Resurrected Lore
- Thread starter Lorehead
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Lorehead
First Post
Gigantic Might
This is my first post, so please let me know what I should do differently from now on. The ongoing rules changes about and around shapechanging make this an interesting moment for game designers. As I write, polymorph is officially deprecated, but nothing has yet appeared to replace it. I fully agree with the decision and the reasoning behind it, but that still leaves open the harder and more interesting question of what should replace it. What we do have is a fairly detailed set of design requirements. What we want is not a single spell, but a family of them that together cover the spell’s legitimate uses. Each spell in this family should be balanced, easy to adjudicate, flavorful, consistent with the existing rules and limited to at most a small number of enumerated forms. Before too long, we should have yet another official version with which to compare our work.
Here is the first part of my answer. I welcome your comments. If you use this in your games, I would very much appreciate hearing how it worked.
Designer’s Notes: I did not attempt to subsume all the uses of polymorph into gigantic might, only its function as a shock-trooper buff. I kept it at fourth level and limited the allowed forms to the following three giants from the core rules: ogre, hill giant and stone giant. I tried to make the ability progression smooth rather than exact, and kept in mind that there were more optimal choices even within the core rules.
The mechanics now work more like enlarge person and righteous might, two spells that have yet to cause anything like the headache polymorph does, than like alter self. As a result, gigantic might is now a way for a fighter or barbarian to keep up with a self-buffing cleric, not a way for the right cleric build to surpass them. The result is most similar to righteous might, a fifth-level cleric spell. This seemed appropriate, since this spell, like greater magic weapon and blindness/deafness, falls into a mage’s traditional specialty.
There are a few inconsistencies with righteous might, such as the fact that the new size is fixed instead of relative. I saw no reason to restrict the spell to Medium or larger characters, since the subject gives up its existing racial abilities. A natural armor bonus, such as real giants have, seemed more appropriate than an enhancement bonus to natural armor. I made an effort to collate all rules related to the size change in one easy place after the main effect. Finally, I took it upon myself to incorporate my preferred answers to those polymorph questions still under serious dispute.
Update: Now that we do have the first two polymorph replacements, I’d be happy to discuss whether this series of spells should change. Unfortunately, those replacements are not (yet?) Open Game Content.
The following is Open Game Content under the terms of the Open Gaming License 1.0a.
Gigantic Might
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V,S,M
Range: Touch
Target: Willing, living creature touched
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell magnifies the prowess of an experienced combatant by transforming it into a powerful giant. Regardless of the subject’s original size and shape, it assumes Large size and a humanoid form. It is recognizable both as itself and as a member of its new race. Its mindset also becomes more like a proud and bellicose giant’s. It keeps its basic personality, but enjoys using its size and strength in battle. The new body feels as comfortable and natural as the one the subject was born with, while the abiilties of its former race feel unfamiliar and alien.
As your skill improves, you learn to grant stronger, hardier and nimbler forms. The subject becomes one of the following three creatures, based on its character level and your caster level (whichever is lower). You may select an earlier form instead if you so desire.
All ability score modifiers from this spell are size modifiers. The listed natural armor bonus replaces any existing natural armor and stacks with enhancement bonuses to natural armor. A Constitution bonus grants an effective hit point increase. The subject’s type changes to giant. It gains the augmented subtype based on its original type, and keeps the extraplanar and shapechanger subtypes if it had them, but loses all other subtypes. Incorporeal and gaseous creatures are immune to this spell. A creature with the shapechanger subtype can revert to its natural form as a standard action. The subject grows or shrinks to a normal size for its new race (see Core Rulebook III). Its new size category is Large, its base speed is 40 feet, and its space and reach are 10 feet. It receives a +4 size bonus on grapple checks and certain other rolls. It has two slam attacks which both deal 1d4 + Strength modifier points of bludgeoning damage, and its unarmed strikes deal the same amount of nonlethal damage (unless it is a monk). It has a -1 penalty on AC and attack rolls and a -4 penalty to Hide checks due to size. It receives a +4 bonus on Intimidate checks due to size, and a +4 bonus on Jump checks due to base speed. The subject has low-light vision.
The new giant retains all of its mental ability scores, skill ranks, hit dice, class features, base attack and saving throw bonuses, languages and feats (other than racial bonus feats). It counts as both a member of its original race and a giant for the purpose of all abilities and effects that depend on race. It loses all racial bonuses and penalties (other than those already listed) and forgets how to use the abilities of its former race, even those it gained from its culture or upbringing. Transformed humans instead lose the benefit of their most recent character feat and take a -1 penalty on all trained skill checks for the duration of the spell. This spell does not impart any specific knowledge, such as weapon proficiencies or the secrets of rock throwing.
This spell enlarges or reduces all equipment worn or carried by a creature by the same number of steps as the subject (i.e. to Large size). Melee and projectile weapons affected by this spell deal more (or less) damage. Other magical properties are not affected by this spell. Any affected item that leaves the subject’s possession (including a projectile or thrown weapon) instantly returns to its normal size. This means that thrown weapons deal their normal damage, and projectiles deal damage based on the size of the weapon that fired them. Magical properties of enlarged items do not change.
If insufficient room is available for the desired growth, the creature attains the maximum possible size and may make a Strength check (using its new Strength) to burst any enclosures in the process. If it fails, it is constrained without harm by the materials enclosing it; the spell cannot be used to crush a creature by increasing its size.
Multiple magical effects that increase size do not stack, and an effect that transforms one creature into another makes other such effects irrelevant.
Material Component: An empty cocoon.
This is my first post, so please let me know what I should do differently from now on. The ongoing rules changes about and around shapechanging make this an interesting moment for game designers. As I write, polymorph is officially deprecated, but nothing has yet appeared to replace it. I fully agree with the decision and the reasoning behind it, but that still leaves open the harder and more interesting question of what should replace it. What we do have is a fairly detailed set of design requirements. What we want is not a single spell, but a family of them that together cover the spell’s legitimate uses. Each spell in this family should be balanced, easy to adjudicate, flavorful, consistent with the existing rules and limited to at most a small number of enumerated forms. Before too long, we should have yet another official version with which to compare our work.
Here is the first part of my answer. I welcome your comments. If you use this in your games, I would very much appreciate hearing how it worked.
Designer’s Notes: I did not attempt to subsume all the uses of polymorph into gigantic might, only its function as a shock-trooper buff. I kept it at fourth level and limited the allowed forms to the following three giants from the core rules: ogre, hill giant and stone giant. I tried to make the ability progression smooth rather than exact, and kept in mind that there were more optimal choices even within the core rules.
The mechanics now work more like enlarge person and righteous might, two spells that have yet to cause anything like the headache polymorph does, than like alter self. As a result, gigantic might is now a way for a fighter or barbarian to keep up with a self-buffing cleric, not a way for the right cleric build to surpass them. The result is most similar to righteous might, a fifth-level cleric spell. This seemed appropriate, since this spell, like greater magic weapon and blindness/deafness, falls into a mage’s traditional specialty.
There are a few inconsistencies with righteous might, such as the fact that the new size is fixed instead of relative. I saw no reason to restrict the spell to Medium or larger characters, since the subject gives up its existing racial abilities. A natural armor bonus, such as real giants have, seemed more appropriate than an enhancement bonus to natural armor. I made an effort to collate all rules related to the size change in one easy place after the main effect. Finally, I took it upon myself to incorporate my preferred answers to those polymorph questions still under serious dispute.
Update: Now that we do have the first two polymorph replacements, I’d be happy to discuss whether this series of spells should change. Unfortunately, those replacements are not (yet?) Open Game Content.
The following is Open Game Content under the terms of the Open Gaming License 1.0a.
Gigantic Might
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V,S,M
Range: Touch
Target: Willing, living creature touched
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell magnifies the prowess of an experienced combatant by transforming it into a powerful giant. Regardless of the subject’s original size and shape, it assumes Large size and a humanoid form. It is recognizable both as itself and as a member of its new race. Its mindset also becomes more like a proud and bellicose giant’s. It keeps its basic personality, but enjoys using its size and strength in battle. The new body feels as comfortable and natural as the one the subject was born with, while the abiilties of its former race feel unfamiliar and alien.
As your skill improves, you learn to grant stronger, hardier and nimbler forms. The subject becomes one of the following three creatures, based on its character level and your caster level (whichever is lower). You may select an earlier form instead if you so desire.
Code:
[u]Level Giant Modifiers Natural Weapons[/u]
10 or less: Ogre +4 Str, -2 Dex, +2 Con, +2 Nat. Armor 2 slams
11-14: Hill Giant +6 Str, -2 Dex, +4 Con, +2 Nat. Armor 2 slams
15 or more: Stone Giant +8 Str, +2 Dex, +4 Con, +2 Nat. Armor 2 slamsAll ability score modifiers from this spell are size modifiers. The listed natural armor bonus replaces any existing natural armor and stacks with enhancement bonuses to natural armor. A Constitution bonus grants an effective hit point increase. The subject’s type changes to giant. It gains the augmented subtype based on its original type, and keeps the extraplanar and shapechanger subtypes if it had them, but loses all other subtypes. Incorporeal and gaseous creatures are immune to this spell. A creature with the shapechanger subtype can revert to its natural form as a standard action. The subject grows or shrinks to a normal size for its new race (see Core Rulebook III). Its new size category is Large, its base speed is 40 feet, and its space and reach are 10 feet. It receives a +4 size bonus on grapple checks and certain other rolls. It has two slam attacks which both deal 1d4 + Strength modifier points of bludgeoning damage, and its unarmed strikes deal the same amount of nonlethal damage (unless it is a monk). It has a -1 penalty on AC and attack rolls and a -4 penalty to Hide checks due to size. It receives a +4 bonus on Intimidate checks due to size, and a +4 bonus on Jump checks due to base speed. The subject has low-light vision.
The new giant retains all of its mental ability scores, skill ranks, hit dice, class features, base attack and saving throw bonuses, languages and feats (other than racial bonus feats). It counts as both a member of its original race and a giant for the purpose of all abilities and effects that depend on race. It loses all racial bonuses and penalties (other than those already listed) and forgets how to use the abilities of its former race, even those it gained from its culture or upbringing. Transformed humans instead lose the benefit of their most recent character feat and take a -1 penalty on all trained skill checks for the duration of the spell. This spell does not impart any specific knowledge, such as weapon proficiencies or the secrets of rock throwing.
This spell enlarges or reduces all equipment worn or carried by a creature by the same number of steps as the subject (i.e. to Large size). Melee and projectile weapons affected by this spell deal more (or less) damage. Other magical properties are not affected by this spell. Any affected item that leaves the subject’s possession (including a projectile or thrown weapon) instantly returns to its normal size. This means that thrown weapons deal their normal damage, and projectiles deal damage based on the size of the weapon that fired them. Magical properties of enlarged items do not change.
Code:
Weapon Damage at Large Size
Example Weapon Large Damage
Shuriken 1d3
Gauntlet 1d4
Dagger 1d6
Shortspear 1d8
Falchion 2d6
Longsword 2d6
Bastard Sword 2d8
Greataxe 3d6
Greatsword 3d6If insufficient room is available for the desired growth, the creature attains the maximum possible size and may make a Strength check (using its new Strength) to burst any enclosures in the process. If it fails, it is constrained without harm by the materials enclosing it; the spell cannot be used to crush a creature by increasing its size.
Multiple magical effects that increase size do not stack, and an effect that transforms one creature into another makes other such effects irrelevant.
Material Component: An empty cocoon.
Land Outcast
Explorer
Good, thanks for re-posting them. I really like your "polymorphs" better than the actual thing.
Lorehead
First Post
Spritely Frame
Designer’s notes: This spell, which combines some combat bonuses, some stealth and flight, is tricky to compare with the ones in the core rules. It bears much the same relationship to reduce person as gigantic might does to enlarge person. It’s primarily useful on rogues, or the wizards and sorcerers who cast it, but even a healer might benefit under the right circumstances.
Spritely Frame
Transmutation
Level: Drd 6, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Living, willing creature touched
Duration: 1 min./level
The subject of this spell becomes a small and agile sprite. Regardless of its original size and shape, it takes on an elfin form, with wings like a dragonfly. It shrinks to the size of a pixie, or even smaller. It is recognizable both as itself and as a sprite.
The new sprite’s size, and thus the exact bonuses and penalties from this spell, depend on your caster level and the target’s character level, whichever is smaller. This spell reduces the target to the smallest size it can, unless you choose a larger one.
The new sprite feels comfortable in its body. It knows how to fly and does not become disoriented. Other than that, it keeps its own mind and personality, including its own mental ability scores. It loses any existing natural armor (including enhancement bonuses thereto), racial modifiers to Strength, Dexterity and Constitution, any abilities which require body parts it no longer has, its racial speeds and movement types, and all bonuses and modifiers due to its former size. It then applies the listed ability modifiers, which are size modifiers. These cannot reduce the sprite’s Strength score to less than 1. The sprite keeps all of its other abilities and features, including hit points. It has low-light vision, but not darkvision. It has none of the magical abilities of true fey. Its base speed on the ground is only 15 feet.
The subject’s type changes to fey. It gains the augmented subtype based on its original type, and keeps the extraplanar and shapechanger subtypes if it had them, but loses all other subtypes. Incorporeal and gaseous creatures are immune to this spell. A creature with the shapechanger subtype can revert to its natural form as a standard action. The subject is considered both fey and its original race for the purpose of effects that depend on race.
This spell reduces (or, possibly, enlarges) all equipment worn or carried by a creature by the same number of steps as the subject (i.e. to the same size category). Equipment which the subject could not wear due to its new shape meld with its body and become non-functional; this includes all suits of armor not designed to accomodate wings. If a Tiny or smaller sprite does wear armor, divide the armor bonus it provides by 2. Melee and projectile weapons affected by this spell deal less damage. Other magical properties are not affected by this spell. Any affected item that leaves the subject’s possession (including a projectile or thrown weapon) instantly returns to its normal size. This means that thrown weapons deal their normal damage, and projectiles deal damage based on the size of the weapon that fired them. Magical properties of enlarged items do not change.
Multiple magical effects that increase size do not stack, and an effect that transforms one creature into another makes other such effects irrelevant.
Designer’s notes: This spell, which combines some combat bonuses, some stealth and flight, is tricky to compare with the ones in the core rules. It bears much the same relationship to reduce person as gigantic might does to enlarge person. It’s primarily useful on rogues, or the wizards and sorcerers who cast it, but even a healer might benefit under the right circumstances.
Spritely Frame
Transmutation
Level: Drd 6, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Living, willing creature touched
Duration: 1 min./level
The subject of this spell becomes a small and agile sprite. Regardless of its original size and shape, it takes on an elfin form, with wings like a dragonfly. It shrinks to the size of a pixie, or even smaller. It is recognizable both as itself and as a sprite.
The new sprite’s size, and thus the exact bonuses and penalties from this spell, depend on your caster level and the target’s character level, whichever is smaller. This spell reduces the target to the smallest size it can, unless you choose a larger one.
Code:
Level Size AC/ Hide Grapple Space/ Str Dex Height Weight Flight
[u] Attack Mod. Mod. Reach Speed[/u]
10- Small +1 +4 -4 5 ft./5 ft. -4 +4 2½ ft. 30 lb. 60 ft. (Good)
11 Tiny +2 +8 -8 2½ ft./0 ft. -8 +6 18 in. 6½ lb. 60 ft. (Good)
13 Dimin. +4 +12 -12 1 ft./0 ft. -12 +8 9 in. 13 oz. 60 ft. (Perfect)
15 Fine +8 +16 -16 ½ ft./0 ft. * +10 4½ in. 1½ oz. 60 ft. (Perfect)
* Reduce to 1The subject’s type changes to fey. It gains the augmented subtype based on its original type, and keeps the extraplanar and shapechanger subtypes if it had them, but loses all other subtypes. Incorporeal and gaseous creatures are immune to this spell. A creature with the shapechanger subtype can revert to its natural form as a standard action. The subject is considered both fey and its original race for the purpose of effects that depend on race.
This spell reduces (or, possibly, enlarges) all equipment worn or carried by a creature by the same number of steps as the subject (i.e. to the same size category). Equipment which the subject could not wear due to its new shape meld with its body and become non-functional; this includes all suits of armor not designed to accomodate wings. If a Tiny or smaller sprite does wear armor, divide the armor bonus it provides by 2. Melee and projectile weapons affected by this spell deal less damage. Other magical properties are not affected by this spell. Any affected item that leaves the subject’s possession (including a projectile or thrown weapon) instantly returns to its normal size. This means that thrown weapons deal their normal damage, and projectiles deal damage based on the size of the weapon that fired them. Magical properties of enlarged items do not change.
Multiple magical effects that increase size do not stack, and an effect that transforms one creature into another makes other such effects irrelevant.
