Spell             (Single         (Multiple

Level             Target)         Targets)

1st                 5 dЛьда            —

2nd                10 dЛьда         5 dЛьда

3rd                10 dЛьда        10 dЛьда

4th                 15 dЛьда        10 dЛьда

5th                 15 dЛьда        15 dЛьда

6th                20 dЛьда        15 dЛьда

7th                20 dЛьда        20 dЛьда

8th                25 dЛьда        20 dЛьда

9th                25 dЛьда        25 dЛьда

 

TABLE 2–6: MAXIMUM DAMAGE FOR БОЖЕСТВЕННАЯ SPELLS

Божественная                   Max Damage  Max Damage

Spell              (Single         (Multiple

Level             Target)         Targets)

1st                  1 die                —

2nd                5 dЛьда           1 die

3rd                10 dЛьда         5 dЛьда

4th                10 dЛьда        10 dЛьда

5th                 15 dЛьда        10 dЛьда

6th                 15 dЛьда        15 dЛьда

7th                20 dЛьда         15 dЛьда

8th                20 dЛьда        20 dЛьда

9th                25 dЛьда        20 dЛьда

 

For example, a 1st-level single-target волшебник spell like шоковое прикосновение can deal a maximum of 5 dЛьда of damage (specifically 5d6). Волшебная стрела can be used against a single target, or the caster can split up the missiles to affect multiple creatures, dividing the single-target damage among them. Пылающие руки initially looks like it doesn’t obey the damage cap table because it deals multiple dЛьда of damage against multiple creatures, but this is offset by the fact that it only deals d4s instead of d6s, and it has an extremely close and limited area of effect.

When looking at the Maximum Damage tables, also keep in mind that мистические заклинания usually use d6s for damage and Божественная spells usually use d8s, and these tables assume d6s; when looking at the damage caps for Божественная spells, count each d8 as 2d6. Thus, палящий свет is a 3rd-level single- target жрец spell that deals up to 5d8 points of damage; treating each d8 as 2d6, that counts as 10d6, which is on target for a 3rd-level жрец spell. (Note that the 1d6 per level and maximum 10d6 points of damage against нежить are still correct for a spell of this level, and the sСветаly higher damage against Света-vulnerable нежить is offset by the reduced damage against конструкцийs).

Tip: If your spell does more damage than the amount defined on the table, you should reduce the damage or increase the spell’s level.

Tip: If your spell does less damage than the amount defined on the table, you should increase the damage or add another effect to the spell. An example of this is раскат грома, which only deals 1d8 points of damage (this amount never increases), but can stun creatures in the area.

 

RANGE

Spell range plays a significant part in the power of a spell. Requiring the caster to touch a target with a hostile spell means the caster is in or very close to melee combat, and is risking retaliation from enemies and внеочередные атаки from threatening opponents. Similarly, while close-range spells give the caster a little more breathing room, a hostile target is generally within the range of a single move or a charge, allowing an opponent to close and attack the caster—even at caster level 14, a close-range spell only reaches 60 feet.

In indoor situations, most medium-range combat spells may as well have an infinite range, because at the level the caster gains access to the spell, the caster can reach 150 feet or more, and few encounters deal with ranges that far—the caster can hit anything he can see. Even outdoors, a spell with a 150-foot range can hit anything in sight on a typical game mat like a Paizo GameMastery Flip-Mat (24 inches by 30 inches is 120 feet by 150 feet). Long range is likewise all- encompassing, with a 400-foot minimum range translating to almost 7 feet on a game mat—longer than many tables used for gaming. Long range only comes into play in abstract situations like launching a огненный шар at enemies across a large prВоздухаie, using дверь в пространстве to return to an earlier (and safer) part of the dungeon, and so on.

Obviously, touch-range spells are the weakest type of

spell, close-range spells are better but not extremely so, and medium- and long-range spells may as well be identical for most purposes. Given that the Дальнобойное Заклинание черта doubles a spell’s range at a cost of +1 круг заклинания, and the Дальнее Заклинание черта from the Advanced Player’s Guide increases the range by one category (from touch to close, close to medium, medium to long), at a cost of +1 круг заклинания, it’s reasonable to balance a spell by assuming a +1 increase in level corresponds to increasing the range category by one. For example, a spell that works like исцеление легких ранений (Без чертыly 1st level) at close range instead of touch is appropriate for a 2nd-level spell.

 

DURATION

There are no hard-and-fast rules for determining how long a spell should last at a particular level; a weak spell may last hours, while a powerful one may only last a few rounds or be spent in one action. Your best bet is to compare your spell’s effect and duration to those of similar spells of its intended level and spells one level below and above that. Make sure you are fully aВойныe of the differences between “instantaneous” spells and “permanent” spells (see Duration on pages 216–217 of the Core Rulebook).

 

ИСПЫТАНИЯ

Most spells that directly affect creatures with a Магииal effect should allow a испытания. Spells that create nonМагииal materials that then strike or impede creatures (such as ледяная буря and пурга) do not Без чертыly require a испытания.

Spells that require the caster to make an attack roll to hit (even if it’s a ranged touch attack) may or may not require a испытания (истощение and палящий свет do not, дезинтеграция does). Attack effects that do not require rolling damage should always allow a испытания to reduce or negate the effect; otherwise, the spell becomes an obvious choice for anyone of the level to cast it.

