Fun with Living Spells
- Thread starter Kae'Yoss
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Kae'Yoss
First Post
Living Spells in the Forgotten Realms
Living Spells in Faerûn:
Living spells are the result of magic gone terribly wrong. Faerûn had it's share of such events, such as the demise of powerful deities associated with magic, but the greatest was the Time of Troubles. Many reckless or unknowing spellcasters used during that time to blast their enemies, only to witness that very spell taking on a life of its own and invariably turning on their casters. Besides that, there are still many wild magic areas in Faerûn, and they have been known to twist spells into living things.
Living Spells in Faerûn:
Living spells are the result of magic gone terribly wrong. Faerûn had it's share of such events, such as the demise of powerful deities associated with magic, but the greatest was the Time of Troubles. Many reckless or unknowing spellcasters used during that time to blast their enemies, only to witness that very spell taking on a life of its own and invariably turning on their casters. Besides that, there are still many wild magic areas in Faerûn, and they have been known to twist spells into living things.
Kae'Yoss
First Post
Turning Living Spells
Turning Living Spells:
Clerics with the Magic Domain can try to turn or rebuke living spells as they would turn undead. Doing so requires to cast a dispel magic or greater dispel magic and empower it with one use of turn undead (which is part of the spellcasting action). Alternately, you can use the same spell, or a viable counterspell choice, as the spell the living spell is composed of (or one of the spells it is composed of).
If you have 5 or more ranks of Knowledge(Arcana), you gain a +2 bonus on your turning check (The synergy bonus from Knowledge(Religion) doesn't apply)
In every other aspect, this works like turn undead
Identifying Living Spells:
A Knowledge(Arcana) check is required to identify a living spell as such.
A spellcraft check (DC 20 + Spell level) is required to identify the spell the living spell is based on (if the living spell is composed of more than one spell, make a separate roll for each).
If you see the spell in action (when it uses the spell effect or engulf abilities), the DC is only 15 + Spell level
Turning Living Spells:
Clerics with the Magic Domain can try to turn or rebuke living spells as they would turn undead. Doing so requires to cast a dispel magic or greater dispel magic and empower it with one use of turn undead (which is part of the spellcasting action). Alternately, you can use the same spell, or a viable counterspell choice, as the spell the living spell is composed of (or one of the spells it is composed of).
If you have 5 or more ranks of Knowledge(Arcana), you gain a +2 bonus on your turning check (The synergy bonus from Knowledge(Religion) doesn't apply)
In every other aspect, this works like turn undead
Identifying Living Spells:
A Knowledge(Arcana) check is required to identify a living spell as such.
A spellcraft check (DC 20 + Spell level) is required to identify the spell the living spell is based on (if the living spell is composed of more than one spell, make a separate roll for each).
If you see the spell in action (when it uses the spell effect or engulf abilities), the DC is only 15 + Spell level
Kae'Yoss
First Post
Additional resistances, immunities and vulnerabilities
A living spell should be immune to "itself" (you can't kill a living fireball by casting fireball at it). The exception to that is dispel magic and greater dispel magic. It should further be immune to the descriptors the base spell has (a living lightning bolt should be immune to all lightning effects).
On the other hand, it should have vulnerability to cold/fire as applicable and to opposed spells (living blasphemy should be vulnerable to holy word), With all numerical effects being half again as effective.
A living spell should be immune to "itself" (you can't kill a living fireball by casting fireball at it). The exception to that is dispel magic and greater dispel magic. It should further be immune to the descriptors the base spell has (a living lightning bolt should be immune to all lightning effects).
On the other hand, it should have vulnerability to cold/fire as applicable and to opposed spells (living blasphemy should be vulnerable to holy word), With all numerical effects being half again as effective.
