In Developement: New Spells and Enhancements for 4.2

[Quarion]

Here is the list of new spells we are currently working on for Update 4.2: Searing Heights:

Spells for Paladins:

Angelskin
Abjuration [Good]
Level: Pal 2
Components: V, S, DF
Target: Lawful Good creature touched (self or ally)
Duration: 6 seconds/level

The subject gains damage reduction 5/evil.

Holy Sword
Evocation [Good]
Level: Pal 4
Components: V, S, M

Channels holy power to turn a Blessed Cold Iron weapon into a +5 Holy Cold Iron weapon that grants its wielder a continuous Protection From Evil effect while equipped. The holy weapon is permanent, but is destroyed on dungeon exit. The House Jorasco Divine Reagent Vendor carries Blessed Cold Iron Greatswords, Bastard Swords, Longswords, Shortswords, Scimitars, Warhammers, Rapiers, Dwarven Waraxes, Khopeshes, Mauls, and Heavy Picks.

Spells for Clerics:

Chaos Hammer
Evocation [Chaotic]
Level: Clr 4
Components: V, S
Saving Throw: Will partial, see text.

You unleash chaotic power to smite your enemies. This spell deals 1d8 points of damage per two caster levels (max 5d8) to lawful creatures (or 1d6 points of damage per caster level (max 10d6) to lawful outsiders) and slows them for a short period of time. A successful Will save reduces the damage by half and negates the slow effect. The spell deals only half damage to creatures that are neither lawful nor chaotic, and they are not slowed. Such creatures can reduce the damage by half again (down to one quarter) with a successful Will save. This spell deals no damage to chaotic creatures, and can only be cast by chaotic or neutral casters - it has no effect when cast by a lawful caster.

Close Wounds
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Clr 2
Components: V
Target: One Ally, Self, or Undead Foe
Saving Throw: Will half

Close Wounds cures 1d4 points of damage + 1 point per caster level (maximum +5). This spell is quicker to cast than other cures and has no cooldown other than the one second global cooldown.

Nightshield
Abjuration
Level: Clr 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 minute/level

Grants a +1 resistance bonus to saves; this resistance bonus increases to +2 at caster level 6th and +3 at caster level 9th. In addition, this spell negates Magic Missile and Force Missile attacks directed at you.

Order's Wrath
Evocation [Lawful]
Level: Clr 4
Components: V, S
Saving Throw: Will partial, see text.

You unleash lawful power to smite your enemies. This spell deals 1d8 points of damage per two caster levels (max 5d8) to chaotic creatures (or 1d6 points of damage per caster level (max 10d6) to chaotic outsiders) and dazes them for a short period of time. A successful Will save reduces the damage by half and negates the daze effect. The spell deals only half damage to creatures that are neither lawful nor chaotic, and they are not dazed. Such creatures can reduce the damage by half again (down to one quarter) with a successful Will save. This spell deals no damage to lawful creatures, and can only be cast by lawful or neutral casters - it has no effect when cast by a chaotic caster.

Spawn Screen
Necromancy
Level: Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, DF
Target: One Ally/level
Duration: 1 minute/level

Protects you and your allies from rising as spawns of common undead after death. Certain very rare, exceptionally powerful creatures (with purple names) may be able to bypass this ward.

Unholy Blight
Evocation [Evil]
Level: Clr 4
Components: V, S
Saving Throw: Will partial, see text.

You call up unholy power to smite your enemies. This spell deals 1d8 points of damage per two caster levels (max 5d8) to good creatures (or 1d6 points of damage per caster level (max 10d6) to good outsiders) and sickens them for a short period of time. A successful Will save reduces the damage by half and negates the sicken effect. The spell deals only half damage to creatures that are neither good nor evil, and they are not sickened. Such creatures can reduce the damage by half again (down to one quarter) with a successful Will save. This spell deals no damage to evil creatures, and can only be cast by evil or neutral casters - it has no effect when cast by a good caster.

Spells for Bards:

Focusing Chant
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Brd 1
Components: V
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 minute

You gain a +1 circumstance bonus on attack rolls and skill checks for the duration of the spell.

