Saturday, April 24, 2010

SAGA Fantasy: 1st level Arcane Spells

Conversion Notes: I based this conversion on a hybrid of 1e AD&D and 3e D&D. The purpose of this is to "return" to the classic spell lists, but use much of the effects from 3e as they are a more direct conversion. Some spells have been altered as I see fit as well, for the purpose of integrating Action Points in a logical manner.


Burning Hands

Evocation [Fire]
Level: Fire 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 15 ft.
Area: Cone-shaped burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Spell Resistance: Yes

A cone of searing flame shoots from your fingertips. Make a ranged touch attack against the target's Reflex Defense. Any creature in the area of the flames takes 1d4 to 5d4 points of fire damage, (depending on the caster's Spellcraft check)if hit, otherwise they take only half damage. Flammable materials burn if the flames touch them. A character can extinguish burning items as a full-round action.

DC 15: 1d6 points of damage.
DC 20: 2d6 points of damage.
DC 25: 3d6 points of damage.
DC 30: 4d6 points of damage.
DC 35: 5d6 points of damage.

Special: the caster may spend an Action point to add another die of damage. Additionally, the caster may spend a Destiny point to increase the damage dice from d4 to d6.

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
Spell Resistance: Yes

This charm makes a humanoid creature regard you as its trusted friend and ally (treat the target’s attitude as friendly). Make a Spellcraft check against the humanoid's Will Defense. If the creature is currently being threatened or attacked by you or your allies, however, it receives a +5 bonus on its Will Defense. If successful the creature's attitude changes to friendly. If not, the spell has no effect.

The spell does not enable you to control the charmed person as if it were an automaton, but it perceives your words and actions in the most favorable way. You can try to give the subject orders, but you must win an opposed Charisma check to convince it to do anything it wouldn’t ordinarily do. (Retries are not allowed.) An affected creature never obeys suicidal or obviously harmful orders, but it might be convinced that something very dangerous is worth doing. Any act by you or your apparent allies that threatens the charmed person breaks the spell. You must speak the person’s language to communicate your commands, or else be good at pantomiming.

Comprehend Languages

Divination
Level: Brd 1, Clr 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 min./level

You can understand the spoken words of creatures or read otherwise incomprehensible written messages. In either case, you must touch the creature or the writing. The ability to read does not necessarily impart insight into the material, merely its literal meaning. The spell enables you to understand or read an unknown language, not speak or write it.

Written material can be read at the rate of one page (250 words) per minute. Magical writing cannot be read, though the spell reveals that it is magical. This spell can be foiled by certain warding magic (such as the secret page and illusory script spells). It does not decipher codes or reveal messages concealed in otherwise normal text.

Comprehend languages can be made permanent with a permanency spell.

Arcane Material Component: A pinch of soot and a few grains of salt.

Enlarge

Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 1, Strength 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One humanoid creature
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell causes instant growth of a humanoid creature, doubling its height and multiplying its weight by 8. This increase changes the creature’s size category to the next larger one. The target gains a +2 size bonus to Strength, a -2 size penalty to Dexterity (to a minimum of 1), and a -1 penalty on attack rolls and AC due to its increased size.

A humanoid creature whose size increases to Large has a space of 10 feet and a natural reach of 10 feet. This spell does not change the target’s speed.

If insufficient room is available for the desired growth, the creature attains the maximum possible size and may make a Strength check (using its increased Strength) to burst any enclosures in the process. If it fails, it is constrained without harm by the materials enclosing it— the spell cannot be used to crush a creature by increasing its size.

All equipment worn or carried by a creature is similarly enlarged by the spell. Melee and projectile weapons affected by this spell deal more damage. Other magical properties are not affected by this spell. Any enlarged item that leaves an enlarged creature’s possession (including a projectile or thrown weapon) instantly returns to its normal size. This means that thrown weapons deal their normal damage, and projectiles deal damage based on the size of the weapon that fired them. Magical properties of enlarged items are not increased by this spell.

Multiple magical effects that increase size do not stack.

Enlarge person counters and dispels reduce person.

Enlarge person can be made permanent with a permanency spell.

A creature that is unwilling to be Enlarged forces the caster to make a Spellcraft check versus the target's Fortitude Defense.

Material Component: A pinch of powdered iron.

