High lvl "true name" spell!

[Piratecat]

I'm hoping to build a 9th lvl spell (telepathic psionic power, actually, but no real difference) that discerns a person's true name, gives you some advantages built around that, and provides enough mental signature to scry them. A few features I think it should have:

- Trumps mind blank.

- Will save yes, Magic resistance yes? I could also go the other route like legend lore and make the spell personal, so that a save and SR doesn't apply. Is this too powerful for a 9th lvl spell?

- 17pp to manifest (9th lvl power.) Casting/manifestation time is 1d4×10 minutes if you've personally seen the creature, and 1d10 days if you have only detailed information about them. It's impossible to detail the true name of someone that you've only heard rumors about.

- +2pp lets you cast it as a standard action with a 100xp cost.

- provides a mental signature for the subject, allowing the use of sending (or the psionic equivalent.) Makes the person "familiar" for the purposes of all divination spells, including scrying.

- Thereafter, when manifesting powers with that person as the target you can incorporate their true name as a move-equivalent action (thus usually increasing the manifestation time from 1 standard action to 1 full-round action.) Doing so gives the target -4 to their will save and -8 spell resistance on spell resistance checks. Are these numbers good? Higher, lower? See this post for other spells that impact spell resistance.

Thanks for any advice!

 

[Rackhir]

It sounds like this might be better as an epic spell, but True Names are very much a "magic" thing, not a psionics. Is this just supposed to be True Name-ish? It might be better described as some sort of deep, possibly permanent psionic link than a True Name effect. Then you could have it let you read the person's mind at will, track them, a greater susceptability to charm effects and possibly the ability to create illusions (halucinations) in the target's mind. If you go with something along those lines though, I would probably require having the target within touching distance for the several hours it would require to create the link.

True Names though aren't something that I can recall every being obtained through magic. They are always the result of research or going to the lost tomb of whatever or consulting some oracle in some horribly dangerous and out of the way place.

There was a demon in one book I read though, that could destroy anyone who's true name had ever been spoken. Of course the hero was brought from our world and thus it had never been spoken in the book's world, so the demon turned on and destroyed it's master.

 

[Corlon]

sounds pretty cool...but I don't know about the true name thing...

If you ARE using true names (which has been used so many times, it's kind of bothering me) then I'd think it wouldn't be powerful enough for the true name thing.

And if you generally don't use the whole true name thing, then I think the spell should have some sort of differen name...

BUT that's all in flavor anyways, so on to the mechanics.


For ninth level, it sounds fine, maybe give the person some sort of save or check to "notice" that their true name is being learned (somethign akin to scry I guess.)

I'm thinking it should have some sort of duration though, even if it's a long one, because -4 to will saves FOREVER seems a bit high end.

I guess it really needs a play-test, but nifty idea, I like it.

 

[Ferret]

I definatly like the idea, I had the same one (Idea) sometime ago, with pretty much the same premise. Nice work!

 

[WizarDru]

- Trumps mind blank.

Okay, let's start breaking it down. Mind Blank is an 8th level spell, so no worries there, per se. There's really only a single 9th level divination, foresight. So there's definitely a gap that could be filled, there.

However, trumping Mind Blank leaves some big gapping holes that normally require big JuJu to bypass, such as the use of a Miracle or maybe a WIsh. I'm thinking that a successful use would require a 5000 x.p. penalty, similar to those spells. Otherwise, perhaps it should be epic. Even though it's a Psi power, it could still require some form of personal energy/soul investment.

- Will save yes, Magic resistance yes? I could also go the other route like legend lore and make the spell personal, so that a save and SR doesn't apply. Is this too powerful for a 9th lvl spell?

If you incur an xp penalty, then no save and no resistance. Otherwise, yes, it must have them. Depending on the effects, we're getting close to epic spellcasting/psionics here. I profess ignorance on the new Expanded Psi rules, though, so take that with a grain of salt.

Perhaps they mingle their mind/life force with that of the target? Here's a thought: perhaps a successful usage on a target makes the caster more vulnerable to the spell being used on THEM by the original target? I like the implied Psi-battle that it implies...."You dare to steal my name from ME? Suffer my power, meddler!!"

- provides a mental signature for the subject, allowing the use of sending (or the psionic equivalent.) Makes the person "familiar" for the purposes of all divination spells, including scrying.

Is this duration Permanent? Can it be dispelled? To high level spellcasters, even a 9th level spell/power is easily dismissed, if permanent. Is there a focus of some sort, such as a special Psicrystal?

The casting time seems designed to be restrictive to players and made to be more of a NPC spell, but I'm not sure that's such a bad thing. What happens if the caster has incorrect or partially incorrect information about the target? Does it fail? For example: let's say there's an undead dwarven guardian of a gate, and a power necromantic wizard of an evil underground kingdom lies about his name and gives him the dwarf's name instead to the caster. (Pffft. Like that would ever happen.) What happens when the spell is cast?

