G&G: Magic v2 (Working Draft)

Here's the current plan for the magic system. Note that the conditions changes are pretty relevant here.

Abilities(1)

All casters are dependent on two different ability scores, as determined by their class. Their base casting ability affects magical stamina they have-- how much magic their bodies can store, and how how fast they regain magic. Their advanced casting ability affects magical skill-- how complex a spell they can cast, and how hard their spells are to resist.

Casting Spells

Casting a spell is a standard action which provokes attacks of opportunity. To cast a spell, you must have an advanced casting score equal to the spell level -2. Unless a spell description specifically mentions otherwise, you may only cast one spell per round.

Concentration
(as 3.5?)

Counterspelling
(As 3.5, except that the skill roll to identify your opponent's spell is an Occult roll, and you may use any spell of the same or higher level with the same descriptors as a counterspell-- so, for example, you could use a call lightning spell to counterspell a lightning bolt spell.

Casting Defensively
Is impossible. Barring feats or class features, you always provoke attacks of opportunity for casting spells.

Spell Points

All casters have a certain number of spell points, as determined by their class(2). Casting a spell requires the expenditure of a number of spell points equal to the level of the spell being cast. Zero-level spells, also known as cantrips (for arcane magic) or orisons (for divine magic) cost no spell points, and may be cast at-will.

If a character has multiple spellcasting classes, add together all spell points gained from arcane classes into a single arcane pool, and all spell points gained from divine classes into a single divine pool. A character with multiple arcane casting classes can use spell points received from any arcane casting class to cast spells gained from any arcane casting class, although class level still limits how high level a spell he can cast. Multiple divine casting classes work the same way. However, you may not use spell points from arcane casting classes to cast divine spells, and vice-versa.

Characters gain bonus spell points for having a high base casting ability. Your bonus spell points are equal to one-half your base casting ability multiplied by the highest level spell you can cast. You may only gain these bonus spell points once for each pool, arcane and divine.

Spell points regenerate over time. A character regenerates a number of spell points per hour equal to his base casting ability. While sleeping, they instead recover a number of points per hour equal to their caster level plus their base casting ability.

Resisting Magic

The saving throw DC against a spell or spell-like ability is 10 + twice the spell's level + the caster's advanced casting ability.(3)

Some creatures have spell resistance-- a natural or unnatural resistance to magic. Creatures with spell resistance gain a bonus on saving throws and opposed checks against spells and spell-like abilities equal to their spell resistance(4).

Metamagic

In the absence of specific feats or class features, no more than one metamagic feat may be applied to a given casting of a spell.

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Possible Ideas

Magical Focus
By default, casting a spell takes 1 full round (from the beginning of one turn to the beginning of your next turn). If you are damaged while casting, you must make a Concentration check with a DC equal to the damage taken or lose the spell. You make your caster level check at the beginning of the casting time. If you fail, you only waste a single standard action. You do not expend spell points until the spell is finished casting.

Becoming magically focused is a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity. While magically focused, casting is only a standard action, but your speed is reduced by 10 feet and you take a -5 penalty to skill checks due to the effort of maintaining focus. Any time you are damaged while magically focused, you must make a Concentration check with a DC equal to one-half the damage taken or lose your magical focus.

Evasion
Allows you to move up to one-half your speed when targeted by a spell allowing a reflex save, at the cost of your next move action. Improved evasion either allows you to move your full speed, or move half your speed without having to give up your next move action.

???

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(1)- In G&G, modifiers and ability scores have been merged. A 3.5 score of 14, say, translates to a G&G score of 2.
(2)- As a general rule for conversions, add up the total number of spell levels a character receives per day. Thus, a 3rd level wizard gets 4 spell points (disregarding bonus spell points)- 2 from his 2 first-level spells, and 2 from his 1 second-level spell.
(3)- Saving throws will have the same good/average/poor progression as base attack bonus and skills, so a 3rd level rogue's reflex save might be +6, as opposed to +3 in 3.5.
(4)- As a rough conversion, G&G SR = 3.5 SR divided by 4

For now, just the big changes from 3.5 spells. If not otherwise mentioned, assume that things are the same as the PHB version.

General:

All evocations dealing 1d6/level have their damage boosted:

• 3rd level or lower- 1d6/level
• 4th-6th level- 1d10/level
• 7th-9th level: 10 damage/level

Creatures adjacent to a caster activating a teleportation spell would would not normally be included in the spell's effect may make a Reflex save (DC as normal for a teleportation spell of the level) to “hitch a ride” and be carried along by the magic, ending up adjacent to the caster. For every 20 feet a creature's movement speed exceeds 20ft per round, he may be an additional 5 feet away and still "hitch a ride." (Thus, a wizard could grab his friend's hand and cast teleport to move them both away, but the adjacent orc could make a reflex save to follow him. Alternately, a wizard could cast dimension hop, and his adjacent rogue ally could make a reflex save to follow him, even though the spell normally only affects one creature.)

Specifics

Alter Self- When changing shape, you lose your racial modifiers to physical ability scores (Str, Dex, and Con), but gain the racial modifiers of your new form.

In addition, add the following lines. "If you are a prepared caster, you must select the alternate form you will assume with this spell at the time you prepare it. To change the selected form, you must prepare the spell again. If you are a spontaneous caster, select five possible alternate forms when you learn the spell. You may learn an additional five possible forms by selecting the spell as one of your spells known a second time." Reduce the duration to 1 minute/level.

Astral Projection- Add the following lines. "While your soul is projected, your equipment is not. You may chose to fashion masterwork clothes and equipment from ectoplasm, but your magic items remain with your real body.

Mental ability damage or drain, as well as mind-affecting spells, are retained when you return to your real body. If your astral form is destroyed, your soul returns to your body, but the experience is extremely traumatic. You lose one level (or 1 HD). If the subject is 1st level, it loses 2 points of Constitution instead (if this would reduce its Con to 0 or less, it can’t be raised). This level/HD loss or Constitution loss cannot be repaired by any means. "

Black Tentacles- The tentacles have a Combat Maneuver Bonus (see Combat Thread) equal to your Caster Level plus your advanced casting ability score.

Clone- Costs 10,000 gold and 1000 experience to prepare the clone. (You already lose a level)

Contact Other Plane- Avoiding the ability damage is a Will save, with a DC equal to twice the specified DC. Instead of one-word answers, you receive short, often-cryptic answers. Every time you ask a question, there is a cumulative 5% chance of having to roll a new save against the ability damage.

Divination- The chance of a successful divination is 50%, plus 2/caster level. If the divination is unsuccessful, there is a 75% chance that the spell simple fails, and a 25% chance that it returns an incorrect answer.

Divine Favor- The spell's range is changed to "touch"

Divine Power- The spell's range is changed to "touch." It increases your BAB by one step, to a maximum of good, and gives a +2 bonus to Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity.

Explosive Runes- The runes deal fire damage. Those close enough to read the runes may make a Reflex save at a -5 penalty. You may not place multiple Explosive Runes on the same object.

Flesh to Stone- Acquires its own special conditions track: half speed and 2 points of Dex damage, immobile and an additional 2 points of Dex damage, then petrified.

Gate- You may never call more hit die worth of creatures than your caster level. Creatures may make a Will save to resist being called. Increase the casting time to one minute.

Invisibility- Grants total concealment, and allows the target to take 10 on Stealth checks.

Knock- Complete change of effect: "The Knock spell blows open locked doors and rips the tops off chests. The caster makes a check to forcibly open the target, as if making a Strength check. However, instead of using his Strength score, he uses his base casting ability plus one-half his caster level. For example, a 4th level wizard with an intelligence of 4 would add +6 to this check."

Mage's Disjunction- Functions as Dispel Magic, but there is no caster level cap, and you may add your advanced casting ability score to your dispel check. When making a targeted dispel, you may attempt to dispel any number of spells and magic items affecting or being carried by a single target. You may also target a single magic item. When attempting to dispel multiple effects, roll dispel checks against everything simultaneously, rather than starting at the most powerful spell. You may no longer dispel artifacts.

Mage's Magnificent Mansion- The portal is not invisible, instead manifesting as a magnificent door with hardness equal to twice you base casting ability, hit points equal to your caster level times five, and a break DC equal to twice your caster level plus your base casting ability.

Planar Ally line- Remove the line about recommended payments, and replace it with additional emphasis on the "service-for-a-service" aspect.

Planar Binding line- The called creature gets three attempts to break free per day. The negotiation relies on relative social skills rather than flat Charisma checks, with summoned creatures often having an initial disposition of Unfriendly or Hostile.

Polymorph/Shapechange- Copy the restricted number of forms from Alter Self. You may not cast spells in your new form unless the new form is capable of speech and fine gestures.

In addition, changing your body and brain is an inherently risky business. Every minute a character spends in a form with a type other than his own, you must make a Will save, with a DC equal to normal DC of a spell of this level, +1 for each minute you’ve spent in the form, +1 for each of these saves you’ve failed. As you start failing these saves, you begin forgetting your own identity. Each failed save causes you to lose 1d4 random spell slots or prepared spells. If you fail 5 saves, you becomes permanently convinced that he is a creature of the type you've shapeshifted into. You discard all memories of your past life (including feats, prepared spell slots, spells known, and more) that don't "fit" with their new form, and begin acting in a manner appropriate to the new creature, even if the spell ends.

This condition can be cured by any spell capable of curing insanity. If you've failed at least one of these saves must make an additional save to dismiss the spell.

Polymorph Any Object- Alter the duration chart as so:

{table]Duration Factor|Duration|Example
0|can't be done|Pebble to human
2|1 round|Marionette to human
4|1 round/advanced ability score|Human to marionette
5|1 round/caster level|Lizard to manticore
6|1 minute/caster level|Sheep to wool coat
7|10 minutes/caster level|Shrew to manticore
9+|1 hour/caster level|Manticore to shrew[/table]

Righteous Might- Change the range to "touch."

Rope Trick- You cannot pull up the rope, and anyone who climbs the rope can enter the extradimensional space. Creatures may also attempt to collapse the space by pulling on the rope-- a successful Strength check with a DC equal to your caster level plus your advanced casting ability dispels the spell, and leaves all the creatures and equipment inside hanging in the air next to the top of the rope.

Simulacrum- the hit die limit is one-half the subject's HD or one-half your caster level, whichever is higher.

Solid Fog- Every time you attempt to move in the fog, roll a Strength check. For every 5 points by which your result is greater than 10, you may move 5 feet, to a minimum of 5 feet.

Wind Wall- Inflicts a -5 penalty to all ranged attacks made through the wall. This penalty counts as a wind effect.

Wish- You may immediately spend a number of spell points equal to one-half your caster level, casting the spells without needing to make caster level checks. You may use them to duplicate any sorcerer/wizard spell of 8th level or less, any arcane spell of 7th level or less, or any spell of 6th level or less.

These spells are treated as wish in terms of parameters (i.e. they are 9th level Universal spells with no descriptors, with no casting time because they're cast as part of wish) and they can be made permanent at the caster's option if he pays more XP- 250 points per level of the spell to be made permanent.

A wish only functions if both parties are willing. If one or both are coerced in any way, the magic is reduced to a limited wish.

(Credit to PairO'Dice Lost)

Wish, Limited- You may immediately spend a number of spell points equal to your base casting ability, casting the spells without needing to make caster level checks. You may use them to duplicate any sorcerer/wizard spell of 6th level or lower, or any arcane spell of 5th level or lower, or any spell of 4th level or lower.

These spells are treated as limited wish in terms of parameters (i.e. they are 7th level Universal spells with no descriptors, with no casting time because they're cast as part of limited wish).

Here are the first spell rewrites: A-D. If a spell's not listed here, assume that it's the same as its 3.5 counterpart.

