Realignment [Spell]

[Rift_Wolf]

Reading through the atonements spell description bought up an interesting point.
'This use of the spell does not work on outsiders (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#outsiderType) or any creature incapable of changing its alignment naturally.'

Now, I don't like tarring an entire species with a good or evil brush. I think you can have fallen angels as well as redeemed devils in a campaign, and the alignment description in the monster listings should be changed from 'Always' to 'Most likely'. Now, I could get into an ethical argument about whether a creature which has no opportunity to be anything but good/lawful/chaotic/evil can really be good/lawful/chaotic/evil, or I could offer an alternative to the atonement spell; realignment.

Realignment
[Abjuration]
Level: Druid 5, Cleric 5
Components: V, S, M, DF, XP
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Instanteous
Saving Throw: None (See description)
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell alters a beings alignment to match that of the caster and his deity. The being can be of any type, but has to be a willing subject (Therefore any creature with an Intelligence score below 3 cannot be realigned, as well as anyone acting under a compulsion) that actively consents to the spell being cast. The spell has the following restrictions;

Undead can't be realigned to any non-evil alignment (If an undead was sentient and didn't want to be an evil abhorence anymore, it'd just kill itself.)

Realigning Outsiders (Special)

An outsider that wishes to be realigned to an opposing alignment must meet the following criteria;

A willing participant (And so must have an Intelligence above 3 and not be under any form of compulsion.),
Spent considerable time on the Material Plane (It would be difficult for an Angel to be plucked from Heaven, but one that spent a lot of time on Earth would have a hell of an easier time being tempted)

The outsider loses any abilities based on alignment, such as Protection from Good or Detect Evil.
The outsiders natural weapons are no longer aligned to overcome damage reduction.
The outsider loses 1HD. Saves, Base attack and Caster Level are adjusted. Skills stay the same.

Now the benefits;
The outsider can gain abilities to replace the ones lost due to alignment based on the domains of the cleric who cast the spell (For druids, the domains are assumed to be Plant and Animal). Therefore if a LG cleric with Healing and Law domains converted a Gelugon, the Gelugon would lose Detect Good but could replace it with a similar level spell from the Law/Healing Domains (Protection from Chaos or Cure Light Wounds). If a realigned outsider loses no abilities due to alignment change (Such as an Efreeti), they cannot take a new spell-like ability.
Usually a physical alteration is obvious in an outsider who is realigned; Angellic outsiders who become Evil will often lose their noble stature and start resembling bedraggled ravens more than proud eagles; likewise, a clerics deity may decide to grant a demon a less terrifying visage for converting. This is purely aesthetic and at the deity's wish; abilities based on appearances (Such as terrifying presence) remain.

Material Component: Burning incense

Divine Focus: A holy symbol of the new alignment, as well as a lasting symbol of devotion (This can take a form appropriate to the deity, and can be anything from a ring to a symbolic tattoo) costing no less than 500gp.

XP cost; 250xp for each transition of alignment. For example, changing from LG to CG is two transitions; Lawful-->Neutral-->Chaotic, so would be 500XP. Changing CE to LG would be four; Chaotic-->Neutral-->Good and Evil-->Neutral-->Good, and so be 1000XP. For conversion of outsiders, XP costs are doubled.


Any thoughts would be welcome. If I have time I'll post some revised monster listings based on this spell (Shadow Archons! Chain Angels! Lammasu Blackguards! Oh the probably-gone-over-before possibilities are endless!)

[Fax Celestis]

A few things:

1. SR: Yes (Harmless) means that any target of the spell who has SR is automatically considered to have lowered it for the spell.

2. Don't put in the clause about preventing advancement. The classes in question already state that they can't advance if they switch alignments (and in cases like the Assasin, don't say anything of the sort).

3. Duration should just be Instantaneous, unless you want it dispellable.

[Mewtarthio]

1. SR: Yes (Harmless) means that any target of the spell who has SR is automatically considered to have lowered it for the spell.

