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PolkaBear
2006-11-21, 04:39 PM
The name "Spellsouled" seems familiar; so I probably ripped it off inadvertently. If anyone can direct me to a place it has appeared previously, I'll change it. If not, I claim it as my own. My very own. My precious.

Anyway, here it is, in all its peachy goodness.

Spellsouled Template
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A spellsouled creature is one who has been significantly affected by magic during conception, gestation, or incubation. The arcane or divine energies leave a lasting mark upon the creature, forever altering its connection with the world.

"Spellsouled" is a template that can be applied to any living creature (hereafter referred to as the "base creature"). It is not an acquired template. A spell-souled creature is innately connected with a single spell, lvl 8 or below (hereafter referred to as the "base spell")

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +1 (1-6 HD), +2 (7+ HD)

Subtype: If the base spell has an elemental descriptor (fire, earth, air, water), the creature gains the appropriate subtype. Otherwise, it is the same as the base creature.

Alignment: If the base spell has an alignment descriptor (chaotic, evil, good, lawful), the creature must have the same component of its alignment. Otherwise, it is the same as the base creature.

Abilities: Same as the base creature.

Saves: +2 racial bonus to all saves against spells with at least one descriptor in common with the base spell.

Skills: +2 Racial Bonus on Spellcraft checks to identify spells of the same school as the base spell. This bonus stacks with other racial bonuses to this ability that the creature may have.

Special Qualities: A spellsouled creature has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities:
Spellsouled Effusion (Sp): The creature receives the ability to cast the base spell as a caster of a level equal to its HD. The creature can use this ability [(HD / base spell level), rounded down] times per day, to a maximum of [(16 / base spell level), rounded down] times per day. (Treat 0-level spells as 1/2 level for this calculation.) Thus, a spell-souled creature with 12 HD with a base spell of Create Water (lvl 0) could cast it 24/day. If its base spell were Haste (lvl 3), it could cast it 4/day. If its base spell were Prismatic Wall (lvl 8), it would be limited to a single casting per day. The creature must still supply any XP costs or material components costing more than 1 GP.
Spellsouled Kinship (Su): The creature does not need to make a Spellcraft check to identify a casting of the base spell.
Spellsouled Mastery (Ex): Add +1 to the Difficulty Class for all saving throws against the base spell when cast by the spell-souled creature.
Spellsouled Immunity (Ex): The creature is immune to any harmful effects of the base spell.

Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +1

PolkaBear
2006-11-21, 04:41 PM
Specific matters upon which I seek comment:

1) Name (see OP)
2) Game balance
3) Utility/usefulness
4) Stylistic errors or omissions
5) Suggested additions/revisions

Thank you.

Khantalas
2006-11-21, 05:09 PM
Specific matters upon which I seek comment:

1) Name (see OP)

Spell-warped was in MM III, though that won't be a huge problem.

knightsaline
2006-11-22, 01:53 AM
a creature that can cast magic missile as a spell like ability? i like! question, if the spellsouled creature has fireball as their spell, whats to stop them from dropping a fireball at their feet to kill everything around them (since they are immune to their own spell) and also, if the creature learns the spell, are they still immune to it? a 6th level spellsouled sorcerer (fireball) could just drop a cast fireball at their feet

whats with the 8th level and below? i can see a spellsouled (wish) NPC that the charas have to protect from the BBEGs of the world

PolkaBear
2006-11-28, 05:16 PM
a creature that can cast magic missile as a spell like ability? i like! question, if the spellsouled creature has fireball as their spell, whats to stop them from dropping a fireball at their feet to kill everything around them (since they are immune to their own spell) and also, if the creature learns the spell, are they still immune to it? a 6th level spellsouled sorcerer (fireball) could just drop a cast fireball at their feet
I'd say you're right: the creature retains immunity to the spell even if casting it as a learned spell from class levels. As far as a character dropping a fireball at his/her feet: that would be a possible tactic even with the RAW, if the character had fire immunity from some source. The immunity given by this template is both weaker (because of the limitation to a particular spell) and stronger (because the character will use the immunity on a regular basis, assuming he/she uses this tactic with an area-effect spell).



whats with the 8th level and below? i can see a spellsouled (wish) NPC that the charas have to protect from the BBEGs of the world
I made that limitation for three reasons. (1) I thought that lvl 9 spells are the most likely to be abused if a character gets to cast them once (or twice, if the template is modified further) a day "for free." True, spells like Wish have a cost to them which would make it difficult for them to be invoked indiscriminately. Even so, there are others the free use of which could be quite imbalancing. If a fireball-at-the-feet gives you pause, consider what a meteor-swarm-at-the-feet would do (especially since it's either hard or impossible to save against it). (2) Getting an 8th-level spell at character level 8 is way ahead of even the fastest spellcaster progression. The character's LA is working against it, making it weaker in other ways; so I figured it was a good trade-off. If the character conceivably received a 9th-level spell at level 9--the most powerful in the game, aside from epic spells--it would be even more imbalanced. When I considered the tradeoff, level 8 seemed to strike it right. I'd be interested to know what you think. (3) I wanted those who work hard for their spells to have some advantage (eventually) over this arcanely-twisted creature.

Are some of these items purely subjective? Yes; but those are the reasons why I put the lvl-8 cap in place originally. If this response generates more discussion, I'll consider altering it. Of course, any DM is at liberty to house-rule the "Spellsouled (Wish) NPC" into existence.

Lord Iames Osari
2006-11-28, 05:25 PM
I think the LA should scale with the power of the base spell.

PolkaBear
2006-11-29, 11:17 AM
I think the LA should scale with the power of the base spell.

That's a possibility, yes. However, characters can cast the lower-level spells much more often than the more powerful ones, so it tends to even out: while the ability to cast Horrid Wilting twice a day is pretty powerful, so is the ability to cast Magic Missile 16 times a day.

I can see that an adjusted LA may make sense, though. Let me see what I can work out.

DracoDei
2007-05-15, 12:24 AM
Which stat does it use to set the DC? Or does it vary by the source of the original energy that warped them? Can this effect be created predictably? I can just see Redcloak Jr. setting it up so hundreds of Hobgoblins in the next generation can cast Magic Missile 1/day.

Lord Iames Osari
2007-05-15, 12:29 AM
Holy Threadomancy, Batman!

Of course, now that the Compendium is back up, I expect this will be happening more often.

PolkaBear
2007-05-18, 05:38 PM
@DracoDei - Good question. I would tie the DC of the spell to the caster's CON. Rationale: the heartier and sturdier the creature, the more of the [arcane/divine] energies it can incorporate into its being, and thus express.

We have precedent for CON-based DCs in draconic breath weapons.

Do you think that this approach would cause problems?

DracoDei
2007-05-19, 07:57 PM
Eh, it is a good choice in that anything can have an above-average CON and very free things have a racial CON below 10 so it would work well. MIGHT want to specify that they DO NOT have to meet a minimium CON score of 10+spell level.