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Analytica
2010-12-13, 09:38 PM
Epic Read Magic
Transmutation
Spellcraft DC: 26
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Target: Personal
Duration: Permanent
To Develop: 234,000 gp; 5 days; 9,360 XP. Seed: transform (DC 21). Factors: Transform into specific person (yourself with different spell selection): (+25 DC), increase casting time to 10 minutes (-18 DC), change from target to personal range: -2 DC

This is an epic version of the Read Magic cantrip. Basically. the spell allows a spellcaster with a Spells Known class feature to swap out any spell she knows for another of equal level, which must be on her class spell list, and which must be available in the form of a scroll or a spellbook. The magical writing is not consumed by this process.

There is some precedent: the Simbul is said to use Wish spells to change her spell selection. Psychic Reformation does something similar, and there is a spell that allows Dragonblood creatures to swap spells known. In this case, the SRD says:


The transform seed can also change its target into someone specific. To transform an object or creature into the specific likeness of another individual (including memories and mental abilities), increase the Spellcraft DC by +25. If the transformed creature doesn’t have the level or Hit Dice of its new likeness, it can only use the abilities of the creature at its own level or Hit Dice. (...) Mental abilities include personality, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, level and class, hit points (despite any change in its Constitution score), alignment, base attack bonus, base saves, extraordinary abilities, spells, and spell-like abilities, but not its supernatural abilities.

In this case, you transform into yourself as you would have been if you would have learned different spells during your life so far, specifically those you select from the available magical writings.

So what do you think? If I was a spontaneous epic spellcaster, this is what I would first go for. Are my calculations right? Balanced (from the perspective of RAI for epic spells)?

Fortuna
2010-12-13, 09:46 PM
Your calculations are right, I guess... but you should know that you're working with a system that is, ninety percent of the time, borked. And that's a lot of money, and a decent chunk of xp. I'd likely give an ad hoc bonus because it's not a very major change (ad hoc -5 DC, perhaps).

Analytica
2010-12-14, 04:53 PM
Your calculations are right, I guess... but you should know that you're working with a system that is, ninety percent of the time, borked. And that's a lot of money, and a decent chunk of xp. I'd likely give an ad hoc bonus because it's not a very major change (ad hoc -5 DC, perhaps).

I can definitely see how the epic spellcasting system is both breakable and untested, sure. Right now though, that seems a little like an interesting challenge - constructing epic spells useable for low-epic casters, which are neither pointless nor extremely broken. It seems to me that they could be used for a number of things that otherwise are possible, given some complex combination of class features, items and PrCs, but non-elegant. Quite possibly a waste of time, but maybe an enjoyable waste... :smallredface: