Speed Spells
I like to move fast, especially while sitting comfortably at a table when physical exertion is the last thing on my mind. In all seriousness, though, movement speed is a fun and often overlooked element of game play. If you don’t know, you’ve probably never been a monk before. It’s a great feeling to have 80+ feet of movement speed during game play: not only do you get to go wherever you want on the battlefield and still get to attack, or cast a spell, or whatever else you like, you get to do it while your GM cries out, “How far can you move!?” Similarly, welcome to out-racing pretty much everything. Bad guys on a horse? No sweat. Screaming rockslide that moves 150 feet every turn? Left in the dust. My point is that moving fast is cool, and I thought some great new spells to let you move faster would be cool also.
COWARD’S FLIGHT
School transmutation; Level alchemist 1, antipaladin 1, bard 1, sorcerer/wizard 2, witch 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a hunk of cooked goose)
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 minute/level (D)
You gain momentous speed, as supernatural winds wrap you in a defensive cocoon and also spur you along at a great rate. Your movement speed increases to 100 feet and you gain a climb speed of 30 feet and a swim speed of 30 feet. Additionally, in any round in which you move at least 10 feet, you gain a dodge bonus to AC equal to 1/2 your caster level (to a maximum bonus of +5 at 10th level). This bonus lasts until the beginning of your next turn. If you use the run action, you move at 6 times your speed (600 feet), instead of the normal amount, and if you have the frightened or panicked condition, all your movement speeds are doubled. Finally, if you make an attack or cast a spell which targets a creature or which includes a creature in its area, coward’s flight immediately ends and you gain the shaken condition for 1 minute, as the remaining cowardly forces are absorbed by your body.
SPEED TRAP
School transmutation; Level alchemist 2, antipaladin 2, bard 2, bloodrager 2, ranger 2, sorcerer/wizard 3, summoner 2, witch 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M/DF (a cone made from red glass)
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 round/level (D)
You are surrounded by a whirling red aura, which causes you to move faster, and entraps those who would strike against you. Your movement speed increases by 30 feet. Additionally, whenever a creature makes an attack of opportunity against you, he must succeed on a Will save, or else the spell saps his speed away, and he gains the staggered condition for the remainder of the spell. Each time a creature becomes staggered in this way, your movement speed is increased by an additional 20 feet. Attacks other than attacks of opportunity do not cause the target to suffer this effect.
UNPLEASANT ACCELERATION
School transmutation; Level bard 3, sorcerer/wizard 3, witch 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a 3-legged spider)
Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area 20-ft.-radius burst
Duration 1d6+1 rounds
Saving Throw Fortitude negates and Fortitude partial, see text; Spell Resistance yes
You accelerate those within the spell’s area beyond their natural constraints, dramatically increasing their speed at the expense of their physical well-being. All creatures in the area must attempt an initial saving throw, whether they want to resist the spell or not. If they succeed, the spell has no effect; if they fail, they gain the sickened condition and all the benefits of a haste spell for 1d6+1 rounds. After this time, all affected creatures must succeed on a secondary Fortitude save or become exhausted. Creatures that succeed on their second saving throw are fatigued, instead.