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Electrohydra
2010-12-16, 12:33 AM
My first homebrew, I have had these spell ideas in my head for some time now and would like some input on how balanced they are, and if they are well formatted, I was not sure on a few places. Thanks.


Detect illumination
Divination
Level: Priest 0, druid 0, ranger 1, assassin 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time:1 standard action
Range:60 feet
Duration: Concentration
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Originally developed by a vampire of unknown name after he was fooled by adventurers into believing their magical light was sunlight under the name detect daylight , this cantrip made it's way around the world, and is particularly liked by those who want to learn an easy way to foil certain types of illusions. Creatures that fear sunlight also appreciate this spell.

For the duration of the spell, you are aware of the nature of any illumination (or lack of) within 60 feet. This spell gives you two kinds of information: First, what is the nature of the illumination (artificial light, sunlight or no light), and also it's source (magical or mundane).


Mark the prey
Divination
Level: Druid 0, Ranger 1, Assassin 1
Components: V, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close
Target: 1 living creature
Duration: 3 rounds + 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: None

Tired of raiding halflings using potions of invisibility to escape when he engaged them in combat, the elven druid Ean'darf created this spell. His grove was peaceful, if only until the halflings discovered teleportation.

The caster must first throw a previously prepared small stone on the target (1d2 bludgeoning damage, range increment 10 feet) either as a regular ranged attack or as a ranged touch attack, although the second option deals no damage. If the attack hits a living creature, then for the duration of the spell you know if the target is within range of it.

Focus: A painted rock the size of a fist


Shun the iron
Transmutation
Level: Sorcerer/wizard 0
Components: S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: 1 willing creature
Duration: Special (see text)
Saving Throw: Special (see text)
Spell Resistance: None

Captain Elanor the mighty was known for teaching his fellow pirates dirty tricks, the most famous was throwing armored opponents overboard. When a bunch of hopeful adventurers tried to do the same, they learned the hard way that you did not beat a pirate at his own game. The captain's mage had created an ingenious solution a long time ago.

The target's armor starts to loosen immediately, making it possible to remove it in a record time. Every round spent touching the target counts as 1 minute taking it off normally. Note that while the caster is touching the target, he cannot use his hand to do anything, but may take other actions normally, as long as he keeps contact (stays within his unarmed reach of the target). If the armor is intelligent, it is allowed a will saving throw to remain on the target.

The Mentalist
2010-12-16, 12:55 AM
Mark the prey is too good for a cantrip. It doesn't negate invisibility but it does reduce it's effectiveness a great deal. Which is too much, I think.

Possibly make it that you know that they're in range of the spell.

Electrohydra
2010-12-16, 12:05 PM
Alright, changed it. Maybe I'll make a level 1 version that lets you pinpoint.

Gamer Girl
2010-12-16, 05:46 PM
Mark the prey[

Way too powerful for a cantrip. To automatically know a creatures location is very powerful. And if you are 'tagging' the target with a mark, they would get a Spell Resistance vs it. And a 'mark' is not really 'divination'. This is more transmutation or evocation. Compare this spell to Arcane Mark. And you can put an arcane mark on a creature.

You just need Mark of the Prey, to be the o level divine version of Arcane Mark.

Then you just need another 0 level spell, 'Sense the Mark' with a short range.



Detect illumination and Shun the iron look Ok.

But clerics would have a lot of use for Shun the Iron you know...

Lateral
2010-12-16, 07:06 PM
No, actually, Mark the Prey is fine. If they are invisible, it's frakking hard to hit them, even with a ranged touch, and you'd have to already know their square. Not to mention that it has a tiny range increment (BTW, that ranged increment should be in 5-feet increments, not meters), and it only tells you if they're anywhere near you or not. It's only peripherally useful.

centuriancode
2010-12-16, 08:11 PM
Lateral has a very good point. Once Mark the Prey is successfully applied to the target then it is effective, but you'll still have a great deal of difficulty hitting them without Blind Fight or similar feats. And actually getting the mark onto the target would be a real pain. Dropping an enormous paint/dye bomb is probably easier to use, so it should be fine for a cantrip.

A question about Shun the Iron: how would the caster be staying in contact with the target? Even with that increase in speed, the caster will still need several rounds to get the armour off his/her target. Thanks to the wonders of a turn based system, the target will very easily be able to move out of range of the spell in their own turn. The caster would need to either succeed on a Grapple Check (unlikely against an armoured mêlée specialist) or a Trip Attack (which most casters will not have the feats to do). Sure, it can help them and their allies get out of armour, but by the time the caster can focus on friends (and be within touch range of them) the speed at which they can get out of armour is (usually) unimportant. You might want to look at ways to either keep the target in place, or to extend the range, to make this a little more effective.

Electrohydra
2010-12-16, 09:13 PM
Way too powerful for a cantrip. To automatically know a creatures location is very powerful. And if you are 'tagging' the target with a mark, they would get a Spell Resistance vs it. And a 'mark' is not really 'divination'. This is more transmutation or evocation. Compare this spell to Arcane Mark. And you can put an arcane mark on a creature.

That was the original version, but now it only tells you if the creature is in range (or in other words, if it fled/retreated or not), although I will consider adding SR. And the name is slightly misleading, you don't actually mark the creature (except with a bruise by the rock), you just know if it's close to you, so nothing is "created" or transformed, unlike arcane mark (which is still universal, not transmutation or evocation).


But clerics would have a lot of use for Shun the Iron you know...
Yeah, I though a long time about adding it to their list, but I finally left it mage only, since it's basically a very very specific use of telekinesis, which is mage only. And this way it forces team-play, which is never a bad thing IMO.



(BTW, that ranged increment should be in 5-feet increments, not meters

Oups :smalleek: Changed that.



A question about Shun the Iron: how would the caster be staying in contact with the target?

It only functions on a willing target, so the target moving should not be a problem. It's basically mostly to used in case your fighter buddy is drowning and his full plate is dragging him down. (note that most armors take only 1 minute to take off, so in most cases you will only need to stay in contact 1 round) But it can have other uses, for example to get out of a cursed armor before it kills you.

Nopraptor
2010-12-17, 03:04 PM
Nice ones, I really like them :smallbiggrin:
Saved!