Spell Theme Contest!

[The Giant]

New contest! This time, you will be creating a list of related spells, ala the Bigby's Hand spells, or the invisibility spells. Here's the rules:

1.) You will be creating at least 4 spells. For sorcerer/wizard, cleric, or druid spell lists, create one each of the following:
• one 0th, 1st, or 2nd level spell
• one 3rd or 4th level spell
• one 5th, 6th, or 7th level spell
• one 8th or 9th level spell

For bard spell lists, use this pattern:
• one 0th, 1st, or 2nd level spell
• one 3rd or 4th level spell
• one 5th or 6th level spell
• one spell of any level of your choice.

For ranger, paladin, or assassin spell lists, create one spell for each level (1st through 4th).

1a.) You may create more spells if you wish, but no more than one per spell level (10 total for sor/wiz, cleric, or druid).

2.) All spells created must be thematically linked. The theme is up to you, but it must be clearly stated at the start of your entry post. For example, if Bigby was entering, he might start his post with:

Bigby's Spells
Theme: Hands

Stating that all spells were created by the same wizard is not enough of a theme; they should all relate to the same type of object, person, place, effect, motif, etc. Feel free to include flavor text for how the spells were created and for what purpose.

3.) Keep all spells listed for one core spell list only: assassin, bard, cleric, druid, paladin, ranger, sorcerer/wizard. While it is likely that spells would overlap in actual game play, this will help with the categories. If you wish, you can include in parenthesis alternate lists the spell might appear on, such as "Druid 2 (Ranger 3)." This spell would be entered as a druid spell, but in a real game would actually be also on the Ranger list. No Psionic powers, please.

4.) Spells should be for D&D only, and not specific to Forgotten Realms or Eberron. Try to avoid referencing non-core books if possible, but do what you have to do.

5.) Each new set of spells should be started on a new thread here on the Contests board, dedicated to just that set of spells and the discussion of it. Put the tag [Spell Theme] in front of the title of that thread. Any thread without this tag will not be officially entered.

6.) Post on this thread to let the mods know that you have entered a list of spells. We'll try to keep a post with all the entries listed in one place for easy reference.

7.) The contest begins today, August 9th. All entries may be altered and revised up until the deadline, September 2nd; you may even add additional spells to your set. On September 2nd, we will lock all entry threads temporarily for the voting period (details of which will be announced at that time).

8.) Categories of voting and judgement will include the following:
• Best Sorcerer/Wizard Spells (mechanics and flavor)
• Best Cleric Spells (mechanics and flavor)
• Best Druid Spells (mechanics and flavor)
• Best Bard Spells (mechanics and flavor)
• Best Paladin/Ranger/Assassin/Other Spells (mechanics and flavor)
• Funniest Spells
• Best Exploration of a Theme
• The "I Want That Spell!" Award (The single spell you most would be interested in bringing into your campaign immediately; for this award, just choose ONE spell from someone's list to vote for.)
• Website Staff Award (this will not be voted on by the general public, but judged by Amber, the Mods, and I).

9.) All winners will receive a custom title for the months of September and October, so they can gloat. The last three awards, Best Theme, "I Want That Spell!" and the Website Staff Award, will have their spells preserved forever on the Function page of the main website, complete with an author credit. (Note that this will require you to resubmit the class as Open Game Content to us, and may be declined if you'd rather not.)

Use this thread for both questions and to alert us to any entries. Let the contest begin!!!

[Zherog]

5.) Each new set of spells should be started on a new thread here on the Features board, dedicated to just that set of spells and the discussion of it. Put the tag [Spell Theme] in front of the title of that thread. Any thread without this tag will not be officially entered.

My guess is you probably wrote this post before you created the new "Contest" board. You'll probably wanna change the bolded part, though. ;)

***

For those who enter - don't expect as much detailed feedback from me on this contest. Rating the power level of spells is far from my strong point. Hopefully somebody else has a good grasp on spell balance, though, and is willing to put in the work to review everything. :)

[Zherog]

And a question that has just occurred to me. Will people be allowed to enter more than one chain of spells, or will it be one entry per person?

[The Giant]

I'm going ot say one entry per person. If you have extra creativity to burn, write a full ten spells in the same post.

[Grey Watcher]

Giant, to the best of my knowledge, Bards don't GET any 8th or 9th level spells. I've got a spell series idea (and trust me, this one will actually get posted), but it's very definitely a Bard's spell list. Should the last spell be something you only find on a scroll or what?

[Geethree]

I'd also like to know what to do for Bard spells.

[Starbuck_II]

Stating that all spells were created by the same wizard is not enough of a theme; they should all relate to the same type of object, person, place, effect, motif, etc. Feel free to include flavor text for how the spells were created and for what purpose.