Acid Fog
Conjuration (Creation) [Acid]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6, Water 7
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Fog spreads in 20-ft. radius, 20 ft. high
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Acid fog creates a billowing mass of misty vapors similar to that produced by a solid fog spell. In addition to slowing creatures down and obscuring sight, this spell’s vapors are highly acidic. Each round on your turn, starting when you cast the spell, the fog deals 2d10 points of acid damage to each creature and object within it.

Arcane Material Component: A pinch of dried, powdered peas combined with powdered animal hoof.

Alter Self
Transmutation
Level: Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level (D)

You assume the form of a creature of the same type as your normal form. The new form must be within one size category of your normal size. The maximum HD of an assumed form is equal to your caster level, to a maximum of 5 HD at 5th level. You can change into a member of your own kind or even into yourself.

You retain your own base ability scores, though you lose your racial modifiers, instead gaining the racial modifiers of your new form. Your class and level, hit points, alignment, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses all remain the same. You retain all supernatural and spell-like special attacks and qualities of your normal form, except for those requiring a body part that the new form does not have (such as a mouth for a breath weapon or eyes for a gaze attack).

You keep all extraordinary special attacks and qualities derived from class levels, but you lose any from your normal form that are not derived from class levels.

If the new form is capable of speech, you can communicate normally. You retain any spellcasting ability you had in your original form, but the new form must be able to speak intelligibly (that is, speak a language) to use verbal components and must have limbs capable of fine manipulation to use somatic or material components.

You acquire the physical qualities of the new form while retaining your own mind. Physical qualities include natural size, mundane movement capabilities (such as burrowing, climbing, walking, swimming, and flight with wings, to a maximum speed of 120 feet for flying or 60 feet for nonflying movement), natural armor bonus, natural weapons (such as claws, bite, and so on), racial skill bonuses, racial bonus feats, and any gross physical qualities (presence or absence of wings, number of extremities, and so forth). A body with extra limbs does not allow you to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal.

You do not gain any extraordinary special attacks or special qualities not noted above under physical qualities, such as darkvision, low-light vision, blindsense, blindsight, fast healing, regeneration, scent, and so forth.

You do not gain any supernatural special attacks, special qualities, or spell-like abilities of the new form. Your creature type and subtype (if any) remain the same regardless of your new form. You cannot take the form of any creature with a template, even if that template doesn’t change the creature type or subtype.

You can freely designate the new form’s minor physical qualities (such as hair color, hair texture, and skin color) within the normal ranges for a creature of that kind. The new form’s significant physical qualities (such as height, weight, and gender) are also under your control, but they must fall within the norms for the new form’s kind. You are effectively disguised as an average member of the new form’s race. If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on your Disguise check.

When the change occurs, your equipment, if any, either remains worn or held by the new form (if it is capable of wearing or holding the item), or is dropped (if your new form is not capable of wearing or holding the item), landing safely at your feet. Any new items you wore in the assumed form and can’t wear in your normal form fall off and land at your feet; any that you could wear in either form or carry in a body part common to both forms at the time of reversion are still held in the same way. Any part of the body or piece of equipment that is separated from the whole reverts to its true form.

If you are a prepared caster, you must select the alternate form you will assume with this spell at the time you prepare it. To change the selected form, you must prepare the spell again. If you are a spontaneous caster, select five possible alternate forms when you learn the spell. You may learn an additional five possible forms by selecting the spell as one of your spells known a second time.

Animal Shapes
Transmutation
Level: Animal 7, Drd 8
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: Up to one willing creature per level, all within 30 ft. of each other
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: None; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

You transform up to one willing creature per caster level into an animal of your choice; the spell has no effect on unwilling creatures. Use the alternate form special ability to determine each target’s new abilities. All creatures must take the same kind of animal form. Recipients remain in the animal form until the spell expires or until you dismiss it for all recipients. In addition, an individual subject may choose to resume its normal form as a full-round action; doing so ends the spell for that subject alone. The maximum HD of an assumed form is equal to the subject’s HD or your caster level, whichever is lower, to a maximum of 20 HD at 20th level.

Changing your body and brain is an inherently risky business. For every hour a character spends in a form with a type other than his own, he must make a Will save, with a DC equal to normal DC of a spell of this level, +1 for each hour he's` spent in the form, +1 for each of these saves he's failed. As the subject starts failing these saves, he begins forgetting your own identity. Each failed save causes him to lose 1d4 random spell slots or prepared spells and one feat. If the subject fails a number of saves equal to his Wisdom modifier, he becomes permanently convinced that he is a creature of the type he's shapeshifted into. He discards all memories of his past life (including class levels, feats, prepared spell slots, spells known, and more) that don't "fit" with his new form, and begins acting in a manner appropriate to the new creature, even after the spell ends.

This condition can be cured by any spell capable of curing insanity. If the caster has failed at least one of these saves, he must make an additional save to dismiss the spell.

Antilife Shell
Abjuration
Level: Animal 6, Clr 6, Drd 6
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: 10 ft.
Area: 10-ft.-radius emanation, centered on you
Duration: 10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

You bring into being a mobile, hemispherical energy field that prevents the entrance of most types of living creatures. The effect hedges out animals, aberrations, dragons, fey, giants, humanoids, magical beasts, monstrous humanoids, oozes, plants, and vermin, but not constructs, elementals, outsiders, or undead.

Creatures may attempt to force their way past the barrier. Doing so requires a Strength check, with a DC equal to 10 plus your caster level. Creatures with spell resistance gain a bonus on this roll equal to their spell resistance.

This spell may be used only defensively, not aggressively. Forcing an abjuration barrier against creatures that the spell keeps at bay collapses the barrier.

Astral Projection
Necromancy
Level: Clr 9, Sor/Wiz 9, Travel 9
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 30 minutes
Range: Touch
Targets: You plus one additional willing creature touched per two caster levels
Duration: See text
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

By freeing your spirit from your physical body, this spell allows you to project an astral body onto another plane altogether.

You can bring the astral forms of other willing creatures with you, provided that these subjects are linked in a circle with you at the time of the casting. These fellow travelers are dependent upon you and must accompany you at all times. If something happens to you during the journey, your companions are stranded wherever you left them.

You project your astral self onto the Astral Plane, leaving your physical body behind on whatever plane you began on in a state of suspended animation. The spell projects an astral copy of you onto the Astral Plane. Since the Astral Plane touches upon other planes, you can travel astrally to any of these other planes as you will. To enter one, you leave the Astral Plane, forming a new physical body on the plane of existence you have chosen to enter. If you choose to leave the astral plane, however, your body is incorporeal on the new plane.

While you are on the Astral Plane, your astral body is connected at all times to your physical body by a silvery cord. If the cord is broken, you are killed, astrally and physically. Luckily, very few things can destroy a silver cord. When a second body is formed on a different plane, the incorporeal silvery cord remains invisibly attached to the new body. If the second body or the astral form is slain, the cord simply returns to your body where it rests on the Material Plane, thereby reviving it from its state of suspended animation. Although astral projections are able to function on the Astral Plane, their actions affect only creatures existing on the Astral Plane; a physical body must be materialized on other planes.

You and your companions may travel through the Astral Plane indefinitely. Your bodies simply wait behind in a state of suspended animation until you choose to return your spirits to them. The spell lasts until you desire to end it, or until it is terminated by some outside means, such as dispel magic cast upon either the physical body or the astral form, the breaking of the silver cord, or the destruction of your body back on the Material Plane (which kills you).

While your soul is projected, your equipment is not. You may chose to fashion masterwork clothes and equipment from ectoplasm, but your magic items remain with your real body. You cannot fashion more equipment than you can carry as a light load.

Mental ability damage or drain, as well as mind-affecting spells, are retained when you return to your real body. If your astral form is destroyed, your soul returns to your body, but the experience is extremely traumatic. You lose one level (or 1 HD). If the subject is 1st level, it loses 2 points of Constitution instead (if this would reduce its Con to 0 or less, it can’t be raised). This level/HD loss or Constitution loss cannot be repaired by any means.

Material Component: A jacinth worth at least 1,000 gp for each person to be affected.

Awaken
Transmutation
Level: Drd 5
Components: V, S, DF, XP
Casting Time: 24 hours
Range: Touch
Target: Animal or tree touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You awaken a tree or animal to humanlike sentience. To succeed, you must make a Will save (DC 10 + the animal’s current HD, or the HD the tree will have once awakened).

The awakened animal or tree is friendly toward you. You have no special empathy or connection with a creature you awaken, although it serves you in specific tasks or endeavors if you communicate your desires to it.

An awakened tree has characteristics as if it were an animated object, except that it gains the plant type and its Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores are each 3d6. An awakened plant gains the ability to move its limbs, roots, vines, creepers, and so forth, and it has senses similar to a human’s.

An awakened animal gets 3d6 Intelligence, +1d3 Charisma, and +2 HD. Its type becomes magical beast (augmented animal). An awakened animal can’t serve as an animal companion, familiar, or special mount.

An awakened tree or animal can speak one language that you know, plus one additional language that you know per point of Intelligence bonus (if any).

XP Cost: 50 xp per hit die of the animal to be affected.

Baleful Polymorph
Transmutation
Level: Drd 5, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: See text
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates, Will partial; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

You change the subject into a Small or smaller animal of no more than 1 HD (such as a dog, lizard, monkey, or toad). This spell uses its own special Polymorphed condition track:

1st Degree— Twisted: the subject loses his racial modifiers and abilities.
2nd Degree— Malformed: the subject's size, movement speed, and physical ability scores are replaced with those of the animal.
3rd Degree— Transformed: The subject takes on all the statistics and special abilities of an average member of the new form in place of its own except as follows:

• The target retains its own alignment (and personality, within the limits of the new form’s ability scores).
• The target retains its own hit points.
• The target is treated as having its normal Hit Dice for purpose of adjudicating effects based on HD, such as the sleep spell, though it uses the new form’s base attack bonus, base save bonuses, and all other statistics derived from Hit Dice.
• The target also retains the ability to understand (but not to speak) the languages it understood in its original form. It can write in the languages it understands, but only the form is capable of writing in some manner (such as drawing in the dirt with a paw).

With those exceptions, the target’s normal game statistics are replaced by those of the new form. The target loses all the special abilities it has in its normal form, including its class features. All items worn or carried by the subject fall to the ground at its feet, even if they could be worn or carried by the new form.

Each hour, the subject may make a new saving throw to shake off the effects of the spell. If it fails a number of saves equal to its Wisdom modifier, it must attempt a Will save. If this save fails, it loses its ability to understand language, as well as all other memories of its previous form, and its Hit Dice, hit points, and mental ability scores change to match an average creature of its new form. These abilities and statistics return to normal if the effect is later ended.

If the save succeeds, it may make another [Wisdom Modifier] Fortitude saves before having to re-attempt the Will save to retain their mind.

Banishment
Abjuration
Level: Clr 6, Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: One or more extraplanar creatures, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

As the spell dismissal, with the following exceptions. You may target up to 2 Hit Dice of creatures per caster level, and there is no chance of accidentally sending a creature to the wrong plane.

Bestow Curse
Necromancy
Level: Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You place a curse on the subject. This curse can take the form of any Condition track. Unlike normal conditions, the curse bestowed by this spell cannot be dispelled, reduced with a Heal check, or recovered from over time. It can be removed with a break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse, or wish spell.

Bestow curse counters remove curse.

Black Tentacles
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: 10-ft.-radius spread
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell conjures a field of rubbery black tentacles, each 10 feet long. These waving members seem to spring forth from the earth, floor, or whatever surface is underfoot—including water. They grasp and entwine around creatures that enter the area, holding them fast and crushing them with great strength.