Erase

Transmutation
Level: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One scroll or two pages
Duration: Instantaneous
Spell Resistance: No

Erase removes writings of either magical or mundane nature from a scroll or from one or two pages of paper, parchment, or similar surfaces. With this spell, you can remove explosive runes, a glyph of warding, a sepia snake sigil, or an arcane mark, but not illusory script or a symbol spell. Non-magical writing is automatically erased if you touch it and no one else is holding it. Otherwise, the chance of erasing non-magical writing is 90%.

Magic writing must be touched to be erased, and you also must succeed on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) against DC 15. (A natural 1 or 2 is always a failure on this check.) If you fail to erase explosive runes, a glyph of warding, or a sepia snake sigil, you accidentally activate that writing instead.

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: Until landing or 1 round/level
Spell Resistance: Yes (object)

The affected creatures or objects fall slowly. Feather fall instantly changes the rate at which the targets fall to a mere 60 feet per round (equivalent to the end of a fall from a few feet), and the subjects take no damage upon landing while the spell is in effect. However, when the spell duration expires, a normal rate of falling resumes.

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 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.

If the target is unwilling (i.e. a creature), the caster must make a Spellcraft check versus the target's Will Defense. A failure means the spell does not work.

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

Hold Portal

Abjuration
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Component: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One portal, up to 20 sq. ft./level
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Spell Resistance: No

This spell magically holds shut a door, gate, window, or shutter of wood, metal, or stone. The magic affects the portal just as if it were securely closed and normally locked. A knock spell or a successful dispel magic spell can negate a hold portal spell.

For a portal affected by this spell, add 5 to the normal DC for forcing open the portal.

Identify

Divination
Level: Brd 1, Magic 2, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Targets: One touched object
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

The spell determines all magic properties of a single magic item, including how to activate those functions (if appropriate), and how many charges are left (if any).

Identify does not normally function when used on an artifact.

Arcane Material Component: A pearl of at least 100 gp value, crushed and stirred into wine with an owl feather; the infusion must be drunk prior to spellcasting.

Special: Spend an Action Point and know exactly the properties of a single magic item. Spend a Destiny Point to determine the abilities of an artifact as if it was a normal magic item.

Jump

Transmutation
Level: Drd 1, Rgr 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Spell Resistance: Yes

The subject gets an enhancement bonus on Jump checks, depending on the caster's Spellcraft check.

DC 15: +5 bonus to Jump checks.
DC 20: +10 bonus to Jump checks.
DC 25: +15 bonus to Jump checks.
DC 30: +20 bonus to Jump checks.
DC 35: +25 bonus to Jump checks.
DC 40: +30 bonus to Jump checks.

Material Component: A grasshopper’s hind leg, which you break when the spell is cast.

Magic Missile

Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets: Up to five creatures, no two of which can be more than 15 ft. apart
Duration: Instantaneous
Spell Resistance: Yes

A missile of magical energy darts forth from your fingertip and strikes its target, dealing 1d4+1 points of force damage.

The missile strikes unerringly, even if the target is in melee combat or has less than total cover or total concealment. Specific parts of a creature can’t be singled out. Inanimate objects are not damaged by the spell.

The number of missiles the caster can cast is determined by a Spellcraft check as follows:

DC 15: 1 missile doing 1d4+1 damage.
DC 20: 1 missile doing 2d4+2 damage.
DC 25: 1 missile doing 3d4+3 damage.
DC 30: 1 missile doing 4d4+4 damage.
DC 35: 1 missile doing 5d4+5 damage.

Special: Spend an action point and increase the damage dice to d6.

Message

Transmutation [Language-Dependent]
Level: Brd 0, Sor/Wiz 0
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets: One creature/level
Duration: 10 min./level
Spell Resistance: No

You can whisper messages and receive whispered replies with little chance of being overheard. You point your finger at each creature you want to receive the message. When you whisper, the whispered message is audible to all targeted creatures within range. Magical silence, 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal (or a thin sheet of lead), or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks the spell. The message does not have to travel in a straight line. It can circumvent a barrier if there is an open path between you and the subject, and the path’s entire length lies within the spell’s range. The creatures that receive the message can whisper a reply that you hear. The spell transmits sound, not meaning. It doesn’t transcend language barriers.

Note: To speak a message, you must mouth the words and whisper, possibly allowing observers the opportunity to read your lips.

Focus: A short piece of copper wire.

Magic Aura

Illusion (Glamer)
Level: Brd 1, Magic 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One touched object weighing up to 5 lb./level
Duration: One day/level (D)
Spell Resistance: No

You alter an item’s aura so that it registers to detect spells (and spells with similar capabilities) as though it were nonmagical, or a magic item of a kind you specify, or the subject of a spell you specify.