Actually, it takes a standard action to willingly lower SR.

[Fax Celestis]

Actually, it takes a standard action to willingly lower SR.

Huh. Learn something every day.

[Solaris]

I take it magical compulsion does not a willing target make, yes?

That said, I rather like this spell. It makes the Good demon more viable (and I've never had a player play one, so I'm not disgusted with them yet!).

[Rift_Wolf]

In DM guide it said Assassins had to be Any Evil, however a quick scan over d20srd and yes, assassins and blackguards don't suffer if they're non-evil (However, the prestige prereqs state Blackguards and Assassins have to be evil aligned to gain levels in them.)
Does that mean you could, technically, have a LG Paladin 10/ Blackguard 10 with NO ill effects through use of an Atonement spell?
Thinking about it, any use of blackguard skills would probably count as evil acts and so cause you to fall. As well as it being a DMs worst nightmare. And hell to rp.

[Rift_Wolf]

I take it magical compulsion does not a willing target make, yes?

That said, I rather like this spell. It makes the Good demon more viable (and I've never had a player play one, so I'm not disgusted with them yet!).

I said about compulsions. I'm sure I did!

[Solaris]

Ack, you did! My apologies; I tend to miss some obvious things (Curse you, -15% racial penalty to spot hidden objects! 85% chance to notice the obvious is worse than you'd think). This spell is definitely spiffy for pure flavor alone.

[Shiny, Bearer of the Pokystick]

Hm..interesting approach for willing targets; unwilling are already covered by the Emissary of Barachiel, I suppose. Nice, looks like.

[Khantalas]

Oh, you could remove the part about undead. After all, undead aren't inherently evil.

[Solaris]

Why aren't they? They are corruptions of life that exist to destroy. How isn't that evil?

[Fax Celestis]

Why aren't they? They are corruptions of life that exist to destroy. How isn't that evil?

Not exactly.

They're fueled by negative energy and they are mimicries of life, yes, but that doesn't make them evil, it just makes them destructive. And since they're dumber than rats, that'd make them incapable of higher thought (and therefore morals), squarely placing them directly in the True Neutral category that most (if not all) mindless creatures share.

[Solaris]

But what of the sentient undead, y'know, the ones that you can actually cast this spell on?

[Fax Celestis]

But what of the sentient undead, y'know, the ones that you can actually cast this spell on?

Those are able to have conscious thought and can therefore make the decision for themselves. Most of them are indeed evil, but that is more from their style of living than any supernatural influence.

EDIT: There's no real reason you can't have a good vampire, for instance, or a good lich (Baelnorns, for example).

[Khantalas]

They don't have to be inherently evil. If we can have CG erinyes (which we can), we can certainly have LG vampires.

[Solaris]

Yes, but the spell fundamentally alters the nature of the fiend. Would it then not fundamentally alter the nature of the evil-fueled (destructiveness and negative energy = evil) undead?

[Khantalas]

Wait, destructiveness and negative energy are evil?

Somebody inform Wizards, they've got these (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/destruction.htm) spells (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/inflictLightWounds.htm) all wrong!

[Fax Celestis]

Wait, destructiveness and negative energy are evil?

Somebody inform Wizards, they've got these (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/destruction.htm) spells (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/inflictLightWounds.htm) all wrong!

Exactly. Negative energy isn't evil any more than magnetic south is evil. It's simply the other end of the spectrum from positive.

[Solaris]

Hrm. Could've sworn that those spells had the evil descriptor in the PHB. I don't have it here, so I can't check that. I'm hard-pressed to find a use for the inflict spells that isn't evil - a mace doesn't require opening a channel to the negative energy plane. It's quite similar to using a biological weapon as opposed to just shooting them.