Lorehead
First Post
Monstrous Mien
I thought I’d do my take on the disguise variant of polymorph next. This treatment owes much to shadow conjuration.
Monstrous Mien
Illusion (Shadow)
Level: Brd 4, Drd 5, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V,S,M,DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Willing creature touched, or creatures touched (see text)
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will disbelief (if interacted with); varies; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes; see text
You use material from the Plane of Shadow to shape a quasi-real illusion of one creature. This spell encloses one willing subject inside an illusory shell, with the appearance of any creature with which you are familiar. The shell may be any size, and even smaller than the original subject (who still fits inside the shell, with no ill effect).
Because the shell is somewhat real, it has some of the same abilities as the creature it imitates:
You can freely designate the shell’s minor physical qualities (such as hair color, hair texture, and skin color) within the normal ranges for a creature of that kind. The new form’s significant physical qualities (such as height, weight, and gender) are also under your control, but they must fall within the norms for the new form’s kind. You effectively disguise the subject as an average member of the new form’s race. If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on your Disguise check.
If you also cast this spell on an actual member of the race you wish to imitate, as a secondary target, the illusion you create is even more real. This secondary target must be either willing or helpless, and receives no saving throw (although you must overcome its spell resistance to gain any benefit). You still create only one shell, patterned on the secondary target. Attempting to create this more capable shell requires sapphires worth 200 gp as a material component. Creatures do not get a chance to disbelieve this illusion merely by interacting with it, but only if it gives them some reason to be suspicious. In this case, the shell also can do the following:
Material component: A sapphire, or sapphires worth at least 200 gp.
I thought I’d do my take on the disguise variant of polymorph next. This treatment owes much to shadow conjuration.
Monstrous Mien
Illusion (Shadow)
Level: Brd 4, Drd 5, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V,S,M,DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Willing creature touched, or creatures touched (see text)
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will disbelief (if interacted with); varies; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes; see text
You use material from the Plane of Shadow to shape a quasi-real illusion of one creature. This spell encloses one willing subject inside an illusory shell, with the appearance of any creature with which you are familiar. The shell may be any size, and even smaller than the original subject (who still fits inside the shell, with no ill effect).
Because the shell is somewhat real, it has some of the same abilities as the creature it imitates:
- Actual size and shape
- Number of appendages
- Flight (up to 120')
- Other movement types (up to 60')
- Other gross physical qualities
You can freely designate the shell’s minor physical qualities (such as hair color, hair texture, and skin color) within the normal ranges for a creature of that kind. The new form’s significant physical qualities (such as height, weight, and gender) are also under your control, but they must fall within the norms for the new form’s kind. You effectively disguise the subject as an average member of the new form’s race. If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on your Disguise check.
If you also cast this spell on an actual member of the race you wish to imitate, as a secondary target, the illusion you create is even more real. This secondary target must be either willing or helpless, and receives no saving throw (although you must overcome its spell resistance to gain any benefit). You still create only one shell, patterned on the secondary target. Attempting to create this more capable shell requires sapphires worth 200 gp as a material component. Creatures do not get a chance to disbelieve this illusion merely by interacting with it, but only if it gives them some reason to be suspicious. In this case, the shell also can do the following:
- Protect the subject from the second target’s native enviroment, even one as lethal as a strongly negative-dominant plane. This does not grant immunity to any form of attack.
- Translate to and from the creature’s native language, so that the subject sounds like a native speaker
- Trick spells which detect auras into reading the other target’s aura, as misdirection
- Grant the creature’s racial skill bonuses
- Touch a creature with spell resistance without the risk of vanishing
- Use illusory versions of the second target’s racial extraordinary, spell-like and supernatural abilities. Such abilities never have any real effect. This use of the spell always gives observers a chance to disbelieve.
- Emulate the second target’s non-magical senses, such as low-light vision and darkvision, by translating them into a form the subject can perceive
Material component: A sapphire, or sapphires worth at least 200 gp.
Lorehead
First Post
The Unbounded Mage
Although I’ve posted work on these boards before, and commented on other people’s classes, I’ve yet to share any of my own class ideas here. This seemed like a good moment to change that. I was specifically inspired by the recent “True Mage” thread (update: carried off by the continuity waves), but attempted to take this in another direction, more similar to the magister from Monte Cook’s Arcana Evolved. My goals are a new form of spellcasting which is balanced, fits with the core rules, extends rather than partly replaces them, retains the distinct flavors of the sorcerer and wizard classes, and combines the strengths of each. This class receives potent abilities, balanced primarily by the fact that it receives each level of spell three levels later than the single-classed wizard, and secondarily by multiple ability dependency and the weakness of this build between levels five and seven. (Since none of these factors is as significant at epic levels, the epic unbounded mage would need to be weaker than either the epic wizard or the epic sorcerer to compensate.) It makes no sense for a tenth-level unbounded mage to return to either of the base classes, so I've extended the class to thirteen levels.
This class has not been playtested as I write, and needs constructive criticism from informed readers like you.
Unbounded Mage
Those born without the potential for sorcery must study for years to match its power, but can never match its spontaneity. The lucky few must still struggle for years to master their gift, but can never achieve a wizard’s versatility. The unbounded mage rejects this false choice. Like the first wizards, who sought to understand and teach what their birthright showed them how to do, unbounded mages use their intellects to analyze and develop the talents Nature has granted. Not content either to let the magic in their blood stagnate, or to settle for power without understanding, they master their spells fully at every stage before moving on to new challenges.
Adaptation: This class would disrupt no part of most published worlds (which had only one kind of “mage” in previous editions of the game anyway). It makes particular sense for characters with a studious approach to their innate arcane magic. If the setting has a deity of arcane knowledge who accepts sorcerers but favors a wizardly approach, he would make a perfect patron. Although this version presumes that there is little separation between wizards and sorcerers, your world could make one much rarer than the other, or even put the two styles of magic at odds. In this case, sorcerers who study wizardry are vanishingly few; unbounded mages may wish to repair this breach, or have studied at the feet of one of the only wizards willing to accept them, or could have taken the common approach of pretending that their sorcery is wizardry, only to fail by actually learning it. Of course, a sorcerer might also pursue this technique with no higher motive than personal power.
Unbounded mages draw inspiration from the belief that people like them have always sought to understand the abilities which most sorcerers took for granted, and so discovered wizardry. This might not be true in your campaign world, which is no reason for an unbounded mage not to believe it. In such a world, unbounded mages would seem eccentric, or even heretical. If the story is true, they might have a prominent place in the history of magical learning, although not one that most people would know or care about. They could remain a proud and vital tradition of spellcasters today, or the times could have passed them by, or they could have been more prominent long ago, before events led sorcerers to reject their path. If you would like arcane spell preparation to be rare in your campaign, or even a lost or undiscovered art, this approach could provide a way for you to introduce it.
Under the core rules, only a wizard qualifies to take Spell Mastery, and bards and sorcerers share most of the same spells. If your setting has other base classes which you feel would make sense as foundations for an unbounded mage, you could easily adapt the class to allow them, either by letting them take Spell Mastery or by substituting an equally weak prerequisite feat, such as Skill Focus (Spellcraft). In this case, you should consider how much overlap there is between the spell lists of the two base classes, and whether to use one class’ spell list, or the other, or to combine them. You should also take into account how easily this class combination meets the prerequisites, how the UnboM's spell progression compares, and what powers other than spellcasting the character gets by level 7.
Hit Die: d4
Requirements
To qualify to become an unbounded mage (UnboM), a character must follow all of the following criteria:
Skills: Spellcraft 10 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 10 ranks, Knowledge (history) 5 ranks
Feats: Scribe Scroll, Spell Mastery
Spells: Able to prepare and cast arcane spells of at least 2nd level, and to spontaneously cast arcane spells of at least 2nd level through a different class.
Special: Must have successfully researched a new arcane spell of at least 2nd level.
Class Skills
The unbounded mage’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis) and Spellcraft (Int)
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier
Class Features
All the following are class features of the unbounded mage prestige class:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Unbounded mages gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Spells: Unbounded mages both prepare spells from spellbooks and spontaneously cast spells. Their spell list is the same as the sorcerer/wizard spell list. If a spell would have different results for the unbounded mage’s two previous arcane classes, he chooses when casting the spell which version he gets. This does not allow him to ignore the chance of arcane spell failure. At each level, an unbounded mage gains spells per day as shown on the table below (“The Unbounded Mage”). The number of spells he can spontaneously cast also increases as shown on the table below (“Unbounded Mage Spontaneous Spells Known”). Whenever he gains a level in this class, he learns to scribe two new spells in his spellbook, of any level he can cast. He can scribe more spells into his spellbook just as a wizard does, so long as they are on the sorcerer/wizard spell list.
An unbounded mage prepares spells from his spellbook, just as a wizard does. He can also prepare any wizard spell that he knows how to spontaneously cast, even without his spellbook. At any time, he can lose a prepared spell in order to cast one he knows how to spontaneously cast. This ability functions just like the cleric’s ability to spontaneously cast cure and inflict spells, except that it applies to his unbounded mage spell slots. An unbounded mage must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + spell level to prepare a spell from his spellbook. He must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + spell level to spontaneously cast a spell or to prepare one he knows how to spontaneously cast. Intelligence governs the saving throw DC of his prepared spells, and Charisma governs the saving throw DC of his spontaneous spells.
All sorcerers have some ability to learn new spells in place of old ones, but unbounded mages’ wizardly studies have given them far more insight than most into how this works. Whenever an unbounded mage gains a level in this class, he learns to spontaneously cast more spells. He may also replace any or all of the spells he knows how to spontaneously cast with different spells of the same level from his spellbook. These spells all remain in his spellbook. He cannot, however, learn to spontaneously cast any spell unless it is both in his spellbook and on the spell list of whichever class he used to meet the spontaneous casting requirement. He learns the spell as a sorcerer would.
Because an unbounded mage combines his previously fragmented arcane spellcasting into a single path, his caster levels in the unbounded mage class and in both of the arcane spellcasting classes which he used to qualify all stack, for all three classes. Thus, a Wiz 3/Sor 4/UnboM 2 has a caster level of 9 for all three classes.
An unbounded mage receives bonus spells per day based on either his Intelligence or Charisma score. He chooses which ability score will determine his bonus spells when he enters the class. This class grants him no bonus spells of second level or below.
Innate Spellcasting: An unbounded mage with the innate ability to cast spells as a sorcerer of at least 6th level can, with great effort, learn to cast its innate spells with the spontaneity of a sorcerer and the versatility of a wizard. This requires months of seclusion and meditation.
The unbounded mage chooses to sacrifice at least two levels of innate spellcasting to gain effective levels in the unbounded mage class. It cannot reduce its innate ability to cast spells below that of a 4th-level sorcerer. It gains one fewer effective levels than it gives up. Effective unbounded mage levels grant spells per day, spontaneous spells known, and the ability to scribe two new spells per effective level into a spellbook, but not hit dice, skill points, class features, breakthroughs or any other benefit of class levels.
The Unbounded Mage
Unbounded Mage Spontaneous Spells Known
Arcane Synergies: An unbounded mage belongs to at least three arcane spellcasting classes, and combines several of their abilities. His caster level in each of these three classes is the sum of his caster levels in all three classes combined. When determining his familiar’s abilities, his class levels stack with his levels in each other class that grants him the ability to take a familiar. He can scribe every spell on the sorcerer/wizard list that he can cast as an arcane spell into his spellbook at no cost.
Overcome Training: If an unbounded mage originally received defective wizardly training which prohibited him from learning spells of one or more schools, he transcends it. He loses all restrictions and benefits of being a specialist wizard and becomes a generalist wizard instead.
Intellectual Breakthrough: At second level, and every fourth level thereafter, an unbounded mage chooses one intellectual breakthrough from the table below. His class level plus his Intelligence modifier determines which intellectual breakthroughs he can choose. If the breakthrough grants a bonus feat, he need not have the prerequisites for that feat. He can’t choose the same intellectual breakthrough twice.
Personal Breakthrough: At fourth level, and every fourth level thereafter, an unbounded mage chooses one personal breakthrough from the table below. His class level plus his Charisma modifier determines which personal breakthroughs he can choose. If the breakthrough grants a bonus feat, he need not have the prerequisites for that feat. Personal breakthroughs that add metamagic feats to a spell do not increase the casting time or the level of the slot he needs for casting, and he can use only one such breakthrough at a time. He can’t choose the same personal breakthrough twice.
Sample Unbounded Mage
Baim Lowspin: Male gnome wiz 3/sor 4/UnboM 4; CR 11; Small Humanoid (gnome); HD 11d4+11; HP 38; Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 15; Base Atk +5; Grp -1; Atk +3 melee (1d4-2) or +6 ranged touch (by spell); Full Atk +3 melee (1d4-2) or +6 ranged touch (by spell); SA —; SQ gnome traits, call familiar, arcane synergies, dodge trick, conceal spell; AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +12; Str 6, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 17
Skills and Feats: Bluff +9, Concentration +15, Hide +5, Listen +1, Knowledge (arcana) +18, Knowledge (history) +16, Move Silently +1, Spellcraft +18, Spot +1; Scribe Scroll, Spell Mastery, Spell Focus (illusion), Greater Spell Focus (illusion), Spell Penetration
Possessions: headband of intellect +2, cloak of Charisma +2, bracers of armor +2, ring of protection +1, amulet of natural armor +1, masterwork quarterstaff, spellbook.
Wizard and unbounded mage spells known: 0th—all; 1st—mage armor, magic missile, shield, identify, color spray (DC 18), disguise self, ventriloquism (DC 18); 2nd—acid arrow, blur, glitterdust (DC 16), hypnotic pattern (DC 19), scorching ray, plus at least one original spell; 3rd—dispel magic, fireball (DC 17), fly, lightning bolt (DC 17); 4th—dimension door, enervation, greater invisibility, phantasmal killer (DC 21)
Sorcerer and spontaneous unbounded mage spells known: 0th—acid splash, detect magic, ray of frost, dancing lights, ghost sound, message, 1st—color spray (DC 17), identify, ventriloquism (DC 17); 2nd—glitterdust (DC 15); 3rd—dispel magic, fly; 4th—dimension door
Sorcerer spells per day: 6/7/4
Wizard spells prepared: 4/3/2; 0th—flare, light, prestidigitation, resistance; 1st—mage armor, magic missile, shield; 2nd—hypnotic pattern, scorching ray
Unbounded mage spells prepared: —/—/—/7/5; 3rd—fireball × 4, lightning bolt × 3; 4th—enervation × 2, greater invisibility, phantasmal killer × 2
Although I’ve posted work on these boards before, and commented on other people’s classes, I’ve yet to share any of my own class ideas here. This seemed like a good moment to change that. I was specifically inspired by the recent “True Mage” thread (update: carried off by the continuity waves), but attempted to take this in another direction, more similar to the magister from Monte Cook’s Arcana Evolved. My goals are a new form of spellcasting which is balanced, fits with the core rules, extends rather than partly replaces them, retains the distinct flavors of the sorcerer and wizard classes, and combines the strengths of each. This class receives potent abilities, balanced primarily by the fact that it receives each level of spell three levels later than the single-classed wizard, and secondarily by multiple ability dependency and the weakness of this build between levels five and seven. (Since none of these factors is as significant at epic levels, the epic unbounded mage would need to be weaker than either the epic wizard or the epic sorcerer to compensate.) It makes no sense for a tenth-level unbounded mage to return to either of the base classes, so I've extended the class to thirteen levels.
This class has not been playtested as I write, and needs constructive criticism from informed readers like you.
Unbounded Mage
Those born without the potential for sorcery must study for years to match its power, but can never match its spontaneity. The lucky few must still struggle for years to master their gift, but can never achieve a wizard’s versatility. The unbounded mage rejects this false choice. Like the first wizards, who sought to understand and teach what their birthright showed them how to do, unbounded mages use their intellects to analyze and develop the talents Nature has granted. Not content either to let the magic in their blood stagnate, or to settle for power without understanding, they master their spells fully at every stage before moving on to new challenges.
Adaptation: This class would disrupt no part of most published worlds (which had only one kind of “mage” in previous editions of the game anyway). It makes particular sense for characters with a studious approach to their innate arcane magic. If the setting has a deity of arcane knowledge who accepts sorcerers but favors a wizardly approach, he would make a perfect patron. Although this version presumes that there is little separation between wizards and sorcerers, your world could make one much rarer than the other, or even put the two styles of magic at odds. In this case, sorcerers who study wizardry are vanishingly few; unbounded mages may wish to repair this breach, or have studied at the feet of one of the only wizards willing to accept them, or could have taken the common approach of pretending that their sorcery is wizardry, only to fail by actually learning it. Of course, a sorcerer might also pursue this technique with no higher motive than personal power.
