Two things regarding Epic Spell development that I enforce:
1) Secondary casters in a ritual may suffer backlash equal to no more than half of the backlash sustained by the primary caster.
2) Ritual spells involving more than one participant may not be [Spontaneous]. I quickly determined that this would get very problematic, when I first allowed DC 0 spells to be cast. Furthermore, I had instituted a ‘dead zone’ in the Spellcraft DC range of 1 to 9 – i.e. unless an epic spell is spontaneous (i.e. DC 0), its DC cannot be less than 10. This may seem rather arbitrary, but I felt that it demarcated what were evolving into two quite distinct forms of Epic Magic.
Nonetheless, Dan exceeded himself with his knack for squeezing every drop of potential from the system.
Mostin’s Accelerating Ritual of Perceptual Magnification
1. Mostin, Nwm, Shomei and Mulissu translate to Faerie in order to benefit from the plane’s enhanced magical trait.
2. Shomei casts a triply empowered endurance on herself, Mostin, Mulissu and Nwm, burning 4 x 8th-level slots. Faerie’s trait further empowers and maximizes the spells. Each participant gains a +12 bonus to Constitution – which translates to 126 hps for 21st level characters. They return to Wyre.
3. Nwm casts this spell:
First Perceptual Transcendence
Transmutation
Spellcraft DC: 11
Components: V, S, Ritual
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: 0 ft.
Area: 20-ft radius sphere centred on you
Duration: 20 hours
To Develop: 99,000 gp; 2 days; 3960 XP. Seed: fortify (DC17). Factors: grant additional +62 enhancement bonus to ability score (+124 DC), 1-round casting time (+18 DC), change from touch to target (+4 DC), change from target to area (+10 DC). Mitigating factors: primary caster sustains 42d6 backlash (-42 DC), secondary casters each sustain 21d6 backlash (-63 DC), 3 additional casters contributing epic level slots (-57 DC).
All characters within a 20-ft radius circle centred upon the caster gain a +63 enhancement bonus to Intelligence.
4. Nwm casts heal upon himself, Mostin, Mulissu and Shomei, burning 4x7th- level slots. ("Effectively, the Green absorbs the backlash.")
5. Mostin casts this spell:
Second Perceptual Transcendence
Transmutation
Spellcraft DC: 13
Components: V, S, Ritual
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: 0 ft.
Area: 20-ft radius sphere centred on you
Duration: 20 hours
To Develop: 117,000 gp; 3 days; 4680 XP. Seed: fortify (DC23). Factors: grant additional +19 insight bonus to ability score (+114 DC), 1-round casting time (+18 DC), change from touch to target (+4 DC), change from target to area (+10 DC). Mitigating factors: primary caster sustains 42d6 backlash (-42 DC), secondary casters each sustain 21d6 backlash (-63 DC), 3 additional casters contributing 9th-level slots (-51 DC).
All characters within a 20-ft radius circle centred upon the caster gain a +20 insight bonus to Intelligence.
6. Nwm casts heal on all of those present, burning 4x8th-level slots.
7. Mulissu casts this spell:
Third Perceptual Transcendence
Transmutation
Spellcraft DC: 13
Components: V, S, Ritual
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: 0 ft.
Area: 20-ft radius sphere centred on you
Duration: 20 hours
To Develop: 117,000 gp; 3 days; 4680 XP. Seed: fortify (DC23). Factors: grant additional +19 luck bonus to ability score (+114 DC), 1-round casting time (+18 DC), change from touch to target (+4 DC), change from target to area (+10 DC). Mitigating factors: primary caster sustains 42d6 backlash (-42 DC), secondary casters each sustain 21d6 backlash (-63 DC), 3 additional casters contributing 9th-level slots (-51 DC).
All characters within a 20-ft radius circle centred upon the caster gain a +20 luck bonus to Intelligence.
8. Nwm casts heal upon Shomei, burning a 9th-level slot; and two cure critical wounds each and two cure serious wounds each upon himself, Mostin and Mulissu.
9. Shomei casts this spell:
Fourth Perceptual Transcendence
Transmutation
Spellcraft DC: 13
Components: V, S, Ritual
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: 0 ft.
Area: 20-ft radius sphere centred on you
Duration: 20 hours
To Develop: 117,000 gp; 3 days; 4680 XP. Seed: fortify (DC23). Factors: grant additional +19 circumstance bonus to ability score (+114 DC), 1-round casting time (+18 DC), change from touch to target (+4 DC), change from target to area (+10 DC). Mitigating factors: primary caster sustains 42d6 backlash (-42 DC), secondary casters each sustain 21d6 backlash (-63 DC), 3 additional casters contributing 9th-level slots (-51 DC).
All characters within a 20-ft radius circle centred upon the caster gain a +20 circumstance bonus to Intelligence.
The net gain – a +123 bonus to Intelligence for four casters – comes at the cost of 7 epic slots, 13 ninth-level slots, 8 eighth-level slots and 4 seventh-level slots. Plus a number of lower level spells.
It adds an obscene +61 to the Save DCs of any spells cast by the Wizards.
It also adds +61 to Knowledge (arcana) checks – which, strangely, is more relevant: Knowledge (arcana) is the requisite skill for apprehending the web of motes.