Discussion:How does one craft his own spells?

How does one craft his own spells?

Eiji 23:23, 26 July 2007 (MDT)

I have seen it mentioned many places that one can do 'independent research' to form your own spells. I know of epic spells but this seems to suggest one can produce non-epic spells. Yet no matter where I look I cannot find it.

Where is such information, how does it work? I've a great many >10 spells to make.

Mkill 04:20, 27 July 2007 (MDT)

Do you mean writing spells as a player / DM or letting a wizard character research spells?

For the second case, I don't know whether there are rules for this is the DMG or DMG II, if not, the DM should just set a number of spellcraft and Knowledge (arcana / religion) checks, one per week of research. Each week research should also require a certain amount of gp. After a certain number of successful checks at a certain DC, the spell is researched.

Eiji 13:58, 27 July 2007

I mean the first though the second is related. Say my character has interest in crafting a spell which creates artificial limbs (none which I know of exist), and of course do this in game to have the excuse of knowing it.

That said, any idea how I should judge the DC for making these spells? I've only been geusstimating crudely.... like a cantrip would be DC 5, if anything, while a level 9 spell is much higher... but what?

I'd say level 9 = DC 90 but that's too high, you're well into epic by the time you get DC 9. The other thing is doing by grades of 5... which still puts it at DC 50. Any suggestions?

Rakankou 15:10, 27 July 2007

The v3.5 DMG covers this on page 198. In a nutshell, the player first writes the entire spell (preferably with the cooperation of the DM). Then the character spends a certain number of weeks researching the spell (with the appropriate resources), at the end of which he makes a single Spellcraft check (DC 10 + spell level) to learn the spell. If the check is successful and the DM allows the spell, the character learns the spell.

Mkill 19:47, 27 July 2007 (MDT)

Eiji, once you have written your spells don't forget to post them here!

Eiji 12:39, 28 July 2007 (MDT)

Thanks for all the help.

The DM seems to like it. It will be a bit of a while before it is actually crafted in game but I've put it up for review. I hope the spell level is correct. You can find it at Dopple Arms.

We've homebrewed up a sort of golem-making spell to grant him artificial limbs (different as it is far weaker and far safer than trying to turn out armless fighter into a half golem). I wonder where I would put that idea? I used animated object and geas/quest to make a spirit-free moving arm able to be controlled, and put in special rules on how dispelling was a danger (disabling your arms for a few rounds) and disjunction destroying them. However, no fear of Will saves.

That, and I've changed the stat adjustments accordingly, with basic plain metal arms giving -2 Dex and no bonuses. Arms that also contain Bull's Strength and fine crafting (masterwork) give +2 Str and -2 Dex. And I'll figure out something for special materials. In our campaign mithril is hard to come by, so the justification that mithril limbs, being lighter, lack the -2 Dex, but this may not work so well in more mithril-rich worlds.

Oh yeah, even though we're using these ad hoc animated arms, I'm still crafting this spell out of the sheer usefulness of it all.

84.108.164.233 06:11, 21 February 2008 (MST)

cant you use 'tome and blood' chapter 5 (spells), researching new spells? page 81. they have a rather expansive explanation of how to research a new spell, how to limit its power, what level it should be. the book is from 2001 but still, it seems appropriate even now. gives benchmark spells and stuff like that.

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