Epic Spells

[Sepulchrave II]

Baseline spell without Arcane Accoutrements feat. A little weak, I feel.

Call to Arms
Transmutation

Spellcraft: 38 ranks
Components: V, S, P
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 75 ft.
Targets: Allies within 75 ft.
Duration: 20 hours
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Development
50 days; 50,000 gp; 2000 XP
Seeds: [Augment]
Factors: Mass effect at close range (+20), 6 extra free factors (+6)
Mitigating Factors: Increased casting time (-6), power components (-6)

You words lend great strength and focus to those nearby. All friendly creatures within 75 ft. of you when you cast call to arms enjoy the following benefits while it is in effect:

• A +6 enhancement bonus to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution
• A +4 morale bonus to attack rolls
• A +5 resistance bonus to Saving Throws
• A +5 enhancement bonus to natural armor
• Spell Resistance 24

Power Component: A clarion of exquisitely wrought gold. It sounds once, and vanishes as you complete the spell. Value 36,000 gp.

 

[Cheiromancer]

And it is hard to use routinely while on campaign; that's its main weakness, I think. It would be nice to cast it as a standard action and without an expensive material component.

It could be that there is simply too much in there. If you want to harden your troops against low-level enemy wizards (5d6 fireballs and such) then SR 24 is good. If you want to use your own low level wizards, then fire resistance 30 is a steal; combine them both and you have an army that ignores low level spellcasters and is an indiscriminate user of fireballs when attacking tougher forces. That's USP 36, which is much more reasonable.

But if the schtick of your army is that they can easily assault fortresses and walled cities, even under cover of darkness, give everyone spider climbing and darkvision. That's available at USP 24.

If you want to face conventional troops then natural armor and enhanced strength, together with temporary hit points would be the way to go. Depending on how the armor they are wearing you wouldn't want to give them too much Dexterity. And if they are 1st or 2nd level warriors, a boost in Con won't help their hit points much. A few points of cheap DR would be a better investment; if successful attacks do 1d6 or 1d8 damage, then DR 5 will make the temporary hit points go a long way.

You'd have to make a decision about whether you want your troops to efficiently slaughter other forces (in which case you boost the attack bonuses and strength and such) or withstand slaughter (in which case you boost natural armor and DR and hit points).

But designing a single spell that augments a force so they are capable of all these things - well, that's going to be darn expensive. And I think it should be. Each battle wizard should have a unique approach to battle; or perhaps a handful of approaches to meet different situations.

 

[Sepulchrave II]

More experimentation. The synergy of Arcane Accoutrement and Seed Spasm.

Let me know if I've screwed up the range/area increases - I've priced each individually (7 x extended = +14; 7 x widened = +21). Each magnification represents a x2 multiplier in range and area - if I've read Magnipotent and Arcane Accoutement right. Development costs don't include the free factors from Seed Spasm, but they do from Arcane Accoutrement. It's getting complicated.

Maybe this spell could turn the tide of a battle; I dunno. I rate the chances of a Magnipotent sonic [blast] higher. The scale of this one is impressive, though. I've rounded 9600 feet up to 2 miles.

Slay Them All
Transmutation

Spellcraft: 29 ranks
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: 2 miles
Targets: Allies within 2 miles
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Development
67 days; 67,000 gp; 2680 XP
Seeds: [Augment]
Factors: Mass effect at close range (+20), 7 x magnified (+35), swift action (+8), no somatic component (+2), extra factors (+8)
Mitigating Factors: Reduced duration (-8), free factors (-60)
Feats: Arcane Accoutrement, Seed Spasm

Description
You scream, inciting your troops to a momentary invulnerable frenzy. Allies within two miles gain a +6 enhancement bonus to their Strength, a +4 morale bonus to attack, and DR 15/- for one round.

 

[Sepulchrave II]

Modified upon new understanding.

Primordial Firestorm
Evocation [Fire]

Spellcraft: 45 ranks
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 1 mile
Area: 360-ft radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes

You evoke a massive detonation of primordial fire with a radius of 360 ft. Creatures and unattended objects caught within the blast take 60d6 points of fire damage: primordial fire ignores all natural or magical resistances and immunities to fire; creatures normally vulnerable to fire effects remain so.

Development:
79 Days; 79,000 gp; 3160 XP
Seeds: [Blast]
Factors: Increased range (+6), increased area (+27), Primordial (+10), Empowered (+12)
Mitigating Factors: Restricted shape (-4), free factors (-30)
Feats: Mangipotent.

 

[Cheiromancer]

Hmmm. It is getting complicated, isn't it?

