Faolyn
(she/her)
Those of us who have had experience with earlier editions of D&D should remember the spell permanency. I have no idea if they made a version of this spell for 4th edition, but it certainly isn't in 5th. Thus, I've decided to recreate it. The 2nd edition version can be found here, and the 3rd edition version can be found here.
This spell could be seen as contentious, which is why I didn't just wait to stick it in a revamped version of my (In)Complete Tome of Spells. What do you guys think? Is it potentially too powerful? Is it actually too weak? Is it completely unnecessary? AD&D cost you a point of Constitution to cast this spell; 3e cost you XP. I just have it inflicting fatigue and strife. And unlike the earlier versions of the spell, I didn't list what spells could be made permanent, since between the AG, all of the 3pp material, and with attempting to future-proof it, there are literally hundreds of spells.
Final draft!
Permanency
3rd-level (evocation; arcane, divine, utility)
Classes: Artificer, Cleric, Wizard
Casting Time: 1 hour, plus 1 hour per level of the spell to be made permanent.
Range: Special
Target: One spell
Components: V, S, M (The target spell's material components, plus additional components)
Duration: Permanent
You cause a spell you can cast (the target spell) to be permanently active.
The following types of spells cannot be made permanent:
To make a spell permanent, you must cast this spell and expend the slot for the target spell. You must cast permanency with a spell slot level of at least one higher than the slot needed to cast the target spell. E.g., to permanently cast polymorph (a 4th-level spell) on a creature, you must cast permanency with a 5th-level spell slot.
You may also cast this spell on a spell cast from a scroll. Doing so destroys the scroll, as normal.
You must supply the all material components required by the target spell. You must also additional material components in the form of gemstones, rare herbs, and other exotic materials. The cost of these components depends on the slot level you cast permanency with, and is doubled if your target is a creature:
Cantrip: 250 gp
1st- or 2nd-level: 500 gp per level
3rd- or 4th-level: 2,500 gp per level
5th- or 6th-level: 5,000 gp per level
7th- or 8th-level: 10,000 gp
You must be within the range specified in the target spell's description.
If the target spell allows a saving throw, the creature may attempt that save, ending both the target spell and the permanency spell on a success.
If the spell is cast on a creature, it takes up an attunement slot. If the permanent spell is ever dispelled, the attunement slot is freed. If the creature has no available attunement slots because the creature is attuned to three magic items already, the creature must end its attunement to one of those items. Or, you may make a contested check with your spellcasting ability against its Charisma. On a success, it ends its attunement with one item of your choice. (At the Narrator's discretion, curses and other detrimental spells do not take up an attunement slot.)
Casting permanency is taxing, both mentally and physically. When you cast this spell with a 2nd- or 3rd-level slot, you take 1 level each of strife and fatigue. When you use a 4th- or 5th-level slot, you take 2 levels of each. With a 6th- or 7th-level slot, you take 3 levels of each. With an 8th- or 9th-level slot, you take 4 levels of fatigue. Additionally, until you complete a long rest, each time you cast a spell you take 1d10 necrotic damage per level of that spell. This damage can’t be reduced or prevented.
Casting dispel magic on a permanent spell always requires a spellcasting ability check, even if you are the one to attempt to dispel it. If you roll a 20 or above the spell is dispelled. Otherwise, the magic is suppressed for 1 hour per slot level with which the dispel magic was cast. Permanent spells are suppressed, but not dispelled, in anti-magic areas. If the target spell's description states that it can be dispelled by remove curse, then that is also true of the permanent version.
Finally, you may choose to include a special condition that, when met, will end the permanency spell. Such a condition could include a task the target must complete or a command word that must be spoken.
Narrator's note: At the Narrator's discretion, these spells may slowly erode over time. After each century, there is a 5% chance that the spell will fail. Additionally, this spell is not intended to be used to make magic items--use the Crafting rules for that.