I take it there's errata stating that the mindless undead are Neutral instead of NE? It states NE in the SRD, which does lead me to believe that it is quite possible for something to be mindless and still be Evil. It just has to be purely destructive, really. The MM II revenant is Neutral, but that's more the exception than the rule. From what I remember of its text, it certainly wasn't very nice at all and likely only Neutral because they said so (and yes, yes I do know that 'Neutral' and 'nice' don't necessarily coincide). Like the spell says, if something is powered by negative energy (which, to the best of my knowledge, has no benevolent applications) wanted to be Good, it would die or score a True Resurrection. Baelnorns not being in the SRD, but rather a Forgotten Realms thing last I checked, I'm inclined to discount them except in discussions purely related to the Forgotten Realms (or wherever Baelnorns are sold). I've really seen nothing to indicate the Baelnorns are possible in any other campaign setting.

[Khantalas]

No. Just no. Don't do that.

No one wants to go to that 'Nam. There was a huge thread over this. Look here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27557&highlight=Undead%3A+Evil) for details.

The anti-theses found were ghosts being free to choose alignment, mindless undead being neutral up to 3.5 (and the argument that the alignment change was to let the paladins smite skeletons and zombies) and bunch of other stuff.

[Solaris]

Ah, yes. I'd forgotten about the ghosts. In which case I concede the point.

Now that I'm done dragging you two into derailing the thread with me . . . I was thinking on my power-outage-induced walk, and I'm fair sure that to keep the fiend=evil and celestial=good thing, a fiend that had been realigned to Good would be classed as a celestial, and a celestial that had been realigned to Evil would be classed as a fiend. Not sure what they'd call an outsider realigned to Neutral.

[Duke Malagigi]

Now that I'm done dragging you two into derailing the thread with me . . . I was thinking on my power-outage-induced walk, and I'm fair sure that to keep the fiend=evil and celestial=good thing, a fiend that had been realigned to Good would be classed as a celestial, and a celestial that had been realigned to Evil would be classed as a fiend.

I'd agree with the Dicefreaks member thealmightyzee on the one side, atonement plus one other spell based upon what order of fiend they were. For example atonement plus miracle for balors, pit fiends and equivelent daemons. They would would also gain the penitent fiend template as well.
I would agree with you that the fiend would become a celestial and vice versia.


Not sure what they'd call an outsider realigned to Neutral.

Perhaps a Reborn Gray.

[Icewalker]

I'd like to make one little note, on the requirement of them having spent time on the material plane. Why only the material plane? Using your example, couldn't an angel be just as easily, if not more so, tempted on a plane more inclined towards evil or chaos?

I suggest revising it to something more along the lines of a plane which is far different from their home plane, and has a similar alignment to the alignment they are attempting to switch to.

[Rift_Wolf]

I'd like to make one little note, on the requirement of them having spent time on the material plane. Why only the material plane? Using your example, couldn't an angel be just as easily, if not more so, tempted on a plane more inclined towards evil or chaos?

I suggest revising it to something more along the lines of a plane which is far different from their home plane, and has a similar alignment to the alignment they are attempting to switch to.

This is a bit of a Good Omens reference, but also, from what I gather of the standard cosmology of D&D, the Material Plane (Or Astral, Ethereal and Shadow Planes, to a lesser extent) is a sort of no-mans-land for a theological war. It's the most likely place where an Angel would become corrupt or a demon would become sympathetic. If a demon were to appear in a Good-aligned plane, or an angel in an evil-aligned plane, they probably wouldn't survive long enough to say 'Hey, I'm here to convert!'. However, I may change it for 'A plane where friendly contact with the casters alignment is possible'.
As for undead, I suppose an afflicted vampire is much the same as an afflicted lycanthrope in that they didn't ask to become evil (Unless, of course, they did). Other sentient undead, like liches, have actively sought to disrupt and break natural laws. A lich uses arcane magic and negative energy to prolong his life indefinitely, going against the natural order of things. Any person with such active disrespect for life couldn't be anything but evil. That's my two pence on the subject.
Plus I didn't want to give the green light for CG vampires called 'Angel'. I'd never be able to live with myself.

