World of Therra - Nerf List

Therran Nerf List

This page lists all spells, powers, and magic items that have been altered for Therra.

This is not an exhaustive list in that it does not contemplate to have evalauted every spell on the Therran spell lists and adjudged them accordingly. During play, if a spell is determined to be unbalanced, it may be added to this list. This page does NOT include official errata for spells, though such errata is valid and to be used.

Source Books:

CC = Complete Champion
CD = Complete Divine
FB = Frostburn
Karsus = From the Book of Karsus treasure
LM = Libris Mortis
MIC = Magic Item Compendium
PGA = Pocket Grimoire Arcane
PGF = Player's Guide to Faerun
PHB = Player's Handbook
PHB2 = Player's Handbook 2
RoDR = Races of the Dragon
SC = Spell Compendium
SK = Serpent Kingdoms
UAS = Ultimate Arcane Spellbook
UDS = Ultimate Divine Spellbook
XPH = Expanded Psionics Handbook

Name
Change
Reason
Source

Amber Amulet of Vermin This item is usable only once before dissolving away. The cost of the item is way too low to justify its effects as written. In fact, the original source book for this item had it usable only once before becoming nonfunctional. The fact that its one-use characteristic is not mentioned in the MIC description seems to be an editing error.
MIC

Blinding Strike Weapons so imbued last for 1 day/level. If allowed to be permanent, entire armies would always be equipped with weapons imbued with this spell. It becomes too powerful for a 1st level spell.
UDS

Bones of the Earth Pillars created last for 1 day/level. If allowed to be permanent, druids could raise up massive castles and fortifications in a few days without cost or effort.
PHB2

Circle Dance This spell is a scrying spell. The spell as written is immune to most means to defend against divination and location because it lacks the scrying subtype. That makes the spell way too powerful as its range is unlimited...so one can unerringly track anyone on the planet. By changing the spell to the scrying subtype, it allows all of the normal means to obfuscate divinations.
SC

Column of Ice Spell lasts 1/day per level or until ice melts If allowed to be permanent spellcasters in cold environments could essentially have unlimited free magically hard building materials.
FB

Continual Flame Flame lasts for 1 day/level. Too many strange societal and world design consequences arise from a relatively cheap and abundant source of light. I don't like magic as technology, and I don't want whole cities in Therra and entire kingdoms lit by magical lights.
PHB

Dancing Shield The shield only allows a +8 deflection bonus. +10 is just too powerful, especially for a deflection bonus.
UAS

Delicate Disk When you cast this spell, it takes up a 6th level spell slot until the disk is shattered or dismissed, much like imbue with spell ability. Without this restriction, the spell makes scrolls obsolete.
Karsus

Fabricate This spell only lasts 1 day/level. It is still an instantaneous duration, but after the time period the material's shape evaporates into its raw form. This spell is simply the biggest economy wrecker in the game. To try to stop any abuse of it would require pages and pages of rules and justification. Instead, this simple change will stop almost all abuse. The spell is supposed to be a means for PCs to fabricate useful items in extremis, like needing a rope in the middle of a dungeon or needing to outfit a militia with weapons for an impending fight. It is not meant to allow wizards to become crafting machines capable of making thousands and thousands of gold pieces.
PHB

Flesh to Ice This spell is now a 6th level spell. The spell is exactly like Flesh to Stone and should not be a level lower.
FB

Forbiddance This spell does not distinguish between Law and Chaos. Instead, a creature takes no damage if his good-evil alignment is the same as the caster, 6D6 damage is 1 step removed, and 12D6 if 2 steps removed. When cast by a Neutral caster, he must designate at the time of casting whether goor or evil creatures will be considered 2 steps removed. Therra simply doesn't have any sort of primal conflict between Law and Chaos, nor is there any sort of actual alignment effect between the two.
PHB

