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View Full Version : 3.5 - A new spell to help with TPKs [PEACH]



Jon_Dahl
2012-07-14, 05:31 AM
Last Man Standing

Necromancy

Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Target: You and maximum of four willing creatures (special, see below)
Duration: 24 hours
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell creates a bond between you and a group of creatures with intelligence score of 3 or more and minimum of equal HD as your caster level (or more). This spell must be cast on at least two other creatures.

If only one of the bonded creatures is alive and all the others are either dead or dying, the survivor immediately gains a morale bonus on damage rolls equal to your caster level and 10 temporary hit points. These effects last for 1 minute or until one of the bonded creatures is revived.

The spell only functions if the other dying or dying creatures remain within 120 ft. of the survivor. The spell is cancelled if any of the creatures are charmed or dominated.

Only one such spell can affect a creature at a time.

In addition, there must be a genuine threat. The spell doesn’t function if the recipient doesn’t feel threatened.

Jane_Smith
2012-07-14, 06:11 AM
Why not just make a linked death knell style effect? You can cast the spell on X willing creatures in range, it lasts like 1 min/level. Everytime any of those creatures dies, the spell channels there last bit of life-force to all the others linked by the spell and give them bonus attack/damage/temp hp for a few rounds? Stacking, of course.

Veklim
2012-07-14, 06:53 AM
I like it actually, might help my groups out in that tricky level 4-7 bit (where a lot of my TPK action seems to take place)!


Why not just make a linked death knell style effect? You can cast the spell on X willing creatures in range, it lasts like 1 min/level. Everytime any of those creatures dies, the spell channels there last bit of life-force to all the others linked by the spell and give them bonus attack/damage/temp hp for a few rounds? Stacking, of course.

If anything, that should be this spell's big brother. With similar bonuses it would be appropriate as 5th level (ish, dependant on numerics, etc).

Phosphate
2012-07-14, 07:10 AM
The range limit makes it useless if you ask me. I mean...30 feet?!

Veklim
2012-07-14, 07:55 AM
True, not too bad to begin with, but wouldn't help this stay useful all that frequently. Perhaps 25ft + 5ft/level would make it more practical..?

Jon_Dahl
2012-07-14, 10:41 AM
I corrected the range from 30 ft. to 120 ft. I don't think it makes this spell any more powerful. 30 ft. was a bit ridiculous, sorry about that...

Edit: I also added intelligence score minimum, so you can't buy a pack of rats and just cast this spell...

Gamer Girl
2012-07-14, 03:46 PM
So let me get this straight.... You cast the spell on a group of five people. If some time later four of the group members are dying or dead, then that last group member gets a bonus?

It's not a bad idea, but maybe it should be a bit more in steps:

5 people in the group=no effect.
4 people in the group=each gets 1/4 CL morale bonus and 2 temp hp
3 people in the group=each gets 1/3 CL morale bonus and 4 temp hp
2 people in the group=each gets 1/2 CL morale bonus and 6 Temp hp
1 person in the group=gets CL morale bonus and 10 hp

Techwarrior
2012-07-14, 04:49 PM
How does diehard interact with this?

Yitzi
2012-07-14, 10:33 PM
As written, you don't have to include the whole party, and in fact there is no advantage in doing so (other than preventing premature activation). Perhaps the bonus should be proportional to the number of other targets?

Jon_Dahl
2012-07-15, 01:16 AM
Gamer Girl,

It's not a bad idea but since the spell is called the Last Man Standing (I need to fix that gender-specific name btw), it should be that everything comes to effect when there is in fact only one standing. Right?

Techwarrior,

Diehard works normally. You're never dying but you could be dead.

Yitzi,

You're absolutely correct. I just don't know how to fix that. Let me think about this, ok?

137beth
2012-07-15, 11:43 AM
Actually, there is a disadvantage to casting it on only some party members: if the last person standing is not one of the people you cast it on, then no bonus is gained. Still, it is probably still better to only use it on two people (you and the most fragile party member).

Techwarrior
2012-07-15, 11:58 AM
Actually of I recall correctly diehard leaves you dying but still up and fighting. Hence the question.

Jon_Dahl
2012-07-17, 12:24 AM
Actually of I recall correctly diehard leaves you dying but still up and fighting. Hence the question.

Actually you are either disabled and fighting or stable and unconscious. Neither activates the spell and thus can possible give a nasty surprise to the caster...

The spell has also been updated now.

NichG
2012-07-17, 12:57 AM
It's quite powerful as is anyhow. I could imagine an NPC taking advantage of it by having a buddy who is a Ghost or Vampire who can die again and again without much problem, just to get a +CL buff to his attack/damage. As such a low level spell (and with CL so easy to boost). It's not quite enough to be transformative, but it does make a lot of numbers bigger (especially with multi-attack builds. A Lv8 TWF rogue with a Lv8 caster ally could get ~+10 between Arcane Thesis and a Reserve Feat to boost CL on each of four attacks with this. More if you pull out stuff like Elder Giant Magic.).

Yitzi
2012-07-17, 01:18 PM
Actually, there is a disadvantage to casting it on only some party members: if the last person standing is not one of the people you cast it on, then no bonus is gained.

Actually, a bonus is gained when only one of the people you cast it on is left.

So if you cast it on the rogue and yourself, and the rogue is knocked out, then you get the bonuses even if everyone else is still alive.



On a different note, I realized that this sort of thing really should be a cleric spell, rather than sorcerer/wizard; clerics usually get the "preserve the party" stuff, and the flavor fits very well.

137beth
2012-07-17, 05:08 PM
Actually, a bonus is gained when only one of the people you cast it on is left.

So if you cast it on the rogue and yourself, and the rogue is knocked out, then you get the bonuses even if everyone else is still alive.



On a different note, I realized that this sort of thing really should be a cleric spell, rather than sorcerer/wizard; clerics usually get the "preserve the party" stuff, and the flavor fits very well.

Yea, but if you AND the rogue are knocked out at once (or in succession,) then no one gains the bonus.

Jon_Dahl
2012-07-20, 02:10 AM
Yea, but if you AND the rogue are knocked out at once (or in succession,) then no one gains the bonus.

Yes but this is why the spell is a bit risky and the success is not quarantined. This helps keeping the spell at so low level.