[Rift_Wolf]

So.... Here's one of the realigned outsiders I tinkered with. I recalculated the BAB and saves based on fighters bab and monks saves. This is just one of the variants of the system, I'm gonna work on another few over the weekend if I get time.

Virtue

Size/Type: Medium Outsider (Chaotic, Extraplanar, Good)
Hit Dice: 5d8+5 (28hp)
Initiative: +1
Speed: 30ft (6 squares) fly 50ft (Average)
AC: 20 (+1 Dex, +9 Natural), touch 11, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+6
Attack: Claw +6 melee (1d6+1)
Full Attack: 2 Claws +6 melee (1d6+1)
Space/Reach: 5ft/5ft
Special attacks: Energy drain, spell-like abilities, fascinate
Special Qualities: Damage reduction 10/cold iron or evil, darkvision 60ft, immunity to electricity and poison, resistance to acid 10, cold 10, and fire 10, spell resistance 18, telepathy 100ft, tongues
Saves: Fort+5, Ref+5, Will+6
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 13, Con 13, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 26
Skills: Bluff+19, Concentration+10, Diplomacy+12, Disguise+17 (+19 acting), Escape Artist+10, Perform (Any musical)+12
Feat: Dodge, Mobility, Persuasive
Environment: Usually cities, sometimes good-aligned planes
Organisation: Solitary, trio (3), troupe (3-4 with 1-4 5th level bards or 1-3 satyrs)
Challenge rating: 7
Treasure Rating: Standard
Alignment: Most likely Chaotic Good (If not, loses chaotic/good subtype)
Advancement: 6-12HD (Medium) (Or by character class, favoured class Bard)
Level Adjustment: +6

A virtue is 6 feet tall in its natural form and weighs about 125 pounds.

Some succubi know the seductive power of music over mortals, and will train themselves to play an instrument, usually a lute, sitar or similar instrument. These succubi are often more humane than their less musically talented sisters; whether they gain compassion through the study of human music or they study human music because they’re more compassionate is an open debate. Many of these devils choose to realign themselves, either to escape the lower planes and their non-acceptance of such placid demon types, or to prove their affinity for musicians.

A virtue in its natural form usually appears as a normal succubus, however it lacks horns and other spiky features of succubi. Virtues of particular divine favour may have their leathery bat wings replaced with brightly coloured parrot-like wings.

The virtue described has been realigned to Chaotic Good by a cleric possessing Chaos and Good domains.

Combat

Virtues are not warriors. They flee combat whenever they can. If forced to fight, they can attack with their claws, but prefer to pacify enemies with their fascinate ability. Virtues use their change shape (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#changeShape) ability to assume humanoid (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#humanoidType) guise, and can maintain this deception indefinitely. When threatened and unable to flee they’ll use their compulsion abilities to pacify the enemy. If this doesn’t work they’ll resort to their energy-draining kiss to incapacitate or weaken the enemy as a last resort.
Energy Drain (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#energyDrainAndNegativeLevels) (Su (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#supernaturalAbilities))

A Virtue drains energy from a mortal it lures into some act of passion, or by simply planting a kiss on the victim. If the target is not willing to be kissed, the Virtue must start a grapple (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#grapple), which provokes an attack of opportunity (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/attacksOfOpportunity.htm). The virtues kiss or embrace bestows one negative level (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#energyDrainAndNegativeLevels) . The kiss also has the effect of a suggestion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/suggestion.htm) spell, asking the victim to accept another kiss from the virtue. The victim must succeed on a DC 21 Will save (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatStatistics.htm#will) to negate the effect of the suggestion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/suggestion.htm). The DC is 21 for the Fortitude save (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatStatistics.htm#fortitude) to remove a negative level. These save DCs are Charisma-based.
Spell-Like Abilities (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#spellLikeAbilities)

At will—charm monster (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/charmMonster.htm) (DC 22), protection from law, detect thoughts (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/detectThoughts.htm) (DC 20), ethereal jaunt (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/etherealJaunt.htm) (self plus 50 pounds of objects only), suggestion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/suggestion.htm) (DC 21), greater teleport (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/teleportGreater.htm) (self plus 50 pounds of objects only). Caster level 12th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Fascinate (Sp (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#spellLikeAbilities))

