Combat Casting
Hello everyone, and welcome to another exciting edition of Obscure Arcana, where we bring you the best in new spells each and every week. This week I’ve been thinking a lot about the dilemma of multiclass mages, and how, for example, a fighter/sorcerer doesn’t have a lot of spells which help him reach his potential, and thus he ends up being far less powerful than either fighters or sorcerers. Thus, this week is devoted to spells that help characters who want to swing a sword, shoot a bow, or throw a dagger, as well as sling spells.
BATTLE DRAIN
School necromancy; Level sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 round/level
You can siphon the life force from your enemies when you damage them with a held weapon. Whenever you successfully damage a creature with a melee attack made with a manufactured weapon, you heal a number of hit points equal to the weapon damage dice of the weapon used in the attack (for example, a wizard who successfully dealt damage with a greataxe would regain 1d12 hit points on a successful hit).
BATTLE FOG
School conjuration (creation); Level cleric 4, sorcerer/wizard 4, witch 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, DF
Range medium (100 ft. +10 ft./level)
Effect fog spreads in a 20-ft. radius, 20 ft. high
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
You create a thick red fog which spreads in a 20-ft. radius cloud. This spell functions identically to the spell fog cloud, except that your vision is not obscured by the cloud, meaning that creatures within the cloud do not have concealment against attacks you make.
BOLT SLASH
School evocation; Level druid 4, magus 4, sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V
Range see text
Target see text
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Reflex partial; Spell Resistance yes
You call a bolt of lightning from the clear sky to strike in tandem with your weapon. You may only cast bolt slash outdoors. As part of casting this spell, make a single melee attack at your highest base attack bonus which, if successful, deals damage as normal for the weapon, but also causes a bolt of lightning to strike the target, dealing an additional 1d6 points of electricity damage per caster level (max 15d6 at 15th level). The target may attempt a Reflex save to take only half damage from the lightning bolt (he still takes normal damage from your weapon attack, whether or not he succeeds on this save). If conditions are stormy, the bolt instead deals 1d10 points of damage per caster level, to a maximum of 15d10 at 15th level. Even if you fail to overcome the target’s spell resistance, you still deal normal damage for the weapon attack.
PHANTOM BAT
School illusion; Level sorcerer/wizard 3, witch 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target one creature
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Will negates and Reflex partial, see text; Spell Resistance yes
You create an illusory image of a giant bat that flaps about the target in a distracting and unpleasant manner. If the target does not succeed on a Will save to disbelieve the illusion, the bat hampers his ability to fight, and each round, at the beginning of his turn, the target must succeed on a Reflex save or be denied his Dexterity bonus to AC until the beginning of his next turn.
SIEGFRIED’S ARMOR SOFTENER
School transmutation; Level sorcerer/wizard 1, witch 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a 1-inch square of rubber)
Range touch
Target armor or shield touched
Duration 1 min./level
Saving Throw Fortitude negates (object, harmless) Spell Resistance yes
You transmute the substance of the touched item in such a way that it retains its hardness and durability, but becomes like cloth to the touch. The affected object’s arcane spell failure chance is reduced by 5% per caster level, and its armor check penalty is reduced by 2. Any shield or armor bonus that it grants to AC is unaffected.