PFRPG: Multi-Variable Spells: First Set of Ten

PFRPG: Multi-Variable Spells: First Set of Ten

The first question you may be asking is: What is a multivariable spell? A multivariable spell is a spell which, once learned, you can cast as a spell one level higher or lower than the original spell. I first encountered spell like these in Monte Cook’s Arcana Evolved. I very much like the flexibility it gives spellcasters. So, in addition to the normal spell block data, you will see one or two new bits of text:

Diminished Effects: Describes changes to the spell if cast using a slot one level lower than normal. You must be able to cast a spell at its regular level before you can use the diminished effects. If you use a diminished effect, treat the spell as one level lower than listed for purposes of spell slot used, saving throw DCs, magic item pricing, and so on. Spells that are 0-level have no diminished effects.

Heightened Effects: Describes changes to the spell if cast using a slot one level higher than normal. If you use a heightened effect, treat the spell as one level higher than listed, for purposes of spell slot used, saving throw DCs, magic item pricing, and so on, regardless of what level slot you use. Spells that are 9th level have no heightened effects.

For this first set of ten multivariable spells I tried to choose some of the more popular low-level spells.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Acid Splash

School conjuration (creation) [acid]; Level magus 0, sorcerer/wizard 0, summoner 0

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S

Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Effect one missile of acid

Duration instantaneous

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

You fire a small orb of acid at the target. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to hit your target. The orb deals 1d3 points of acid damage. This acid disappears after 1 round.

Heightened Effects: You may chose to hold the orb for up to 1 round before selecting a target as a free action. If you do not choose a target after 1 round, you take 1d3 points of acid damage and the orb vanishes. If it hits its target, the orb deals 1d4 points of acid damage. As well, the target must make a Reflex save or suffer 1 point of Strength damage.

Flare

School evocation [light]; Level bard 0, druid 0, magus 0, sorcerer/wizard 0

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V

Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Effect burst of light

Duration instantaneous

Saving Throw Fortitude negates; Spell Resistance yes

This cantrip creates a burst of light. If you cause the light to burst in front of a single creature, that creature is dazzled for 1 minute unless it makes a successful Fortitude save. Sightless creatures, as well as creatures already dazzled, are not affected by flare.

Heightened Effects: The burst of light affects all creatures in a 10-foot-radius burst from the target point.

Mage Hand

School transmutation; Level bard 0, sorcerer/wizard 0

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S

Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Target one nonmagical, unattended object weighing up to 5 lbs.

Duration concentration

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no

You point your finger at an object and can lift it and move it at will from a distance. As a move action, you can propel the object as far as 15 feet in any direction, though the spell ends if the distance between you and the object ever exceeds the spell's range.

Heightened Effects: The spell can affect magical objects.

Spark

School evocation [fire]; Level bard 0, cleric 0, druid 0, magus 0, sorcerer/wizard 0, witch 0

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V or S

Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)

Target one Fine object

Duration instantaneous

Saving Throw Fortitude negates (object); Spell Resistance yes (object)

You can make an unattended Fine flammable object catch on fire. This works as if you were using flint and steel except that you can use spark in any sort of weather and it takes much less time to actually ignite an object.

Heightened Effects: You may make an unattended Diminutive object or attended Fine object catch on fire. If you decide to target an attended object, its owner may make a Reflex save to negate the effect. If the owner’s save fails, he and the burning object take 1d3 fire damage per round for 1 round per caster level (maximum of 5 rounds). Each round the owner may make a new Reflex save to extinguish the fire.

Expeditious Retreat

School transmutation; Level bard 1, sorcerer/wizard 1

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S

Range personal

Target you

Duration 1 min./level (D)

This spell increases your base land speed by 30 feet. This adjustment is treated as an enhancement bonus. There is no effect on other modes of movement, such as burrow, climb, fly, or swim. As with any effect that increases your speed, this spell affects your jumping distance (see the Acrobatics skill).

Diminished Effects: The duration changes to 1 round/level (maximum of 5 rounds).

Heightened Effects: You may cast this version of the spell on a willing target that you touch. Alternatively, if you cast this spell on yourself, its duration changes to 10 min/level.

Illusion of Calm

School illusion (figment); Level alchemist 1, magus 1, sorcerer/wizard 1

Casting Time 1 standard action

Component V, S

Range personal

Target you

Duration 1 minute/level

Saving Throw Will disbelieve (on hit; see below); Spell Resistance no

When casting this spell, you create an illusory double that takes the same space of you. That double makes it look like you are standing still, even when you are not. While under the effects of this spell, you do not provoke attacks of opportunity when you cast a spell, make a ranged attack with a thrown weapon, or move out of your first square during a move action. It does not hide ranged attacks made with any type of projectile weapon.

When a creature hits you with an attack of any type, it gains a saving throw to disbelieve the figment. On a successful saving throw, it successfully disbelieves and the spell's effect ends for that creature.

Diminished Effects: The duration changes to 1 round/level (maximum of 5 rounds) and it only prevents you from invoking attacks of opportunity when you cast spells.

Heightened Effects: The spell also prevents you from invoking attacks of opportunity when you make ranged attacks with projectile weapons.

