Re: 3rdEd Bard/Druid/Paladin/Ranger etc spells - 1st draft

In <URL:news:local.spelljam> on Wed 03 May, Alexander James wrote:
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Dreamer" <dreamer@??????.?????.??.uk>
> > This is a first draft hack at what the CoAS spells could be for
> > the various PHB classes.
> >
> > All the divine spellcasters have Contact Home Power and Detect
> > Powers.  Bards have the lesser arcane spells, and spells that the
> > music might help with.  Druids have the elemental magic, the
> > portal magic, and can create minor helms at +1 levels on clerics.
> > Paladins have the spells to let them do their holy work in
> > wildspace, including as a special concession create minor helm as
> > 4th - abuse of this is likely to have nasty consequences.
> > Rangers can survive in and move around in wildspace.
> >
> > Cleric and Sorcerer/Wizard spells are as previously advertised.
> >
> > What do people think?
> >
> A few notes:

Thanks!


> > -----------------------------------------------------------------
> > Bard Spells
[snip]

> > Cleric Spells
> >
> > 1st-Level Cleric Spells
> > Create Air - Provides air.
> > Locate Portal - Senses direction and distance of closest portal
> > in the adjacent crystal shell.
> >
> > 2nd-Level Cleric Spells
> > Contact Home Power - Contacts your higher power from any crystal
> > sphere.
> > Detect Powers - Tells you who you might draw power from in this
> > crystal sphere.
> >
> > 3rd-Level Cleric Spells
> > Chill Fire - Makes the phlogiston less flamable.
> >
> > 4th-Level Cleric Spells
> > Create Portal - Opens a portal in the adjacent crystal shell.
>
> clerics in general don't often get travel spells earlier than wizards, just 
> bigger ones later.  I'd match 5th Wiz & Clr

So that would make it:

Level: Sor/Wiz 5, Clr 5, Brd 4, Drd 4, Pal 4, Rgr 4, Wildspace 4

You don't think that it makes sense for it to be 4th, so as to
match Druid, Paladin and Ranger?

I thought 4th so as to be one level lower than Create Minor Helm,
at 5th.


> > Softwood - Places in suspended animation to protect from
> > wildspace.
>
> Never was a cleric spell, the Plant sphere was only given to Druids and 
> specialist preists of nature dieties.
> As much as it is useful in space, I can't see all clerics using this method 
> to prevent somone from suffocation.  A version of Non-breathing combined 
> with the hibernation effect (that shouldn't resist re-entry as Softwood 
> does) under a name like Trance of the Empty Night could work.  With the 
> added immunity to incidental harm (great resistance, perhaps DR 10 or 
> 15/magic and-or evil) until returning to fresh air for the multiple 
> recipients of the spell, I'd say this COMMUNITY variant spell should be 
> about 5th or even 6th cleric.

CoAS pg.24 - and though I always thought it a bit of a strange
spell, I'd greatly prefer to leave it alone, on the principle of
minimal change.

DMs that I've seen use this just seemed to say that all clerics
could use it - the old problem of AD&D 2nd Edition doing a very
messy merging of clerics and druids.

You are quite correct - the Plant sphere, which Softwood is
clearly listed as being in, is not accessable to other than
druids or suitable priests of specific mythos.

OK, spell leaves the cleric list.

What does 'COMMUNITY' mean in this context?  There isn't a
Clerical domain called that in my PHB.  Are you referring to
people on this SJ mailing list?

This would be a Sidebar spell, if it was added - I'd suggest it
goes in a seperate area rather than the CoAS spell conversion.


> > 5th-Level Cleric Spells
> > Create Minor Helm - Makes a temporary minor helm.
> >
> > 8th-Level Cleric Spells
> > Renew Ship Atmosphere - Completely refreshes most ship's air
> > envelope.
> > Repair Ship - Repairs major damage to a ship, or builds a
> > liferaft.
> >
> >
> > Cleric Domains
> >
> > Wildspace Domain
> >
> > Deities: Celestian, Ptah
> > Granted Powers: The cleric gains +1 SR when manning a
> > spelljamming helm, and can Locate Portal in an adjacent crystal
> > shell as a spell-like ability twice per day.
> >
> > Wildspace Domain Spells
> >
> > 1  Create Air.  Provides air.
> > 2  Contact Home Power.  Contacts your god from any crystal sphere.
> > 3  Chill Fire.  Makes the phlogiston less flamable.
> > 4  Create Portal.  Opens a portal in the adjacent crystal shell.
> > 5  Create Minor Helm.  Makes a temporary minor helm.
> > 6  Find The Path.  Shows the most direct way to a location.
> > 7  Repair Ship.  Repairs major damage to a ship, or builds a liferaft.
> > 8  Renew Ship Atmosphere.  Completely refreshes most ship's air envelope.
> > 9  Living Helm.  You become a major spelljamming helm.
> >
> >
> > Druid Spells
> >
> > 1st-Level Druid Spells
> > Create Air - Provides air.
> > Locate Portal - Senses direction and distance of closest portal
> > in the adjacent crystal shell.
> >
> > 2nd-Level Druid Spells
> > Chill Fire - Makes the phologiston less flamable.
> > Contact Home Power - Contacts your higher power from any crystal
> > sphere.
> > Detect Powers - Tells you who you might draw power from in this
> > crystal sphere.
> >
> > 3rd-Level Druid Spells
> > Softwood - Places in suspended animation to protect from
> > wildspace.
> 
> should stay at 4th druid, just like 2e.  It's terrestial counterparts for 
> waiting out harsh conditions are also 4th level (Mongoose MGP4010 - 
> Hibernation, Monte Cook's Arcana Unearthed - Woodlands Prison)