Spells for Wizards

Spawn Screen
Necromancy
Level: Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, DF
Target: One Ally/level
Duration: 1 minute/level

Protects you and your allies from rising as spawns of common undead after death. Certain very rare, exceptionally powerful creatures (with purple names) may be able to bypass this ward.

Nightshield
Abjuration
Level: Clr 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 minute/level

Grants a +1 resistance bonus to saves; this resistance bonus increases to +2 at caster level 6th and +3 at caster level 9th. In addition, this spell negates Magic Missile and Force Missile attacks directed at you.

Ooze Puppet
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Target: One Ooze
Duration: 10 minutes
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates

You telekinetically take control of the targeted ooze, manipulating it and forcing it to move and attack as you see fit. Oozes dominated by this spell are slowed, and once a minute receive an additional save to attempt to free themselves. If the controlled ooze splits, you lose control of the resultant oozes.

New Enhancements for Bards:

Spellsinger:
Prereqs: Bard level 6, Bard Music of Energy 2, Bard Skill: Concentration 2, Bard Song Magic 2, Bard Lyric of Song 1, Any one of the following: Magical Training, Mental Toughness, Spell Focus: Enchantment, Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment, Empower Spell, Extend Spell, Heighten Spell, Maximize Spell

"Your studies into magic have granted you a +2 bonus to your Concentration and Use Magic Device skills, +100 Spell Points, and the ability to expend a use of Bardic Music to grant all nearby allies a +1 morale bonus to spell DC's and a 10% morale discount on spell costs.

Virtuoso:
Prereqs: Bard level 6, Bard Extra Song 2, Bard Skill: Perform 2, Bard Lingering Song 1, Bard Charisma 1, Any one of the following: Bard Extra Song 4, Skill Focus: Perform, Negotiator

"Your studies into song have granted you a +2 bonus to your Diplomacy, Listen, and Perform skills, 3 extra uses of Bardic Music per rest, and your beneficial songs last an additional 10% longer. You also gain the ability to expend a use of Bardic Music to enthrall multiple enemies, fascinating them and inflicting a -2 penalty to attack rolls and Will saves even if the fascination is broken."

Warchanter:
Prereqs: Bard level 6, Bard Inspired Attack 1, Bard Inspired Damage 1, Bard Inspired Bravery 2, Power Attack, Any one of the following: Weapon Focus: Slashing, Weapon Focus: Piercing, Weapon Focus: Bludgeoning

"Your studies into war have granted you a +2 bonus to your Intimidate skill. Your Inspire Courage song gains an additional +1 to attack rolls, +2 to damage rolls, and +1 to fear saves. If you possess the Barbarian Rage ability, you gain +1 use per rest. You also gain the ability to expend a use of Bardic Music to grant all nearby allies damage reduction 5/-."

Note you may only have one Bardic Specialization at a time

Bard Music of the Dead enhancement prerequisite changed to:

• Bard Level 6 (from 11)
• Any one of the following: Bard Extra Song IV or Bard Virtuoso I

Bard Music of the Makers enhancement prerequisite changed to:

• Bard Level 9 (from 11)
• Any one of the following: Bard Extra Song IV, Bard Virtuoso I, Warforged Construct Thinking III, Lesser Dragonmark of Making

Enhancement Changes for Rangers:

Ranger Vermin Empathy enhancement prerequisites changed to:

• Ranger Level 2 (from 11)
• Ranger Extra Empathy I and any one of the following: Favored Enemy: Vermin, Ranger Desert Lore 2, Ranger Swamp Lore 2, or Ranger Extra Empathy IV.

Ranger Elemental Empathy enhancement prerequisites changed to:

• Ranger Level 4 (from 12)
• Ranger Extra Empathy I and any one of the following: Favored Enemy: Elemental, Ranger Energy Resistance Boost III, or Ranger Extra Empathy IV.

Enhancement Changes for Rogues:

Way of the Assassin now has three different poisons available for use with Assassin’s Focus: Thoughtburn (Int damage and prevents casting for a short time), Icechill (Dex damage and slows the target's attack speed for a short time), and Soulshatter (Lowers the target's spell resistance by 10 and Will saves by 4 for a short time). A character may only have one Assassin’s Focus ability active at a time.

[joker965]

Good Stuff!

