I_Got_This_Name
2006-09-27, 06:18 PM
Epic spellcasting is a complicated rules system, with all of the seeds and factors that you have to combine in just the right way to auto-win D&D.
So, I'll cut it down to keep the same feel of epic spellcasting, of winning D&D, and of being able to ignore the existence of your non-casting comrades, with less work.
Accessing Epic Spellcasting works in the same way, and you have the same number of epic spells per day. However, the epic spells are entirely different.
Rituals use the same rules as in normal epic spellcasting, except that you may use them on-the-fly, and they add a bonus to your spellcraft check, instead of reducing the DC.
You may take 10 to cast epic spells. Taking 20 requires the expenditure of 20 Epic Spell Slots.
Epic Spells:
Buff Up: Select a duration, and roll a Spellcraft check. Subtract the duration from the spellcraft check, and add the result to any one of your or another's ability scores as an enhancment bonus, lasting the full duration. This is touch range and takes 11 minutes to cast.
Kill Enemies: Roll a spellcraft check. You may kill two creatures, each having a number of hit dice equal to your spellcraft check result. These creatures must be within two miles of you; you may take a penalty on your spellcraft check to add a number of additional miles equal to that penalty. You may also kill any combination of weaker creatures whose hit dice adds up to the same thing, though no single creature may have more hit dice than your check result. This takes one minute to cast, and does not work on other epic spellcasters. By taking a -20 penalty on your check, you may Kill Enemies as a standard action.
Win D&D: Roll a Spellcraft check against DC 25. If you succeed, you win D&D. Roll a new character. This takes 11 minutes to cast.
Epic Spell Combat:
When two epic spellcasters oppose eachother in combat, the system works a bit differently. Every minute, the two casters both pick a spell from the list below, and make a spellcraft check. You may not take 10 on this check. Epic Spell Combat is best conducted at distances of two miles; all checks in more distant combat have a -1 penalty per extra mile, to a maximum of -25, which gives unlimited range.
Kill Others: Roll a spellcraft check. You may kill a number of creatures whose hit dice total up to your check result, not counting epic spellcasters. If these targets are casting a ritual spell with the other caster, the caster does not get their benefit for the ritual.
Kill the Enemy: Roll a spellcraft check. If this beats your opponent's spellcraft check, regardless of action, your target becomes vulnerable to your next action; if you win against a vulnerable target, the target dies. Additionally, if you win the opposed roll by 5 or more, your target dies, regardless of vulnerability. Range penalties do not apply to a check made to avoid being killed (that is, if a caster gets a check result of 47 with a -5 range penalty, that result is still effectively 47 for purposes of defending against this ability).
Destroy the World: Your ability to Win D&D is severely impaired by being rushed and having an enemy trying to kill you. Use the same mechanic as for Winning, except that instead of Winning D&D, you merely destroy the planet you are on, killing all of its inhabitants that are not capable of teleportation or extraplanar travel. If this kills creatures contributing ritual spell slots to the other caster, the other caster cannot count them for their check. Once the world is destroyed in this manner, it cannot be retrieved by any means short of a Wish or Miracle spell; such magic also restores those killed in its destruction.
So, what does everyone think? I think this might be a slight nerf to the normal Epic Spellcasting system, but it's not that much. It gets rid of all of the complexities of research, too, and lets you get to the fun part about Epic Spellcasting: Having the world handed to you on a silver platter, then blowing it up because it's not quite what you wanted.
So, I'll cut it down to keep the same feel of epic spellcasting, of winning D&D, and of being able to ignore the existence of your non-casting comrades, with less work.
Accessing Epic Spellcasting works in the same way, and you have the same number of epic spells per day. However, the epic spells are entirely different.
Rituals use the same rules as in normal epic spellcasting, except that you may use them on-the-fly, and they add a bonus to your spellcraft check, instead of reducing the DC.
You may take 10 to cast epic spells. Taking 20 requires the expenditure of 20 Epic Spell Slots.
Epic Spells:
Buff Up: Select a duration, and roll a Spellcraft check. Subtract the duration from the spellcraft check, and add the result to any one of your or another's ability scores as an enhancment bonus, lasting the full duration. This is touch range and takes 11 minutes to cast.
Kill Enemies: Roll a spellcraft check. You may kill two creatures, each having a number of hit dice equal to your spellcraft check result. These creatures must be within two miles of you; you may take a penalty on your spellcraft check to add a number of additional miles equal to that penalty. You may also kill any combination of weaker creatures whose hit dice adds up to the same thing, though no single creature may have more hit dice than your check result. This takes one minute to cast, and does not work on other epic spellcasters. By taking a -20 penalty on your check, you may Kill Enemies as a standard action.
Win D&D: Roll a Spellcraft check against DC 25. If you succeed, you win D&D. Roll a new character. This takes 11 minutes to cast.
Epic Spell Combat:
When two epic spellcasters oppose eachother in combat, the system works a bit differently. Every minute, the two casters both pick a spell from the list below, and make a spellcraft check. You may not take 10 on this check. Epic Spell Combat is best conducted at distances of two miles; all checks in more distant combat have a -1 penalty per extra mile, to a maximum of -25, which gives unlimited range.
Kill Others: Roll a spellcraft check. You may kill a number of creatures whose hit dice total up to your check result, not counting epic spellcasters. If these targets are casting a ritual spell with the other caster, the caster does not get their benefit for the ritual.
Kill the Enemy: Roll a spellcraft check. If this beats your opponent's spellcraft check, regardless of action, your target becomes vulnerable to your next action; if you win against a vulnerable target, the target dies. Additionally, if you win the opposed roll by 5 or more, your target dies, regardless of vulnerability. Range penalties do not apply to a check made to avoid being killed (that is, if a caster gets a check result of 47 with a -5 range penalty, that result is still effectively 47 for purposes of defending against this ability).
Destroy the World: Your ability to Win D&D is severely impaired by being rushed and having an enemy trying to kill you. Use the same mechanic as for Winning, except that instead of Winning D&D, you merely destroy the planet you are on, killing all of its inhabitants that are not capable of teleportation or extraplanar travel. If this kills creatures contributing ritual spell slots to the other caster, the other caster cannot count them for their check. Once the world is destroyed in this manner, it cannot be retrieved by any means short of a Wish or Miracle spell; such magic also restores those killed in its destruction.
So, what does everyone think? I think this might be a slight nerf to the normal Epic Spellcasting system, but it's not that much. It gets rid of all of the complexities of research, too, and lets you get to the fun part about Epic Spellcasting: Having the world handed to you on a silver platter, then blowing it up because it's not quite what you wanted.