Proposed Feat: Enrich Spell - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Proposed Feat: Enrich Spell

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
jaanos
Oct 17, 2004 20:14:28 Razalak smiled... today was a good day. Today he would take his wretched masters place, and his precious spell cords. He knew his master was still stronger than him, but he also knew he had more strength available to him. He looked at the crops, the heat already making the air waver in the morning sunlight. He put forth his hand, with an unusual black stain on it, and quietly began to chant. Bright green energy flowed from the plants to his hands, filling him with energy... energising him... as they withered and fell the grey ash.... an hour passed. The spells he needed were learnt. Now, he needed to make them strong enough to affect his master. He raised a simple shade cloth, and sat in the shadow, staring that the strange black shadow on his hand... empyting his mind, he focused on the shadow, reaching out. He gasped as he mind conected with the black, he shivered as he drew in energy, reinforcing the spells already learnt... he could almost see it in his mind, black and green trendles of magic entwining.... growing stronger togther... as the next hour passed.... today was going to be a good day after all... he smiled, with his magic powered by the black and by life energy, his master would fall at his hand today...

Enrich Spell [Metamagic]

A mage can tap more than one source of Arcane magical energy, making the spells cast that day more potent, and more effective at breaking through magic resistance. For example, a Defiler / Shadow Mage could choose to tap both plant life and the black to enrich his Arcane spells.

Prerequisites: Spell Craft +8, Int 16+, Wis 16+, Access to Alternate magical energy source.

Benifits: Add +2 to the difficulty class for all saving throws against your spells for the day. Add +1 for caster level checks (1d20 + caster level) to beat a creature spell resistance.

Special: The amount of time to memorise all the spells in your spell book increases from 1 hour to 2 hours. Successful checks must be made to tap both energy sources. This feat stacks with spell penetration and spell focus. The feat need only be taken once, should a character have several sources of energy available (black, grey, cereluean, plant) memorisation time doubles with each new energy source applied (2 hours for one additional source, 4 hours for two, 8 hours for three).

Normal: spell memorisation takes 1 hour
#2
elonarc
Oct 18, 2004 5:22:58 Ability requirements for feats are always uneven, to counter min-maxing. So, I suggest you change the requirements to 15+ or 17+.
Increasing the DC for a spell is a very serious advantage, in D&D 3.5 they changed the feats "Spell Focus" and "Greater Spell Focus" from +2 and +4 DC to +1 and +2 DC respectively. I would strongly suggest that the feat adds no more than +1 to the DC of spells.
#3
Pennarin
Oct 18, 2004 15:23:44
The feat need only be taken once, should a character have several sources of energy available (black, grey, cereluean, plant) memorisation time doubles with each new energy source applied (2 hours for one additional source, 4 hours for two, 8 hours for three).

You did not specify the advantage of mixing more than two sources of energy together.

Or did you mean that a wizard/shadow wizard/necromant would have to memorize for 4 hours, that he wants to apply three energy sources or not?
#4
jaanos
Oct 18, 2004 17:56:28 Cool, thanks for that, i haven't upgraded to 3.5 yet, so i was using 3e books to guide me. I will update accordingly.

Thanks

Ability requirements for feats are always uneven, to counter min-maxing. So, I suggest you change the requirements to 15+ or 17+.
Increasing the DC for a spell is a very serious advantage, in D&D 3.5 they changed the feats "Spell Focus" and "Greater Spell Focus" from +2 and +4 DC to +1 and +2 DC respectively. I would strongly suggest that the feat adds no more than +1 to the DC of spells.

#5
jaanos
Oct 18, 2004 18:05:09 The advantage of mixing two sources of energy is that it "enriches" the spell, making the spell more potent, harder to resist, and more likely to break down spell resistance.

In regards to amount of time to memorise; using the feat is an option available to wizards with more than one energy source (shadow mages, nercomancers, cerculeans), so using your example, wizard/shadow wizard/necromant might decide to:

a: just memorise normally, using any one of the three sources available to him (1 hour); however, using the grey or black would require making a successful check to tap those sources.

b: attempt to memorise using two sources; requiring a check to tap, for example, the grey, if the check succeeds he can proceed to memorise for 2 hours, and get the advantages of an enriched spell. If the check fails, he memorises for 1 hour and casts spells normally.

c: attempt to memorise using all three sources; requiring checks for both the black and grey, assuming he succeeds in both, memorisation takes 4 hours, and confers twice the bonus of having an enriched spell. If he fails one check, again, for example, the check the tap the grey, he memorises for 2 hours, and gets the normal enriched spell bonus.