[Asal]

Will the holy sword be tradeable in a dungeon? I think most Paladin who will be able to cast that spell have a better weapon already. I see little use for the spell.

Angelskin is way too short a a buff to be much use.

[Mad_Bombardier]

Spellsinger = 10 APs & 1 feat spent
Virtuoso = 9 APs & 1 feat (or 10 more APs, but not til lvl 10)
Warchanter = 6 APs & 2 feats

If Virtuoso was Extra Song III, it would be pretty much even all the way around. But as it is, Warchanter seems a bit steep. Bards are not exactly rich in feats. And any reason why WF:Ranged and WF:Thrown are not options? Are Devs trying to tell us that ranged combatants really are less worthy than melee?

[Craigthegreat]

Spellsinger = 10 APs & 1 feat spent
Virtuoso = 9 APs & 1 feat (or 10 more APs, but not til lvl 10)
Warchanter = 6 APs & 2 feats

If Virtuoso was Extra Song III, it would be pretty much even all the way around. But as it is, Warchanter seems a bit steep. Bards are not exactly rich in feats. And any reason why WF:Ranged and WF:Thrown are not options? Are Devs trying to tell us that ranged combatants really are less worthy than melee?

Yes, and for some time now.

[Freeman]

Spellsinger = 10 APs & 1 feat spent
Virtuoso = 9 APs & 1 feat (or 10 more APs, but not til lvl 10)
Warchanter = 6 APs & 2 feats

If Virtuoso was Extra Song III, it would be pretty much even all the way around. But as it is, Warchanter seems a bit steep. Bards are not exactly rich in feats. And any reason why WF:Ranged and WF:Thrown are not options? Are Devs trying to tell us that ranged combatants really are less worthy than melee?

Don't forget that Virtuoso requires 3 action points be spent on the Bard: Perform enhancements, which currently have absolutely no use in the game as well. It is one thing to be forced to take enhancements or feats you don't want, it is another to be forced to take things that have no purpose in the game at all.

[ccheath776]

Question.
Will nightshield protect against the force weapon of the Titan?

[Drfirewater79]

[quote\]
New Enhancements for Bards:

Spellsinger:
Prereqs: Bard level 6, Bard Music of Energy 2, Bard Skill: Concentration 2, Bard Song Magic 2, Bard Lyric of Song 1, Any one of the following: Magical Training, Mental Toughness, Spell Focus: Enchantment, Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment, Empower Spell, Extend Spell, Heighten Spell, Maximize Spell

"Your studies into magic have granted you a +2 bonus to your Concentration and Use Magic Device skills, +100 Spell Points, and the ability to expend a use of Bardic Music to grant all nearby allies a +1 morale bonus to spell DC's and a 10% morale discount on spell costs.

Virtuoso:
Prereqs: Bard level 6, Bard Extra Song 2, Bard Skill: Perform 2, Bard Lingering Song 1, Bard Charisma 1, Any one of the following: Bard Extra Song 4, Skill Focus: Perform, Negotiator

"Your studies into song have granted you a +2 bonus to your Diplomacy, Listen, and Perform skills, 3 extra uses of Bardic Music per rest, and your beneficial songs last an additional 10% longer. You also gain the ability to expend a use of Bardic Music to enthrall multiple enemies, fascinating them and inflicting a -2 penalty to attack rolls and Will saves even if the fascination is broken."

Warchanter:
Prereqs: Bard level 6, Bard Inspired Attack 1, Bard Inspired Damage 1, Bard Inspired Bravery 2, Power Attack, Any one of the following: Weapon Focus: Slashing, Weapon Focus: Piercing, Weapon Focus: Bludgeoning

"Your studies into war have granted you a +2 bonus to your Intimidate skill. Your Inspire Courage song gains an additional +1 to attack rolls, +2 to damage rolls, and +1 to fear saves. If you possess the Barbarian Rage ability, you gain +1 use per rest. You also gain the ability to expend a use of Bardic Music to grant all nearby allies damage reduction 5/-."