Gentle Repose Multiple castings of this spell on a single corpse overlap and do not stack during the entire time a corpse is not living. For example, if Rodderick dies on day 1 and a 4th level priest casts gentle repose on him immediately, and then 6 days later a 9th level priest casts the spell on Rodderick again, the new spell will preserve the body for an extra 5 days. The spell as written allows any corpse to essentially be preserved forever, as long as a mere 3rd level cleric is at hand. I want death to be meaningful in Therra and I want PCs to be at real risk when they adventure a distance away from raise dead spells.
PHB

Geyser This spell now does 1D8 damage on the initial up blast, plus an additional 1D8 for every 2 levels beyond 1st, to the maximum of 5D8 damage. In addition, the down blast now does 1D4 damage, plus an additional 1D4 for every 2 levels beyond 1st. So, for example, a geyser cast by a 4th level druid does 2D8 on the up blast and 2D4 on the down blast.
As written, the spell is too powerful at lower levels. Most spells under 3rd level that have damage progressions max out at 5th level. Of these, most do a die of damage every 2 levels (especially where D8 are involved (see lesser acid orb for example). In the rare instances where the damage progression is linear, it involves D4 (such as burning hands).

This spell has a burst radius similar to fireball, a range much better than burning hands, requires no attack roll ala lesser orb spells, and actually does damage twice to its main target. As such, there is no reason why the damage progression for this spell needs to be markedly better than most other spells below 3rd level.

UDS

Ice to Flesh This spell is now a 6th level spell. The spell is exactly like Stone to Flesh and should not be a level lower.
FB

Identify The divine version of this spell requires both a divine focus and the arcane material component. Without the need of a divine componoent, the spell becomes almost irrelevant for wizards and sorcerers, and I don't want that to happen.
PHB

Imbue Touch Spell The spells imbued to others by this spell are deemed cast by the caster and may not be regained until discharged. Without this limit, the spell is abusable beyond most bounds of reason. A wizard, given time, could equip an army of almost anything with massive damage causing touch spells and unleash them upon the world. This would result in an entire revamping of the ways wars are fought in Therra and make encounters much too deadly (for the players as well).
UAS

Longevity When this spell is cast, the caster must make a Fortitude save with a DC equal to 1 for every 5 years (or fraction thereof) his life has been extended. Failure means the spell negates only half a day rather than a full day.
While I like the idea of powerful mages living a long time, this spell as written makes every mage of 11th level and higher immortal if he is willing to give up a 6th level slot and 1 hour per day, and while that may be too steep a price for PCs, it is not for most wizards of that level who do not adventure regularly.

This nerf still makes the spell very effective. A powerful mage can live for several hundreds of years with this spell. If he wants to live longer than that, then he should pursue lichdom.

UAS

Mirror Stronghold A caster may only have one such stronghold prepared at any given time. A new one cannot be created until a prior one is destroyed or dispelled.
This spell is effectively permanent until discharged and has no XP or material cost, meaning a mage can easily create hundreds of these with nary a thought.

Limiting 1 per mage allows the spell to function as intended as a means to carry things around without opening the spell to abuse.
PGA

Permanency Some spells on this list that have been changed from permanent to 1 day/level can be made permanent by use of this spell and the requisite expenditure of XP. Precisely which ones can be made permanent and how much XP it costs will be decided as requested. I originally nerfed the permanent spells so as to not have them proliferate all over the world. By using permanency as the spell to make them permanent, I am mitigating that undesired effect because permanency is a higher level spell and, therefore, less available, and because there is an XP cost.
PHB

Power Word Pain This spell lasts for a maximum of 1 round/level. This spell is simply too devestating otherwise. A 1st level sorcerer can do 16D6 damage with no save at range, and will do an average of 10D6 damage. That makes the spell better than most 4th level spells.
RoDR

Profane Item This spell lasts for 1 day/level. I don't want an effect that costs nothing and is permanent. It would allow whole armies to be equipped with this spell.
CC