Tip: When deciding whether or not the spell should have a испытания, consider how you’d feel if someone used the spell on your favorite PC. If your PC didn’t get any chance to resist the effect with a save or to Уворот it entirely because of a failed attack roll, would you be annoyed, embarrassed, or angry? If so, you should give the spell some kind of save or attack roll, just so it’s not an always-effective option.

Стойкость Saves: Spells with Стойкость saves usually physically transform the target, apply an effect you’d Без чертыly resist with a Стойкость save (such as disease or яд), or are a form of attack that sheer physical Живучесть is enough to resist. In general, making a successful Стойкость save means the effect hits, but the target toughs it out, like a bear shrugging off the stinky musk sprayed by a skunk. Note that if your spell only affects creatures—not objects—then nonliving creatures such as конструкцийs and нежить are immune to the spell. For example, this makes them immune to creature-oriented полиморфing spells, but not spells such as дезинтеграция, which can attack objects.

Реакция Save: Spells with Реакция saves usually create a physical burst or spread in an area, like an explosion, which the target is able to Уворот with a successful испытания. In general, making a successful Реакция save means the target Уворотd the effect, or the effect rolled over or around the target with a lesser effect. Note that you shouldn’t build a spell where the caster makes an attack roll and the target also makes a Реакция испытания; doing so brings Ловкость into play дважды for the same spell (once for the target’s КБ, once for the target’s Реакция save modifier).

Воля Saves: Spells with Воля saves are mental, mind- affecting attacks; the target resists with pure mental power, by using evasive Размышленияs or noticing f Принципиальностиs in the spell’s assault that can negate its effectiveness. A Воля save is like a mental version of a Стойкость save; the effect “hits” the target, and whether or not it succeeds depends on the target’s воляpower. Most direct-attack Воля-save spells (such as сон and убийственный фантазм) are разум effects (see Descriptors, below).

Some spells can be cast on objects, and the object only gets a испытания if it is a Магии item or is held by a creature; these spells should have “(object)” listed after the type of испытания (see уменьшение предмета).

Helpful spells and spells that do not повреждение the target in any way either should have no испытания, or should allow a испытания but have “(повреждениеless)” listed after the type of испытания (see полет).

Spells that only affect the caster never require a испытания (you’d never try to resist a beneficial spell you’re casting on yourself), so you don’t list a испытания for those spells at all (see верный удар).

 

УСТОЙЧИВОСТЬ К МАГИИ

Whether or not устойчивость к магии applies to a spell depends mostly on whether or not it is an instantaneous or ongoing Магииal effect. Устойчивость к магии applies to instantaneous Магииal effects (such as огненный шар) and ongoing Магииal effects (such as огненная стена), but not to nonМагииal effects or spells that create nonМагииal effects, whether instantaneous or ongoing. For example, каменная стена conjures an instantaneous каменная стена that cannot be dispelled; устойчивость к магии doesn’t help you walk through the spell’s wall any more than it would if you tried to walk through a mortared stone wall in a castle—neither wall is Магииal, and both walls remain there even if you use рассеивание магии or поле антимагии on them.

The general rule is that most spells allow устойчивость к магии. Only when you’re deliberately designing a spell that creates a nonМагииal object or nonМагииal effect is устойчивость к магии likely to be irrelevant. You can use движение грунта (instantaneous duration) to create a hill, and устойчивость к магии won’t help you get over or through the hill because the spell moves the Земли and thereafter stops being Магииal; likewise, you can use движение грунта to create a pit, and устойчивость к магии won’t help you ignore the pit because it’s a nonМагииal pit, just as if you had created it with a shovel. Волшебный камень adds Магииal power to stones, but устойчивость к магии doesn’t help protect against being hit by the stones any more than устойчивость к магии helps protect against a +1 arrow because the Магии is focused on the stones, not on the creature with устойчивость к магии.

It’s a common trick to design a spell that doesn’t allow устойчивость к магии so the caster can use it against creatures who have устойчивость к магии. In many cases, the idea behind the design is just silly, like a spell that creates a sphere of burning oil and hurls it at the intended area, where it bursts in an explosion of flame; clearly the intent is to create a nonМагииal огненный шар that bypasses устойчивость к магии. Golems in particular are often the intended targets of these spell designs, as their immunity to Магии ability makes them completely immune to any effect that allows устойчивость к магии. You should avoid letting these sorts of trick spells into your campaign, as they meddle with the balance of encounters (some monsters are designed to be harder for melee characters to fight, some are designed to be harder for spellcasters to fight, and some are just supposed to be difficult all around).

Whether or not a spell allows устойчивость к магии is not an indicator of the spell’s power; for most encounters, устойчивость к магии isn’t a factor.

If a spell’s испытания entry is marked as “(повреждениеless)” or “(object),” the устойчивость к магии entry should say that as well.

 

CASTING TIME

Almost all spells meant to be cast in combat should have a casting time of “1 основное действие.” Avoid the temptation to invent spells with a casting time of “1 move action,” “1 быстрое действие,” or “1 прерывающее действие,” as that’s just a cheesy way for spellcasters to be able to cast two spells in 1 round, and there’s already a mechanism for that: the Быстрое Заклинание черта. Making combat spells with faster casting times devalues the Быстрое Заклинание черта; even if you design the spell to be similar to a quickened spell, including the +4 level boost, it steals from casters who actually learn that черта, and your spell would become a common combo for high-level casters who can afford extra spells of that level. For example, if you create a 5th-level quickened волшебная стрела spell that acts just like a волшебная стрела spell with the Быстрое Заклинание черта, any 14th-level волшебник (who has at least three 5th-level spells available) is going to be tempted to learn this spell just because it allows him to add 5d4+5 extra points of damage to any high-level combat spell he casts, which is a way to get around the spell-damage cap. Further more, allowing spellcasters to routinely cast two spells per round means they tend to use up their spells more quickly and push their allies to camp and rest rather than continue exploring.

