PDA

View Full Version : The Black Diary of Jane [Spells]



The Demented One
2009-03-02, 08:57 PM
Dear Diary,

Today the Monster found me.


Thus begins the Black Diary of Jane, one of the strangest and most esoteric spellbooks ever unearthed. Its entries detail a young girl's desperate attempts to flee from the Monster at any cost. Between entries, magical diagrams traced out in a shaky, childish hand, like that of a young schoolgirl, detail spells of flight and escape: a spell to turn into a flock of birds, a spell to make a river impassable, a spell to conjure a forest up from the bare soil. The journal entries are frightful, but optimistic.

And then, the Monster catches her.

After that, there are no more diary entries. Only spells. A spell to make a man's limbs fall from his body. A spell to summon a demon through an enemy's wounds. A spell to kill armies. A spell to steal a lover's body. Spells of someone who has been caught once, and who would give anything to never be captured again. The diary never ends properly, its last spell left half-incomplete. None know what happened to Jane and her Monster.

Volant Escape
Transmutation
Level: Druid 3, Sorcerer/Wizard 3
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)

With one amazingly complex transmutation, you can flee in a dozen directions at once. This spell allows you to split your body into a number of birds equal to your caster level. The birds may be your choice of eagles, hawks, owls, or ravens, though they must all be of the same type. With the exception of the fact that you transform into multiple creatures, this otherwise functions as the polymorph spell. Any spell that you cast on yourself, or that would be considered beneficial, is suppressed for the duration of this spell, although time spent as birds does not count against their duration. Spells cast on you by enemies, or that would otherwise count as detrimental, as well as any other effects are not suppressed, and they affect each individual bird-self equally.

Your mind inhabits each and every bird created by this spell. You may divide up your hit point total among the bird-selves in any way you see fit: you could divide it evenly among all of them, or give all but one of them only 1 hp, and give the rest to that one. You see and hear everything that each individual bird sees or hears, making this spell useful for scouting as well as escape. Each of your bird-selves may take its own move action each round, but you may take only a single standard and swift action among all of your bird-selves each round. Taking a full-round action forgoes any other action by any of your bird-selves. At the end of this spell, all of the birds but one disappear. The bird that remains transforms into you, and the sum of all the bird-selves's hp becomes your new hp total. Any effects on the bird-self that transforms back into you still affect you, but not any on the other bird-selves. You choose which bird transforms back into you.

Calling the Epilithic Grove
Transmutation
Level: Druid 5, Sorcerer/Wizard 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: Up to two 10-ft. cubes/level (S) or 10-ft. spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: No

Laying a bare hand on the earth and planting an acorn, a mage can call up an epilithic grove, gnashing brambles or towering trees born of transfigured stone.This spell allows stone or soil to be transmuted into plant life.

The caster may create up to two 10-ft. cubes/level of thick brambles that arise from the ground, a thorny hedge that reaches up ten feet high. All creatures in the brambles are entangled, and take 1d6 damage for every 10 ft. they move through the brambles that round (moving 5 ft. alone does not deal any damage). No saving throw is allowed against this, nor can Strength checks be made to escape the entanglement. Any area effect that deals 30 points of fire or electricity damage clears the brambles from all squares in its area.

Alternatively, the caster may choose to raise up a tree from the earth. The tree occupies a ten-foot spread. All creatures in this area may make a Reflex save. If they succeed, they may immediately take a 5-ft. step to move out of the spell’s area. Upon being cast, the tree rises up, standing ten feet tall. Its branches support any creatures that were in the spell’s area, and it is not treated as difficult terrain. Each subsequent round, on your initiative, the tree rises by an additional 10 ft., to a maximum of 10 ft./2 levels.

Material Component
A handful of black soil and an acorn.