First, I think you mean enlarge, not extend.

And when I designed Magnipotent and Arcane Accoutrement, I thought that the change of base parameters happened just before and just after the feat worked. While you are applying the feat you still follow the DDT (double double is a triple) rule. Not the DDQ rule (double double is a quadruple).

For example, suppose you apply those factors first when casting a magnipotent fireball. You might widen it nine times (+27 SP) and enlarge the range three times (+6 SP) to get a 200-ft. radius fireball at extreme (4800 ft.) range. That radius and range would be the new basis for further factors. If you added another widen to it (+3 SP) you'd get a 400-ft. radius fireball. Another widen would make it 600-ft. radius, and so on. DDT, not DDQ.

Or suppose you add two widens to the original fireball to make it 60-ft. radius. Then apply 9 widenings to it using magnipotent; the final radius would still be 600-ft.

Which is pretty big, but if magnipotent worked by changing the base parameter each time widen was added, you could octuple the range with 3 enlargements (to 9600 ft) and then increase the radius 512-fold with the other 27 SP in free factors (9 doublings) That would be a 10,000 ft. spread. I suppose you'd make yourself ground zero and blast everything within a two mile radius of yourself.

That is considerably more than I was thinking it would do. Do you think it should do this? If so, then you've certainly gotten over your fear of exponential factors!

With this spell you'd want to make it an emanation; people won't benefit from the stickiness if it only lasts 1 round. You don't want to affect enemies, so you need to include a +10 multiplicity factor. Otherwise you make secondary range and primary range the same (+10 long would do).

So 30 SP to affect all allies within long range (1200 ft.) Arcane Accoutrement could pay for that. 7 magnifies (+35) would make it 9600 ft.. That's all your Seed Spasm and then some; 5 SP have to be paid for out of regular factors. DR would make a spell ineligible for Arcane Accoutrement (AA only gives non-epic benefits, and DR isn't on the list), so you couldn't provide that. Strength (+3) and bonus to attacks (+4) is OK. You could give 30 HP (+3) and +5 natural armor (+5) each in lieu of DR. And +30 speed (+3) to enable them to charge farther than could be expected (and maybe draw AoOs- but that is what the hp would be for!). +30 to tumble checks (+3). Reduced duration cancels swift action, and no somatic is +2. That's 28 SP (counting the bit of magnification that Seed Spasm didn't pay for). But only within 1/4 of a mile, not a whole mile.

[edit] You posted Primordial Firestorm when I was composing this post- I think Magnipotent has to obey DDT when its factors are being spent. That would make it a 180-ft radius fireball. Not insignificant, but nothing like 1 mile. And the range is "only" 6000-ft.

 

[Cheiromancer]

Modified upon new understanding.

Primordial Firestorm
Evocation [Fire]

Spellcraft: 45 ranks
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 1 mile
Area: 360-ft radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes

You evoke a massive detonation of primordial fire with a radius of 360 ft. Creatures and unattended objects caught within the blast take 60d6 points of fire damage: primordial fire ignores all natural or magical immunities to fire; creatures normally vulnerable to fire effects retain their vulnerabilities.

Development:
79 Days; 79,000 gp; 3160 XP
Seeds: [Blast]
Factors: Increased range (+6), increased area (+27), Primordial (+10), Empowered (+12)
Mitigating Factors: Restricted shape (-4), free factors (-30)
Feats: Mangipotent.

How are you pricing the 360 ft. radius?

Oh, I think I see. +6 for increased range, +24 for increased area (8 widens to make it x9, or 180 ft) then another widen for +3 (and 360 ft.). I see now.

 

[Sepulchrave II]

Cheiro, can you write a couple of emanation or mass-effect type spells; I'm not really getting how your factors work. I think seeing them in context might help.

A spell using [polymorph] which imbued your troops with the pseudonatural template would be cool. UK places the template on a sliding scale which starts at CR +12 or so.

 

[Cheiromancer]

I really have two sets of factors; one that I'm dubious about, within the spoiler block of post 1 of this thread, and the other being the ones given within the main body of the post:

Factor: Mass Effect: The spell affects up to 20 targets, none of which can be more than 30-ft. apart. Effects with durations persist on leaving the area. Minimum range is close. Cost: 14 SP

Factor: Personal Emanation: Affects all targets as long as they remain within 20-ft. of the origin of the emanation. A creature loses the effect if it leaves the area, and can't regain it by coming back. The cost depends on the range of the base spell:

• personal: 8 SP
• touch: 6 SP
• close+: 4 SP

Factor: Area Effect: A ray or targeted spell with an instantaneous duration affects all creatures in a 20-ft. radius burst. Minimum range is close. Cost: 6 SP