Every creature within the area of the spell must make a grapple check, opposed by the grapple check of the tentacles. Treat the tentacles as having a Combat Maneuver Bonus equal to your caster level plus your advanced casting ability score.

Once the tentacles grapple an opponent, the tentacles attempt to crush them. Treat the tentacles as having natural weapons dealing 1d6 + your advanced casting ability score points of bludgeoning damage. The tentacles continue to crush the opponent until the spell ends or the opponent escapes.

Any creature that enters the area of the spell is immediately attacked by the tentacles. Even creatures who aren’t grappling with the tentacles may move through the area at only half normal speed.

Material Component: A piece of tentacle from a giant octopus or a giant squid.

Blade Barrier
Evocation [Force]
Level: Clr 6, Good 6, War 6
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Wall of whirling blades up to 20 ft. long/ level, or a ringed wall of whirling blades with a radius of up to 5 ft. per two levels; either form 20 ft. high
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Reflex negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

An immobile, vertical curtain of whirling blades shaped of pure force springs into existence. Any creature passing through the wall takes 1d10 points of damage per caster level (maximum 15d10).

If you evoke the barrier so that it appears where creatures are, each creature takes damage as if passing through the wall. Each such creature can avoid the wall (ending up on the side of its choice) and thus take no damage by making a successful Reflex save.

A blade barrier provides cover (+4 bonus to AC, +2 bonus on Reflex saves) against attacks made through it.


Blindness/Deafness
Necromancy
Level: Brd 2, Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One living creature
Duration: One minute per caster level.
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You call upon the powers of unlife to render the subject blinded (inflicting the Blinding condition track) or deafened, as you choose. Unlike other 2nd or 3rd level spells, this spell can inflict up to the third degree condition in the Blinding track.

Call Lightning Storm
Evocation [Electricity]
Level: Drd 5
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)

This spell functions like call lightning, except that each bolt deals 5d10 points of electricity damage (or 10d10 if created outdoors in a stormy area), and you may call a maximum of 15 bolts.


Cause Fear
Necromancy [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Brd 1, Clr 1, Death 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature with 5 or fewer HD
Duration: 1d4 rounds or 1 round; see text
Saving Throw: Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell inflicts the Fear condition on the affected creature.

Cause fear counters and dispels remove fear.

Chain Lightning
Evocation [Electricity]
Level: Air 6, Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Targets: One primary target, plus one secondary target/level (each of which must be within 30 ft. of the primary target)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell creates an electrical discharge that begins as a single stroke commencing from your fingertips. Unlike lightning bolt, chain lightning strikes one object or creature initially, then arcs to other targets.

The bolt deals 1d10 points of electricity damage per caster level (maximum 20d10) to the primary target. After it strikes, lightning can arc to a number of secondary targets equal to your caster level (maximum 20). The secondary bolts each strike one target and deal half as much damage as the primary one did (rounded down).

Each target can attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage. You choose secondary targets as you like, but they must all be within 30 feet of the primary target, and no target can be struck more than once. You can choose to affect fewer secondary targets than the maximum.
Focus

A bit of fur; a piece of amber, glass, or a crystal rod; plus one silver pin for each of your caster levels.


Charm Person
Enchantment (Charm) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One humanoid creature
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell inflicts the Mind Control condition on one target humanoid creature. It cannot raise their attitude above friendly, however.

Circle of Death
Necromancy [Death]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: Several living creatures within a 40-ft.-radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

A circle of death snuffs out the life force of living creatures, killing them instantly. This spell inflicts the Sudden Death condition on slays 1d4 HD worth of living creatures per caster level (maximum 20d4). Creatures with the fewest HD are affected first; among creatures with equal HD, those who are closest to the burst’s point of origin are affected first. No creature of 9 or more HD can be affected, and Hit Dice that are not sufficient to affect a creature are wasted.

Material Component: The powder of a crushed black pearl with a minimum value of 500 gp.

Clone
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S, M, F
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 0 ft.
Effect: One clone
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell makes an inert duplicate of a creature. If the original individual has been slain, its soul immediately transfers to the clone, creating a replacement (provided that the soul is free and willing to return). The original’s physical remains, should they still exist, become inert and cannot thereafter be restored to life. If the original creature has reached the end of its natural life span (that is, it has died of natural causes), any cloning attempt fails.

To create the duplicate, you must have a piece of flesh (not hair, nails, scales, or the like) with a volume of at least 1 cubic inch that was taken from the original creature’s living body. The piece of flesh need not be fresh, but it must be kept from rotting. Once the spell is cast, the duplicate must be grown in a laboratory for 2d4 months.

When the clone is completed, the original’s soul enters it immediately, if that creature is already dead. The clone is physically identical with the original and possesses the same personality and memories as the original. In other respects, treat the clone as if it were the original character raised from the dead, including the loss of one level or 2 points of Constitution (if the original was a 1st-level character). If this Constitution adjustment would give the clone a Constitution score of 0, the spell fails. If the original creature has lost levels since the flesh sample was taken and died at a lower level than the clone would otherwise be, the clone is one level below the level at which the original died.

The spell duplicates only the original’s body and mind, not its equipment.

A duplicate can be grown while the original still lives, or when the original soul is unavailable, but the resulting body is merely a soulless bit of inert flesh, which rots if not preserved.

Material Component: The piece of flesh and various laboratory supplies (cost 1,000 gp per hit die of the creature to be cloned).
Focus: Special laboratory equipment (cost 500 gp).

Color Spray
Illusion (Pattern) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 15 ft.
Area: Cone-shaped burst
Duration: Instantaneous; see text
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

A vivid cone of clashing colors springs forth from your hand, causing creatures to become stunned, perhaps also blinded, and possibly knocking them unconscious. Each creature within the cone is affected according to its Hit Dice.

2 HD or less: The creature is affected by the Blinding and Stunning conditions for 2d4 rounds.

3 or 4 HD: The creature is affected by the Blinding and Stunning conditions for 1d4 rounds.

5 or more HD: The creature is affected by the Stunning condition for 1 round

Sightless creatures are not affected by color spray.

Material Component: A pinch each of powder or sand that is colored red, yellow, and blue.

Cone of Cold
Evocation [Cold]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5, Water 6
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Area: Cone-shaped burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes

Cone of cold creates an area of extreme cold, originating at your hand and extending outward in a cone. It drains heat, dealing 1d10 points of cold damage per caster level (maximum 20d10).

Arcane Material Component: A very small crystal or glass cone.

Confusion
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 4, Trickery 4
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets: All creatures in a 15-ft. radius burst
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell inflicts the Madness condition.

Arcane Material Component: A set of three nut shells.

Contact Other Plane
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Concentration

You send your mind to another plane of existence (an Elemental Plane or some plane farther removed) in order to receive advice and information from powers there. (See the accompanying table for possible consequences and results of the attempt.) The powers reply in a language you understand, but they resent such contact and give only brief and cryptic answers to your questions.

In addition, maintaining contact with distant minds is dangerous. Upon casting the spell, you must make a Will save with a DC as normal for a 5th level spell or take Intelligence and Charisma damage. The amount of damage depends on how distant the plane is— see the table below.

You must concentrate on maintaining the spell (a standard action) in order to ask questions at the rate of one per round. A question is answered by the power during the same round. For every two caster levels, you may ask one question. With each question, there is a cumulative 5% chance that the entity lashes out at you. If it does, you must roll a Will save or suffer ability damage, as described above, and the spell ends.

Contact with minds far removed from your home plane increases the danger, but the chance of the power knowing the answer, as well as the probability of the entity answering correctly, are likewise increased by moving to distant planes.

Once the Outer Planes are reached, the power of the deity contacted determines the effects. (Random results obtained from the table are subject to the personalities of individual deities.)

On rare occasions, this divination may be blocked by an act of certain deities or forces.

d% is rolled for the result shown on the table:
{table=head]Plane Contacted|Ability Damage|True Answer|Don’t Know|Lie|Random Answer
Elemental Plane|1d4|01-34|35-62|63-83|84-100
(appropriate)|1d4|(01-68)|(69-75)|(76-98)|(99-100)
Positive/Negative Energy Plane|1d6|01-39|40-65|66-86|87-100
Astral Plane|1d8|01-44|45-67|68-88|89-100
Outer Plane, demideity|2d6|01-49|50-70|71-91|92-100
Outer Plane, lesser deity|2d8|01-60|61-75|76-95|96-100
Outer Plane, intermediate deity|3d6|01-73|74-81|82-98|99-100
Outer Plane, greater deity|3d8|01-88|89-90|91-99|100[/table]


Contingency
Evocation
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M, F
Casting Time: At least 10 minutes; see text
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: One day/level (D) or until discharged

You can place another spell upon your person so that it comes into effect under some condition you dictate when casting contingency. The contingency spell and the companion spell are cast at the same time. The 10-minute casting time is the minimum total for both castings; if the companion spell has a casting time longer than 10 minutes, use that instead.

The spell to be brought into effect by the contingency must be one that affects your person and be of a spell level no higher than one-third your caster level (rounded down, maximum 6th level).

The conditions needed to bring the spell into effect must be clear, although they can be general. In all cases, the contingency immediately brings into effect the companion spell, the latter being “cast” instantaneously when the prescribed circumstances occur. If complicated or convoluted conditions are prescribed, the whole spell combination (contingency and the companion magic) may fail when called on. The companion spell occurs based solely on the stated conditions, regardless of whether you want it to.

While your contingent spell is in place, you must commit the spell points you would normally spend to cast it— they are not regained by resting, and you cannot spend them on any other spell.

Material Component: That of the companion spell, plus quicksilver and an eyelash of an ogre mage, rakshasa, or similar spell-using creature.

Focus: A statuette of you carved from elephant ivory and decorated with gems (worth at least 1,500 gp). You must carry the focus for the contingency to work.

Control Plants
Transmutation
Level: Drd 8, Plant 8
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: Up to 2 HD/level of plant creatures, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: No

This spell inflicts the Mind Control condition one or more plant creatures for a short period of time. You command the creatures by voice and they understand you, no matter what language you speak. Even if vocal communication is impossible the controlled plants do not attack you. At the end of the spell, the subjects revert to their normal attitudes and behaviors.

Control Undead
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: Up to 2 HD/level of undead creatures, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell inflicts the Mind Control condition one or more undead creatures for a short period of time. You command the creatures by voice and they understand you, no matter what language you speak. Even if vocal communication is impossible the controlled plants do not attack you. At the end of the spell, the subjects revert to their normal attitudes and behaviors. Intelligent undead creatures remember that you controlled them.

Material Component: A small piece of bone and a small piece of raw meat.

Crushing Despair
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 30 ft.
Area: Cone-shaped burst
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

An invisible cone of despair causes great sadness in the subjects. Each creature in the cone is affected by the Impairing Condition.

Crushing despair counters and dispels good hope.

Material Component: A vial of tears.

Cure Critical Wounds
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Brd 4, Clr 4, Drd 5, Healing 4

This spell functions like cure light wounds, except that it cures 5 points of damage per caster level (maximum 100) and first-degree conditions.

Cure Moderate Wounds
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Brd 2, Clr 2, Drd 3, Healing 2, Pal 3, Rgr 3

This spell functions like cure light wounds, except that it cures 1d6 points of damage point per caster level (maximum 10d6).

Cure Serious Wounds
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Brd 3, Clr 3, Drd 4, Pal 4, Rgr 4, Healing 3

This spell functions like cure light wounds, except that it cures 1d10 points of damage per caster level (maximum 15d10)

Daze
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Brd 0, Sor/Wiz 0
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One humanoid creature of 4 HD or less
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This enchantment clouds the mind of a humanoid creature with 4 or fewer Hit Dice, inflicting the Stunning condition. Humanoids of 5 or more HD are not affected.