Curse of Riverine Malice
Conjuration and Transmutation (Summoning) [Water]
Level: Druid 5, Sorcerer/Wizard 5
Components: V,
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: Up to two 10-ft. cubes/level of water (S)
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
Spell Resistance: No

Mages seeking to flee their foes by water turn to this spell, which can turn the wrath of a river or sea against their foes. A body of water transmuted by this spell becomes hostile to all life, seeking to drag it down to its depths. Each round, all creatures in the affected water must make a DC 25 Swim check simply to keep their head above water, or a DC 30 Swim check to move 5 ft. in any direction. Failing a check by 5 or more causes a creature to go underwater, and it must hold its breath or begin to drown. Failing a check by 10 or more causes a creature to sink 5 ft. A DC 25 Swim check is needed to surface by 5 ft. Creatures with a swim speed take a -10 ft. penalty to it and must make a DC 25 Swim check each round or sink 5 ft.

In addition, this spell summons 1d3 Medium water elementals, that appear anywhere within the area of this spell. These water elementals do not obey your commands, although they will not harm you–instead, they attack any creature in the water, attacking the nearest creature first (they will not attack creatures native to the body of water). These water elementals are tied to the curse of riverine malice: they cannot leave its area without fading to nothingness, and they disappear along with the curse if it is dispelled.

You and the summoned elementals are not subject to the sinking effect of the curse, and the water elementals it summons will never attack you. In addition, when you cast it, you may designate up to eight allies to also gain the benefits of this protection. In addition, creatures native to the body of water you cast this spell on are not affected by the drowning nor attacked by the water elementals.

Immuring Octogram
Abjuration [Force]
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 5
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft. /2 levels)
Area: 10-ft. cube
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

A powerful dweomer of binding, an immuring octagram is a potent magical prison. Any creature can enter the octagram unimpaired, but from within it, walls of force prevent any creatures from leaving it physically or ethereally. There is no way out of it on any side, although movement into it is still possible. A disintegrate spell cast on these walls disrupt them for one round, allowing trapped creatures to leave. In addition, when you cast this spell, you may set a password. Any creature that speaks the password while within the octagram can move through the walls of force, although doing so does not disrupt them or allow other creatures to move through them (finding a way to prevent prisoners in the octagram from hearing the password is an exercise left to the caster).

In addition, the immuring octagram impedes the use of magic. Whenever a creature inside the octagram attempts to cast a spell, they must succeed on an opposed caster level check with you, or the spell is countered. Magical items with a caster level lower than your own are suppressed within the octagram. In addition, it is impossible to move into or out of the octagram via teleportation or planar travel of any sort.

A creature too big to fit entirely into the area of an immuring octogram is not affected by the walls of force, but the other effects of the spell still apply to it as long as it remains at least partially in the spells area.

Material Component
5,000 gp worth of ruby dust, spread around the perimeter of the octagon.

XP Cost
2,500 XP

Suppuration of Hellish Wounds
Conjuration (Calling) [Evil]
Level: Cleric 5, Sorcerer/Wizard 5
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature, used as the medium for the calling
Effect: One called evil outsider
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: None

A work of unspeakably dark magic, this spell invokes what is known as the Pact Sanguinary, a binding oath forged between an ancient guild of thaumaturgists and all the fiends of the Lower Planes. The terms of the Pact are simple: in exchange for being summoned into the Material Plane, the fiend called will kill a single being for the caster.

This spell uses a living creature, which need not be willing, as the medium for the calling. The fiend called flows forth from the creature’s wounds in the form of black blood, before coalescing into their material form (and thus, creatures at their maximum hp cannot be used as the medium for the calling). The maximum HD of the outsider you call depends on how badly wounded the creature you call it through is, as below, although you may never call an outsider whose HD exceed your caster level + 5.

