Mastery of the Arcane [Homebrew Spells, PEACH]

[Eldan]

FOOL! I am Magnagor, Lord of the Weave! You dare use magic against me?

I took my wizard homebrew out again after a while, and began researching a bit for it, and I noticed a frightening lack of spells that actually affect other wizards, or magic itself, beyond several iterations of "become resistant to incoming hostile magic" or variants on dispelling.
So I made a few of my own.

Duel of Minds

Enchantment (Compulsion, Mind-affecting)
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft/2 caster levels)
Target: 1 enemy spellcaster or psionicist
Duration: See Text
Save: Will negates, see text

You try forcing the target into a duel of pure mental effort in order to distract them from the battlefield around them.
First, the target can choose to make a will save to entirely ignore the Duel of Minds. If he does so, the spell has no effect.
If he fails his save or chooses to engage in the duel, the target becomes locked into the duel of minds with you.
The duel can go on indefinitely, as long as no caster wins decisively. While locked in the duel, both duellists can only use a single move or swift action during their round, though they can defend themselves normally. Neither participant can cast any spells, use any psionic powers or spell-like abilities or activate any magic items.
Each round, at the beginning of your turn, you and the target make an opposed charisma check. Opponents who tried to decline the duel by making a will save suffer a -2 penalty to these checks. If either opponent wins by 5 points or more, the duel immediately ends, and the loser is dazes for 1d4 rounds. If neither opponent wins by 5 or more points, the winner instead gains a +1 insight bonus on all further charisma checks for the rest of the duel. Boni from winning such checks more than once stack.


Assist Casting
Universal
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft/2 caster levels)
Target: 1 creature
Duration: See text
Save: Harmless, will negates

You channel your magical power into an ally to assist them with their own magic, strengthening it with your own expertise.
The ally must cast a spell during the casting time of this spell, before the beginning of your next turn. This has a +1 cicumstance bonus to it's DC and caster level to overcome spell resistance.

Spellshift
Universal
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 3, Cleric 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft/2 caster levels)
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Target: Personal
Save: Harmless, will negates

While under the influence of this spell, you can shift your spells from one target to another, to better assist them in battle.
Every round, as a move action, you can move a single spell's effect from one target to another. The spell affected must fulfil the following conditions:
1. The spell must affect a single target.
2. The spell must have a duration measured in rounds/level or minutes/level.
3. The spell must be harmless to the subject.
4. The spell must still be in effect, it can not be dismissed, dispelled or ended.
Both the new and the original target must be within thirty feet of you when you shift the spell. The new target must be a legal target of the spell to be shifted.

[JoshuaZ]

It might make sense to have there be a penalty trying to ignore a "Duel of Minds", otherwise they will almost always attempt to do so. Maybe if a duel was offered and someone failed the save they take a -2 penalty to their charisma checks during the duel?

Also, are the insight bonuses from winning rounds of the duel by less than 5 intended to stack? Clarifying that explicitly may make sense.

Assist Casting looks very strong, potentially broken, since it allows one to pump up both saves and resistance a lot, which are the two things that stand the most against spellcasters. It might be ok if one when casting it needed to also sacrifice a spell slot or prepared spell of level at least that of the spell being boosted. Also, can multiple castings of Assist Casting stack? Probably not, but should probably say explicitly.

Spellshift- should maybe have target personal?

[Eldan]

Yeah, those all seem sensible. Thanks.

Included the changes to the duel, including stacking and a penalty for trying to negate the duel.

Changed assist casting to provide a flat +1 bonus. It still costs a full round and a second level slot, after all. And I made it a circumstance bonus, so it's not stacking.

Spellshift is now personal.

[W3bDragon]

Small nitpick: The usual jargon for casting time in this case is either "Full round action" or "1 round". You should clarify which of these it is.

[Eldan]

Ah, yes. Indeed. Corrected now.

[Andion Isurand]

I think with spells out there like Spell Theft (Complete Scoundrel), which identifies all spells in effect upon a target... works like a targeted dispel magic (with a max +15) except that you can steal the remaining duration of each dispelled beneficial effect....

the Spellshift could easily move one or more spells or spell-like abilities in effect upon a target and move them to another legal target

and since you're moving only your own spells, I don't think the target you're taking the spells from should get a save

[Eldan]

The idea was more that the target you are moving the spell to gets a chance.

And you can move several spells. It's just an action per spell.

[Welknair]

For the Duel of Minds, perhaps the participants should use their highest mental stat? It doesn't make sense to me that a battle of mental effort relies on how much of a people-person you are, as opposed to mental ability (Int). I can, however understand how different types of mental effort (different mental scores) may be used equally. Or maybe something like opposed Will Saves? Currently a Wizard has little to no chance to win this.