Material Component: A pinch of wool or similar substance.

Destruction
Necromancy [Death]
Level: Clr 7, Death 7
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell inflicts the Sudden Death condition. If the target’s Fortitude saving throw succeeds, it instead takes 10d6 points of damage. The only way to restore life to a character who has failed to save against this spell and subsequently died is to use true resurrection, a carefully worded wish spell followed by resurrection, or miracle.

Focus: A special holy (or unholy) symbol of silver marked with verses of anathema (cost 500 gp).

Dismissal
Abjuration
Level: Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One extraplanar creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell forces an extraplanar creature back to its proper plane. This spell uses its own special Banishing condition track

1st degree— Flickering: Attacks against the target have a 20% miss chance, and attacks made by the target have a 20% miss chance.
2nd degree— Discorporate: The subject becomes fully incorporeal.
3rd degree— Banished: The subject is forced from the plane.

If the spell banishes the creature, there is a 20% chance of actually sending the subject to a plane other than its own.

Divination
Divination
Level: Clr 4, Knowledge 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

Similar to augury but more powerful, a divination spell can provide you with a useful piece of advice in reply to a question concerning a specific goal, event, or activity that is to occur within one week. The advice can be as simple as a short phrase, or it might take the form of a cryptic rhyme or omen. If your party doesn’t act on the information, the conditions may change so that the information is no longer useful. The base chance for a correct divination is 50% + 1% per caster level, to a maximum of 70%. If the dice roll fails, there is a 75% chance that you know that it failed. The remaining 25% of the time, you DON'T know that the spell went awry, and it gives you an incorrect answer.

As with augury, multiple divinations about the same topic by the same caster use the same dice result as the first divination spell and yield the same answer each time.
Material Component

Incense and a sacrificial offering appropriate to your religion, together worth at least 25 gp.

Divine Favor
Evocation
Level: Clr 1, Pal 1
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: You
Duration: 1 minute

Calling upon the strength and wisdom of a deity, you gain a +1 luck bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls for every three caster levels you have (at least +1, maximum +3). The bonus doesn’t apply to spell damage.

Divine Power
Evocation
Level: Clr 4, War 4
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level

Calling upon the divine power of your patron, you imbue yourself with strength and skill in combat. The target's base attack improves by one step, so that a poor progression becomes average and an average progression becomes good. If their progression was already good, they gain a bonus to attack and CMB checks equal to one-fifth their character level. In addition, they gain a +2 divine bonus to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution.


Dominate Person
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Brd 4, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One humanoid
Duration: One hour/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You inflict the Mind Controlled condition on the subject. Furthermore, as long as their attitude is friendly or better, you may give them orders via a telepathic link.

If you and the subject have a common language, you can generally force the subject to perform as you desire, within the limits of its abilities. If no common language exists, you can communicate only basic commands, such as “Come here,” “Go there,” “Fight,” and “Stand still.” You know what the subject is experiencing, but you do not receive direct sensory input from it, nor can it communicate with you telepathically.

By concentrating fully on the spell (a standard action), you can receive full sensory input as interpreted by the mind of the subject, though it still can’t communicate with you. You can’t actually see through the subject’s eyes, so it’s not as good as being there yourself, but you still get a good idea of what’s going on.

Subjects resist this control, and any subject forced to take actions against its nature receives a new saving throw with a +2 bonus. Obviously self-destructive orders are not carried out. Once control is established, the range at which it can be exercised is unlimited, as long as you and the subject are on the same plane. You need not see the subject to control it.

The subject receives a new saving throw against this spell each hour.

Protection from evil or a similar spell can prevent you from exercising control or using the telepathic link while the subject is so warded, but such an effect neither prevents the establishment of domination nor dispels it.

Doom
Necromancy [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Clr 1
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One living creature
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell fills a single subject with a feeling of horrible dread, inflicting the Fear condition.

More spell rewrites! I fear that I may run out of space a'fore too long...

Entangle
Transmutation
Level: Drd 1, Plant 1, Rgr 1
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: Plants in a 40-ft.-radius spread
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Reflex partial; see text
Spell Resistance: No

Grasses, weeds, bushes, and even trees wrap, twist, and entwine about creatures in the area or those that enter the area, holding them fast. This spell inflicts the Slowing condition on its victimes. Affected creatures can break free and move half its normal speed by using a full-round action to make a DC 20 Strength check or a DC 20 Escape Artist check. A creature that succeeds on a Reflex save is not affected b y the Slowing, but the area still counts as difficult terrain for them. Each round on your turn, creatures in the area of the spell must make another save against the Slowing condition.
Note: The effects of the spell may be altered somewhat, based on the nature of the entangling plants.

Entropic Shield
Abjuration
Level: Clr 1, Luck 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level (D)

A magical field appears around you, glowing with a chaotic blast of multicolored hues. This field deflects incoming arrows, rays, and other ranged attacks. You gain a bonus to armor class against ranged attacks equal to one-half your caster level. Other attacks that simply work at a distance are not affected.

Explosive Runes
Abjuration [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One touched object weighing no more than 10 lb.
Duration: Permanent until discharged (D)
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: Yes

You trace these mystic runes upon a book, map, scroll, or similar object bearing written information. The runes detonate when read, dealing 6d6 points of force damage. Anyone next to the runes (close enough to read them) takes the full damage with no saving throw; any other creature within 10 feet of the runes is entitled to a Reflex save for half damage. The object on which the runes were written also takes full damage (no saving throw). Only one set of explosive runes may be scribed on any one object.

You and any characters you specifically instruct can read the protected writing without triggering the runes. Likewise, you can remove the runes whenever desired. Another creature can remove them with a successful dispel magic or erase spell, but attempting to dispel or erase the runes and failing to do so triggers the explosion. If a creature is caught in the area of multiple explosive runes being triggered this way, the damage does not stack. Instead, he takes a penalty to his Reflex save equal to the number of exploding runes he would be affected by.

Eyebite
Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Brd 6, Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature
Duration: 1 round per three levels; see text
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Each round, you may target a single living creature, striking it with waves of evil power. Depending on the target’s HD, this attack has as many as three effects.

{table=head]HD|Effect
10 or more|Sickened
5-9|Panicked, sickened
4 or less|Comatose, panicked, sickened[/table]

The effects are cumulative and concurrent.

Sickened: Sudden pain and fever sweeps over the subject’s body, inflicting them with the Impairing condition. A creature affected by this spell remains affected for 10 minutes per caster level. The effects cannot be negated by a remove disease or heal spell, but a remove curse is effective.

Panicked: The subject becomes affected by the Fear condition for 2d4 rounds.

Comatose: The subject is affected by the Stunning condition for 10 minutes per caster level.

The spell lasts for 1 round per three caster levels. You must spend a move action each round after the first to target a foe.

Fear
Necromancy [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 30 ft.
Area: Cone-shaped burst
Duration: 1 round/level or 1 round; see text
Saving Throw: Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

An invisible cone of terror inflicts the Fear condition on all living creatures in the area. Creatures who succeed on a Will save are still affected by the first degree condition (Shaken) for one round.

Material Component: Either the heart of a hen or a white feather.

Feather Fall
Transmutation
Level: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: One Medium or smaller freefalling object or creature/level, no two of which may be more than 20 ft. apart
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) or Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (object)

The affected creatures or objects fall slowly. Feather reduces the damage inflicted by a fall as if the fall was ten feet per caster level shorter. For example, an 8th level caster who falls 100 feet and casts this spell would only take damage as if he had fallen 20 feet.

The spell affects one or more Medium or smaller creatures (including gear and carried objects up to each creature’s maximum load) or objects, or the equivalent in larger creatures: A Large creature or object counts as two Medium creatures or objects, a Huge creature or object counts as two Large creatures or objects, and so forth.

You can cast this spell with an instant utterance, quickly enough to save yourself if you unexpectedly fall. Casting the spell is a immediate action, allowing you to cast this spell even when it isn’t your turn. This spell does not count towards the normal limit of spells you can cast each round.

This spell has no special effect on ranged weapons unless they are falling quite a distance. If the spell is cast on a falling item the object does half normal damage based on its weight, with no bonus for the height of the drop.

Feather fall works only upon free-falling objects. It does not affect a sword blow or a charging or flying creature.

Feeblemind
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

If the target creature fails a Will saving throw, it takes 1 points of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma damage per three caster levels, to a maximum of 6 points of damage at 18th level. The damage inflicted by this spell cannot reduce a creature's ability scores below -5. A creature capable of casting arcane spells uses the next lower progression on his Will save against this spell.

Material Component: A handful of clay, crystal, glass, or mineral spheres.

Finger of Death
Necromancy [Death]
Level: Drd 8, Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

You can slay any one living creature within range. The target must make a Fortitude save or be affected by the Sudden Death condition. On a successful save, he instead takes 5d6 points of damage. The subject might die from this damage even if it succeeds on its saving throw.

Fire Seeds
Conjuration (Creation) [Fire]
Level: Drd 6, Fire 6, Sun 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Targets: Up to four touched acorns or up to eight touched holly berries
Duration: 10 min./level or until used
Saving Throw: None or Reflex half; see text
Spell Resistance: No

Depending on the version of fire seeds you choose, you turn acorns into splash weapons that you or another character can throw, or you turn holly berries into bombs that you can detonate on command.

Acorn Grenades: As many as four acorns turn into special splash weapons that can be hurled as far as 100 feet. A ranged touch attack roll is required to strike the intended target. Together, the acorns are capable of dealing 1d10 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 20d10), divided up among the acorns as you wish.

Each acorn explodes upon striking any hard surface. In addition to its regular fire damage, it deals 1 point of splash damage per die, and it ignites any combustible materials within 10 feet. A creature within this area that makes a successful Reflex saving throw takes only half damage; a creature struck directly is not allowed a saving throw.

Holly Berry Bombs: You turn as many as eight holly berries into special bombs. The holly berries are usually placed by hand, since they are too light to make effective thrown weapons (they can be tossed only 5 feet). If you are within 200 feet and speak a word of command, each berry instantly bursts into flame, causing 1d6 points of fire damage caster level to every creature in a 5-foot radius burst and igniting any combustible materials within 10 feet. A creature in the area that makes a successful Reflex saving throw takes only half damage. Creatures caught in the area of multiple Holly Bombs only take 1d6 points of fire damage per caster level, but suffer a -1 penalty to their Reflex save for each bomb beyond the first.

Material Component: The acorns or holly berries.

Fire Storm
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Clr 8, Drd 7, Fire 7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: Two 10-ft. cubes per level (S)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes

When a fire storm spell is cast, the whole area is shot through with sheets of roaring flame. The raging flames do not harm natural vegetation, ground cover, and any plant creatures in the area that you wish to exclude from damage. Any other creature or object within the area takes 10 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 200), and is set on fire for 1d4 rounds, taking 5d6 damage per round. The flames can be extinguished by taking a full-round action or at least 5 points of cold damage.

Flame Strike
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Clr 5, Drd 4, Sun 5, War 5
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: Cylinder (10-ft. radius, 40 ft. high)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes

A flame strike produces a vertical column of divine fire roaring downward. The spell deals 1d10 points of damage per caster level (maximum 15d10). Half the damage is fire damage, but the other half results directly from divine power and is therefore not subject to being reduced by resistance to fire-based attacks.

Flesh to Stone
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

The subject, along with all its carried gear, turns into a mindless, inert statue. This spell uses its own special Petrifaction condition track:

1st degree— Stiff: -2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity, speed halved, can't run or charge.
2nd degree— Stony: -5 penalty to Strength and Dexterity, no movement.
3rd degree— Petrified: target has been turned into stone, preventing all actions.

