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View Full Version : Do not meddle in the affairs of Mages. They're not all that subtle [spell/d20 Modern]



Dhavaer
2007-11-07, 03:54 AM
Bone Splitter
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Arcane 5; Components: V, S; Casting Time: Attack Action; Range: Short; Target: One creature; Duration: Instantaneous; Saving Throw: Will Negates; Spell Resistance: Yes

The bullet flares brilliant blue as it succumbs to the spells woven in to Jennifer's clothes. With her eyes squeezed tightly shut and her face turned away, she doesn't see the flash of light, but Roberta does.
Roberta turns her amber eyes on the unfortunate young soldier who fired the shot. Every fibre of her being screams with outrage - Her wife! Hers! - and thirteen hundred years of ancestors join the dreadful chorus.
She sketches vengeance in the air with practised fingers, weaving glowing runes together as she spits out syllables that coil and flame in the air. She finishes the spell with a slicing sweep of her arm, and for a split second there is silence.
A single moment later the spell takes dreadful effect; bone marrow liquidising and vapourising, splitting bone and tearing flesh as the burning, scalding gases break free. The soldier explodes with a loud, wet crack.

Sorry for the melodrama.

The target takes 3d6 Strength damage. If this damage would reduce the target's Strength to 0, the target dies. This spell can only target creatures with skeletal structures. Creatures immune to fire are immune to this spell, the lucky bastards.

Nostri
2007-11-07, 04:46 PM
Melodrama's fine in fluff. Actually I think it's kinda expected. :smalltongue:

Anyway as for the spell I like it. Though I'm not too sure that it's actually powerful enough for a 5th level spell. On average your going to end up doing 9 points of strength damage which isn't even enough to kill a normal person, let alone the kinds of thing you'll be facing by the time you can cast 5th level spells in d20 Modern. I'd either drop it 4th level or up the damage to 1d6/two caster levels. A bit nastier but more on par with the rest of the 5th level spells.

FireSpark
2007-11-07, 04:49 PM
Bone Splitter
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Arcane 5; Components: V, S; Casting Time: Attack Action; Range: Short; Target: One creature; Duration: Instantaneous; Saving Throw: Will Negates; Spell Resistance: Yes

The bullet flares brilliant blue as it succumbs to the spells woven in to Jennifer's clothes. With her eyes squeezed tightly shut and her face turned away, she doesn't see the flash of light, but Roberta does.
Roberta turns her amber eyes on the unfortunate young soldier who fired the shot. Every fibre of her being screams with outrage - Her wife! Hers! - and thirteen hundred years of ancestors join the dreadful chorus.
She sketches vengeance in the air with practised fingers, weaving glowing runes together as she spits out syllables that coil and flame in the air. She finishes the spell with a slicing sweep of her arm, and for a split second there is silence.
A single moment later the spell takes dreadful effect; bone marrow liquidising and vapourising, splitting bone and tearing flesh as the burning, scalding gases break free. The soldier explodes with a loud, wet crack.

Sorry for the melodrama.

The target takes 3d6 Strength damage. If this damage would reduce the target's Strength to 0, the target dies. This spell can only target creatures with skeletal structures. Creatures immune to fire are immune to this spell, the lucky bastards.

A nasty spell, but cool. However, shouldn't the damage taken be Constitution instead of Strength? Seeing as how the spell is attacking their interior/physical health. Maybe if the spell caused the target's muscles to waste away, then yeah, I could definitely see Strength damage as being appropriate.

Yakk
2007-11-07, 05:14 PM
Will, and not Fortitude?

Lord Iames Osari
2007-11-07, 05:25 PM
Melodrama's fine in fluff. Actually I think it's kinda expected. :smalltongue:

Anyway as for the spell I like it. Though I'm not too sure that it's actually powerful enough for a 5th level spell. On average your going to end up doing 9 points of strength damage which isn't even enough to kill a normal person, let alone the kinds of thing you'll be facing by the time you can cast 5th level spells in d20 Modern. I'd either drop it 4th level or up the damage to 1d6/two caster levels. A bit nastier but more on par with the rest of the 5th level spells.

Actually, the average roll for 3d6 is 10.5, so it would in fact kill a normal person (on average). But the rest of your point is unaffected.

Dhavaer
2007-11-07, 06:31 PM
I think I'd rather increase the damage than lower the spell level. Does 1d6/2 levels, capped at 5d6 sound alright?

I went with Strength damage partly to decrease the lethality of a failed save that didn't kill, and partly because I vaguely remembered other bone destroying effects dealing Strength damage. I don't recall where they were from, though.

I made it Will instead of Fortitude because I thought characters with high Will saves would be more likely to have low strength, and vice versa. Also because once your bone marrow has vapourised there's not a lot you can do to tough it out.