Marinise

Marinise
(Alteration)
 
Range: 30 yds. + 10 yds./level                        Components: V, S, M
Duration: Instantaneous                                  Casting Time: 2
Area of Effect: 30-ft. radius                              Saving Throw: Neg.
 
    Marinise affects metal as if had been submerged in choppy salt water for decades.  At third level, a caster can affect two objects, and for every two levels beyond third, one additional item may be affected.  Targetted objects that fail to save vs. disintegration corrode and rust the instant the spell is cast, attended items may be further affected, as outlined in the table below*.  Magical items automatically succeed their saving throw and are unaffected by this spell.  Objects weighing more than 10 pounds per caster level are similarly unaffected.  The caster must have line of sight to objects targetted.
 
 Roll on 1d12                           Effect
        1-2                  Temporary - 50 years marinisation.

        3-8                    Normal - 100 years marinisation.
       9-11                Accelerated - 250 years marinisation.

         12                  Extreme - 1000 years marinisation.
*Roll against the table once for all affected items.
 
Temporary: items become rusty and unweildy.  Metal armor becomes worse by 2 points of armor class, weapons suffer a -2 to hit and damage rolls.  Buckles, clasps and other attended metallic objects become stuck, requiring an appropriate ability check to use.  These effects wear off after 1 round / caster level.
Normal: items rust to the point of becoming brittle and useless.  Weapons break, and armor crumbles away.  Any unattended metallic objects targetted are always affected this way.
Accelerated: items appear to melt, as the effects of the sea water turn them to bottom muck.  The gooey slag clings to flesh and skin hindering movement and reducing the targets effective Dexterity to 4.  It requires one full round to remove.

Extreme: items instantly turn to a fine salty mist.  The temporal effects on the item are so extreme that exposed flesh is similarly aged resulting in 1d6 damage at 3rd level, and a further 1d6 per two caster levels beyond that, to a maximum of 5d6 at 9th level.
  For example, Rath, a 7th level mage casts marinise on a group of attacking bandits, armed with swords, and wearing chainmail armor.  He can affect 4 items at 7th level.  He selects 4 suits of chainmail, within a 30-ft. radius.  Three suits fail their save vs disintegration.  Rath rolls an 12 on a d12 - denoting the Extreme effect.  Those three suits of chainmail turn to fine mist of iron particles, and each bandit wearing an affected suit of chainmail suffers 4d6 damage.

  When cast on metallic creatures, such as an iron golem, this spell causes 1d6 points of damage per caster level to a maximum of 6d6, with a saving throw vs. spell for half damage.
    The material component of this spell is crystal hourglass, wrought with high quality brass, filled with seawater.  This houglass must be worth at least 100gp, and is not consumed during casting.

Comments

[TheDM]

Well I think it seems about right based on Shatter and Heat Metal - HM is quite a handy spell when fighting armoured opponents.
Let's see if Lysander can successfully complete his research, and then we can start play-testing it properly!

[Owen]

Yeah, I'm thinking I'd like to leave this as is, and make it 2nd level (since Lysander is a 3rd level mamge). I might (lemon) juice a higher level version and call it "Vinegarette". =)

[Jason]

And what about a honey soy marinade? Armour never tasted better.

[Jason]

My reasoning for the higher level was that it can affect multiple targets and also do damage on top of the primary effect.
Reading it again, the chances for damage are low.
I do like spells with multiple possible outcome tho', it adds something to the game.
In its current form, you are probably right, 2nd level.
What about juicing it to have some effect on magic items?

[Owen]

Yeah, it's supposed to be second level arcane. The main spells I was using to gauge power were shatter and heat metal.

Heat metal actually affects the same amount of targets (or more), and affects all the metal on an individual, rather than just one item. Plus heat metal is no save for the damage effect, and then save or die for the disability effect.

Maybe heat metal is just an overpowered spell? Dunno. What changes would you suggest?

[Jason]

What level spell is it?
Ifyou can cast at third level as described, that would indicate 2nd level.
I am thinking that this would be a 3-4 level spell.