Unbounded mages draw inspiration from the belief that people like them have always sought to understand the abilities which most sorcerers took for granted, and so discovered wizardry. This might not be true in your campaign world, which is no reason for an unbounded mage not to believe it. In such a world, unbounded mages would seem eccentric, or even heretical. If the story is true, they might have a prominent place in the history of magical learning, although not one that most people would know or care about. They could remain a proud and vital tradition of spellcasters today, or the times could have passed them by, or they could have been more prominent long ago, before events led sorcerers to reject their path. If you would like arcane spell preparation to be rare in your campaign, or even a lost or undiscovered art, this approach could provide a way for you to introduce it.
Under the core rules, only a wizard qualifies to take Spell Mastery, and bards and sorcerers share most of the same spells. If your setting has other base classes which you feel would make sense as foundations for an unbounded mage, you could easily adapt the class to allow them, either by letting them take Spell Mastery or by substituting an equally weak prerequisite feat, such as Skill Focus (Spellcraft). In this case, you should consider how much overlap there is between the spell lists of the two base classes, and whether to use one class’ spell list, or the other, or to combine them. You should also take into account how easily this class combination meets the prerequisites, how the UnboM's spell progression compares, and what powers other than spellcasting the character gets by level 7.
Hit Die: d4
Requirements
To qualify to become an unbounded mage (UnboM), a character must follow all of the following criteria:
Skills: Spellcraft 10 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 10 ranks, Knowledge (history) 5 ranks
Feats: Scribe Scroll, Spell Mastery
Spells: Able to prepare and cast arcane spells of at least 2nd level, and to spontaneously cast arcane spells of at least 2nd level through a different class.
Special: Must have successfully researched a new arcane spell of at least 2nd level.
Class Skills
The unbounded mage’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis) and Spellcraft (Int)
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier
Class Features
All the following are class features of the unbounded mage prestige class:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Unbounded mages gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Spells: Unbounded mages both prepare spells from spellbooks and spontaneously cast spells. Their spell list is the same as the sorcerer/wizard spell list. If a spell would have different results for the unbounded mage’s two previous arcane classes, he chooses when casting the spell which version he gets. This does not allow him to ignore the chance of arcane spell failure. At each level, an unbounded mage gains spells per day as shown on the table below (“The Unbounded Mage”). The number of spells he can spontaneously cast also increases as shown on the table below (“Unbounded Mage Spontaneous Spells Known”). Whenever he gains a level in this class, he learns to scribe two new spells in his spellbook, of any level he can cast. He can scribe more spells into his spellbook just as a wizard does, so long as they are on the sorcerer/wizard spell list.
An unbounded mage prepares spells from his spellbook, just as a wizard does. He can also prepare any wizard spell that he knows how to spontaneously cast, even without his spellbook. At any time, he can lose a prepared spell in order to cast one he knows how to spontaneously cast. This ability functions just like the cleric’s ability to spontaneously cast cure and inflict spells, except that it applies to his unbounded mage spell slots. An unbounded mage must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + spell level to prepare a spell from his spellbook. He must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + spell level to spontaneously cast a spell or to prepare one he knows how to spontaneously cast. Intelligence governs the saving throw DC of his prepared spells, and Charisma governs the saving throw DC of his spontaneous spells.
All sorcerers have some ability to learn new spells in place of old ones, but unbounded mages’ wizardly studies have given them far more insight than most into how this works. Whenever an unbounded mage gains a level in this class, he learns to spontaneously cast more spells. He may also replace any or all of the spells he knows how to spontaneously cast with different spells of the same level from his spellbook. These spells all remain in his spellbook. He cannot, however, learn to spontaneously cast any spell unless it is both in his spellbook and on the spell list of whichever class he used to meet the spontaneous casting requirement. He learns the spell as a sorcerer would.
Because an unbounded mage combines his previously fragmented arcane spellcasting into a single path, his caster levels in the unbounded mage class and in both of the arcane spellcasting classes which he used to qualify all stack, for all three classes. Thus, a Wiz 3/Sor 4/UnboM 2 has a caster level of 9 for all three classes.
An unbounded mage receives bonus spells per day based on either his Intelligence or Charisma score. He chooses which ability score will determine his bonus spells when he enters the class. This class grants him no bonus spells of second level or below.
Innate Spellcasting: An unbounded mage with the innate ability to cast spells as a sorcerer of at least 6th level can, with great effort, learn to cast its innate spells with the spontaneity of a sorcerer and the versatility of a wizard. This requires months of seclusion and meditation.
The unbounded mage chooses to sacrifice at least two levels of innate spellcasting to gain effective levels in the unbounded mage class. It cannot reduce its innate ability to cast spells below that of a 4th-level sorcerer. It gains one fewer effective levels than it gives up. Effective unbounded mage levels grant spells per day, spontaneous spells known, and the ability to scribe two new spells per effective level into a spellbook, but not hit dice, skill points, class features, breakthroughs or any other benefit of class levels.
The Unbounded Mage
Code:
Fort Ref Will Spells Per Day
[u]Level BAB Save Save Save Special 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th[/u]
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Arcane Synergies, 3 — — — — — —
Overcome Training
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Intellectual 4 — — — — — —
Breakthrough
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 5 3 — — — — —
4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Personal 6 4 — — — — —
Breakthrough
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 6 5 3 — — — —
6th +3 +2 +2 +5 Intellectual 6 6 4 — — — —
Breakthrough
7th +3 +2 +2 +5 6 6 5 3 — — —
8th +4 +2 +2 +6 Personal 6 6 6 4 — — —
Breakthrough
9th +4 +3 +3 +6 6 6 6 5 3 — —
10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Intellectual 6 6 6 6 4 — —
Breakthrough
11th +5 +3 +3 +7 6 6 6 6 5 3 —
12th +6 +4 +4 +8 Personal 6 6 6 6 6 4 —
Breakthrough
13th +6 +4 +4 +8 6 6 6 6 6 5 3
Code:
Spells Known
[u]Level 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th[/u]
1st 1 — — — — — —
2nd 2 — — — — — —
3rd 2 1 — — — — —
4th 3 2 — — — — —
5th 3 2 1 — — — —
6th 4 3 2 — — — —
7th 4 3 2 1 — — —
8th 5 4 3 2 — — —
9th 5 4 3 2 1 — —
10th 5 5 4 3 2 — —
11th 5 5 4 3 2 1 —
12th 5 5 5 4 3 2 —
13th 5 5 5 4 3 2 1Arcane Synergies: An unbounded mage belongs to at least three arcane spellcasting classes, and combines several of their abilities. His caster level in each of these three classes is the sum of his caster levels in all three classes combined. When determining his familiar’s abilities, his class levels stack with his levels in each other class that grants him the ability to take a familiar. He can scribe every spell on the sorcerer/wizard list that he can cast as an arcane spell into his spellbook at no cost.
Overcome Training: If an unbounded mage originally received defective wizardly training which prohibited him from learning spells of one or more schools, he transcends it. He loses all restrictions and benefits of being a specialist wizard and becomes a generalist wizard instead.
Intellectual Breakthrough: At second level, and every fourth level thereafter, an unbounded mage chooses one intellectual breakthrough from the table below. His class level plus his Intelligence modifier determines which intellectual breakthroughs he can choose. If the breakthrough grants a bonus feat, he need not have the prerequisites for that feat. He can’t choose the same intellectual breakthrough twice.
Code:
Level + Int
[u]Modifier Breakthrough Effect [/u]
1 Arcane Heritage Learn the language of your supernatural ancestor
(draconic or a planar language)
2 Magical Historian +2 bonus on Knowledge (arcana) and Knowledge (history) checks
3 Dodge Trick +1 Dodge bonus to AC
4 Expert on Dragons +10 bonus on Knowledge (arcana) checks about dragons
5 Master of Golems +10 bonus on Knowledge (arcana) checks about constructs
6 Arcane Naturalist +10 bonus on Knowledge (arcana) checks about magical beasts
7 Clever Dispeller +2 bonus on dispel checks (after applying level caps)
8 Knowledge of +2 bonus on Reflex saving throws
Avoidance
9 Anticipate Trouble +4 bonus on initiative checks
10 Theory of Tumbling Apply your Intelligence instead of your Dexterity modifier to
Tumble checks
11 Magical Knowledge Gain one non-epic metamagic or item creation feat as a bonus feat,
even if you do not meet the prerequisites
12 Evasion If you make a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that
normally deals half damage on a successful save, you take no damage.
13 Canny Dodge Add your Intelligence bonus as a Dodge bonus to ACPersonal Breakthrough: At fourth level, and every fourth level thereafter, an unbounded mage chooses one personal breakthrough from the table below. His class level plus his Charisma modifier determines which personal breakthroughs he can choose. If the breakthrough grants a bonus feat, he need not have the prerequisites for that feat. Personal breakthroughs that add metamagic feats to a spell do not increase the casting time or the level of the slot he needs for casting, and he can use only one such breakthrough at a time. He can’t choose the same personal breakthrough twice.
Code:
Level + Int
[u]Modifier Breakthrough Effect [/u]
1 Love of Life Gain Diehard as a bonus feat
2 Great Aptitude +2 bonus on Spellcraft and Use Magic Device checks
3 Inner Focus +4 bonus to Concentration checks
4 Cast in Silence Cast one spell per day as a silent spell
5 Motionless Casting Cast one spell per day as a stilled spell
6 Conceal Spell Your Bluff check sets the DC of observers’ Spellcraft
checks to identify a spell you cast
7 True Stamina +2 bonus on Fortitude saving throws
8 Cling to Life +1 hit point per character level
9 Overwhelm +2 bonus on caster level checks against spell
Resistance resistance
10 Powerful Casting Cast one spell per day as an empowered spell
11 Optimal Casting Cast one spell per day as a maximized spell
12 Uncanny Luck +2 bonus on all saving throws
13 Cast Quickly Cast one spell per day as a quickened spellSample Unbounded Mage
Baim Lowspin: Male gnome wiz 3/sor 4/UnboM 4; CR 11; Small Humanoid (gnome); HD 11d4+11; HP 38; Init +1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 17, touch 14, flat-footed 15; Base Atk +5; Grp -1; Atk +3 melee (1d4-2) or +6 ranged touch (by spell); Full Atk +3 melee (1d4-2) or +6 ranged touch (by spell); SA —; SQ gnome traits, call familiar, arcane synergies, dodge trick, conceal spell; AL N; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +12; Str 6, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 17
Skills and Feats: Bluff +9, Concentration +15, Hide +5, Listen +1, Knowledge (arcana) +18, Knowledge (history) +16, Move Silently +1, Spellcraft +18, Spot +1; Scribe Scroll, Spell Mastery, Spell Focus (illusion), Greater Spell Focus (illusion), Spell Penetration
Possessions: headband of intellect +2, cloak of Charisma +2, bracers of armor +2, ring of protection +1, amulet of natural armor +1, masterwork quarterstaff, spellbook.
Wizard and unbounded mage spells known: 0th—all; 1st—mage armor, magic missile, shield, identify, color spray (DC 18), disguise self, ventriloquism (DC 18); 2nd—acid arrow, blur, glitterdust (DC 16), hypnotic pattern (DC 19), scorching ray, plus at least one original spell; 3rd—dispel magic, fireball (DC 17), fly, lightning bolt (DC 17); 4th—dimension door, enervation, greater invisibility, phantasmal killer (DC 21)
Sorcerer and spontaneous unbounded mage spells known: 0th—acid splash, detect magic, ray of frost, dancing lights, ghost sound, message, 1st—color spray (DC 17), identify, ventriloquism (DC 17); 2nd—glitterdust (DC 15); 3rd—dispel magic, fly; 4th—dimension door
Sorcerer spells per day: 6/7/4
Wizard spells prepared: 4/3/2; 0th—flare, light, prestidigitation, resistance; 1st—mage armor, magic missile, shield; 2nd—hypnotic pattern, scorching ray
Unbounded mage spells prepared: —/—/—/7/5; 3rd—fireball × 4, lightning bolt × 3; 4th—enervation × 2, greater invisibility, phantasmal killer × 2
Last edited:
Lorehead
First Post
An Alternative Cleric
I haven’t presented any variants of the base classes so far. I usually prefer to add new material than to revise what’s in the core. I’m making an exception more to spur discussion than to replace the one in the Player’s Handbook. A specific alterative should get more useful feedback than a list of problems; consider this a rough draft which I do not claim is fully balanced. I’ve had this basic idea of how to improve the cleric class for some time, and discussed it with a few friends, but I’ve never fleshed it out and written it down before now. My immediate inspiration was seeing the ardent from Complete Psionic independently implement some of the same thoughts I’d had.
The goal of this exercise is not to change the power level of the cleric, but to make the class less front-loaded and the channeling ability more sensible. I was struck by the number of cleric-oriented prestige classes which are simply superior versions of the cleric class, which is the most powerful base class already. It’s difficult not to do this, however: the class cries out for customization, for unique powers, and for some new ability after first level. At the same time, there’s not much a class that extends the cleric can give up. BAB or hit points would significantly cut into its combat role. Losing a good saving throw doesn’t mean much (although gaining or even stacking one does). Turning ability is the most common choice, but turning per se becomes worthless at high levels (which nullifies the value of Charisma). It actually serves as a power source for divine feats. Most divine feats have exactly the same effect and daily uses for a first-level cleric as an epic one. Another possibility is to lose advancement for domain powers, but again, these frequently have nothing to do with cleric level. Slowing down spellcasting advancement often doesn’t make sense, but losing one level thereof is catching on as a best practice, for lack of a good alternative.
I also tried to address one minor irritant of the class: that, every time the DM lets a non-core cleric spell into the game, every cleric of every faith has always known it. The sorcerer class suggested the solution.
Design Notes: There isn’t much room to bump the cleric’s power level either up or down. It’s already the most powerful class, and it’s that way for a reason. First and foremost, I set out to make all domain abilities and all uses of channeling depend on cleric level. Because I handed out more special abilities and more daily uses, I attempted to make each one less powerful than a domain. I’ve tried to increase the class’ multiple ability dependency. I attempted to make channeling a useful ability. Reducing the spells per day substantially would break the game’s assumptions about how much healing the party will have. Despite this, I could and did remove the domain slot, since the game doesn’t assume that can hold a healing spell. (This has the pleasant side-effect of removing several corner cases from the rules, and adds flexibility to domain spell lists.)
I’ve tried to use the best ideas from Defenders of the Faith (other uses for channeling), the Miniatures Handbook (dual-stat casting), Complete Divine (turning does hit point damage), Complete Psionic (gain domain-like abilities over time), Player’s Guide to Faerûn (feats which grant powers and expand the spell list) and other sources.
Naturally, someone who tries out these rules would also wish to change the paladin class.
Quick list of changes: No domain slots. Gain channeling ability at levels 1, 2, 5, 10, 15 and 20. Automatically know cleric spells from the core rules, and can learn more.
Alignment: A cleric’s alignment must be within one step of his deity’s (that is, it may be one step away on either the lawful-chaotic axis or the good-evil axis, but not both). A cleric may not be neutral unless his deity’s alignment is also neutral.
Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills: The cleric’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) ×4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Table 1: The Cleric
Spells: A cleric casts divine spells as shown on the table above. His Charisma (representing divine grace) determines how strong his connection to his patron is, and his Wisdom (representing willpower) determines how difficult his spells are to resist.
In order to cast a spell, a cleric must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + spell level. Charisma determines a cleric’s bonus spells per day. The save DC of a cleric’s spell is 10 + spell level + the cleric’s Wisdom modifier.
A cleric may not cast spells with an alignment descriptor opposed to his own alignment or his patron’s.
Every faith prays and casts spells in its own way. Therefore, knowing how a cleric from another faith casts a spell is not by itself enough for a cleric to cast the same spell himself. All clerics know certain common spells (those on the cleric spell list from the core rules). As clerics learn to channel their power in different ways, they add new spells to their spell list and learn those spells. A cleric may also learn of other, less common, spells from other clerics, by researching them (see Core Rulebook II), by observing them being cast, by studying them from a scroll, or in some other way. If a cleric succeeds at a Knowledge (Religion) check against a DC of 15 + spell level, he either knows how to cast the spell properly for his faith, or realizes that his patron will not yet grant him that particular spell. When the cleric learns a spell from a coreligionist, no check is necessary.
Spontaneous Casting: A cleric can spontaneously lose a prepared spell in order to cast a cure or inflict spell of the same level or below. A good cleric, or the cleric of a good deity, spontaneously casts cure spells. An evil cleric, or the cleric of an evil deity, spontaneously casts inflict spells. A cleric who meets none of these criteria chooses at first level whether he spontaneously casts cure spells or inflict spells. Some deities who are neither good nor evil may nonetheless spontaneously grant only cure spells or only inflict spells to their clerics. (Because this ability no longer is tied to “turning” or “rebuking” undead, there is much less need for such exceptions than there used to be.) Clerics can also apply metamagic feats to spells they spontaneously cast, just as sorcerers do.
