In my time as a DM I've seen some pretty interesting uses for spells come out of my players. Things one wouldn't expect can turn the tide in battle, get an amazing amount of work done, and so forth.
This thread is for all my fellow DM's to share their 'creative spell' experiences and, if you like, to post new spells you've written up for your campaigns. I'm particularly interested in Baklunish magic and have been rummaging for good spells out of the old Al'Quadim books.
I'll start...
Casting Maze on yourself to get out of a deadly trap or imminent ambush.
Years ago, in 2nd edition, I used a wall of force to kill a half dozen or so quicklings that were running circles around the party. High speed, low hit points + unbreakable, invisible wall = bug on windshield effect. After the first few plowed into it the rest got saves, but it was by far the most effective spell of the night. Plus it made for a lot of laughs.
"Lifeproof" was the spell out of AQ that stuck with me. If I recall, it was 7th level or so and made it so the target could not be killed from HP loss. A disemboweled foe who keeps fighting can be a disheartening opponent for even the haughtiest PC and experienced most experienced player!!
In the AoW game I'm running the party fell for the defense plan of the temple of Hextor and ends up trapped and becoming pin cushions. The cleric used Obscuring Mist allowing him to heal the rest of the party in relative safety and forcing the guards and clerics to come down and fight on the ground. Really, he saved the party's bacon with that one, cause by the time he cast it only two out of six party members were still concious.
When coming up on an attack on a noble in the city by a gang of ruffians, I used Ghost Sound to sound like the guard's horns they use to summon ech other. Defeated the encounter without a single swing of the blade :)
The city guard were somewhere between ticked and appreciative.
I've also found many a pit trap with create water :)
the 3.x version of Dancing Lights has a "medium sized humanoid" option. Many was the time when my wizard, not wanting to use a spell that may be more useful later on but still wanting to be useful, summoned a glowing man next to an enemy and sucked off several attacks before they realized they couldn't hurt it or be hurt by it.
Stone to Flesh: the arcane Create Food spell. An essay on its uses and limitations.
By Varthalon Fitz-Amanodel.
As with many arcane spells, Stone to Flesh has applications other than its primary goal of rescuing lost souls from the stone gaze of medusi and basilisks. One such often over-looked alternate is as a source of high-quality food for many. The world of stone to fleshed meats is a wonderful culinary universe open for the inquisitive mind and taste buds to explore. First, let us discuss some general guidelines for stone/meat selection then a few cautions, finally we’ll finish up with some of my personal favorites.
Now, all stone tastes different, ask any xorn, and the same holds true after you have converted it to flesh, so your initial selection is very important to the end results your going to achieve. The first rule to remember is in the type of rock involved. Generally, Sedimentary rock is considered the lowest quality for our purposes, while Igneous rock generally are the highest quality. The quality of Metamorphic rock varies widely and while some, like marble, are excellent for our purposes, others like schist and slate, are totally unsuitable.
A second factor to consider is the condition of the rock itself. Worked stone often produces a richer, ‘domesticated’ flavor to its meats, while native stone is usually ‘gamier’ in flavor. Avoid stones that have lain exposed to direct sunlight for long periods of time. I also prefer to cut my steaks from the interior of the stone, for hygienic reasons.
A quick word about rare and special meats. While I LOVE a good necklace of diamonds converted, dipped in lemon sauce and brazed over a slow flaming sphere I’d caution the casual dinner to be careful with converting rare and precious stones to meats… generally they produce the most exquisite of meals, but some of them are highly addictive (see my essay on the dietary habits of dragons for more details into this addiction). Also, preparing stone from other planes (and even the elemental plane of stone) can produce unexpected results and should only be done under strictly controlled circumstances (I recommend at least a reinforced pentacle with low-level protections spells pre-cast). But for the true connoisseur, such efforts are worthwhile.
Seasoning are also important. Your spell component pouch contains most of your basic seasoning and I encourage you to experiment. More experienced chiefs will want to carry expanded seasoning kits. In general, avoid necromantic components, which tend to give the meat a slightly spoiled taste. Evocation components add some kick and summoning components often have interesting lingering aftertastes. Another piece of advice, allow the meat to warm naturally to room temperature before starting and always use a normal flaming sphere for your cooking (keeping the meat 18 inches from the flames)
Here are four of my personal favorites… I love marble, it produces a very dense meat veined with rich fat which promotes an excellent flavor throughout when cooking. Another favorite is Archean rock, this is among the oldest types of stone known to dwarf and elf and the meat they produce is very, very tender. Granite is naturally salty and thus doesn’t require any further spell components of seasoning. Finally, while sandstone usually produces a low-grade, gritty meat, my mentor had a way of breading it that made it a wonderful comfort food.
Wizard with toad familiar (or other simular very small familiar). Give the familiar a Hand of the Mage (magic item that allows the wearer to cast mage hand at will). The Amulet and the familiar are probably under 5 lbs in weight. The familiar can now use the mage hand to 'fly' himself around. Whheeeeeee! Zooming toad!
I'm particularly interested in Baklunish magic and have been rummaging for good spells out of the old Al'Quadim books.
One spell I've always thought would have a great Baklunish flavor (Istus and all) is "Fog of Fate." But you'd have to develop the mechanics of the spell since it's only been used, to my knowledge, by a character named Harkle Harpell in R. A. Salvatore's Drizzt books. I've never seen the spell actually written out.
"Fog of Fate" conjures a deep mist that surrounds the caster and those with him, after a few minutes the fog disburses and those that were within it find that they have been transported to a new location. The spell transports those effected where they need to be to be to accomplish their goals but does not give them any controll over where that actually is.
I've always thought that it would be an excellent spell for any campaign. If your players aren't sure what they should do next they can cast the spell and the DM can put them wherever he wants... a universal plot hook / find adventure mechanic.
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