Psyhcic Reformation The first time a creature is the recipient of this power, there is a 0% chance of a mishap. Each time thereafter, there is a cumulative 1% greater chance that a mishap will occur. A mishap results in the loss of 1 point each of Int, Wis, and Cha. This spell is meant to be used occasionally to redesign a character. It is not meant to be able to allow adjustments every single adventure. There are too many rules exploits if this is allowed.
XPH

Raise Dead The subject of this spell is subject to a Mergurr's Touch resurrections survival check. I want death to be an omnipresent spectre that can end a PC's career permanently. In addition, having 100% survivable resurrection means important personages can almost never die or be assassinated. PHB

Rallying Cry There is a limit of 2HD per caster level. The description of the spell even implies there is a HD limit, since it states that lower HD creatures are affected first, which is only relevant if there is an overall HD limit. The spell is way too powerful even for an 8th level spell without a HD limit.
UAS

Ray of Stupidity This is now a 1st level spell, and it imposes a penalty rather than damage; furthermore, the spell cannot reduce its subject's Intelligence below 1. The spell as written is far too powerful, as it can take down any animal or low Int magical beast with one shot, no save, regardless of HD. The idea of a 3rd level wizard defeating a 20 HD creature with 1 spell and no save is nothing short of ridiculous. SC

Resurrection The subject of this spell is subject to a Mergurr's Touch resurrections survival check. I want death to be an omnipresent spectre that can end a PC's career permanently. In addition, having 100% survivable resurrection means important personages can almost never die or be assassinated. PHB

Sacred Item This spell lasts for 1 day/level. I don't want an effect that costs nothing and is permanent. It would allow whole armies to be equipped with this spell.
CC

Snare This spell lasts for 1 day/level. I don't want an effect that costs nothing and is permanent. It would allow druids to fill their forests with this spell at no cost.
PHB

True Resurrection The subject of this spell is subject to a Mergurr's Touch resurrection survival check. I want death to be an omnipresent spectre that can end a PC's career permanently. In addition, having 100% survivable resurrection means important personages can almost never die or be assassinated. PHB

Venomfire This spell only works in conjunction with the venom. As such, the victim only takes acid damage if it is affected by the poison. This means the victim could take acid damage for its initial and secondary damage. This is not a nerf as much as a clarification. A strict reading of the spell should be interpreted in this manner, but the wording is not entirely clear.
SK

