DracoDei
2014-08-04, 12:55 PM
((Figuring out the formatting for these was pretty hard since no one solution seemed best for all cases. Suggestions welcome.))
Alchemical Aura [Metamagic] [Energy Balance]
Your studies of the alchemical arts allow you to neutralize one destructive reaction with the fundamental principles of another, equally vigorous, reaction.
Prerequisites:
Craft(Alchemy) 5 ranks
AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
Ability to cast at least two damaging spells with the [Acid] descriptor, including via the Energy Substitution[Acid] feat if you have it.
OR
A breath weapon capable of dealing [Acid] damage (including via feats).
Benefits: When you are about to take [Acid] damage, after resolving any applicable spell resistance, saving throw, multiplications for energy vulnerabilities and/or energy resistance, and either before or after applying the effects of Protection from Energy or similar at your option, as an immediate action you may expend a spell/spell slot or breath weapon with the [Acid] type to reduce the damage you are dealt by the damage your spell or breath weapon would normally inflict when cast offensively. If you are a spontaneous caster, you may apply metamagic feats to the spell slot expended without increasing the casting time.
So, for example, high level sorcerer with could use a Maximized Energy Substituted[Acid] Fireball to reduce damage taken from a black dragon's breath weapon.
Spells or breath weapons expended in this way produce no other effect than shielding the caster and their carried items.
Balance of Fulminating Energies [Metamagic] [Energy Balance]
By reversing the direction of lightning, you may bring it to stillness and harmony with your body.
Prerequisites:
Ability to cast at least four damaging spells with the [Electricity] descriptor, including via the Energy Substitution[Electricity] feat if you have it. Access to the Air Domain and/or having a breath weapon capable of dealing [Electricity] damage (including via feats) each count as knowing three such spells.
Benefits:
When you are about to take [Electricity] damage, after resolving any applicable spell resistance, saving throw, multiplications for energy vulnerabilities and/or energy resistance, and either before or after applying the effects of Protection from Energy or similar at your option, as an immediate action you may expend a spell/spell slot or breath weapon with the [Electricity] type to reduce the damage you are dealt by the damage your spell or breath weapon would normally inflict when cast offensively. If you are a spontaneous caster, you may apply metamagic feats to the spell slot expended without increasing the casting time.
So, for example, high level sorcerer with could use a Maximized Energy Substituted[Electricity] Fireball to reduce damage taken from a blue dragon's breath weapon.
Spells or breath weapons expended in this way produce no other effect than shielding the caster and their carried items.
Balance of Life and Death [Metamagic] [Energy Balance]
Life has its power, as does its opposite.
Prerequisites:
Must meet all three:
4 ranks Knowledge [Religion] OR (Neither Good nor Evil AND 4 ranks Knowledge[Nature] AND 4 ranks in Heal)
AND
Ability to cast at least one Cure spell.
AND
Ability to spontaneously cast Cure and/or Inflict spells OR have at least one neutral component to your alignment.
Benefits:
When you are about to take hitpoint damage from negative energy, after resolving any applicable spell resistance, saving throw, and either before or after applying the effects of Protection from Positive/Negative Energy or similar at your option, as an immediate action you may expend a spell/spell slot that would cure you using positive energy to reduce the damage you are dealt by the damage your spell would normally cure you. If you are a spontaneous caster, you may apply metamagic feats to the spell slot expended without increasing the casting time.
Similarly, you may use spells that can cause negative energy damage (such as the Inflict line or Harm) to counter gaining potentially harmful temporary hitpoints (such as while on the Positive Energy Plane) or taking damage from positive energy.
So, for example, a cleric could expend a Cure Light Wounds to reduce or negate the hitpoint damage from a Lich's touch.
In addition you may expend any spell that would remove negative levels or level drain to reduce the number of negative levels and/or level drain you take from a single spell or effect by the amount that that spell would normally cure. Similarly, you can use spells capable of inflicting negative levels to protect yourself from positive levels.
So, for example, a cleric could expend a Restoration to negate the effects of an Enervation or Energy Drain spell, or reduce the level drain from an epic level spell cast upon them by one level.
Heart of Fire and Ice [Metamagic] [Energy Balance]
A man standing neck-deep in ice-water is in serious trouble, as is a man standing in flames. However, by combining the two states, they may be bought into a safe balance.
Prerequisites:
Ability to cast at least three spells damaging that either have the [Cold] or [Fire] descriptor, including via the Energy Substitution[Cold] and/or Energy Substitution[Fire] feats if you have one or both. At least one of these spells must be [Fire] and at least one of them must be [Cold].
OR
Access to both the Water and Fire domains.
