Spellmines (3.5 item)

The idea came from my warmage rebuild, but I figure I'll get more and better feedback if I post it separately. Not to mention that some people might like to use spellmines independently from that class.

The basic idea is magically-crafted mines/grenades. They're basically an adaptation of potion rules/pricing.

Spellmine- A spellmine is a magical booby-trap, a spell waiting to be unleashed on the first person who passes by. Any spell up to third level can be stored in a spellmine. A spellmine is typically buried under a shallow layer of earth, but can be crafted to blend into the landscape. The spell is triggered by any solid impact, such as being stepped on or thrown sharply against a wall. The spell takes effect immediately on impact. If the spell only affects a single creature (such as shocking grasp), it affects the creature who stepped on it. If it affects an area, the area is centered on the mine. A spell that normally requires a touch attack or ranged touch attack to hit automatically hits a creature who steps on a spellmine, but a ranged touch attack is necessary to hit a creature with a thrown spellmine. A thrown spellmine has a 10ft range increment.

Craft Spellmine [Item Creation]- You can create a spellmine of any 3rd-level or lower spell that you know. Creating a spellmine takes one hour per spell level. When you create a spellmine, you set the caster level, which must be sufficient to cast the spell in question and no higher than your own level. The base price of a spellmine is its spell level × its caster level × 50 gp. To craft a spellmine, you must spend 1/25 of this base price in XP and use up raw materials costing one half this base price. When you create a spellmine, you make any choices that you would normally make when casting the spell. Any spellmine that stores a spell with a costly material component or an XP cost also carries a commensurate cost. In addition to the costs derived from the base price, you must expend the material component or pay the XP when creating the spellmine.

I like the idea of a spellmine, but think the feat is too much of a waste. I think spellmines could be made easy enough with create wondrous item.

I'm also not too sure on the whole 'throwing a mine' bit. That sounds like too much trouble. A whole group of characters could have spellmines and hit a target/area and do a lot of effects.

I think they work better as just pure mines.

liking the plan
rather than an ability to craft them, what about making it a metamagic type feat?
either way, what about a clause that if more than 2 spellmines are within x distance of each other then they make opposing checks (of the casters level, or the spell level or something) and the one that rolls lowest gets either triggered or removed, to prevent random minefields cropping up evererywhere the pc's go, haha

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Originally Posted by zegram 33

liking the plan
rather than an ability to craft them, what about making it a metamagic type feat?

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Delay Spell lasts 5 rounds and has a +3 level adjustment. I considered metamagic, but I didn't see any way to make it balanced.

Quote:

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either way, what about a clause that if more than 2 spellmines are within x distance of each other then they make opposing checks (of the casters level, or the spell level or something) and the one that rolls lowest gets either triggered or removed, to prevent random minefields cropping up evererywhere the pc's go, haha

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But then you miss all the fun when the PCs realize that they're two hundred feet into the field and every mine is loaded with Fireballs...