A Virtue skill can use her music or poetics to cause one or more creatures to become fascinated (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm#fascinated) with her. Each creature to be fascinated must be within 90 feet, able to see and hear the Virtue, and able to pay attention to her. The Virtue must also be able to see the creature. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. A Virtue can fascinate two subjects at a time.
To use the ability, the Virtue makes a Perform (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/perform.htm) check. Her check result is the DC for each affected creature’s Will save (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatStatistics.htm#will) against the effect. If a creature’s saving throw (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/combatStatistics.htm#savingThrows) succeeds, the virtue cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits quietly and listens to the song, taking no other actions, for as long as the bard continues to play and concentrate (up to a maximum of 5 rounds). While fascinated, a target takes a -4 penalty on skill checks (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/usingSkills.htm#skillChecks) made as reactions, such as Listen (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/listen.htm) and Spot (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/spot.htm) checks. Any potential threat requires the virtue to make another Perform (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/perform.htm) check and allows the creature a new saving throw against a DC equal to the new Perform (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/perform.htm) check result.
Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. Fascinate is an enchantment (compulsion), mind-affecting ability.
Change Shape (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#changeShape) (Su (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#supernaturalAbilities))

A Virtue can assume the form of any Small or Medium humanoid.
Tongues (Su (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#supernaturalAbilities))

A Virtue has a permanent tongues (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/tongues.htm) ability (as the spell, caster level 12th). Virtues usually use verbal communication with mortals.
Skills

Virtues have a +8 racial bonus on Spot and Listen checks.
*While using her change shape (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#changeShape) ability, a virtue gains a +10 circumstance bonus (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/theBasics.htm#circumstanceModifier) on Disguise (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/disguise.htm) checks.

[Solaris]

That, too, I'd been thinking on (primarily because succubi are, unfortunately, pretty much the only demons I could find that could possibly make half-decent PCs - the others couldn't easily pass as human). It makes more sense for a virtue to have a restoration effect than an energy drain effect with its smooches. It's no longer evil, and thus probably has less of a focus on harming things.
Not to mention it's a bard, and bards = teh pansy*.
*I remind you all about the use of 'pansy' as an indicator of a joke, as no power in the 'Verse can get me to use an emoticon.
*Shrugs* Or a cleric with the Healing domain would be necessary. Yeah. I think a cleric with Healing would be necessary, whereas the virtue you've posted above is the one that happens without a Healing cler'c.

[Khantalas]

I wanna create a Horned Devil PC.

What's the LA on those things?

[Korias]

Hmm...
Cant see anthing wrong with it.

But hre are my thoughts anyway.

1. The Undead not being affected means that their can be no GOOD vampires, ghosts, or other hyper intelegent undead.
2. The RP Potential is ENORMOUS. It would allow me to make Good Succubi, Evil Hound Archons, and Neutral Lantern Archons.
3. Creating these PCs would be interesting, to say the least.
4. Add something that says that "If multiple Clerics are casting this spell, The main cleric's domains are used, and for every 3 extra clerics, the SR is reduced by one, and an extra domain may be used for selecting abilities"

[Rift_Wolf]

I did think about giving the Virtue a healing effect with its kiss, however I didn't want to create a new type of celestial. Having an ability that may be seen as evil but only using it as a result keeps the virtue that little less than a complete goody-two-shoes.
Bear in mind the virtue shown is only a 'most likely' variant. A healing virtue is entirely possible, but I thought the succubus' charisma modifier just screamed to be made into either a bard or sorceror, and where's the style in a succubus sorceror?
As for undead, I may alter the rules slightly for them to allow sentient creatures who repent past sins (That no doubt would have led to them becoming sentient undead) can use the spell, but there's HD loss involved, just like outsiders. But to be honest, I'm not a big fan of undead. I prefer the theological war side of enemies.