Channeling: All clerics have the ability to channel divine power. At levels 1, 2, 5, 10, 15 and 20, a cleric chooses one ability from the list below and can channel one additional time per day. This list is by no means exhaustive. No patron grants every ability on the list.
Except where a specific ability states otherwise, channeling divine power is a supernatural ability which requires a standard action and does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Within this section, “spell list” always means your spell list as a cleric. If an ability on this list has a range, it is by default 5 ft. plus 5 ft. per level.
Some clerics have the ability to command a certain kind of creature. At any one time, you can command creatures whose combined HD do not exceed your level. When you attempt to command creatures, you begin with the nearest eligible creature and proceed to the next-closest, ignoring any which would put you over the HD cap, until there are no more eligible creatures within range. (No, you yourself aren’t an “eligible creature.” Don’t be ridiculous.) Each creature that might be affected must succeed at a Will save against a DC of 10 + ½ your cleric level + your Charisma modifier or be commanded for one minute per point of your Charisma bonus (or at least 1 minute). You must win an opposed Charisma check to force it to obey commands that are suicidal or against its basic nature, but it obeys all other orders to the best of its ability. This is a language-dependent, mind-affecting, enchantment and compulsion effect. A deity can grant the power to command even a type of creature otherwise immune to such spells, in which case the immunity does not apply. You may voluntarily release one or more creatures from your control at any time. If you have more than one ability to command different kinds of creature, you may only activate one such ability at a time. However, you may command several creatures of different kinds simultaneously, so long as their combined HD do not exceed your level.
Some clerics have the ability to smite a certain kind of creature, or creatures of a certain alignment. A smite attempt is a single melee attack. If the target is not of the right type, the channeling attempt is wasted. Otherwise, you add your Charisma bonus (if any) to the attack roll and your cleric level to the damage roll. The smite in wrath power is slightly different: using this power allows the cleric to smite any target, but as a standard action instead of an attack action.
Channeling Options
Befriend animals: Gain an animal companion as a druid of your class level. Your cleric levels stack with levels in any other class that grants an animal companion to determine its abilities. Add Knowledge (nature) to your list of cleric class skills. Add the following spells to your spell list: 1st—calm animals, speak with animals; 2nd—hold animal.
Champion chaos: You can smite lawful outsiders. Add the following spells to your spell list: 4th—chaos hammer, confusion; 6th—insanity. Prerequisite: Must be chaotic.
Champion evil: You can smite good outsiders. Add the following spells to your spell list: 4th—crushing despair, unholy blight; 6th—eyebite. Prerequisite: Must be evil.
Champion good: You can smite evil outsiders. Add the following spell to your spell list: 4th—good hope, holy smite; 6th—greater heroism. Prerequisite: Must be good.
Champion law: You can smite chaotic outsiders. Add the following spell to your spell list: 3rd—suggestion; 4th—order’s wrath; 6th—hold monster. Prerequisite: Must be lawful.
Command plants: You can command plant creatures. Add Knowledge (nature) to your list of cleric class skills. Add the following spells to your spell list: 1st—entangle; 2nd—barkskin; 3rd—plant growth; 4th—antiplant shell; 5th—tree stride.
Command the air: You can command creatures with the air subtype. Add the following spells to your spell list: 3rd—gaseous form; 5th—control winds.
Command the earth: You can command creatures with the earth subtype. Add the following spells to your spell list: 2nd—soften earth and stone; 4th—spike stones.
Command the fire: You can command creatures with the fire subtype. Add the following spells to your spell list: 1st—burning hands; 2nd—produce flame; 4th—wall of fire; 5th—fire shield.
Command the undead:. You can command the undead. Mindless undead remain under your command indefinitely. Add the following spells to your spell list: 1st—chill touch, 2nd—ghoul touch, 3rd—vampiric touch. Prerequisite: You may not be good.
Command the water: You can command creatures with the water subtype. Add the following spells to your spell list: 2nd—fog cloud; 5th—ice storm; 6th—cone of cold.
Deceive others: Add Bluff, Disguise and Hide to your list of cleric class skills. Add the following spells to your spell list: 1st—disguise self; 2nd—invisibility, misdirection; 3rd—nondetection. Prerequisite: You may not be lawful.
Discover secrets: All knowledge skills are cleric class skills for you. Add the following spells to your spell list: 1st—detect secret doors; 2nd—fox’s cunning; 3rd—arcane sight, clairaudience/clairvoyance; 4th—arcane eye, locate creature; 5th—prying eyes; 6th—mass fox’s cunning; 7th—legend lore; 8th—greater arcane sight; 9th—vision.
Escape by luck: Immediately after a roll to determine whether some event will harm you (such as an attack roll, caster level check, miss chance, saving throw or the like), you may attempt to escape by luck. The event has a 1% chance per cleric level you possess not to affect you, as if you had succeeded on the roll. If success on this roll would not have completely averted the misfortune, you still suffer the lesser calamity. This ability cannot negate an effect which had no chance to fail. Add the following spells to your spell list: 7th—spell turning; 8th—moment of prescience; 9th—foresight.
Extinguish life: As a standard action, make a melee touch attack against a living target. If you hit, roll 1d6 per cleric level. If the total at least equals the target’s current hit points, it dies (no save). This is a necromantic death effect. Add the following spells to your spell list: 7th—circle of death; 8th—finger of death; 9th—wail of the banshee. Prerequisite: Either command the undead or honor the dead.
Gain strength: You can add half your cleric level as an enhancement bonus to any one Strength-based check, attack roll or damage roll. Add the following spells to your spell list: 1st—enlarge person, jump; 4th—mass enlarge person.
Gird yourself for war: As a full-round action which provokes attacks of opportunity, you can cast several cleric spells at once. Any damage you take while casting has a chance to disrupt each spell (roll separately). Treat each of these spells as a quickened version, except that you can cast more than one in the round. There are several restrictions on which spells you can cast this way: the number of spells you cast cannot exceed your Charisma bonus, the sum of their spell levels cannot exceed your cleric level, you must have each one prepared, and they all must be harmless or strictly personal. For example, a 10th-level cleric with a Charisma of 16 could cast divine favor, divine power and righteous might. He could not cast a fourth spell, nor could he replace any of these spells with a more powerful one, nor could he substitute a spell to harm or hinder his enemy.
Heal the wounded: Whenever you would add your cleric level to the number of hit points you cure with a spell, add twice your cleric level instead, up to double the normal maximum. For example, your cure moderate wounds spell would cure 2d8 hit points + 2✕ your cleric level (maximum 2d8 + 20).
Honor the dead: You can smite the undead. You cast deathwatch as a non-evil spell. Add the following spells to your spell list: 0th—disrupt undead; 2nd—halt undead; 6th—undeath to death. Prerequisite: You may not be evil.
Keep your secrets: Your patron has a 1% chance per cleric level you possess to intercept, without the caster’s knowledge, any ordinary divination that directly asks about you. Patrons will answer in their own best interests (typically by letting you reply, since they find this amusing and convenient). Add the following spells to your spell list: 5th—false vision; 6th—veil; 7th—screen; 8th—mind blank. Prerequisite: Deceive others.
Master animals: You can command animals (other than your animal companion). You can only give them simple commands in Sylvan, equivalent to tricks. Add the following spells to your spell list: 5th—baleful polymorph; 8th—animal shapes. Prerequisite: Befriend animals.
Master beasts: You can command animals, magical beasts, monstrous humanoids and vermin. You can give animals and vermin simple commands in Sylvan, equivalent to tricks. Prerequisites: Friend to animals, master of animals.
Master nature: You can command animals, dragons, giants, humanoids, fey, magical beasts, monstrous humanoids, oozes and vermin. You can give commanded creatures without a language simple commands in Sylvan, equivalent to tricks. At any one time, you can affect a number of natural creatures whose combined hit dice do not exceed twice your cleric level. Add the following spells to your spell list: 5th—awaken; 6th—antilife shell; 9th—antipathy, shapechange, sympathy. Prerequisites: Befriend animals, command plants, master animals, master beasts, smite the unnatural.
Master the air: You can command living creatures with a racial fly speed. Add the following spells to your spell list: 6th—chain lightning; 8th—whirlwind; 9th—elemental swarm (air elementals). Prerequisite: Command the air.
Master the earth: You can command living creatures with a racial burrow speed. Add the following spells to your spell list: 6th—stoneskin; 8th—iron body; 9th—elemental swarm (earth elementals). Prerequisite: Command the earth.
Master the flames: You can command living creatures with a racial immunity to fire. Add the following spells to your spell list: 6th—fire seeds; 8th—incendiary cloud; 9th— elemental swarm (fire elementals). Prerequisite: Command the fire.
Master the water: You can command living creatures with either the aquatic subtype or the amphibious special quality. Add the following spells to your spell list: 7th—acid fog; 8th—horrid wilting; 9th—elemental swarm (water elementals). Prerequisite: Command the water.
Move freely: For a total time per day of 1 round per cleric level, you can act as if you were affected by freedom of movement. This effect occurs automatically as soon as it applies, lasts until it runs out or is no longer needed, and can operate multiple times per day (up to the total daily limit of rounds). You mmust use one channeling attempt to activate this power, as a swift action, and it remains active until the next time you pray for spells. Add the following spells to your spell list: 5th—teleport; 6th—find the path; 7th—greater teleport. Prerequisite: See the world.
See the world: Knowledge (geography) and Survival are class skills for you. Add the following spells to your spell list: 1st—longstrider; 3rd—fly; 4th—dimension door, 5th—overland flight.
Smite in wrath: You can smite any target, as a standard action.
Smite the unnatural: You can smite aberrations. Add the following spells to your spell list: 5th—wall of thorns; 7th—animate plants, 9th—shambler. Prerequisite: Command plants.
Smite with earth: You can smite creatures with the air subtype. Add the following spells to your spell list: 6th—flesh to stone, stone to flesh. Prerequisite: Command the earth.
Smite with fire: You can smite creatures with the water subtype. Add the following spells to your spell list: 2nd—heat metal, flame blade. Prerequisite: Command the fire.
Smite with waves: You can smite creatures with the fire subtype. Add the following spells to your spell list: 3rd—sleet storm, quench. Prerequisite: Command the water.
Smite with wind: You can smite creatures with the earth subtype. Add the following spells to your spell list: 2nd—gust of wind; 3rd—stinking cloud. Prerequisite: Command the air.
Study the arcane: You use scrolls, wands, and other devices with spell completion or spell trigger activation as a wizard of one-half your cleric level. For the purpose of using a scroll or other magic device, if you are also a wizard, actual wizard levels and these effective wizard levels stack. Add the following spells to your class list: 1st—magic aura; 2nd—identify; 4th—lesser globe of invulnerability; 6th—globe of invulnerability; 7th—analyze dweomer, spell turning; 8th—protection from spells; 9th—mage’s disjunction. Prerequisite: Discover secrets.
Ward against harm: You can grant someone you touch a resistance bonus equal to your Charisma bonus on his or her next saving throw. The duration of this ability is ten minutes per cleric level, or until needed, whichever comes first. Add the following spells to your spell list: 2nd—protection from arrows; 5th—wall of force; 8th—mind blank, prismatic wall; 9th—prismatic sphere.
I haven’t presented any variants of the base classes so far. I usually prefer to add new material than to revise what’s in the core. I’m making an exception more to spur discussion than to replace the one in the Player’s Handbook. A specific alterative should get more useful feedback than a list of problems; consider this a rough draft which I do not claim is fully balanced. I’ve had this basic idea of how to improve the cleric class for some time, and discussed it with a few friends, but I’ve never fleshed it out and written it down before now. My immediate inspiration was seeing the ardent from Complete Psionic independently implement some of the same thoughts I’d had.
The goal of this exercise is not to change the power level of the cleric, but to make the class less front-loaded and the channeling ability more sensible. I was struck by the number of cleric-oriented prestige classes which are simply superior versions of the cleric class, which is the most powerful base class already. It’s difficult not to do this, however: the class cries out for customization, for unique powers, and for some new ability after first level. At the same time, there’s not much a class that extends the cleric can give up. BAB or hit points would significantly cut into its combat role. Losing a good saving throw doesn’t mean much (although gaining or even stacking one does). Turning ability is the most common choice, but turning per se becomes worthless at high levels (which nullifies the value of Charisma). It actually serves as a power source for divine feats. Most divine feats have exactly the same effect and daily uses for a first-level cleric as an epic one. Another possibility is to lose advancement for domain powers, but again, these frequently have nothing to do with cleric level. Slowing down spellcasting advancement often doesn’t make sense, but losing one level thereof is catching on as a best practice, for lack of a good alternative.
I also tried to address one minor irritant of the class: that, every time the DM lets a non-core cleric spell into the game, every cleric of every faith has always known it. The sorcerer class suggested the solution.
Design Notes: There isn’t much room to bump the cleric’s power level either up or down. It’s already the most powerful class, and it’s that way for a reason. First and foremost, I set out to make all domain abilities and all uses of channeling depend on cleric level. Because I handed out more special abilities and more daily uses, I attempted to make each one less powerful than a domain. I’ve tried to increase the class’ multiple ability dependency. I attempted to make channeling a useful ability. Reducing the spells per day substantially would break the game’s assumptions about how much healing the party will have. Despite this, I could and did remove the domain slot, since the game doesn’t assume that can hold a healing spell. (This has the pleasant side-effect of removing several corner cases from the rules, and adds flexibility to domain spell lists.)
I’ve tried to use the best ideas from Defenders of the Faith (other uses for channeling), the Miniatures Handbook (dual-stat casting), Complete Divine (turning does hit point damage), Complete Psionic (gain domain-like abilities over time), Player’s Guide to Faerûn (feats which grant powers and expand the spell list) and other sources.
Naturally, someone who tries out these rules would also wish to change the paladin class.
Quick list of changes: No domain slots. Gain channeling ability at levels 1, 2, 5, 10, 15 and 20. Automatically know cleric spells from the core rules, and can learn more.
Alignment: A cleric’s alignment must be within one step of his deity’s (that is, it may be one step away on either the lawful-chaotic axis or the good-evil axis, but not both). A cleric may not be neutral unless his deity’s alignment is also neutral.
Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills: The cleric’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) ×4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Table 1: The Cleric
Code:
Fort Ref Will Special Spells per Day
[u]Level BAB Save Save Save Abilities 0th 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th[/u]
1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Channel 1/day 3 1 — — — — — — — —
2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Channel 2/day 4 2 — — — — — — — —
3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 4 2 1 — — — — — — —
4th +3 +4 +1 +4 5 3 2 — — — — — — —
5th +3 +4 +1 +4 Channel 3/day 5 3 2 1 — — — — — —
6th +4 +5 +2 +5 5 3 3 2 — — — — — —
7th +5 +5 +2 +5 6 4 3 2 1 — — — — —
8th +6/+1 +6 +2 +6 6 4 3 3 2 — — — — —
9th +6/+1 +6 +3 +6 6 4 4 3 2 1 — — — —
10th +7/+2 +7 +3 +7 Channel 4/day 6 4 4 3 3 2 — — — —
11th +8/+3 +7 +3 +7 6 5 4 4 3 2 1 — — —
12th +9/+4 +8 +4 +8 6 5 4 4 3 3 2 — — —
13th +9/+4 +8 +4 +8 6 5 5 4 4 3 2 1 — —
14th +10/+5 +9 +4 +9 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 — —
15th +11/+6/+1 +9 +5 +9 Channel 5/day 6 5 5 5 4 4 3 2 1 —
16th +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 6 5 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 —
17th +12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +10 6 5 5 5 5 4 4 3 2 1
18th +13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +11 6 5 5 5 5 4 4 3 3 2
19th +14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +11 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 3 3
20th +15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +12 Channel 6/day 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 4 4Spells: A cleric casts divine spells as shown on the table above. His Charisma (representing divine grace) determines how strong his connection to his patron is, and his Wisdom (representing willpower) determines how difficult his spells are to resist.
In order to cast a spell, a cleric must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + spell level. Charisma determines a cleric’s bonus spells per day. The save DC of a cleric’s spell is 10 + spell level + the cleric’s Wisdom modifier.
A cleric may not cast spells with an alignment descriptor opposed to his own alignment or his patron’s.
Every faith prays and casts spells in its own way. Therefore, knowing how a cleric from another faith casts a spell is not by itself enough for a cleric to cast the same spell himself. All clerics know certain common spells (those on the cleric spell list from the core rules). As clerics learn to channel their power in different ways, they add new spells to their spell list and learn those spells. A cleric may also learn of other, less common, spells from other clerics, by researching them (see Core Rulebook II), by observing them being cast, by studying them from a scroll, or in some other way. If a cleric succeeds at a Knowledge (Religion) check against a DC of 15 + spell level, he either knows how to cast the spell properly for his faith, or realizes that his patron will not yet grant him that particular spell. When the cleric learns a spell from a coreligionist, no check is necessary.
