Pathfinderization!

[thaelis]

Ok, so I'm bored, and there is no one online right now so I decided to make a list of all the spells and how they should be (technically).

I understand many of these changes aren't possible, but some of them seem simple enough, like duration tweaks. Heck, with a year or two of study I might be able to do it myself

Spells which diverge from PnP/Pathfinder
Acid Fog - 1 round/level, 2d6 less damage in the first round.

Bestow Curse - permanent, -4 on attack rolls, saves, skill checks and ability checks

Blindness/Deafness - permanent, perhaps save every minute to regain vision?

Chain Lightning - in Pathfinder the secondary bolts each strike one target and deal as much damage as the primary bolt, i.e., maximum 20d6.

Charm Person - max. duration 8 rounds. Ridiculous. It isn't even overpowered as if you attack the creature in any way the Charm is broken. Sure, enchantment spells have potential for PvP abuse, but that’s what we have DM's for. In Pathfinder lasts 1 hour/level.

Charm Monster - max. duration 13 rounds. In Pathfinder lasts 1 hour/level.

Charm Monster, Mass - max. duration 10 rounds. In Pathfinder lasts 1 hour/level.

Clairaudience/Clairvoyance - lets you spy on an area. Perhaps create an invisible undetectable Familiar-type creature that can't move and is immune to damage?

Contagion - has a set DC in NWN, making it next to useless, but aside from that is almost identical to Pathfinder. The disease could be changed to something nastier like Bubonic Plague though (which can actually kill as opposed to many of the other random options)

Dismissal - single target, works on any outsider not just summons.

Dispel Magic - you can use dispel magic to end one ongoing spell that has been cast on a creature or object.

Dispel Magic, Greater - can dispel one spell for every four caster levels you possess.

Dominate Person - max. duration 8 rounds. Not worth memorising. In Pathfinder lasts 1 day/level. If we think that’s too powerful, perhaps make it save every minute, or even every 30 seconds.

Dominate Monster - Lasts a maximum of 13 minutes. Not as terrible as the others but still nerfed. In Pathfinder lasts 1 day/level.

Expeditious Retreat - 1 min./level.

Feeblemind - this spell in PnP is very cool, and can result in some hilarious RP...but in NWN its just junk. In Pathfinder, it drops a character's Int and Cha to 1, and the duration is permanent. Also, Arcane spellcasters take a -4 on the Will save! If that seems like overkill, perhaps a save every hour/day to recover?

Grease - duration 1 min./level!! but the area of effect is reduced to 10ft square

Hold Person, Mass & Hold Monster, Mass - area of effect should be 30ft radius not 15ft. The spell descriptions read Colossal (30ft) but actually its only 15ft when you cast it.

Ice Storm - damage capped at 5d6, but impedes movement in area for 1 round/level.

Incendiary Cloud - 6d6 damage/round.

Isaac's & Greater Isaac's - don't seem to exist in Pathfinder? Personally I don't like damaging spells which don't allow any save. Reflex save (at -3 or -5 penalty?) for half.

Magic Weapon and GMW - 1 min./level.

Mind Fog - the fog itself lasts for 30 minutes, duration of effect is the same.

Mordenkainen's Sword - the sword cannot be attacked or harmed by physical attacks. Which is basically all that makes it worth using over an ordinary summons, and is not implemented in NWN.

Polar Ray - deals 1d4 Dex damage in addition to cold damage.

Protection from Alignment - instead of the immunity to all mental effects, in Pathfinder it seems you get a "Slippery Mind"-like effect, where you can re-roll saves against mental influence.

Protection from Energy - 10 min./level, choose one element, discharges after 12/caster level damage has been absorbed (max. 120)

Wall of Fire - 1 round/level.

Ray of Enfeeblement - requires ranged touch attack, Fort save for half.

Resist Energy - 10 min./level, choose one element, has no max. damage absorption

Shades - can mimic 7-8th level Conjuration spells (Greater Planar Binding, Summon Monster VIII etc)

Shadow Conjuration & Greater S.C. - can mimic Conjuration spells of 3rd/6th level or lower respectively. Targets can make Will saves. (Hard to implement in NWN I guess, but maybe change the spells to something more useful than the current spells. I would suggest: Lesser - Improved Mage Armor, Flame Arrow, Web and Summon Monster III; Greater: Acid Fog, Arc of Lightning, Evard's Black Tentacles and Summon Monster VI).

Tasha's Hideous Laughter - allows a save every round to end the effect.

Wail of the Banshee - deals 10 damage/level, Fort save for none (I think its save or die in NWN2? Not sure though, I've never had 9th level spells before).

Web - 10 min./level (this would actually be quite annoying. It definitely needs a duration boost, but 200 min. would just be annoying...I can see low level characters being unable to travel through an area all day due to a DC 22 extended Web spell )

Weird - targets take 1d4 Str damage in addition to other effects, even on successful save.

[Cornuto]

Interesting.

[Thief Of Navarre]

30 mins for mind fog seems like a bit of a lengthy duration. You could draw enemies back into it to fight them safely for instance.

[thaelis]

30 mins for mind fog seems like a bit of a lengthy duration. You could draw enemies back into it to fight them safely for instance.

Absolutely. Which would be great!

Then again, if you wanted to weaken it a bit you could assume there's always a "strong wind" in the Valley, and then it would disperse in half that time.

Also, I think 30 mins is like 6 minutes real time? I don't know the exact ratio, but 10 min per level spells sure as heck don't last 10 mins real time per level.

[Thief Of Navarre]

15 minutes doesnt seem too unreasonable to me, still affecting their minds for the duration after leaving the fog. I personally like the spell and wish it had more practical use.

[thaelis]

So, does that mean all the others seem reasonable apart from Mind Fog? Would be nice to get an opinion on all of them.

Do any others seem overpowered? Do any seem like they would be really suitable/long overdue changes?

To me they pretty much all seem like good changes...Pathfinder in general seems like its designed based on player feedback. Its like someone took all the "I wish my character could..." and "Wouldn't it be cool if there was a..." thoughts and made them into a game ><

For example: Shades: I feel that if this was changed to how its supposed to work no one would ever use it. A 9th level slot to cast a single 8th level summons spell....Unless Conjuration was your prohibited school I don't think anyone would use it.

[Thief Of Navarre]

I dont understand what you mean with Resist energy having no max damage absorbtion. Do you mean immunity up to a certain value (say 10 per caster level) instead of 10/Element as it currently stands?

[thaelis]

I dont understand what you mean with Resist energy having no max damage absorbtion. Do you mean immunity up to a certain value (say 10 per caster level) instead of 10/Element as it currently stands?

Yes, it won't run out after absorbing a certain amount of damage, like all the elemental resistance spells do right now.

It just gives you a flat 10, 20 or 30 damage reduction against the chosen energy, depending on caster level.

[Mournas]

Yes, it won't run out after absorbing a certain amount of damage, like all the elemental resistance spells do right now.

It just gives you a flat 10, 20 or 30 damage reduction against the chosen energy, depending on caster level.

IIRC 3rd editions 2nd level spell did that with a flat 20 for 1min/level vs chosen element.

[Mournas]

Me personally I think that divination spells needs some serious love as does Enchantment, ESPECIALLY if a level 1 spell negates the vast majority of them. Also NWN2 Opposition to Enchantment specialize wiz is incorrect however I know that's hard coded and would take some serious work.