What are Quest Spells? Is there a d20 version?

[dead]

Quest Spells first appeared in the 2E Tome of Magic book, I believe. Now, I don't own that tome, but I do have a general idea of what these spells are. They are very powerful spells that require co-operative magic (ie. a few people working together). Is that right?

I know in 3E you've got your Epic Spells, but only Epic characters can cast these. Are there any rules for non-Epic characters casting powerful (Epic?) level spells as co-operative magic.

Do you use Quest Spells in your game?

I ask because I was thinking of making Resurrection a Quest Spell . . .

Thanks.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Quest Spells first appeared in the 2E Tome of Magic book, I believe. Now, I don't own that tome, but I do have a general idea of what these spells are. They are very powerful spells that require co-operative magic (ie. a few people working together). Is that right?

I know in 3E you've got your Epic Spells, but only Epic characters can cast these. Are there any rules for non-Epic characters casting powerful (Epic?) level spells as co-operative magic.

Do you use Quest Spells in your game?

I ask because I was thinking of making Resurrection a Quest Spell . . .

Thanks.

Storm of vengeance was a quest spell.

I don't recall if all quest spells required multiple clerics, but of course they were very powerful. Many have been converted into high level (non-epic) cleric spells in the core 3e rules.

 

[Stone Angel]

As I search my brain I am not sure what you are talking about? I mean there are Gaes spells that make those under it's influence act and unable to act in certain ways.

Maybe if you described what they did a little more in depth. I have that book somewhere *grumble grumble, in the attic. Now getting it is a different story


The Seraph of Earth and Stone

 

[Alzrius]

Quest Spells first appeared in the 2E Tome of Magic book, I believe. Now, I don't own that tome, but I do have a general idea of what these spells are. They are very powerful spells that require co-operative magic (ie. a few people working together). Is that right?

I know in 3E you've got your Epic Spells, but only Epic characters can cast these. Are there any rules for non-Epic characters casting powerful (Epic?) level spells as co-operative magic.

Do you use Quest Spells in your game?

I ask because I was thinking of making Resurrection a Quest Spell . . .

Thanks.

You're slightly wrong on the definition there. While the ToM did introduce cooperative magic also that's not what Quest Spells were.

Quest Spells were, basically, the strongest kind of spells that gods could give to their clerics. However, they only did so when absolutely necessary to the deity's interests. A god would only grant a Quest Spell to protect their area of influence from a major threat. Likewise, a single cleric could receive and cast a Quest Spell, but it always came with some major penalties after the fact (can't recall what exactly).

As much as I hate to say it, epic spells seem to be the closest equivalent. More specifically, epic divine spells would be (since divine magic still comes from their god).

 

[Undead Lincoln]

I think that any magic powerful enough to justify requiring concerts of casters should be ad hoc. The DM would only allow it when it is important to the plot of the game.

Also, if you are thinking of making raising the dead require this, you are already in the realm of house rules. This means that the important question is "What rules do I want for raising the dead in my world?" It is not "What rules are official for casting epic spells?" both because that opens a whole new can of worms when the PCs find some way to exploit these rules to cast real epic spells, and because resurection is not an epic spell it is just high leve. So the answer wouldn't help anyway.

I'd suggest raising the dead require some sort of short adventure each time. I remember someone published a short book of adventures in raising the dead but do not know more about it off the top of my head.

 

[Knight Otu]

Quest spells were effectively the 8th and 9th level spells for priests (remember that back then, priests only received up to 7th level spells). However, they could receive them at any level with the proper meditations and DM. As long as the quest spell was memorized, the character could not memorize spells of the highest level he could normally cast.

So, technically, quest spells are 8th and 9th level spells in d20 rules (and several were updated as such, like elemental swarm). I suppose you could consider incantations or epic spells as similar, but I don't think there's a real equivalent.

 

[Henry]

Epic Spells would probably be closest. Quest Spells in 2E were those spells which produced magic of "epic proporations. Some examples included a spell which turned your raiment into healing raiment (a la stories of Jesus from the New Testament) - just touch the hem of the garment and you are healed of some damage; hundreds could be healed this way. Another was a flying bridge that could transport hundreds of troops at once. Still another was magic that could raise a legion of undead instantly - that sort of thing.

What I would love to see is a book or PDF that uses the Epic spell rules to create a bunch of "WOW" effects - or which creates its own set of Epic spell rules to do the same with. Anyone know if a d20 publisher has tackled this yet?