[Spell] Ping (lesser, regular, and greater)

[The_Ferg]

Another sick creation of Alex Beffrey and D. S. Ferguson. Enjoy.


Pong, Lesser
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 lvls)
Target: One intelligent creature (Intelligence score of target must be 3 or higher)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates and resends, see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

You reach into the subject’s mind in order to psychically harm him. If the target fails the Will save, you deal 3d6 psychic damage to him. If the target passes the Will save, you receive that damage to yourself.
Arcane Focus: A piece of wood in the shape of a paddle.

Pong
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 lvls)
Target: One intelligent creature (Intelligence score of target must be 3 or higher)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates, Will partial, see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell acts like ping, lesser, except that if the target passes the initial Will save, the caster has the opportunity to pass the Will save at the same DC. If the caster succeeds, the spell is sent back on the original target, which must make another Will save at the same DC. This continues until someone fails the Will save for 3d12 psychic damage.

Pong, Greater
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 lvls)
Target: One intelligent creature (Intelligence score of target must be 3 or higher)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates, Will partial, see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell acts like ping, except that the Will save result of the target (should he pass) is the new save DC for the caster, whose Will save result (should he pass) becomes the new save DC for the target, and so on until someone fails the Will save for 6d12 psychic damage.

[mikeejimbo]

Nice, I like those spells. However, wouldn't "Ping" just tell you if the target is responsive? Like saying "Are you awake and well?" I know there are spells similar to that, but it sounds like Ping would be that.

[Ultimatum479]

Yes, it's not what a Ping really does, mikee. Pings are usually timed to judge one's connection speed or distance. Much different. But that doesn't make this any less cool. ^_^

Though I'd generally take Ping over Ping, Greater any day...

[ExHunterEmerald]

Yes, it's not what a Ping really does, mikee. Pings are usually timed to judge one's connection speed or distance. Much different. But that doesn't make this any less cool. ^_^

Though I'd generally take Ping over Ping, Greater any day...

Ping pong? No?

...nevermind.

Anyway, I like it. Though now I want to make a tetris spell that builds a wall over a few rounds.

[Iituem]

I suspect this is more the 'Pong' variety. Either way, damn good spell! Particularly for wizardy contests of strength of will.

[The_Ferg]

There, we changed the name.

[Ultimatum479]

Well, if this is Ping as in "Ping pong"...

Pong
Universal
Level: Brd 0, Sor/Wiz 0
Components: S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 lvls)
Target: One creature

Pong can be used as a counterspell to ruin a Ping spell. It serves no other purpose.



D'oh! You changed the name just then. You suck.

[mikeejimbo]

Nice, I like it anyway. Now I see why...they hit it back and forth.

Rather than a regular counterspell, the counter to it should automatically deflect it.

[Ultimatum479]

It should, yes, but it'd have to be higher level than 0 for that purpose. And it probably would be Abjuration.

[mikeejimbo]

But then it can be used to deflect the deflection.

Perhaps it should be called "Paddle"

[The_Ferg]

Wow, okay, ignore the name and look at the SPELL. How does it look? Does it work well? Etc...

[Winged One]

I'm not sure, but it seems kind of weak with the unique balancing factor. Maybe make it 1d6 per caster level, with caps depending on the particular version(10d6 or so for lesser, for example). I could easily see this as a psionic power...

[mikeejimbo]

Wow, okay, ignore the name and look at the SPELL. How does it look? Does it work well? Etc...

I think we have no problem with the spell, hence why we focus on the name. :smallsmile:

[XtheYeti]

I think the name should be ping-pong But the spell rules

[The_Ferg]

The counter-balance to the balancing power, Winged One, is that Sor/Wiz should have good Will saves, so that the higher versions have less chance of harming them.

[Winged One]

That is true. May I make a psionic version?

[Wizzardman]

The counter-balance to the balancing power, Winged One, is that Sor/Wiz should have good Will saves, so that the higher versions have less chance of harming them.

Yeah, but a wizard that can just barely cast 5th-level spells (let's assume a level 9 wizard) would be doing 9d6 dmg (avg 32) to an area, without running the risk of rolling a 1 on his Will save. Greater Pong does 6d12 dmg (avg 39) to a single target--and has nasty results if you fail. And a 15th level wizard would be doing 15d6 (avg 53) to an area, but Greater Pong would stay the same. The fact that its psychic damage helps--as its harder to resist--but its still dangerous for the caster to use.

I love the flavor, but if its only got a single target for a 5th level spell, and has a chance of doing damage to the caster, it needs to be stronger than this. Say 1d12 for every caster level, maximum 10d12, or something similar. That pulls off 9d12 dmg (avg 59) at level 9--which is a pretty big jump--and 10d12 (avg 65) at level 15. Of course, this upgrades the power a lot, and makes it even more dangerous for the poor low-hp caster, but it also makes this spell good for dealing with single, high-hp opponents. Or add in a few additional effects, like stunning or confusion, to up the power of the spell. Maybe you 'instantly know the target's location' (like a radar ping) if the spell succeeds, or... I don't know, trap them in a mazelike series of tubes or something.

[Altharis]

Okay some changes:
1) Make it increase with caster level for walruses sake!
2) For the point stated above, I have a fix: Make it able to target people within range, but that you can't see. Then give it long range, but if they are at long range and they pass a will save, nothing happens. Then make it that one "Hit" takes a full round, so that you can't do anything while ponging. Then make it so that you get knocked back by a force, lit. "getting hit by the ball".

[Ultimatum479]

9d6 dmg (avg 41)
Err? 32. (-.-)

[Wizzardman]

Err? 32. (-.-)
...

Blast. 31.5, not 41.5. Thanks. I'll fix the post above,

[Ultimatum479]

Heh. Other than that, I agree with your argument and second those suggested changes, especially the "pinpoint" effect.

By the way, the name was changed to "Pong", but the thread title remains "Ping" and, more importantly, the spells still have "Ping" in their descriptions. Editing is in order. ^_^

[Lazy_Harry]

~Points up to the final version of the spell, still at the top of the page~
I love this spell.

[RTGoodman]

I like it!

I'm no master on figuring out balance of spells, but I think it would be cool for the flavor that if the opponent is flat-footed, they automatically fail the Will save (since they can't react and reflect it back at you). That might be too powerful though...

[Icewalker]

Heeh, nice. Very fun, but yes, it should scale with level or something. Thing is, if it scales with level, there is no point to having multiple versions (lesser, normal, greater) of it.

I have an idea though
lesser: 1d4?
Normal: 1d6?
Greater: 1d10?

Perhaps 1d6, 1d8 1d12?