CoAS doesn't list any druid spells, that I am familiar with...

I've re-read the CoAS spec, and I see what you mean, as I discuss
under Cleric, above.

You are quite right; there are now no Drd 3 spells.


> > 4th-Level Druid Spells
> > Create Portal - Opens a portal in the adjacent crystal shell.
>
> the tree stride of space, definate must

I was a bit iffy about this, but crystal shells are natural
things, as is the phlogiston, and druids would be crippled
without it.


> > Decrease Maneuverability - Decreases the MC of a ship.
> > Enhance Maneuverability - Increases the MC of a ship.
>
> If given to druids at all (likely to compensate for lack of plants), should 
> be higher level than wizards - i.e. 6th

It is air and hence elemental magic, which I thought druids got
at -1 level on wizards?


> > 6th-Level Druid Spells
> > Create Minor Helm - Makes a temporary minor helm.
> >
> > 7th-Level Druid Spells
> > Renew Ship Atmosphere - Completely refreshes most ship's air envelope.
> > Repair Ship - Repairs major damage to a ship, or builds a liferaft.
> >
> >
> > Paladin Spells
> >
> > 1st-Level Paladin Spells
> > Create Air - Provides air.
> >
> > 2nd-Level Paladin Spells
> > Contact Home Power - Contacts your higher power from any crystal
> > sphere.
> > Detect Powers - Tells you who you might draw power from in this
> > crystal sphere.
> > Locate Portal - Senses direction and distance of closest portal
> > in the adjacent crystal shell.
> >
> > 3rd-Level Paladin Spells
> > Chill Fire - Makes the phlogiston less flamable.
> 
> they like destroying things, and healing, and making strong enough to 
> survive - this is elemental prevention. Doesn't fit.

I thought it might resonably be a warding or protection spell, or
the equivalent of Resist Elements.  Could you reasonably argue it
helps survival in the phlogiston?  I will drop this if people
object.


> > 4th-Level Paladin Spells
> > Create Minor Helm - Makes a temporary minor helm.
>
> as a Minor Living Helm spell, or something that can only be used on a Quest. 
> Unrestricted access to travel is not a Paladin thing

I thought that the Create Minor Helm spell could have a paladin
bit added, to the effect that the helm gets a free overwatch from
their deity/power, or a servant of, and the paladin is judged on
how it is used.  The idea was that the paladin needs to travel,
but it is definitely not unrestricted.


> > Create Portal - Opens a portal in the adjacent crystal shell.
> 
> also, with quest restrictions (even as simple as chasing the villan)

Do you think this needs to be added as an addendum to the spell
spec, or left for the DM to work out?


> > Ranger Spells
> >
> > 1st-Level Ranger Spells
> > Locate Portal - Senses direction and distance of closest portal
> > in the adjacent crystal shell.
> >
> > 2nd-Level Ranger Spells
> > Contact Home Power - Contacts your higher power from any crystal
> > sphere.
> > Detect Powers - Tells you who you might draw power from in this
> > crystal sphere.
> >
> > 3rd-Level Ranger Spells
> > Chill Fire - Makes the phologiston less flamable.
> > Softwood - Places in suspended animation to protect from wildspace.
> 
> Ranger spells being so much about survival and travel we can give them 3rd 
> for this

I thought that given their druid association, it was reasonable.


> > 4th-Level Ranger Spells
> > Create Portal - Opens a portal in the adjacent crystal shell.
> >
> >
> > Sorcerer And Wizard Spells
[snip]


Thanks again for the feedback!

In particular, the catch on Softwood!

-- 
Dreamer
dreamer@??????.?????.??.uk
http://www.romsys.demon.co.uk/