Preview Monday: Three Multi-Variable Spells Beginning with D

by Tim Wallace

Here is are a few preview spells from tomorrow's post: Multi-Variable Spells – 3rd-5th Level Spells Beginning with D.

DANCE OF A HUNDRED CUTS

School transmutation; Level bard 5

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V

Range personal

Target you

Duration 1 round/level

You become a lethal combat dancer, swirling and spinning with grace and precision. You gain a morale bonus on melee attack rolls, melee damage rolls, and Acrobatics checks, and to Armor Class. This bonus is equal to +1 per 3 caster levels (maximum +5 at 15th level). The bonus to AC is lost under any circumstances that would cause you to lose your Dexterity bonus to AC. You must remain moving for the spell to stay in effect. If in any round you do not either move at least 10 feet or make a melee attack, the spell's duration ends.

In addition, you can choose one of the following haste-like effects each round at the beginning of your turn.

·         Increase your speed by 30 feet.

·         Stand up as a swift action without provoking an attack of opportunity.

·         Make one extra attack as part of a full attack action, using your highest base attack bonus.

·         Gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls and a +2 dodge bonus to AC and Reflex saves.

·         Cast a single spell of 2nd level or lower as if it were an enlarged, extended, silent, or still spell.

These effects are not cumulative with similar effects, such as those provided by haste or a speed weapon, nor do they actually grant an extra action, so you can't use it to cast a second spell or otherwise take an extra action in the round. Nor do these effects stack with haste.

Diminished Effects You gain the morale bonus on melee attack rolls, melee damage rolls, and Acrobatics checks, and to Armor Class; but you do not benefit from any of the haste-like effects.

Heightened Effects You gain the morale bonus on melee attack rolls, melee damage rolls, and Acrobatics checks, and to Armor Class; as well as the full benefits of haste (instead of a once-per-round haste-like effect).

Notes This spell combines the effects of the following spells: dance of a hundred cuts and dance of a thousand cuts.

DISCORDANT BLAST

School evocation [sonic]; Level bard 4

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S

Range 10 ft. or 30 ft.

Area see text

Duration instantaneous

Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance yes

You create a wave of thunder and force, either in a 10-foot-radius burst centered on you or in 30-foot cone-shaped burst. Creatures in the area take 3d6 points of sonic damage and are pushed away as if bull rushed. Make a combat maneuver check and apply its results to each creature in the area. Your CMB for this bull rush is equal to your caster level plus your Charisma modifier. This bull rush does not provoke an attack of opportunity. A discordant blast cannot penetrate a silence spell (or any similar magical silence effect).

Diminished Effects The spell range and area are reduced to a 5-foot-radius burst centered on you or in 15-foot cone-shaped burst.

Heightened Effects Discordant blast can be used to counter or dispel a silence spell (or any similar magical silence effect of equal or lower spell level).

DRACONIC RESERVOIR

School evocation [acid, cold, electricity, or fire]; Level alchemist 3, sorcerer/wizard 3

Casting Time 1 standard action

Components V, S, M (a scale from dragon that produces the energy you seek to absorb)

Range touch

Target creature touched

Duration 10 minutes/level or until discharged; see text

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

Draconic reservoir functions as protection from energy, absorbing 6 points of one type of energy damage per caster level (acid, cold, electricity, or fire, maximum 60 points). Each round, as a swift action, the subject can release 1d6 points of the absorbed energy and apply it to any melee attack, as if using a corrosive, flaming, frost, or shock weapon. The first creature the subject strikes with this attack takes the energy damage in addition to any other consequences of the attack. Releasing energy in this way does not “free up” space to absorb still more energy; the maximum amount of energy the spell can absorb remains fixed. The subject cannot release more energy than he currently has absorbed. Once the subject has absorbed all the energy allowed by the spell, he takes damage as normal from that energy type. Once the energy has been released, the spell is discharged.

Draconic reservoir does not stack with protection from energy. Draconic reservoir overlaps (and does not stack with) resist energy. If a character is warded by draconic reservoir and resist energy, draconic reservoir absorbs damage until it reaches its maximum limit.

Diminished Effects The spell’s range becomes personal and its target becomes you.

Heightened Effects The spell’s target becomes creatures touched and you may divide the duration in 10-minute intervals among the creatures touched.