Spontaneous Casting: A cleric can spontaneously lose a prepared spell in order to cast a cure or inflict spell of the same level or below. A good cleric, or the cleric of a good deity, spontaneously casts cure spells. An evil cleric, or the cleric of an evil deity, spontaneously casts inflict spells. A cleric who meets none of these criteria chooses at first level whether he spontaneously casts cure spells or inflict spells. Some deities who are neither good nor evil may nonetheless spontaneously grant only cure spells or only inflict spells to their clerics. (Because this ability no longer is tied to “turning” or “rebuking” undead, there is much less need for such exceptions than there used to be.) Clerics can also apply metamagic feats to spells they spontaneously cast, just as sorcerers do.
Channeling: All clerics have the ability to channel divine power. At levels 1, 2, 5, 10, 15 and 20, a cleric chooses one ability from the list below and can channel one additional time per day. This list is by no means exhaustive. No patron grants every ability on the list.
Except where a specific ability states otherwise, channeling divine power is a supernatural ability which requires a standard action and does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Within this section, “spell list” always means your spell list as a cleric. If an ability on this list has a range, it is by default 5 ft. plus 5 ft. per level.
Some clerics have the ability to command a certain kind of creature. At any one time, you can command creatures whose combined HD do not exceed your level. When you attempt to command creatures, you begin with the nearest eligible creature and proceed to the next-closest, ignoring any which would put you over the HD cap, until there are no more eligible creatures within range. (No, you yourself aren’t an “eligible creature.” Don’t be ridiculous.) Each creature that might be affected must succeed at a Will save against a DC of 10 + ½ your cleric level + your Charisma modifier or be commanded for one minute per point of your Charisma bonus (or at least 1 minute). You must win an opposed Charisma check to force it to obey commands that are suicidal or against its basic nature, but it obeys all other orders to the best of its ability. This is a language-dependent, mind-affecting, enchantment and compulsion effect. A deity can grant the power to command even a type of creature otherwise immune to such spells, in which case the immunity does not apply. You may voluntarily release one or more creatures from your control at any time. If you have more than one ability to command different kinds of creature, you may only activate one such ability at a time. However, you may command several creatures of different kinds simultaneously, so long as their combined HD do not exceed your level.
Some clerics have the ability to smite a certain kind of creature, or creatures of a certain alignment. A smite attempt is a single melee attack. If the target is not of the right type, the channeling attempt is wasted. Otherwise, you add your Charisma bonus (if any) to the attack roll and your cleric level to the damage roll. The smite in wrath power is slightly different: using this power allows the cleric to smite any target, but as a standard action instead of an attack action.
Channeling Options
Befriend animals: Gain an animal companion as a druid of your class level. Your cleric levels stack with levels in any other class that grants an animal companion to determine its abilities. Add Knowledge (nature) to your list of cleric class skills. Add the following spells to your spell list: 1st—calm animals, speak with animals; 2nd—hold animal.
Champion chaos: You can smite lawful outsiders. Add the following spells to your spell list: 4th—chaos hammer, confusion; 6th—insanity. Prerequisite: Must be chaotic.
Champion evil: You can smite good outsiders. Add the following spells to your spell list: 4th—crushing despair, unholy blight; 6th—eyebite. Prerequisite: Must be evil.
Champion good: You can smite evil outsiders. Add the following spell to your spell list: 4th—good hope, holy smite; 6th—greater heroism. Prerequisite: Must be good.
Champion law: You can smite chaotic outsiders. Add the following spell to your spell list: 3rd—suggestion; 4th—order’s wrath; 6th—hold monster. Prerequisite: Must be lawful.
Command plants: You can command plant creatures. Add Knowledge (nature) to your list of cleric class skills. Add the following spells to your spell list: 1st—entangle; 2nd—barkskin; 3rd—plant growth; 4th—antiplant shell; 5th—tree stride.
Command the air: You can command creatures with the air subtype. Add the following spells to your spell list: 3rd—gaseous form; 5th—control winds.
Command the earth: You can command creatures with the earth subtype. Add the following spells to your spell list: 2nd—soften earth and stone; 4th—spike stones.
Command the fire: You can command creatures with the fire subtype. Add the following spells to your spell list: 1st—burning hands; 2nd—produce flame; 4th—wall of fire; 5th—fire shield.
Command the undead:. You can command the undead. Mindless undead remain under your command indefinitely. Add the following spells to your spell list: 1st—chill touch, 2nd—ghoul touch, 3rd—vampiric touch. Prerequisite: You may not be good.
Command the water: You can command creatures with the water subtype. Add the following spells to your spell list: 2nd—fog cloud; 5th—ice storm; 6th—cone of cold.
Deceive others: Add Bluff, Disguise and Hide to your list of cleric class skills. Add the following spells to your spell list: 1st—disguise self; 2nd—invisibility, misdirection; 3rd—nondetection. Prerequisite: You may not be lawful.
Discover secrets: All knowledge skills are cleric class skills for you. Add the following spells to your spell list: 1st—detect secret doors; 2nd—fox’s cunning; 3rd—arcane sight, clairaudience/clairvoyance; 4th—arcane eye, locate creature; 5th—prying eyes; 6th—mass fox’s cunning; 7th—legend lore; 8th—greater arcane sight; 9th—vision.
Escape by luck: Immediately after a roll to determine whether some event will harm you (such as an attack roll, caster level check, miss chance, saving throw or the like), you may attempt to escape by luck. The event has a 1% chance per cleric level you possess not to affect you, as if you had succeeded on the roll. If success on this roll would not have completely averted the misfortune, you still suffer the lesser calamity. This ability cannot negate an effect which had no chance to fail. Add the following spells to your spell list: 7th—spell turning; 8th—moment of prescience; 9th—foresight.
Extinguish life: As a standard action, make a melee touch attack against a living target. If you hit, roll 1d6 per cleric level. If the total at least equals the target’s current hit points, it dies (no save). This is a necromantic death effect. Add the following spells to your spell list: 7th—circle of death; 8th—finger of death; 9th—wail of the banshee. Prerequisite: Either command the undead or honor the dead.
Gain strength: You can add half your cleric level as an enhancement bonus to any one Strength-based check, attack roll or damage roll. Add the following spells to your spell list: 1st—enlarge person, jump; 4th—mass enlarge person.
Gird yourself for war: As a full-round action which provokes attacks of opportunity, you can cast several cleric spells at once. Any damage you take while casting has a chance to disrupt each spell (roll separately). Treat each of these spells as a quickened version, except that you can cast more than one in the round. There are several restrictions on which spells you can cast this way: the number of spells you cast cannot exceed your Charisma bonus, the sum of their spell levels cannot exceed your cleric level, you must have each one prepared, and they all must be harmless or strictly personal. For example, a 10th-level cleric with a Charisma of 16 could cast divine favor, divine power and righteous might. He could not cast a fourth spell, nor could he replace any of these spells with a more powerful one, nor could he substitute a spell to harm or hinder his enemy.
Heal the wounded: Whenever you would add your cleric level to the number of hit points you cure with a spell, add twice your cleric level instead, up to double the normal maximum. For example, your cure moderate wounds spell would cure 2d8 hit points + 2✕ your cleric level (maximum 2d8 + 20).
Honor the dead: You can smite the undead. You cast deathwatch as a non-evil spell. Add the following spells to your spell list: 0th—disrupt undead; 2nd—halt undead; 6th—undeath to death. Prerequisite: You may not be evil.
Keep your secrets: Your patron has a 1% chance per cleric level you possess to intercept, without the caster’s knowledge, any ordinary divination that directly asks about you. Patrons will answer in their own best interests (typically by letting you reply, since they find this amusing and convenient). Add the following spells to your spell list: 5th—false vision; 6th—veil; 7th—screen; 8th—mind blank. Prerequisite: Deceive others.
Master animals: You can command animals (other than your animal companion). You can only give them simple commands in Sylvan, equivalent to tricks. Add the following spells to your spell list: 5th—baleful polymorph; 8th—animal shapes. Prerequisite: Befriend animals.
Master beasts: You can command animals, magical beasts, monstrous humanoids and vermin. You can give animals and vermin simple commands in Sylvan, equivalent to tricks. Prerequisites: Friend to animals, master of animals.
Master nature: You can command animals, dragons, giants, humanoids, fey, magical beasts, monstrous humanoids, oozes and vermin. You can give commanded creatures without a language simple commands in Sylvan, equivalent to tricks. At any one time, you can affect a number of natural creatures whose combined hit dice do not exceed twice your cleric level. Add the following spells to your spell list: 5th—awaken; 6th—antilife shell; 9th—antipathy, shapechange, sympathy. Prerequisites: Befriend animals, command plants, master animals, master beasts, smite the unnatural.
Master the air: You can command living creatures with a racial fly speed. Add the following spells to your spell list: 6th—chain lightning; 8th—whirlwind; 9th—elemental swarm (air elementals). Prerequisite: Command the air.
Master the earth: You can command living creatures with a racial burrow speed. Add the following spells to your spell list: 6th—stoneskin; 8th—iron body; 9th—elemental swarm (earth elementals). Prerequisite: Command the earth.
Master the flames: You can command living creatures with a racial immunity to fire. Add the following spells to your spell list: 6th—fire seeds; 8th—incendiary cloud; 9th— elemental swarm (fire elementals). Prerequisite: Command the fire.
Master the water: You can command living creatures with either the aquatic subtype or the amphibious special quality. Add the following spells to your spell list: 7th—acid fog; 8th—horrid wilting; 9th—elemental swarm (water elementals). Prerequisite: Command the water.
Move freely: For a total time per day of 1 round per cleric level, you can act as if you were affected by freedom of movement. This effect occurs automatically as soon as it applies, lasts until it runs out or is no longer needed, and can operate multiple times per day (up to the total daily limit of rounds). You mmust use one channeling attempt to activate this power, as a swift action, and it remains active until the next time you pray for spells. Add the following spells to your spell list: 5th—teleport; 6th—find the path; 7th—greater teleport. Prerequisite: See the world.
See the world: Knowledge (geography) and Survival are class skills for you. Add the following spells to your spell list: 1st—longstrider; 3rd—fly; 4th—dimension door, 5th—overland flight.
Smite in wrath: You can smite any target, as a standard action.
Smite the unnatural: You can smite aberrations. Add the following spells to your spell list: 5th—wall of thorns; 7th—animate plants, 9th—shambler. Prerequisite: Command plants.
Smite with earth: You can smite creatures with the air subtype. Add the following spells to your spell list: 6th—flesh to stone, stone to flesh. Prerequisite: Command the earth.
Smite with fire: You can smite creatures with the water subtype. Add the following spells to your spell list: 2nd—heat metal, flame blade. Prerequisite: Command the fire.
Smite with waves: You can smite creatures with the fire subtype. Add the following spells to your spell list: 3rd—sleet storm, quench. Prerequisite: Command the water.
Smite with wind: You can smite creatures with the earth subtype. Add the following spells to your spell list: 2nd—gust of wind; 3rd—stinking cloud. Prerequisite: Command the air.
Study the arcane: You use scrolls, wands, and other devices with spell completion or spell trigger activation as a wizard of one-half your cleric level. For the purpose of using a scroll or other magic device, if you are also a wizard, actual wizard levels and these effective wizard levels stack. Add the following spells to your class list: 1st—magic aura; 2nd—identify; 4th—lesser globe of invulnerability; 6th—globe of invulnerability; 7th—analyze dweomer, spell turning; 8th—protection from spells; 9th—mage’s disjunction. Prerequisite: Discover secrets.
Ward against harm: You can grant someone you touch a resistance bonus equal to your Charisma bonus on his or her next saving throw. The duration of this ability is ten minutes per cleric level, or until needed, whichever comes first. Add the following spells to your spell list: 2nd—protection from arrows; 5th—wall of force; 8th—mind blank, prismatic wall; 9th—prismatic sphere.
Last edited:
Lorehead
First Post
Alternative Epic Spellcasting
Here's a draft I’ve come up with for an extension of the spell-slot system, as a possible replacement for epic spells (although you might also permit both in the same game). It could use your constructive criticism, and lots of playtesting.
Each spell level in this system represents not an incremental improvement, but a major leap, a great breakthrough in magic which changes what every mage thinks of as possible. Scholars of magic not only know the names of the first epic mage, but revere the discoverer of each new magical secret the way a physicist in our world might speak of Galileo, Newton and Einstein. To successfully create even one epic spell would be the accomplishment of a lifetime for a great archmage. To learn and master all of these great achievements, combine them, and then surpass them to create a new form of magic superior to any the world has seen would guarantee immortality.
For clerics, these great blessings serve as proof that nothing is impossible for those with faith. It may well be that, at this stage, the relationship between the cleric and his deity has fundamentally shifted, and it is only because of the cleric’s own works that his deity or cause has such power to grant. To a druid, these secrets were always there to discover, and she is only now discerning and becoming worthy of them for the first time. A sorcerer sees his new powers as the flowering of his potential and as proof that the world is his to reshape through the force of his will (although he may, for now, need some assistance from other potent beings to get there). For a wizard, each new stage of her journey is a conceptual shift that reveals and explains not just why everything she has learned up to now works, but how what she hasn’t yet been able to do works as well. Through ceaseless experimentation in many areas of magic at once, she develops theory after theory of magic, only to reject each one as she reveals a more complete picture. For this reason, she never only learns just one application of her new discovery, nor does it apply to only one kind of magic: it is always a new framework, too comprehensive to capture by focusing single-mindedly on the quirks of just one new spell, or even a single school of magic.
At the same time, the new spells do not merely become more deadly. The most complex and powerful conventional spells already can slay a score of mighty heroes or devastate a land. The failure of this model is not that it doesn't let a mage throw enough raw energy at a problem, or that the saving throw your foes must make to survive is not high enough; metamagic feats applied to ordinary spells can fill those needs easily. Instead, epic spells do things even mages think of as “impossible.” They make merely killing a foe seem like a missed opportunity.
Spells Above 9th Level
Spells of 10th level and above follow most of the same rules as nonepic spells, with some exceptions as detailed below. Epic-level characters do not need to take any special feats in order to cast spells above 9th level. Therefore, the Epic Spellcasting and Improved Spell Capacity feats do not exist. (If you use the Divine Rules section of the SRD in your campaign, the Divine Spellcasting salient divine ability does not exist, either.)
Variant rule: mix and match: Since I have tried to balance these alternative spellcasters with the other epic classes, they should, in theory, be balanced with respect to characters who use the rules in the SRD. You might therefore choose to allow paladins and rangers to continue to take Improved Spell Capacity, or even to let bards take the feat once. You also might decide to allow the Epic Spellcasting feat. If so, I recommend that each character choose at 21st level either to use these rules or the rules in the SRD (and not be able to learn spells above 9th level), but not both. This could represent different magical traditions, akin to the differences between classes. It would certainly not be balanced to allow any character using these new spell progressions to also take Improved Spell Capacity.
Gaining Epic Spells
Characters of some classes continue to gain new spells per day at each level above 20th. They learn and cast these spells just as they did at 20th level and below, except as specified in each class description. In general, spells above 10th level are more difficult to master and correspondingly difficult to resist. In every case, you must have a key ability score of at least 10 + spell level to cast the spell.
Bonus Epic Spells
The number of bonus spells you receive is exactly the same as in the SRD (see the table below). You must be able to cast spells of a given level before you can receive bonus spells of that level, even if your ability score would be high enough to receive such bonus spells. Epic-level characters also continue to receive bonus spells of 1st to 9th level, as shown in Core Rulebook I. In general, you gain at least one bonus spell of all levels up to and including your key ability bonus, and one additional bonus spell of each level for every four points by which your key ability bonus exceeds that level.
Table: Expanded Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells
Saving Throws Against Epic Spells
The DC of a saving throw against a spell of 10th level or higher is 2 × spell level + ability modifier (determined by your class). Saving throw DCs against spells of 9th level or below remain the same, at 10 + spell level + ability modifier.
Skill Checks Involving Epic Spells
In general, whenever you would add a spell level to the DC of a skill check for spells up to 9th level, you should instead subtract 10 and add 2 × spell level for spells of 10th level and up. Continue to calculate the save DC as before for spells up to 9th level. The same notes and restrictions apply to spells 10th level and above as to spells 9th level and below, even if not reprinted here in full. Some important examples:
Concentration check DCs involving epic spells (by distraction):
2 × spell level + damage dealt (damaged during the action)
2 × spell level + half of continuous damage last dealt (taking continuous damage during the action)
2 × spell level + distracting spell’s save DC (distracted by a spell)
2 × spell level (vigorous motion)
2 × spell level + 5 (violent motion)
2 × spell level + 10 (extraordinarily violent motion)
2 × spell level + 5 (entangled)
2 × spell level + 10 (grappling or pinned)
2 × spell level - 5 (high wind with blinding rain or sleet)
2 × spell level (wind-driven hail, dust or debris)
2 × spell level + 40 (cast spell with somatic component while grappled)
Spellcraft check DCs involving epic spells (by task):
2 × spell level + 5 (identify a spell being cast)
2 × spell level + 5 (learn a spell from a spellbook or scroll; wizard only)
2 × spell level + 5 (prepare a spell from a borrowed spellbook)
2 × spell level + 5 (with detect magic, determine the school of magic)
2 × spell level + 10 (identify a spell in place)
2 × spell level + 10 (identify materials created or shaped by magic)
2 × spell level + 15 (after rolling a saving throw, determine the spell)
Use Magic Device check DCs involving epic spells (by task):
2 × spell level + 15 (decipher a written spell)
Cost of Epic Magic Items
The cost of epic magic items is the same as in the SRD. This includes scrolls of spells 10th level and higher. A character with the Scribe Epic Scroll feat can create such scrolls.
