Necromancy spells
- Thread starter Noir
- Start date
Answer to Mark Chance
I sure will, better late than never.
Will it adress death in a philosophical way too or will it only contain mechanics and flavor texts as most supplements on the topic have done hitherto.
Are you allowed to give us (me) a teaser with some detail?
Mark Chance said:
I sure will, better late than never.
Will it adress death in a philosophical way too or will it only contain mechanics and flavor texts as most supplements on the topic have done hitherto.
Are you allowed to give us (me) a teaser with some detail?
Mark Chance
Boingy! Boingy!
Noir said:
Not much fluff text dealing with philosophical issues of death. We did touch briefly on such things, but nothing terribly dramatic or groundbreaking (which is probably good since dramatic or groundbreaking philosophies are often quite silly).
As for what I can reveal: To be honest, I'm not sure. I can send the publisher/editor an email and ask him to pop over to give a preview. I'm not sure what sort of NDA we're working under.
Possible changes to Whispers of Old
I have discussed whether my spell Whispers of Old is balanced or not with a friend of mine (Feliath is his alias here I think) and he claims that it is unbalanced as long as there is no CL cap on it, I do not agree.
What do you think? Is it unbalanced without a CL cap that limits the time you can continue whispering. He suggested 2*CL rounds.
I have changed it from level 3 to level 4 now, but maybe it is still too low? Maybe level 5 would be more appropriate, as it is now. But level 5 would be way too high if there would be a CL cap. In that case, level 3 probably would be more balanced.
Another question. Should it be allowed to cast via Scry with Message? If yes, then that would be a factor to take into account when setting the level of the spell.
I have discussed whether my spell Whispers of Old is balanced or not with a friend of mine (Feliath is his alias here I think) and he claims that it is unbalanced as long as there is no CL cap on it, I do not agree.
What do you think? Is it unbalanced without a CL cap that limits the time you can continue whispering. He suggested 2*CL rounds.
I have changed it from level 3 to level 4 now, but maybe it is still too low? Maybe level 5 would be more appropriate, as it is now. But level 5 would be way too high if there would be a CL cap. In that case, level 3 probably would be more balanced.
Another question. Should it be allowed to cast via Scry with Message? If yes, then that would be a factor to take into account when setting the level of the spell.
Last edited:
scholz
First Post
Noir said:
I seem to have lost the original. But here is roughly how they would look.
Poltergeist
(Necromantic)
Level: Sor/Wiz 3, Death 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 Minute
Range: Close
Target: One building no bigger than 300 sq feet per level
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: N/A*
Spell Resistance: No
This spell animates a minor spirit to haunt some place and the people who reside there. The Poltergeist is not a particularly powerful, it has all the abilities of an Unseen Servant, and is constrained to the buildig in which it is cast. The caster has no control over the Poltergeist which goes about disrupting the lives of those who reside in the building in various ways it is capable of. It can move objects, push ceramic and glass objects off their perches, poke or tickle sleepers, etc.. It can turn incorporeal at will as a standard action (or corporeal). It cannot directly harm anyone, and it can only be harmed if it is corporeal by area effect spells (it has 1hp per level of the caster.) It will typicallyturn incorporeal and move away from confrontation to avoid being destroyed rather than fight. It's sole purpose is to annoy and frustrate the people that reside in the building it haunts. If no precautions are taken against it, people in that house can expect to get little sleep. However by plugging one's ears, and doing other precautionary things one may be able to get some sleep, but will be less able to awaken in the event something else happens. Likewise, if properly secured, items in the house can be protected from the Poltergeist, but it will do it's best to trouble those residing there none the less.
It can be turned but is treated as a creature with HD equal to half the level of the caster for such purposes.
A Consecrate Spell will keep it at bay.
A Hallow spell will banish it, as well as such spells as Dismissel, Dispel Evil etc..
The material component of the spell is the bone of a some person stolen from a grave.
