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Kevka Palazzo
2006-11-27, 03:03 AM
These are some spells that I made up during a last-minute DM session that's now pretty popular.

This is also my first time making spells. PEACH guys, PEACH.

Through Their Eyes
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: Full-round action
Range: Touch; see text
Target: One willing creature; see text
Duration: 1 hour/level

The focus for this spell is a mirror of any comfortable size for the caster.
The spell displays on the mirror exactly what the target sees. It lasts an hour per caster level, but will stop functioning once the mirror is 1 mile from the target per caster level. If the mirror is brought back into range while the duration is still going, it will begin functioning again. This spell does not work on creatures who do not have eyes.
Focus: A mirror of any size.

Through Their Ears
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: Full round action
Range: Touch, see text
Target: One willing creature; see text
Duration: 1 hour/level

The focus for this spell is a horn of a comfortable size for the caster. This spell emits the sounds that the target hears as they are heard. It lasts an hour per caster level, but will stop functioning once the horn is 1 mile away from the target per caster level. If the horn is brought back into the range of the spell during the duration, it begins functioning again. The larger the horn, the louder the volume of the sounds produced. This spell does not work on creatures that do not hear.
Focus: A horn of any size.

I'm working on more powerful versions of the spell, but these are the basic ones.

icke
2006-11-27, 06:15 AM
Nice spells, very usefull without being overpowered.

But I would reduce the duration for the basic versions to 1min/lvl, that is still a good start and leaves you room for advancing them. Also they then have the same duration as the Scrying spell, which basically does the same thing(seeing other places).

What still has to be said is: Can the active spell be detected on the target, and how? Does Detect Magic do it? Arcane Sight? Detect Scrying? Trueseeing?
My vote goes to arcane sight.

Just to make it clear: By saying the caster sees "exactly what the target sees" You also mean the caster gains Darkvision-through-the-mirror ?
How do You treat blindsense and blindsight?

Kevka Palazzo
2006-11-27, 01:36 PM
I'll address your criticisms in the order you put them.

1) I thought about it, and 1 min/level just wasn't strong enough. I suppose I could make a lesser through their eyes/ears but I don't think anybody'd find it particularly useful.

2) Actually, I'm fairly sure that both arcane sight and detect scrying would detect it.

3) Yes, the mirror will display darkvision'd vision. Right now in the campaign I'm running the warlock has it cast on him and he uses Devil's Sight, which allows him to see through all forms of darkness, mundane or otherwise, out to 30 ft. The same friend and I decided that unless it's an actual form of vision, it won't display on the mirror. Creatures without eyes won't display anything.

icke
2006-11-29, 08:54 AM
2) and 3) - fine, no problem, I like them.

1) what do You intend to do with the greater versions then? Plus: Scrying has a min/lvl. - duration and practically everyone uses it. The small versions could be used on familiars and small controlled animals to spy round corners, small holes and the like.

Jack_Simth
2006-11-29, 07:33 PM
Not unreasonably balanced as is.

Scrying is a 4th level spell that lets you see and hear an area, at unlimited range (even across planes, with caveats), and see hostile creatures, that lasts 1 min/level. It has your visual acuity, including magical effects. If you have an active True Seeing when you cast Scrying, the sensor sees everything as it really is (penetrating False Vision).

These are 4th level spells that let you see or hear as the target does, if the target is willing, if the target is in a particular range, if you touch the target at the time of casting....

Honestly? Make it one spell.

As the Other, Lesser

Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: Full-round action
Range: Touch; see text
Target: One willing creature; see text
Duration: 1 hour/level

The focus for this spell is a varies bast on the chosen form; A Mirror for sight, a horn for hearing, a bouquet for scent, a glove for touch or tremersense, a blindfold for blindsense or blindsight.

This spell lets you get the same information that is coming through exactly one of the subject's senses, exactly as the subject does. This may be sight, hearing, scent, touch, blindsense, blindsight, or tremorsense. While the duration continues and the subject is within one mile per caster level of the focus, anyone using the focus (watching the mirror, listening to the horn, wearing the glove or blindfold, smelling the bouquet). If the subject and the focus are not within one mile per caster level of each other, no information is transmitted, although it will resume functioning if the two come back into range provided the duration hasn't expired in the interim.

This spell does not work on creatures who do not have the chosen sense.

Focus: A focus appropriet to the sense. A Mirror for sight, a horn for hearing, a bouquet for scent, a glove for touch or tremersense, a blindfold for blindsense or blindsight.

The normal version then lets you pick multiple senses (say, 6th level, and one sense per five caster levels), the greater (say, 8th level) gives you the full set and ignores range after it's established.

icke
2006-11-30, 02:15 PM
Hmm... not really convinced.

Yes, scrying has no range limit an can see basically everything(though I think You#re wrong with the True Seing part), but a) you need an HOUR to cast it and b) the effect is stationary.
This one here is a quick-time mobile effect that can be used in a wide array of situations. The 1-hour/lvl. duration would overdo it for a fourth-level spell.

Jack_Simth
2006-11-30, 04:28 PM
Hmm... not really convinced.

Yes, scrying has no range limit an can see basically everything(though I think You#re wrong with the True Seing part), but a) you need an HOUR to cast it and b) the effect is stationary.
This one here is a quick-time mobile effect that can be used in a wide array of situations. The 1-hour/lvl. duration would overdo it for a fourth-level spell.The effect of Scrying is neither stationary nor limited to your normal sight:


Scrying

Divination (Scrying)
Level: Brd 3, Clr 5, Drd 4, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M/DF, F
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: See text
Effect: Magical sensor
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
You can see and hear some creature, which may be at any distance. If the subject succeeds on a Will save, the scrying attempt simply fails. The difficulty of the save depends on how well you know the subject and what sort of physical connection (if any) you have to that creature. Furthermore, if the subject is on another plane, it gets a +5 bonus on its Will save.

