So I'm thinking like Scan from final fantasy games where you can see the HP and other stats of a creature. Their weaknesses and resistances, etc. Useful spell, no doubt, maybe OP?
Anyways, what level would you make this spell? I'm thinking level 3.
Also, perhaps a name other than Scan. Thanks in advance.
There's a monk Cobalt Soul subclass ability you might want to model it after:
Extract Aspects
Beginning at 3rd level when choosing this tradition, you can strike pressure points to extract crucial information about your foe, granting you insight about their combat ability. Whenever you hit a creature with one of the attacks granted by your Flurry of Blows, you mark them as analyzed. Whenever an analyzed creature misses you with an attack, you can immediately use your reaction to make an unarmed melee attack against that creature. This benefit lasts until you finish a short or long rest.
In addition, you learn the following attributes about the target: Damage Vulnerabilities, Damage Resistances, Damage Immunities, and Condition Immunities.
Rather than the reaction attack from Extract Aspects, you could instead do something like using your reaction to grant advantage on someone else's attack against them (to represent you calling out weak points, something like that)
Learning exact numbers like HP or AC might be a bit much, though
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Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock) Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric) Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue) Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Ther is a 7th level Battle Master feature called Know your Enemy, and a 9th level Mastermind feature called Know Your Enemy that are kinda like that. So what you’re imagining in that FF way exists, but not as a spell because they are specialized features for specific subclasses. To give you an idea, they each take 1 minute outside of combat to reveal 1 fact, and they are solid Tier-2 features for people who make use of them effectively. And, they’re only snapshots, not persistent information. So they don’t let you monitor HP.
All that in mind, you’re lookin’ at a 4th—6th-level Divination at minimum, and if you want the continuous real-time information it would have to be Concentration. If all it did was reveal a act AC, CR/Character Level, Hit Dice, and a running tally of HP for up to 1 minute, that would have to be a 5th-level with concentration. If you wanted to know 1 Resistance, Immunity, or Vulnerability, that would have to be higher. For all of that info, I wouldn’t allow it at my table for anything lower than 6th—7th level.
Oh it needn't be continuous. Just a brief glimpse.
I'm thinking of limiting it to specific classes, like Cleric or Warlock (good use of a spell slot?). Flavour the spell so it's like your God or Patron is giving the character the knowledge.
Also, would giving the creature a saving throw, against the spell, lower the level do you think?
Perhaps even make it so you have to hit with a melee attack. Like Extract Aspects.
Or if it was one piece of information, cast at higher levels to learn more information (AC, Resistances, Immunities, Weaknesses, etc) . So another piece of information per level.
There's also the Monster Slayer's 3rd level feature called Hunter's Sense which uses divination to determine a creature's resistances and vulnerabilities, just as another comparison for what you're trying to do.
Yeah, I was thinking of a spell that replicates those abilities. Just want to have it balanced though. I mean in a fight the players will eventually figure out an enemies AC. But there's no question that knowing an enemies resistances and weaknesses is useful. Plus you'd imagine that if there were an ability that someone would have made it into a spell or tried to impeach their God or Patron for the information.
Start with defining exactly what information you want the spell to obtain, then you can balance it from there.
The attack roll or saving throw feel off for a divination spell, but making it a Touch range spell might help. Characters would then have to risk melee combat to obtain the information they want.
You can also borrow from other divination spells like Augury and Divination, which prevent overuse by having an increasing chance to fail.
You could also use it to find out about one thing about their personality and you can use it for advantage for charisma checks to intimidate or persuade it.
So I'm thinking like Scan from final fantasy games where you can see the HP and other stats of a creature. Their weaknesses and resistances, etc. Useful spell, no doubt, maybe OP?
Anyways, what level would you make this spell? I'm thinking level 3.
Also, perhaps a name other than Scan. Thanks in advance.
There's a monk Cobalt Soul subclass ability you might want to model it after:
Rather than the reaction attack from Extract Aspects, you could instead do something like using your reaction to grant advantage on someone else's attack against them (to represent you calling out weak points, something like that)
Learning exact numbers like HP or AC might be a bit much, though
Active characters:
Carric Aquissar, elven wannabe artist in his deconstructionist period (Archfey warlock)
Lan Kidogo, mapach archaeologist and treasure hunter (Knowledge cleric)
Mardan Ferres, elven private investigator obsessed with that one unsolved murder (Assassin rogue)
Xhekhetiel, halfling survivor of a Betrayer Gods cult (Runechild sorcerer/fighter)
Ther is a 7th level Battle Master feature called Know your Enemy, and a 9th level Mastermind feature called Know Your Enemy that are kinda like that. So what you’re imagining in that FF way exists, but not as a spell because they are specialized features for specific subclasses. To give you an idea, they each take 1 minute outside of combat to reveal 1 fact, and they are solid Tier-2 features for people who make use of them effectively. And, they’re only snapshots, not persistent information. So they don’t let you monitor HP.
All that in mind, you’re lookin’ at a 4th—6th-level Divination at minimum, and if you want the continuous real-time information it would have to be Concentration. If all it did was reveal a act AC, CR/Character Level, Hit Dice, and a running tally of HP for up to 1 minute, that would have to be a 5th-level with concentration. If you wanted to know 1 Resistance, Immunity, or Vulnerability, that would have to be higher. For all of that info, I wouldn’t allow it at my table for anything lower than 6th—7th level.
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Oh it needn't be continuous. Just a brief glimpse.
I'm thinking of limiting it to specific classes, like Cleric or Warlock (good use of a spell slot?). Flavour the spell so it's like your God or Patron is giving the character the knowledge.
Also, would giving the creature a saving throw, against the spell, lower the level do you think?
Perhaps even make it so you have to hit with a melee attack. Like Extract Aspects.
Or if it was one piece of information, cast at higher levels to learn more information (AC, Resistances, Immunities, Weaknesses, etc) . So another piece of information per level.
There's also the Monster Slayer's 3rd level feature called Hunter's Sense which uses divination to determine a creature's resistances and vulnerabilities, just as another comparison for what you're trying to do.
Yeah, I was thinking of a spell that replicates those abilities. Just want to have it balanced though. I mean in a fight the players will eventually figure out an enemies AC. But there's no question that knowing an enemies resistances and weaknesses is useful. Plus you'd imagine that if there were an ability that someone would have made it into a spell or tried to impeach their God or Patron for the information.
Start with defining exactly what information you want the spell to obtain, then you can balance it from there.
The attack roll or saving throw feel off for a divination spell, but making it a Touch range spell might help. Characters would then have to risk melee combat to obtain the information they want.
You can also borrow from other divination spells like Augury and Divination, which prevent overuse by having an increasing chance to fail.
Ok,
Analysis : 6th level divination spell
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M (a pearl worth at least 100gp and an owl feather)
Duration: Instantaneous
You chose one creature that you must touch. Whilst touching you can learn any 2 of the following;
It's weaknesses
It's resistances
It's immunities
Current HP
Armor Class
One of its ability scores (your choice)
I think this would be fair. The spellcaster would have to be level 11 to learn this.
You could also use it to find out about one thing about their personality and you can use it for advantage for charisma checks to intimidate or persuade it.