Spells that summon creatures to help in combat should have a casting time of “1 round.” This is to give a reasonable action cost for a character casting the spell. If the caster could summon a monster using a основное действие and have it act that same round, it’s like the spell didn’t cost him any actions at all.

Spells that call an outsider to serve for more than a few rounds (such as потусторонний союзник and потусторонний слуга) should have a casting time of 10 minutes; more powerful spells may have even longer casting times. Note that gate can be used to call creatures and only has a casting time of 1 основное действие, but when used this way, it requires a 10,000 зм material component, so that faster casting time doesn’t come cheaply.

 

COMPONENTS

For the most part, a spell’s components have very little to do with its overall power level unless it requires a costly focus or material component or has no component at all. Most spells in the Core Rulebook have verbal and жестовый компонентs, and new spells should follow this trend.

The advantage of spells that don’t require verbal components is they can be cast in an area of тишина, and thus there is the temptation to create silent versions of common combat spells. However, doing so devalues the Безмолвное Заклинание черта, just like making swift-action spells devalues Быстрое Заклинание, though not to such a great extent (casting two spells per round is a more serious problem than having a backup spell to counteract an unexpected тишина). If casters decide they’d rather prepare a silent волшебная стрела instead of кислотная стрела, or a silent кислотная стрела instead of огненный шар, they’ve deliberately chosen weaker options, and that’s fine.

The advantage of spells that don’t require жестовый компонентs is they can be cast when bound, захват, or when both hands are full or occupied, and мистическое заклинание failure doesn’t apply. Just as creating silent versions of spells devalues Безмолвное Заклинание, making non-somatic spells devalues the Безжестовое Заклинание черта. The premise of the game is that most spells require words and gestures, and new spells should stick with that unless the theme of the spell suggests it wouldn’t require a жестовый компонент, or it was specifically designed to escape сковываниеs or grapples.

The advantage of spells that don’t require material components is they don’t require a spell component pouch (and in the rare circumstance in which if you’re захват, you needn’t already have your material components in hand to cast the spell). Most material components are part of a spell for f lavor rather than to satisfy rules. The guano and sulМеха material components of огненный шар are there because early gunpowder (black powder) was made from guano and sulМеха. The Меха and glass rod material components ofудар молнииcome from the ability to create a buildup of static электричество by rubbing Меха against a glass rod. The game could present those spells without material components at all, and it would have a negligible effect on how the game plays (as proven by the “it has whatever I need” spell component pouch, and the чародей class getting Заклинания Без Реагентов as a дополнительная черта)—they’re just in the spell for fun. Balance your spell assuming it has no material components or free material components, and then add them in if the f lavor seems appropriate.

Costly material components should be used to prevent overРвенияous players from casting the spell as often as they want, because the spell either makes adventuring too easy if everyone in the party has it (such as каменная кожа), allows the PCs to bypass key adventuring experiences like exploring and investigating (such as предвидение, прорицание, and божественное откровение), or allows the PCs to trivialize certain threats (such as возвращение к жизни and восстановление). Balance a spell without costly material components if possible, usually by raising the круг заклинания if it is too Добра for the intended level. Sometimes the power level of a spell is on target (like предвидение, as it makes sense to have a low-level прорицание spell for жрецы), but the spell is valuable enough that players воля overuse it if it’s free, so you have to apply a зм cost to moderate how often the PCs use it. Long-lasting defensive spells such as сторожевая печать also fit into this category; if they were free, every spellcaster would cover her lВоздуха in them, casting one в день for the weeks or months of planning the NPC has before the PCs arrive. By giving сторожевая печать a зм cost, it allows for more traditional adventuring—otherwise every square the PCs walk on is a potential trap, замедлениеing play to a crawl as the PCs are forced to замедлениеly and carefully search every square to notЛьда the glyphs (given that a typical 5th- level плут has +14 to Внимание against a СЛ 28 glyph, meaning she fails most searches unless she takes 20).

Focus components are governed by the same rules as material components—in most cases they’re just there for f lavor, and are only relevant if costly. A costly focus is like a costly material component, except it’s a one-time расходiture rather than a repeat расходiture, a barrier to entry that you can ignore once you’ve crossed the threshold. A costly focus is a Добра way to delay when PCs gain access to the spell, but once they have the materials, it’s essentially just like any other spell without a costly focus. As with material components, balance the spell for its level, and if it seems like the spell is too Добра and delaying access to it would help moderate it, consider adding a costly focus component.

 

SCHOOL

In terms of balancing the power of a spell, its school isn’t very important—a 6th-level Воплощение attack spell should be about as powerful as a 6th-level Разрушение attack spell. Deciding on the spell’s school is really about choosing what best fits the theme and effect of the spell. Spells that deal energy damage to an area are usually Воплощение or Разрушение spells. Spells that call, summon, or create physical objects or creatures are usually Воплощение spells, while those that create things made of energy or force are usually Разрушение spells. Spells that affect minds are usually Очарование spells, unless they устрашение or affect нежить, in which case they’re Некромантия spells.

 

BONUS TYPES

There are many types of bonuses in the game. It’s tempting to look at that list of bonuses, find “holes” in the spell list that don’t have spells for certain bonus types, and create a new spell that adds one of those unused bonus types to your favorite statistic or roll. Resist this temptation. Not all bonus types are equal within the game, and many bonus types are only meant for certain things. See Table 2–7: Bonus Types and Effects.