Partial Possession
(Necromantic)
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: Close
Target: One Creature
Duration: 1 rd/level
Saving Throw: Will (special)
Spell Resistance: Yes
With this spell the caster uses necromantic magic to cause a person to attack or hinder himself. The spell causes the victims limb to grow pale and motley, and near skeletal. The victim is allowed a save each round to retain some control. Any round the victim fails a will save, the caster gains control of their limbs. As a free action she can command the limb to perform some action (if not commanded the limb will cooperate with the victim if no command was given, or follow the last order given). An arm can be used to strike the victim (it attacks as the victim with whatever bonuses it normally gets for an attack), it can attempt to grapple the victim (make attack as the victim against itself, one handed, but so is the victim), or do something else, disrupt spell casting, throw a weapon, draw items or anything normally possible for the arm. If cast on a leg, the caster can command the leg to interfere with movement (either holding fast, tripping up the victim, etc..) Such attempts are automatically successful. Other possible command consist of kicking a nearby person (or trying anyway), stomping on the victim's other foot, etc.. But those require attacks as above.
When the duration ends the limb returns to its normal appearance.
The Materical Component is either the leg or arm bones of a small rodent or bird.
Bow For Me
Bow For Me
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Personal
Area: 100 ft. radius centered on caster
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
As you cast Bow For Me a wave of negative energy spreads out in all directions to the extreme of the range. All living creatures with 5 Hit Dice or less are affected. The life force in the lower part of their legs (from the knee down) are negated as per the spell Wither Limb causing them to fall to their knees.
Bow For Me
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Personal
Area: 100 ft. radius centered on caster
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
As you cast Bow For Me a wave of negative energy spreads out in all directions to the extreme of the range. All living creatures with 5 Hit Dice or less are affected. The life force in the lower part of their legs (from the knee down) are negated as per the spell Wither Limb causing them to fall to their knees.
Detect Vivacic Flow
Detect Vivacic Flow
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Line of sight
Area: Quarter circle from caster to extreme of range
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
The caster can see the presence, absence and flow of positive and negative energy. This sight is superimposed on the caster's ordinary vision, and gives him no extra visual capacity; if the caster's vision is hindered by, for example, darkness, then the magical sight is similarly hindered. The sight does lower concealment by one step, unless the concealment is behind something living or unliving. As a general rule of thumb, creatures with higher Hit Dice have more positive (or, inte the case of the undead, negative) energy. This may be affected by the specific type of the creature. Through Detect Vivacic Flow the caster can determine whether a creature is mortal or immortal, since mortals have a finite flow of positive energy and immortals an infinite. The caster can also see if a creature is wounded through leaks and reduction of the flow of positive energy.
A big thank you to Feliath for this interesting spell.
Detect Vivacic Flow
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Line of sight
Area: Quarter circle from caster to extreme of range
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
The caster can see the presence, absence and flow of positive and negative energy. This sight is superimposed on the caster's ordinary vision, and gives him no extra visual capacity; if the caster's vision is hindered by, for example, darkness, then the magical sight is similarly hindered. The sight does lower concealment by one step, unless the concealment is behind something living or unliving. As a general rule of thumb, creatures with higher Hit Dice have more positive (or, inte the case of the undead, negative) energy. This may be affected by the specific type of the creature. Through Detect Vivacic Flow the caster can determine whether a creature is mortal or immortal, since mortals have a finite flow of positive energy and immortals an infinite. The caster can also see if a creature is wounded through leaks and reduction of the flow of positive energy.
A big thank you to Feliath for this interesting spell.
Transfer Life / Transfer Unlife
Transfer Life
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch (See text)
Target: See text
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
The caster join hands with all whom he might want to affect with the spell forming a closed circle. The flow of positive energy must be uninterrupted, therefore everybody in the circle must be living creatures.
As the spell is cast, the caster can chose to move positive energy among the creatures in the circle up to a total of no more than two times his caster level.
Transfer Unlife
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch (See text)
Target: See text
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
As Transfer Life, but with negative energy and undead instead of positive energy and living creatures (caster must be undead for Transfer Unlife to work).
Transfer Life
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch (See text)
Target: See text
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
The caster join hands with all whom he might want to affect with the spell forming a closed circle. The flow of positive energy must be uninterrupted, therefore everybody in the circle must be living creatures.
