Zardnaar
Legend
I have been looking at the various claims that simulacrum is broken and I have looked at the pros and cons of the spell. I have actually seen simulacrum in use although that was at level 13 or so and the wizard only had a single simulacrum. That simulacrum however was used to spam cantrips a lot.
The spell is level 7 it creates a duplicate that has all the abilities of the original but only 50% of the hit points. It costs money to create and can’t regain spells and it is somewhat difficult to heal one. The abuse of simulacrum revolves around the use of the wish spell to duplicate the simulacrum spell to get around the cost of the material components.
Note that when you cast the spell you have used a wish spell the duplicate will lack a level 9 spell as it is a duplicate of the oriignal which has already cast simulacrum. RAW you can create a clone army by doing it this way as the clones themselves lack the wish spell.
One could of course create a clone by hard casting the simulacrum spell and the simulacrum will have a wish spell they can cast once. However unless they are level 20 they will lack a simulacrum spell themselves. Either way the simulacrum has no way to regain the expended spell slot.
This means your simulacrums will be very limited in creating follow on simulacrums. At best you might have something like this at level 20. The wizard casts a wish spell and creates a simulacrum. Not that wizard can’t create another simulacrum as if you create another one the original is destroyed. That simulacrum however can create 1 more using a level 7 or 8 spell slot but they have to pay money for it. That simulacrum however is missing a level 7 or 8 spell slot as each simulacrum created is missing a spell slot. Each simulacrum however is getting weaker and weaker. Each simulacrum can only control 1 simulacrum as per the outlines of the original spell regardless if a wish spell is used or not. Each simulacrum is in effect a vassal to its creator.
Assuming the wizard had a 16 con at level 20 he would have around 142 hit points.
Simulacrum 1 has 71 hp, that simulacrums clone has 35 hp and going further doewn the chain the 17hp, 8 hp and 4 hp before no more can be created. Each simulacrum also costs gold at this point. Some of those are going to cost real money to create and wish could be cast by the last ones in the chain.
Now a player might start to think they can just recast wish the next day and create a new 71 hp clone which is a fine idea but it destroys the old 71 hp clone. That new clone can then create a 35 hp clone etc and start the cylcle all over again. However each time you do this the original caster loses control over all of the clones as the vassal chain is broken. Once that chain is broken the simulacrums should really become NPCs the original caster has no control over the 35 hp clones. The 35 hp clones however do have control over the 16hp, 8 hp etc clones.
Now this is where things get interesting IMHO. You can only create a small daisy chain of duplicates which get weaker and weaker. RAW you can’t create a clone army and control it. Each duplicate however thinks like the original caster Lets assume the spell caster did this for a month or so and creates a new clone every day and over that month the clones do there own thing and create more clones etc. At the end of the month though the original caster only has 1 clone directly under his control. There is around 120 clones outside his control and odds are that caster should be broke by now as well.
Now if a PC wizard somehow was restricted from regaining spell slots odds are they would seek a solution to get around that. Each of the clones faces that restriction and each clone has the same ability and thoughts as the original caster. And the caster has created over 100 level 20 wizards outside of his direct control and they should really be NPCs under the DMs control. Now one would think that one of these duplicates would come up with the thought that they should be able to regain spell slots as life is not fair. Unless the original caster is a LG paragon of virtue around about now I would think he might struggle vs his army of minions he doesn’t technically control.
As a DM if a player tried this this would be what I would be thinking. Those clones can actually still cast more spells via scrolls and they are capable of using mundane research to locate creatures that can cast spells for them such as granting wishes and the clones are capable of using scrolls as well including wish. Maybe one of them can regain spells by turning the original caster into a simulacrum and they replace the original. All they need to do is subdue the original caster and use a wish spell to trade place which I would rule is a charisma save since it is a form of possession I suppose. Even if they can’t replace the original they can still kill him as well. The 35hp alpha clones only need to conspire among themselves as well as the vassal simulacrums will follow orders.
