DM Nagging: It's pretty much my job

[Iron Dragoon]

Alyssa

This week was pretty much the ship dungeon scenario. I think that's going well, it's a decent dungeon gimmick that offers all sorts of interesting things. It's a little too early into it to say more, but next week should be fun. Otherwise, it's all about getting a grasp of how exactly Jarem and Alyssa interact, Jarem's openly feeling it out IC and Alyssa's semi sarcastic, semi oblivious replies (depending on how you interpret them) are great. Jarem's a bit of a player, working on establishing that just so without being too gimmicky or obnoxious is a trick. I'm not sure if he's successful at it or not overall, that'll probably depend on how he firms up as a character.

Combatwise, the dire tiger was no great challenge, just a warm up. Party functioned exactly as expected for it. Jarem struggles a bit with damage without spells or deific foes playing into it, so that fight was meant to establish that as a baseline. Still, against a dire tiger, he was able to deal more than enough damage.

Yeah, Alyssa knows what flirting is (for the most part), but she's always been either head-in-book for research or dealing with leadership issues. So while she catches the more blatant stuff, I'm having her miss some of the less blatant stuff. She also wary of getting into a relationship with anyone until she can figure out how to judge if someone's using it as an angle to influence her power. Add in that Jarem is brand new and loyal to the Red Knight, she's a bit wary but willing to flirt as it's something she doesn't have much of a chance to do normally.

Combatwise, I'm not really happy with Alyssa here. Part of it is that I'm still feeling out how many spells she needs to have for defensive purposes and part of it is that having banned Evocation, she has absolute crap for damage spells. I know Transmutation has a few, but they're pretty few and far between, so I'm going to have to write some up or find some better options.

I also need to know what the ruling would be on her having used TK to wield a weapon there would be. It was a super close in space and I dunno if one of my weapons would have been able to zip by Jarem. Normally I would have just Dimension Door'd behind the tiger, but the dungeon kinda prevents that.

[Anastasia]

Seira's Arcane Thesis

Spoiler: ShowHide

Seira's Arcane Thesis
Transmutation
Level: Sorcerer ??, Wizard ??
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level

You mantle yourself in a powerful magical field that facilitates both your magical offense and defense. Your spells are stronger and much harder to resist, cast at +10 caster level, and their save DC increased by 5. As for your defense against hostile magic, counterspelling is an immediate action for you, allowing you to counterspell even when it is not your turn without having previously readied an action. You must still have the immediate actions available to counterspell in this manner.

Way high, higher than you can cast. A +10 caster level booster, I can't think of anything like that, let alone the save DC increase and the 1 round/level duration. I'm just gonna nix this one right now, you waaaaaaaaaaaaay overshot. To be honest I don't think I'd allow that spell at any level, it's just too crazy-good.

Also, this spell gets the leftovers of what I hoped to accomplish with already-posted spells:

Seira's Majestic Visage
[spoiler]
Seira's Majestic Visage
Transmutation
Level: Cleric ???, Wiz/Sor ???, Druid ???
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level

A spell created by Seira herself through inspiration of her friend Alicia, designed to elevate the caster into a class of their own while faced with terrible odds. The caster is surrounded by a fiery haze, radiant and terrible beyond measure. Her allies are reassured, even awed, while the evil she faces down is cowed with the surety of its defeat.

You become a blazingly hot beacon of the powers of good. Your creature type changes to outsider for the duration of the spell. Unlike other outsiders, you can be brought back from the dead if you are killed in this form.

You undergo the following transformations:
• You grow feathered wings that allow you to fly at twice your normal speed (good maneuverability).
• You gain +1 natural armor.
• You gain low-light vision.
• You gain resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and electricity 10.
• You gain immunity to disease.
• You gain a +4 racial bonus on saving throws against poison.
• You gain damage reduction 10/magic.
• You gain spell resistance 25.
• You gain the following bonuses to your ability scores: +4 Str, +2 Dex, +4 Con, +2 Int, +4 Wis, +4 Cha.

You gain a +10 enhancement bonus on Diplomacy checks with Good characters, and a +10 enhancement bonus on Intimidate checks with Evil characters for the duration of the spell.

Any fire you generate during the duration of the spell becomes Goldenfire, ignoring fire resistance or immunity and dealing x1.5 more damage to Evil targets and no damage at all to Neutral and Good targets.

Okay, so it's basically Greater Visage + social bonuses + goldenfire, right?

[Anastasia]

Seira doesn't mind Alicia's way of handling things, she just finds a different approach suits her best.

Pretty much. Compare and contrast the approaches, it's interesting.

As for Lixer, despite the odds being against me I had a shot at killing him! Just look at my avatar getting two natural twenties in the same attack routine~

So he totes ran away in time.

Maybe theoretically possible, I'd have to run the numbers carefully. Odds of getting enough 20s to do it and enough good damage dice rolls to do it are probably in the range of winning the lottery, though.

But what was that about Seira not wasting her time? She pretty much headed down and then agreed to trust Zariel without lengthy interrogations, is that what you meant?