Other Calculations Involving Epic Spells
Because each spell level above 9th takes twice as long to master as each nonepic spell level, you should replace the spell level variable of most formulas with the expression (2 × spell level - 10) for spells of 10th level and above. The DM should determine when this is and isn’t appropriate. An example of when this is not necessary is when the cost of some item is directly proportional to both the spell level and the caster level of a spell, since the higher caster level already reflects the complexity of epic spells.
Spell Duration Limits
Any spell duration measured in hours, minutes, rounds or any other unit of time less than a day cannot exceed 25 hours, unless the spell is modified with the Extend Spell feat. In this case, the maximum duration cannot exceed 49 hours. It is very difficult to make a short-term spell last long enough that you will not have to replace it every day, just as it is very difficult to replenish your spells more than once per day.
Spell Interactions at Epic Levels
Any nonepic spell that absolutely defeats some type of effect, with no check or saving throw involved, does not work against tenth-level and higher spells unless otherwise stated. Thus, mage’s disjunction only automatically disjoins spells up to 9th level, but has a chance to destroy epic level items, and protection from evil, a first-level spell, does not protect against epic-level enchantments. Greater dispel magic, on the other hand, has a chance to dispel even epic spells if the caster succeeds at the caster level check.
The ongoing effects of epic curses are often difficult for anyone less powerful than the original caster to remove. (Frequently, the real purpose of the curse is epic extortion.) A typical epic spell can only be overcome by a specific type of effect of a high enough caster level, although sometimes a caster level check or minimum spell level substitutes for the caster level requirement. There is no such thing as an impregnable defense or an irresistable attack at epic level.
Epic Spellcasting Classes
These epic versions of the cleric, druid, sorcerer and wizard classes replace those in the SRD.
The Epic Cleric
The epic cleric does not receive domain spells of 10th level or above. The granted powers of his domains, as well as his ability to turn and rebuke undead, continue to improve as he gains levels. He remains able to spontaneously cast certain spells, including metamagic versions of cure or inflict spells, and some new spells of 10th level or higher. Each new spell a cleric can spontaneously cast is noted as such in the spell description.
A cleric gains a bonus feat at level 30 and every 10 levels thereafter. The cleric may choose these feats from the following list: Armor Skin, Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Bonus Domain, Enhance Spell, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Ignore Material Components, Improved Alignment-Based Casting, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Intensify Spell, Multispell, Negative Energy Burst, Permanent Emanation, Planar Turning, Positive Energy Aura, Spectral Strike, Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity, Spontaneous Domain Access, Spontaneous Spell, Tenacious Magic, Undead Mastery, Zone of Animation.
The following table shows the cleric's spell progression above 20th level. The pattern continues indefinitely.
The Epic Cleric: Spells per Day and Bonus Feats
The Epic Druid
The epic druid’s animal companion continues to increase in power. At every three levels higher than 18th (21st, 24th, 27th, and so on), the companion gains +2 bonus Hit Dice, its natural armor increases by 2, its Strength and Dexterity modifiers increase by 1, and it learns one additional bonus trick. The epic druid can use her wild shape ability to take the form of an animal one additional time per day every four levels higher than 18th. The druid’s ability to wild shape into an elemental does not improve.
A druid gains a bonus feat at level 32 and every 12 levels thereafter. The druid may choose these feats from the following list: Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Colossal Wild Shape, Diminutive Wild Shape, Dragon Wild Shape, Energy Resistance, Enhance Spell, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Fast Healing, Fine Wild Shape, Gargantuan Wild Shape, Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Elemental Wild Shape, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Intensify Spell, Magical Beast Companion, Magical Beast Wild Shape, Multispell, Perfect Health, Permanent Emanation, Plant Wild Shape, Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity, Spontaneous Spell, Tenacious Magic, Vermin Wild Shape.
The Epic Druid: Spells per Day and Bonus Feats
The Epic Sorcerer
The epic sorcerer’s ability to learn new spells in place of old ones improves at epic levels. At levels 22 and 24, he may swap any sorcerer spell of 8th level or less with another of the same level, as normal. Starting at level 26, the spell he replaces need only be at least one level lower than the highest-level sorcerer spell the sorcerer can cast. The epic sorcerer’s familiar continues to advance, as in the SRD.
Starting at level 21, the sorcerer gains a spell slot of each new level before learning any spells of that level. He can use these slots to cast lower-level spells modified by metamagic feats.
A sorcerer gains a bonus feat at level 30 and every 10 levels thereafter. The sorcerer may choose these feats from the following list: Augmented Alchemy, Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Energy Resistance, Enhance Spell, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Familiar Spell, Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Intensify Spell, Master Staff, Master Wand, Multispell, Permanent Emanation, Spell Knowledge, Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity.
The Epic Sorcerer: Spells per Day and Bonus Feats
The Epic Sorcerer: Spells Known
The Epic Wizard
An epic specialist wizard does not receive extra spell slots of 10th level and higher. (It does become easier for her to duplicate spells from her prohibited schools, however.) She continues to learn two spells for free at each new class level, and these new spells are not restricted by school. Her familiar continues to advance, as in the SRD.
A wizard gains a bonus feat at level 30 and every 10 levels thereafter. The wizard may choose these feats from the following list: Augmented Alchemy, Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Combat Casting, Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Rod, Craft Epic Staff, Craft Epic Wondrous Item, Efficient Item Creation, Enhance Spell, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Familiar Spell, Forge Epic Ring, Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Intensify Spell, Multispell, Permanent Emanation, Scribe Epic Scroll, Spell Focus, Spell Knowledge, Spell Mastery, Spell Penetration, Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity, Spontaneous Spell, Tenacious Magic. In addition to the feats on this list, the wizard may select any item creation feat or metamagic feat not listed here.
The Epic Wizard: Spells per Day and Bonus Feats
Here's a draft I’ve come up with for an extension of the spell-slot system, as a possible replacement for epic spells (although you might also permit both in the same game). It could use your constructive criticism, and lots of playtesting.
Each spell level in this system represents not an incremental improvement, but a major leap, a great breakthrough in magic which changes what every mage thinks of as possible. Scholars of magic not only know the names of the first epic mage, but revere the discoverer of each new magical secret the way a physicist in our world might speak of Galileo, Newton and Einstein. To successfully create even one epic spell would be the accomplishment of a lifetime for a great archmage. To learn and master all of these great achievements, combine them, and then surpass them to create a new form of magic superior to any the world has seen would guarantee immortality.
For clerics, these great blessings serve as proof that nothing is impossible for those with faith. It may well be that, at this stage, the relationship between the cleric and his deity has fundamentally shifted, and it is only because of the cleric’s own works that his deity or cause has such power to grant. To a druid, these secrets were always there to discover, and she is only now discerning and becoming worthy of them for the first time. A sorcerer sees his new powers as the flowering of his potential and as proof that the world is his to reshape through the force of his will (although he may, for now, need some assistance from other potent beings to get there). For a wizard, each new stage of her journey is a conceptual shift that reveals and explains not just why everything she has learned up to now works, but how what she hasn’t yet been able to do works as well. Through ceaseless experimentation in many areas of magic at once, she develops theory after theory of magic, only to reject each one as she reveals a more complete picture. For this reason, she never only learns just one application of her new discovery, nor does it apply to only one kind of magic: it is always a new framework, too comprehensive to capture by focusing single-mindedly on the quirks of just one new spell, or even a single school of magic.
At the same time, the new spells do not merely become more deadly. The most complex and powerful conventional spells already can slay a score of mighty heroes or devastate a land. The failure of this model is not that it doesn't let a mage throw enough raw energy at a problem, or that the saving throw your foes must make to survive is not high enough; metamagic feats applied to ordinary spells can fill those needs easily. Instead, epic spells do things even mages think of as “impossible.” They make merely killing a foe seem like a missed opportunity.
Spells Above 9th Level
Spells of 10th level and above follow most of the same rules as nonepic spells, with some exceptions as detailed below. Epic-level characters do not need to take any special feats in order to cast spells above 9th level. Therefore, the Epic Spellcasting and Improved Spell Capacity feats do not exist. (If you use the Divine Rules section of the SRD in your campaign, the Divine Spellcasting salient divine ability does not exist, either.)
Variant rule: mix and match: Since I have tried to balance these alternative spellcasters with the other epic classes, they should, in theory, be balanced with respect to characters who use the rules in the SRD. You might therefore choose to allow paladins and rangers to continue to take Improved Spell Capacity, or even to let bards take the feat once. You also might decide to allow the Epic Spellcasting feat. If so, I recommend that each character choose at 21st level either to use these rules or the rules in the SRD (and not be able to learn spells above 9th level), but not both. This could represent different magical traditions, akin to the differences between classes. It would certainly not be balanced to allow any character using these new spell progressions to also take Improved Spell Capacity.
Gaining Epic Spells
Characters of some classes continue to gain new spells per day at each level above 20th. They learn and cast these spells just as they did at 20th level and below, except as specified in each class description. In general, spells above 10th level are more difficult to master and correspondingly difficult to resist. In every case, you must have a key ability score of at least 10 + spell level to cast the spell.
Bonus Epic Spells
The number of bonus spells you receive is exactly the same as in the SRD (see the table below). You must be able to cast spells of a given level before you can receive bonus spells of that level, even if your ability score would be high enough to receive such bonus spells. Epic-level characters also continue to receive bonus spells of 1st to 9th level, as shown in Core Rulebook I. In general, you gain at least one bonus spell of all levels up to and including your key ability bonus, and one additional bonus spell of each level for every four points by which your key ability bonus exceeds that level.
Table: Expanded Ability Modifiers and Bonus Spells
Code:
Score Modifier Bonus Spells per Day of 10th Level and Higher
[u] 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th 16th 17th 18th 19th 20th 21st 22nd 23rd 24th 25th[/u]
<30 <10 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
30-31 +10 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
32-33 +11 1 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
34-35 +12 1 1 1 — — — — — — — — — — — — —
36-37 +13 1 1 1 1 — — — — — — — — — — — —
38-39 +14 2 1 1 1 1 — — — — — — — — — — —
40-41 +15 2 2 1 1 1 1 — — — — — — — — — —
42-43 +16 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 — — — — — — — — —
44-45 +17 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 — — — — — — — —
46-47 +18 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 — — — — — — —
48-49 +19 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 — — — — — —
50-51 +20 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 — — — — —
52-53 +21 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 — — — —
54-55 +22 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 — — —
56-57 +23 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 — —
58-59 +24 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 —
60-61 +25 4 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1
etc ...Saving Throws Against Epic Spells
The DC of a saving throw against a spell of 10th level or higher is 2 × spell level + ability modifier (determined by your class). Saving throw DCs against spells of 9th level or below remain the same, at 10 + spell level + ability modifier.
Skill Checks Involving Epic Spells
In general, whenever you would add a spell level to the DC of a skill check for spells up to 9th level, you should instead subtract 10 and add 2 × spell level for spells of 10th level and up. Continue to calculate the save DC as before for spells up to 9th level. The same notes and restrictions apply to spells 10th level and above as to spells 9th level and below, even if not reprinted here in full. Some important examples:
Concentration check DCs involving epic spells (by distraction):
2 × spell level + damage dealt (damaged during the action)
2 × spell level + half of continuous damage last dealt (taking continuous damage during the action)
2 × spell level + distracting spell’s save DC (distracted by a spell)
2 × spell level (vigorous motion)
2 × spell level + 5 (violent motion)
2 × spell level + 10 (extraordinarily violent motion)
2 × spell level + 5 (entangled)
2 × spell level + 10 (grappling or pinned)
2 × spell level - 5 (high wind with blinding rain or sleet)
2 × spell level (wind-driven hail, dust or debris)
2 × spell level + 40 (cast spell with somatic component while grappled)
Spellcraft check DCs involving epic spells (by task):
2 × spell level + 5 (identify a spell being cast)
2 × spell level + 5 (learn a spell from a spellbook or scroll; wizard only)
2 × spell level + 5 (prepare a spell from a borrowed spellbook)
2 × spell level + 5 (with detect magic, determine the school of magic)
2 × spell level + 10 (identify a spell in place)
2 × spell level + 10 (identify materials created or shaped by magic)
2 × spell level + 15 (after rolling a saving throw, determine the spell)
Use Magic Device check DCs involving epic spells (by task):
2 × spell level + 15 (decipher a written spell)
Cost of Epic Magic Items
The cost of epic magic items is the same as in the SRD. This includes scrolls of spells 10th level and higher. A character with the Scribe Epic Scroll feat can create such scrolls.
Other Calculations Involving Epic Spells
Because each spell level above 9th takes twice as long to master as each nonepic spell level, you should replace the spell level variable of most formulas with the expression (2 × spell level - 10) for spells of 10th level and above. The DM should determine when this is and isn’t appropriate. An example of when this is not necessary is when the cost of some item is directly proportional to both the spell level and the caster level of a spell, since the higher caster level already reflects the complexity of epic spells.
Spell Duration Limits
Any spell duration measured in hours, minutes, rounds or any other unit of time less than a day cannot exceed 25 hours, unless the spell is modified with the Extend Spell feat. In this case, the maximum duration cannot exceed 49 hours. It is very difficult to make a short-term spell last long enough that you will not have to replace it every day, just as it is very difficult to replenish your spells more than once per day.
Spell Interactions at Epic Levels
Any nonepic spell that absolutely defeats some type of effect, with no check or saving throw involved, does not work against tenth-level and higher spells unless otherwise stated. Thus, mage’s disjunction only automatically disjoins spells up to 9th level, but has a chance to destroy epic level items, and protection from evil, a first-level spell, does not protect against epic-level enchantments. Greater dispel magic, on the other hand, has a chance to dispel even epic spells if the caster succeeds at the caster level check.
The ongoing effects of epic curses are often difficult for anyone less powerful than the original caster to remove. (Frequently, the real purpose of the curse is epic extortion.) A typical epic spell can only be overcome by a specific type of effect of a high enough caster level, although sometimes a caster level check or minimum spell level substitutes for the caster level requirement. There is no such thing as an impregnable defense or an irresistable attack at epic level.
Epic Spellcasting Classes
These epic versions of the cleric, druid, sorcerer and wizard classes replace those in the SRD.
The Epic Cleric
The epic cleric does not receive domain spells of 10th level or above. The granted powers of his domains, as well as his ability to turn and rebuke undead, continue to improve as he gains levels. He remains able to spontaneously cast certain spells, including metamagic versions of cure or inflict spells, and some new spells of 10th level or higher. Each new spell a cleric can spontaneously cast is noted as such in the spell description.
A cleric gains a bonus feat at level 30 and every 10 levels thereafter. The cleric may choose these feats from the following list: Armor Skin, Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Bonus Domain, Enhance Spell, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Ignore Material Components, Improved Alignment-Based Casting, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Intensify Spell, Multispell, Negative Energy Burst, Permanent Emanation, Planar Turning, Positive Energy Aura, Spectral Strike, Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity, Spontaneous Domain Access, Spontaneous Spell, Tenacious Magic, Undead Mastery, Zone of Animation.
The following table shows the cleric's spell progression above 20th level. The pattern continues indefinitely.