Magic Missile

School evocation [force]; Level magus 1, sorcerer/wizard 1

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S

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

Saving Throw none; 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, so long as it has less than total cover or total concealment. Specific parts of a creature can't be singled out. Objects are not damaged by the spell.

For every two caster levels beyond 1st, you gain an additional missile—two at 3rd level, three at 5th, four at 7th, and the maximum of five missiles at 9th level or higher. If you shoot multiple missiles, you can have them strike a single creature or several creatures. A single missile can strike only one creature. You must designate targets before you check for spell resistance or roll damage.

Diminished Effects: The range changes to close and you create only a single missile, which deals 1d3 points of damage.

Heightened Effects: The spell’s missiles are more powerful than normal, dealing 1d6+1 points of damage.

Ablative Barrier

School conjuration (creation) [force]; Level alchemist 2, magus 2, sorcerer/wizard 3, summoner 2

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, M (a piece of metal cut from a shield)

Range touch

Target creature touched

Duration 1 hour/level or until discharged

Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell Resistance no

Invisible layers of solid force surround and protect the target, granting that target a +2 armor bonus to AC. Additionally, the first 5 points of lethal damage the target takes from each attack are converted into nonlethal damage. Against attacks that already deal nonlethal damage, the target gains DR 5/—. Once this spell has converted 5 points of damage to nonlethal damage per caster level (maximum 50 points), the spell is discharged.

Diminished Effects: The range is reduced to personal.

Heightened Effects: The target is granted a +4 armor bonus to AC, instead of +2. Additionally, the spell is not discharged until a maximum of 100 points of damage have been converted.

Elemental Touch

School evocation [acid, cold, electricity, or fire]; Level alchemist 2, magus 2, sorcerer/wizard 2

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, M (a bit of the chosen element: earth, water, air, or fire)

Range personal

Target you

Duration 1 round/level (D)

Saving Throw see text; Spell Resistance no

Upon completing the casting of this spell, elemental energy infuses your hands. Choose an energy type: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. You gain a melee touch attack causing 1d6 points of damage of that energy type, along with a special effect described below. You also deal energy damage and the related special effect when you attack with your hands using an unarmed strike, a single claw, or a single slam attack. This bonus damage can never apply to multiple weapons.

Acid: Your touch attack causes 1 point of ongoing acid damage per round for 1 round per three caster levels. The target must make a Fortitude save or be sickened for the duration of the ongoing acid damage.

Cold: The target must make a Fortitude save or be fatigued. A creature that is already fatigued suffers no additional effect.

Electricity: The target must make a Fortitude save or be staggered for 1 round.

Fire: Your hands ignite and shed light as a torch. Your touch may cause targets to catch on fire.

Subsequent attacks inflict the normal damage, but the additional effects do not stack. This spell grants no special protection to anything held in or worn on your hands. When you cast this spell to deal acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage, it is a spell of that type.

Diminished Effects: The damage is reduced to 1d4 and does not cause the related special effect.

Heightened Effects: You may cast this version of the spell on a willing target that you touch.

Invisibility

School illusion (glamer); Level bard 2, inquisitor 2, magus 2, sorcerer/wizard 2, summoner 2

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, M/DF (an eyelash encased in gum arabic)

Range personal or touch

Target you or a creature or object weighing no more than 100 lbs./level

Duration 1 min./level (D)

Saving Throw Will negates (harmless) or Will negates (harmless, object); Spell Resistance yes (harmless) or yes (harmless, object)

The creature or object touched becomes invisible. If the recipient is a creature carrying gear, that vanishes, too. If you cast the spell on someone else, neither you nor your allies can see the subject, unless you can normally see invisible things or you employ magic to do so.

Items dropped or put down by an invisible creature become visible; items picked up disappear if tucked into the clothing or pouches worn by the creature. Light, however, never becomes invisible, although a source of light can become so (thus, the effect is that of a light with no visible source). Any part of an item that the subject carries but that extends more than 10 feet from it becomes visible.

Of course, the subject is not magically silenced, and certain other conditions can render the recipient detectable (such as swimming in water or stepping in a puddle). If a check is required, a stationary invisible creature has a +40 bonus on its Stealth checks. This bonus is reduced to +20 if the creature is moving. The spell ends if the subject attacks any creature. For purposes of this spell, an attack includes any spell targeting a foe or whose area or effect includes a foe. Exactly who is a foe depends on the invisible character's perceptions. Actions directed at unattended objects do not break the spell. Causing harm indirectly is not an attack. Thus, an invisible being can open doors, talk, eat, climb stairs, summon monsters and have them attack, cut the ropes holding a rope bridge while enemies are on the bridge, remotely trigger traps, open a portcullis to release attack dogs, and so forth. If the subject attacks directly, however, it immediately becomes visible along with all its gear. Spells such as bless that specifically affect allies but not foes are not attacks for this purpose, even when they include foes in their area.

Invisibility can be made permanent (on objects only) with a permanency spell.

Diminished Effects: The duration is reduced to 1 round/per level (maximum of 5 rounds).

Heightened Effects: The duration is increased to 10 minutes/level.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have found it occasionally difficult to make my scheduled every-other-Monday post dates due to extremely busy weekends. Therefore, from today on I am going to bump my schedule to every-other Tuesday post dates.