Saturday, March 19, 2011

another creepy new spell

This one came to me in a dream last night.

Desanguinate Foe

Level: 5
Duration: Instantaneous
Range: 30' cone, 20' wide at far end

While chanting the words of this spell the caster digs their fingers into their own belly, ripping open a wound from which erupt thousands of thin, purple tentacles.  Anyone caught in the area of effect must save versus death.  Failure to save indicates that all bodily fluids have been drained from them, which should prove lethal for many lifeforms.  The wound closes the following round, after the tentacles return into the caster's gut.

If the caster succeeds in draining at least one creature of halfling size or larger they will be visibly bloated for 1d6 turns after casting, during which time they shuffle about at half speed.  If struck by any piercing or edged weapons while bloated, they will spew blood and other fluids like a cheap horror movie.  Casting this spell a second time while still bloated causes the magic-user to explode messily.

13 comments:

  1. There should be a benifit to the caster in taking in all those fluids. An obvious one would be HP restoration, another could be a ttemporary bonus to a save.

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  2. Anonymous5:42 PM

    What sort of wizards are these? Satanic vampire blood mages?!!?

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  3. hmmm...

    The all-or-nothing part of this spell doesn't really jive with the visuals in my mind.

    Also, what about having the wound only heal if someone is drained?

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  4. I like it. Kinda something that Dave Hargrave would of dreamed up. But I might change it to were instead of having to rip your own flesh, your flesh tears on it's own freewill before sending the tendrils out.

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  5. "The all-or-nothing part of this spell doesn't really jive with the visuals in my mind."

    In my mind the save indicates dodging clear of the tentacle eruption.

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  6. I hate save-or-die spells, but otherwise love this spell. It also seems too extreme for a 5th level spell. I would rewrite it so that it consumed half the character's current CON, representing massive dehydration.

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  7. "It also seems too extreme for a 5th level spell."

    I considered making it sixth level, but normally I don't go any higher than that. Six levels of spells is sufficient for me.

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  8. Anonymous6:39 AM

    I'd make it cause damage, transferring hit points vampire-style to the caster... but not all the hit points... and each time the spell is cast, one of the tentacles remains, waving about seemingly of its own free will!!

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  9. Anonymous11:43 AM

    Delicious. Well done. I get inspired sometimes by the most unbelievable things, but rarely dreams.

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  10. "In my mind the save indicates dodging clear of the tentacle eruption."

    Two comments/questions on this:

    1) I thought dodging was covered by saves vs breath weapon, no?

    2) What if you're hit by only one tentacle? or grazed or something?

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  11. 1) I thought dodging was covered by saves vs breath weapon, no?

    You're right.

    2) What if you're hit by only one tentacle? or grazed or something?

    It latches on and the rest overwhelm you and you're sucked dry, I guess.

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