The Epic Cleric: Spells per Day and Bonus Feats
Code:
Level Spells Per Day Bonus Feats
[u] 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th [/u]
21 5+1 4+1 4+1 4+1 1 — — — —
22 5+1 5+1 4+1 4+1 2 — — — —
23 5+1 5+1 5+1 4+1 2 — — — —
24 5+1 5+1 5+1 5+1 3 — — — —
25 5+1 5+1 5+1 5+1 3 1 — — —
26 5+1 5+1 5+1 5+1 3 2 — — —
27 5+1 5+1 5+1 5+1 4 2 — — —
28 5+1 5+1 5+1 5+1 4 3 — — —
29 5+1 5+1 5+1 5+1 4 3 1 — —
30 5+1 5+1 5+1 5+1 4 3 2 — — Bonus Feat
31 5+1 5+1 5+1 5+1 5 4 2 — —
32 5+1 5+1 5+1 5+1 5 4 3 — —
33 5+1 5+1 5+1 5+1 5 4 3 1 —
34 5+1 5+1 5+1 5+1 5 4 3 2 —
35 5+1 5+1 5+1 5+1 5 5 4 2 —
46 5+1 5+1 5+1 5+1 5 5 4 3 —
37 5+1 5+1 5+1 5+1 5 5 4 3 1
38 5+1 5+1 5+1 5+1 5 5 4 3 2
39 5+1 5+1 5+1 5+1 5 5 5 4 2
40 5+1 5+1 5+1 5+1 5 5 5 4 3 Bonus Feat
etc ...The Epic Druid
The epic druid’s animal companion continues to increase in power. At every three levels higher than 18th (21st, 24th, 27th, and so on), the companion gains +2 bonus Hit Dice, its natural armor increases by 2, its Strength and Dexterity modifiers increase by 1, and it learns one additional bonus trick. The epic druid can use her wild shape ability to take the form of an animal one additional time per day every four levels higher than 18th. The druid’s ability to wild shape into an elemental does not improve.
A druid gains a bonus feat at level 32 and every 12 levels thereafter. The druid may choose these feats from the following list: Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Colossal Wild Shape, Diminutive Wild Shape, Dragon Wild Shape, Energy Resistance, Enhance Spell, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Fast Healing, Fine Wild Shape, Gargantuan Wild Shape, Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Elemental Wild Shape, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Intensify Spell, Magical Beast Companion, Magical Beast Wild Shape, Multispell, Perfect Health, Permanent Emanation, Plant Wild Shape, Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity, Spontaneous Spell, Tenacious Magic, Vermin Wild Shape.
The Epic Druid: Spells per Day and Bonus Feats
Code:
Level Spells Per Day Bonus Feats
[u] 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th [/u]
21 5 4 4 4 1 — — — —
22 5 5 4 4 2 — — — —
23 5 5 5 4 2 — — — —
24 5 5 5 5 3 — — — —
25 5 5 5 5 3 1 — — —
26 5 5 5 5 3 2 — — —
27 5 5 5 5 4 2 — — —
28 5 5 5 5 4 3 — — —
29 5 5 5 5 4 3 1 — —
30 5 5 5 5 4 3 2 — —
31 5 5 5 5 5 4 2 — —
32 5 5 5 5 5 4 3 — — Bonus Feat
33 5 5 5 5 5 4 3 1 —
34 5 5 5 5 5 4 3 2 —
35 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 2 —
46 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 3 —
37 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 3 1
38 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 3 2
39 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 2
40 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 3
etc ...The Epic Sorcerer
The epic sorcerer’s ability to learn new spells in place of old ones improves at epic levels. At levels 22 and 24, he may swap any sorcerer spell of 8th level or less with another of the same level, as normal. Starting at level 26, the spell he replaces need only be at least one level lower than the highest-level sorcerer spell the sorcerer can cast. The epic sorcerer’s familiar continues to advance, as in the SRD.
Starting at level 21, the sorcerer gains a spell slot of each new level before learning any spells of that level. He can use these slots to cast lower-level spells modified by metamagic feats.
A sorcerer gains a bonus feat at level 30 and every 10 levels thereafter. The sorcerer may choose these feats from the following list: Augmented Alchemy, Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Energy Resistance, Enhance Spell, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Familiar Spell, Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Intensify Spell, Master Staff, Master Wand, Multispell, Permanent Emanation, Spell Knowledge, Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity.
The Epic Sorcerer: Spells per Day and Bonus Feats
Code:
Level Spells Per Day Bonus Feats
[u] 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th [/u]
21 1* — — — —
22 3 — — — —
23 4 — — — —
24 5 — — — —
25 6 1* — — —
26 6 3 — — —
27 6 4 — — —
28 6 5 — — —
29 6 6 1* — —
30 6 6 3 — — Bonus Feat
31 6 6 4 — —
32 6 6 5 — —
33 6 6 6 1* —
34 6 6 6 3 —
35 6 6 6 4 —
46 6 6 6 5 —
37 6 6 6 6 1*
38 6 6 6 6 3
39 6 6 6 6 4
40 6 6 6 6 5 Bonus Feat
etc ...
* The sorcerer knows no spells of this level.The Epic Sorcerer: Spells Known
Code:
Level Spells Known
[u] 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th[/u]
21 0 — — — —
22 1 — — — —
23 2 — — — —
24 2 — — — —
25 3 0 — — —
26 3 1 — — —
27 3 2 — — —
28 3 2 — — —
29 3 3 0 — —
30 3 3 1 — —
31 3 3 2 — —
32 3 3 2 — —
33 3 3 3 0 —
34 3 3 3 1 —
35 3 3 3 2 —
46 3 3 3 2 —
37 3 3 3 3 0
38 3 3 3 3 1
39 3 3 3 3 2
40 3 3 3 3 2
etc...The Epic Wizard
An epic specialist wizard does not receive extra spell slots of 10th level and higher. (It does become easier for her to duplicate spells from her prohibited schools, however.) She continues to learn two spells for free at each new class level, and these new spells are not restricted by school. Her familiar continues to advance, as in the SRD.
A wizard gains a bonus feat at level 30 and every 10 levels thereafter. The wizard may choose these feats from the following list: Augmented Alchemy, Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Combat Casting, Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Rod, Craft Epic Staff, Craft Epic Wondrous Item, Efficient Item Creation, Enhance Spell, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spell Penetration, Familiar Spell, Forge Epic Ring, Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Intensify Spell, Multispell, Permanent Emanation, Scribe Epic Scroll, Spell Focus, Spell Knowledge, Spell Mastery, Spell Penetration, Spell Stowaway, Spell Opportunity, Spontaneous Spell, Tenacious Magic. In addition to the feats on this list, the wizard may select any item creation feat or metamagic feat not listed here.
The Epic Wizard: Spells per Day and Bonus Feats
Code:
Level Spells Per Day Bonus Feats
[u] 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th [/u]
21 1 — — — —
22 2 — — — —
23 2 — — — —
24 3 — — — —
25 3 1 — — —
26 3 2 — — —
27 4 2 — — —
28 4 3 — — —
29 4 3 1 — —
30 4 3 2 — — Bonus Feat
31 4 4 2 — —
32 4 4 3 — —
33 4 4 3 1 —
34 4 4 3 2 —
35 4 4 4 2 —
46 4 4 4 3 —
37 4 4 4 3 1
38 4 4 4 3 2
39 4 4 4 4 2
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Lorehead
First Post
Select 10th-Level Spells
Aphasia
Enchantment (charm) [mind-affecting]
Level: Clr 11, Sor/Wiz 10
Components: V,S,DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Will partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
Everyone around you stops talking normally for some reason, and babbles incoherently instead. When you try to speak, you realize that the words simply aren’t there.
You deprive an individual of language. If it fails a Will saving throw, it becomes unable to use or understand any form of language, and takes a -5 penalty on all Intelligence-based checks it is still able to make.
The target has the supernatural ability to understand your mental instructions, which it has no choice but to obey, but cannot communicate back. The range of this ability is 60 feet. 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it. The target is immune to all language-dependent effects, except for those you cast, and many creatures who would otherwise gain mental control over the target have no way to make the target understand what to do. Telepathic communication and effects that detect thoughts only penetrate the shroud of enchantment if they succeed at a caster level check against a DC of 16 + your caster level.
Even if the target succeeds at its saving throw, it loses some of its verbal acuity for one day, giving it a -5 penalty on Diplomacy and appropriate Perform checks and a 20% chance to miscast any spell with a verbal component.
The most common targets of this spell are enemies, although it sees occasional use on an ally who might otherwise be charmed, dominated, forced to reveal information or suborned through a ridiculous Diplomacy skill.
Arbitrary Form
Transmutation
Level: Drd 10, Sor/Wiz 10
Components: V,S,DF/M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates, Will partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
You feel your body change shape like a lump of clay, and your mind start to change shape with it.
As baleful polymorph, execept that this spell can transform one creature into another kind of creature, which need not even exist. You may also choose creatures with a template and creatures with different ability scores than the average (either the elite array or anything lower). You can choose for the target to keep its abilities or to lose them, and for it to keep or lose its memory. The physical characteristics you choose for the new form are yours to assign as you please, within the limits of the form you select. They can even exactly duplicate some individual you know well.
You must choose very specifically the details of the new form and develop them in advance (which is to say, the DM can require that you write them down ahead of time). The form must be one familiar to you, or if it is one you invented yourself, it must be one that the DM determines could reasonably exist and is not as powerful as the target. If the form you choose is not suitable, the spell fails.
This spell differs from most other polymorph-like effects in that it is a curse rather than a boon. The new form must therefore be weaker than the target, not stronger. In no case may it have more hit dice, higher ability scores or a higher CR than the target.
If the target fails its saving throw, it initially retains its hit points, BAB, class features, mental ability scores, alignment and personality. After one day, it must succeed at a Will saving throw or transform completely, in mind as well as in body.
Arcane material component: A lump of wet clay.
Call Herald
Conjuration (calling)
Level: Clr 10
Components: V,DF
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: 1 called creature
Duration: See text
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
The herald steps through the extraplanar portal and it closes behind him. He looks over the scene, and asks, “How may I assist?”
You call the herald of your deity, such as a solar, a titan or another being of similar power. Each time you cast this spell, you call the same being. This is one of your deity’s closest companions, and being allowed to call the herald is a great honor. You are expected to return a herald who dies in your service to life.
The herald is not under your control, but shares your religion and therefore many of your goals. It aids you in whatever way it considers appropriate, then leaves. The herald chooses whether to answer your call, and in no case will it interrupt urgent matters to show up, or remain away from your deity’s home longer than necessary. If you win the herald’s respect, that being may develop a more personal loyalty to you and be more willing to help you. Whether an appeal to altruism, a formal bargain or simple intimidation would be more effective depends on the herald’s alignment and personality.
This spell has the same alignment as the herald, which is always the same as that of your deity.
Commune Beyond Nature
Divination
Level: Clr 10, Sor/Wiz 10
Components: V,S,DF
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None or Will partial (see text)
Spell Resistance No
You draw the spirit from its remote plane to give you your answer, and that reified fragment of its knowledge appears in your vision.
You directly summon and acquire the knowledge of some entity concerning one topic. You do not directly control, or necessarily even know, where this knowledge comes from, but the spell always delves into the mind of the best-informed being on the topic it can find on any plane or reality, whether living, dead or neither and whether aware of its significance or not. This is not to say that the spell always finds the best-informed being there is; it doesn’t search forever. The exact result of this spell varies from subject to subject and from casting to casting, but it is often equivalent to what the caster would learn from a trained Knowledge check of 15 + caster level (up to a result of 45) in the most relevant discipline. The visions often come as memories of events the caster never experienced, but someone or something else did. The original source does not forget the information, nor would it normally be aware that anything has happened.
A DM can choose to have the spell attempt to learn what a specific NPC knows or knew, especially if no one else knows the same information. A successful Will save prevents this, in which case the spell moves on to the next-best source of information.
Controlled Disjunction
Abjuration
Level: Clr 10, Drd 10, Sor/Wiz 10
Components: V,S,DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area or target: 20-ft.-radius burst, one spell or one magic item
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
A mystical whirlwind sweeps down over you, wiping away your spells.
This spell is a safer, more refined version of the infamous mage’s disjunction, with the additional benefit of not permanently ruining magic items that will shortly belong to you. You can use this spell on an area, to disjoin one spell effect, to suppress the powers of one magic item, or as a counterspell:
Area: Every spell, spell-like ability and magic item within a 20-ft.-radius burst is affected as if by a targeted greater dispel magic, except that the maximum caster level on your dispel check is +30. This entitles you to one dispel check against every item and effect in the area that greater dispel magic could dispel or suppress. In addition, you may choose not to affect your own magic items, your allies’ magic items and any spells cast by you or your allies.
Spell effect: If you target a single spell effect of 9th level or below that mage’s disjunction could disjoin, you disjoin it. You must see or touch a spell effect in order to target it. If you target an ongoing spell effect of 10th level or above, you can attempt to dispel it as with greater dispel magic, except that the maximum caster level on your dispel check is +30. A controlled disjunction even disjoins or dispels instantaneous enchantments, transmutations and curses, such as flesh to stone. It does not work against a spell of 10th level or above whose description states that it cannot be dispelled.
Magic item: If you target one magic item whose caster level is less than your own, you suppress its powers for a number of minutes equal to your caster level minus its caster level. If you target one magic item whose caster level is greater than or equal to your own, you have a chance to suppress it for 1d4 rounds. This works like dispel magic, except that the effect lasts longer and the maximum caster level on your dispel check is +30. This spell has no effect on artifacts.
Counterspell: This spell automatically counters any spell of 9th level or below. When used to counter a spell of 10th level or above, it works as dispel magic, except that the maximum caster level on your dispel check is +30.
Duplicate Spell
Universal
Level: Clr 10, Sor/Wiz 10
Components: V,DF
Casting Time: 10 minutes, 1 action, or 1 swift action (see text)
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Knowledge of the spell you chose floods into your mind, and in minutes, you have it prepared.
When you cast this spell, you choose any spell of 9th level or below to duplicate. You may instead choose to cast duplicate spell as a standard action, in which case you can use it to prepare any 9th-level or lower spell on your spell list, or as a swift action, in which case you can only use it to prepare a 9th-level or lower spell that you know.
The spell you select immediately becomes prepared and ready for you to cast, even if you do not otherwise prepare spells. It is the same type of spell, arcane or divine, as duplicate spell. It has its normal casting time, and you must provide any components it requires, with the sole exception that an arcane caster need not have a divine focus. If the spell is below 9th level, you prepare a version heightened to 9th level. The spell you duplicate takes up the 10th-level spell slot you used to cast duplicate spell.
Epiphany
Conjuration (Calling)
Level: Clr 10
Components: V,S,DF,XP
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: Any number of creatures within a 40-ft.-radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None or Will partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
The face of your deity appears before the unbelievers, and for one brief moment, they each experience the same faith and certainty as you.
You impart some of your own devotion to your deity to others, giving them a profound lesson. The image of your deity appears where you choose, and each and every person within 40 feet experiences the emotions this vision inspires in you, exactly as you do, whether this is love, gratitude, awe or terror. The deity may choose to deliver a short homily, or may be content for you to deliver the message. If you worship a cause rather than a deity, the targets instead see a vision which epitomizes what you uphold and why.
The vision inspires you and other faithful worshippers, who gain a +5 morale bonus on all skill checks, ability checks and saving throws for one day.
For enemies of your faith, being forced to share it, even for a moment, is horrifying. They suffer 2d6 points of Wisdom damage, and may even suffer a crisis of faith. All enemies with fewer than 10 HD, plus any other enemies who fail a Will saving throw, lose their religious conviction and all abilities it grants them, cannot call upon any deity for aid, and become shaken indefinitely. A character who would lose feats or class abilities as a result gains a +4 bonus on the saving throw. Renouncing the religion or alignment that makes you an enemy is tantamount to voluntarily failing the saving throw. This misery and doubt is not a magical effect; it is the aftershock of witnessing the divine and blinking. It cannot be dispelled, and spells which remove fear grant no succor. The spiritual malaise lasts until the character receives atonement. Characters can choose to accept atonement from a cleric of a different faith, or even yourself, by converting. Because you have forced your target to experience and understand your own personal faith, both of you thereafter receive a +2 insight bonus on Diplomacy checks against each other.
Members of your faith who have committed major sins are wracked with guilt and become shaken, but do not undergo a crisis of faith. These penitents receive no saving throw unless they renounce their faith on the spot, in which case the spell affects them as enemies.
Creatures without Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma scores cannot appreciate the epiphany, and it does not affect them. Any other intelligent creature is awed, and becomes shaken for a day, but does not undergo a crisis of faith. Creatures with 10 or more HD may avoid this effect with a saving throw.
An elemental, outsider or undead creature does not suffer any of the above effects. Instead, if it fails its saving throw, your deity can destroy it. Only quasi-deities and deities are immune. No spell of 9th level or less, not even a wish or miracle, may restore a creature your deity personally destroys this way to life. Nothing at all remains of it. Deities normally choose to annihilate outsiders opposed to them in some way (good vs. evil, law vs. chaos, fire vs. water, etc.) unless they have a reason not to, and good deities will only destroy good creatures in unique circumstances.
This spell has the same alignment as your deity.
XP cost: 5,000 XP
Infantilize
Necromancy
Level: Clr 11, Drd 11, Sor/Wiz 10
Components: V,S,DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Effect: Ray of negative energy
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will partial, Fortitude partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
A black ray as thick as your arm bursts from the palm of its hand and strikes you. Your vision goes dim for an instant as you feel your hard-won skills drain away.
