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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Orc in the Playground
    Join Date
    Apr 2016

    Default So I had an idea for a potential threatening feature for villains...

    So after thinking up just what could pose an interesting challenge, I thought of somebody who can take somebody's hard earned work and use it against them better than they can.

    Then something like this came to mind, a magic copy ability.

    Basically, it works like this. If a creature with this feature is subjected to a magic attack, it can make a saving throw to not absorb the magic it was subjected to. It can choose to fail the saving throw if it wants to absorb it, but it has to exert itself to resist something it does not want to absorb. Once it takes damage by or is subjected to to a magic spell, or magic effect, it can utilize it to it's fullest with no use for spell slots, recharge time, or any restrictions, such as components; verbal, somatic, or material. It's essentially the worst nightmare of Spellcasters and people who rely on effects that are magical in nature, since it can utilize such things far better than the person they took it from, but they can only have one effect saved at a time.

    I thought somebody like this could potentially be a humanoid which has training in martial weapons so as to be a great threat in martial and spellcasting categories, meaning no way to approach them is safe. On the other hand, smart usage of spells and limiting your own power can be crucial to overcoming something like this monster.

    How does it sound?

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Titan in the Playground
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    Oct 2010
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    Dallas, TX
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    Male

    Default Re: So I had an idea for a potential threatening feature for villains...

    Looks like it's time to break out the all-or-nothing spells like Hold Person, Dominate, or other spells that you can't use if you've just been subjected to them.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Orc in the Playground
    Join Date
    Apr 2016

    Default Re: So I had an idea for a potential threatening feature for villains...

    It could also use them even if they succeeded on the saving throw, who knows... maybe nothing is safe.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Jun 2006
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    Marlinspike

    Default Re: So I had an idea for a potential threatening feature for villains...

    Quote Originally Posted by BlackSymphony View Post
    It could also use them even if they succeeded on the saving throw, who knows... maybe nothing is safe.
    Making "nothing safe" sounds like it would just annoy the players.

    The first time they encounter this type of thing, it will make their lives miserable. The second time they encounter it, they will fight more strategically based on what they learned the first time around.

    Letting the players brainstorm tactics for dealing with this thing is the sort of thing I would enjoy as a player. Of course not all strategies will work, but if none work... that's no fun.

    So with that in mind... other tactics that you might want to allow or block might be:
    - PCs buff themselves like crazy against fire attacks, then use fire spells on the monster
    - PCs use a spell that affects only the monster by type... e.g. a spell that harms "evil" creatures when the party isn't evil (assuming the monster is)

    Questions:
    - Is absorbing a spell a full round action? Or is it something it can do while attacking at the same time?
    - If the creature already has a spell "stored" in its buffer, and someone casts a different spell on it... can it immediately discard the first spell and absorb the new spell? Or is it stuck with the original spell until properly used?

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Orc in the Playground
    Join Date
    Apr 2016

    Default Re: So I had an idea for a potential threatening feature for villains...

    Quote Originally Posted by Aliquid View Post
    Making "nothing safe" sounds like it would just annoy the players.

    The first time they encounter this type of thing, it will make their lives miserable. The second time they encounter it, they will fight more strategically based on what they learned the first time around.

    Letting the players brainstorm tactics for dealing with this thing is the sort of thing I would enjoy as a player. Of course not all strategies will work, but if none work... that's no fun.

    So with that in mind... other tactics that you might want to allow or block might be:
    - PCs buff themselves like crazy against fire attacks, then use fire spells on the monster
    - PCs use a spell that affects only the monster by type... e.g. a spell that harms "evil" creatures when the party isn't evil (assuming the monster is)

    Questions:
    - Is absorbing a spell a full round action? Or is it something it can do while attacking at the same time?
    - If the creature already has a spell "stored" in its buffer, and someone casts a different spell on it... can it immediately discard the first spell and absorb the new spell? Or is it stuck with the original spell until properly used?
    As your your questions, I'd imagine the magic absorption would be a reaction, as to allow it to use this feature while it is not it's turn.

    As for the spell storage, this is when the saving throw comes into play. It would most likely make a Wisdom saving throw to reject a new magic it is subjected to, or it can choose to fail it and discard it's current magic for the new one.

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    GreatWyrmGold's Avatar

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    May 2009
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    Default Re: So I had an idea for a potential threatening feature for villains...

    This reminds me a bit of something I read about being in a video game once. Basically, it threw back copies of the last attack that hit it (and only the last attack), whether that was an axe, a lightning bolt, or a thrown cat. (Or a troll's tongue attack, because apparently trolls do that in this game.) It was a sort of puzzle boss; you need to make sure that it only possessed weak attacks to hit you with.

    Something like that could work for your idea. This has the added benefit of giving the players more agency; a little planning allows the players to still use high-level spells and leave the boss unable to muster more than a copied cantrip.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Blade Wolf View Post
    Ah, thank you very much GreatWyrmGold, you obviously live up to that name with your intelligence and wisdom with that post.
    Quotes, more

    Winner of Villainous Competitions 8 and 40; silver for 32
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  7. - Top - End - #7
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    SolithKnightGuy

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    Nov 2015
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    Default Re: So I had an idea for a potential threatening feature for villains...

    Actually - wasn't there a pretty popular homebrew class called the Blue Mage or some such which had that be its schtick?

    One minute... *scrounges on Google*

    Well - apparently there are several 3.x homebrews called "Blue Mage" - but this is the one I was thinking of - Blue Mage

    Basically they're a sorcerer variant which learns spells by experiencing them. Not quite what you were looking for - but might be a good baseline.

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    RangerGuy

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    Dec 2014

    Default Re: So I had an idea for a potential threatening feature for villains...

    Quote Originally Posted by GreatWyrmGold View Post
    or a thrown cat.
    Repeat for infinite cats?

  9. - Top - End - #9
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    GreatWyrmGold's Avatar

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    Default Re: So I had an idea for a potential threatening feature for villains...

    Quote Originally Posted by goto124 View Post
    Repeat for infinite cats?
    I imagine the cats didn't stick around. You know, because hey'd tax the system too much. (And also, they're cats.)
    Quote Originally Posted by The Blade Wolf View Post
    Ah, thank you very much GreatWyrmGold, you obviously live up to that name with your intelligence and wisdom with that post.
    Quotes, more

    Winner of Villainous Competitions 8 and 40; silver for 32
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  10. - Top - End - #10
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    RangerGuy

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    Dec 2014

    Default Re: So I had an idea for a potential threatening feature for villains...

    There goes my plans to create a Crazy Cat Lady character.

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