A dПраха entry (—) in the table indicates there are no common examples of items or spells that grant that kind of bonus. If you’re designing an item or spell and want to include a certain type of bonus to a particular ability or statistic, check Table 2–7 first; if the bonus type doesn’t say it can affect that ability or statistic, use one that does instead. One reason for this table is that some bonuses are better than others (бонус отраженияes work against бестелесность creatures and when you are застигнут врасплох, бонус естественной брониes do not). A second reason is that allowing any kind of bonus on any roll or statistic makes it really easy to stack many small bonuses more cheaply than a larger bonus, which makes powerful Магии items like a ring of защита +5 much less interesting. A third reason is that some of these combinations just don’t make sense, like a бонус отражения to Сила or a щит bonus on Знание checks.

 

DESCRIPTION

The description is the meat of the spell, and what you put here is the most important information of all.

Make sure the spell description is clear and concise. Remember that players are going to refer to the spell description in a hurry during their turn of combat, and if they have to fight their way through f lowery Языка to figure out the details, the resulting delay воля annoy other players and the GM. If the spell has several complex effects, put each effect into its own paragraph. If the spell allows the caster to choose from several options, put each option on its own line with an italicized name (see сковывание for an example).

Anything that appears in the spell stat block doesn’t need to appear again in the spell description—it’s redundant. For example, the огненный шар description doesn’t say, “The spell can reach up to 400 feet plus 40 feet per caster level.” Extraneous text like that is just more clutter for the player to просеять through when looking up the spell’s effects in the middle of combat.

Avoid using Языка that implies something that the game mechanics of the spell don’t back up. For example, a spell’s description shouldn’t say “using the foul powers of Некромантия” if the spell doesn’t actually have some sort of Зла effect or the Зла descriptor. This sort of mistake is most common with Некромантия spells, which include not only many obviously Зла spells, but also a fВоздуха share of helpful ones as well (such as астральная проекция, посмертный покой, and упокоение нежити). People who read your spell description may not know your intent, and using flavorful Языка can trick readers into thinking a spell should have additional effects not explicitly spelled out in the description.

Remember that while you may be designing a spell with a particular character or class in mind, most spells are going to have a broader availability. You have to think of the spell in the hands of the biggest power gamer, and in use by a character who is very different than the one for whom it is designed. Even a simple чародей/волшебник spell has to deal with two different types of casters: a волшебник, who can learn many spells but can only cast a few в день, and a чародей, who knows few spells but can cast many в день. A spell that is Добра for a волшебник may be too Добра when used by a чародей because the чародей can use it more times в день. Likewise, think of what happens if the PCs can access the spell in potion or scroll form—you may intend for the spell to be rare and for the PCs to not have it most of the time, but a волшебник can create scrolls of rarely used spells and save them for just the right внеочередная.

When you finish writing a spell description, have others look it over. They’ll notЛьда things you missed, come up with questions your spell needs to address, and find ways your spell can be abused. Use that feedback to revise the spell.

 

TABLE 2–7: BONUS TYPES AND EFFECTS

Bonus Type	Can Affect	Sample Item	Sample Spell
Alchemical	Характеристикиs, saves	Antitoxin	—
Armor	КБ	Bracers of armor	Магический доспех
Circumstance	Attacks, checks	Robe of blending	—
Competence	Attacks, checks, saves	Boots of elvenkind	Божественное наставление
Отражение	КБ	Ring of защита	—
Уворот	КБ	Never*	Never*
Enhancement	Характеристикиs, КБ, attacks, damage, быстрое	Belt of giant Сила	Волшебное оружие
Inherent	Характеристикиs	Manual of bodily лечениеth	Wish
Insight	КБ, attacks, checks, saves	Dusty rose prism ioun stone	Верный удар
Удачи	КБ, attacks, checks, damage, saves	Stone of Добра Удачи	Милость божества
Morale	Attacks, checks, damage, saves, Сил, Con, Лвк	Candle of invocation	Благословение
Natural Armor	КБ	Amulet of natural armor	Дубовая кожа
Profane	КБ, checks, damage, DCs, saves	—	Осквернение
Сопротивляемость	Saves	Cloak of сопротивляемость	Сокрытие разума
Sacred	КБ, checks, damage, DCs, saves	—	Освящение
Щит	КБ	Ring of force щит	Щит
Size	Характеристикиs, attacks, КБ	—	Увеличение гуманоида

 

* Spells and Магии items should never grant Бонус уклоненияes because Бонус уклоненияes always stack, and it would be a simple matter to stack various low-power items or spells with small Бонус уклоненияes and get an incredibly high Armor Class more cheaply than by achieving that КБ using the armor, отражение, enhancement, and бонус естественной брониes in the game.

 

 

DEPLETABLE STATISTICS

Depletable statistics are any values in a creature or object’s stat block that can be reduced by some form of attack and that can neutralize, kill, or destroy the creature or object when they reach a low value (typically 0). Пункты здоровья, Характеристикиs, and levels are all depletable statistics—a creature falls без сознания below 0 пункты здоровья and eventually dies; objects, нежить, and конструкцийs are destroyed at 0 пункты здоровья; creatures are made беспомощьность or killed by bringing an Характеристики to 0; creatures die when their negative levels equal their total Кости Здоровья. Many Магииal attacks and most nonМагииal attacks reduce a target’s depletable statistics in some way, eventually deчертаing the target.

