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View Full Version : Siphon Spell [Metamagic] (3.5ed PEACH)



Surrealistik
2009-06-23, 09:01 AM
Siphon Spell [Metamagic]
Your spells drain your opponents of their life force.

Benefit: Spells modified with this feat that deal hp damage, or ability or level drain, penalties, damage or burn grant you a temporary bonus to the property they reduce equal to half of that property's reduction, rounded up. If this property on your character is damaged or drained, the bonus first restores a quantity of outstanding damage or drain equal to its amount. Any excess bonus is then temporarily applied to your character for 1 hour per spell level (minimum 1 hour).

A siphoning spell that damages HP uses up a spell slot two levels higher than the modified spell’s actual level. A siphoning spell that reduces ability scores uses up a spell slot three levels higher than the modified spell's actual level. A siphoning spell that incurs level drain uses up a spell slot four levels higher than the modified spell's actual level. If a spell reduces several of these properties, apply only the highest level adjustment.

In the case of siphon spells that deal level drain, bonuses provided by this feat take the form of a temporary +1 increase to your effective level, attack rolls and all saves, ability checks and skills, and 5 temporary HP.

All bonuses applied by siphon spell are typed Arcane, and do not stack; only the highest bonus applies.

Siphoning spells that affect multiple targets only factor in the target dealt the greatest reduction for each individual property for the purposes of calculating bonuses and property restoration.

Siphon spells do not have any additional effect against undead, non-living objects or constructs.

Eloel
2009-06-23, 09:44 AM
Broken. Seriously though, there are so many ways to abuse metamagic that it's not even funny after a while. AFAIK you can use extra charges from a wand to emulate metamagic. I'm thinking Maximized/Empowered/Twinned/Split Ray/Siphon Spell/Repeating (?) Enervation. A wand becomes a 2-charge weapon that insta-kills anything, and makes all your spells work at HIGH caster levels....

A simple Siphoned Enfeeblement would be kick-ass too, you gain half the cha and int -score- of an enemy? ouch.

Surrealistik
2009-06-23, 11:39 AM
Broken. Seriously though, there are so many ways to abuse metamagic that it's not even funny after a while. AFAIK you can use extra charges from a wand to emulate metamagic. I'm thinking Maximized/Empowered/Twinned/Split Ray/Siphon Spell/Repeating (?) Enervation. A wand becomes a 2-charge weapon that insta-kills anything, and makes all your spells work at HIGH caster levels....

A simple Siphoned Enfeeblement would be kick-ass too, you gain half the cha and int -score- of an enemy? ouch.

Spells that merely incur penalties like Enfeeblement don't apply. It has to deal burn, damage, or drain. EDIT: With the new higher ability reduction LA, I've thought to include penalties to be eligible as well.

In general, yes, metamagic can get pretty broken if you cheese it up with the obvious wand/Incantrix/arcane thesis/etc.. combos, but even with that in mind, perhaps the level drain benefit is a little strong for the LA though. I'm thinking what I could do is scale the level adjustment with the nature of the drain. +2 LA siphons half HP damage inflicted, +3 LA siphons half of Ability reduction inflicted, +4 LA siphons half of Level Drain.

Djinn_in_Tonic
2009-06-23, 11:50 AM
Spells that merely incur penalties like Enfeeblement don't apply. It has to deal burn, damage, or drain.

In general, yes, metamagic can get pretty broken if you cheese it up with the obvious wand/Incantrix/arcane thesis/etc.. combos, but even with that in mind, perhaps the level drain benefit is a little strong for the LA though. I'm thinking what I could do is scale the level adjustment with the nature of the drain. +2 LA siphons half HP damage inflicted, +3 LA siphons half of Ability reduction (barring penalties) inflicted, +4 LA siphons half of Level Drain.

Hmmm...let's see.

Cure Critical Wounds heals 4d8+20 hit points at Caster Level 20. Average healing is 38 hit points.

Siphon Spell Scorching Ray deals 12d6 damage and grants 6d6 temporary hit points at Caster Level 20. Average damage is 42, average hit point gain is 21.

Both are 4th level spells.

I would say that Siphon Spell is, as written, overpowered...at least as far as the hit point drain is concerned. I don't have my books, so I can't compare the rest of the options, but I'd imagine the results are similiar.

One thing that might help? Set a bonus type. Say, a +2 Arcane bonus to Dexterity for draining 4 points. That way it won't stack in horrible ways.

Surrealistik
2009-06-23, 11:56 AM
Hmmm...let's see.

Cure Critical Wounds heals 4d8+20 hit points at Caster Level 20. Average healing is 38 hit points.

Siphon Spell Scorching Ray deals 12d6 damage and grants 6d6 temporary hit points at Caster Level 20. Average damage is 42, average hit point gain is 21.

Both are 4th level spells.

I would say that Siphon Spell is, as written, overpowered...at least as far as the hit point drain is concerned. I don't have my books, so I can't compare the rest of the options, but I'd imagine the results are similiar.

One thing that might help? Set a bonus type. Say, a +2 Arcane bonus to Dexterity for draining 4 points. That way it won't stack in horrible ways.

Yeah, type setting might be in order. I can definitely see players draining poor summons and mooks as set up cheese for the BBEG.

That said, I don't see how Siphon Spell is necessarily broken with respect to its interaction with HP damage spells as compared to say, Split Ray given their equal level adjustment.