Author Topic: Help converting a custom 9th level spell to an Epic (Transform Seed) Spell?  (Read 1599 times)

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Gavinfoxx

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So I wrote up a custom spell for my DM as a 9th level spell, and he said, "You can't do that with a custom 9th level spell, write it as an Epic Spell instead."  So... I need help converting this spell into an Epic Spell, with appropriate mitigation factors and research factors and stuff like that.  I have basically no experience writing Epic Spells... so can I have some help with this? This is the (struck down, dm says non epic magic can't do this) spell in it's 9th level form.

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Empowerment of the Wizardly Dragon

9th level Spell - Transmutation
Components: V, S, M, F, XP, Sacrifice
Range: Touch
Casting Time: 1 hour
Target: 1 Dragon (See focus)
Duration: Instantaneous (Permanent)
Saving Throw: Fortitude Negates (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes (see text)

This massively costly, massively powerful spell can be researched, and potentially cast, by any spellcaster with innate 9th level spellcasting.  It generally has to be researched for each individual dragon it is to be cast on.  This takes 9 weeks and 9000 gp to do, and requires a DC 19 spellcraft check by the person to cast the spell.  While not technically mind control per se, the transmutation effects lift the 'burden' of overpowering instincts to be chaotic, good, or evil from a dragon, to help them focus on the gaining of arcane lore, and gifting them with strong instincts to acquire lore and arcane knowledge, as well as a massive amount of innate lore and ability via the casting of the spell.

This spell permanently makes the target dragon a Loredrake, Spellhoarding Tome Dragon of equivalent age category, as per one or more castings of Polymorph Any Object.  If the dragon's ability scores were above normal for their original race, their new ability scores are also above normal by the same amount for an equivalent age category Loredrake Spellhoarding Tome Dragon.  Any ability scores below normal for the original dragon are set to normal for the equivalent age category of a standard Loredrake Spellhoarding Tome Dragon.  It also lets them retrain skill points as per a manifestation of Psychic Reformation, letting them choose to retrain to at most 24 ranks in Spellcraft and Knowledge Arcana, as well as the most recent feat they took (either from class levels or hit dice) to the feat Epic Spellcasting.  The new form counts as their true form, and the Spellhoarding effect does not count as an affliction, disease, or psychoses--it is an innate aspect of the new form.  Also, there are generally mild variations from the psychosis form of spellhoarding, such as the fact that the dragon still has instincts to acquire a normal hoard, but it generally still views arcane spells and arcane artifacts as the most important aspect of its horde.  The ritual also presents an Atonement effect as a redemption/temptation as if cast by a Lawful Neutral or True Neutral caster, which happens after the mild instincts toward neutrality that the new base form has happen.  The dragon need not choose to take advantage of this Atonement, though the new instincts will likely tell it that taking the offer will help it focus on more important things, like gaining interesting spells.  Neither a Wish nor a Miracle can change the dragon back, as the new form is their new true form, though a spell of at least ninth level could be researched to do so, and epic spells and magic from deities and other powerful creatures could do so as well.  Also, there are a few notable effects of the new form: As a Spellhoarding Loredrake Tome Dragon, it has all sorcerer and wizard Conjuration and Divination spells on its scales as it's spellbook, though the dragon can choose to not have any of these if it wants; all the spells in the 'material component' of it's primary spellbook are on the dragon's scale-based spellhoard, all the spells that it could cast as a Sorcerer are also scribed onto it's spells, and if it could cast any spells that are not normally on the sorcerer or wizard list as sorcerer or wizard spells, those spells are also scribed onto its scales, and it can cast those as wizard spells as well.  Further, due to the strange interaction of Tome Dragon abilities and Epic Spellcasting, it has every common Divination or Conjuration Epic Spell that Epic Wizards can cast that costs at most 400,000 gp to research also in it's scale spellhoard.

Focus: A living, awake, and in control of it's faculties True Dragon, of at least Young Adult Age, who already has sorcerous spellcasting from innate age category, who also has enough wizardly spellcasting in addition to that such that the final transformation would net them at least 21st level Wizard spellcasting (ie young adult with wizard casting as an 8th level wizard, adult with wizard casting of at last a 6th level wizard, mature adult with at least wizard casting as a 4th level wizard, an old with at least wizard casting as a 2nd level wizard, very old or older with at least wizard casting as a 1st level wizard).  This does not work on dragons below 'young adult' age category, and only works on True Dragons.  It does not work if the dragon would *gain* age-based hit dice from the transformation, so only chromatic dragons that have, at the appropriate age category, at least the same amount of hit dice as an equivalently aged Tome Dragon can be the
focus for this ritual.  The dragon must voluntarily fail their saves and suppress their spell resistance at the beginning of the ritual.

Material Component: 50,000 gp in gems, each worth at least 1,000 gp; The Chromatic Dragon's Primary Spellbook, which much be at least a Blessed Book, or an equivalently powerful and innately magical spell book from the dragon.
XP Cost: 10,000 xp from the caster, which can't be the dragon themselves
Sacrifice: 1d4 points of ability drain from each ability score of the caster
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So how would this be changed into an epic spell? What would some appropriate Spellcraft Mitigation techniques that would work for this? Can this be DONE with the Transform Seed? It looks like the Transform Seed has some limitations that means this isn't possible?  I don't know... I really need some help... epic magic is confusing...
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awaken DM golem

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Of course Epic spell stuff is confusing. The designers were confused too (wink).

You can duplicate the PAO rather easily with an Epic Spell (iirc it's Mythal, no access for 6 years) ; and a 10th level one at that.
Getting the stats of Wis and Cha, is the province of one of the other Epic Seeds.
Instead of the "second" PAO, just get another seed with an Instantaneous duration, hence not dispel-able.

Discounts are a dime a dozen, just work at it some more.
Vigor 1st level power, takes care of the hit point discount, etc ...

"Neither Wish nor Miracle"
Sounds like a Ward to me, and a long lasting one at that.
This might actually be custom use.
You'll need to rationalize it ... somehow.

Gavinfoxx

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If you were to do this spell WITHOUT referencing any of the other spells, other than 'is immune to wish or miracle', what seeds would be appropriate?
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Ramaloke

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Its been a long time since I've used the (at the time) commonly accepted homebrew formula for making an epic spell seed but I seem to remember it being something along the lines of this:

Max Spellcraft Available at Level Spell Can be Cast + Appropriate Int Mod At That Level = Epic Spell Seed DC.

So a 9th level spell would be 21+13=34
« Last Edit: December 02, 2010, 08:54:24 PM by Ramaloke »
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awaken DM golem

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Oh wait, there are a few spells, that get around Wish or Miracle or similar.
The psi Slayer PrC level 9 ability defeats blah blah, but has a check against certain other high abilities.
As for an Epic Seed version of this kind of thing, iirc the Spellcraft DC is 13 + 2X , where X = level of spell.
maybe that was the Mythal seed (foggy), maybe that was obvious, but houserule of the old Epic board.