{table=head]Target’s HP|Fiend’s HD
More than half of total|One-quarter of target’s HD
Half of total|Half of target’s HD
Quarter of total|Target’s HD
Less than 10 hp|Target’s HD+5
[/table]

The called fiend is not under your command, nor will it take any orders from you, although it will not attack you or anyone you designate as an ally (at least, for the duration of its obligation). Instead, it devotes its every effort to killing the creature used as the medium for its calling, mercilessly attack it with its most powerful abilities. If you were able to convince the fiend that some task would lead to the death of this spell’s target, possibly using a Bluff or Diplomacy check, it might be persuaded to do as you wish. The fiend can never be convinced to spare its target’s life, and is given dispensation to attack anyone–including its summoner–who stands in the way of it doing so.

Once the target of the fiend’s wrath dies (regardless of whether it killed it or not), the fiend’s obligation by the Pact Sanguinary is discharged, although it may remain on the plane it was called to if it wishes. It may now attack you and your allies, although it will not necessarily do so. In addition, if the fiend cannot kill its target within one day per caster level, its duty is also discharged.

Material Component
A blood ruby from the native plane of the fiend you summon, worth 500 gp.

Citrine Pox of Flesh-Breaking
Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

No mortal sickness could ever compare to the accursed citrine pox of flesh-breaking. The citrine pox is a supernatural disease with a DC equal to this spell’s DC, and no incubation period. The disease deals 1d8 Constitution damage to those afflicted by it.

In addition, the most grotesque aspect of the spell is that it causes limbs and organs to wither and drop from the body of the pox’s victim. However, the severed members do not rot and die–the disease’s effects preserve both the amputated limb and the host. The victim takes no additional damage from losing the limb, although they suffer ill effects based on what drops off, and the wound does not bleed. Every time the victim takes Constitution damage from the disease, a limb or organ drops off, based on the number rolled. If the victim does not have (or no longer has) the limb or organ rolled, or a close equivalent, then they are unaffected.

1: On a roll of 1, the victim loses all of their hair, which falls off in great clumps, and their teeth begin to rot and fall away. If the victim has a bite attack, its damage dice is decreased by one step until their teeth are re-attached or regenerated. However, this debility has no other mechanical effects.

2: On a roll of 2, the victim’s ears, or the nearest equivalent, fall off, leaving bloody pockmarks where they once were. The victim is deafened, losing the ability to hear as well as blindsense or blindsight, if they have it. The deafness cannot be cured without re-attaching or regenerating the victim’s ears.

3: On a roll of 3, the victim’s eyes slip from their sockets, falling to the ground. The victim is blinded. The blindness cannot be cured without re-attaching or regenerating the victim’s eyes.

4-5: On a roll of 4 or 5, one of the victim’s legs falls clear off, leaving a stump where it once was. The victim takes a -20 ft. penalty to his base land speed, to a minimum of 5 ft. In addition, whenever they move, they must make a DC 20 Balance or Tumble check or fall prone unless they carry a staff, cane or some other means to prop themselves up in one hand. If a victim loses all of its legs as a result of the citrine pox of flesh-breaking, then they cannot move at all unless they have an alternative movement speed, such as flying, that is not dependent on their legs. In addition, they are always treated as being prone–they are incapable of standing.

6-7: On a roll of 6 or 7, one of the victim’s arms is shed, still clutching whatever it was last holding. They take a -2 penalty to Strength and Dexterity until the arm is re-attached or regenerated.

8: On a roll of 8, the victim’s head falls from their shoulders. However, this does not kill them–in a sadistic twist of magic, the head is kept alive. The creature’s body falls into a lifeless stasis, unless it has more than one head. The severed head remains alive, capable of thought, breathing, and speech (the same magic that prevents the wounds from bleeding also traps a bubble of air, which functions enough like a lung to allow breathing and speech). However, the severed head cannot benefit from eating or drinking, lacking a stomach, and thus soon risks death by dehydration or starvation. If the severed head dies, then the victim’s body dies as well.

If the severed limb or organ is touched to the wound and a remove disease, greater restoration, or heal spell is cast on it, the severed limb re-attaches, negating all ill effects. However, in order for the spell to succeed, its caster must succeed on an opposed caster level check made against you. Likewise, any attempts to cure the citrine pox of flesh-breaking with similar spells also require an opposed caster level check. The regenerate spell allows a new limb to be grown without any need for having the original limb or for making a caster level check.