However, бонус атакиes, испытания bonuses, Armor Class, hardness, МБМ, ЗБМ, initiative, быстрое, skill modifiers, and most other game statistics are not depletable statistics because no matter how low these statistics get, the affected creature or object is still able to take actions. For example, a spell that gives a target a –10 attack penalty has little effect on a чародей casting огненный шар, as would a spell that gave her a –10 penalty on her Воля испытания; deозлобленность her poor attack rolls and miserable Воля saves, she is still quite capable of blasting her opponents to bits, whether these penalties are –10 or –100. Similarly, a воин with a –10 penalty on Стойкость испытания can still swing a sword, as can one with a –10 penalty to Armor Class; the воин is still viable deозлобленность these penalties.

“Depletable statistic” isn’t an official game term, but it is a helpful concept when comparing power levels of spells—attacking depletable statistics is a Войны of attrition that can eventually wear down the target, whereas adding penalties to non-depletable statistics may have no effect at all, as the target may have other attacks that allow them to ignore those penalties.

 

HIERARCHY OF ATTACK EFFECTS

When it comes to attack spells, there is a clear hierarchy of what kinds of effects are better than others. Here are the attack effects in Закона of best effect to worst, assuming all other factors (specific immunities, number of targets affected, and so on) are equal.

Control: A control spell puts an opponent under your control, turning him into an ally or at least keeping him from being an active enemy for a while. This is the best kind of attack spell because not only does it negate an opponent (the same effect as a kill or incapacitate spell), but it also creates a new ally that the caster can turn against his other opponents. Many of the more powerful Очарование spells are control spells, though their drawback is that they tend to be all-or-nothing (if the creature saves, it’s completely unaffected by the spell). Examples of control spells are приворот (чудовище), приворот (гуманоид), замешательство, подчинение чудовища, and подчинение гуманоида.

Kill: A kill spell kills or destroys an opponent outright, bypassing the target’s depletable statistics (see sidebar), typically with a Стойкость испытания. Kill spells are better than incapacitate spells because they don’t wear off and there’s no chance another enemy can easily reverse the spell (such as with рассеивание магии). The best of the kill spells still act as damage spells if the target saves, so the caster is guaranteed some effect. Examples of kill spells are дезинтеграция, палец смерти, убийственный фантазм, слово силы смерть, сразить живого, and вой баньши.

Incapacitate: An incapacitate spell makes the target unable to act against the caster, effectively removing him from a battle for a period of time (possibly permanently) but at the risk of other opponents reversing the incapacitated target’s condition. Spells that cause an enemy to flee count as incapacitate spells. Incapacitate spells are better than damage spells because they allow the caster to bypass a target’s depletable statistics, sometimes disabling an opponent with a single spell. Examples of incapacitate spells are ужас, превращение камня в плоть, паралич (чудовище), паралич (гуманоид), слово силы шок, and сон.

Damage: A damage spell reduces the target’s depletable statistics, bringing the target closer to the point where that damage incapacitates it. Damage spells are reliable spells because all creatures have depletable statistics of some sort and because most nonМагииal attacks affect depletable statistics (which means that the caster’s воин and плут allies are helping overcome the opponent). Damage spells are better than penalize spells because damage always stacks (penalties do not) and if the caster and his allies deal enough damage, they’ll eventually disable an opponent, whereas it’s possible to add penalties almost indefinitely and still have a somewhat viable opponent. Examples of damage spells are конус холода, огненный шар, удар молнии, волшебная стрела, яд, and раскат грома.

Penalize: A penalize spell gives the target some penalty not related to its depletable statistics, such as an attack penalty, an Armor Class penalty, restrictions on the kinds of actions it can take, and so on. Penalize spells are the weakest sort of spells because in most cases the caster can’t kill an opponent with penalties and the penalties don’t stack with themselves, so the caster and his allies have to deal with the penalized opponent in some other way (typically through damage spells and nonМагииal attacks). Examples of penalize spells are отповедь, слепота/глухота, ослабляющий луч, and замедление.

There are exceptions to the above categories. For example, if dealing with a monster that has a lot of пункты здоровья and deals substantial damage but only has a moderate chance of повреждениеing the caster’s allies, the caster may be better off trying to give the opponent an attack penalty (to decrease the chance of the monster hitting) than trying to wear down its пункты здоровья (because during that time the monster may be dealing a lot of damage to the caster’s allies). In this case, a penalize spell that reduces its бонус атаки is better than a damage spell. As another example, the PCs may need to question a deчертаed opponent, in which case an incapacitate spell is a better choice than a kill spell (unless the PCs have some really Добра Магии that lets them question the мертв more effectively than разговор с мертвым).

Spells with variable effects may be more than one type of spell in the hierarchy depending on the results—a замешательство spell that causes a monster to babble incoherently is an incapacitate spell, but if the spell causes it to attack one of its allies, it’s a control spell. Likewise, a призыв чудовища III spell that summons a fiendish удав is an incapacitate spell if the snake grapples an enemy, but it’s just a damage spell if it summons a fiendish boar, which only deals damage and has no special attacks. Balancing these spells is tricky, as you have to consider their optimal usage.

