DM Nagging: It's pretty much my job

[Nephrite]

As a reminder, please get back to me on Shades.

[Anastasia]

As a reminder, please get back to me on Shades.

Refresh me?

[Nephrite]

You were going to arbitrate on whether or not it was limited to just conjuration and summoning spells, since the description doesn't actually mention that limitation and the lower version do.

[Anastasia]

It is so limited, we'll go with that and adjust if it needs adjusting.

[Iron Dragoon]

Okay, walk me through how this would work in practice.

So let's say I have a +3 Holy longsword of Bane: Evil Outsider. I use it as the target of this spell and it produces a temporary copy of that sword. Sorta the same way the spell Mage's Sword produces a sword. Or like a Phantasmal-whatever produces a copy of something, I suppose. That 'copy' of the sword is also a +3 Holy longsword of Bane: Evil Outsider, but also gains the same effects as Dancing Sword.

Effectively it cuts down having to cast Dancing Sword, Weapon of Energy, etc. to a single spell, and loads the cost of those effects into buying the magic item that's being xeroxed.

[Iron Dragoon]

That sounds right, barring the cost of the baseline item, which wouldn't be discounted. (The +1 great axe part, and doesn't it have energy draining too?)

Yeah it does. It's like 40k just for Life-Drinker. I dunno how'd that adjust cost factored in or anything.

[Iron Dragoon]

Detecting Map
The map you create must be of an area you have a thorough knowledge of. You must be familiar with the local flora, fauna, and geography. A Detecting Map can show you the location of any object, resource, or creature you desire. This effect displays and records the location of the detected item and is usable 3/day, and each use can display a different object, resource, or creature. The targets detected are displayed this way for 24 hours.

So it can show you the location of things on the map? Walk me through this, I'm not sure I grasp it or it needs a revision for clarity.

Basically, yeah. Sorta like Locate Object sorta thing. "Show me iron deposits" a few locations highlight. "Show me Jarem" or "Show me deer" and the position he's at highlights, but doesn't track/update. Just a single ping location, not constant.

Tracking Map
A Tracking Map can track the designated object, resource, or creature you desire in real-time. The map can only display one Tracking at a time, but can the target can be changed 3/day. The tracking effect lasts for 1 hour per character level of the creator.

Okay, so you make a map and it tracks the designated object, resource or creature? Sort of like a scrying effect that follows the target? What about if he goes off the boundaries of the map?

Sorta like a scrying, but you can't really see anything from it. Just a blip on the map. If it goes outside of known/recorded areas, you lose it. For example, you can't track someone through a city on a GPS if your GPS doesn't have a map of the city loaded. Well, I mean, I suppose you can, but you won't know they're on 3rd and North Avenue, for example. It'll just be a big blank grey space on the GPS screen. Think of it more like if they go outside of recorded space, you lose their GPS signal.

Map of the Universe
A Map of the Universe records all of the places its user has ever been. It records the area around the user up to 1 mile per caster level of the creator, and a single map records all locations, regardless of planes. Additionally, by laying the Map of the Universe over another map, it can copy all information into itself. Furthermore, the map can be changed to display any place that has been recorded and allow the user to travel to a designated point as a Greater Plane Shift spell 3/day. Finally, once per day, the user can use the map to display the entirety of the world they are on for 24 hours. They can use this revealed map to detect, track, and teleport anywhere in the world, though none of the information is permanently recorded unless the user travels to a specific location.

That sounds more like a magic item than an epic skill usage, frankly.

A lot of this feels like you're saying, 'I wanna make that one magic map from Harry Potter'.

Eh, I hadn't thought of it in the Harry Potter thing, but sorta, I guess? In my mind, it's more like a map you can put on a wall and scroll around through it like a tablet screen. Like in Command and Conquer style game. Go 'up' a layer/map and you go from like a mortal prime to a plane one step closer to a Celestial plane. Down a layer, closer to an infernal plane. If there's more than one planet in that mortal plane, you can zoom out to see the planet and then pan to a different one. Sort of like a holo-map, but on paper.

