Simulacrum

[Knightfall]

Okay, I'm creating several simulacrums of key bad guys for my Shackled City campaign, and I'm wondering what type of creature a simulacrum is. Is it still the same type as the creature it is created from or does it have the Construct type? The spell description doesn't say.

Plus, which metamagic feats, from any source, could be applied to the simulacrum spell? I want to use the Empower Spell feat to create more powerful simulacrum.

Cheers!

KF72

 

[moritheil]

Okay, I'm creating several simulacrums of key bad guys for my Shackled City campaign, and I'm wondering what type of creature a simulacrum is. Is it still the same type as the creature it is created from or does it have the Construct type? The spell description doesn't say.

Plus, which metamagic feats, from any source, could be applied to the simulacrum spell? I want to use the Empower Spell feat to create more powerful simulacrum.

Cheers!

KF72

Okay, first off, empower doesn't help:

Saving throws and opposed rolls are not affected, nor are spells without random variables. An empowered spell uses up a spell slot two levels higher than the spell’s actual level.

The HD of the resultant creature is not random.

Regarding the creature type, I assume that it's the same as the base creature.

 

[Knightfall]

Hmm, I guess you're right. Any suggestions on how to make a simulacrum more powerful without breaking the rules. My players are pretty rule savvy and I don't want them calling on something like this.

Would a properly worded miracle or wish spell give true life to a simulacrum? Or is that stretching it to far?

 

[Knightfall]

Regarding the creature type, I assume that it's the same as the base creature.

Now, the next question is does the simulacrum have its own CR or is the experience for defeating it part of the CR of the caster who created it?

 

[James McMurray]

I'd let a wish or miracle give true life for the 5,000xp cost.

A Simulacrum uses it's own CR, at least IMO. I don't know if there's a difinitive answer on it.

 

[Altair-the-Vexed]

I concur: Wish might give independent life to the Simulacra, same creature type as base creature, and Empower won't do anything.

Now, you could have your caster research as suitably higher level "Greater Simulacrum" spell, which gave effects in line with Empowering the spell...

 

[moritheil]

Now, the next question is does the simulacrum have its own CR or is the experience for defeating it part of the CR of the caster who created it?

That falls under the more general heading of "Does a caster able to create subordinates include said subordinates as part of his or her CR?" The debate over that rages to this day.

 

[Knightfall]

I'd let a wish or miracle give true life for the 5,000xp cost.

A Simulacrum uses it's own CR, at least IMO. I don't know if there's a difinitive answer on it.

So, it's CR should be half of the creature it was created from?

I concur: Wish might give independent life to the Simulacra, same creature type as base creature, and Empower won't do anything.

Now, you could have your caster research as suitably higher level "Greater Simulacrum" spell, which gave effects in line with Empowering the spell...

And you know, I thought there was such a spell, but there isn't. Now the quest becomes to find metamagic feats that will change how the simulacrum spell is cast. Hmm...

 

[Knightfall]

More Questions:

What about its natural armor? Does the simulacrum have only half of the creature's natural armor bonus? What about darkvision and the like? Does darkvision 120 feet become darkvision 60 feet?

And if the creature has spell-like abilities, how do you judge them. Do you simply divide the simulacrum's caster level in two or does it have only half of the number of spell-like abilities.

I'm assuming that energy resistance and spell resistance numbers are simply divided by two.

 

[Jack Simth]

More Questions:

What about its natural armor? Does the simulacrum have only half of the creature's natural armor bonus? What about darkvision and the like? Does darkvision 120 feet become darkvision 60 feet?

And if the creature has spell-like abilities, how do you judge them. Do you simply divide the simulacrum's caster level in two or does it have only half of the number of spell-like abilities.

I'm assuming that energy resistance and spell resistance numbers are simply divided by two.

Not quite that simple...

Simulacrum

Illusion (Shadow)
Level: Sor/Wiz 7 Components: V, S, M, XP Casting Time: 12 hours Range: 0 ft. Effect: One duplicate creature Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: None Spell Resistance: No

Simulacrum creates an illusory duplicate of any creature. The duplicate creature is partially real and formed from ice or snow. It appears to be the same as the original, but it has only one-half of the real creature’s levels or Hit Dice (and the appropriate hit points, feats, skill ranks, and special abilities for a creature of that level or HD). You can’t create a simulacrum of a creature whose Hit Dice or levels exceed twice your caster level. You must make a Disguise check when you cast the spell to determine how good the likeness is. A creature familiar with the original might detect the ruse with a successful Spot check (opposed by the caster’s Disguise check) or a DC 20 Sense Motive check.

At all times the simulacrum remains under your absolute command. No special telepathic link exists, so command must be exercised in some other manner. A simulacrum has no ability to become more powerful. It cannot increase its level or abilities. If reduced to 0 hit points or otherwise destroyed, it reverts to snow and melts instantly into nothingness. A complex process requiring at least 24 hours, 100 gp per hit point, and a fully equipped magical laboratory can repair damage to a simulacrum.

Material Component: The spell is cast over the rough snow or ice form, and some piece of the creature to be duplicated (hair, nail, or the like) must be placed inside the snow or ice. Additionally, the spell requires powdered ruby worth 100 gp per HD of the simulacrum to be created.

XP Cost: 100 XP per HD of the simulacrum to be created (minimum 1,000 XP).

(Emphasis added)

The underlined segment is all the spell says about the copy (unless you want to include the stuff about spotting the fake, or the segment on repair - but we're worried about the simulacrum abilities, and those don't really matter for the current questions).

Basically, though, it depends.

If you make a Simulacrum of a Celestial Stone Giant (base critter: 14 HD, resistance to Acid, Cold, and Electricity 10, DR 10/Magic), it will end up with half the resistances and half the DR... not because they are cut in half, but because when you look at HD 7 for the Celestial creature abilities, it's resistance 5 and DR 5/Magic (which is the abilities of a 7 HD Celestial creature).

A critter with flat DR or flat energy resistance? Not cut in half, unless the DM decides that the DR or Energy Resistence are not appropriet for a creature of that level or HD - but that is pure DM call (and is also very important - you don't want your players making simulacrum of, say, an Efreeti, and getting three wishes/day at an initial cost of just 500 gp and 1,000 xp and no continuing costs ... at level 13). Critter with class based DR (e.g., Barbarian) will have DR based on the Simulacrum's level; so the simulacrum of a Barbarian-20 (DR 5/-) has the DR of a 10th level Barbarian (2/-). The Simulacrum of a Barbarian-18 (DR 4/-) has the DR of a 9th level Barbarian (1/-). The simulacrum of a Monk-20 (SR 30) has the SR of a 10th level monk - which is to say, none (Diamond Soul isn't available to monks until 13th).