Starcrunch's comments on Arcane Spells

[Demivrgvs]

Sleep looks overpowered for a level 1 spell. Even at a save at -0. It's a multi target disabling spell. Emotion will of course have better saving throws but it's almost the same effect 4 levels higher (Emotion is actually quite handy for much of BG2, I like it to disable beholders/gauths in particular).

At low level Sleep works exactly as it did before, and even allows sleeping creatures to awake if hit (though this is only mentioned in the in-game description sorry). During SoA it should be powerful but more creatures than you think are usually higher in levels than the party. In ToB it will become very limited because it won't affect creatures with more than 20 HD/levels.

 

I'm truly sorry but it seems I've forgot a quite important change I've made a long time ago and left unchanged. Emotion: Hopelessness has been replaced by Emotion: Despair (which inflicts -4 penalty to thac0, damage rolls and AC to every enemy, similar to greater malison but allows a save and affects physical attributes). I've made the change because, exactly as you noticed, improved Sleep much do the same and with a -4 penalty it seemed too much powerful to me (emotion wouldn't allow a creature to awake even if hit). Obviously I'll restore the original Emotion spell if most players think it's better.

Truestrike: Hah! I've been thinking about making that very spell. It's one of my favorite 3E low level spells.

I'm glad you like it, it has some potential and replaces a spell that unfortunately was completely useless.

Protection: pretty powerful for a level 3 spell.

I don't know, I think only playtesting will reveal if it is overpowered, but at the moment I find this the only solution to make it appealing.

Prismatic Spray: What is changed?

I've changed the damage from magical to elemental (fire, acid and electrical), and I've replaced romance/loot-breaking effects with something else. Furthmore it previously allowed a single save vs. spell while now it has multiple and different saves. The result is the following.

 

Red - 20 points of fire damage (save vs. breath half)

Orange - 40 points of acid damage (save vs. breath half)

Yellow - 80 points of electrical damage (save vs. breath half)

Green - Death (save vs. poison reduces to 20 poison damage)

Blue - Permanently stunned (save vs. polymorph neg.)

Indigo - Feeblemind (save vs. wands neg.)

Violet - Maze (save vs. spell neg.)

Sphere of Chaos: Looks pretty overpowered at level 7. I think also that the change sort of dips it into an area that should make it reserved for Wild Mages... Not really sure, it just rubs me wrong.

I'm unsure too, but remember it allows a save. As with other spells playtesting is the only solution.

Horrid Wilting: Does it retain it's silly party friendly state?

Unfortunately I can't change it, else it would ruin the AI (enemies will continue to cast it without knowing that the spell now kills them too). The least I could do has been reducing the damage, though the save penalties make it very powerful against some creatures.

I like most of the rest very much.

Thanks, and thanks especially for sharing your opinions and suggestions, it's always very useful to any modder to know what players think.