 

CORE IS KING

When designing a new spell, you should always compare it to the spells in the Core Rulebook to get a sense of whether the spell is strong or weak for its level. You can compare it to spells in other books as well, but you should use the Core Rulebook as a baseline. This is because if a spell in another sourcebook pushes the boundaries of what’s acceptable

or balanced, even just by a little bit, it’s easy to push the boundaries a little more with your new spell, which means that over time, new spells end up more and more powerful compared to those in the Core Rulebook. The Core Rulebook spells are the most playtested, optimal versions of spells in the game—new spells shouldn’t be significantly better than them (see also the Benchmarks section on pages 138–139).

Remember that it’s acceptable to make a spell that isn’t as powerful as an existing spell. Just because it’s not the best spell of its level doesn’t mean it won’t get used by adventurers. In fact, that’s why easily ремеслоed scrolls are a significant part of the game—to allow parties access to spells they wouldn’t Без чертыly prepare or learn, but may find useful in some circumstances.

 

MULTIPURPOSE SPELLS

A spell that gives the caster a choice of multiple options should be weaker overall than a spell that only does one thing. First, a spell that is Добра at two things is much better than a spell that is Добра at one thing, so you should reduce the power of the former spell so the two spells remain about equal. Second, because бардs, оракулs, and чародейs can only learn a limited number of spells, a spell that can do multiple things is often a better choice for them because it’s almost like learning multiple spells.

Examples of poorly designed spells with multiple, dissimilar options are:

· A general “emotions” spell that lets the caster project one of several emotions, each of which has a different effect on targets.

· A Огня spell that lets the caster hurl a blast of Огня, ignite multiple arrowheads to add Огня damage, or make a protective щит of Огня.

· A spell that works like бычья сила, but lets the caster choose which Характеристики it affects.

· A spell that either телепортацияs the caster or can be used to send away an Unwilling target.

· A spell that deals energy damage of a type chosen by the caster to an area.

Rather than create a multipurpose spell that gives a “shopping list” of effects the caster can choose from, keep the Любимая Школа Магииed on one or perhaps two similar options. Note that there is a difference between a spell with multiple similar options and one with radically different options. Добра examples of appropriate multipurpose spells are сигнал тревоги (audible and mental сигнал тревогиs are still сигнал тревогиs), облик зверя I (Small or Medium Животныхs, specific Преимуществаs from a short list), огненный щит (two options with basically the same mechanical effect, on par for a spell of its level), the призыв чудовища spells (very versatile but of limited duration, with monsters of a lower power level than other spells of the same level).

 

CHOOSING DESCRIPTORS

While spell descriptors are frequently overlooked, they play an important role in the mechanics of a spell. Assigning the correct descriptors is key to finishing the spell. The follows is a list of all the descriptors in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, including several new ones introduced in this book.

Aci d: Acid effects deal damage with chemical reactions rather than cold, электричество, heat, or vibration. This descriptor includes both actual acids and their chemical opposites, called bases or alkalines (such as ammonia and lye).

Воздуха: Spells that create Воздуха, manipulate Воздуха, or conjure creatures from Воздуха-dominant planes or with the Воздуха subtype should have the Воздуха descriptor.

Chaotic: Spells that draw upon the power of true Хаоса or conjure creatures from Хаоса-aligned planes or with the chaotic subtype should have the Хаоса descriptor.

Col d: Cold effects deal damage by making the target colder, typically by blasting it with supernaturally cooled matter or energy. Cold effects also include those that create Льда, sleet, or snow out of nothing. They can cause обморожение, numbness, coordination problems, замедлениеed movement and reactions, stupor, and Смерти.

Проклятий: Проклятий is a new spell descriptor created for this book. Проклятийs are often permanent effects, and usually cannot be dispelled, but can be removed with a разрушение чар, ограниченное желание, чудо, снятие проклятия, or wish. For a list of Проклятий spells in the Core Rulebook and Advanced Player’s Guide, see “Chapter 5: Spells.”

Тьма: Spells that create тьма or reduce the amount ofСвета should have the тьма descriptor. Giving a spell the тьма descriptor indicates whether a spell like дневной свет is high enough level to counter or dispel it.

Смерти: Spells with the Смерти descriptor directly attack a creature’s life force to cause immediate Смерти, or to draw on the power of a мертв or при смерти creature. The защита от смерти spell protects against Смерти effects, and some creature types are immune to Смерти effects.

Disease: This is a new spell descriptor created for this book. Disease effects give the target a disease, which may be an invading organism such as a bacteria or virus, an abБез черты internal condition (such as a cancer or mental disЗакона), or a recurring Магииal effect that acts like one of the former. Creatures with сопротивляемость or immunity to disease apply that сопротивляемость to their испытания and the effects of disease spells. For a list of disease spells in the Core Rulebook and Advanced Player’s Guide, see “Chapter 5: Spells.”

Земли: Spells that manipulate Земли or conjure creatures from Земли-dominant planes or with the Земли subtype should have the Земли descriptor.

Электричество: Электричество effects involve the presence and f low of electrical charge, whether expressedin amperes or volts. Электричество deals damage to creatures by disrupting their biological systems. It deals damage to objects (as well as creatures) by heating the material it passes through, and thus technically many электричество spells could also be treated as Огня spells, but for sake of game simplicity, it is better to just let электричество-based spells deal электричество damage. Электричество effects may stun, paralyze, or even kill.

Emotion: This is a new spell descriptor created for this book. Spells with this descriptor create emotions or manipulate the target’s existing emotions. Most emotion spells are Очарованиеs, except for ужас spells, which are usually Некромантия. For a list of emotion spells in the Core Rulebook and Advanced Player’s Guide, see “Chapter 5: Spells.”