While not highly contagious, the citrine pox of flesh-breaking can spread to new victims. Anyone who ingests the blood or flesh of a victim (including that of severed limbs and organs), or who has intimate contact with a victim must save against the disease or succumb to it.

Dragon’s Suspire
Evocation
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level

While under the effects of this spell, you may transform magical rays into a potent breath weapon. Whenever you cast a spell of 6th level or lower that requires a ranged touch attack to hit, such as a ray, you may choose to instead cast the spell as a breath weapon, with its area becoming either a 30 ft. cone or 60 ft. line. If you do so, the spell’s casting time automatically increases to one full-round action if it less than that. Instead of making an attack roll, the spell gains a Reflex save. A successful save halves any damage dealt and negates any other effects of the spell. Any other saves allowed by the spell are still allowed against the breath weapon. Even if a spell would normally allow you to create multiple rays with a single casting, it only creates a single breath weapon under the effect of dragon’s suspire.

Heart-Entangling Rite of Desperate Saturnalia
Enchantment [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 7
Components: M, F
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

Sometimes, a mage on the run from unspeakable foes must go to desperate lengths to escape. The heart-entangling rite of desperate saturnalia can allow its caster to shed off their very self, becoming a new person–but not without cost. The casting time of this spell must be spent engaging in intimate contact with another creature for the entire hour. The creature must willingly engage in it in order for this spell to be capable of affecting them, but they need not be willing targets of the spell (nor do they even know they are participating in the casting of a spell, unless the caster tells them). Because the spell requires intimate contact, it typically cannot be used with partners of different size categories or creature types, unless some further magic is used in order to bypass these obstacles. At the conclusion of the spell’s casting, you must touch the target, discharging the rite.

The heart-entangling rite of desperate saturnalia causes you to exchange bodies with the target of the spell. The exchange of bodies is permanent, and could only be undone by a miracle, wish, or a subsequent use of heart-entangling rite of desperate saturnalia. You gain the type of your assumed body, as well as its Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores. If the target had any natural armor, natural attacks, movement forms, or extraordinary special attacks and qualities, you gain them (but not supernatural or spell-like abilities, or class features). You retain your own hit points, base saving throws, class abilities, supernatural and spell-like abilities, spells, skills, and feats, as long as you still meet the prerequisites for them. The same is true for the target of this spell, who is cast into your body. If either you or the target of this spell dies, the other suffers a sympathetic backlash from the death of their natural body, gaining a negative level (if you have used this spell multiple times, then only the last body you inhabited is considered your natural body–you do not gain negative levels if any others die).

Once the transfer of bodies is completed, you subsume the identity of your target, and vice versa. Any divination spell cast to scry on or find out information about you is instead retargeted to the target of this spell, now in your natural body (the same is true for divinations cast on them). Because of this, spellcasters fleeing from foes with access to powerful divination magic often make use of this spell.

Material Components
25,000 gp worth of rare incense, exotic lotions, periphrastic unguents, and various other herbal balms, which must be used during the casting of the spell.

Focus
A fertility idol carved out of moonsilver and starmetal, worth 75,000 gp, which must be hidden under the bed or somewhere within the room that the casting takes place in.

Ascension
2009-03-02, 09:03 PM
I'm really not good at judging balance when it comes to magic, but I just want to say that the fluff for this is masterful.

The Demented One
2009-03-02, 09:15 PM
I'm really not good at judging balance when it comes to magic, but I just want to say that the fluff for this is masterful.
Thank you! The idea for this came out of an attempt to see if I could convey a story through a set of homebrew. I'm kinda pleased with how it turned out.

DracoDei
2009-03-02, 10:13 PM
Very excellent... straight out of ?Russian? folktales. Some GMs may not like the earlier ones being on both the arcane and druid caster lists, but I think it works.

