(3.5) (Spell) A spell from a recent comic (PEACH)

[DracoDei]

Concept by The Giant (used without The Giant's permision). Name by archaeo, who said I could make this... although I now have a variant.



Hasten Undeath
Necromancer [Evil]
Level: Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 4, Dread Necromancer 4
Components: V, S, DF, XP
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Touch
Target: One Corpse or Location (See Below)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: See Below
Spell Resistance: See Below

This spell reduces the amount of time that must pass before a given corpse (including the remains of an undead that self-reanimates) that would rise as undead, (or some deathless, see below) will do so. It also negates any mundane requirements (such as burial in a coffin, but not burial on cursed ground). The reduction is one day per caster level, but if the resulting undead would have more than twice the caster level in hitdice, or a CR greater than the caster level, then the spell fails, and the experience points are wasted. Note that the caster does not know if the spell truly failed, or if there is merely some duration remaining.

This spell may also be cast on the remains of any undead that self-reanimates after destruction with the same restrictions on negating mundane requirements. It also functions on corpses that would become deathless or remains of as deathless provided both the pre-death/destruction and post re-animation deathless are non-good. Lastly, it can instantly return a vampire reduced to 0 hitpoints and forced into mist form to solidity as if they had rested in their coffin, but with only 1 hitpoint. This last use requires no XP expenditure.

In the case of undead/deathless that self-reanimate, but which leave no remains (such as Ghosts and Undying Devotions*), any point in space that the undead/deathless occupied at the moment of its destruction may be substituted for the corpse.
*But note that these are Good Aligned.

The effectiveness of this spell varies based on the difference in alignments between the target when they died and what it will be when they return.

Alignment Change	Save and SR Bonus
None	No Save, No SR
1 step	+0
2 steps	+5
3 steps	+10*
4 steps	Spell fails(XP wasted)

*In addition, a natural 1 is not an automatic failure on save, nor is a natural 20 an auto-success on check to overcome spell resistance (if it ever is).

XP cost: 20 per HD the undead/deathless will have when it forms.


Hasten Deathlessness
Necromancer [Good]
Level: Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 4

This spell functions as per Hasten Undeath except that instead of functioning only on some deathless, it functions on all deathless, and only on self-reanimating undead/corpse that would become undead that have no alignment alterations and if both the original and post-undeath creature would be non-evil.



Questions:
Are the levels good? Should I raise the levels, but remove the XP cost? Should Dread Necromancers even get Hasten Deathlessness?

[Pyromancer999]

Looks sound to me, although maybe it should be one or two levels higher. I can imagine necromancers with undead that create spawn using it to raise huge armies cheaply and quickly.

Still, I think what the Giant was going for in that comic was one of the Create Undead spells.

[DracoDei]

Looks sound to me, although maybe it should be one or two levels higher. I can imagine necromancers with undead that create spawn using it to raise huge armies cheaply and quickly.

Even with the XP cost? I did think of that, and that is why I put the XP cost in there. At the standard conversion rate of 5 GP to 1 XP, this is twice as costly as Animate Dead... and now that I check, only equal to the cost of Create (Greater) Undead. I'll go ahead and double the XP cost, and bump it up a single level.

No comment on if Dread Necromancers should get both versions, or just the one for undead?

Still, I think what the Giant was going for in that comic was one of the Create Undead spells.

Seems possible but unlikely to me. Panel five implies that the spell is "obscure", which I hardly think a cleric of a Death god would consider that line of spells. Also, TECHNICIALLY he would have had to Command/Rebuke him as he was forming to control him. The first is a much stronger argument to me than the second, since conservation of detail, or a bit of quite reasonable "house ruling" could explain why we don't see a Command attempt.

All of which is of very little importance since inspiration from a misunderstanding is still inspiration.

[Pyromancer999]

No comment on if Dread Necromancers should get both versions, or just the one for undead?

Just the one for the undead. Deathless are a more "holy" type type of undead, and don't really fit the concept of the Dread Necromancer. Definitely give them the undead version, though.

Seems possible but unlikely to me. Panel five implies that the spell is "obscure", which I hardly think a cleric of a Death god would consider that line of spells. Also, TECHNICIALLY he would have had to Command/Rebuke him as he was forming to control him. The first is a much stronger argument to me than the second, since conservation of detail, or a bit of quite reasonable "house ruling" could explain why we don't see a Command attempt.

Hmmmm.....true.

All of which is of very little importance since inspiration from a misunderstanding is still inspiration.

True. Was more just voicing a thought than trying to correct anything.

[DracoDei]

Just the one for the undead. Deathless are a more "holy" type type of undead, and don't really fit the concept of the Dread Necromancer. Definitely give them the undead version, though.

Yeah, just wasn't 100% sure if Dread Necromancers TECHNICALLY had a non-good aspect to them.

True. Was more just voicing a thought than trying to correct anything.

I think I understood that.

[JoshuaZ]

" funcitons " should be "functions". Also, I'd be worried about expanding the Dread Necromancer's spell list since they get spontaneous access to their entire list. Adding spells to their class list gives them more of a boost than it does with other classes.

[DracoDei]

" funcitons " should be "functions". Also, I'd be worried about expanding the Dread Necromancer's spell list since they get spontaneous access to their entire list. Adding spells to their class list gives them more of a boost than it does with other classes.

Thanks for the typo catch(lagging computer increases my typo rate), and I will bump it up to equal level for dread necromancers, rather than one lower. I could maybe be talked into making it one higher, but I am not going to take it away, it is way too in-flavor.

[inuyasha]

I think maybe dread necromancer should get this spell a little earlier because think about it, with the death domain you get animate dead at level 3 (right?)

[DracoDei]

I think I am missing something here.

I think maybe dread necromancer should get this spell a little earlier because think about it, with the death domain you get animate dead at level 3 (right?)

Which MIGHT BE a waste of a domain slot usually since you aren't going to cast every day, and it is ALSO "Cleric 3". It is Sor/Wiz 4 as well.

They seem like apples and oranges. One speeds up the process of an undead forming (which mostly works well if you can create or control undead that create spawn... which could be as simple as hunting down a single ghoul IIRC, and casting Command Undead on it until it fails a save). The other makes zombies and skeletons* (mindless, non-spawn-making) undead from corpses directly.

So, what is your point, in more detail?

*Plus, of course, my organ undead if one includes those, and maybe some stuff from splat books that if I was informed(and I think I have) I have forgotten the nature of.

[inuyasha]

im just saying i definantly dont think dread necromancers should get it at 5 (as you have in parinthesis [crap I hope i spelled that right]) because this is almost the area they focus in, and so they should get it at a lower level

[DracoDei]

im just saying i definantly dont think dread necromancers should get it at 5 (as you have in parinthesis [crap I hope i spelled that right]) because this is almost the area they focus in, and so they should get it at a lower level

Ok, that is one voice against bumping the level, we will see if anyone else speaks up before I decide (if I remember to before this thread goes stale).

Firefox informs me it is "parenthesis", not that you should let it bother you.