The reveal everything for 24 hours thing is so if, for example, I'm tracking someone that bounces to a world I've only been in one city on, but I *know* they're on that planet, I can reveal the whole thing for a day to find them. But if you find them after revealing, and then teleport to them, the city is permanently mapped out because you've been there. It's more like... I guess a precision guide for teleports/reveal fog of war type deal.

[Anastasia]

6/1/18: Added 4 spells from Sulia: 0: Glowing Water, Tinder Spark. 10: Mass Superior Vigor, 12: Noble's Demand.

4 new spells up, in case any of them help anyone.

[Anastasia]

Dragonfire Burst added to spell collection.

Seira's Arcane Thesis
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 10
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 with a +10 bonus on caster level checks for the purposes of overcoming spell resistance, and with 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.

From PM:

> Mmmm. If the counterspelling isn't anything new or crazy with the duration and not expiring, maybe...mmmm. It's basically a multitarget assay SR, which I'd put at something like level 6-7? Very roughly. Duelward is in the same range I think so a few more levels at least and then the DC bump. Hm. 13-14, very tentatively and not holding me to that since I have homework to do on that if it goes that far.

I haven't done that homework, will do it tonight and decide.

---

Did you add swift casting to each of the last three spells?

[Anastasia]

Blazing Radiance
Blazing Radiance
Evocation [Fire, Good]
Level: Sorcerer 12, Wizard 12, Duskblade 8
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25ft + 5ft/2 levels)
Effect: Ray
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

You blast your enemy with a fiery ray. The ray requires a ranged touch attack to hit and deals 1d12 fire damage per caster level (maximum 40d12). Undead struck by the ray take double damage.

Spell's fine (and fits duskblades well enough), but the doubler would bump it up to 13.

Greater Dispelling Breath
Abjuration
Level: Sorcerer 12, Wizard 12
Components: S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your breath weapon
Duration: 1 round/level

This spell functions as Dispelling Breath, except as noted here. The dispel check made is 1d20 + 1 per caster level (maximum +40). Dispels made with this check an automatically destroy an antimagic field, as well as affect anything a magic disjunction can.

Okay, so basically an upgraded spell here. Alright, let's take a look at the baseline spell. Okay, looks fine, it's pretty much a straight upgrade of the spell with magic disjunction stuff appended. Reasonable.

Three-Fold Breath
Transmutation
Level: Sorcerer 11, Wizard 11
Components: S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your breath weapon
Duration: 1 round/level

You bring other aspects of your arcane might into play, imbuing your fiery breath weapon with concussive force and bright light.

You imbue your damaging breath weapon with concussive force that can stun those caught in its area. Creatures that take damage from the breath weapon are blinded for 1 minute per caster level. They must also make successful Fortitude saves (DC equal to your breath weapon save DC) or be stunned for 1 round.

Let's not do no save blindness. The thing is, unless a creature has evasion, they're taking damage from the breath weapon regardless of the save. Therefore they're automatically blinded. The base spell specifics if they fail the save, not if they take damage from it.

Harmonic Breath
Transmutation
Level: Sorcerer 9, Wizard 9, Duskblade 6
Components: S
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your breath weapon
Duration: 1 round/level

Your energy breath weapon deals whichever energy type that is most beneficial to you. For example, a creature immune to acid and cold, with resistance to electricity 30 and vulnerability to fire would take all fire damage from your breath weapon's energy damage.

Entirely reasonable for the level. But as much as Donald would like it for his transformation as long as he's your proxy, it's simply not in the limited range of spells duskblades get, so that needs to go.

Seira's Unicorn Rainbow
Conjuration
Level: Sorcerer 11, Wizard 11
Components: V, S, F
Range: 120ft
Area: 120-ft. line
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell creates a rainbow of colorful unicorn arrows. The caster makes a ranged touch attack with a flanking bonus that applies to every creature within the area of the spell. Each creature determines hits and misses as normal, with a hit subjecting them to a pair of unicorn arrows. This effect is identical to an unicorn arrow created by Seira's unicorn arrow spell, except that each arrow deals 1d8+CL damage (maximum +40). Creatures struck by this spell are subject to sneak attack regardless of how far the caster is from them. This only applies if the caster has sneak attack and the creature would be subject to sneak attack in the first place. The pair of unicorn arrows attacking each creature are considered flanking with each other.