I meant not wasting time before Lixer brought the green hellfire and worse down on your heads, yes.

[Anastasia]

Yeah, Alyssa knows what flirting is (for the most part), but she's always been either head-in-book for research or dealing with leadership issues. So while she catches the more blatant stuff, I'm having her miss some of the less blatant stuff. She also wary of getting into a relationship with anyone until she can figure out how to judge if someone's using it as an angle to influence her power. Add in that Jarem is brand new and loyal to the Red Knight, she's a bit wary but willing to flirt as it's something she doesn't have much of a chance to do normally.

Yeah, I figured you were feeling it out, too. The comments yesterday about settling on a nickname for Alyssa fits - he was trying a few along various lines, feeling which one fit her. It about fits what I figured for Alyssa as well as points out that she's not quite as experienced as you'd expect in various life matters. It fit her pretty well.

Combatwise, I'm not really happy with Alyssa here. Part of it is that I'm still feeling out how many spells she needs to have for defensive purposes and part of it is that having banned Evocation, she has absolute crap for damage spells. I know Transmutation has a few, but they're pretty few and far between, so I'm going to have to write some up or find some better options.

That's fine, this is also a bit of a tutorial dungeon for you to feel things out as well as get some loot. Assuming you survive of course.

I also need to know what the ruling would be on her having used TK to wield a weapon there would be. It was a super close in space and I dunno if one of my weapons would have been able to zip by Jarem. Normally I would have just Dimension Door'd behind the tiger, but the dungeon kinda prevents that.

I probably would've allowed it, a weapon's easier to get by than an entire person there.

[Yuthirin]

Tryll

Good stuff all week, I have to say. The Langersun plotline continues apace, with signs of trouble afloat everywhere. Fortunately Tryll's really good at finding things and willing to ignore privacy, so those followers of Imix were easily captured. Benyen and Dana just sort of happened and wasn't planned, poor Ebony. She's really wishing she put ranks into Perform (Cockblocking) now, isn't she? Really, no deeper comments this week, as it was mostly a transitional week after last week's Dana call out and Miranda chat. Next week should see more plot as you get deeper into the Langersun thing. By the way, I may try and sit down with you tomorrow sometime for a bonus session, so you can catch up. I'll see when you're around on IRC and where I'm at.

Also, I imagine Miranda staying at home and knitting, waiting for everyone to come back. Funny how that one worked out for her.

Miranda is SUPPOSED to be looking for a way to safely go onto prime planes, not sit around and knit. GET BACK TO WORK!

Also session tomorrow is fine.

[Anastasia]

Knitting is important, you know. Anyway, I'll see what time we're both on tomorrow and work from there.

[Yuthirin]

Knitting is important, you know. Anyway, I'll see what time we're both on tomorrow and work from there.

Sounds good.

[Corwin]

Okay, so it's basically Greater Visage + social bonuses + goldenfire, right?

Correct. The social bonuses are a discount voice of the dragon.

[Anastasia]

Working on some spells now that I have time. These are first drafts unless noted otherwise.

Started with this one. It's an accessory for Seira's paladins for a little extra oomph.

Dragonfire Burst
Evocation [Fire, Good]
Level: Pal 2
Components: V, DF
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level

Your dragonfire wrath burns hotter and with a hint of gold, dealing an extra 1d8 points of damage. Any melee attack you make while under dragonfire's wrath counts as good to overcome damage reduction for the duration of this spell.

The main draw is the slow nonlethal damage recovery. It feels like the sort of thing that should have a save attached, though. Hm.

Paladin's Mercy
Transmutation
Level: Pal 2
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round

By invoking this spell, your next smite evil attempt deals an extra 1d6 points of damage and all the damage is nonlethal damage. If a creature is rendered unconscious from the nonlethal damage from this smite, they only recover 1d4 nonlethal hit points per hour (or the hit points they would recover normally, whichever is lower), until all the damage from the smite is recovered. Magical healing is not impeded and functions normally.

From Moore's thread. This one's finished, just crossposting it while I'm at it. It was originally made for another person's stat block.

Sekmid's Trap
Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 12
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Short (25ft + 5ft 2/levels)
Area: Cylinder (30ft radius, 60ft tall)
Duration: 1 round/3 levels
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: See text

By casting Sekmid's trap, you create a cylinder of force that traps creatures in the area within it. The cylinder has the same properties of a wall of force and can be destroyed by the same means. Destroying the cylinder ends the spell, including the magic missiles.

On the round you cast it nothing else happens, but on the second round and every round thereafter, magic missiles fill the cylinder and deal damage to every creature within it. These do 1d4+1 damage per two caster levels, maximum 20d4+20. A creature takes damage each round after the first. While the walls of the cylinder do not allow spell resistance, the magic missiles do. In all other aspects, these missiles are identical to the missiles generated by the magic missile spell.

Might bump this one to 15.