If the statue resulting from this spell is broken or damaged, the subject (if ever returned to its original state) has similar damage or deformities. The creature is not dead, but it does not seem to be alive either when viewed with spells such as deathwatch.

Only creatures made of flesh are affected by this spell.

Material Component: Lime, water, and earth.

Fly
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 3, Travel 3
Components: V, S, F/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The subject can fly at a speed of 60 feet (or 40 feet if it wears medium or heavy armor, or if it carries a medium or heavy load). It can ascend at half speed and descend at double speed, and its maneuverability is good. Using a fly spell requires only as much concentration as walking, so the subject can attack or cast spells normally. The subject of a fly spell can charge but not run, and it cannot carry aloft more weight than its maximum load, plus any armor it wears.

Should the spell duration expire while the subject is still aloft, the target falls.

Arcane Focus: A wing feather from any bird.

Forcecage
Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: Barred cage (20-ft. cube) or windowless cell (10-ft. cube)
Duration: 2 hours/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This powerful spell brings into being an immobile, invisible cubical prison composed of either bars of force or solid walls of force (your choice).

Creatures within the area must make a Reflex save or be caught and contained, unless they are too big to fit inside, in which case the spell automatically fails. Teleportation and other forms of astral travel provide a means of escape, but the force walls or bars extend into the Ethereal Plane, blocking ethereal travel.

Like a wall of force spell, a forcecage resists dispel magic, but it is vulnerable to a disintegrate spell, and it can be destroyed by a sphere of annihilation or a rod of cancellation.'

Barred Cage: This version of the spell produces a 20-foot cube made of bands of force (similar to a wall of force spell) for bars. The bands are a half-inch wide, with half-inch gaps between them. Any creature capable of passing through such a small space can escape; others are confined. You can’t attack a creature in a barred cage with a weapon unless the weapon can fit between the gaps. Even against such weapons (including arrows and similar ranged attacks), a creature in the barred cage has cover. All spells and breath weapons can pass through the gaps in the bars.

Windowless Cell: This version of the spell produces a 10-foot cube with no way in and no way out. Solid walls of force form its six sides.

Material Component: Ruby dust worth 1,500 gp, which is tossed into the air and disappears when you cast the spell.

Foresight
Divination
Level: Drd 9, Knowledge 9, Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal or touch
Target: See text
Duration: 10 min./level
Saving Throw: None or Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: No or Yes (harmless)

This spell grants you a powerful sixth sense in relation to yourself or another. Once foresight is cast, you receive instantaneous warnings of impending danger or harm to the subject of the spell. You are never surprised or flat-footed. The spell gives you a general idea of what action you might take to best protect yourself, and gives you a +2 insight bonus to AC and Reflex saves. This insight bonus is lost whenever you would lose a Dexterity bonus to AC. In addition, you may determine the difficulty class of any check you might wish to make.

When another creature is the subject of the spell, you receive warnings about that creature. You must communicate what you learn to the other creature for the warning to be useful, and the creature can be caught unprepared in the absence of such a warning. Shouting a warning, yanking a person back, and even telepathically communicating (via an appropriate spell) can all be accomplished before some danger befalls the subject, provided you act on the warning without delay. The subject, however, does not gain the insight bonus to AC and Reflex saves.

Arcane Material Component: A hummingbird’s feather.

Freezing Sphere
Evocation [Cold]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Target, Effect, or Area: See text
Duration: Instantaneous or 1 round/level; see text
Saving Throw: Reflex half; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

Freezing sphere creates a frigid globe of cold energy that streaks from your fingertips to the location you select, where it explodes in a 10-foot-radius burst, dealing 1d10 points of cold damage per caster level (maximum 20d10) to each creature in the area. An elemental (water) creature instead takes 2d6 points of cold damage per caster level (maximum 40d6).

If the freezing sphere strikes a body of water or a liquid that is principally water (not including water-based creatures), it freezes the liquid to a depth of 6 inches over an area equal to 100 square feet (a 10-foot square) per caster level (maximum 1,500 square feet). This ice lasts for 1 round per caster level. Creatures that were swimming on the surface of frozen water become trapped in the ice, inflicting the Slowing condition. Attempting to break free is a full-round action. A trapped creature must make a DC 25 Strength check or a DC 25 Escape Artist check to do so.

You can refrain from firing the globe after completing the spell, if you wish. Treat this as a touch spell for which you are holding the charge. You can hold the charge for as long as 1 round per level, at the end of which time the freezing sphere bursts centered on you (and you receive no saving throw to resist its effect). Firing the globe in a later round is a standard action.

Focus: A small crystal sphere.

Gate
Conjuration (Creation or Calling)
Level: Clr 9, Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S, XP; see text
Casting Time: 1 standard action (for planar travel) or 10 minutes (to call creatures)
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: See text
Duration: Instantaneous or concentration (up to 1 round/level); see text
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Casting a gate spell has two effects. First, it creates an interdimensional connection between your plane of existence and a plane you specify, allowing travel between those two planes in either direction.

Second, you may then call a particular individual or kind of being through the gate.

The gate itself is a circular hoop or disk from 5 to 20 feet in diameter (caster’s choice), oriented in the direction you desire when it comes into existence (typically vertical and facing you). It is a two-dimensional window looking into the plane you specified when casting the spell, and anyone or anything that moves through is shunted instantly to the other side.

A gate has a front and a back. Creatures moving through the gate from the front are transported to the other plane; creatures moving through it from the back are not.

Planar Travel: As a mode of planar travel, a gate spell functions much like a plane shift spell, except that the gate opens precisely at the point you desire (a creation effect). Deities and other beings who rule a planar realm can prevent a gate from opening in their presence or personal demesnes if they so desire. Travelers need not join hands with you—anyone who chooses to step through the portal is transported. A gate cannot be opened to another point on the same plane; the spell works only for interplanar travel.

You may hold the gate open only for a brief time (no more than 1 round per caster level), and you must concentrate on doing so, or else the interplanar connection is severed.

Calling Creatures: The second effect of the gate spell is to call an extraplanar creature to your aid (a calling effect). By naming a particular being or kind of being as you cast the spell, you cause the gate to open in the immediate vicinity of the desired creature and pull the subject through. Creatures may make a Will save to avoid being getting summoned. Deities and unique beings are under no compulsion to come through the gate, although they may choose to do so of their own accord. This use of the spell creates a gate that remains open just long enough to transport the called creatures. This use of the spell has an material cost (see below). As with summoning a type of creature, you cannot control creatures whose HD total exceeds your caster level.

If you choose to call a kind of creature instead of a known individual you may any number of creatures as long as their HD total does not exceed your caster level. Deities and unique beings cannot be controlled in any event. An uncontrolled being acts as it pleases, making the calling of such creatures rather dangerous. An uncontrolled being may return to its home plane at any time.

A controlled creature can be commanded to perform a service for you. However, you must offer some fair trade in return for that service. The service exacted must be reasonable with respect to the promised favor or reward; see the lesser planar ally spell for appropriate rewards. (Some creatures may want their payment in “livestock” rather than in coin, which could involve complications.) Immediately upon completion of the service, the being is transported to your vicinity, and you must then and there turn over the promised reward. After this is done, the creature is instantly freed to return to its own plane.

Failure to fulfill the promise to the letter results in your being subjected to service by the creature or by its liege and master, at the very least. At worst, the creature or its kin may attack you.

Note: When you use a calling spell such as gate to call an air, chaotic, earth, evil, fire, good, lawful, or water creature, it becomes a spell of that type.

Focus: A magic circle of gold, silver, and crystal worth 1,000 gold
Material Component: Incense and gemstone dust worth 100 gold per hit die of the creature to be summoned.

Glibness
Transmutation
Level: Brd 2
Components: S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 min./level (D)

Your speech becomes fluent and more believable. You gain a bonus on Bluff checks made to convince another of the truth of your words equal to one-half your caster level. (This bonus doesn’t apply to other uses of the Bluff skill, such as feinting in combat, creating a diversion to hide, or communicating a hidden message via innuendo.)

If a magical effect is used against you that would detect your lies or force you to speak the truth the user of the effect must succeed on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) against a DC of 15 + your caster level to succeed. Failure means the effect does not detect your lies or force you to speak only the truth.

Glitterdust
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: Creatures and objects within 10-ft.-radius spread
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (blinding only)
Spell Resistance: No

A cloud of golden particles covers everyone and everything in the area, inflicting the Blinding condition on creatures in the area and visibly outlining invisible things for the duration of the spell. All within the area are covered by the dust, which cannot be removed and continues to sparkle until it fades.

Any creature covered by the dust takes a -20 penalty on Hide checks.

Material Component: Ground mica.

Grease
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target or Area: One object or a 10-ft. square
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: No

A grease spell covers a solid surface with a layer of slippery grease. Any creature in the area when the spell is cast must make a successful Reflex save or fall. This save is repeated on your turn each round that the creature remains within the area. A creature can walk within or through the area of grease at half normal speed with a DC 10 Balance check. Failure means it must make a Reflex save or be knocked prone. A fallen creature can still crawl through the area at one-half speed.

The spell can also be used to create a greasy coating on an item. Material objects not in use are always affected by this spell, while an object wielded or employed by a creature receives a Reflex saving throw to avoid the effect. If the initial saving throw fails, the creature immediately drops the item. A saving throw must be made in each round that the creature attempts to pick up or use the greased item. A creature wearing greased armor or clothing gains a +10 circumstance bonus on Escape Artist checks and on grapple checks made to resist or escape a grapple or to escape a pin.

Halt Undead
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets: Up to three undead creatures, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell inflicts the Slowing condition on up to three undead creatures. Non-intelligent undead take a -5 penalty on the save.

Material Component: A pinch of sulfur and powdered garlic.

Hideous Laughter
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature; see text
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell afflicts the subject with uncontrollable laughter, inflicting the Stunning condition. A creature with an Intelligence score of 2 or lower is not affected. A creature whose type is different from the caster’s receives a +4 bonus on its saving throw, because humor doesn’t “translate” well.

Material Component: Tiny tarts that are thrown at the target and a feather that is waved in the air.

Hold Person
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Brd 2, Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, F/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One humanoid creature
Duration: 1 round/level (D); see text
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

The subject is affected by the Stunning condition. Each round on its turn, the subject may attempt a new saving throw to end the effect. (This is a full-round action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.)

A winged creature who is paralyzed cannot flap its wings and falls. A swimmer can’t swim and may drown.

Arcane Focus: A small, straight piece of iron.

Holy Smite
Evocation [Good]
Level: Good 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: 20-ft.-radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous (1 round); see text
Saving Throw: Will partial; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

You draw down holy power to smite your enemies. Only evil and neutral creatures are harmed by the spell; good creatures are unaffected.

The spell deals 1d8 points of damage per caster levels (maximum 10d8) to each evil creature in the area (or 2d6 points of damage per caster level, maximum 20d6, to an evil outsider) and inflicts the Blinded condition for 1 round. A successful Will saving throw reduces damage to half and negates the blinded effect.

The spell deals only half damage to creatures who are neither good nor evil, and they are not blinded. Such a creature can reduce that damage by half (down to one-quarter of the roll) with a successful Will save.

Horrid Wilting
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 8, Water 8
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Targets: Up to one living creature per caster level, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude half
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell evaporates moisture from the body of each subject living creature, dealing 10 points of damage per caster level (maximum 200). This spell is especially devastating to water elementals and plant creatures, who take the full damage and are also affected by the Fatiguing condition. A successful Fortitude save halves the damage and negates the Fatigue (if applicable).