Volant Escape
Personally I would split the HP total among the birds, and have them die separately, but only one need to survive for the caster to survive... if that makes them to sacrificable as scouts, then have the caster be stunned for 1 to 3 rounds (pick one, no roll) for each bird that dies, perhaps lose 10 XP per caster level per bird that dies, and/or take one point of damage to a randomly selected mental ability score for each bird that dies. I would also have defensive buffs such as Mage Armor suppressed for the duration. It matches with the storybook gambit vibe I am getting from it. In one such story I read one wizard turned into a handful of barley which scattered across the floor. He survived to continue the shapeshifting battle because the other missed a single seed in a crack in the floor when gobbling them up as a rooster. Also, I would allow songbirds so you could get lost among a flock.

Either as a higher spell level or a higher caster level (like how Phantasmal Steed levels up), I would allow hummingbirds for higher AC. Maybe have the songbirds be diminutive, 18 Dex and available at 11th level and the hummingbirds find with something like a 30 Dex and availible at 15th level???


Calling the Epilithic Grove
Wouldn't an "Oak Seed" just be called an "Acorn"?
Clarify that damage is based on movement THAT ROUND.




Curse of Riverine Malice
Specify that the elementals don't attack anything native to the river, or they will spend the whole time murdering trout and crayfish or something... Oops, I see you put that at the end, but you might want to see if you can avoid confusing the reader the way I got confused. I have no idea how you would do that, but see what you can come up with.

EDIT: Remove the Reflex saves, it has swim checks and that should be enough. Also, create a Greater version of this that throws in a good amount of bludgeoning damage and refluffs the water elementals as white horses and you have the effect that Elrond and Gandalf the Grey teamed up to create that KOed (but did not destroy) all nine of the Ring-Wraiths.


Immuring Octogram
Needs a ceiling and a floor specified I think.



Will edit in critique of more of them later.

The Demented One
2009-03-02, 10:29 PM
Volant Escape
Personally I would split the HP total among the birds, and have them die separately, but only one need to survive for the caster to survive... if that makes them to sacrificable as scouts, then have the caster be stunned for 1 to 3 rounds (pick one, no roll) for each bird that dies, perhaps lose 10 XP per caster level per bird that dies, and/or take one point of damage to a randomly selected mental ability score for each bird that dies. I would also have defensive buffs such as Mage Armor suppressed for the duration. It matches with the storybook gambit vibe I am getting from it. In one such story I read one wizard turned into a handful of barley which scattered across the floor. He survived to continue the shapeshifting battle because the other missed a single seed in a crack in the floor when gobbling them up as a rooster. Also, I would allow songbirds so you could get lost among a flock.
I added in the buff-suppression, but I don't like the hp splitting. It's just too much book-keeping. Easier to just have one pool.


Calling the Epilithic Grove
Wouldn't an "Oak Seed" just be called an "Acorn"?
Um...modify memory?


Curse of Riverine Malice
Specify that the elementals don't attack anything native to the river, or they will spend the whole time murdering trout and crayfish or something... Oops, I see you put that at the end, but you might want to see if you can avoid confusing the reader the way I got confused. I have no idea how you would do that, but see what you can come up with.
Stuck in a parenthetical clarification.


EDIT: Remove the Reflex saves, it has swim checks and that should be enough.
The Reflex saves were from an older version, my bad.


Immuring Octogram
Needs a ceiling and a floor specified I think.
It's a ten-foot cube.

MageSparrowhawk
2009-03-02, 10:32 PM
that's....really creepy...

I like it, but it's still really creepy...>.<

They seem pretty well balanced, although I only have done a rough look over. Nothing jumps out at me as immediately broken, except for maybe the line-to-aoe spell with disintegrate.

Daracaex
2009-03-02, 10:33 PM
If you could, add in a bit about what is known about that last, half-finished spell and give players a way to finish it. Maybe even a small adventure to discover it along with whatever remains of Jane. I love the fluff here, and I would love to see it expanded upon.