Kassim's Inescapable Tomb
Abjuration/Evocation [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 14

This spell is identical to Sekmid's trap, except as noted here. Gusts of wind and ear-splitting screams of sound fill the cylinder. Spells and spell-like abilities cast from within the cylinder require a Concentration check (DC equal to the spell's save DC + 10) to cast due to the conditions. The area inside of the cylinder is treated as being under a dimensional lock spell.

The wind and conditions have no bearing on the magic missiles created by the spell, which still strike true.

This spell is only know to Kassim, Kossuth and a few of his elite wizards, the Sultan of the Efreet and Faerinaal (the latter of which due to a trade).

Another spell I'm not sure about the level for.

Kassim's Sky Flower
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 13
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25ft + 5ft 2/levels)
Effect: One burning flower
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Reflex half; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell creates a phantasmal flower of fire at the point you designate, three feet tall and similar in appearance to a lotus made of flames. This flower is impervious to attacks and damage, though it can be dispelled as normal. The flower can be placed in thin air or in a place that would not normally support it (save for water), so long as it is within range of the spell.

Each round on your turn as a free action, you can command the flower to emit fireballs in all directions within 100ft. All creatures within the radius are struck by dozens of tiny fireballs, dealing 15d6 points of fire damage per round. A Reflex save halves this damage, but due to the difficulty of dodging that many attacks, the saves suffer a -6 penalty. Additionally, the barrage of fireballs renders any squares within range as difficult terrain that round.

Hi Makim. This one may need more clarifying text. It's a hard one to price because it's good and at the same time possible to deal with if you know how the spell works.

Makim's Acid Hunters
Evocation [Acid]
Level: Sor/Wiz 13
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100ft + 10ft/level)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell creates a pair of small acid clouds that float around the target. If the target takes any action besides a move action or a free action, the clouds attack the target automatically. Treat this as two ranged touch attacks that deal 10d6 points of acid damage each. There is no limit to the number of attacks the clouds can make for the duration, each action besides a move action or a free action triggers two additional attacks.

However, the spell has limitations. The clouds follow the target, but can only move up to 50ft in a round. Creatures that move further than that leave the clouds behind, though the clouds will pursue them each around on the caster's turn, moving 50ft closer to them. The clouds can fly with perfect maneuverability as well as pass through anywhere air can pass through, such as the gap underneath a door.

This spells is known to Makim and a few of his most trusted lieutenants, it has not spread beyond that.

[Iron Dragoon]

Think this got a little lost: http://www.soulriders.net/forum/index.php/topic,104100.msg1113323.html#msg1113323

On second look, the spell already functions off of CL + casting stat for attack. I don't know why I was doing it otherwise.

[Iron Dragoon]

Could we get the Stone Skewers spell added to the Sorc/Wiz list? Transmutation damage spells are few and far between, and that one's already done, so it'd be a quick throw in.

[Iron Dragoon]

I wasn't sure what level to make this, so the +7 is just the sum of the weapon enchantments. Holy+2, Transmuting+2, each of the banes is +1.

Blade of the Righteous
Transmutation
Level: Brd +12, Sor/Wiz +12
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25ft + 5ft 2/levels)
Target: One weapon touched
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

The touched weapon become the pinnacle of evil slaying, becoming a +5 weapon of Holy Undead and Evil Outsider Bane of Transmuting. The affected weapon gains the Holy property, imparting an additional 2d6 points of damage against all of evil alignment. In addition, the weapon gains the Bane property against Evil and Lawful outsiders, as well as the undead. Finally, the weapon gains the Transmuting property, able to adjust its composition to overcome the DR of the target the round after a successful strike. It retains this composition until a new target is hit or for 10 rounds.

[Anastasia]

Okay, so it's basically Greater Visage + social bonuses + goldenfire, right?

Correct. The social bonuses are a discount voice of the dragon.

Okay, start at 9th since greater visage. Social bonuses push it to 10, since greater visage is a strong 9th level spell as it is. The last part's honestly hard to adjudicate. Let's try 12 for now, see how it shakes out balance wise.

[Anastasia]

Could we get the Stone Skewers spell added to the Sorc/Wiz list? Transmutation damage spells are few and far between, and that one's already done, so it'd be a quick throw in.

Okay.

[Anastasia]

I wasn't sure what level to make this, so the +7 is just the sum of the weapon enchantments. Holy+2, Transmuting+2, each of the banes is +1.

Blade of the Righteous
Transmutation
Level: Brd +12, Sor/Wiz +12
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25ft + 5ft 2/levels)
Target: One weapon touched
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

The touched weapon become the pinnacle of evil slaying, becoming a +5 weapon of Holy Undead and Evil Outsider Bane of Transmuting. The affected weapon gains the Holy property, imparting an additional 2d6 points of damage against all of evil alignment. In addition, the weapon gains the Bane property against Evil and Lawful outsiders, as well as the undead. Finally, the weapon gains the Transmuting property, able to adjust its composition to overcome the DR of the target the round after a successful strike. It retains this composition until a new target is hit or for 10 rounds.

Okay, the text claims it gives bane against evil and lawful outsider, but it's only evil outsider bane. That needs to be clarified on which you intend for it to be.