If the object bearing magic aura has identify cast on it or is similarly examined, the examiner recognizes that the aura is false and detects the object’s actual qualities if he succeeds on a Will save. Otherwise, he believes the aura and no amount of testing reveals what the true magic is.

If the targeted item’s own aura is exceptionally powerful (if it is an artifact, for instance), magic aura doesn’t work.

Note: A magic weapon, shield, or suit of armor must be a masterwork item, so a sword of average make, for example, looks suspicious if it has a magical aura.
Focus

A small square of silk that must be passed over the object that receives the aura.

Shield

Abjuration [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level (D)

Shield creates an invisible, tower shield-sized mobile disk of force that hovers in front of you. It negates magic missile attacks directed at you. The disk also provides a +4 shield bonus to Reflex Defense. This bonus applies against incorporeal touch attacks, since it is a force effect. The shield has no armor check penalty or arcane spell failure chance. Unlike with a normal tower shield, you can’t use the shield spell for cover.

Shocking Grasp

Evocation [Electricity]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature or object touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Spell Resistance: Yes

Your successful melee touch attack deals 1d6 points of electricity damage per the caster's Spellcraft check. When delivering the jolt, you gain a +3 bonus on attack rolls if the opponent is wearing metal armor (or made out of metal, carrying a lot of metal, or the like).

DC 15: 1d6 points of damage.
DC 15: 2d6 points of damage.
DC 15: 3d6 points of damage.
DC 15: 4d6 points of damage.
DC 15: 5d6 points of damage.

Special: spend an Action Point to add an extra die of damage. Spend a Destiny point to increase the damage dice to d8.

Sleep

Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: One or more living creatures within a 10-ft.-radius burst
Duration: 1 min./level
Spell Resistance: Yes

A sleep spell causes a magical slumber to come upon 4 Hit Dice of creatures. Creatures with the fewest HD are affected first. Make a Spellcraft roll versus the creature(s) Will Defense. If successful the creatures fall asleep.

Among creatures with equal HD, those who are closest to the spell’s point of origin are affected first. Hit Dice that are not sufficient to affect a creature are wasted.

Sleeping creatures are helpless. Slapping or wounding awakens an affected creature, but normal noise does not. Awakening a creature is a standard action (an application of the aid another action).

Sleep does not target unconscious creatures, constructs, or undead creatures.

Material Component: A pinch of fine sand, rose petals, or a live cricket.

Spider Climb

Transmutation
Level: Drd 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 10 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The subject can climb and travel on vertical surfaces or even traverse ceilings as well as a spider does. The affected creature must have its hands free to climb in this manner. The subject gains a climb speed of 20 feet; furthermore, it need not make Climb checks to traverse a vertical or horizontal surface (even upside down). A spider climbing creature retains its Dexterity bonus to Armor Class (if any) while climbing, and opponents get no special bonus to their attacks against it. It cannot, however, use the run action while climbing.

If the target of the spell is unwilling, make a Spellcraft check versus the target's Will Defense. If a failure, the spell has no effect.

Material Component: `A drop of bitumen and a live spider, both of which must be eaten by the subject.


Floating Disk

Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: 3-ft.-diameter disk of force
Duration: 1 hour/level
Spell Resistance: No

You create a slightly concave, circular plane of force that follows you about and carries loads for you. The disk is 3 feet in diameter and 1 inch deep at its center. It can hold 100 pounds of weight per caster level. (If used to transport a liquid, its capacity is 2 gallons.) The disk floats approximately 3 feet above the ground at all times and remains level. It floats along horizontally within spell range and will accompany you at a rate of no more than your normal speed each round. If not otherwise directed, it maintains a constant interval of 5 feet between itself and you. The disk winks out of existence when the spell duration expires. The disk also winks out if you move beyond range or try to take the disk more than 3 feet away from the surface beneath it. When the disk winks out, whatever it was supporting falls to the surface beneath it.

Material Component: A drop of mercury.

Unseen Servant

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)
Effect: One invisible, mindless, shapeless servant
Duration: 1 hour/level
Spell Resistance: No

An unseen servant is an invisible, mindless, shapeless force that performs simple tasks at your command. It can run and fetch things, open unstuck doors, and hold chairs, as well as clean and mend. The servant can perform only one activity at a time, but it repeats the same activity over and over again if told to do so as long as you remain within range. It can open only normal doors, drawers, lids, and the like. It has an effective Strength score of 2 (so it can lift 20 pounds or drag 100 pounds). It can trigger traps and such, but it can exert only 20 pounds of force, which is not enough to activate certain pressure plates and other devices. It can’t perform any task that requires a skill check with a DC higher than 10 or that requires a check using a skill that can’t be used untrained. Its speed is 15 feet.