 

[Quickleaf]

Hmm, I think True Names should be limited to discovery through role-playing. If you do decide to create a spell (and it really should be a spell, not a psionic power, but whatever), here are some guidelines:

-- Decide whether anyone can use a True Name or only spellcasters (psionics, etc). Does simply knowing the name convey power or must you have some kind of training/innate ability to make use of it?

--Have all divination powers automatically succeed when speaking the target's True Name (spells like anti-scry are overcome)

--Increase caster level of spells cast on subject (something like +1 caster level / 4 wizard levels)

--Penalty on subject's Will saves against the caster's powers (equal to highest level spell available to caster)

--Spell resistance (or psionic equivalent) automatically overcome

--Ability to issue commands to subject as per the spell and/or inability of subject to take overt action against you; in the case of a powerful dragon/ sphinx/ demon, maybe force them to answer 3 questions.

--Knowledge of all the subject's weaknesses (physical & otherwise, e.g. the mummy is vulnerable to fire, water, and brown-nosers)


On the upside...Perhaps knowing a being's True Name has some benefits to it:

--If caster speaks ally's True Name, they may retest any failed Will save.

--Knowing your own True Name helps your resist (+3?) hostile attempts to change your shape

--An ally's True Name is required to bring them back from the dead

--(as above) Friendly magics cast on the ally are +1 caster level / 4 wizard levels when invoking their True Name

 

[Piratecat]

Interestingly enough, the fact that the will save and SR penalty is permanent isn't actually a significant problem. Most people that this gets cast on will probably get killed by the PCs soon, and if they aren't then the spell is leading to cool roleplaying and threats -- always a plus. I think that the spell should require a will save and SR to be successful, and I think that maybe it should reveal who is trying the attempt if the subject makes their save.

I may reduce the penalty to -4 SR, -4 will save. -8 seems a bit much. That makes penetrating SR a lot more likely but not a certainty. The spellcasting time is carefully calculated -- long when the group has some down time, so the default will be fast (but with a small xp penalty to prevent rampant use.)

Borrowing from Arcana Unearthed, a person's true name changes when they die. I plan to use that.

I'm not married to the "true name" idea although I kind of like it. It could just as easily be "psychic imprint" or "true persona" or something like that.

 

[WizarDru]

I like True Names, but perhaps it could be their Psionic Wavelength or Psychic Signature or something similar. How about Gestalt Permutation?

And I agree -8 is too extreme, but -4 is good. I definitely like the idea of the person who is being targeted getting a chance or maybe an automatic success to know who's trying to do it.

One more question: how does one defend against this power? Is there any way, other than just being mightier than the caster?

 

[Piratecat]

Tentative power:

Naked Psyche (A)
Clairsentience (Divination)
Level: Psion 9
Display: Mental
Manifesting Time: See text: special or 1 standard action
Range: See Text
Target: One sentient creature
Duration: Instantaneous; see text
Saving Throw: Will negates
Power Resistance: Yes
Power Points: 17, possible XP

You sift the astral plane to gain an intimate understanding of the psyche of a subject. If you can successfully penetrate their defenses with this spell, forever after you have crippling knowledge of how to affect him mentally.

The manifestation time for this power is 1d6 x 10 minutes if you have personally seen the subject, and 1d10 days if you only have detailed information about him. It is impossible to discern the true self of a creature known only by rumors or hearsay.

If the subject successfully makes their saving throw, he receives a quick image of you (never a good thing!) This does not occur if the spell is deflected by his spell resistance. If he fails the saving throw and SR, however, this power provides you with a detailed mental signature for the subject. This allows the use of correspond and makes the person “familiar” for the purposes of remote viewing and other scrying effects.

Thereafter, when you manifest powers on the subject you can incorporate their psychic weaknesses as a move-equivalent action (thus usually increasing the manifestation time for most powers from 1 standard action to 1 full-round action.) Doing so gives the target a -5 to his will save and -5 spell resistance against your powers only.

This spell specifically supercedes mind blank. Casting it on a mind blanked subject will not allow you to subsequently scry them while a mind blank is active, but the naked psyche spell works normally. The knowledge achieved from naked psyche can not be passed on to others without the use of psychic chiurgy.

Augmentation:
· +2 pp to cast this spell as a standard action; doing so costs you 100 xp even if the subject makes their saving throw or spell resistance.
· +2 pp to deny the subject a saving throw. Magic resistance still applies.
· +2 pp to deny the subject their magic resistance. Will save still applies.

 

[Piratecat]

I still have some "spell/cast" references in there instead of "manifest/power"; ignore 'em. Note that I have added augmentation which allows speed, no will save or no SR, but the two won't be able to be combined until the psion is in epic levels.

I've reduced the penalty from -4/-8 to -5 on both. Easier to remember. I can tweak it as I go along if I need to.

The best defense is KILLING THE PSION!

Okay, adjustments?