Now that’s what would happen in my games if a PC tried to abuse the simulacrum spell.
The spell is level 7 it creates a duplicate that has all the abilities of the original but only 50% of the hit points. It costs money to create and can’t regain spells and it is somewhat difficult to heal one. The abuse of simulacrum revolves around the use of the wish spell to duplicate the simulacrum spell to get around the cost of the material components.
Note that when you cast the spell you have used a wish spell the duplicate will lack a level 9 spell as it is a duplicate of the oriignal which has already cast simulacrum. RAW you can create a clone army by doing it this way as the clones themselves lack the wish spell.
One could of course create a clone by hard casting the simulacrum spell and the simulacrum will have a wish spell they can cast once. However unless they are level 20 they will lack a simulacrum spell themselves. Either way the simulacrum has no way to regain the expended spell slot.
This means your simulacrums will be very limited in creating follow on simulacrums. At best you might have something like this at level 20. The wizard casts a wish spell and creates a simulacrum. Not that wizard can’t create another simulacrum as if you create another one the original is destroyed. That simulacrum however can create 1 more using a level 7 or 8 spell slot but they have to pay money for it. That simulacrum however is missing a level 7 or 8 spell slot as each simulacrum created is missing a spell slot. Each simulacrum however is getting weaker and weaker. Each simulacrum can only control 1 simulacrum as per the outlines of the original spell regardless if a wish spell is used or not. Each simulacrum is in effect a vassal to its creator.
Assuming the wizard had a 16 con at level 20 he would have around 142 hit points.
Simulacrum 1 has 71 hp, that simulacrums clone has 35 hp and going further doewn the chain the 17hp, 8 hp and 4 hp before no more can be created. Each simulacrum also costs gold at this point. Some of those are going to cost real money to create and wish could be cast by the last ones in the chain.
Now a player might start to think they can just recast wish the next day and create a new 71 hp clone which is a fine idea but it destroys the old 71 hp clone. That new clone can then create a 35 hp clone etc and start the cylcle all over again. However each time you do this the original caster loses control over all of the clones as the vassal chain is broken. Once that chain is broken the simulacrums should really become NPCs the original caster has no control over the 35 hp clones. The 35 hp clones however do have control over the 16hp, 8 hp etc clones.
Now this is where things get interesting IMHO. You can only create a small daisy chain of duplicates which get weaker and weaker. RAW you can’t create a clone army and control it. Each duplicate however thinks like the original caster Lets assume the spell caster did this for a month or so and creates a new clone every day and over that month the clones do there own thing and create more clones etc. At the end of the month though the original caster only has 1 clone directly under his control. There is around 120 clones outside his control and odds are that caster should be broke by now as well.
Now if a PC wizard somehow was restricted from regaining spell slots odds are they would seek a solution to get around that. Each of the clones faces that restriction and each clone has the same ability and thoughts as the original caster. And the caster has created over 100 level 20 wizards outside of his direct control and they should really be NPCs under the DMs control. Now one would think that one of these duplicates would come up with the thought that they should be able to regain spell slots as life is not fair. Unless the original caster is a LG paragon of virtue around about now I would think he might struggle vs his army of minions he doesn’t technically control.
As a DM if a player tried this this would be what I would be thinking. Those clones can actually still cast more spells via scrolls and they are capable of using mundane research to locate creatures that can cast spells for them such as granting wishes and the clones are capable of using scrolls as well including wish. Maybe one of them can regain spells by turning the original caster into a simulacrum and they replace the original. All they need to do is subdue the original caster and use a wish spell to trade place which I would rule is a charisma save since it is a form of possession I suppose. Even if they can’t replace the original they can still kill him as well. The 35hp alpha clones only need to conspire among themselves as well as the vassal simulacrums will follow orders.
Now that’s what would happen in my games if a PC tried to abuse the simulacrum spell.