Name	Change	Reason	Source
Amber Amulet of Vermin	This item is usable only once before dissolving away.	The cost of the item is way too low to justify its effects as written. In fact, the original source book for this item had it usable only once before becoming nonfunctional. The fact that its one-use characteristic is not mentioned in the MIC description seems to be an editing error.	MIC
Blinding Strike	Weapons so imbued last for 1 day/level.	If allowed to be permanent, entire armies would always be equipped with weapons imbued with this spell. It becomes too powerful for a 1st level spell.	UDS
Bones of the Earth	Pillars created last for 1 day/level.	If allowed to be permanent, druids could raise up massive castles and fortifications in a few days without cost or effort.	PHB2
Circle Dance	This spell is a scrying spell.	The spell as written is immune to most means to defend against divination and location because it lacks the scrying subtype. That makes the spell way too powerful as its range is unlimited...so one can unerringly track anyone on the planet. By changing the spell to the scrying subtype, it allows all of the normal means to obfuscate divinations.	SC
Column of Ice	Spell lasts 1/day per level or until ice melts	If allowed to be permanent spellcasters in cold environments could essentially have unlimited free magically hard building materials.	FB
Continual Flame	Flame lasts for 1 day/level.	Too many strange societal and world design consequences arise from a relatively cheap and abundant source of light. I don't like magic as technology, and I don't want whole cities in Therra and entire kingdoms lit by magical lights.	PHB
Dancing Shield	The shield only allows a +8 deflection bonus.	+10 is just too powerful, especially for a deflection bonus.	UAS
Delicate Disk	When you cast this spell, it takes up a 6th level spell slot until the disk is shattered or dismissed, much like imbue with spell ability.	Without this restriction, the spell makes scrolls obsolete.	Karsus
Fabricate	This spell only lasts 1 day/level. It is still an instantaneous duration, but after the time period the material's shape evaporates into its raw form.	This spell is simply the biggest economy wrecker in the game. To try to stop any abuse of it would require pages and pages of rules and justification. Instead, this simple change will stop almost all abuse. The spell is supposed to be a means for PCs to fabricate useful items in extremis, like needing a rope in the middle of a dungeon or needing to outfit a militia with weapons for an impending fight. It is not meant to allow wizards to become crafting machines capable of making thousands and thousands of gold pieces.	PHB
Flesh to Ice	This spell is now a 6th level spell.	The spell is exactly like Flesh to Stone and should not be a level lower.	FB
Forbiddance	This spell does not distinguish between Law and Chaos. Instead, a creature takes no damage if his good-evil alignment is the same as the caster, 6D6 damage is 1 step removed, and 12D6 if 2 steps removed. When cast by a Neutral caster, he must designate at the time of casting whether goor or evil creatures will be considered 2 steps removed.	Therra simply doesn't have any sort of primal conflict between Law and Chaos, nor is there any sort of actual alignment effect between the two.	PHB
Gentle Repose	Multiple castings of this spell on a single corpse overlap and do not stack during the entire time a corpse is not living. For example, if Rodderick dies on day 1 and a 4th level priest casts gentle repose on him immediately, and then 6 days later a 9th level priest casts the spell on Rodderick again, the new spell will preserve the body for an extra 5 days.	The spell as written allows any corpse to essentially be preserved forever, as long as a mere 3rd level cleric is at hand. I want death to be meaningful in Therra and I want PCs to be at real risk when they adventure a distance away from raise dead spells.	PHB
Geyser	This spell now does 1D8 damage on the initial up blast, plus an additional 1D8 for every 2 levels beyond 1st, to the maximum of 5D8 damage. In addition, the down blast now does 1D4 damage, plus an additional 1D4 for every 2 levels beyond 1st. So, for example, a geyser cast by a 4th level druid does 2D8 on the up blast and 2D4 on the down blast.	As written, the spell is too powerful at lower levels. Most spells under 3rd level that have damage progressions max out at 5th level. Of these, most do a die of damage every 2 levels (especially where D8 are involved (see lesser acid orb for example). In the rare instances where the damage progression is linear, it involves D4 (such as burning hands). This spell has a burst radius similar to fireball, a range much better than burning hands, requires no attack roll ala lesser orb spells, and actually does damage twice to its main target. As such, there is no reason why the damage progression for this spell needs to be markedly better than most other spells below 3rd level.	UDS
Ice to Flesh	This spell is now a 6th level spell.	The spell is exactly like Stone to Flesh and should not be a level lower.	FB
Identify	The divine version of this spell requires both a divine focus and the arcane material component.	Without the need of a divine componoent, the spell becomes almost irrelevant for wizards and sorcerers, and I don't want that to happen.	PHB