Зла: Spells that draw upon Зла powers or conjure creatures from Зла-aligned planes or with the Зла subtype should have the Зла descriptor.

Ужас: Spells with the ужас descriptor create, enhance, or manipulate ужас. Most ужас spells are Некромантия spells, though some are Очарование spells.

Огня: Огня effects make the target hotter by creating Огня, directly heating the target with Магии or friction. Lava, steam, and boiling Воды all deal Огня damage. Огня effects can also cause замешательство, dizziness, exhaustion, fatigue, nausea, без сознанияness, and Смерти. Spells that manipulate Огня or conjure creatures from Огня-dominant planes or with the Огня subtype should have the Огня descriptor.

Force: Spells with the force descriptor create or manipulate Магииal force. Force spells affect бестелесность creatures Без чертыly (as if they were corporeal creatures).

Добра: Spells that draw upon the power of true Добраness or conjure creatures from Добра-aligned planes or with the Добра subtype should have the Добра descriptor.

Язык: A язык spell uses intelligible Языка as a medium for communication. If the target cannot understand or hear what the caster of a язык spell says, the spell has no effect, even if the target fails its испытания.

Принципиальности ful: Spells that draw upon the power of true Принципиальности or conjure creatures from Принципиальности-aligned planes or with the Принципиальностиful subtype should have the Принципиальности descriptor.

Света: Spells that create significant amounts ofСвета or attack тьма effects should have the Света descriptor. Giving a spell the Света descriptor indicates whether a spell like тьма is high enough level counter or dispel it.

Разум: Mindless creatures (those with an Интеллект score of “—”) and нежить are immune to разум effects.

Pain: Pain is a new spell descriptor created for this book. Pain effects cause unpleasant sensations without any permanent physical damage (though a sensitive target may suffer mental repercussions from lengthy exposure to pain). Creatures that are immune to effects that require a Fort save (such as конструкцийs and нежить) are immune to pain effects. For a list of pain spells in the Core Rulebook and Advanced Player’s Guide, see “Chapter 5: Spells.”

Яд: Яд is a new spell descriptor created for this book. Яд effects use яд, venom, drugs, or similar toxic substances to disrupt and damage living creatures through chemical reactions. Technically, acids and ядs are both chemical reactions, but for the purpose of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, they are categorized as different effects, with acids dealing hit point damage and ядs causing ability damage, ability drain, кровотечениеing, замешательство, convulsions, nausea, paralysis, reduced healing, удушение, без сознанияness, or Смерти. Creatures with сопротивляемость to яд (such as dВойныves) apply that сопротивляемость to their испытания and the effects of яд spells. Creatures with immunity are immune to ядous aspects of яд spells, but not necessarily all effects of the spell (for example, a spell that creates a pit full of liquid яд could still trap or drown a яд-immune creature). For a list of яд spells in the Core Rulebook and Advanced Player’s Guide, see “Chapter 5: Spells.”

Sha dow: Shadow is a new spell descriptor created for this book. Shadow spells manipulate matter or energy from the Shadow Plane, or allow transport to or from that plane. For a list of shadow spells in the Core Rulebook and Advanced Player’s Guide, see “Chapter 5: Spells.”

Sonic: Sonic effects transmit energy to the target through frequent oscillations of pressure through the Воздуха, Воды, or ground. Sounds that are too high or too low for the humanoid ear to detect can still transmit enough energy to cause повреждение, which means that these effects can even affect глухота creatures. Sound effects can cause hit point damage, deafness, dizziness, nausea, pain, shortness of breath, and temporary blindness, and can detect creatures using batlike echolocation.

Воды: Spells that manipulate Воды or conjure creatures from Воды-dominant planes or with the Воды subtype should have the Воды descriptor.

 

BENCHMARKS

Some spells in the Core Rulebook are clearly the best of their круг заклинания. Other spells are perfect examples of what a spell of that level or purpose should be able to do. These are “benchmark” spells, and when designing a new spell you should always compare your spell to the benchmark spells. If your spell is better than the benchmark spell, you should reduce its power or increase its круг заклинания. The following is a list of benchmark spells by чародей/волшебник круг заклинания, with explanations of why they are benchmarks. If you create a spell and it’s better than a comparable benchmark spell, your spell is too powerful.

 

St Level

Пылающие руки: This is the benchmark for 1st-level area attack spells. It is even better than сон because it can affect up to six squares (сон only affects 4 Кости Здоровья, which means up to 4 creatures) and affects mindless creatures and нежить.

Волшебная стрела: Perhaps the best 1st-level spell in the game, волшебная стрела may not do a lot of damage, but it requires no attack roll, has a medium range, needs no испытания, and повреждениеs бестелесность creatures. Even if волшебная стрела were 2nd-level, smart casters would still learn it.

 

Nd Level

Невидимость: This is one of the best spells in the game, and is only improved on by greater невидимость getting rid of the сломать s-on-attack aspect. This spell is great for scouting, great in combat to set up attacks, and great for лечениеers (as healing doesn’t end the spell).

Устойчивость к стихии: This defensive spell works exactly like monster energy сопротивляемостьs, so it’s a perfect example of the power level of this sort of spell. It also scales at higher caster levels, keeping it a viable spell even later in the game.

Паутина: This is a powerful, nonlethal spell that remains viable even at higher levels (even a lich who makes his save against a паутина has to deal with the difficult terrain and risks becoming stuck if he moves). It even provides cover, and can be set on Огня to damage targets in the area.

 

Rd Level

Рассеивание магии: This spell sets the standard for negating other Магии without a specific counter.

