Flavius inspired me. Unfortunately... what I came up with is cool on paper, but I'm not entirely sure it would work out to be something a player would actually want to use. I think it would be very much a niche spell and not a wonderful, versatile barrier spell.


Huldah's Twist

Cloaks the caster with a divine protective matrix that should absorb any spells directed at you. The incoming spell is then twisted by the Trickster's nature in a number of ways. The results are not always consistent, nor beneficial.

Some example effects
1) Common (70%): The incoming spell is absorbed, weakening the matrix around the caster. No other effect.
2) Rare (7%): The incoming spell is absorbed, purified and channeled to refill a portion of the priest's harness. The matrix around the caster is weakened. No other effect
3) Rare (7%): The incoming spell is absorbed and shredded into fragments of mana that assault the priest's magical senses. Can stun the priest at the worst end of the spectrum, will cause minor to severe twitching. The matrix isn't weakened. No other effect
4) Rare (7%): The incoming spell is not affected. Ouch. Remind me to kick that blasted weasel, provided my leg wasn't just lopped off. The matrix isn't weakened.
5) Very Rare (4%): The incoming spell is twisted into PFE on the priest (strength depending on the original spell's strength). The protective matrix is weakened.
6) Very Rare (4%): The incoming spell is twisted into any clerical curse on the priest (malediction, huldah's pall, curse of z). The matrix is weakened. A weasel capers about your feet, points at you and giggles maliciously.
7) Snowball's chance in a volcano (1%): The incoming spell shatters the protective matrix, unleashing jagged shards of light that strike anything (even the poor priest) in the area.

Side benefit: Any curse spells (Malediction, Huldah's Pall, Curse of Z) cast by the priest while protected by Huldah's Twist have greater effect/duration than normal.

Drawbacks: Huldah doesn't play well with others. Horn, HoT, PS and FF are extremely difficult to cast while the priest is protected by Huldah's Twist. Glythtide's Gift should give you nothing by tepid swamp-water, but that's getting carried away.

I blame Skral's influence. I still am carrying around that 'well damn, there needs to be 60 gazillion drawbacks for 1 nifty thing' mentality!

I think people would in general rather a constant drawback rather than a random 'hah you die now!' kind of penalty.

I mean, keep the drawback the way it was, but reverse the random things. Chance when absorbing a spell to HulP the caster. Chance to stun the caster rather than the castee.

Now you have a pretty solid spell.