Arcane Material Component: A bit of sponge.

Ice Storm
Evocation [Cold]
Level: Drd 4, Sor/Wiz 4, Water 5
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: Cylinder (20-ft. radius, 40 ft. high)
Duration: 1 full round
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

Great magical hailstones pound down for 1 full round, dealing 1d6 points of bludgeoning damage per two caster levels and 1d8 points of cold damage per two caster levels to every creature in the area. A -4 penalty applies to each Listen check made within the ice storm’s effect, and all land movement within its area is at half speed. At the end of the duration, the hail disappears, leaving no aftereffects (other than the damage dealt).

Arcane Material Component: A pinch of dust and a few drops of water.

Implosion
Evocation
Level: Clr 9, Destruction 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: One corporeal creature/round
Duration: Concentration (up to 4 rounds)
Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

You create a destructive resonance in a corporeal creature’s body. For each round you concentrate, you may inflict the Sudden Death condition on one creature. (This effect, being instantaneous, cannot be dispelled.) Creatures who succeed on their save instead take 10d6 damage.

You can target a particular creature only once with each casting of the spell.

Implosion has no effect on creatures in gaseous form or on incorporeal creatures.

Imprisonment
Abjuration
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

When you cast imprisonment and touch a creature, it is entombed in a state of suspended animation (see the temporal stasis spell) in a small sphere far beneath the surface of the earth. The subject remains there unless a freedom spell is cast at the locale where the imprisonment took place. Magical search by a crystal ball, a locate object spell, or some other similar divination does not reveal the fact that a creature is imprisoned, but discern location does. A wish or miracle spell will not free the recipient, but will reveal where it is entombed. If you know the target’s name and some facts about its life, the target takes a -4 penalty on its save.

Inflict Critical Wounds
Necromancy
Level: Clr 4, Destruction 4

This spell functions like inflict light wounds, except that you deal 5 points of damage per caster level (maximum 100).

Inflict Moderate Wounds
Necromancy
Level: Clr 2

This spell functions like inflict light wounds, except that you deal 1d6 points of damage per caster level (max 10d6).

Inflict Serious Wounds
Necromancy
Level: Clr 3

This spell functions like inflict light wounds, except that you deal 1d10 points of damage per caster level (max 10d10)

Invisibility
Illusion (Glamer)
Level: Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2, Trickery 2
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal or touch
Target: You or a creature or object weighing no more than 100 lb./level
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) or Will negates (harmless, object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless) or Yes (harmless, object)

The creature or object touched becomes invisible, vanishing from sight, even from darkvision. If the recipient is a creature carrying gear, that vanishes, too. If you cast the spell on someone else, neither you nor your allies can see the subject, unless you can normally see invisible things or you employ magic to do so. Invisible creatures gain total concealment, and may take 10 on Stealth checks to avoid being seen.

Items dropped or put down by an invisible creature become visible; items picked up disappear if tucked into the clothing or pouches worn by the creature. Light, however, never becomes invisible, although a source of light can become so (thus, the effect is that of a light with no visible source). Any part of an item that the subject carries but that extends more than 10 feet from it becomes visible.

Of course, the subject is not magically silenced, and certain other conditions can render the recipient detectable (such as stepping in a puddle). The spell ends if the subject attacks any creature. For purposes of this spell, an attack includes any spell targeting a foe or whose area or effect includes a foe. (Exactly who is a foe depends on the invisible character’s perceptions.) Actions directed at unattended objects do not break the spell. Causing harm indirectly is not an attack. Thus, an invisible being can open doors, talk, eat, climb stairs, summon monsters and have them attack, cut the ropes holding a rope bridge while enemies are on the bridge, remotely trigger traps, open a portcullis to release attack dogs, and so forth. If the subject attacks directly, however, it immediately becomes visible along with all its gear. Spells such as bless that specifically affect allies but not foes are not attacks for this purpose, even when they include foes in their area.

Invisibility can be made permanent (on objects only) with a permanency spell.

Arcane Material Component: An eyelash encased in a bit of gum arabic.

Knock
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One door, box, or chest with an area of up to 10 sq. ft./level
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
SR: No

The Knock spell blows open locked doors and rips the tops off chests. The caster makes a check to forcibly open the target, as if making a Strength check. However, instead of using his Strength score, he adds the the modifier from his primary casting ability and one-half his caster level. For example, a 4th level wizard with an intelligence of 18 would add +6 to this check.

Limited Wish
Universal
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, XP
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: See text
Target, Effect, or Area: See text
Duration: See text
Saving Throw: None; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

A Limited Wish allows a character to achieve a wide variety of powerful effects with a single word. Upon casting the spell, you gain and must immediately spend a number of spell points equal to your base casting ability. You may use them to duplicate any sorcerer/wizard spell of 6th level or lower, or any arcane spell of 5th level or lower, or any spell of 4th level or lower.

These spells are treated as limited wish in terms of parameters (i.e. they are 7th level Universal spells with no descriptors, with no casting time because they're cast as part of limited wish). When a limited wish duplicates a spell that has an XP cost, you must pay that cost or 300 XP, whichever is more. When a limited wish spell duplicates a spell with a material component that costs more than 1,000 gp, you must provide that component.

XP Cost: 300 XP or more (see above).

Hmm. Looks interesting. Only thing I might mention is that Wizards seem like kind of a stickler for the Vancian system, rather than your spell point system. This may not matter if you plan on not having wizards as 3.5 D&D, but just something to keep in mind. The learning spells and books and stuff seems like it wouldn't work in the system, but perhaps if people really wanted the flavor of the wizard there could be some kind of Scroll-a-mancer guy who scribes infinite scrolls in his spellbook and then uses them sparingly or something. Or that could be a prestige class. I don't know. This system will probably work just fine for everyone else though.

I don't see any problems, except a few with some small bits of math. I know my players would balk at least a little at the calculations present, and I'd have to walk them through it a few times. But that's what spell point per level tables are for, right?

We talked about that, and we are sticking with some flavour of Vancian. However, Vancian still works with spell points: instead of using a slot to prepare a spell, you use a number of spell points to prepare it.

I disagree with your section on spell resistance, Grod. Some spells, you just don't resist like that. Namely, those that create nonmagical things. I Think 3.5 had that right.

Are we not going with longer castign times for higher level spells? I liked the idea that your current highest spell level took a full round to cast. It would also mean between three and five rolls per spell, which is just too much. (Caster level to cast spell, attack of opportunity to interrupt spell, attack roll to hit with spell, resistance to resist spell, saving throw to resist spell).

You could use the result from your caster level check to cast the spell and apply it to spell resistance as well. Same with the attack roll, if you wanted. It would just be a "spell competence check" which has to beat spell DC, target's AC and spell resistance. The drawback is that it would devaluate SR a bit and higher level spells would tend to either fumble or hit (but not "be cast successfully and then miss").

A minor point: You might want some rules to limit cantrip spamming. A 30 cantrips per hour limit or something.

My suggestion was a spell resistance that applied to the original save. Magic resistance makes it more difficult to cast the spell on a target.

So, if you cast a level 5 spell, normally the DC is 20 (10+2*5). A dragon has spell resistance 5 (made up number), so the DC to cast a level 5 spell directly on it is 25.

Cantrips are generally weak enough that spamming them won't do much. I mean, what's the danger? Ray of Frosting enemies to death at level 1? Using too much prestidigitation?

Worst offender spell fixes posted!

Anyway. Spell Resistance is kind of thorny, I admit. It... hmm. It kind of needs to provide a bonus to Will and Fortitude saves, and some sort of DR-type thing against magic. Feels kind of weird to give a bonus to Reflex...

Could be it provides a +X bonus to saving throws, and X*5 or X*10% (minimum X) DR against magic damage?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Grod_The_Giant

Spell Resistance is kind of thorny, I admit. It... hmm. It kind of needs to provide a bonus to Will and Fortitude saves, and some sort of DR-type thing against magic. Feels kind of weird to give a bonus to Reflex...

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Feels fine to me. If you have SR, you don't need to dodge as far from a fireball since your SR can compensate for a few tongues of flame, magic webs or ensnaring plants can't quite find purchase on your skin, lines bend around you if they don't hit you solidly....

Your spell fixes:

Alternate form: I'd still suggest limiting at least movement modes. This one is still about 6 spells in one. I thin kthere were ways of getting flying and swimming forms. I'm also still lobbying for ability modifiers over ability scores.

Astral Projection: if you are in no way protected, what exactly is the point of it?

Mage's Disjunction: i'd still like the option of taking apart a magical item. Perhaps as a secondary function at touch range, on a single item? Or should that better be a different spell.

Wind Wall: mentoin that it the penalty is a wind effect, as there are ways to ignore those.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Eldan

Alternate form: I'd still suggest limiting at least movement modes. This one is still about 6 spells in one. I thin kthere were ways of getting flying and swimming forms. I'm also still lobbying for ability modifiers over ability scores.

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Apart from fly, most of the alternate movement forms aren't worth the spell, and the only flying humanoid I can think of is a raptoran. Which... doesn't really fly 'til 10HD.
I (now) get what you mean about ability modifiers-- strip your own racial modifiers, and add the new form's.

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Astral Projection: if you are in no way protected, what exactly is the point of it?

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What was the point of it to begin with? The SRD form looks like it basically makes backup bodies for the entire party that they can drive around with no consequences, which is not really ever going to be OK.

Quote:

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Mage's Disjunction: i'd still like the option of taking apart a magical item. Perhaps as a secondary function at touch range, on a single item? Or should that better be a different spell.

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Thought I'd kept the anti-magic-item bit in there. Whoops.

Quote:

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Wind Wall: mentoin that it the penalty is a wind effect, as there are ways to ignore those.

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Right, right, must be maximally explicit always.

Some undeservedly late responses, sorry.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Conor77

Hmm. Looks interesting. Only thing I might mention is that Wizards seem like kind of a stickler for the Vancian system, rather than your spell point system. This may not matter if you plan on not having wizards as 3.5 D&D, but just something to keep in mind. The learning spells and books and stuff seems like it wouldn't work in the system, but perhaps if people really wanted the flavor of the wizard there could be some kind of Scroll-a-mancer guy who scribes infinite scrolls in his spellbook and then uses them sparingly or something. Or that could be a prestige class. I don't know. This system will probably work just fine for everyone else though.

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Wizards would get a bit more complex, I suppose. The idea Eldan was proposing is that you basically spend the spell points at the time you prepare the spells-- preparing becoming a more literally sort of "pre-casting," where you're limited by your total points, instead of spells slots/level. Or you could do something more like the spirit shaman.

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I don't see any problems, except a few with some small bits of math. I know my players would balk at least a little at the calculations present, and I'd have to walk them through it a few times. But that's what spell point per level tables are for, right?

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Yup.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DonEsteban

You could use the result from your caster level check to cast the spell and apply it to spell resistance as well. Same with the attack roll, if you wanted. It would just be a "spell competence check" which has to beat spell DC, target's AC and spell resistance. The drawback is that it would devaluate SR a bit and higher level spells would tend to either fumble or hit (but not "be cast successfully and then miss").

A minor point: You might want some rules to limit cantrip spamming. A 30 cantrips per hour limit or something.

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Ehh... seems a bit overbroad for a lot of spells. Cantrip spamming... yeah, maybe.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PairO'Dice Lost

Feels fine to me. If you have SR, you don't need to dodge as far from a fireball since your SR can compensate for a few tongues of flame, magic webs or ensnaring plants can't quite find purchase on your skin, lines bend around you if they don't hit you solidly....

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Good point. You're right.