[\quote]

OH NO YOU DIDNT

dont even tell me that your idea of coping out on prestige classes is to make them enhancements .......

ok we shouldnt have enhancements as is and we should have prestige classes so saying hey we are gonna implament them as the same thing isnt so bad right .... WRONG what happens to the other bonuses you are suppost to get like spell level increase special powers and abilites based on the level of prestige class you have

ar you planning on doing as enhancements instead of levels? are we gonna be taking prestige classes in our enhancements????

so now i will beable to have at max level a lvl 20 toon with 8 levels of a prstige class in enhancements making my toon an effective lvl 28 character?

dont get me wrong if that is what you are planning it would be cool take prestige classes as seperate levels so that you could max your toon and still have something to work for but we arent at lvl 20 yet and you already complain we are overpowered (which i think is bull punish good players for playing good) dont you think one of two things will happen here

1) we get way over powered cause we didnt have to trade levels for presitge class power

2) we dont get as much as we are suppost to get in the prestige class and we get huge player number drops again

really i love this game but its hard enough to find a party at some times if we lose anymore people it could get bad fast

read the books play a little real dnd from time to time ad remember what it means to be a fantasy relm game people play dnd to become powerful to slaughter there enmies and have them trembling in there wake

if it wasnt for that no one would play PnP

Dont under power us all the time and dont give us more then what we are expecting just give us what we are expecting from a game that deserves to be as good as its name sake and has that potential and you will get the old DDO'ers back especially with monks in the near future and with druids early next year plus getting to lvl 20 the game has lots of room to change and get better but we have to make it that far first lol

baby steps

[Spookydodger]

OH NO YOU DIDNT

dont even tell me that your idea of coping out on prestige classes is to make them enhancements .......

I think this is a foregone conclusion and one that most have been aware of for at least 2 months, when the new enhancement system came out.

I personally like this MUCH better.

• First, you can change these. I doubt we'll have any real way to respec our level choices, including prestige class choices

• Second, now you can mix-and-match more. You won't be locked into one set of benefits, as much.

• Third, easier development. It's much easier to implement these little nuggets of Prestige Classes than it is to develop a whole class, put in all the game changes (new icons, new trainers, new web entries, etc etc), and balance it with existing classes as a whole.

Otherwise enhancement lines would drive the games power above and beyond any hope of being near pnp with a whole new line of power levels available in the game.

To harken back to the line from an ooooold commercial with a little DDO bastardaization: Enhancement lines as prestige classes: you're soaking in it!

[MysticTheurge]

Granted. But really, this weapon only replaces at most, what, 2 bane weapons? Lawful evil outsider and Chaotic evil outsider (or evil outsider?)?

The vast majority of creatures in the game are evil, and thus are affected by holy. The only ones that aren't (that I can think of off the top of my head) are Animals, Vermin, Elementals, Oozes, Constructs and some Aurum members.

Pretty much all Orcs, Goblinoids, Reptilians, Giants, Undead, Elves (Drow), Dwarves (Duergar, and with the exception the aforementioned Aurum Members), Aberrations, Dragons, Monstrous Humanoids, and Magical Beasts (though a few of these might be neutral too) are evil.

So, in essence, Holy affects half, if not more, of the things in the game, whereas a Bane weapon will only affect a small portion of them.

I personally like this MUCH better.

• First, you can change these. I doubt we'll have any real way to respec our level choices, including prestige class choices

• Second, now you can mix-and-match more. You won't be locked into one set of benefits, as much.

• Third, easier development. It's much easier to implement these little nuggets of Prestige Classes than it is to develop a whole class, put in all the game changes (new icons, new trainers, new web entries, etc etc), and balance it with existing classes as a whole.

I dislike them, partly for the very reasons you give and partly because I disagree with your reasons.

1. "Prestige Classes" should be choices as important as taking a level in anything else. You shouldn't be able to just switch from one to another on a whim. The enhancement version of the system essentially lets you be an assassin one day and a thief-acrobat the next. This is out of keeping with the way the prestige class system is designed to work.

2. You can mix-and-match less. In the real prestige class system you can take however many levels of however many prestige classes you want. If you want to be half one thing and half another you can do that with all the same benefits and penalties that come with regular multiclassing. The enhancement system prevents you from doing this by limiting you to one "prestige class" at a time.

