Converting True Dragons

[Cleon]

I'd be happy with that 8th level spell list.

I prefer putting the "greater" spells under the letter "g" as well.

Updating the Pearl the Moon Dragon Working Draft.

Oh, I added a couple of links to her Domain Spell Options because I was was fed up having to hunt through this thread to find it every time we updated her spell selection!

9th level -- time stop[D], mass heal, miracle, soul bind, storm of vengeance, true resurrection ??
Not a lot of choices for this many spell slots!

Well time stop is a definite yes and mass heal plus miracle are all-around useful but the remaining three are rather circumstantial.

A storm of vengeance can inconvenience Pearl or her allies as much as her foes and takes a while to kick in (many epic-level combats only last a few rounds). The spell disruption ability might prove to be more useful than the damage! Besides, she's got 2/day control weather on her SLA list if she just wanted to whip up some bad weather. Overall I'd rather swap it for a more direct offensive spell, such as energy drain or implosion, or just a second miracle. Of the two, implosion's more immediately nasty and is on her Domain Lists so I'd go for that one.

The soul bind I can see her using quite often - creatures of her rank often have to deal "permanently" with immortal entities.

A true resurrection is the only way for her to revive a fallen outsider ally so is tempting. The 10 minute casting time is the only real disadvantage, but I wonder how often she's going to need to true resurrect an ally TODAY rather than have the day's grace she'd need to reprepare her cleric spell selection? Also, she can resurrect people with miracle by duplicating regular resurrection - and come to think of it, she could presumably spend 5,000 XP requesting an "especially powerful" miracle to duplicate true resurrection too - one of the example possibilities is even "raising fallen allies to continue fighting". So maybe swap it for a second miracle?

So that presents three sets of alternatives:

#1: mass heal, miracle (×2), soul bind, time stopᴰ, storm of vengeance.

#2: mass heal, miracle (×2), soul bind, time stopᴰ, [energy drain OR implosion OR true resurrection].

#3 (): [energy drain OR implosion] mass heal, miracle, soul bind, time stopᴰ, true resurrection.

Do either of those appeal to you?

 

[freyar]

Let's look behind door #2 for implosion, please!

I think that means we're ready to go back to the arcane spells. We have a little bit of redundancy with dimensional lock in the cleric spells and dimensional anchor in the arcane. Want to swap the anchor out?

At 6th level, I kind of like legend lore or analyze dweomer; those just always seem appropriate for dragon types who stereotypically love their treasure. We could also put antimagic field here and replace it in the cleric spells, but maybe there are evocations or something in the sorc/wiz spells --- I see a lot of potentially fun spells at this level.

 

[Cleon]

Let's look behind door #2 for implosion, please!

Updating the Pearl the Moon Dragon Working Draft.

I think that means we're ready to go back to the arcane spells. We have a little bit of redundancy with dimensional lock in the cleric spells and dimensional anchor in the arcane. Want to swap the anchor out?

They may be somewhat redundant but they have very different application. Pearl would use lock to deny dimensional travel to a fixed area for almost three weeks, but it'd be of little utility against creatures able to step outside its 20-foot emanation. By comparison, anchor is what you use to stop an enemy fleeing via dimensional travel since (at the very least) they'll have to dispel the magic rather than simply move a bit to escape its effect.

I'd rather keep them both.

At 6th level, I kind of like legend lore or analyze dweomer; those just always seem appropriate for dragon types who stereotypically love their treasure.

Yes, we're kind of spoiled for choice with the arcane spells, especially as Pearl can pick ones from the Cleric List as well as Sorcerer/Wizard.

She does have sorcerer casting though, so Pearl'll be stuck with whatever we pick for her. Unless I can bring you round to my "each Aspect can have a different Sorcerer spell selection" proposal!

As for legend lore and analyze dweomer she only has three six-level slots so I'd rather reserve them for generally or universally useful spells. She can always emulate a spell with limited wish (a 7th-level "universally useful" sorcerer spells).

We could also put antimagic field here and replace it in the cleric spells, but maybe there are evocations or something in the sorc/wiz spells --- I see a lot of potentially fun spells at this level.

Yes, swapping antimagic field is a good idea since the cleric version is two levels higher but otherwise identical.

The only problem is, what spell to exchange it for – for a combat option I'd go for summon monster VIII since a Fiendish Dire Tiger or Colossal Monstrous Centipede out of nowhere can be a handy distraction and flanking ally, as can a Greater Elemental; for a utility option I'd favour discern location. They both can be emulated with miracle of course, being 8th level cleric spells.

Getting back to the Three Arcane Sixes, how about antimagic field, contingency and maybe an illusion spell such as veil or permanent image? Assuming we do swap the field.