There are a few things in the magic system you haven't adressed yet at all and that I think we should:

Defensive casting? Do we want it at all? I'm rather against it, I must admit.
Material and XP components. What do we do with those? As far as Iknow, pretty much everyone hates XP components.
Counterspelling. How does that work with no spell slots?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Eldan

There are a few things in the magic system you haven't adressed yet at all and that I think we should:

Defensive casting? Do we want it at all? I'm rather against it, I must admit.
Material and XP components. What do we do with those? As far as Iknow, pretty much everyone hates XP components.
Counterspelling. How does that work with no spell slots?

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Casting provokes AoO's. Period, end of discussion, aye.

Material components can stay, as they're a good way of preventing people from spamming certain spells. XP components... hadn't really considered. They're pretty obnoxious, though... might go. They're certainly not used for much outside of wish/miracle/permanency.

Counterspelling doesn't mention spell slots at all, so it works exactly the same with spell points.

Write it down. We need full rules texts. Look at the SRD, the magic rules are gigantic.

K, I put up sections on distractions (which we did need and forgot about), counterspells, and casting defensively. I'll do a more full ruleset when I'm not swamped with IRL work.

Did you check that with my take on the Concentration skill? We don't want different DCs here, after all.

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Originally Posted by Eldan

Did you check that with my take on the Concentration skill? We don't want different DCs here, after all.

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Oh, whoops.

...

The spellcasting check modifier seemed to me like an easy way to integrate two ideas. Also a way to eliminate some of the "skill tax" normally represented by Concentration (especially given all the autohypnosis abilities we're giving it, making it less suited for casters).

Also, the by-the-book Concentration DCs (which are mostly what you used) are pathetically low.

Honestly, I still don't like magic checks, but that's another thing. A few of hte people on Skype agree with me. Magic needs more rolls than anything else, you need to roll two checks for every spell, spell check and save.
One suggestion I have is to rewrite spells so they all still do something on a successful save.


Whta you really need to work on is the rules text. We don't want to just create a patch, here, we want to create a sytsem. What you are doing is writing a list of small fixes. You need to start at the very bottom. Explain what a spell is. What a caster level is and what it does. What somatic, material and so on components are. How range and actions and saves work. And so on. Look at the SRD, you should more or less replicate the entire texts on magic in here.

I'm aware the concentration DCs are low. But honestly? Most of these are only revelant in the lowest levels. Should Archmage Elkhanzard the Mighty fail his magics because of a bit of rain? I Don't think so. Grappling and attacks are still in, and I did use CMB for that.

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Originally Posted by Eldan

Honestly, I still don't like magic checks, but that's another thing. A few of hte people on Skype agree with me. Magic needs more rolls than anything else, you need to roll two checks for every spell, spell check and save.
One suggestion I have is to rewrite spells so they all still do something on a successful save.

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I also dislike the idea of a magic check. Flavor-wise, the whole reason Vancian casting prepares spells in the first place is that you're doing a little mini-ritual to pre-cast it. You're doing all the actual casting in safe, quiet environs and then releasing a nice, tidy, controlled packet of energy later; a magic check to control the magic or channel arcane forces or whatever doesn't make much sense in that context.

Mechanically, as you noted, needing only one roll for each effect is more efficient. There's a reason that most 3e spells require either an attack roll or a save, not both, and those that require both do so either for thematic reasons (phantasmal killer = illusion + death spell, so you roll two saves) or balance reasons (disintegrate, slay living, and other SoDs/SoSs are too powerful to take effect with just an attack roll). Balance the more powerful spells and there's no longer any reason to require two rolls per spell, particularly if you're keeping other rolls around (like CL checks for dispel magic).

On the subject of spellcasting checks: Pretty much every other action in the game has a roll. Climb a wall? Climb check. Talk to someone? Diplomacy (or Persuade, as the case may be). Swing a sword? Attack roll. Know what's trying to eat you? Knowledge check. Cast a spell?... yeah, no problem, you've got this.

Eldan, you're talking about making sure that every spell does something even on a failed save. That means that every time you cast a spell, every time you attempt to rewrite reality with sheer willpower, you succeed. Every. Time. Why should it be easier to conjure a twenty-foot wall of iron then it is to climb a brick wall?

On the two roll subject... because you don't need DM feedback on the first one (the DCs are right there on your sheet), it's a pretty fast roll. Spellcasting-spell save is about the same amount of time as attack roll-damage roll. Maybe less. Especially since it spell resistance no longer involves its own roll. Damage spells will take a bit longer, but honestly, you don't play a blaster unless you like rolling fistfuls of d6s.

Perhaps there should be an option to take 10 on spellcasting checks out of combat, but I think that it's both a logical and balance point. Magic will always trump mundane by some margin in 3.5, and I don't think we can rewrite things enough to change that. And... well... think back to the last new player you saw pick up a caster. How many times did he/she say "Ok, I want to cast fireball. What do I roll?"

PairO'Dice, I do understand the Vancian prepared-spell-precasting flavor, but it's only applicable for prepared casters, which I'd almost prefer to leave out of the system altogether for balance reasons- there's a reason that all the T1 classes are prepared casters.

Eldan, additional replies:

*I WILL fill out more detail later, but that's a lot of work for things that are the same or almost the same as 3.5e. Right now I'm only updating during study breaks, so that's not really feasible. Besides, I'd like to get feedback on the big changes first.
*I'm not attached to the Concentration checks, although they're only made to eliminate penalties-- you can still cast if you fail the check.

EDIT: One more word on the subject of casting checks: Making it easier to cast low-level than high-level spells also helps make it less attractive to "go nova" and blow all your spell points on your highest-level spells.

What i mean is this: if we have a spell check to cast, the spells should at least do something on a failed save. Otherwise, you have two chances to fail, which seems unfair.

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Originally Posted by Grod_The_Giant

On the subject of spellcasting checks: Pretty much every other action in the game has a roll. Climb a wall? Climb check. Talk to someone? Diplomacy (or Persuade, as the case may be). Swing a sword? Attack roll. Know what's trying to eat you? Knowledge check. Cast a spell?... yeah, no problem, you've got this.

Eldan, you're talking about making sure that every spell does something even on a failed save. That means that every time you cast a spell, every time you attempt to rewrite reality with sheer willpower, you succeed. Every. Time. Why should it be easier to conjure a twenty-foot wall of iron then it is to climb a brick wall?

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Saves are already the "magic check" (it's the equivalent of changing the system from "characters roll a Climb check vs. a static DC" to "walls roll an Avoid-Being-Climbed save vs. a static DC") and most checks already have varying grades of effects (skill checks have varying thresholds like Knowledge and Diplomacy, or fail-by-X effects like Climb and Appraise, or the like). It's actually attack rolls that are the odd one out for being binary hit-or-miss, and you've addressed that with the advantage system.

Giving every spell an on-save effect isn't really a problem (though for several spells it might not make sense) as long as you reduce the binary nature of other checks. In 3e you roll Tumble vs. DC 15 and avoid an AoO if you succeed, with nothing on a failure. You roll Climb vs. a certain DC and either move 1/4 your speed, move 1/2 your speed, move your speed, make no progress, or fall based on your check result. Why not make everything, both checks and spells, closer to the latter than the former?

Conversely, if you want to simplify things more and make more checks just pass/fail-by-X/fail, you might want to reduce the number of [Save] Partial spells--why should SoDs do anything on a save if they're attacking your life force in an all-or-nothing way, and why should entangle still impede you on a save? It's not a problem if they do, but it's also not a problem if they don't, it's just up to your design decisions.

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On the two roll subject... because you don't need DM feedback on the first one (the DCs are right there on your sheet), it's a pretty fast roll. Spellcasting-spell save is about the same amount of time as attack roll-damage roll. Maybe less. Especially since it spell resistance no longer involves its own roll. Damage spells will take a bit longer, but honestly, you don't play a blaster unless you like rolling fistfuls of d6s.

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It's a fast roll, but there's still a slowdown. Rolling Tumble in 3e is a roll against a flat DC that doesn't require DM feedback, but adding a skill check to almost every move action you take in combat still slows things down. It's definitely better than an opposed check where feedback is required, but it's still adding an extra roll.

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Perhaps there should be an option to take 10 on spellcasting checks out of combat, but I think that it's both a logical and balance point. Magic will always trump mundane by some margin in 3.5, and I don't think we can rewrite things enough to change that. And... well... think back to the last new player you saw pick up a caster. How many times did he/she say "Ok, I want to cast fireball. What do I roll?"

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Take a look at the Truenamer and Warlock for a moment. Adding a Truespeak roll didn't do anything to balance the former, because even if you could automatically succeed on your first five rolls for each utterance each day, being able to use those abilities at will didn't unbalance the game. The warlock has a lot of invocations that he can use at will at or near the same level that casters get similar effects (e.g. at-will flight at 6th with fell flight when sorcerers have just gotten limited-use fly), and again being able to use those abilities at will doesn't unbalance the game.

Adding extra rolls and other restrictions doesn't help balance casters if the spells are too powerful, because even if a sorcerer has to roll two 20s in a roll to use gate, at the end of the day he's still casting gate. Casters shouldn't need two rolls to go their way to use their limited-use class features while noncasters only need one roll for their at-will features to go their way; the reason some spells have two rolls (or more, with SR and such), as I mentioned above, is that those rolls serve as balance checks on those specific spells. Balancing powerful spells with a chance of doing nothing is like balancing the wizard with the assumption that you will steal his spellbook if there's a problem: you end up with either an overpowered character or a bored player with nothing to do instead of actually finding a happy medium.

Fix the spells and you don't need those rolls, and if you feel you need to add rolls to magic to balance it, it's not the lack of rolls that's the problem.

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PairO'Dice, I do understand the Vancian prepared-spell-precasting flavor, but it's only applicable for prepared casters, which I'd almost prefer to leave out of the system altogether for balance reasons- there's a reason that all the T1 classes are prepared casters.

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Well, first off, see my "fix the spells" rant above--you can allow a warlock to pick his invocations known at the start of the day and he won't break anything, and a warmage has more spells available at any given time than most wizards, so it's not the number or variability of spells that's at fault there.

Second, this is a place where we differ, I suppose. I like D&D magic because of the Vancian flavor--not the slots specifically, you can replace those with points as you've done here or something else, but the preparation part--because it manages to incorporate both the magic-as-long-complex-ritual flavor and flashy-magic-at-combat-scale flavor of magic into one system, because it rewards good strategy and planning, and because it's different from the same ol' boring mana-, checks-, or cooldown-based magic most other systems use.

If I were in charge of revising magic, I wouldn't toss Vancian preparation, I'd fix the things that make prepared casters a problem (too-powerful or too-versatile spells, items that let you exceed your daily limits, and abilities that let you cast unprepared spells on the fly). But then, that difference of opinion on this and other aspects is why I'm not in charge of any part of this revision and I'm just chiming in occasionally.

Heck, I made my own partial revision long ago (the spell-list rewrite isn't done) and I'm still happier with that than with this one. But if people want spell points and magic checks, I'm giving them spell points and magic checks.

I can take out the spellcasting roll if we don't like it. I mean, my personal thinking is still that regardless of balance, it's silly to be able to cast your strongest spell every time with 100% success, but if the response is so overwhelmingly negative, we can take it out, sure. I'm still happy with the rest.

As a suggestion, the spell point regeneration should probably be set up as "a character recovers X spell points per hour of light activity or 2X spell points per hour of complete rest"

The way it's worded right now falls into the stupid thing from 2e Psionics where you could time your encounters so you'd get points back in the middle of the fight.

Posted the first set of spell rewrites-- PHB spells A-D.

Right.