Imbue Touch Spell	The spells imbued to others by this spell are deemed cast by the caster and may not be regained until discharged.	Without this limit, the spell is abusable beyond most bounds of reason. A wizard, given time, could equip an army of almost anything with massive damage causing touch spells and unleash them upon the world. This would result in an entire revamping of the ways wars are fought in Therra and make encounters much too deadly (for the players as well).	UAS
Longevity	When this spell is cast, the caster must make a Fortitude save with a DC equal to 1 for every 5 years (or fraction thereof) his life has been extended. Failure means the spell negates only half a day rather than a full day.	While I like the idea of powerful mages living a long time, this spell as written makes every mage of 11th level and higher immortal if he is willing to give up a 6th level slot and 1 hour per day, and while that may be too steep a price for PCs, it is not for most wizards of that level who do not adventure regularly. This nerf still makes the spell very effective. A powerful mage can live for several hundreds of years with this spell. If he wants to live longer than that, then he should pursue lichdom.	UAS
Mirror Stronghold	A caster may only have one such stronghold prepared at any given time. A new one cannot be created until a prior one is destroyed or dispelled.	This spell is effectively permanent until discharged and has no XP or material cost, meaning a mage can easily create hundreds of these with nary a thought. Limiting 1 per mage allows the spell to function as intended as a means to carry things around without opening the spell to abuse.	PGA
Permanency	Some spells on this list that have been changed from permanent to 1 day/level can be made permanent by use of this spell and the requisite expenditure of XP. Precisely which ones can be made permanent and how much XP it costs will be decided as requested.	I originally nerfed the permanent spells so as to not have them proliferate all over the world. By using permanency as the spell to make them permanent, I am mitigating that undesired effect because permanency is a higher level spell and, therefore, less available, and because there is an XP cost.	PHB
Power Word Pain	This spell lasts for a maximum of 1 round/level.	This spell is simply too devestating otherwise. A 1st level sorcerer can do 16D6 damage with no save at range, and will do an average of 10D6 damage. That makes the spell better than most 4th level spells.	RoDR
Profane Item	This spell lasts for 1 day/level.	I don't want an effect that costs nothing and is permanent. It would allow whole armies to be equipped with this spell.	CC
Psyhcic Reformation	The first time a creature is the recipient of this power, there is a 0% chance of a mishap. Each time thereafter, there is a cumulative 1% greater chance that a mishap will occur. A mishap results in the loss of 1 point each of Int, Wis, and Cha.	This spell is meant to be used occasionally to redesign a character. It is not meant to be able to allow adjustments every single adventure. There are too many rules exploits if this is allowed.	XPH
Raise Dead	The subject of this spell is subject to a Mergurr's Touch resurrections survival check.	I want death to be an omnipresent spectre that can end a PC's career permanently. In addition, having 100% survivable resurrection means important personages can almost never die or be assassinated.	PHB
Rallying Cry	There is a limit of 2HD per caster level.	The description of the spell even implies there is a HD limit, since it states that lower HD creatures are affected first, which is only relevant if there is an overall HD limit. The spell is way too powerful even for an 8th level spell without a HD limit.	UAS
Ray of Stupidity	This is now a 1st level spell, and it imposes a penalty rather than damage; furthermore, the spell cannot reduce its subject's Intelligence below 1.	The spell as written is far too powerful, as it can take down any animal or low Int magical beast with one shot, no save, regardless of HD. The idea of a 3rd level wizard defeating a 20 HD creature with 1 spell and no save is nothing short of ridiculous.	SC
Resurrection	The subject of this spell is subject to a Mergurr's Touch resurrections survival check.	I want death to be an omnipresent spectre that can end a PC's career permanently. In addition, having 100% survivable resurrection means important personages can almost never die or be assassinated.	PHB
Sacred Item	This spell lasts for 1 day/level.	I don't want an effect that costs nothing and is permanent. It would allow whole armies to be equipped with this spell.	CC
Snare	This spell lasts for 1 day/level.	I don't want an effect that costs nothing and is permanent. It would allow druids to fill their forests with this spell at no cost.	PHB
True Resurrection	The subject of this spell is subject to a Mergurr's Touch resurrection survival check.	I want death to be an omnipresent spectre that can end a PC's career permanently. In addition, having 100% survivable resurrection means important personages can almost never die or be assassinated.	PHB
Venomfire	This spell only works in conjunction with the venom. As such, the victim only takes acid damage if it is affected by the poison. This means the victim could take acid damage for its initial and secondary damage.	This is not a nerf as much as a clarification. A strict reading of the spell should be interpreted in this manner, but the wording is not entirely clear.	SK