As the spell is cast, the caster can chose to move positive energy among the creatures in the circle up to a total of no more than two times his caster level.
Transfer Unlife
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch (See text)
Target: See text
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
As Transfer Life, but with negative energy and undead instead of positive energy and living creatures (caster must be undead for Transfer Unlife to work).
Last edited:
ElectricDragon
Explorer
Your spell: Whispers of Old should have a duration of Concentration as written instead of Instantaneous; but I suggest limiting the duration to: 3 rounds/level (D).
Something like this:
Duration: Concentration (up to 3 rounds/level) (D)
As a 4th level spell a wizard could conceivably age someone 21 years per casting of this spell at the minimum level. Sorcerers would get 24 years at the minimum level. This is a high concentration of years for such a low level spell. A half-orc could die of old age from just one casting of this spell. As written you should add the [Death] descriptor to it and raise the level to 5th or higher.
Limited wish used to age its caster 3 years and Wish 10 years. In 2e and earlier, potions of longevity conferred 1d12 years back to their drinker, and potions of youth gave less. If aging effects are to be used in your game; you should also have some easy method of reversing them (like those potions). Imagine a lich using this against a party: 60 years per casting (using my suggestion); how hard is it to create a lair that amplifies the whisperings of the old skeleton-mage so that it can be heard on multiple levels of its complex? Reincarnation is one way back from death by natural causes; is there only this one way?
Kara Tur in 2e had a 7th or 8th level spell that required a unicorn's horn as a material component (used up in the casting). The spell killed one creature (by stealing its lifeforce) and un-aged the caster by 10 years.
Darksun had a 7th level spell called Sands of Time that could age things according to their type. Paper could be aged to dust; people by 50-60 years; dragons very little. Higher caster levels enabled more aging: but it must be remembered that Dark Sun enabled characters to achieve levels much higher than now (advanced beings had to be at least 41st level before they could start as avangions, dragons, or elementals). There was also a reverse of the spell (called Reversed Sands of Time).
The unlimited nature of the spell as written is way over the top. Unless you add in some kind of rules for vocal loss due to long usage: "I had to quit the spell because I lost my voice; I was unable to cast spells for over a week afterward."
Other than this point; I have no problem with your spells. Good work.
Ciao
Dave
Something like this:
Duration: Concentration (up to 3 rounds/level) (D)
As a 4th level spell a wizard could conceivably age someone 21 years per casting of this spell at the minimum level. Sorcerers would get 24 years at the minimum level. This is a high concentration of years for such a low level spell. A half-orc could die of old age from just one casting of this spell. As written you should add the [Death] descriptor to it and raise the level to 5th or higher.
Limited wish used to age its caster 3 years and Wish 10 years. In 2e and earlier, potions of longevity conferred 1d12 years back to their drinker, and potions of youth gave less. If aging effects are to be used in your game; you should also have some easy method of reversing them (like those potions). Imagine a lich using this against a party: 60 years per casting (using my suggestion); how hard is it to create a lair that amplifies the whisperings of the old skeleton-mage so that it can be heard on multiple levels of its complex? Reincarnation is one way back from death by natural causes; is there only this one way?
Kara Tur in 2e had a 7th or 8th level spell that required a unicorn's horn as a material component (used up in the casting). The spell killed one creature (by stealing its lifeforce) and un-aged the caster by 10 years.
Darksun had a 7th level spell called Sands of Time that could age things according to their type. Paper could be aged to dust; people by 50-60 years; dragons very little. Higher caster levels enabled more aging: but it must be remembered that Dark Sun enabled characters to achieve levels much higher than now (advanced beings had to be at least 41st level before they could start as avangions, dragons, or elementals). There was also a reverse of the spell (called Reversed Sands of Time).
The unlimited nature of the spell as written is way over the top. Unless you add in some kind of rules for vocal loss due to long usage: "I had to quit the spell because I lost my voice; I was unable to cast spells for over a week afterward."
Other than this point; I have no problem with your spells. Good work.
Ciao
Dave
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