Old Thread Hunt: Living Epic Spell

[Fieari]

I think this older thread was one of the casualties to the messageboard crash. I know some people have a trick for recovering those old threads... the thread was on the subject of designing a Living Epic Spell template, based on the Living Spell template from WotC.

Can anyone find it? I have saved on my computer an older version of the template, before some of the very nessesary changes were made to it...

 

[the Jester]

law designed a living epic spell template. Let me see if I can search it out for you....

Here you go: Living Epic Spells

 

[Fieari]

Close, but not exactly... the one I've got has size categories that keep getting larger depending on the power of the spell. The trick is, the version I've got saved made the spells WAY too large, way too fast, and I've forgotten the simple little fix that was used to curtail the speed of growth by DC. Some geometric progression, I know that much...

There are some other differences between this one and law's version, including having (in my estimation) a more accurate CR, the ability to mix it with sub-epic spells as well, functionality with larger area effecting epic spells, and ability scores that more resemble the sub-epic version in terms of progression.

Here's what I've got saved on my computer. Let's see if we can't fix it from here...

Living Epic Spell

"Living Epic Spell" is an unusual template, in that it is applied to an epic spell effect (or in some cases, multiple epic spell effects) and not a creature. The characteristics of a living epic spell are determined by the nature of the spell(s), including the spellcraft DC of the spell(s). The template can be applied to any targeted or area effect epic spell, but not epic spells whose effect is an object or creature (such as the Origin of Species spells).

A living epic spell composed of more than one spell uses the spellcraft DC of its highest-DC spell for all its spell effects. A living epic spell can have non-epic spells included with it, so long as at least one spell it is comprised of is epic.

Size and Type: A living epic spell's size usually depends on its spellcraft DC. At DC 20, the living epic spell's size is huge. For every +20 to the spellcraft DC, the size increases by one category.

Hit Dice: A living epic spell has hit dice equal to one half its spellcraft DC, rounded down. Its Hit Dice are d12s.

Speed: A living epic spell's speed depends on its size. Use the chart on page 4 of the ''Immortal's Handbook Epic Bestiary Vol. 1'', following the speed for bipedal creatures.

Armor Class: A living epic spell has a deflection and luck bonus to AC, both equal to one quarter its spellcraft DC, rounded down.

Attack: A living epic spell gains a slam attack it can use once per round. The slam attack deals damage based on its size, plus its Strength bonus times 1.5. A successful slam attack also affects the target as though it were within the spell effect or area (see Special Attacks, below). Use the chart on page 7 of the ''Immortal's Handbook Epic Bestiary Vol. 1''.

Special Attacks: A living epic spell has two special attacks.
* Spell Effect (Su): A creature hit by a living epic spell's slam attack is subjected to the normal effect of the spell or spells making up the creature, as if it were in the area or effect of the spell itself. Saves apply as normal for the spell; the DC is 20 + Cha modifier + epic DC modifying mitigating factors.
* Engulf (Ex): A living epic spell can flow around creatures that fit within its space as a standard action. It cannot make a slam attack during a round in which it engulfs. The living epic spell merely has to move over opponents, affecting as many as it can cover. Opponents can make attacks of opportunity against the living epic spell, but if they do so they are not entitled to a saving throw. Those who do not attempt attacks of opportunity must succeed on a Reflex save (DC 20 + Cha modifier + epic DC modifying mitigating factors) or be engulfed; on a success, they are pushed back or aside (opponent's choice) as the spell moves foreward. Engulfed creatures are subject to the full normal effect of the spell(s) each round on the living epic spell's turn, and are considered to be grappled.

Special Qualities: A living epic spell has ooze traits, damage reduction 20/epic, and spell resistance equal to 10 + one half its spellcraft DC.
If any spell within a living epic spell has an area larger than its space, the living epic spell gains an aura consisting of a permanent version of that epic spell. This does not apply to instantaneous effects.

Saves: A living epic spell has normal saves for a creature of the ooze type (no good saves), and a resistance bonus to all saves equal to one half its spellcraft DC (round down).

Abilities: A living epic spell gains ability score bonuses and penalties based on size. A huge living epic spell has the following statistics: Str 40, Con 28, Dex 13, Wis 17, Int --, Cha 20. For every additional size category, the living epic spell gains +10 str, -2 dex, +4 con. A living epic spell cannot have a Dexterity of less than 10 due to size penalties. Living epic spells are mindless.

Skills and Feats: Living epic spells, being mindless, have no skills or feats from hit dice. They do however gain the following bonus feats:

Enviornment: Any land.

Organization: Solitary.

Challenge Rating: A living epic spell's Challenge Rating is equal to ten plus one half its spellcraft DC. If the living epic spell is based on multiple spells, increase the CR by one fourth the sum of the additional spellcraft DCs (consider sub-epic spells to have a spellcraft DC equal to twice their spell level for this purpose).

Treasure: None.

Alignment: If any spell within the living epic spell has an alignment descriptor, the living epic spell is of that alignment. Death spells count as evil for this purpose. Otherwise, neutral.

Advancement: --

Level Adjustment: --

So... what's a more accurate size progression? Anything else that needs fixing?

 

[Kerrick]

Anything else that needs fixing?

Let's see... the living spell template from MM3 has them as oozes. That's a good base, so we'll work from there.

HD are d10s, not d12s. It doesn't matter that this is epic spells - oozes are d10s, and half the Spellcraft DC still gives you plenty of HD. They should be 1/3 the DC, not 1/2.

Oozes are not bipedal, so that line about basing speed on the size of bipedal creatures is wrong.

The template gives living spells a deflection bonus equal to spell level. Since epic spells don't increase in level, you could either a) give them a flat +10 deflection and luck bonus; or b) use the conversion method to find the rough level equivalent and give it a deflection bonus based on that. I'd go with b) myself, since it would be more accurate.

Spell Effect (Su): A creature hit by a living epic spell's slam attack is subjected to the normal effect of the spell or spells making up the creature, as if it were in the area or effect of the spell itself. Saves apply as normal for the spell; the DC is 20 + Cha modifier + epic DC modifying mitigating factors.

I'm not exactly sure what "epic DC modifying mitigating factors" are; if he means "mitigating factors" then it would drop the DC to 0 very quickly. The DC should be 20+Cha (or, if you used the conversion method above, 10+spell level+Cha).

Saves: Again, either use the level equivalent, or +1/6 the DC (which is right around the level equivalent).

CR: Should be 10 (OR equivalent spell level) + 1/3 the DC; if there are multiple spells, add 1/6 the DC; for non-epic spells, multiply the level by 3 to get the DC.