MageSparrowhawk
2009-03-02, 10:44 PM
I second Daracaex's suggestion.

The Demented One
2009-03-02, 10:48 PM
They seem pretty well balanced, although I only have done a rough look over. Nothing jumps out at me as immediately broken, except for maybe the line-to-aoe spell with disintegrate.
Hmm, that could be problematic. I've clarified that all original saves remain, so that for the disintegrate breath, they'd get a Reflex to half the damage and a Fortitude to reduce the damage. That better.


If you could, add in a bit about what is known about that last, half-finished spell and give players a way to finish it. Maybe even a small adventure to discover it along with whatever remains of Jane. I love the fluff here, and I would love to see it expanded upon.
Oh, don't you worry. Jane's story is nowhere near done.

Daracaex
2009-03-02, 10:57 PM
Oh, don't you worry. Jane's story is nowhere near done.

Awesome. If you didn't do it, I would've gone and made an adventure myself.

DracoDei
2009-03-02, 11:36 PM
Volant Escape
The problem is that it lets you be killed by someone who only tracks and attacks one of them. You could give all but the last one 1 hp if you liked... the point is that an attacker has to get all of them before any get away. As it is it does next to nothing against enemies willing to use lethal force, which is most enemies.


Will put my next round of additions here since I am making this second post anyway anyway.


Suppuration of Hellish Wounds

although it may return on the Material Plane if it wishes.
"return" -> "remain"
"material plane" -> "the current plane" (since you can cast it it in Limbo to call something from The Abyss if you like)



Citrine Pox of Flesh-Breaking
Will Cure Disease automatically stop this thing? Also, the effects of losing a leg seem a bit mild...

Dragon’s Suspire
Utter Cheddar as it orginally stood. Perhaps ALSO limit it to effecting spells of level 5 or below or so (AFTER metamagic feats are applied) would be my suggestion... It turns Maximized Empowered Enervation into a multi-target spell as it stands.


EDIT:
Saturnalia
I hereby declare that Clerics of Allurehn can cast an improved version of this that targets two willing, married, etc etc beings. This version would keep "physical" supernatural abilities with the bodies they started with, fully useable by the occupant. Mental abilites would always stay with the mind/soul they went with. Full round casting time, then the cleric can leave while the couple fulfills the requirements (Which might often require a pair of Amulets of Health +6 if I am understanding correctly). At the caster's option at the time of casting, he may set conditions under which the spell may be reversed. Anything from either target wishing it (a free action let us say...), to them reciting a keyword while standing in a major temple of Allurehn. In either case both are stunned for 1 full round after the reversion occurs.

Also they get an 9th level version which, once cast, may be flip-flopped an infinite number of times.

UltraMegaSquid
2009-03-04, 12:06 AM
(Applauds)

Love it.

Can't wait to see the story continue, in whatever form you choose to tell it.

The Demented One
2009-03-04, 10:14 AM
Volant Escape
The problem is that it lets you be killed by someone who only tracks and attacks one of them. You could give all but the last one 1 hp if you liked... the point is that an attacker has to get all of them before any get away. As it is it does next to nothing against enemies willing to use lethal force, which is most enemies.
Good point, I've changed it over to your way.



Suppuration of Hellish Wounds

"return" -> "remain"
"material plane" -> "the current plane" (since you can cast it it in Limbo to call something from The Abyss if you like)
Fixed.


Citrine Pox of Flesh-Breaking
Will Cure Disease automatically stop this thing? Also, the effects of losing a leg seem a bit mild...
I've clarified how remove disease works with it. What do you think losing a leg should entail?


Dragon’s Suspire
Utter Cheddar as it orginally stood. Perhaps ALSO limit it to effecting spells of level 5 or below or so (AFTER metamagic feats are applied) would be my suggestion... It turns Maximized Empowered Enervation into a multi-target spell as it stands.
I capped it at 6th, and we'll see how that works. This really might be better as a metamagic feat...

