Awakened Living Spells

[Ruethgar]

Does anyone have any insights on what the mentality of Awakened Living Spells would or should be?

Going from scratch there is the issue of rationalizing any activity. Presumably Living Spells are Endless by default and lacking the biological drive to multiply really begs the question of what their basic motivations would be. Assuming Fax Celestis (http://wiki.faxcelestis.net/index.php?title=Awakened_Living_Spell) versions, it could be stretched that they need to eat magic on occasion which would at least give them the drive to feed.

Could just go easy and mix the creator's and awakener's personalities and drives. While it wouldn't be very apt on a biological level, it would be easier than trying to comprehend something's motives that is so alien to us. Could add even greater complexity by having the spell itself influence the creation. Fireballs might have a bit of a temper, plant growths might be uncomfortable in the city, etc.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[Nifft]

Depends on the spell, I'd think.

Looking at the template seems like a circumstantial confirmation:



Alignment
Usually Neutral, unless the spell in question has an alignment descriptor (in which case it usually is the Neutral version of that alignment).

[Ruethgar]

The specific spell in question is Dancing Lights as a race made by an arcane cataclysm. Having trouble trying to put myself in their shoes so to speak in how they would think and prioritize. Want to do something logical rather than basically just make another "basically human with these extra tendancies" which is what so many races end up being.

[Deadline]

I would think their main drive would be related to the purpose of their spell, at least to some extent. For, say, a spell whose purpose is to create light, you could expect that they might consider darkness to be an enemy that must be destroyed, or at least struggled against. You'd need to be cautious with this angle, because it could be far too easy to make such beings very one dimensional, but it could be a solid starting point.

[DrMotives]

Going off the light aspect, it would be a luminary, ie a seer. But dancing lights implies a sage with ADHD, who it is extremely difficult to get a direct answer out of. Sure the living spell may have the info you need, but how are you going to pull it out? That lack of biology mentioned means that it might have no desires that can easily appealed to, could take a lot of research to figure out just how to question the being.

[jdizzlean]

I played with this mechanic for a round of Villainous Competition. Check my sig and click on the link for RUMBLE.

[iTreeby]

I feel like calsifer from howls moving castle could be seen as a sort of awakened spell. I'd elaborate on it more but I wouldn't want to spoil plot points.

[Celestia]

I feel like calsifer from howls moving castle could be seen as a sort of awakened spell. I'd elaborate on it more but I wouldn't want to spoil plot points.
Good call. You wouldn't want to spoil a 14 year old movie based on a 32 year old book on a forum with built-in spoiler boxes. :smallwink:

[Nifft]

The specific spell in question is Dancing Lights as a race made by an arcane cataclysm.

They are all named Dwight Lancing.

This never confuses them, it only confuses everybody else.

[Ruethgar]

Loved Howl’s Castle. Watched that so much for its stint on Netflix. Interesting idea to base it on Calcifer.

Thinking I’ll have them with a little hombrew for Silver Fire(from Chosen of Mystra)and a racial drive to mend magical scars. Mana crystals could be there sustenance, either leaving it at a racial specific food sort of thing or refluffing idk, Pearls of Power into crystals with 0 level versions being to typical food stock.

As far as mentality, I’m thinking very focused on their racial task and ignoring most other typical activities as frivolous with a small but slowly growing group interested in the accumulation of knowledge. As a newish race with little history and lack of need to develop much of a culture they tend to be very organized and efficient. The knowledge seekers would be their adventurers and liaison to the outside world. Their expressed purpose being to find and report on potential threats and other damages to the weave outside their region, though their curious nature lending itself to other things. Cha based are the most likely to leave, Wis based most likely to lead, and Int based engineers and occasionally scholars.

[ShurikVch]

Question: are those Living Spells awakened as by the Awaken Ooze spell (Dragon #304), or from the Awaken Living Spell - capstone of the Spell Sovereign PrC (Dragon #357)?

Also, maybe check the Stohpo-Ahk (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/as/20061002a) (unique sentient Living Spell)?

[Nifft]

Assuming Fax Celestis (http://wiki.faxcelestis.net/index.php?title=Awakened_Living_Spell) versions


Question: are those Living Spells awakened as by the Awaken Ooze spell (Dragon #304), or from the Awaken Living Spell - capstone of the Spell Sovereign PrC (Dragon #357)?

Also, maybe check the Stohpo-Ahk (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/as/20061002a) (unique sentient Living Spell)?

It's the version of awakening described in the homebrew wiki thingy linked in the OP.