3. Regardless, prestige classes are a large part of D&D 3.5 and ought to be given the development time they deserve. Enhancements, on the other hand, are something Turbine made up out of whole cloth with more than their fair share of development time (including an entire update devoted to fixing them) and have actually done much of what you worry the prestige system would do (create drastic imbalances between various races and classes).

[gpk]

The vast majority of creatures in the game are evil, and thus are affected by holy. The only ones that aren't (that I can think of off the top of my head) are Animals, Vermin, Elementals, Oozes, Constructs and some Aurum members.

Pretty much all Orcs, Goblinoids, Reptilians, Giants, Undead, Elves (Drow), Dwarves (Duergar, and with the exception the aforementioned Aurum Members), Aberrations, Dragons, Monstrous Humanoids, and Magical Beasts (though a few of these might be neutral too) are evil.

So +5 holy (+3 holy of righteousness) easily available in AH or pawn shops, but I'm gonna cast a spell to save on repair costs? A level 6 +1 greater bane is +5+3d6, not +5 +2d6. When ppl "hunt" for greater banes they hunt for +3s/ alignment/elemental greater banes which puts em at least 2d6 more than a +5 holy.

Ah you got me. I typo'd. Mea culpa and all that. So now fix the sentence to read "2nd level spell" and "8th level paladin" and pretty much everything else stays the same.

Really how many paladins are going to waste their 1st level 2 slot on DR5 for 6 seconds/lev? Do paladins get 2 level 2 slots at level 8? Nothing changes huh, are the mobs the same you fight at level 4? Is the equipment available to you the same? Context loses out again huh.


For the record much stuff has deviated from pnp, heck just recently power critical is no longer weapon type specific but gives +4 to crit confirmation to ALL weapon types. Ask yourself why? My hunch is that it was too weak by DDO standards and not worth a feat. That's a clear deviation from pnp isn't it?

Because the value of the spell depends on the loot level of the gameworld. Some D&D spells and class abilities essentially function as equipment replacements. In a game world with a level of loot above or below what is recommended in the DMG, you would need to raise or lower the power of those abilities to keep things balanced.

This is most obvious if you consider monks. In a world with no magic items, monks are the best melee class. But with the over-abundant items in DDO, monks would be inferior (unless Tubine buffs them in other ways, which they surely will). Similarly, the Holy Sword spell substitutes for a magic item of a certain level. In the boosted loot of DDO it is less useful than it was in PnP.

It seems to be such a difficult concept to grasp and I'm not exactly sure why.

[Blakinik_Norguild]

Unholy Blight
Evocation [Evil]
Level: Clr 4
Components: V, S
Saving Throw: Will partial, see text.

You call up unholy power to smite your enemies. This spell deals 1d8 points of damage per two caster levels (max 5d8) to good creatures (or 1d6 points of damage per caster level (max 10d6) to good outsiders) and sickens them for a short period of time. A successful Will save reduces the damage by half and negates the sicken effect. The spell deals only half damage to creatures that are neither good nor evil, and they are not sickened. Such creatures can reduce the damage by half again (down to one quarter) with a successful Will save. This spell deals no damage to evil creatures, and can only be cast by evil or neutral casters - it has no effect when cast by a good caster.

So we can start making evil characters I take it as well? Noticed alot of evil aligned spells being brought in....

[The_Cataclysm]

So we can start making evil characters I take it as well? Noticed alot of evil aligned spells being brought in....

That's only 1 evil aligned spell which can be used by neutral characters.

[Blakinik_Norguild]

That's only 1 evil aligned spell which can be used by neutral characters.

D'oh!

Your right. I was seeing Chaotic and thinking evil... Muah Bad.

[Voxreal]

the new spells oare cool and all but when are we going to see some basic spells like silence and fly that we are able to cast?

[Lorien_the_First_One]

the new spells oare cool and all but when are we going to see some basic spells like silence and fly that we are able to cast?

I'd guess never. Fly (or heck, the basic rope/climbing skills) would turn several key quests into easy to bypass fun due to the simplistic way they were built. In Cruicible for example you would just climb/fly up and wipe out all the attackers overhead in the maze and then drop back to the end of the maze so you could complete the objective. No silly door switches while being pummelled from overhead. In VON2 you could skip the maze and 2 of the beholders entirely as well as avoiding falling off with a basic fly spell.