This spell erases a creature’s training and experience. Unlike energy drain and the attacks of undead monsters, it lets the victim live, but as an unseasoned youth with only vague recollections of past glories. Manipulators use this spell to turn rivals into protegés, and sadists as a form of torment, but some good souls see this as a way of giving a villain a second chance. Because this spell does at least extend the target’s lifespan, some individuals who regret their lives have even been known to request it.
A target struck by the ray may attempt a Will saving throw to partially resist its effects (it may also voluntarily fail, in which case it immediately and painlessly transforms as described below). The target gains 2d4 negative levels if it succeeds, and one negative level per caster level if it fails. The hit point loss from these negative levels cannot reduce its current hit points below 1.
If the target has as many negative levels as character levels, and it still has at least one negative level from this spell, it does not die. Instead, it falls unconscious and physically and mentally regresses back to early adolescence. You do not wipe its memories, although it is unclear about just how it did any of the things it remembers doing. It is almost certainly even less well-disposed toward you than it was before.
Immortal or unliving beings, such as non-native outsiders, are immune to this spell. Otherwise, if the target’s race has age categories, it reverts to the most appropriate (thus, a dragon reverts to juvenile age with no class levels). A target with racial hit dice but no age categories loses all advancement. One that had only class levels once again becomes a first-level character at the very start of its career, even losing inherent bonuses and ability score increases (although not any curses or diseases it picked up along the way). Indeed, the character reverts to such a young age that it can still train as a member of a different class and replace this level with a different one. As soon as the transformation is complete, all the target’s negative levels vanish.
The negative levels from this spell can be removed just like any other negative levels (although it loses ordinary negative levels before losing negative levels from this spell). If they remain for 24 hours, the target must attempt Fortitude saves to avoid permanently losing each level. Any levels lost to this spell can only be restored after the curse is removed, and only by a spell that specifically restores levels lost to energy drain and whose caster level is at least 21. If the target gained different levels, feats, and skills than the first time around, it retains both sets of abilities. However, if that leaves it with more feats, levels or skill points than it could normally have at its level of experience, it cannot improve them until it earns enough experience to account for the abilities it already has.
Vaticinal Taunt
Illusion (Figment) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 10
Components: V,S,M,F
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Personal
Target: You (see text)
Duration: Permanent
As you finish the incantation, the face of the archmage appears in the mirror—and stares back with an arrogant smirk. In a threatening tone, it castigates you.
This spell protects you from scrying and lets you give rivals foolish enough to provoke you a piece of your mind. Any caster who attempts to scry on you, along with anyone else in the same location, instead sees an image of you delivering a brief message, which can be whatever you want. Any scryer must immediately succeed at a Will saving throw or fail at the scrying attempt, be shaken for one day and become exhausted. If the scryer fails this saving throw, you know of the scrying attempt automatically. You can learn the scryer’s identity with a DC 30 caster level check and return the scrying attempt with a DC 50 caster level check.
A scryer who succeeds on the Will save still sees your message, but suffers no ill effect. Scrying spells with a caster level of 20 or less automatically fail. If a scryer with a caster level of at least 21 can succeed at a Concentration check against this distracting spell, the scrying attempt can proceed normally. This spell does not then warn you of the scrying, but you can detect and resist it in all the usual ways.
Material Component: The eye and tongue of a displacer beast.
Focus: A silver mirror costing at least 1,000 gp and suitable for a scrying spell, which you face as you deliver your message.
Aphasia
Enchantment (charm) [mind-affecting]
Level: Clr 11, Sor/Wiz 10
Components: V,S,DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Will partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
Everyone around you stops talking normally for some reason, and babbles incoherently instead. When you try to speak, you realize that the words simply aren’t there.
You deprive an individual of language. If it fails a Will saving throw, it becomes unable to use or understand any form of language, and takes a -5 penalty on all Intelligence-based checks it is still able to make.
The target has the supernatural ability to understand your mental instructions, which it has no choice but to obey, but cannot communicate back. The range of this ability is 60 feet. 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it. The target is immune to all language-dependent effects, except for those you cast, and many creatures who would otherwise gain mental control over the target have no way to make the target understand what to do. Telepathic communication and effects that detect thoughts only penetrate the shroud of enchantment if they succeed at a caster level check against a DC of 16 + your caster level.
Even if the target succeeds at its saving throw, it loses some of its verbal acuity for one day, giving it a -5 penalty on Diplomacy and appropriate Perform checks and a 20% chance to miscast any spell with a verbal component.
The most common targets of this spell are enemies, although it sees occasional use on an ally who might otherwise be charmed, dominated, forced to reveal information or suborned through a ridiculous Diplomacy skill.
Arbitrary Form
Transmutation
Level: Drd 10, Sor/Wiz 10
Components: V,S,DF/M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates, Will partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
You feel your body change shape like a lump of clay, and your mind start to change shape with it.
As baleful polymorph, execept that this spell can transform one creature into another kind of creature, which need not even exist. You may also choose creatures with a template and creatures with different ability scores than the average (either the elite array or anything lower). You can choose for the target to keep its abilities or to lose them, and for it to keep or lose its memory. The physical characteristics you choose for the new form are yours to assign as you please, within the limits of the form you select. They can even exactly duplicate some individual you know well.
You must choose very specifically the details of the new form and develop them in advance (which is to say, the DM can require that you write them down ahead of time). The form must be one familiar to you, or if it is one you invented yourself, it must be one that the DM determines could reasonably exist and is not as powerful as the target. If the form you choose is not suitable, the spell fails.
This spell differs from most other polymorph-like effects in that it is a curse rather than a boon. The new form must therefore be weaker than the target, not stronger. In no case may it have more hit dice, higher ability scores or a higher CR than the target.
If the target fails its saving throw, it initially retains its hit points, BAB, class features, mental ability scores, alignment and personality. After one day, it must succeed at a Will saving throw or transform completely, in mind as well as in body.
Arcane material component: A lump of wet clay.
Call Herald
Conjuration (calling)
Level: Clr 10
Components: V,DF
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: 1 called creature
Duration: See text
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
The herald steps through the extraplanar portal and it closes behind him. He looks over the scene, and asks, “How may I assist?”
You call the herald of your deity, such as a solar, a titan or another being of similar power. Each time you cast this spell, you call the same being. This is one of your deity’s closest companions, and being allowed to call the herald is a great honor. You are expected to return a herald who dies in your service to life.
The herald is not under your control, but shares your religion and therefore many of your goals. It aids you in whatever way it considers appropriate, then leaves. The herald chooses whether to answer your call, and in no case will it interrupt urgent matters to show up, or remain away from your deity’s home longer than necessary. If you win the herald’s respect, that being may develop a more personal loyalty to you and be more willing to help you. Whether an appeal to altruism, a formal bargain or simple intimidation would be more effective depends on the herald’s alignment and personality.
This spell has the same alignment as the herald, which is always the same as that of your deity.
Commune Beyond Nature
Divination
Level: Clr 10, Sor/Wiz 10
Components: V,S,DF
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None or Will partial (see text)
Spell Resistance No
You draw the spirit from its remote plane to give you your answer, and that reified fragment of its knowledge appears in your vision.
You directly summon and acquire the knowledge of some entity concerning one topic. You do not directly control, or necessarily even know, where this knowledge comes from, but the spell always delves into the mind of the best-informed being on the topic it can find on any plane or reality, whether living, dead or neither and whether aware of its significance or not. This is not to say that the spell always finds the best-informed being there is; it doesn’t search forever. The exact result of this spell varies from subject to subject and from casting to casting, but it is often equivalent to what the caster would learn from a trained Knowledge check of 15 + caster level (up to a result of 45) in the most relevant discipline. The visions often come as memories of events the caster never experienced, but someone or something else did. The original source does not forget the information, nor would it normally be aware that anything has happened.
A DM can choose to have the spell attempt to learn what a specific NPC knows or knew, especially if no one else knows the same information. A successful Will save prevents this, in which case the spell moves on to the next-best source of information.
Controlled Disjunction
Abjuration
Level: Clr 10, Drd 10, Sor/Wiz 10
Components: V,S,DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area or target: 20-ft.-radius burst, one spell or one magic item
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
A mystical whirlwind sweeps down over you, wiping away your spells.
This spell is a safer, more refined version of the infamous mage’s disjunction, with the additional benefit of not permanently ruining magic items that will shortly belong to you. You can use this spell on an area, to disjoin one spell effect, to suppress the powers of one magic item, or as a counterspell:
Area: Every spell, spell-like ability and magic item within a 20-ft.-radius burst is affected as if by a targeted greater dispel magic, except that the maximum caster level on your dispel check is +30. This entitles you to one dispel check against every item and effect in the area that greater dispel magic could dispel or suppress. In addition, you may choose not to affect your own magic items, your allies’ magic items and any spells cast by you or your allies.
Spell effect: If you target a single spell effect of 9th level or below that mage’s disjunction could disjoin, you disjoin it. You must see or touch a spell effect in order to target it. If you target an ongoing spell effect of 10th level or above, you can attempt to dispel it as with greater dispel magic, except that the maximum caster level on your dispel check is +30. A controlled disjunction even disjoins or dispels instantaneous enchantments, transmutations and curses, such as flesh to stone. It does not work against a spell of 10th level or above whose description states that it cannot be dispelled.
Magic item: If you target one magic item whose caster level is less than your own, you suppress its powers for a number of minutes equal to your caster level minus its caster level. If you target one magic item whose caster level is greater than or equal to your own, you have a chance to suppress it for 1d4 rounds. This works like dispel magic, except that the effect lasts longer and the maximum caster level on your dispel check is +30. This spell has no effect on artifacts.
Counterspell: This spell automatically counters any spell of 9th level or below. When used to counter a spell of 10th level or above, it works as dispel magic, except that the maximum caster level on your dispel check is +30.
Duplicate Spell
Universal
Level: Clr 10, Sor/Wiz 10
Components: V,DF
Casting Time: 10 minutes, 1 action, or 1 swift action (see text)
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Knowledge of the spell you chose floods into your mind, and in minutes, you have it prepared.
When you cast this spell, you choose any spell of 9th level or below to duplicate. You may instead choose to cast duplicate spell as a standard action, in which case you can use it to prepare any 9th-level or lower spell on your spell list, or as a swift action, in which case you can only use it to prepare a 9th-level or lower spell that you know.
The spell you select immediately becomes prepared and ready for you to cast, even if you do not otherwise prepare spells. It is the same type of spell, arcane or divine, as duplicate spell. It has its normal casting time, and you must provide any components it requires, with the sole exception that an arcane caster need not have a divine focus. If the spell is below 9th level, you prepare a version heightened to 9th level. The spell you duplicate takes up the 10th-level spell slot you used to cast duplicate spell.
Epiphany
Conjuration (Calling)
Level: Clr 10
Components: V,S,DF,XP
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: Any number of creatures within a 40-ft.-radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None or Will partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
The face of your deity appears before the unbelievers, and for one brief moment, they each experience the same faith and certainty as you.
You impart some of your own devotion to your deity to others, giving them a profound lesson. The image of your deity appears where you choose, and each and every person within 40 feet experiences the emotions this vision inspires in you, exactly as you do, whether this is love, gratitude, awe or terror. The deity may choose to deliver a short homily, or may be content for you to deliver the message. If you worship a cause rather than a deity, the targets instead see a vision which epitomizes what you uphold and why.
The vision inspires you and other faithful worshippers, who gain a +5 morale bonus on all skill checks, ability checks and saving throws for one day.
For enemies of your faith, being forced to share it, even for a moment, is horrifying. They suffer 2d6 points of Wisdom damage, and may even suffer a crisis of faith. All enemies with fewer than 10 HD, plus any other enemies who fail a Will saving throw, lose their religious conviction and all abilities it grants them, cannot call upon any deity for aid, and become shaken indefinitely. A character who would lose feats or class abilities as a result gains a +4 bonus on the saving throw. Renouncing the religion or alignment that makes you an enemy is tantamount to voluntarily failing the saving throw. This misery and doubt is not a magical effect; it is the aftershock of witnessing the divine and blinking. It cannot be dispelled, and spells which remove fear grant no succor. The spiritual malaise lasts until the character receives atonement. Characters can choose to accept atonement from a cleric of a different faith, or even yourself, by converting. Because you have forced your target to experience and understand your own personal faith, both of you thereafter receive a +2 insight bonus on Diplomacy checks against each other.
Members of your faith who have committed major sins are wracked with guilt and become shaken, but do not undergo a crisis of faith. These penitents receive no saving throw unless they renounce their faith on the spot, in which case the spell affects them as enemies.
Creatures without Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma scores cannot appreciate the epiphany, and it does not affect them. Any other intelligent creature is awed, and becomes shaken for a day, but does not undergo a crisis of faith. Creatures with 10 or more HD may avoid this effect with a saving throw.
An elemental, outsider or undead creature does not suffer any of the above effects. Instead, if it fails its saving throw, your deity can destroy it. Only quasi-deities and deities are immune. No spell of 9th level or less, not even a wish or miracle, may restore a creature your deity personally destroys this way to life. Nothing at all remains of it. Deities normally choose to annihilate outsiders opposed to them in some way (good vs. evil, law vs. chaos, fire vs. water, etc.) unless they have a reason not to, and good deities will only destroy good creatures in unique circumstances.
This spell has the same alignment as your deity.
XP cost: 5,000 XP
Infantilize
Necromancy
Level: Clr 11, Drd 11, Sor/Wiz 10
Components: V,S,DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Effect: Ray of negative energy
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will partial, Fortitude partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
A black ray as thick as your arm bursts from the palm of its hand and strikes you. Your vision goes dim for an instant as you feel your hard-won skills drain away.
This spell erases a creature’s training and experience. Unlike energy drain and the attacks of undead monsters, it lets the victim live, but as an unseasoned youth with only vague recollections of past glories. Manipulators use this spell to turn rivals into protegés, and sadists as a form of torment, but some good souls see this as a way of giving a villain a second chance. Because this spell does at least extend the target’s lifespan, some individuals who regret their lives have even been known to request it.
A target struck by the ray may attempt a Will saving throw to partially resist its effects (it may also voluntarily fail, in which case it immediately and painlessly transforms as described below). The target gains 2d4 negative levels if it succeeds, and one negative level per caster level if it fails. The hit point loss from these negative levels cannot reduce its current hit points below 1.
If the target has as many negative levels as character levels, and it still has at least one negative level from this spell, it does not die. Instead, it falls unconscious and physically and mentally regresses back to early adolescence. You do not wipe its memories, although it is unclear about just how it did any of the things it remembers doing. It is almost certainly even less well-disposed toward you than it was before.
Immortal or unliving beings, such as non-native outsiders, are immune to this spell. Otherwise, if the target’s race has age categories, it reverts to the most appropriate (thus, a dragon reverts to juvenile age with no class levels). A target with racial hit dice but no age categories loses all advancement. One that had only class levels once again becomes a first-level character at the very start of its career, even losing inherent bonuses and ability score increases (although not any curses or diseases it picked up along the way). Indeed, the character reverts to such a young age that it can still train as a member of a different class and replace this level with a different one. As soon as the transformation is complete, all the target’s negative levels vanish.
The negative levels from this spell can be removed just like any other negative levels (although it loses ordinary negative levels before losing negative levels from this spell). If they remain for 24 hours, the target must attempt Fortitude saves to avoid permanently losing each level. Any levels lost to this spell can only be restored after the curse is removed, and only by a spell that specifically restores levels lost to energy drain and whose caster level is at least 21. If the target gained different levels, feats, and skills than the first time around, it retains both sets of abilities. However, if that leaves it with more feats, levels or skill points than it could normally have at its level of experience, it cannot improve them until it earns enough experience to account for the abilities it already has.
Vaticinal Taunt
Illusion (Figment) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 10
Components: V,S,M,F
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Personal
Target: You (see text)
Duration: Permanent
As you finish the incantation, the face of the archmage appears in the mirror—and stares back with an arrogant smirk. In a threatening tone, it castigates you.
This spell protects you from scrying and lets you give rivals foolish enough to provoke you a piece of your mind. Any caster who attempts to scry on you, along with anyone else in the same location, instead sees an image of you delivering a brief message, which can be whatever you want. Any scryer must immediately succeed at a Will saving throw or fail at the scrying attempt, be shaken for one day and become exhausted. If the scryer fails this saving throw, you know of the scrying attempt automatically. You can learn the scryer’s identity with a DC 30 caster level check and return the scrying attempt with a DC 50 caster level check.
A scryer who succeeds on the Will save still sees your message, but suffers no ill effect. Scrying spells with a caster level of 20 or less automatically fail. If a scryer with a caster level of at least 21 can succeed at a Concentration check against this distracting spell, the scrying attempt can proceed normally. This spell does not then warn you of the scrying, but you can detect and resist it in all the usual ways.
Material Component: The eye and tongue of a displacer beast.
Focus: A silver mirror costing at least 1,000 gp and suitable for a scrying spell, which you face as you deliver your message.
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