Awaken Clone

[rferries]

Based off of the evil wizards (e.g. the drow wizard from Icewind Dale, Halaster Blackcloak, etc.) who create intelligent copies of themselves. Functions pretty much as simulacrum & astral seed.

Awaken Clone
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S, M, F
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Target: Clone touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Your sibling-child stirs fretfully in the vat of nourishing fluid, as a spark of your soul awakens it to life.

You awaken a clone of yourself (that you have created personally via the spell of that name). The clone functions in all ways as a copy of yourself, save that it is always a living creature (even if you have become undead or a construct since creating the clone's body). Furthermore, the clone only has the memories you choose to share with it when casting this spell (so you can create a clone of a lower level, a clone that isn't aware of the negative levels and dominate effects described below, or even a clone that doesn't know it is a clone).

You gain a negative level. The negative level remains as long as the clone lives and disappears when it dies. This negative level never results in actual level loss, but it cannot be overcome in any way (including restoration spells) while the clone lives.

The clone gains three negative levels. These negative levels remain as long you live and disappear when you die. These negative levels never result in actual level loss, but cannot be overcome in any way (including restoration spells) while you live.

The clone is under your control as if by dominate monster, though it can attempt to resist your control as would any other dominated creature. This effect is permanent and cannot be broken by any means short of wish or miracle. Particularly heavy-handed use of this effect, or exposure to the knowledge that it is a clone, may eventually drive a clone insane or pit it against you (at the DM's option).

You may have any number of awakened clones, gaining a negative level for each one.

Material Component
Various laboratory supplies (cost 1,000 gp).

Focus
Special laboratory equipment (cost 500 gp).

[Knitifine]

The clone is always under your influence, as by a permanent supernatural dominate monster effect. A clone may rebel against your control or against the nature of it's existence, going mad in the process or attempting to kill you. Your control over the clone cannot be broken by any means short of wish or miracle.

This ability is quite confusing, and depending on how it works this spell is either the appropriate power level for a 9th level spell, or clearly an epic level spell.

[rferries]

This ability is quite confusing, and depending on how it works this spell is either the appropriate power level for a 9th level spell, or clearly an epic level spell.

Rephrased it -any better? :)

[Knitifine]

Rephrased it -any better? :)

Yes, thank you. This spell is clearly broken for a 9th level spell, allowing a wizard to make potentially infinite copies of themselves all under their control which would balloon their power level to unforeseen level simply by having the ability to keep around extra wish granting genies as long as you're... nice to them I guess?

[rferries]

Yes, thank you. This spell is clearly broken for a 9th level spell, allowing a wizard to make potentially infinite copies of themselves all under their control which would balloon their power level to unforeseen level simply by having the ability to keep around extra wish granting genies as long as you're... nice to them I guess?

Er, did you happen to read the bits about the negative levels?

[Knitifine]

Er, did you happen to read the bits about the negative levels?

I didn't see how that was relevant, and then I looked up negative levels in 3.5e and saw they had a very different effect on spellcasting than I remember. In which case, this spell is fine but should have the [Evil] descriptor similar to Mind Seed.

[rferries]

I didn't see how that was relevant, and then I looked up negative levels in 3.5e and saw they had a very different effect on spellcasting than I remember. In which case, this spell is fine but should have the [Evil] descriptor similar to Mind Seed.

Ha, no worries!

I don't know if [Evil] is 100% appropriate - dominate monster isn't [Evil], and this spell doesn't let you "kill" a creature the way mind seed does. In fact it's possible to use it in an entirely benign way (create a "child" and never use the dominate effect on it). Then again, it's hard to go wong by slapping [Evil] on a Necromancy spell haha.