The servant cannot attack in any way; it is never allowed an attack roll. It cannot be killed, but it dissipates if it takes 6 points of damage from area attacks. (It gets no saves against attacks.) If you attempt to send it beyond the spell’s range (measured from your current position), the servant ceases to exist.

Material Component: A piece of string and a bit of wood.

Ventriloquism

Illusion (Figment)
Level: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Intelligible sound, usually speech
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Spell Resistance: No

You can make your voice (or any sound that you can normally make vocally) seem to issue from someplace else. You can speak in any language you know. With respect to such voices and sounds, for anyone who hears the sound, the caster must make a Spellcraft check versus the target's Will Defense. If the roll fails, the target recognizes it as illusory (but still hears it).

Focus: A parchment rolled up into a small cone.

Revision History
1.0 5/2/10: 1st Level Arcane Spells goes live (again).

2 comments:

Ken Newquist said...

I think these are a good start. I was going to mention that a Spellcraft check was going to be needed to every spell anyway because Saga goes against Defenses rather than Saves, but I see you came to the same realization. :)

I was doing some back-of-the envelope calculations about spells per day, damage per spell per level, and how it compares to fighter/soldier damage per round.

I'll show my math over on Nuketown, but it came down to this:

In D&D 3.5 you could reasonably assume a 20th level fighter would do a maximum 84 points of damage a round (assuming 18 Str, Weapon Specialization and a +3 sword) WITHOUT any feats.

The damage-per-level progression in D&D is generally 1d6 per level (there are some exceptions but that seems to be the general rule).

On the Wizard side, well, the damage gets scary. At 10th level, a wizard can cast fireball or lightning bolt for 10d6 points of damage (60 max points of damage). At 20th level, horrid wilting does 20d6 damage. That's a maximum of 120 points of damage.

In addition you have instadeath spells like Power Word: Kill (which kills anything with less than 100 HP outright) and Disintegrate (which either destroys you instantly if you fail a save, or does a maximum of 40d6 damage at 20th level ... that's 240 maximum damage!

In Saga, a 20th level Jedi wielding a lightsaber could expect to do a max of 30 points of damage a round. That goes up to 60 with Double Attack and 90 with Triple Attack. (but requires burning feats).

Force powers generally do 1d6 per 5 DC step. Force lightning is probably one of the most dangerous powers, and does maximum of 8d6 + a step down the conditional track.

For a 20th level Force user with a perfect Use the Force roll, that's a maximum of 48 points of damage, plus the condition step decline. You can spend a force point to make it -2 on the condition track.

In order to keep things balanced damage wise, I think the magic damage-per-level needs to be halved. I'd say a max of 10d6 at 20th level, rather than the current 20d6. That keeps things comparable to the martial classes.

Of course, how that shakes out as a Spellcraft DC-based mechanic, I'm not quite sure. :)

NukeHavoc said...

The other thought I had regarding a Vancian Saga: Fantasy system is ... what is the value of segregating spells by Spell Level?

In classic D&D, it's to keep players from getting access to powerful spells (and powerful damage) to early in their adventuring career. But if we go with DC-based spell casting, then a particularly masterful character could start hitting damage thresholds usually reserver for higher level characters much earlier (yes, I'm looking at you Bob...)

I think the solutions to this (assuming you want to retain spell levels) are either to reduce the bumps from feats like Skill Focus (from +5 to +2) and/or increase the overall DCs.

Star Wars gets around this by more or less balancing every Force power against every other Force power. While some powers are more effective than others, generally speaking they're all in the same ballpark regarding damage, duration, and incapacitating effects.

The other "Saga-ish" solution to the Spell Level problem is to flatten (but not completely squash) spell levels in the Fantasy Edition. I'm thinking of borrowing from 4E's tiers; e.g. Heroic (1-5), Paragon (6-14), Epic (15-20). Balance the spells in each tier against one another, but don't balance the tiers.

This allows you to keep ultra-powerful spells like Wish and Horrid Wilting out of the hands of low-level characters. IMHO it would also allow you to get rid of a lot of duplicate spells at those tiers.

e.g. Improved Invisibility is just Invisibility with a better Spellcraft skill roll.