At the DM's discretion, other types of damage similar to sneak attack may apply to these arrows. Such could include skirmish and sudden strike damage.

Focus
An ivory replica of an eagle riding a unicorn worth 2,500 gold.

Seems alright, great for sneak attack types.

Healing Flames
Conjuration (Healing) [Fire, Good]
Level: Cleric 4, Paladin 4, Sorcerer 5, Wizard 5
Components: V, S, DF
Area: 10-ft.-radius burst, centered on you
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half; see text;
Spell Resistance: Yes

You unleash a blast of holy flames that washes over all creatures in the area in a glorious display of divine power. This deals damage to evil creatures and heals good creatures in the area. The amount of damage dealt and the number of hit points restored in each case is 1d8 points per 2 caster levels (maximum 5d8).

Half of the damage this spell deals to evil creatures is fire damage, and half of the damage is pure divine power that is therefore not subject to reduction by energy resistance to fire-based attacks.

Neutral enemies within the spell's area of effect also take the fire damage, but do not take the divine damage. Neutral allies within the area are healed by half as much as good creatures. A successful Reflex saving throw halves the damage taken in all cases.

I'd bump it up a level or two for 3.5. Multitarget healing is hard in 3.5. But the base spell idea isn't objectionable at all.

[Anastasia]

I want to use it but I'm not a cleric. Can it be part of the divine powerset or open to wizards or whichever?

No, sorry. Emily or Xera could cast it for you if yo need it and they're handy, though.

[Anastasia]

Okay, walk me through how this would work in practice.

So let's say I have a +3 Holy longsword of Bane: Evil Outsider. I use it as the target of this spell and it produces a temporary copy of that sword. Sorta the same way the spell Mage's Sword produces a sword. Or like a Phantasmal-whatever produces a copy of something, I suppose. That 'copy' of the sword is also a +3 Holy longsword of Bane: Evil Outsider, but also gains the same effects as Dancing Sword.

Effectively it cuts down having to cast Dancing Sword, Weapon of Energy, etc. to a single spell, and loads the cost of those effects into buying the magic item that's being xeroxed.

So basically you'd get 30 dancing swords or whatever your CL is?

[Anastasia]

That sounds right, barring the cost of the baseline item, which wouldn't be discounted. (The +1 great axe part, and doesn't it have energy draining too?)

Yeah it does. It's like 40k just for Life-Drinker. I dunno how'd that adjust cost factored in or anything.

Okay then. We'll consider that a +4 equivalent for the sake of adding things to it, so treat it as a baseline +5 weapon before you start improving it with item familiar.

[Iron Dragoon]

Okay, walk me through how this would work in practice.

So let's say I have a +3 Holy longsword of Bane: Evil Outsider. I use it as the target of this spell and it produces a temporary copy of that sword. Sorta the same way the spell Mage's Sword produces a sword. Or like a Phantasmal-whatever produces a copy of something, I suppose. That 'copy' of the sword is also a +3 Holy longsword of Bane: Evil Outsider, but also gains the same effects as Dancing Sword.

Effectively it cuts down having to cast Dancing Sword, Weapon of Energy, etc. to a single spell, and loads the cost of those effects into buying the magic item that's being xeroxed.

So basically you'd get 30 dancing swords or whatever your CL is?

Yeah. Chain Dancing swords gives me 21, so we can play with that if need be. -per CL was just something that seemed to fit.

[Iron Dragoon]

Okay then. We'll consider that a +4 equivalent for the sake of adding things to it, so treat it as a baseline +5 weapon before you start improving it with item familiar.

Okay, well, there's +10 in bonuses, meaning the total bonuses is +15. The chart only goes up to +10, so what would the math be on it? I toyed with the math, but the multiplier isn't consistent between the bonuses.