August 22nd, 2013

I enjoyed trying my hand at game design last week so much that I've decided to try and post up some interesting home brew concepts at every conceivable interval. Starting now I'd like to post at least a few new ideas for some spells, feats, races, classes, and perhaps even an adventure (time permitting) each week whenever I can. Don't think this means I intend to put up all of those things every week, but rather that I'd like to take a shot at at least one of those things every week.

This weeks ideas were Abjuration based. I had this great idea for some interesting ways to interact with other spell casters and possibly a brand new way to cast certain spells. There are two spells I designed to round out some of the interesting decisions you can make as an abjurer, as well as a feat which is... well let's just say it is ambitious. Hope you enjoy! -Z-

Spell Deflection
School abjuration; Level sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (a silver hand mirror)
Range personal
Duration 1 minute/level
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)

You become more difficult to hit effectively with certain spells, and may influence where such spells do eventually hit. You gain a +2 deflection bonus to armor class against ranged touch attacks made as part of casting a spell, this bonus increases by 2 for every four levels beyond third. If an affected spell misses, you may designate a square adjacent to you, and the spell effect ends there. You may instead designate an object or creature within such a square, and attempt to deflect the spell at them which requires you to make a ranged touch attack with a -5 penalty to hit. Success indicates that the spell hits and all the deflected spells effects are applied to that creature normally.

Spell Flux

School abjuration; Level sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting Time 10 minutes
Components V, S, M (two ivory statues worth 300 gp, three
strands of silk thread, vial of pure water)
Range personal
Area 100 ft. radius spread centered on you
Duration 24 hours or until discharged
Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance yes (harmless)

Spell flux creates an invisible field around you which illuminates the flow of magic to and from yourself, allowing you to pick up on certain subtleties, and even alter certain effects as they take shape.

As long as this spell is in effect you can instantly identify whether any spell effect targeting you is intended to “harm,” “hinder,” or “heal” you. Harm effects include those that damage hit points, reduce ability scores, apply negative levels, or can otherwise result in death. Spells that hinder are typically spells which apply conditions such as panicked, nauseated, blind, paralyzed, or other effects which reduce your efficacy in combat. Spells which attempt to both harm and hinder you are always treated as harm spells. Heal spells need not necessarily heal you, but rather refer to any beneficial spell cast by an ally or neutral party. Spells which are cast by enemies that are situationally beneficial do not count, nor do spells cast by ally's which do not target you specifically, or whose effects are only beneficial to you indirectly. Making a spellcraft check to identify the actual spell being cast functions normally, albeit with a +2 circumstance bonus for the information provided by this spell.

Once a spell has been categorized as harm, hinder or heal, it may then be affected slightly, by altering the magical threads which tie the casters spell to his intended target. Spells which rely on a touch attack or ranged touch attack cannot be manipulated in this fashion because they are literally aimed and fired by the caster himself, and do not rely on latent magical guidelines to link him with his target. The following alterations can be made to a suitable spell in progress once it has been categorized.

Mitigate Harm (harm) – You may as an immediate action interrupt the flow of magical energies between yourself and the spell's caster. He must succeed on a concentration check in order to negate this bothersome action or all hit point and ability damage caused by the harmful spell is reduced by half. For spells that deal in ability drain, negative levels, or other suitably powerful effects this instead reduces the save DC of the spell by 4.

Linked Hindrance (hinder) – You may as an immediate action entwine the threads of magic joining yourself and the spell's caster. He must then succeed on a caster level check (DC = your caster level + relevant modifier + level of the spell being cast) or be affected by the spell exactly as you are for the same duration, with no save allowed. Once this ability has been activated you may save normally against the spell or forgo your save entirely.

Empathetic Enhancement (heal) – You may as an immediate action expend one prepared spell or two spell slots of the same level or higher than the helpful spell being cast upon you, to enhance the effects of said spell. You must succeed on a spellcraft check to identify the spell in order to know which level spell or slot will be required. If this check fails the enhancement fails and spell flux ends normally. Successfully enhancing the spell allows you to apply one of the following metamagic feats to its effect; empower spell, or extend spell.

Utilizing any of these spell modifications requires you to make a spellcraft check (DC equal to 10 + spell's caster level + spell level). Whether this check is successful or not the duration of spell flux immediate ends. Spell flux may only be cast once per day.

Reactive Abjuration

You can cast Abjuration spells as an immediate action by suffering some severe side effects.

Prerequisite: Dexterity 15, Spell Focus Abjuration, Improved Initiative, able to cast 5th level arcane spells.
Benefit: Abjuration spells with a casting time of 1 round or less can be cast as an immediate action at any time by losing two prepared spells or three spell slots of the appropriate level (in the case of prepared spells one of the two must be the spell you are attempting to cast). Doing so reduces the duration of the spell to a maximum of 1 round (lasting until the end of your next turn) after which time you become exhausted for a number of rounds equal to the spells level.