Nope, not gonna happen.

[MysticTheurge]

Fly (or heck, the basic rope/climbing skills) would turn several key quests into easy to bypass fun due to the simplistic way they were built.

As a DM you simply manage this by finding reasons why Fly won't work. You shouldn't do it all the time, but in some cases it's perfectly reasonable. Like in the Crucible maze. Either make it a no-fly zone (magic of some sort) or give it a one-way roof; you can fall down, but you can't fly up.

[Drfirewater79]

This is so patently false, it's laughable.

Go check the sources on some of our spells and feats.

Or you know, Warforged.

ok let me clear it up warforged and some of the spells and feats that are not from the basic players handbook or the basic dungeon masters guide are found in the Ebberon players handbook and the ebberon dungeon masters guide

the only other books i see them using myself if MMI MMII and there messed up version of creatures (which i love ) that dont belong in any books that i know of

i own the spell compendium all the complete books and almost all the asseccory and race books up until march of last year

and to tell ya the truth there isnt much if anything that comes from anything other then a book that says players handbook (be it ebberon ravenloft or the desert one or oriental adventures or etc) or the DMG or MM/FF books

but please if you know something let me know i would love to look it up



dragon marks at least where a step in the right direction but really a non role playing straight power toon weather fighter or caster cant afford to waste feats to get a tattoo i mean really why the hell would my dwarf fighter want a dragon mark when he could be taking dual weilding or power attack or cleave or specializations or improved crit ....... dragon marks suck for the most part

how about spend the next year going one book at a time and making a update just for it like a complete arcane update or a races of dragon update or a herros of horror linked to a bunch of undead missions and missions made to spook and fear introduce lycanthropy and have it so when we get bit until we die there is a chance we will change into a wolf which would be a great lead in for druid next year and dont come out with one race and class a year man take a couple months of updates off giving out loot weekends in there place and come out with a new race or class every three months there is so much people want to see that you cant possibly be out of ideas and there are so many people that have faith in the future of this game and the possibilities are endless as to how this game could one day be the best mmo available instead of just another game to play so i dont go to WOW

i mean shoot make us pay for it if ya want put a group together that works just on implamenting new races and classes to the game and put out paid expansions if you dont buy it you cant play as the races or classes and maybe be locked out of the city where you train as one at higher levels that way people can still play with there current account if they are happy with there options and the things they will be missing out on and others can happily throw there money at you for whatever advantages come with the update

and please if this is your plan for what to do after we hit 20 then please say it so we can stop wondering if we will ever see the races and monster races that we love to play in pen and paper dnd or the classes that we all figured would be in this game at launch considering NWN2 had most of them on there list of garunteed classes and races months before launch (I knew about NWN2 having warmages before ddo came out and nwn didnt come out for almost what 5-7 months after ddo launch?

not trying to be pushy but it seems the future of this game and its development (what these forums are listed as) never seems to get any feedback as to what you the dev;s are taking to heart and really we want to know what you have planned we dont want to waste our money playing the game hoping that one day you will do something we want to have you say yes warmages are planned for the future dont know when yet but possibly next year some time after druids

or

no we are not currently looking at any other races or classes this year

just let us know what to expect maybe make a dev created post called the future of ddo question and answer

[Vendra]

I only really have a comment for the new healing spell close wounds. Granted in the PnP its way overpowered for a second level spell because of the little bit of text that says 'if you cast this right after an ally takes damage it immediately negates the damage' so that’s that tank, you just got hit with a maximized and empowered polar ray, no problem I just cast this level 2 spell and all that damage is immediately negated. However there is of course no way to really do this in the online version and even with the fast casting time that you have set up for it there is still the 1 second timer between spells we have to deal with. It’s a complete waste of a second level spell in the online version because it heals so very little. Unless there is a way to improve it its really a waste of time and I would rather have the spell “resist elements mass” which is a 3rd level spell from the spell compendium.

[Mad_Bombardier]

I would rather have the spell “resist elements mass” which is a 3rd level spell from the spell compendium.

Resist Energy, Mass is a 4th level spell in the Spell Compendium.