Alter Self: still just plain better than just about any other buff this level. Compare: bull's strength et al. Just choosing orc gives you a +4 strength, too, but this is much more versatile, as it can also give many, many other things for hte price of one spell, plus it can serve as a disguise, which other buffs can't.
It can also only apply to you, so it's a bit antisocial, compared to those buffs.
Modifiers might be changed to just physical racial modifiers that change, not mental ones.
Overall: either needs to go up in level, or needs a good drawback.

Animal Shapes: This does not actually say what changing into an animal does. Do you get ability scores, size, abilities etc.?

Antilife shell: Seems fine. I like it, nice and simple.

Astral Projection:
Just a wording thing, but you need to say what happens if you cast it on a plane other than the material.
You fashion new equipment. shouldn't this have some limits? Can you fashion an alchemist's lab? A ballista? A ship?
Should there be a short description of how you get from the astral plane to other planes? Sure, it's in the Manual of the Planes, probably, but not everyone has that.
Lose one level is harsh. Maybe level drain?

Awaken: I still don't like XP costs.

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Originally Posted by Eldan

Right.

Alter Self: still just plain better than just about any other buff this level. Compare: bull's strength et al. Just choosing orc gives you a +4 strength, too, but this is much more versatile, as it can also give many, many other things for hte price of one spell, plus it can serve as a disguise, which other buffs can't.
It can also only apply to you, so it's a bit antisocial, compared to those buffs.
Modifiers might be changed to just physical racial modifiers that change, not mental ones.
Overall: either needs to go up in level, or needs a good drawback.

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Mmm. Level 3?

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Animal Shapes: This does not actually say what changing into an animal does. Do you get ability scores, size, abilities etc.?

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The first paragraph (the actual effects of the spell) is copied word-for-word from the SRD. The Alternate Form special ability is defined separately.

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Antilife shell: Seems fine. I like it, nice and simple.

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Thanks.

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Astral Projection:
Just a wording thing, but you need to say what happens if you cast it on a plane other than the material.
You fashion new equipment. shouldn't this have some limits? Can you fashion an alchemist's lab? A ballista? A ship?
Should there be a short description of how you get from the astral plane to other planes? Sure, it's in the Manual of the Planes, probably, but not everyone has that.
Lose one level is harsh. Maybe level drain?

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1. Yeah, probably.
2. Good point. Personal gear only.
3. Probably not-- the original spell functioned without it, and it may vary from setting-to-setting.
4. The spell's basically plane shift plus a contingency resurrection spell. The level loss is the standard for getting resurrected...

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Awaken: I still don't like XP costs.

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I'm not a big fan, but as of right now, G&G has no other way of handling permanent-duration magic, so I thought I'd stick to the established 3.5 method.

Posted more spell rewrites and realized I've been skipping too-weak blasty spells. Whoops. including blasty-spells.

I like a lot of your spell rewrites. Especially the polymorph line, but I worry about it being too dangerous to use as a buff for the BSF. Intentional?

I've also noticed a couple typos. You mentioned plants in Control Undead, and Cure Critical Wounds actually heals less than Cure Serious Wounds- 1d10 averages 5.5, which gives half a point more healing per caster level than the version one spell level higher.

One more thing- with Charm Person, if it grants the Mind Control condition, where are Suggestion and Dominate Person going to go to expand on that?

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Originally Posted by AttilaTheGeek

I like a lot of your spell rewrites. Especially the polymorph line, but I worry about it being too dangerous to use as a buff for the BSF. Intentional?

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In-battle, it should work ok-- the danger doesn't kick in unless you're spending a significant amount of time rolling around as a dire bear or whatnot. A lot of the drawbacks are caster-only. Finally, the person who can remove/dispel the magic isn't the one losing their mind, soo... it's still dangerous, but, then, it's still a really good buff.

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I've also noticed a couple typos. You mentioned plants in Control Undead, and Cure Critical Wounds actually heals less than Cure Serious Wounds- 1d10 averages 5.5, which gives half a point more healing per caster level than the version one spell level higher.

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Whoops. (Although CCW does also cure some conditions)

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One more thing- with Charm Person, if it grants the Mind Control condition, where are Suggestion and Dominate Person going to go to expand on that?

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Check out the Conditions thread. As a first-level spell, Charm Person can't improve their attitude more than one step, and can't raise it above friendly. As a fifth-level spell, Dominate Person can improve their attitude by three steps, potentially all the way up to fanatic.

Perhaps you should note that again in the spell description. It might help if someone only has the spell ready, but is not looking too closely at the condition tracks.

Allow me to give my two cents for spell casting checks. Sorry if what I say is irrelevant, i don't see all the rules in the first post of this thread. I assume they are written somewhere else but maybe a reference will help to get the whole picture!

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Originally Posted by Grod_The_Giant

On the subject of spellcasting checks: Pretty much every other action in the game has a roll. Climb a wall? Climb check. Talk to someone? Diplomacy (or Persuade, as the case may be). Swing a sword? Attack roll. Know what's trying to eat you? Knowledge check. Cast a spell?... yeah, no problem, you've got this.

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I would agree on this especially for spells that are not offensive, thus never ever miss (like Fly). Maybe you could consider something in between similar to what I posted in Spell Mastery thread. So only high level spells require a check, lower do not.
This can be similar by taking 10 if the math works correctly, but I find that usually just explicitly ruling what you want to achieve rather than bending the math around it is better.

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Originally Posted by Grod_The_Giant

On the two roll subject... because you don't need DM feedback on the first one (the DCs are right there on your sheet), it's a pretty fast roll. Spellcasting-spell save is about the same amount of time as attack roll-damage roll. Maybe less. Especially since it spell resistance no longer involves its own roll. Damage spells will take a bit longer, but honestly, you don't play a blaster unless you like rolling fistfuls of d6s.

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Its actually a two roll IF you succeed. So if you fail to cast a Fireball that is one quick roll, nothing more. If you succeed then indeed the first roll to cast is the less amount of time. More likely a player will spend the biggest amount of time to find the right area to cast a spell or simply even decide what spell to cast than the actual rolls involved. Bottom line is that I would expect indeed that one extra roll wouldn't make a big difference though play testing is the only way to tell.

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Originally Posted by Grod_The_Giant

Perhaps there should be an option to take 10 on spellcasting checks out of combat, but I think that it's both a logical and balance point. Magic will always trump mundane by some margin in 3.5, and I don't think we can rewrite things enough to change that. And... well... think back to the last new player you saw pick up a caster. How many times did he/she say "Ok, I want to cast fireball. What do I roll?"

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Magic is most likely strongest outside of combat, where other classes are less useful. In that sense, I would be inclined to say that there shouldn't be a boost to cast magic outside of combat. There is a difference if you can always fly over the wall and if you can fly most of the time over the wall. For the rest of the times maybe the player with a high climb skill and a rope can feel also useful.

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Originally Posted by Grod_The_Giant

EDIT: One more word on the subject of casting checks: Making it easier to cast low-level than high-level spells also helps make it less attractive to "go nova" and blow all your spell points on your highest-level spells.

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See my suggestion for Spell Mastery. I find that it is more appealing if you say "you don't need a check" rather "this is an easier check". The right math is great balance wise but if the motivation is for casters not to go nova then a more clean "push" for players to use lower level spells is better in my opinion.

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Originally Posted by PairO'Dice Lost

Giving every spell an on-save effect isn't really a problem (though for several spells it might not make sense) as long as you reduce the binary nature of other checks. In 3e you roll Tumble vs. DC 15 and avoid an AoO if you succeed, with nothing on a failure. You roll Climb vs. a certain DC and either move 1/4 your speed, move 1/2 your speed, move your speed, make no progress, or fall based on your check result. Why not make everything, both checks and spells, closer to the latter than the former?

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I agree on this direction and this can be combined on what Eldan said on having something on a failure. For example, a "failed" casting of a Wall of Ice can make it only appear for 1 round. Casting Teleport can result in casting Dimensional Door instead if failed and so on. I find this more fun in general the downside being that you kind of have to right a failed scenario per spell, it is hard to generalize.

Hmm... perhaps something from the Dresden Files RPG? There, if you fail what's basically the casting roll, you have two options: you can take extra damage to get the spell off at full strength, or you cast a weakened version of the spell and have uncontrollable environmental effects (ie, the target gets blasted, but the backlash starts knocking down the building). So... if you fail your casting check by X, you could reduce your caster level by X to make the spell go off anyway?

I do like the "Spell Mastery" mechanic, but it means that full casters have always "mastered" all but their highest level spell, and 4th- or 6th- level casters have always mastered all their spells. Maybe change "twice spell level" to "two or three levels greater than when the first level when you could have cast the spell"?

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Originally Posted by Grod_The_Giant

Hmm... perhaps something from the Dresden Files RPG?

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That seems like the right answer is to always take the damage and cast the spell at full strength regardless, thus negating the entire mechanic. Also, the "uncontrollable environmental effects" seem like they have to be adjudicated by the DM on a case-by-case basis, so they're hard to standardize.

Maybe if you fail, you have a small chance (another roll with a low DC) for it to rebound, causing massive damage or really bad conditions in accordance with the spell, and otherwise, it goes off as normal. But that just invalidates needing two rolls. Hm.

Maybe something like "Each spell has a certain inherent failure chance, around 5-10% for most spells. There are ways to lower it, but not negate it entirely, and they are rare. If the spell fails, it rebounds, causing something really bad to the caster". That seems to fit in a world where magic is more primal and not extensively studied, but in a magocracy that doesn't seem reasonable. Hmm...

The caster level is not equally important for all spells (i.e. Fireball vs Raise Dead). So I don't think that would work. I believe it is hard to generalize the rules for spells just because they are very different, they just have their own mechanics! So having a "failed" or "weakened" clause per spell seems for me the only good way to do it. Then you can have "subtract X from your spell caster level" and also "blast everyone in an area three times bigger" depending on what the spell does. At the end, if you do want the spell just to fail, then you can just state so. So you leave it open.

If there is also the goal to balance higher level and lower level spells provided this is not done in another way so the spells still don't progressed linearly (as they clearly don't in D&D), then you should consider to have a way to remove the chance of a "failed" spell entirely if you are a high enough level.

Regarding giving an option when a spell fails I think that will slow down then the round, no? I would say that if you fail then something just happens either you like it or not. That is the risk you take.

EDIT:

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Originally Posted by AttilaTheGeek

I do like the "Spell Mastery" mechanic, but it means that full casters have always "mastered" all but their highest level spell, and 4th- or 6th- level casters have always mastered all their spells. Maybe change "twice spell level" to "two or three levels greater than when the first level when you could have cast the spell"?

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Indeed, the intend was to be a "light" change for the normal rules. So instead of having mastered all your spells now your higher level spells need some work. I think under these rules, though, they are indeed mastered way too soon. It could be possible that a "take 5 or 10 on magic check" is enough to guarantee that after a certain level you can always safely cast lower level spell so no need to put new specific rules. It really depends on the overall design and the balance between spells.

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Originally Posted by AttilaTheGeek

That seems like the right answer is to always take the damage and cast the spell at full strength regardless, thus negating the entire mechanic. Also, the "uncontrollable environmental effects" seem like they have to be adjudicated by the DM on a case-by-case basis, so they're hard to standardize.

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It works due to Fate system maths. A caster isn't going to have more than 4 mental stress, and casting any evocation inflicts 1 stress. If you have to eat two more points of stress from a failed casting... the exact mechanic is of course not going to be importable to D&D.

D&D appropriate "make up the difference" options:

• Take a penalty to CL and save DC or lose the spell
• Spend extra spell points or lose the spell
• ???

But, again, there were fairly good arguments for not putting in a spellcasting roll. We're already doing a lot to write the most broken spells and reduce the binary nature of condition-inflicting abilities, so... the decision was made that, here as elsewhere, err on the side of not changing things for the sake of change.