So could force be a theme? Example all the spells have something to do with force. (Magic missile, Sheld, Wall of Force are examples of Force)

What you mean same type of person? Isn't that the same as same Wizard who created them?
Or is the meaning of person type like Human, Elf or Dwarf thingy?

[Gorbash Kazdar]

Perhaps adding a category for "Best Articulation of a Theme," ie. that the spells all fit their theme in a particularly inventive fashion.

6.) Post on this thread to let the mods know that you have entered a class. We'll try to keep a post with all the entries listed in one place for easy reference.

Copy paste much? ;)

[Videospirit]

Um... I have a few questions. How can we possibly have a sectino for bard spells if we have to have an 8th or 9th level spell. Bard's only get level 6 and paladins and rangers only have level 4.

[The Giant]

OK, OK, stop with the asking the same question worded slightly different. I'll edit the rules.

Starbuck, relating to the same type of person means, for example, spells that would be useful to a mounted combatant, or spells that would be useful for carpenters. Not spells that were created by Bob the Carpenter, some of which have to do with carpentry and some of which do not.

The Mordenkainen spells from the PHB are all made by one guy, but they have no theme; Disjunction has nothing to do with Faithful Hound or Private Sanctum.

[ByronHulcher]

For now, could we enter in two sets of spells, and then finalize which one we want to use before the deadline?

[Baron]

I think it might be better if you didn't.

Otherwise we'll end up with a series of unfinished sets cluttering up the board, making it difficult for people to pick out the real entries.

If you have two sets of ideas, pick one to go with and if you feel the others still have merit, make a posting in the Gaming section.

[Ikkitosen]

So Rich, what do we do for Bards and other casters without high-level spells? ;)

[Videospirit]

So Rich, what do we do for Bards and other casters without high-level spells? ;)

If you read the post you'd see he's changed the rules layout.

[Fenris]

Could we pick an existing spell and expand it into a chain, for instant: magic missle, better magic missle, even better magic missle and so on?

Could they be domain spells?

[Vik]

I posted my brooms theme spells !

[Zherog]

Behold! The power of love comes to you in convenient spell-sized containers!

[Gdrad]

First few spells, and flavor text for my shiny entry are done. Ill update this post when its complete/when more spells are added.
More spells. More balance.
http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb...num=1092255233

[Videospirit]

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb...5311;start=0#0 for intoxicatingly powerful spells.

[Ikkitosen]

Fear of Death spells now posted - watch out, there's an Assassin about :)

(p.s. Videospirit, it seems you didn't get my joke. Sorry :-/)

Ikki.

[Starbuck_II]

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb...1711;start=0#0

Sarina's Speed, Theme Speed. Sarina is a bard who learned the power of speed!
Check it out heh.

[Grey Watcher]

Oh, so THAT'S why all you guys are getting more attention than me! I was only the second person to post his spell set (videospirits durken spells got there first).

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb...num=1092119100

Bring your tap shoes and your reading glasses, these get pretty damn complicated! I'd really appreciated feedback on the DC's and stuff, my practical math skills aren't so good.

[RufusCorvus]

I have a question about the themes.

Could I, say, choose to use the Black Mage character from 8 Bit Theatre as a theme? And if I did, would it require permission from 8 Bit's owner? I'm a fair bit unknowledgeable about copyrights.

Thanks in advance.

[Grey Watcher]

Well, you could always do wonton, psychotic destruction as a theme, that's pretty much Black Mage. Or stabbing, that'd work too.

[Slicer_PT]

Hey everyone!

Just posted a list of spells based around the theme of Laundry. It started off as a bit of a joke, and this seems like the perfect place to propagate it. ;)

[RufusCorvus]

Yeah, I think I'll just do Wanton Destruction.

Thanks, Grey_Watcher.

Edit:
I have posted my Spell Theme.

http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb...num=1092421691

[Gorbash Kazdar]

Here's my attempt (not as good with the spells as I am with the PrCs): Jakob's Time-Altering Magic

[DarkLight140]

I probably should have posted here earlier... I put up Couyan's Adaptable Incantations, theme Spell Flexibility, a day or two ago.

Hopefully this link will work... http://www.giantitp.com/cgi-bin/yabb...num=1092437982

[guessmith]

My spell theme and clerical domain is added to the list. Feel the weight of the Gravity Domain!

I think that one or two of these spells may be a little wonky, as I adjusted these from my homebrew campaign as they were psionic powers.

Hope you enjoy!

[eldersphinx]

Heya! Long-time lurker, first-time poster, submitting a set of clerical spells used for spreading distrust, dissention, and malice. Invocations of Taasken the Deceiver.

Some of these spells may be a little bit far afield for clerical spell effects, but I'm willing to back them here based on (1) flavor text, (2) the presence of other spells that are firmly in the divine sphere, and (3) the fact that these are mostly toys for evil DMs anyway. ;D Good luck!