A spell that transfers life: what level?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'd also give it a time that after having made a save, the victim is immune to the effects for X length of time.

Else, the person can keep trying to cast with the same victim locked up, until they get it right, or they run out of spells.

Or maybe it can't be used to attempt the same person ever again with the same lifeforce.

 

[yennico]

At what level would you place a spell that transfers the life energy from one subject to another? The spell would work as Raise Dead but the "material component" is another, living body of the same type (willing or not, unwilling more often that not).

One life for another life? To return back to the material world some must give another soul to the plane of souls.
Raise dead is a conjuration and not a necromancy spell.
Your suggested spell works like this:
You conjure the spirit of a dead person.
A failed save instantly kills the other person. So the spell is an instant-kill-spell. A helpless victim can be achieved by other means than ties (e.g. hold monster) I would increase the casting time to 1 hour per HD, so no hold spell can be used.
Then bind the soul of the dead to the new body (another conjuration effect).
Which attributes do the now living person get? Only the physicals like a polymorph spell?
Does a person who does of old age can be raised by this spell?

The spell is evil, so it gets the evil descriptor.
I´m not sure if it is necromancy because it works like raise dead a conjuration spell.

 

[The_Universe]

I'd like it better if it was more like magic jar (the soul/essence/whatever ends up in the new body permanently). That would definitely seem more *evil,* and comes with a great many more plot hooks. That noble young prince might not be the noble young prince next time you come around...his evil stepfather may have moved in "upstairs." That sort of thing.

From a pure power perspective, I'd say it's more like reincarnate than raise dead or resurrection, but it's lack of physical cost (as described by the original poster) has to make it higher level, anyway. Without level loss or something, I'd say it has to be at least 6th level, and 7th level is probably better.

 

[Sigurd]

Some Way out for victem

You'd have to give the victem a way back. After all they can always kill him once he's in the weaker body.

Even a Limited wish should reverse the process. I'd also make a ritual spell available to clerics to reverse the transfer.

Dont forget most victems of the spell would likely be young nobodies with good stats or rich people in a position of power.

I also think the spell is evil because it breaks a body as temple sort of thing for the victem.


Unless you are making this a meta game ritual spell I'd use Magic Jar.

What of Elves, Outsiders, & other races with different racial traits and Age progression?


S

 

[farscapesg1]

Did I miss where the OP stated that the "raised" spirit now inhabits the sacrificed person's body? The way I was understanding it, the victim is used solely for a sacrifice. The deceased spirit is brought back to it's own body by using the sacrificed life of the victim instead of material components/XP/etc.

Did I miss something?

Edit:
I'm not sure what level to put it at, but it would definitely be Necromancy since you would be using the life-force of the victim to revive the deceased character. You should probably have an expensive material component as part of the "conduit" for the life force energy. Maybe a gem of 5000 gp value or something? Maybe give it a level of around 5 or 6th?

 

[Stalker0]

I would go with arcane, necromancy...make the casting time 1 hour, still slap on the level loss from being raised, require the diamond that clerics normally have to use as well as the material component....and then make it 5th level.

 

[ZuulMoG]

Did I miss where the OP stated that the "raised" spirit now inhabits the sacrificed person's body? The way I was understanding it, the victim is used solely for a sacrifice. The deceased spirit is brought back to it's own body by using the sacrificed life of the victim instead of material components/XP/etc.

Did I miss something?

No, that's what he said. Basically the spell uses one person's life force to jumpstart someone else's body back to life. No body-swapping is going on. People are focusing on the wrong parts.

 

[Nifft]

I totally agree about the material component -- should be a diamond just as pricey as the Cleric version (raise dead).

I disagree that it should be higher level. When Clerics can cast raise dead, it's just plain time for that ability to be available.

-- N

 

[Goolpsy]

So...

True resurrection brings back "Someone" from the place beyond. the rerived being doesn't lose a level and have his whole body... WHOLE...

so, Our spell we, us all, are trying to make here have 2 effects.. Killing someone, and reriving someone. Is the killing a "Merit" or a "Flaw". Is it a bonus or a requirement...
both i guess

[Soul for Soul]
Wizard/Sorc level 7, [Evil; Necromancy]
Casting time: 1 Hour
Range: Touch
Save: Will, negates
Describtion:
You Tranfer the soul of a helpless target into a Ruby, and replaces the body with a "Soul from beyond" The body now changes to the new souls former Body.
The target is intitled to a Will save, failing it causes the spell to take effect.
Because of the tough Journey the Rerived soul take a level loss (like with resurrection)
Materials: A helpless body and a ruby with a Value of at least 5000.
(No xp cost)


Does this seem fair?? maybe it gotta be an 8th level spell...

 

[LightPhoenix]

I'd say at least 6th level for Wiz/Sor. It's a pretty big thing for Clerics (and Druids) that they are the masters over things life... especially regarding healing. It's the tradeoff they accept for not (in theory, all Cleric imbalance arguments aside) being blasters.

Furthermore, I'd say for a Cleric to cast this (and I see absolutely no reason why this wouldn't be on the Cleric spell list) would be at least 6th level, since it also includes a save or die affect. Which in general means that Raise Dead is simply a better option for a Cleric. Alternatively, I'd simply tweak Raise Dead to substitute a human life for the diamond, which would in turn make Raise Dead and [Evil] spell. Finally, I wouldn't let Druids cast the spell, for purely flavor reasons... it's completely against the cycle of nature.

Given this, I'd place this at 7th level for Wiz/Sor if this is a seperate spell, or 6th if you simply tweak Raise Dead.