This spell could be seen as contentious, which is why I didn't just wait to stick it in a revamped version of my (In)Complete Tome of Spells. What do you guys think? Is it potentially too powerful? Is it actually too weak? Is it completely unnecessary? AD&D cost you a point of Constitution to cast this spell; 3e cost you XP. I just have it inflicting fatigue and strife. And unlike the earlier versions of the spell, I didn't list what spells could be made permanent, since between the AG, all of the 3pp material, and with attempting to future-proof it, there are literally hundreds of spells.
Final draft!
Permanency
3rd-level (evocation; arcane, divine, utility)
Classes: Artificer, Cleric, Wizard
Casting Time: 1 hour, plus 1 hour per level of the spell to be made permanent.
Range: Special
Target: One spell
Components: V, S, M (The target spell's material components, plus additional components)
Duration: Permanent
You cause a spell you can cast (the target spell) to be permanently active.
The following types of spells cannot be made permanent:
- Spells with a duration of Instantaneous.
- Spells that directly deal damage, requiring an attack roll or saving throw. (Spells that deal damage but require a creature to act in some way in order to take the damage, such as wall of fire, can be made permanent.)
- Spells that reduce a creature's hit point maximum or inflict levels of strife or fatigue.
- Spells that cause a creature to regain hit points or gain temporary hit points.
- Spells that summon creatures.
- Spells that already let you make them permanent by casting them in the same location for a period of time, such as teleportation circle. At the Narrator's discretion, those spells may no longer have that ability, in which case permanency works on them normally.
To make a spell permanent, you must cast this spell and expend the slot for the target spell. You must cast permanency with a spell slot level of at least one higher than the slot needed to cast the target spell. E.g., to permanently cast polymorph (a 4th-level spell) on a creature, you must cast permanency with a 5th-level spell slot.
You may also cast this spell on a spell cast from a scroll. Doing so destroys the scroll, as normal.
You must supply the all material components required by the target spell. You must also additional material components in the form of gemstones, rare herbs, and other exotic materials. The cost of these components depends on the slot level you cast permanency with, and is doubled if your target is a creature:
Cantrip: 250 gp
1st- or 2nd-level: 500 gp per level
3rd- or 4th-level: 2,500 gp per level
5th- or 6th-level: 5,000 gp per level
7th- or 8th-level: 10,000 gp
You must be within the range specified in the target spell's description.
If the target spell allows a saving throw, the creature may attempt that save, ending both the target spell and the permanency spell on a success.
If the spell is cast on a creature, it takes up an attunement slot. If the permanent spell is ever dispelled, the attunement slot is freed. If the creature has no available attunement slots because the creature is attuned to three magic items already, the creature must end its attunement to one of those items. Or, you may make a contested check with your spellcasting ability against its Charisma. On a success, it ends its attunement with one item of your choice. (At the Narrator's discretion, curses and other detrimental spells do not take up an attunement slot.)
Casting permanency is taxing, both mentally and physically. When you cast this spell with a 2nd- or 3rd-level slot, you take 1 level each of strife and fatigue. When you use a 4th- or 5th-level slot, you take 2 levels of each. With a 6th- or 7th-level slot, you take 3 levels of each. With an 8th- or 9th-level slot, you take 4 levels of fatigue. Additionally, until you complete a long rest, each time you cast a spell you take 1d10 necrotic damage per level of that spell. This damage can’t be reduced or prevented.
Casting dispel magic on a permanent spell always requires a spellcasting ability check, even if you are the one to attempt to dispel it. If you roll a 20 or above the spell is dispelled. Otherwise, the magic is suppressed for 1 hour per slot level with which the dispel magic was cast. Permanent spells are suppressed, but not dispelled, in anti-magic areas. If the target spell's description states that it can be dispelled by remove curse, then that is also true of the permanent version.
Finally, you may choose to include a special condition that, when met, will end the permanency spell. Such a condition could include a task the target must complete or a command word that must be spoken.
Narrator's note: At the Narrator's discretion, these spells may slowly erode over time. After each century, there is a 5% chance that the spell will fail. Additionally, this spell is not intended to be used to make magic items--use the Crafting rules for that.
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