Does that help? thanks for the feedback, will update text and bonuses to 3.5 edition, and add soon

You did not specify the advantage of mixing more than two sources of energy together.

Or did you mean that a wizard/shadow wizard/necromant would have to memorize for 4 hours, that he wants to apply three energy sources or not?

#6
xlorepdarkhelm_dup
Oct 18, 2004 19:06:49 I think Pennarin was looking for reasons for more than 2 sources - like three or four sources, and what it would do in those cases.
#7
jaanos
Oct 18, 2004 19:22:08 OK, good question. Here's what I hope is a good answer:

Two sources provides +2 spell dc, in the current format (will re-write as per elornacs suggestions soon) three sources = +4, four sources = +6 to spell dc.

Each source past the first add +2 to the save Vs that spell's DC.

So, as a grid it looks like this:

1 source = 1 hour memorization time +0 spell dc
2 sources = 2 hours memorization time +2 spell dc
3 sources = 4 hours memorization time +4 spell dc
4 sources = 8 hours memorization time +6 spell dc

So as you add more sources, there are increasing benefits of enriching your spells, making them harder to resist, but it becomes progressively more prohibitive from the point of view of the time spent actually memorizing then enriching the spells.

As for the reason for more than two sources - shadow mages and necromancers being case in point, can choose to either tap plant life or their respective alternative energy sources.

What this feat allows (as an option a choice made each day) is for them to attempt to tap one energy source, then enrich the spell with the energy of the other source effectively strengthening the spell making it harder to resist and overcome. They can choose not to do it, or they can choose to attempt to enrich thier spells, on a day to day basis.

Does that help answer the question? if not let me know and i'll write some more.

I think Pennarin was looking for reasons for more than 2 sources - like three or four sources, and what it would do in those cases.

#8
Pennarin
Oct 19, 2004 2:27:56
I think Pennarin was looking for reasons for more than 2 sources - like three or four sources, and what it would do in those cases.

Yes. The feat as written does not specify advantages per # of energy sources, just that mixing 'more than one source' adds +2.
#9
jaanos
Oct 19, 2004 4:52:42 OK, did my previous answer address this? i will take this into account when re-writing the feat, all feedback is appreciated.

Cheers

Jaanos

Yes. The feat as written does not specify advantages per # of energy sources, just that mixing 'more than one source' adds +2.