(See also "Special" below)
Benefits: When you are about to take [Fire] or [Cold] damage, after resolving any applicable spell resistance, saving throw, multiplications for energy vulnerabilities and/or energy resistance, and either before or after applying the effects of Protection from Energy or similar at your option, as an immediate action you may expend a spell/spell slot or breath weapon with the opposite energy type to reduce the damage you are dealt by the damage your spell or breath weapon would normally inflict when cast offensively. If you are a spontaneous caster, you may apply metamagic feats to the spell slot expended without increasing the casting time.
So, for example, high level sorcerer with could use a Maximized Energy Substituted[Cold] Fireball to reduce damage taken from a red dragon's breath weapon.
Spells or breath weapons expended in this way produce no other effect than shielding the caster and their carried items.
Special: If you have a breath weapon capable of dealing [Cold] damage (including via feats), it counts as knowing two damaging spells with the [Cold] descriptor, and having access to the Water domain for purposes of qualifying for this feat.
If you have a breath weapon capable of dealing [Fire] damage (including via feats), it counts as knowing two damaging spells with the [Fire] descriptor, and having access to the Fire domain for purposes of qualifying for this feat.
Master of the Balance of Energies [Metamagic] [Energy Balance]
Learning the principles of various damaging energies has made studying the others easier.
Prerequisites:
Must meet the requirements for at least four other [Energy Balance] feats (including ones you already have)
AND
Must have two other [Energy Balance] feats.
Benefits:
You gain the benefits of all [Energy Balance] feats. In addition, whenever you use such a benefit, all allies within 30' gain one quarter of the same numerical benefit against that same damaging spell or effect. For effects with the "all" descriptor treat this as a numerical value (before division) equal to your caster level for the spell used to counter the effect.
So, for example:
If a character is in the process of being dealt 50 points of fire damage by a dragon's breath weapon and negate 80 points of damage via an Empowered Delayed-Blast Fireball, then all of their allies within 30' would reduce the damage from that application of the breath weapon by 20 points. If the dragon then followed up with a Quickened Fireball you would then have to expend another spell if you wished to protect yourself and your comrades.
If a 7th level cleric with this feat is a secondary or the primary target of a Chained Spell Enervation and counters it with a Restoration spell, then all allies within 30' struck by that same Chained Spell Enervation would reduce the number of levels lost by 1.
Negative Sound [Metamagic] [Energy Balance]
With a perfect counter-vibration at exactly the same time you can turn flesh-disrupting sound into near-perfect silence.
Prerequisites:
Perform [Any TWO sound-based] 4 ranks each
AND AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
Ability to cast at least one damaging spell with the [Sonic] descriptor, including via the Energy Substitution feat[Sonic] if you have it.
OR
A breath weapon capable of dealing [Sonic] damage (including via feats).
Benefits:
When you are about to take [Sonic] damage, after resolving any applicable spell resistance, saving throw, multiplications for energy vulnerabilities and/or energy resistance, and either before or after applying the effects of Protection from Energy or similar at your option, as an immediate action you may expend a spell/spell slot or breath weapon with the [Sonic] type to reduce the damage you are dealt by the damage your spell or breath weapon would normally inflict when cast offensively. If you are a spontaneous caster, you may apply metamagic feats to the spell slot expended without increasing the casting time.
So, for example, high level sorcerer with could use a Maximized Energy Substituted[Sonic] Fireball to reduce damage taken from a dragon's breath weapon.
Spells or breath weapons expended in this way produce no other effect than shielding the caster and their carried items.
Comments:
I did this pretty quick, because I have some social and organizational problems that mean if I took any longer I'd forget to EVER post stuff. Please inform me of any typos (or at least overlook them).
As I said, the formatting ended up a bit varied because the individual feats were clearest that way.
The positive/negative energy feat looks really strong against negative levels until you realize that Restoration is the same level as Death Ward. I'm actually wondering if it should allow Immediate speed self-Counter-Turning (or preventing control via the Command Undead sub-ability of Rebuke Undead) for undead/deathless casters.
I figured that sinking three feats into this sort of thing was enough to get the whole shebang, plus a small kicker in the ability to shield your allies. What do people think of this conclusion?
Should the sonic one only require one skill at rank 4? One at 5 or more ranks? Two at much more ranks? Sonic is sorta a narrow energy type, and most of the natively sonic damaging spells are pretty poor. Sound Burst is probably the exception.
Did I give too many examples?
Should I abstract the mechanics into a paragraph describing what [Energy Balance] feats at the beginning of the post and then just have the individual examples give the pre-requisites, effected energy types (both to be countered and what type is used to counter them), plus any special effects such as the negative/positive one also being useful against negative levels?
