Assay Resistance

Rule: Provides a +5 bonus on all caster level checks to overcome spell resistance. This bonus applies no matter the target creature. The spell takes a standard action to cast.

Change: Previously, the bonus was a whopping +10, which given the guidelines of assigning a monster’s SR at CR+11, made spell resistance pretty much useless. I still think it’s very good, because it grants a caster level bonus higher than any single magic item in the game and there’s no resistance or save. As well, there shouldn’t be any save. To help compensate for the unlimited opponents, I’ve increased the casting time to a standard action.

Mass Resist Energy

Rule: This is a 5th-level spell like all the other 2nd-level spells that were made mass spells.

Change: 3rd-level for a mass version of resist energy? Were they joking? For 3rd-level, when will you NOT prepare this spell multiple times?!

Orb of Acid/Cold/Electricity/Fire/Sound, Lesser

Rule: The school is evocation and spell resistance is yes. The damage die is reduced by one (i.e. 1d6 for acid, cold, fire, and electricity, and 1d4 for sound).

Change: They were conjuration (creation) with no spell resistance. Someone was smokin’ something funny when writing these spells.

Orb of Acid/Cold/Electricity/Fire/Sound

Rule: The school is evocation and spell resistance is yes. The maximum damage for an orb is 10 dice, not 15.

Change: They were conjuration (creation) with no spell resistance and maximum damage of 15 dice – all that for only 4th-level. Uh, no.

Orb of Force

Rule: Banned.

Change: There are enough Force spells that I don’t need to try to make this thing balanced without completely making it crap. What the hell is a non-magical magical ball of Force, anyway?

Reaving Dispel

Rule: Banned for now.

Change: I reserve the right to do something with this spell at a later time. I really don’t think that it’s balanced, even at 9th-level. Merely gaining all of someone’s buff spells is worth 9th-level, but leaving them naked afterwards is too much. Perhaps, any spell you reave is not dispelled?

Reciprocal Gyre

Rule: The maximum damage is 15d6. The creature is dazed for 1 round.

Change: 25d6 for a 5th-level spell? Who was smoking crack when they wrote that? The dazed condition specifically says it typically lasts for 1 round, so why the 1d6 rounds? For a 5th-level spell, that’s too much.

Sudden Metamagic

Rule: Not allowed, use the metamagic house rules as presented here.

Summon Elemental Monolith

Rule: Banned.

Change: (sarcastic tone) Let me see, I could use summon monster IX or summon nature’s ally IX to get an elder elemental, or for the low cost of 100gp, yes, the same as for identify, you get a creature that’s at least 8 times more powerful (CR 17 vs. CR 11; note that 8 creatures of CR 11 is equal to an encounter with 1 of CR17).

Wraithstrike

Rule: Only functions on the next attack, just like true strike.

Change: It functions for 1 round, applying to all attacks over the next round.