[Power] Coochy coo!

Before the arguments come I'd like to point out that technically you can also do this with Polymorph Any Object to a degree, so think about that before commenting on it's power level.

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Retrogradance
Psychoportation and Psychometabolism
Level: Psion/wilder 8
Display: Olfactory and Visual
Manifesting Time: 1 minute
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature
Duration: Permanent or Instantaneous; see text.
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Power Resistance: Yes
Power Points: 15

The being before you suddenly shudders and they appear to age in reverse, growing younger and younger...

You put a field of time around a living being, causing them to quickly grow younger and younger until they revert to their earliest stage (Outsiders and Elementals are not affected). This can be anything from an egg or newborn to a seed or spore, depending on the creature, and are helpless. If the target has been converted to another creature, such as a Skum, they revert back to whatever being they were born as. Dispelling brings them back to their form at the time of manifestation.
Their equipment and clothing and similar are not affected, simply falling off as the being reverts to a smaller size. The being has no memories of their life and their alignment reverts to neutrality unless the race begins with all the memories of their ancestors such as is the case of the Aboleths. In such a case ancestral knowledge and the race's standard alignment still applies.
This power can be dispelled after up to 1 day per HD of the target. Afterward the duration becomes Instantaneous and can no longer be dispelled or reversed short of Reality Revision, Wish, or Miracle. If the power is dispelled in some way the being reverts back to their age at the time of manifestation with their memories intact.
All wounds the being suffered is healed, though diseases, poisons and any powers or spells durations still remain in effect.
Even if the save is made the being is Shaken for 1 round.

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Aberrations - At DM's discretion. Aboleths and Illithids for instance grow from eggs, while a Beholder gives live birth. Some others may have stranger ways of reproduction.
Animals - Newborns or Eggs
Fey - Newborns
Humanoids - Newborns
Dragons - Eggs
Giants - Newborns
Monstrous Humanoids - Newborns or Eggs
Magical Beasts - Newborns or Eggs
Ooze - Puddle
Plant - Seed or Shoot (if plant) or Spore (Fungus). Some plants like Treants may have newborns.
Vermin - Eggs

...remind me to have all my BBEGs have good Fort saves :smalleek:

This is a great way to nullify an enemy (or a PC if the DM hates them...), I'm no judge of balance though... I just know I like it...

From experience, this is a hell of a debuff. It leaves a lot to the DM though, I'd recommend sketching out at least some rough mechanical guidelines.

Alright, I've elaborated a bit more and made outsiders and elementals immune.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Demented One

From experience, this is a hell of a debuff.

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True, but it does have a ten-round manifesting time. Basically, it lets you take care of an enemy without worrying about them being resurrected later. Plus you get to adopt the BBEG, which is just all sorts of fun.

Question: What happens if you tag the evil wizard with this power when he's thirty-five years old, then he discovers what he once was and wishes himself back when he's fifty? Does he revert to thirty-five years old, or does he just gain all the memories he used to have?

A lot of vermin are actually mammals. So they should become newborns not eggs.

Also, wouldn't this require some additional stating? I don't think we have stats for say what newborn beholders are (of course, if someone wants to work that out, I will very much not object and then swipe them for use in a later campaign).

Question: Shouldn't Undead and Constructs be immune, as well? Or does this just turn them into corpses and inert raw materials, respectively?

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Originally Posted by Mewtarthio

Question: Shouldn't Undead and Constructs be immune, as well? Or does this just turn them into corpses and inert raw materials, respectively?

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"Target: One living creature"

Quote:

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A lot of vermin are actually mammals. So they should become newborns not eggs.

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Which ones? I don't think I've seen any mammalian vermin in D&D.

Quote:

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Also, wouldn't this require some additional stating? I don't think we have stats for say what newborn beholders are (of course, if someone wants to work that out, I will very much not object and then swipe them for use in a later campaign).

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Elaborated that they are like second old at the time, and basically helpless.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble

Which ones? I don't think I've seen any mammalian vermin in D&D.

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Hmm. I thought there were a few. But the SRD disagrees with me. And I can't think of any off the top of my head. I'm probably wrong.

what about living constructs?

VT, you scare me sometimes.

Like, whenever you make something.

:smalleek:

Also though, this is reassuring to me, because I was just rather worried over whether my 8th level rune which destroys your soul was overpowered. (2 DC 26 fort saves, can be brought back by Wish/Miracle + True Resurrection even if failed). Runes being part of the set of classes I'm still working on. Anybody curious, you'll be seeing it within a few months, probably.

Jeff: Dude, how much HP does this guy have?
DM: Barbarian with 26 Con, and he took Toughness as every feat.
Bob: I cast Retrogradance. Everyone defend me for 10 rounds.
Jeff: ?
Bob: Just do it!
Jeff: Okay, okay. I move besides Bob and use Combat Expertise!
*10 rounds later*
DM: ...Uh. You all see Mortok the Destroyer turn into a baby.
Jeff: Oh good job, Bob. Now we can't kill him!
Bob: But we can raise him up to be Mortok the Cuddly now!
Jeff: Le sigh... Alright, let's loot the place. What do we find?
DM: ...Heh. :smallamused:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mewtarthio

True, but it does have a ten-round manifesting time. Basically, it lets you take care of an enemy without worrying about them being resurrected later. Plus you get to adopt the BBEG, which is just all sorts of fun.

Question: What happens if you tag the evil wizard with this power when he's thirty-five years old, then he discovers what he once was and wishes himself back when he's fifty? Does he revert to thirty-five years old, or does he just gain all the memories he used to have?

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Almost exactly what I thought. I always want to adopt the BBEG :smallbiggrin:.
This is how to deal with villain like Nale. If you kill them, their underling would just resurrect them, so you turn them into baby! and then you can make him grow into a good guy :)

And almost exactly my question. What happen if the target grows older than his actual age ?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stycotl

what about living constructs?

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Well, going with the example of warforged, they spring fully-formed from the creation forge. Might regress their memories, but it couldn't physically affect them.

^makes sense.