Should I split the positive/negative energy stuff into two separate feats?
Alchemical Aura [Metamagic] [Energy Balance]
Your studies of the alchemical arts allow you to neutralize one destructive reaction with the fundamental principles of another, equally vigorous, reaction.
Prerequisites:
Craft(Alchemy) 5 ranks
AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
Ability to cast at least two damaging spells with the [Acid] descriptor, including via the Energy Substitution[Acid] feat if you have it.
OR
A breath weapon capable of dealing [Acid] damage (including via feats).
Benefits: When you are about to take [Acid] damage, after resolving any applicable spell resistance, saving throw, multiplications for energy vulnerabilities and/or energy resistance, and either before or after applying the effects of Protection from Energy or similar at your option, as an immediate action you may expend a spell/spell slot or breath weapon with the [Acid] type to reduce the damage you are dealt by the damage your spell or breath weapon would normally inflict when cast offensively. If you are a spontaneous caster, you may apply metamagic feats to the spell slot expended without increasing the casting time.
So, for example, high level sorcerer with could use a Maximized Energy Substituted[Acid] Fireball to reduce damage taken from a black dragon's breath weapon.
Spells or breath weapons expended in this way produce no other effect than shielding the caster and their carried items.
Balance of Fulminating Energies [Metamagic] [Energy Balance]
By reversing the direction of lightning, you may bring it to stillness and harmony with your body.
Prerequisites:
Ability to cast at least four damaging spells with the [Electricity] descriptor, including via the Energy Substitution[Electricity] feat if you have it. Access to the Air Domain and/or having a breath weapon capable of dealing [Electricity] damage (including via feats) each count as knowing three such spells.
Benefits:
When you are about to take [Electricity] damage, after resolving any applicable spell resistance, saving throw, multiplications for energy vulnerabilities and/or energy resistance, and either before or after applying the effects of Protection from Energy or similar at your option, as an immediate action you may expend a spell/spell slot or breath weapon with the [Electricity] type to reduce the damage you are dealt by the damage your spell or breath weapon would normally inflict when cast offensively. If you are a spontaneous caster, you may apply metamagic feats to the spell slot expended without increasing the casting time.
So, for example, high level sorcerer with could use a Maximized Energy Substituted[Electricity] Fireball to reduce damage taken from a blue dragon's breath weapon.
Spells or breath weapons expended in this way produce no other effect than shielding the caster and their carried items.
Balance of Life and Death [Metamagic] [Energy Balance]
Life has its power, as does its opposite.
Prerequisites:
Must meet all three:
4 ranks Knowledge [Religion] OR (Neither Good nor Evil AND 4 ranks Knowledge[Nature] AND 4 ranks in Heal)
AND
Ability to cast at least one Cure spell.
AND
Ability to spontaneously cast Cure and/or Inflict spells OR have at least one neutral component to your alignment.
Benefits:
When you are about to take hitpoint damage from negative energy, after resolving any applicable spell resistance, saving throw, and either before or after applying the effects of Protection from Positive/Negative Energy or similar at your option, as an immediate action you may expend a spell/spell slot that would cure you using positive energy to reduce the damage you are dealt by the damage your spell would normally cure you. If you are a spontaneous caster, you may apply metamagic feats to the spell slot expended without increasing the casting time.
Similarly, you may use spells that can cause negative energy damage (such as the Inflict line or Harm) to counter gaining potentially harmful temporary hitpoints (such as while on the Positive Energy Plane) or taking damage from positive energy.
So, for example, a cleric could expend a Cure Light Wounds to reduce or negate the hitpoint damage from a Lich's touch.
In addition you may expend any spell that would remove negative levels or level drain to reduce the number of negative levels and/or level drain you take from a single spell or effect by the amount that that spell would normally cure. Similarly, you can use spells capable of inflicting negative levels to protect yourself from positive levels.
So, for example, a cleric could expend a Restoration to negate the effects of an Enervation or Energy Drain spell, or reduce the level drain from an epic level spell cast upon them by one level.
Heart of Fire and Ice [Metamagic] [Energy Balance]
A man standing neck-deep in ice-water is in serious trouble, as is a man standing in flames. However, by combining the two states, they may be bought into a safe balance.
Prerequisites:
Ability to cast at least three spells damaging that either have the [Cold] or [Fire] descriptor, including via the Energy Substitution[Cold] and/or Energy Substitution[Fire] feats if you have one or both. At least one of these spells must be [Fire] and at least one of them must be [Cold].
OR
Access to both the Water and Fire domains.