Kae'Yoss
First Post
New Spell: Beget Living Spell
The living spells that were created during the Time of Troubles and in wild magic areas seemed to be as random as everything else during that time, but some noted that it only happened when the spell killed someone, and they also noted that the spells invariably turned on their creator. A group of Red Wizards started to study the phenomenon, first using the prevalent conditions of the Time of Troubles and later securing wild magic areas for their study. Eventually, they made a discovery: The wild magic effect caused the sould of the newly departed to merge with the spell effect, which lingered just a little longer than usual.
Further study enabled them to bind extraplanar spirits to spells, which had the advantage that they could be controlled, at least in a limited manner.
Beget Living Spell
Universal
Magic 9, Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V,S, XP
Cassting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature/one living spell (see text)
Duration: 10 minutes/level / 1 round/level / instantaneous (see text)
Saving Throw: Will negates (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell enables the caster to take control of a spell or spell-like ability being cast by another creature and turn it into a living spell. An unwilling target gets a will save. The target doesn't realize what will happen unless it is told so.
The next valid spell the target casts (see living spell template) within 10 minutes/level works normally, but as soon as the duration is over (or just after an instantaneous spell has come into effect) it is turned into a living construct. This construct is under control of the caster of beget living spell, for 1/round level after its creation, then it takes on a live of its own (but can be turned by a cleric with access to the Magic domain, see above).
XP Cost: Upon creation of the living spell, the caster of beget living spell pays 500xp per spell level of the affected spell. If the caster cannot pay this cost, the spell isn't turned into a living spell and the effect ends. The caster can specify a certain spell level, range of spell levels, or even a range of spells or a single spell that will be turned into a living construct. In that case, all spells are ignored until a proper spell is cast by the target.
For example, you could specify that only 3rd-level spells will be affected, or spells of 6th level at most (or at least), further you could specify that only lightning bolt, or only fireball and delayed blast fireball will be turned into a living spell.
The living spells that were created during the Time of Troubles and in wild magic areas seemed to be as random as everything else during that time, but some noted that it only happened when the spell killed someone, and they also noted that the spells invariably turned on their creator. A group of Red Wizards started to study the phenomenon, first using the prevalent conditions of the Time of Troubles and later securing wild magic areas for their study. Eventually, they made a discovery: The wild magic effect caused the sould of the newly departed to merge with the spell effect, which lingered just a little longer than usual.
Further study enabled them to bind extraplanar spirits to spells, which had the advantage that they could be controlled, at least in a limited manner.
Beget Living Spell
Universal
Magic 9, Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V,S, XP
Cassting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature/one living spell (see text)
Duration: 10 minutes/level / 1 round/level / instantaneous (see text)
Saving Throw: Will negates (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell enables the caster to take control of a spell or spell-like ability being cast by another creature and turn it into a living spell. An unwilling target gets a will save. The target doesn't realize what will happen unless it is told so.
The next valid spell the target casts (see living spell template) within 10 minutes/level works normally, but as soon as the duration is over (or just after an instantaneous spell has come into effect) it is turned into a living construct. This construct is under control of the caster of beget living spell, for 1/round level after its creation, then it takes on a live of its own (but can be turned by a cleric with access to the Magic domain, see above).
XP Cost: Upon creation of the living spell, the caster of beget living spell pays 500xp per spell level of the affected spell. If the caster cannot pay this cost, the spell isn't turned into a living spell and the effect ends. The caster can specify a certain spell level, range of spell levels, or even a range of spells or a single spell that will be turned into a living construct. In that case, all spells are ignored until a proper spell is cast by the target.
For example, you could specify that only 3rd-level spells will be affected, or spells of 6th level at most (or at least), further you could specify that only lightning bolt, or only fireball and delayed blast fireball will be turned into a living spell.
VirgilCaine
First Post
One of the coolest living spells, I think would be Phantasmal Killer. I guess I think making someone so afraid they DIE is impressive for such a low level spell.
Living spells are probably one of the only things I'd consider getting the MMIII for...
Living spells are probably one of the only things I'd consider getting the MMIII for...
