Change is Good, Except When It Happens to You

Why a collection of new Transmutation spells? OK, let’s be honest here: I have a new 20th level Transmuter character with a focus on creating constructs. So every single spell on this list is intended for that character, and thus you’ll note that the focus is pretty narrow.

However, on a broader point, I wouldn’t need to write new spells if the very high level Transmutation spell list didn’t have gaps. Really, after the very powerful crop of 6th level spells (disintegrate, flesh to stone), Transmutation shifts to being almost solely about enhancement and manipulation, losing any real attack spells other than polymorph any object (which is pretty iffy on the mechanics front). Some of these new spells, therefore, help round out the selection, with a few construct-oriented spells thrown in for selfish reasons.


Annihilation Gaze
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
Spell Resistance: No
----You meet the eye of a single creature and destroy it utterly, turning its body to a fine ash. The creature can attempt a Reflex save to avoid your gaze attack, but it is otherwise unable to shrug off the effects. Closing one’s eyes quickly cannot guarantee total safety, as even a glimpse of your baleful eye nauseates the target for 2d6 rounds. Any effect that normally blocks or hampers gaze attacks are effective against the annihilation gaze, including concealment (which provides a miss chance) or complete blindness.

Empower Construct
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One construct
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: No
----This spell enhances the natural connection between you and a construct that you created personally, allowing you to enhance your creation with impressive combat powers. The construct grows one size category, granting it a size bonus to Strength (+2 if the new size is Tiny, +4 if it is Small or Medium, or +8 if Large or bigger) and a –2 size penalty to Dexterity. It suffers standard penalties to its AC and attack rolls based on its new size. It may gain additional temporary hit points to bring it up to the amount appropriate for a construct of its new size; for example, a Medium construct that normally gains 20 bonus hit points for its size would gain an additional 10 hit points when it becomes Large. If the construct uses equipment, it grows in size to match as per the spell enlarge person.
----The construct gains a base attack bonus equal to your caster level (unless its own base attack bonus is higher), and if forced to make a saving throw, may use the your base saving throw bonus or its own, whichever is greater. The construct’s natural armor bonus increases by +8, and the material of the construct hardens, giving it Hardness equal to one-half your caster level. This does not stack with any existing Hardness or damage reduction the construct might possess.
----Material Component: A small piece of the material from which the construct was made.

Inversion
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude half
Spell Resistance: Yes
----This spell momentarily turns a creature’s body inside out, tearing flesh and badly mutilating the target. The spell then fades, returning the creature to its normal appearance, but not before inflicting 1d6 points of damage per caster level (max 30d6). A successful Fortitude saving throw can reduce this damage by half as the creature struggles to hold itself together. If the creature is killed by the damage from this spell, its body explodes in a shower of gore and is completely unrecognizable. The target’s equipment is unaffected (though could probably use a thorough washing).
----Material Component: A full wineskin, which is turned inside out and emptied during the casting.

Reassembly
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 7
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: One destroyed construct touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
----This spell restores a construct that has been destroyed to working order. You may reassemble a construct that has been destroyed for no longer than one day per level. Only constructs that had Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores before being destroyed can be reassembled; as they have no souls, a construct has no option as to whether they wish to be reassembled or not. Constructs created by a temporary spell cannot be restored, even if the spell in question still has duration remaining. You must have most of the construct’s body present, though it need not be in one piece; the body is reconstructed during the casting of the spell, restoring any detached or broken limbs.
----The construct is not quite as good as new after the process, permanently losing 1 Hit Die (or character level, if it has any). A construct with only 1 Hit Die cannot be reassembled. The reassembled creature has a number of hit points equal to its new Hit Dice total, though it can be subsequently repaired by other means.
----Material Component: Emeralds worth a total of at least 5000 gp.

Softening
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: Ray
Duration: 1 round/level or until discharged
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
----A blue beam of energy springs from your hand, disrupting the molecules of any creature you strike. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to strike a target. The subject takes a penalty to the next Fortitude saving throw it makes equal to 1d6+1 per two caster levels (maximum 1d6+10).



Looking Back…
One of the nice things about spells, from a design point of view, is that it almost doesn’t matter if there are other spells that tread the same thematic ground. There are so many spells in existence that any similar ones are bound to be different enough to justify both, especially since new spells require in-character research (or discovery) to add into the game. If your wizard would rather develop my version of a spell instead of one from the Spell Compendium, well, that’s allowed. All that matters is that the spells are balanced unto themselves, which all of these are.

Fun fact, though: The character for which these spells were designed never actually saw play. The game folded before the first adventure.