(See also "Special" below)
Benefits: When you are about to take [Fire] or [Cold] damage, after resolving any applicable spell resistance, saving throw, multiplications for energy vulnerabilities and/or energy resistance, and either before or after applying the effects of Protection from Energy or similar at your option, as an immediate action you may expend a spell/spell slot or breath weapon with the opposite energy type to reduce the damage you are dealt by the damage your spell or breath weapon would normally inflict when cast offensively. If you are a spontaneous caster, you may apply metamagic feats to the spell slot expended without increasing the casting time.
So, for example, high level sorcerer with could use a Maximized Energy Substituted[Cold] Fireball to reduce damage taken from a red dragon's breath weapon.
Spells or breath weapons expended in this way produce no other effect than shielding the caster and their carried items.
Special: If you have a breath weapon capable of dealing [Cold] damage (including via feats), it counts as knowing two damaging spells with the [Cold] descriptor, and having access to the Water domain for purposes of qualifying for this feat.
If you have a breath weapon capable of dealing [Fire] damage (including via feats), it counts as knowing two damaging spells with the [Fire] descriptor, and having access to the Fire domain for purposes of qualifying for this feat.
Master of the Balance of Energies [Metamagic] [Energy Balance]
Learning the principles of various damaging energies has made studying the others easier.
Prerequisites:
Must meet the requirements for at least four other [Energy Balance] feats (including ones you already have)
AND
Must have two other [Energy Balance] feats.
Benefits:
You gain the benefits of all [Energy Balance] feats. In addition, whenever you use such a benefit, all allies within 30' gain one quarter of the same numerical benefit against that same damaging spell or effect. For effects with the "all" descriptor treat this as a numerical value (before division) equal to your caster level for the spell used to counter the effect.
So, for example:
If a character is in the process of being dealt 50 points of fire damage by a dragon's breath weapon and negate 80 points of damage via an Empowered Delayed-Blast Fireball, then all of their allies within 30' would reduce the damage from that application of the breath weapon by 20 points. If the dragon then followed up with a Quickened Fireball you would then have to expend another spell if you wished to protect yourself and your comrades.
If a 7th level cleric with this feat is a secondary or the primary target of a Chained Spell Enervation and counters it with a Restoration spell, then all allies within 30' struck by that same Chained Spell Enervation would reduce the number of levels lost by 1.
Negative Sound [Metamagic] [Energy Balance]
With a perfect counter-vibration at exactly the same time you can turn flesh-disrupting sound into near-perfect silence.
Prerequisites:
Perform [Any TWO sound-based] 4 ranks each
AND AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING
Ability to cast at least one damaging spell with the [Sonic] descriptor, including via the Energy Substitution feat[Sonic] if you have it.
OR
A breath weapon capable of dealing [Sonic] damage (including via feats).
Benefits:
When you are about to take [Sonic] damage, after resolving any applicable spell resistance, saving throw, multiplications for energy vulnerabilities and/or energy resistance, and either before or after applying the effects of Protection from Energy or similar at your option, as an immediate action you may expend a spell/spell slot or breath weapon with the [Sonic] type to reduce the damage you are dealt by the damage your spell or breath weapon would normally inflict when cast offensively. If you are a spontaneous caster, you may apply metamagic feats to the spell slot expended without increasing the casting time.
So, for example, high level sorcerer with could use a Maximized Energy Substituted[Sonic] Fireball to reduce damage taken from a dragon's breath weapon.
Spells or breath weapons expended in this way produce no other effect than shielding the caster and their carried items.
Comments:
I did this pretty quick, because I have some social and organizational problems that mean if I took any longer I'd forget to EVER post stuff. Please inform me of any typos (or at least overlook them).
As I said, the formatting ended up a bit varied because the individual feats were clearest that way.
The positive/negative energy feat looks really strong against negative levels until you realize that Restoration is the same level as Death Ward. I'm actually wondering if it should allow Immediate speed self-Counter-Turning (or preventing control via the Command Undead sub-ability of Rebuke Undead) for undead/deathless casters.
I figured that sinking three feats into this sort of thing was enough to get the whole shebang, plus a small kicker in the ability to shield your allies. What do people think of this conclusion?
Should the sonic one only require one skill at rank 4? One at 5 or more ranks? Two at much more ranks? Sonic is sorta a narrow energy type, and most of the natively sonic damaging spells are pretty poor. Sound Burst is probably the exception.
Did I give too many examples?
Should I abstract the mechanics into a paragraph describing what [Energy Balance] feats at the beginning of the post and then just have the individual examples give the pre-requisites, effected energy types (both to be countered and what type is used to counter them), plus any special effects such as the negative/positive one also being useful against negative levels?
Should I split the positive/negative energy stuff into two separate feats?