greater haste (spell)

[Stycotl]

i hate that haste does nothing for those that actually take advantage of their speed, such as spring attackers, etc. i also hate that i can't seem to find a decent alternative. so i made this up. if there is already one out there, someone gimme a link, so i can figure out which one i like more.

thanks, aaron out.

Haste, Greater
Transmutation
Level: Brd 6, Duskblade 5, Travel 6, Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Targets: Creature Touched
Duration: 1 round/2 levels
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The transmuted creature is affected as if by the haste spell, with the following differences: the creature gains two extra standard actions per round which can be used for movement, or an attack (not casting a spell, using a spell-like ability, etc). The creature also gains a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls per 4 caster levels, as well as a +1 dodge bonus to AC per 3 caster levels, and a 100% increase, or +60 feet increase to all forms of movement as an enhancement bonus—whichever would be greater.

Multiple haste effects do not stack, nor do haste effects stack with similar effects, such as that of a weapon of speed. Greater haste counters and dispels slow.

[Stycotl]

(this represents the effort required of the creature in order to keep up with itself and coordinate precision movements at such speed).

ok, in all honesty, this represents an effort to not give spellcasters and their ilk an a ridiculously powerful multi-spell-per-round ability. i figure that move action spells probably aren't that big of a threat. if anyone knows of any that are, i would gladly rethink this.

[DracoDei]

Let me basically cut and paste the "True Haste" SLA of my Wing Dragons here for how I personally solved the problem.


True Haste
Transmutation
Level: Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 3
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Targets: Creature Touched
As per Haste except that no bonus to base movement rate is given, but if the creature forgoes the extra attack granted, or does not attack in a given round it gains an additional move action (which may ONLY be used for movement), and it is single target only, with a range of touch.



The major problem I can see with both our versions (less so yours since you bumped the level WAY up, instead of just considering the reduction to a single target to be enough of a trade of) it is that it does get REALLY nasty for many monsters with multiple attacks (especially Multi-attack Feat) since it lets them move up and full-attack. This is especially true of Wing Dragons with their extra-high speed and sneak-attack, but then that should already be included in their CR...

[Stycotl]

that is true. but after weighing the consequences as much as my finite mind could, and actually playing a houseruled version of haste that actually grants an extra standard attack or extra attack on a full attack, i think that it is pretty well balanced at a higher level. now, if spellcasting in general were allowed (say, with an extra *standard* action), then this would be pretty unbalanced. but an extra move action strikes me as fairly decent.

aaron out.

[aaron_the_cow]

why not use the 1st and 2nd editon versions of the spell so that you gain 2 actions every round?
you can move twice as far or have 2 attack sequinces.

[DracoDei]

why not use the 1st and 2nd editon versions of the spell so that you gain 2 actions every round?
you can move twice as far or have 2 attack sequinces.

Because that would have all the problems of 3.0 Haste for spellcasting, but slightly worse... MAYBE as something of the original spell levels in the original post...

[Stycotl]

all right. after more playtesting, i changed it again, cuz the old version didn't really do anything better except for a few numerical bonuses. this one does what i want it to do, gives multiple attacks on a full attack or a move+standard action, and still doesn't allow spellcasting, etc.

whaddya think?

here is the old version:


Haste, Greater
Transmutation
Level: Brd 6, Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Targets: Creature Touched
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The transmuted creature is affected as if by the haste spell, with the following differences: the creature gains one extra move action per round instead of an extra attack on a full attack action—this move action can be treated as a standard attack action (not spell action or otherwise), with a successful Reflex save (this represents the effort required of the creature in order to keep up with itself and coordinate precision movements at such speed). The creature also gains a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls per 4 caster levels, as well as a +1 dodge bonus to AC per 3 caster levels, and a 100% increase, or +30 feet increase to all forms of movement as an enhancement bonus—whichever would be greater.

Multiple haste effects do not stack, nor do haste effects stack with similar effects, such as that of a weapon of speed. Greater haste counters and dispels slow.