Factor: Unlimited Targets: An effect which allows up to 20 targets now allows an unlimited number of targets. Cost: 4 SP​

A typical 1 person buff might be as follows:

Yivgeny’s Rebirth
Transmutation (Polymorph)

Spellcraft: 24
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 75 ft.
Target: One willing, corporeal creature
Duration: 600 minutes
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: None
One of Vorisa’s greatest triumphs was also her greatest tragedy; the pseudonatural apotheosis of a soldier named Yivgeny. Yivgeny’s death shortly thereafter led, by the inevitable logic of Vorisa’s madness, to the development of this peculiar spell. The target is transformed into a duplicate of a particular 4th level fighter (Yivgeny) in his post apotheosis state.
(Stats of a pseudonatural 4th level fighter follow. Pds 20)

Development
32 days, 32,000 gp, 1280 xp
Seeds: [Polymorph]
Factors: 2 x extended (+4)
Mitigating Factors: Reduced range (-4)


****

That's the single target version. Supposing that I amend Arcane Accoutrement to allow a CR 20 form to be assumed via [polymorph], then the following would be possible:


****


Yivgeny’s Cohort
Spellcraft: 27
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 75 ft.
Target: Any number of willing, corporeal creatures within 75 ft.
Duration: 3 days
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: None
Vorisa’s grief never abated. She did, however, find some comfort in being surrounded by identical duplicates of Yivgeny. Her daily orations on Yivgeny’s merits have been known to last for hours; strictly speaking, however, only 10 minutes is required to maintain his memory, and that only once every three days.
(All targets assume the stats of the 4th level fighter mentioned in Yivgeny’s rebirth)

Development
64 days, 64,000 gp, 2560 xp
Seeds: [Polymorph]
Feat: Arcane Accoutrement (1 x widen (+3), 6 x extend (+12), mass effect (+14))
Factors: Unlimited targets (+4), 1 x widen (+3), 2 x extend (+4)
Mitigating factors: Reduced range (-4), Increased casting time (-3)*
*Not preferred


***

I'm not sure this is balanced; I think this might be too much of a boost to an army, and that CR 10 forms would be more than sufficient. Perhaps Vorisa took another feat in addition to Arcane Accoutrement, that waives the CR 10 limit.

 

[Sepulchrave II]

I think the CR 10 cap should stand; I was curious to see this, though - it seems a logical method to get a lot of bang for your factor. Adding the paragon template would be another.

But a spell which transformed your troops into half-celestials, or eninyes devils, or fire giants - that would still be viable. OMG - fire giants. That's too cool.

Another feat - maybe available in the 40s - could relax the cap.

 

[Cheiromancer]

The CR 10 cap still yields some pretty scary results. Especially if you add Lore of Circe to the mix. Check this out:

edit: no longer relevant, except for historical interest.

[sblock]Abyssal Army
Spellcraft: 31
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 300 ft.
Target: Any number of creatures within range
Duration: Permanent (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: None

Rarely used except in horrific retribution upon a superior force, this spell grants each member of your army the form and power of a babau demon. The spell is permanent until you, and only you, dismiss it; typically the words are your announcement of the fulfillment of a particular objective. 20,000 medium-sized troops can squeeze into the area of effect.

Development
75 days, 75,000 gp, 3000 xp
Seeds: [Polymorph]
Feats: Arcane Accoutrement (4 x widen (+12), mass effect (+14), unlimited targets (+4)), Lore of Circe
Factors: 3 x widen (+9), dismissible (+2), pernicious (+10)
Mitigating factors: Reduced CR (-5), reduced range (-2), reduced duration (-4), increased casting time (-3)*
*not preferred

edit: babau demons have a Pd of 10. Fire giants are 11, unfortunately, unless we amend the formula (4 + 0.6 x KR).[/sblock]

edit2: I forgot that Lore of Circe requires a 20 SP payment to get its effects! Maybe I should spell it out more clearly in the feat- it sounds like you get permanency for free, and that isn't right. The above spell is 20 SP more expensive than listed.

edit3: Arcane Accoutrement no longer applies to this spell, I should rework the spell entirely. Also the Reduced CR factor is wrong on a number of accounts: if the WotC CR of a Babau is 6, then the reduced CR factor is -14. I don't know where -5 came from; I suppose that I thought a babau was CR 10 (worth a -10 reduction) and then thought I had to halve it. But that's wrong- +1 CR = 2 SP, so it was already halved when it was at -10.

I think the idea of the spell can be salvaged- I'll work on it later today.