Daracaex
2009-03-04, 12:34 PM
I capped it at 6th, and we'll see how that works. This really might be better as a metamagic feat...

I could see metamagic being found in a spellbook just as easily as actual spells. It's not too much of a stretch to make one that you need to have the book to take.

DracoDei
2009-03-04, 01:17 PM
I could see metamagic being found in a spellbook just as easily as actual spells. It's not too much of a stretch to make one that you need to have the book to take.
Seconded that this is an option. OTOH, ironically enough, the spells with a breath weapon component in Draconomicon may demonstrate the viability of leaving something like this a spell.

Also, now that I think about it, I would probably allow the birds in Volant Escape to double-move and run without using up the floating standard action. And FWIW I meant that the hitpoints should be divided EVENLY, not as the player wishes. Also, if one of the birds got Dominated would that allow the order "End the spell, reverting to the body I have dominated."?

Daracaex
2009-03-04, 01:19 PM
Seconded that this is an option. OTOH, ironically enough, the spells with a breath weapon component in Draconomicon may demonstrate the viability of leaving something like this a spell.

Also, now that I think about it, I would probably allow the birds in Volant Escape to double-move and run without using up the floating standard action. And FWIW I meant that the hitpoints should be divided EVENLY, not as the player wishes. Also, if one of the birds got Dominated would that allow the order "End the spell, reverting to the body I have dominated."?

"OTOH?" "FWIW?" What bizarre language are you speaking?

Egiam
2009-03-04, 02:45 PM
I love it!

It reminds me about Ginny and the Chamber of Secrets in Harry Potter.

*steals and runs off back to his NWOD group*

The Demented One
2009-03-04, 09:07 PM
"OTOH?" "FWIW?" What bizarre language are you speaking?
"On the other hand" and "for what it's worth." It's perfectly pellucid to me, much as I loathe acronyms.

DracoDei
2009-03-04, 09:32 PM
I shall attempt to remember to avoid them in the future, at the least on threads that you start.

The Demented One
2009-03-04, 09:45 PM
I shall attempt to remember to avoid them in the future, at the least on threads that you start.
Bah, it's fine. I don't use them, but I have no problem with other people doing so.

Daracaex
2009-03-04, 10:53 PM
"On the other hand" and "for what it's worth." It's perfectly pellucid to me, much as I loathe acronyms.

I fear the day when man will no longer talk in full words, but only in acronyms…
Seriously. Must everything have a pointless acronym?

arguskos
2009-03-04, 11:27 PM
I fear the day when man will no longer talk in full words, but only in acronyms…
Seriously. Must everything have a pointless acronym?
OCIMYSSP (Of Course It Must, You Silly Silly Person) :smalltongue:

On topic, great stuff as usual, Demented. :smallbiggrin: Can't wait to see more of this here Jane and her story.

Ninjalitude
2009-03-04, 11:29 PM
what would happen if the caster used Citrine Pox of Flesh-Breaking on a beholder and rolled a 8? would nothing happen or would the eyestalks fall off?

The Demented One
2009-03-04, 11:43 PM
I fear the day when man will no longer talk in full words, but only in acronyms…
Seriously. Must everything have a pointless acronym?
I think using acronyms is largely fine, as long as they don't drive out the original terms from people's vocabularies. There are times and places when the shortened version might be appropriate, but not always. I'm just not so a big a fan of using them in my own speech.


what would happen if the caster used Citrine Pox of Flesh-Breaking on a beholder and rolled a 8? would nothing happen or would the eyestalks fall off?
Anatomically bizarre cases are left to the DM's discretion; I personally would have the eyestalks fall off, and nix their flying.

DracoDei
2009-03-05, 03:35 AM
What do you think losing a leg should entail?

Balance check to remain standing even if stationary (try standing on one leg while waving your arms around and trying to multitask), and no dex bonus to AC maybe? Maybe even perminantly flat-footed for sneak-attack purposesunless they have a cane? Increase flanking bonuses(+4 instead of +2 or something)?