#10
jon_oracle_of_athas
Nov 03, 2004 12:58:03 Allowing stackable bonuses from more than one source encourages min-maxing and can quickly become very broken.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 jaanos Oct 17, 2004 20:14:28	Razalak smiled... today was a good day. Today he would take his wretched masters place, and his precious spell cords. He knew his master was still stronger than him, but he also knew he had more strength available to him. He looked at the crops, the heat already making the air waver in the morning sunlight. He put forth his hand, with an unusual black stain on it, and quietly began to chant. Bright green energy flowed from the plants to his hands, filling him with energy... energising him... as they withered and fell the grey ash.... an hour passed. The spells he needed were learnt. Now, he needed to make them strong enough to affect his master. He raised a simple shade cloth, and sat in the shadow, staring that the strange black shadow on his hand... empyting his mind, he focused on the shadow, reaching out. He gasped as he mind conected with the black, he shivered as he drew in energy, reinforcing the spells already learnt... he could almost see it in his mind, black and green trendles of magic entwining.... growing stronger togther... as the next hour passed.... today was going to be a good day after all... he smiled, with his magic powered by the black and by life energy, his master would fall at his hand today... Enrich Spell [Metamagic] A mage can tap more than one source of Arcane magical energy, making the spells cast that day more potent, and more effective at breaking through magic resistance. For example, a Defiler / Shadow Mage could choose to tap both plant life and the black to enrich his Arcane spells. Prerequisites: Spell Craft +8, Int 16+, Wis 16+, Access to Alternate magical energy source. Benifits: Add +2 to the difficulty class for all saving throws against your spells for the day. Add +1 for caster level checks (1d20 + caster level) to beat a creature spell resistance. Special: The amount of time to memorise all the spells in your spell book increases from 1 hour to 2 hours. Successful checks must be made to tap both energy sources. This feat stacks with spell penetration and spell focus. The feat need only be taken once, should a character have several sources of energy available (black, grey, cereluean, plant) memorisation time doubles with each new energy source applied (2 hours for one additional source, 4 hours for two, 8 hours for three). Normal: spell memorisation takes 1 hour
#2 elonarc Oct 18, 2004 5:22:58	Ability requirements for feats are always uneven, to counter min-maxing. So, I suggest you change the requirements to 15+ or 17+. Increasing the DC for a spell is a very serious advantage, in D&D 3.5 they changed the feats "Spell Focus" and "Greater Spell Focus" from +2 and +4 DC to +1 and +2 DC respectively. I would strongly suggest that the feat adds no more than +1 to the DC of spells.
#3 Pennarin Oct 18, 2004 15:23:44	The feat need only be taken once, should a character have several sources of energy available (black, grey, cereluean, plant) memorisation time doubles with each new energy source applied (2 hours for one additional source, 4 hours for two, 8 hours for three). You did not specify the advantage of mixing more than two sources of energy together. Or did you mean that a wizard/shadow wizard/necromant would have to memorize for 4 hours, that he wants to apply three energy sources or not?
#4 jaanos Oct 18, 2004 17:56:28	Cool, thanks for that, i haven't upgraded to 3.5 yet, so i was using 3e books to guide me. I will update accordingly. Thanks Ability requirements for feats are always uneven, to counter min-maxing. So, I suggest you change the requirements to 15+ or 17+. Increasing the DC for a spell is a very serious advantage, in D&D 3.5 they changed the feats "Spell Focus" and "Greater Spell Focus" from +2 and +4 DC to +1 and +2 DC respectively. I would strongly suggest that the feat adds no more than +1 to the DC of spells.
#5 jaanos Oct 18, 2004 18:05:09	The advantage of mixing two sources of energy is that it "enriches" the spell, making the spell more potent, harder to resist, and more likely to break down spell resistance. In regards to amount of time to memorise; using the feat is an option available to wizards with more than one energy source (shadow mages, nercomancers, cerculeans), so using your example, wizard/shadow wizard/necromant might decide to: a: just memorise normally, using any one of the three sources available to him (1 hour); however, using the grey or black would require making a successful check to tap those sources. b: attempt to memorise using two sources; requiring a check to tap, for example, the grey, if the check succeeds he can proceed to memorise for 2 hours, and get the advantages of an enriched spell. If the check fails, he memorises for 1 hour and casts spells normally. c: attempt to memorise using all three sources; requiring checks for both the black and grey, assuming he succeeds in both, memorisation takes 4 hours, and confers twice the bonus of having an enriched spell. If he fails one check, again, for example, the check the tap the grey, he memorises for 2 hours, and gets the normal enriched spell bonus. Does that help? thanks for the feedback, will update text and bonuses to 3.5 edition, and add soon You did not specify the advantage of mixing more than two sources of energy together. Or did you mean that a wizard/shadow wizard/necromant would have to memorize for 4 hours, that he wants to apply three energy sources or not?
#6 xlorepdarkhelm_dup Oct 18, 2004 19:06:49	I think Pennarin was looking for reasons for more than 2 sources - like three or four sources, and what it would do in those cases.
#7 jaanos Oct 18, 2004 19:22:08	OK, good question. Here's what I hope is a good answer: Two sources provides +2 spell dc, in the current format (will re-write as per elornacs suggestions soon) three sources = +4, four sources = +6 to spell dc. Each source past the first add +2 to the save Vs that spell's DC. So, as a grid it looks like this: 1 source = 1 hour memorization time +0 spell dc 2 sources = 2 hours memorization time +2 spell dc 3 sources = 4 hours memorization time +4 spell dc 4 sources = 8 hours memorization time +6 spell dc So as you add more sources, there are increasing benefits of enriching your spells, making them harder to resist, but it becomes progressively more prohibitive from the point of view of the time spent actually memorizing then enriching the spells. As for the reason for more than two sources - shadow mages and necromancers being case in point, can choose to either tap plant life or their respective alternative energy sources. What this feat allows (as an option a choice made each day) is for them to attempt to tap one energy source, then enrich the spell with the energy of the other source effectively strengthening the spell making it harder to resist and overcome. They can choose not to do it, or they can choose to attempt to enrich thier spells, on a day to day basis. Does that help answer the question? if not let me know and i'll write some more. I think Pennarin was looking for reasons for more than 2 sources - like three or four sources, and what it would do in those cases.
#8 Pennarin Oct 19, 2004 2:27:56	I think Pennarin was looking for reasons for more than 2 sources - like three or four sources, and what it would do in those cases. Yes. The feat as written does not specify advantages per # of energy sources, just that mixing 'more than one source' adds +2.
#9 jaanos Oct 19, 2004 4:52:42	OK, did my previous answer address this? i will take this into account when re-writing the feat, all feedback is appreciated. Cheers Jaanos Yes. The feat as written does not specify advantages per # of energy sources, just that mixing 'more than one source' adds +2.
#10 jon_oracle_of_athas Nov 03, 2004 12:58:03	Allowing stackable bonuses from more than one source encourages min-maxing and can quickly become very broken.