to me.

[rubycona]

To give the spell a bit of more power, you don't want it to be a morale bonus. Plenty of stuff can already give a morale bonus. So for the spell to be a bit more unique make it unnamed bonus.

Untyped bonus works. We've already decided it should stack with everything. My DM approved it (I came up with it on the spot at last game), I just want to fine tune the idea.

Thanks for your help.

[agentnone]

I've DM'd and played a great deal of 3.5 games and just recently picked up the Pathfinder Core Rulebook. Though none of that has anything to do with this question.

Here's my main issue with your spell. Due to it being a free/swift action to cast, it is damn near impossible to counter spell and therefor more powerful than it should be. Plus the fact that it can be cast at any time, your turn or not makes it even more one sided. Though, the downside is, she would have to be aware of the incoming mental attack prior to casting the spell or else she won't get to use it. I would say leave it as a Standard Action to cast, though give it a short duration. Like 1 round + 1 round per 3 character levels to a maximum of 5 rounds This way it's still effective until 12th level, and even beyond that. Have the duration in rounds match the bonus it gives you. Just my 2 coppers on the subject.

[absolmorph]

I've DM'd and played a great deal of 3.5 games and just recently picked up the Pathfinder Core Rulebook. Though none of that has anything to do with this question.

Here's my main issue with your spell. Due to it being a free/swift action to cast, it is damn near impossible to counter spell and therefor more powerful than it should be. Plus the fact that it can be cast at any time, your turn or not makes it even more one sided. Though, the downside is, she would have to be aware of the incoming mental attack prior to casting the spell or else she won't get to use it. I would say leave it as a Standard Action to cast, though give it a short duration. Like 1 round + 1 round per 3 character levels to a maximum of 5 rounds This way it's still effective until 12th level, and even beyond that. Have the duration in rounds match the bonus it gives you. Just my 2 coppers on the subject.
A +5 to Will saves isn't worth counterspelling, typically. And the Immediate action casting time (Immediate Actions are at any point, and sacrifice your Swift action on your next turn) is just as easy to counter as a Standard action casting time.

[rubycona]

A +5 to Will saves isn't worth counterspelling, typically. And the Immediate action casting time (Immediate Actions are at any point, and sacrifice your Swift action on your next turn) is just as easy to counter as a Standard action casting time.

Plus, I'd have no interest in it the other way XD I'm specifically looking for this goal - immediate interrupt ability to make myself as damn near to immune to mind-affecting spells as I can pull off for a level 1 spell. 1+1/3CL (Max 5) is good, so long as it stacks. A standard action to cast won't do me any good in my situation. I still need to be aware and ready, but at least, seeing the spell being cast is good enough for me to do Something about it (and being as my char has made a very unfortunate enemy, doing something about it is nice XD)

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

I hope this is the right place for this question...

I'm just trying to be fair, and so I thought I'd ask what you guys thought of this spell.

I'm calling it Will of the Dragon (since I'm a dragon-bloodline Pathfinder Sorc)

Abjuration, Level 1, Sorc/Wiz
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 Swift Action (or should it be called a free action?)
Range/Target: Personal
Duration: Instantaneous? (See text)

As a swift (free?) action, can interrupt and grant self a +1/ 3 CL (to a maximum of +5) bonus to Will Saves against Mind Affecting magics only. The spell will only grant the Will bonus to a single spell in any given round, and can only be used once per round. This bonus stacks with all Will Save bonuses.


What do you guys think? My character is obsessed with not being affected by mind-affecting spells, hence trying to come up with this one. Does it seem fair for a 1st level spell, considering the limitations (like, if I'm hit by 2 mind magics in the same round, it only helps with one)? The benefit being, no matter whose turn it is, if someone tries to mess with my mind, I get an extra bonus, if I'm willing to drop the spell for it.

Thanks for your help :)

You're looking for the Immediate Action. You should ALWAYS type your bonuses. I wouldn't make it scale.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/actionsincombat.htm#immediateActions

Why not do it like this?

Will of the Dragon
Level: Sorc/Wiz 1
School: Abjuration
Components: M
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 round
You may cast this spell when you are affected by a mind-affecting spell or effect after you have rolled the Will save but before the result is declared.
You gain a +5 morale bonus to all saving throws against mind-affecting effects.
Material Component: Any object that was once damaged by dragonbreath.

Anyways, I dunno about scaling the effect. Wizards get good Will saves, and the way saves scale with CR, most PCs have to roll about a 10 or higher no matter what level they are, so scaling it would make it overpowered at high levels (even with a cap,) and underpowered at low levels.

Personally, I would reflavor it to Dvination and make it give an insight bonus instead.

EDIT: Ah, here we go. Compare it to Empty Mind.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/emptyMind.htm

It's psionics, but the equivalent scaling would be +2 at 1st, +3 at 3rd, +4 at 5th, etc etc. Of course, this is psionics, one of the common damage-dealing effects is a 1d10 per caster level Will-negates power. Wizards are more apt to burn and zap each other. The restrictions you're imposing here (only works on directly mind-affecting effects, doesn't help with illusions) would let you use a higher save bonus.

EDIT EDIT: If you REALLY want to use an untyped bonus, I would restrict it to a flat +1 bonus to your saving throw. It's too abusable at high levels otherwise.

[fractal_uk]

If you only want it to affect mind-affecting spells, I think it's fairly reasonable to expect some decent level scaling.

You could probably afford to have slightly higher scaling progression than 2 + 1 per 6 caster levels, especially if you are saying it will only affect mind-affecting spells, maybe something like 2 + 1 per 4 caster levels. Having a flat bonus makes it somewhat ludicrous at lower levels, when many of the most dangerous spells are Mind-Affecting.

This way it still has a meaningful effect at low levels and has the scaling to make it quite worthwhile to have up until the point that you get Mind-Blank at level 16 (a spell i'm guessing your character will head straight for?). At that point, you'll need your spell a lot less, even when you consider the Pathfinder nerf to Mind Blank.

Making it Divination and an Insight bonus does seem like a reasonable idea though. You are essentially making a low level far more restricted analogue of Moment of Prescience so I'd use the same school and bonus type as that spell if I were you.

[absolmorph]

EDIT EDIT: If you REALLY want to use an untyped bonus, I would restrict it to a flat +1 bonus to your saving throw. It's too abusable at high levels otherwise.
1. abusable
2. Will save bonus for casters maxing at +5
3. Only lasts for a single save
4. My conclusion: you're confused.

Seriously, guys.
Make it an immediate action and it's fine. It's a +5 on the strong save of just about EVERY full caster when you're level 12. How in the Nine Hells is that TOO POWERFUL? Let alone abusable? Seriously, how is it abusable? It can't be Persisted (Instantaneous duration), or Extended, and it's not even very powerful. It's only against Mind-Affecting spells and effects.
Where is this abuse going to come from?