Area Denial
These spells zone off a section of the battlefield and make it punishing for enemies to go there. They narrow the enemy’s tactical options, often with the goal of directing the enemy toward prepared defenses of a killzone.
These spells should not have an initial effect on targets in the area. They form slowly or give the targets enough warning to get out of the area.
One common way to handle this: until the start of your next turn, the spell only affects targets that end their turn in the area or that enter it for the first time. This gives current targets an opportunity to move out of the area.
Area Clearing
Does damage to creatures that end their turn in the zone. This may be coupled with an initial damage effect (for example, a blast of fire that continues to blaze).
Screening
Spells that block vision. Can be a linear screen or a cloud.
Wall
Spells that prevent passage through an area. These can be soft walls that simply make it harder to move through an area (web, grasping vines, etc.), or physical barriers that have to be broken down before they can be crossed (Wall of Force, Wall of Stone, etc.)
Lockdown
Spells that prevent targets from leaving an area (web, grasping vines, etc.). I don’t like the theme of these effects, especially when they can be combined with spells that layer down damage on an area. I think any spells that make an area actively hostile should either encourage targets to get out, or should be slow forming so the targets can escape, leaving behind a soft wall. Spells that restrain targets as an instantaneous effect are fine, just not ones that also create a wall that includes those same creatures
Tactical Teleporation
I think I’m going to veto this class of spells. It fights too hard with the tactical positioning gameplay I’m trying to set up.
Targeted Dispel Magic
Removes ongoing magical effects from the target. Can be used to help allies or debuff enemies.
Debuff Effects
This is a list of potential debuff effects that can be applied to enemies
- Reveal invisibility / prevent hiding
- Knock prone
- Push/pull/slide
- Slow movement speed
- Reduce actions (dazed / stunned)
- Remove all actions (stunned)
- Paralyze
- Immobilize
- Attack penalty
- Reduced vision (semi-blindness)
- Blind
- Restrained
- Penalty to all checks
- Deny flight
- Fear (shaken, frightened, panicked)
- Fatigued
- Nausea (can’t attack, cast spells, sustain spells, etc. But can still move, take cover, etc.)
- Entangled
- Enfeeblement (penalty to strength attacks / damage)
- Clumsiness (penalty to dexterity attacks / damage)
- Befuddled (penalty to mental stats)
- Confusion (targets allies)
- Domination (control target)
- Sickened (-2 penalty on checks)
- Reduce AC
- Cursed (Bestow Curse)