Word Magic [3.5]

[littha]

This is an idea i am currently working on and would like some input for development purposes.

Words of power are composed of up to three words, each word changes the effect and the power of the word.

Range/Area/Effect/Points

Sin -Touch/Single/Fire Damage/10
Kor -Close/Two within 10'/Cold Damage/8
Nan -Mid/10' Cone/Acid Damage/6
Riu -Long/10' burst/Sonic Damage/4
Res - 10'/Line/Healing/2

Points specify the power of the word.
d4   1 round            >=10
d6   1d2 rounds   >=15
d8   1d4 rounds   >=20
d10   1d6 rounds   >=25
d12   CL or 1d8    >=30

Words are composed as so:
One word three times = Sin Sin Sin is just Sin
Two words first repeated = Sin Sin Kor is Sin'or
Two words second repeated = Sin Kor Kor is Sin'or Kor
Two words first and last same= Sin Kor Sin is Sin'or Sin
Three different words = Sin Kor Nan is Sin'or Nan

Examples:

Sin (Sin, Sin, Sin)
Touch attack against a single target for 1d12/level Fire damage.

Sin'or Kor (Sin, Kor, Kor)
Touch attack against two targets for 1d10/level Cold damage

Sin'or Nan (Sin, Kor, Nan)
Touch attack against two targets for 1d8/level acid damage

Riu (Riu, Riu, Riu)
Long ranged burst hits all targets within 10' deals 1d4/level sonic damage

Sin'es (Sin, Sin, Res)
Touch a single target for 1d10/level hp of healing

Riu'es (Riu, Riu, Res)
Long ranged burst hits all targets within 10' heals for 1d4/level.



Anyway, these need a lot of thought and input. I need help coming up with new words and balancing the points value of each.

[Amechra]

So, would these be at will, or maybe you could have it be "readying" X number of words?

So, at 1st level, you can have 3 words readied, but you gain another every, oh, I don't know odd level thereafter?

So you would get 12 words at 20th level?

I'm really thinking that you shouldn't mix up Point values and the Words themselves; or, allow specialization in the words, which increases their point value (ever played Lost Magic? In that game, the more you played with a given rune, the cheaper that rune got. Considering that, like with what your trying here, you eventually combine runes, a cheapening (or in this case, increasing of the value), would be wondrously effective.)

[littha]

Well the current Idea was to build a class around these with a gain of how many words you know, 3 at level one and then more as you go up stopping at 23. I Intend to make about 40 different words eventually with effects ranging from direct damage (as here) to Battlefield control and utility spells. You will speak from your words known rather than a readied set rather like a sorcerer. 

The whole points thing was to try and make more valuable damage types or ranges do less damage or last for less time. Fire damage is the worst elemental damage type and this should not be valued the same as sonic or force.

The eventual class would have you choose three words as you leveled to focus on and grant those words extra points or additional effects.

Basically the problem is trying to write the class first would be rather like trying to write wizard without any spells to reference or trying to write spells with no class to base them off... I decided to go with the spells first.

I think I will also make a feat that teaches a word to anyone, take-able up to three times. So a fighter could learn a couple of words but couldn't conjugate them together without levels in the class (single word combinations only Sin Sin Sin for example).


This idea sprung up from a long night of playing skyrim and then reading the truenamer section of the tome of magic, words that reshape the universe is a cool idea and not really represented in 3.5 all that well.