Knowledge Will Save Modifier
None(1) +10
Secondhand (you have heard of the subject) +5
Firsthand (you have met the subject) +0
Familiar (you know the subject well) –5

1 You must have some sort of connection to a creature you have no knowledge of.

Connection Will Save Modifier
Likeness or picture–2
Possession or garment–4
Body part, lock of hair, bit of nail, etc.–10

If the save fails, you can see and hear the subject and the subject’s immediate surroundings (approximately 10 feet in all directions of the subject). If the subject moves, the sensor follows at a speed of up to 150 feet.
As with all divination (scrying) spells, the sensor has your full visual acuity, including any magical effects. In addition, the following spells have a 5% chance per caster level of operating through the sensor: detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, detect law, detect magic, and message.
If the save succeeds, you can’t attempt to scry on that subject again for at least 24 hours.
Arcane Material Component: The eye of a hawk, an eagle, or a roc, plus nitric acid, copper, and zinc.
Wizard, Sorcerer, or Bard Focus: A mirror of finely wrought and highly polished silver costing not less than 1,000 gp. The mirror must be at least 2 feet by 4 feet.
Cleric Focus: A holy water font costing not less than 100 gp.
Druid Focus: A natural pool of water.(Emphasis added, table formatting didn't come through)

Kevka Palazzo
2006-11-30, 08:50 PM
I wasn't really trying to compare it to scrying. I mostly designed to have it as a way to, say, send a rogue into a building to scout out all the secret stuff. Or, in the case of the campaign that I'm running, use the target as a "camera"-man to watch the PCs run through a big tower for entertainment. It's way more of a utility spell.

One of the things I was going to do with a higher level version was make it so that you could cast through the target with the visual spell. But that'd be like a level 8/9-ish spell. Another version would be the ability to cast it on unwilling targets, of course.

Triaxx
2006-11-30, 09:29 PM
I say split the difference. You get sight and sound, for 20min/level, but have no conscious control over the spell target, unless it's something under your control anyway, such as a familiar. So you could cast it on a rat, and see and hear what the rat does, but if it decides to go to sleep...

I think an alternative use of the spell would be in communications. Simply cast on two pair of glasses, or a pair monacles, and you can see and hear what the other person does, as well as them being able to hear you.

Fizban
2006-12-01, 03:31 AM
What level do you think a spell that draws a picture would be? Assuming perfect visual stuff, baisically printing the picture in ink on the target surface. Maybe:

Artist's Rendering
Transmutation
Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, F, M
Casting Time: 1 Full Round
Range: Touch
Target: surface of one object
Effect: picture on target surface
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Yes (harmless, object)
SR: Yes (harmless, object)

This spell causes an image to appear on the surface of a target object. The image is created exactly as the caster imagines it, and must fit within a square 1'/level on a side, max 5' square. The image can be removed as easily, or with as much difficulty as paint or ink.
Focus: any sort of writing implement
Material Component: 50gp worth of expensive inks or paints.

icke
2006-12-01, 04:51 AM
The effect of Scrying is neither stationary nor limited to your normal sight:


Huch, this one escaped me so far, is it a 3.0 to 3.5 change? Well, You're right there. But I still don't think it justifies the long duration.
Maybe we really should meet in the middle, going with Triaxx 20min/lvl. Iwould be fine with that.


Kevka Palazzo: It should be compared to Scrying because it does something similar on the same spell level.
As for the greater versions and the 'casting through their eyes' effect, You might want to limit that on certain effects, i.e. no casting a Meteor Swarm through the party meatshield while sitting safely behind the next hill.

Fizban:
Since Minor Image can already shape up anything You can imagine and Your spell effect is something permanent, the 2nd level You assigned it should be fine.

Fireball.Man.Guy.
2006-12-01, 06:34 AM
I don't think the inks are neccisary,

Fizban
2006-12-01, 09:57 PM
I put in the component cost because it's permanent. Think of it this way: a 0 level spell that gives off light as a torch, a 2nd level spell that gives off light as a torch permanently with 50gp cost. I've seen some homebrewed 0 level spells that effectively do a 5' cube silent image for illustration, so a more permanent version might be lv2 with 50gp cost.

Mostly, without any limits, it would just be to common, but with a small cost it makes more sense.

icke
2006-12-02, 06:32 AM
I put in the component cost because it's permanent. Think of it this way: a 0 level spell that gives off light as a torch, a 2nd level spell that gives off light as a torch permanently with 50gp cost. I've seen some homebrewed 0 level spells that effectively do a 5' cube silent image for illustration, so a more permanent version might be lv2 with 50gp cost.

Mostly, without any limits, it would just be to common, but with a small cost it makes more sense.


Exactly the way I see it, Fizban.

The_Ferg
2006-12-05, 12:41 PM
I quite like the spells as are, except I think they should be 3rd level if it's only going to be on willing creatures. If you're going to keep it 4th level, I think you should be able to cast it on anyone, pending a Will save. Also, no somatic components, just for the flavor of casting on someone unwilling.

icke
2006-12-06, 08:14 AM
I quite like the spells as are, except I think they should be 3rd level if it's only going to be on willing creatures. If you're going to keep it 4th level, I think you should be able to cast it on anyone, pending a Will save. Also, no somatic components, just for the flavor of casting on someone unwilling.

Nah, 4th level is fine, with all the improvements it has over scrying.