New Living Spells over at WotC

[Matafuego]

There's a new article at the WotC site: Living Spells: Acid, Slumber, and Stone.

In it they discuss new Living Spells based on non-area effect spells: Acid Arrow, Deep Slumber (although I believe this is a valid target for the template) and Flesh to Stone.

The good part comes with the "Flesh to Stone" spell:

Designer's Notes: It is important to note from a game design standpoint that the "area spells only" limitation of the living spell template is there mainly to keep the template simple and to prevent abuse by applying it to single-target spells (which tend to be more powerful than the individual effects of an area spell of that spell level), though in many cases applying the template to a targeted spell would not cause any problems. [...]

Keep this in mind when considering spells for the template; a spell precluded by the template's general restriction to "area spells only" may actually be quite suitable as long as you think ahead to the possible repercussions of the chosen spell or perhaps modify its spell effect.

The third living spell presented here is an example of one of these "off limits" spells: flesh to stone. Flesh to stone is a targeted spell and therefore cannot be used with the living spell template as written; if anything, a creature that can petrify at will has have a higher CR than a simple template modifier could account for. However, there is no reason we can't speculate that some mage once created a gorgon's stony breath spell, which causes creates an area of greenish-gray fumes that cause creatures in the area to slow down and eventually turn to stone. Rather than going through the hassle of creating such a spell and then applying the living spell template to that new spell, we can model the effects of that spell by using a staggered effect flesh to stone spell (slowing on first strike, stoning on the next) even though that spell is not allowed under the rules of the template. The two-step process of the creature's special ability makes it much less lethal and keeps its power level in accord with the template's CR calculation.

I love the solution they came up with.
I love this idea of transforming a spell into a "new" one with an area-effect, not only because it creates an interesting creature but because I feel it expands INSIDE the game.

What do you think of this?
Do any spells come to your minds upon which we can apply this idea?

And I've been toying with something they don't mention here...
How about a beneficial living spell?
Living Bless? Living Bull's Strength?
How would you feel about those? What uses could they have? As a pet for a mage so he can cast it on himself freely?

Thanks for reading.

Lucas

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

I'm going to be getting good use out of the Living Spell template soon (one group of my players are going into a ruined country long ago destroyed by a wizard war), and am thrilled to see this series of articles.

I'd personally like the spread of creatures to be more towards the lower end, but I can't deny that some of the higher level spells will make spectacular monsters.

I hope they don't restrain themselves to the PHB spells, since there are limited area of effect (and suitable single target) spells in it.

I'd love to see more living spells with disabling powers rather than straight-up damage, so they can be used in combination with other creatures.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I had authored a Living Greyhawk adventure with a plethora of Living Spells. I grabbed spells from sources all over the place...

Living cometfall anyone? Yeah... carnage.

 

[lukelightning]

I'm gonna capture me a Living Heal spell.

 

[Fieari]

I've got an abandoned city that was the home of a creature so evil that the evil broke off and became coporeal entities... in the form of oozes. Some of these oozes are living spells, others are the standard fare.

Making living spells with targeted spells was something I started doing from the getgo. It never made sense to me that they weren't allowed, since the target would be obvious.... whoever got hit by the slam attack or engulf. The concept that targeted spells were more powerful never entered into my head. I suppose they would be neccessarily somewhat more powerful than an equal level area spell.

You could just increase the CR of the living targeted spell, instead of lowering the power of the spell itself...

 

[Shade]

Just a few I've tormented my players with:

• Living greater dispel magic - the ultimate softener-upper for its master
• Living wretched blight (BoVD)
• Living wall of deadly chains (BoVD)
• Living binding chain of fate (Waterdeep)

I think beneficial living spells are a great idea. I could see a nonevil deity with Magic as a domain easily promoting the creation of such things.

 

[blargney the second]

How about a living wish? When it slams someone, it sucks 5000 XP from them to power the spell. Double whammy!

 

[Alzrius]

Living spells are great, especially when you get creative and start to modify them in other ways. I used two spells from the Book of Vile Darkness with that template, and then awakened the creature; thus was born Agony.

 

[lukelightning]

How about a living wish? When it slams someone, it sucks 5000 XP from them to power the spell. Double whammy!

Sounds like an epic monster. It grants your deepest desires. And as literature has often pointed out, this sort of thing only ends in tragedy. Y'know, like the book (and movie) Sphere. "I wish I could see through all this fog!" and you get turned into a bat.

Or it would make lots of monsters to fight the party, because everyone knows every D&D characters true desire is to find monsters and kill them.

 

[blargney the second]

Oooo, you're good.
-blarg