Shapechange

[Markn]

I require the spellcaster to have a physical part of any creature they want to change into as a focus. Polymorph or Shapechange...

That's a pretty cool idea. I like it!

 

[Jhaelen]

I require the spellcaster to have a physical part of any creature they want to change into as a focus. Polymorph or Shapechange...

Which of course means there will be a market for such parts. Not really a solution that effectively limits the spells in a meaningful way.

 

[Jack99]

I require the spellcaster to have a physical part of any creature they want to change into as a focus. Polymorph or Shapechange...

Its what I use as well.

 

[Tetsubo]

Which of course means there will be a market for such parts. Not really a solution that effectively limits the spells in a meaningful way.

There is still an economic and competition limiter. It gets very pricey to buy the rare and powerful monster bits. In addition spellcasters are wise to keep other spellcasters from acquiring the monster bits they themselves already possess... A powerful spellcaster hearing that a magic shop was just selling certain types of "foci" to anyone asking might well get burned down one night... The government might also outlaw possession of certain "foci"... Which creates a rich role-playing environment...

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

I like that suggestion!

New item to add to my Rules folder! Thanks Tetsubo!

 

[Thanee]

Yep, requiring an item as a focus is something I like as well. Posted something like that on the House Rules forum quite some time ago (for Polymorph, though).

It's also nice, because it has some side effects, like making parts of certain creatures quite valuable for wizards (adventure hook and so on ).

Never tried it, though. So far, we didn't have much problems with Polymorph or Shapechange, mostly because noone really tries to actively break them, I guess.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Jhaelen]

It gets very pricey to buy the rare and powerful monster bits.

I'm not convinced of that. Buying a spell component pouch will already get you lots of monster parts dirt-cheap.
Unless you add the requirement that you need a large part (say, a pound) of the monster, there's no reason it has to be expensive since you could supply thousands of casters after slaying a single monster.

Another hint that monster parts shouldn't really be that expensive is dragonscale armor.

But, hey, if you think it works for you, give it a try After all, in my campaign, I allow my players to sell impressive monster trophies for good prices even though there is no explicit magical use for them.

 

[Tetsubo]

I'm not convinced of that. Buying a spell component pouch will already get you lots of monster parts dirt-cheap.
Unless you add the requirement that you need a large part (say, a pound) of the monster, there's no reason it has to be expensive since you could supply thousands of casters after slaying a single monster.

Another hint that monster parts shouldn't really be that expensive is dragonscale armor.

But, hey, if you think it works for you, give it a try After all, in my campaign, I allow my players to sell impressive monster trophies for good prices even though there is no explicit magical use for them.

I consider the monster bits to be a spell component beyond what would be found in a generic spell component pouch. The Polymorph spell normally needs an empty cocoon to cast. I see that as a function of activating the basic magical energy. The specific monster bit "tunes" the spell to the correct form...

I have NEVER liked how D&D has dealt with dragonscale armour. I figure that most (99%) of the armour passed off as "dragonscale" is actually made from much more mundane creatures. Armour made from a real Dragon should have *power*...

Look at the real world and animal body parts. Bear gall bladders, rhino horns, rabbit's feet, etc. All have value and this in a world without the type of magic found in D&D... toss in functioning alchemy and lots of animal and monster bits would be valuable...

Wasn't there an article in Dragon or a recent hardcover that dealt with using monster parts as spell components? They gave bonuses to the spells based on the "power" of the beasties they came from...