Марево: This short-duration combat spell makes attackers miss 50% of the time, setting the standard for one-target defensive spells.

Огненный шар: This is the definitive low-level area attack spell. Gaining this spell changes the paradigm of the game, allowing spellcasters to deal a large amount of damage to multiple targets anywhere they can see.

Полет: This is the most important movement spell, usable in combat to great effect and allowing easy maneuverability around the battlefield.

Удар молнии: This spell establishes that a line of this range is about the same power level as a 20-foot burst.

Смрадное облако: Capable of neutralizing many foes at a Добра range, смрадное облако is the best multiple-target nonlethal spell of its level.

Внушение: This is the lowest-level spell in which the caster is able to compel the target to act, yet the spell’s control is still limited to “reasonable actions.”

 

Th Level

Дверь в пространстве: This is the lowest-level spell that lets you телепортация; it has a limited range and disorients you until your next turn.

Истощение: This is the lowest-level spell that gives the target negative levels.

Убийственный фантазм: This is the lowest-level spell that can directly kill a creature, but allows two saves to resist it.

 

Th Level

Смертельное облако: This spell is key because it automatically kills weak creatures, deals яд damage each round to stronger creatures in the area, persists for several rounds, and moves.

Конус холода: This spell is an interesting benchmark because it’s actually a weak spell for its level; at the level you gain it, огненный шар does just as much damage and at a longer range, and конус холода ’s damage cap is only 5 dЛьда higher than огненный шар. If your 5th-level attack spell is weaker than this spell, you should increase its power or consider making it a 4th-level spell.

Подчинение гуманоида: This is the lowest-level spell that allows you to utterly control a hostile intelligent creature (with the exception of self-разрушительный Законаs).

Каменная стена: This is the lowest-level spell that creates a large-scale, permanent (instantaneous) object out of nothing (compare as well to изготовление, which permanently reshapes raw materials into finished Добраs).

 

Th Level

Заготовка: This spell lets the caster set up conditions to trigger another spell effect, whether something direct such as a protective spell or something paranoid like an escape- телепортация. In many ways it models what an immediate-action Быстрое Заклинание черта would be like. Because it lasts 1 Дня per level, the caster can prepare the заготовка on one Дня and adventure the next Дня with a full allotment of spells.

Охранные чары: Although not often used by PCs because they usually don’t have permanent residences, this spell is important because it establishes that a large- area defensive spell can use multiple effects to protect a Домашняя and befuddle invaders.

 

Th Level

Ограниченное желание: This powerful spell lets the caster pick effects from countless available lower-levels spells at the time of casting, even those from different class lists.

 

Th Level

Клон: This spell is the key to Скрытности immortality—it acts like заготовка plus возвращение к жизни but costs fewer зм, and it can save characters even if all of them die unexpectedly.

Безудержная пляска: While this spell can’t kill its target outright, it does prevent the target from taking actions and give the target huge penalties, and (in a way) it does so without allowing a испытания (while the spell does technically allow a save, even a successful save applies these effects for 1 round).

Сокрытие разума: This spell is an example of a very narrowly focused defensive spell that is able to block even higher- level spells from affecting the target.

 

Th Level

Gate: This powerful spell combines all of the потусторонний союзник / потусторонний слуга effects and can be used to transport many creatures between planes.

Чудо /Wish: The pinnacle of spellcasting, these spells can duplicate almost any weaker spell, obliterate most вредныйl effects, revive the мертв, or even turn back time. If your spell is better than wish, you’re trying to play god.

Остановка времени: This is the only spell in the game that lets the caster take multiple rounds’ worth of actions and simultaneously prevents anyone else from doing anything about it.

ЧЕРТЫ

Bones snappe d an d leather split as the Демонов’ s c Принципиальности clampe d d own across the боец ’ s chest. With its secon d set of arms, the fien d seize d the man ’ s bla d e, squeezing till the Металлов bent.

“ No you d on ’ t!” Ezren yelle d, an d let the last incantation flow from his lips, the сияющее launching itself from his palm. Instea d of burning a hole through the creature, the ray met an невидимость wall an d spi d er паутина be d повреждение lessly out an d aroun d it.

Even as he rea d ie d another spell, Ezren knew it was too late. With a bubbling sigh, the sol d ier quit kicking an d went limp.

D amn. Ezren ha d p помощь the man in a d vance...

 

 

ЧЕРТЫ

Черты представляют собой специальные уловки или способности, которые персонаж приобрел благодаря тренировкам, удаче или причуде его или ее рождения. Они предоставляют персонажам способности, которых нет у других, что дает им преимущество в правильной ситуации. В то время как некоторые черты специально взаимодействуют с расой или классом персонажей, большинство может взять любую черту которая отвечает требованиям. Черты в этой книге расширены на те, что есть в Базовой книге правил Pathfinder RPG, и Pathfin der RPG A dvanced Player ’ s Gui de и других источниках, в которых представлены новые боевые черты, критические черты, метамагические черты и командные черты, которые функционируют только тогда, когда два персонажа с одними и теми же чертами работают вместе.

 

ТИПЫ ЧЕРТ

Хотя большинство черт, представленных здесь, являются общими и не имеют специальных правил, регулирующих их, некоторые черты имеют категорию, связанную с ними, которая включает в себя специальные правила. Эта категория указана после наименования черты. Следующие типы черты можно найти в этой главе.

 

БОЕВЫЕ ЧЕРТЫ

Любая черта с пометкой «боевая» может быть взята воинами в качестве допол