Adding new spells can be great for spellcasters. 3E and 3.5E is pretty much caster heaven, there's a lot of source material.
| Table of Contents |
|---|
Design Considerations
Some thoughts on new spells (and on rebalancing some existing spells):
...
| Spell Name | Sources | Class/Spell Level | Description | Notes | Work Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assay Resistance | Cleric 4, Sorcerer/Wizard 4 | +10 bonus to overcome a specific creatures SR. | Implemented with custom Resist Spell checks. | Icon VFX might be good but use the generic one for now. | |
| Power Word, Blind | 3.0E SRD | Sor/Wiz 8, War 8 | Blindness for creatures in an area up to 200HP. | This goes along well with Stun and Kill power word spells. The blind is permanent against low hit point creatures but the AI should be able to cope, and when the PC rests it gets removed. Seems to be indiscriminate as Power Word, Kill is. For now leaving them as Divination. Until perhaps more Divination spells are in play. | Icon VFX from Spellmans. New sound might be good. For now using Blindness/Deafness one. |
| Read Magic | Brd 0, Clr 0, Drd 0, Pal 1, Rgr 1, Sor/Wiz 0 | Reads scrolls. Nice thematic cantrip. | Mainly because utility spells are limited in the game, and we'll be changing how Identify works so helps scroll users. Extended like ToEE to be both scrolls and potions. Will need to make these unidentified more though in the blueprints to be worthwhile. Made into Divination as per 3.5E, and since Divination really needs some love. | Icon Could use a nice VFX. We play the read animation maybe replace that. |
Enchantment
Evocation
Illusion
| Spell Name | Sources | Class/Spell Level | Description | Notes | Work Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blur | Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2 | 20% miss chance | This is a simple defensive spell. Sadly we can't have True Seeing penetrate it however, but 20% miss chance isn't the worst when you have True Seeing (see: Improved Invisibility!) | Icon VFX: Have made updated Blur and Displacement VFX to use the transparency progfx but a proper "blurring" shader VFX would be great. | |
Cone of Dimness | 3.5E Spell Compedium | Sor/Wiz 3 | Blindness vs. Will save, and repeated save but if passed still 20% miss chance | A cone of dimness sounds fun visually! Illusion needs more spells and this is perfect - a simple Blindness effect and EffectRunScript that will remove the Blindness and add a 20% miss chance effect instead. Note the range is 60ft cone, which is quite long but is around 10M so we'll use that. | Icon VFX for the cone, for now done a recoloured Color Spray with Purple. Can't seem to get grey oh well. Sound for the cone, am reusing the Color Spray one but may need a new one (or downpitch the color spray one). |
| Solipsism | 3.5E Spell Compendium and NWN2 | Sorcerer/Wizard 7 | Will Save else helpless for 1 round/level (is a Mind Affecting saving throw but no specific effect type). | With a new VFX and sounds this would be a reasonably good equivalent to "Power Word: Stun", "Finger of Death" and "Bigby's Grasping Hand" as other "save or die/stun" spells but for Illusion. NWN2 uses EffectCutsceneParalyze so we'll do the same (although maybe it should be cleared by Clarity?). | Icon for spell Icon for the effect would be nice (ie a red version of the spell icon) VFX is a basic yellow and white glow. Similar to Paralysis which it basically is. Could use a new impact VFX and special sound. |
Unnerving Gaze | Sorcerer / Wizard 0 | Will save else -1 on attack rolls for 1 round/level | A suitable level 0 illusion spell for Wizards! Yes similar to Flare (except Flare is 1 minute duration, but it is "Dazzled" which shouldn't stack) but will saves are lower on fighters etc. compared to flares fortitude save. | Icon VFX would be good to use although for now using generic stuff. |
Necromancy
Transmutation
| Spell Name | Sources | Class/Spell Level | Description | Notes | Work Required |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Baleful Polymorph | 3.5E | Drd 5, Sor/Wiz 5 | Polymorph the target into a chicken | This is a fun disabling spell. We'll simplify it significantly and make the duration shorter. It won't work against certain creature types (Shapechangers). Arelith balanced this more by having it only affect medium or smaller humanoids as well which may make sense (no changing dragons etc.). The "Polymorph Other" spell could be another spell that essentially allows you to buff allies instead of attack enemies. | Icon VFX: Could use an anti-polymorph VFX and sound effect to match (maybe reverse the sound polymorph uses) |
| Disintegrate | Sor/Wiz 7 | Magical damage and chance to turn them to dust | We should add the 3.5E version which is more solid - damage and if they're killed by it, we get the cool effect. Else it's "just" another save-or-die spell. | Icon Bioware included a Disintegrate ray in the games default files We have a VFX from spellmans for the dust | |
| Heroics | Sor/Wiz 2 | The heroics spell temporarily grants the subject a feat from the fighter's bonus feat list. For the duration of the heroics spell, the subject can use the feat as if it were one of those the creature had selected. All prerequisites for the feat must be met by the target of this spell. | This is very usable with EffectBonusFeat! Notably we just need to have the subspells choice setup sensibly, based on the fighter bonus feat list based on a "priority list". Tries to do the highest ones and works down the list until one can be applied:
Will need to make a function to check a feat can be taken, which will be not fun to write! | Icons - but maybe can used altered feat ones. VFX | |
| Shocking Grasp | 3.0E SRD | Sor/Wiz 1 | 1d8 + caster level electrical damage on melee touch attack. | Simple and effective level 1 spell. Easy to implement. | Icon Doesn't really need anything else, can use existing VFX. A new VFX might be nice though. |
...