 

[Cleon]

Getting back to the Three Arcane Sixes, how about antimagic field, contingency and maybe an illusion spell such as veil or permanent image? Assuming we do swap the field.

Come to think of it, Pearl can only have one contingency running at a time so that may be a waste of a slot as she can sub limited wish.

Maybe make that BOTH permanent illusion and veil or see if there are any 6th-level cleric spells that'd be really handy to cast frequently.

Like, say heal.

Actually, multiple potential heals are potentially very useful, so maybe swap that for, say antilife shell, in her cleric selection and make the sorcerer selection antimagic field, heal, permanent image or veil?

As for legend lore and analyze dweomer she only has three six-level slots so I'd rather reserve them for generally or universally useful spells. She can always emulate a spell with limited wish (a 7th-level "universally useful" sorcerer spells).

Come to think of it, doesn't the common dragon ability of "can cast cleric spells as arcane spells" mean she can cast limited wish and duplicate any cleric spell of 6th level or lower she's allowed to use?

I did say that spell's a universally useful pick!

 

[freyar]

So is this your proposal?
Sorc 6th: antimagic field, heal,veil (or maybe permanent image)
Replace heal in cleric 6th with antilife shell
Replace antimagic field in cleric 8th with perhaps summon monster VIII
Make sure sorc 7th includes limited wish

I could go for that.

 

[Cleon]

So is this your proposal?
Sorc 6th: antimagic field, heal,veil (or maybe permanent image)
Replace heal in cleric 6th with antilife shell
Replace antimagic field in cleric 8th with perhaps summon monster VIII
Make sure sorc 7th includes limited wish

I could go for that.

She's got greater planar ally, does Pearl really need summon monsters VIII as the antimagic substitute? I guess not having to pay 500 XP is nice but she's an NPC so I doubt that'd be bothered with in actual play!

Maybe earthquake?

Come to think of it, programmed image makes way more sense than permanent image - I have no idea what I was thinking!

That'd make it:

Sorceror Spells
6th—antimagic field, heal, veil [or antimagic field, heal, programmed image]

Cleric Spells
6th—antilife shell, blade barrier, forbiddance, heroes' feast, mass eagle's splendor, misleadᴰ, undeath to death;
8th—dimensional lock, earthquake, fire storm, greater planar ally, greater spell immunity, polymorph any objectᴰ;

 

[freyar]

Sure, that will work!

So, at Sorc 7, how about limited wish, prismatic spray, reverse gravity? The last two are just kind of fun, chaotic-sounding spells we don't get to use much. I guess greater arcane sight might be good, but she does have see invisibility active already.

 

[Cleon]

Sure, that will work!

Updating the Pearl the Moon Dragon Working Draft.

So, at Sorc 7, how about limited wish, prismatic spray, reverse gravity? The last two are just kind of fun, chaotic-sounding spells we don't get to use much. I guess greater arcane sight might be good, but she does have see invisibility active already.

I'd rather go for greater arcane sight rather than reverse gravity since the latter is of limited utility.

Good old forcecage and mage's sword are boring but practical alternatives.

However, insanity would seem a good "chaotic-sounding" spell, and to a lesser extent greater shadow conjuration (although I think I'd rather give her shades as one of her 9th-level options instead and maybe greater shadow evocation as an 8th-level option).

Yes, insanity, limited wish, prismatic spray seem a good 7th-level selection. I'll vote for those!

 

[freyar]

Sounds good!

8th: irresistable dance, maze, mind blank ?

 

[Cleon]

Sounds good!

Updating the Pearl the Moon Dragon Working Draft.

Sounds good!

8th: irresistable dance, maze, mind blank ?

Hmm, she's immune to charm, hold and sleep effects which somewhat reduces the effectiveness of mind blank, but still that's a generally useful spell.

The irresistible dance and maze are both "take a single target out of combat" spells so I don't think she'd need both of them. Plus, dance is a touch spell - frankly hideous laughter is often as useful despite requiring a saving throw just because it has a range. Also, I'd be tempted to have trap the soul instead of maze as it also takes the target out of commission but for as long as the soulgem remains unbroken.

Hmm, I'm not that fond of any of them.

Let's see, I'd go for greater shadow evocation, mass charm monster, mind blank for the 8th level spell.

For 9th level I favour shades, shapechange and wish.

However, I'm not sure she needs both limited wish and wish, so we could swamp wish for weird or limited wish for greater restoration (in which case I'd swap the cleric list's greater restoration for resurrection).

I'm also thinking if we're giving her wish it might make more sense to give her two mass heals and a single miracle rather than the other way around like her current selection.