Living Spells

[sonofzeal]

So, I've decided to use Living Spells in the next bit of my campaign. However, I've never used them before or seen them used, and they're pretty strange as far as the mechanics go. Has anyone seen them in play, on either side of the screen? Are they overpowered or underpowered for the CR (assuming appropriate spell choice)? Any recommendations for good/fun spells to use? The party is lvl4 right now, and only marginally optimized.

[FlyMolo]

I really like the idea, but the numbers seem fairly arbitrarily pulled out of midair. Then again, you are generating critter stats whole cloth from a spell.

Burning hands and other little spells might be a good place to start.

[sonofzeal]

I really like the idea, but the numbers seem fairly arbitrarily pulled out of midair. Then again, you are generating critter stats whole cloth from a spell.

Burning hands and other little spells might be a good place to start.

I was concidering Pyrotechnics and Flaming Sphere already. Magic Missile would be a fun one, as would Colour Spray. The thing is, they look way too easy to kill, and most of the ones at this level would lack any decent mobility options and be dead-easy to snipe from range. So how do you make them viable threats?

[monty]

Living Mordenkainen's Disjunction!

That'll shut them down.

[CockroachTeaParty]

I've used living spells before. They're little different from any other ooze with magical abilities, such as a teratomorph or reason stealer.

I've always wanted to create a living prestidigitation, and have it clean up my wizard's house. You have to be careful, though, because I'm pretty sure the spells that can be made living are rather limited. They cannot be ray spells, I think... I'll have to look it up. So I don't think you can have a living disintegrate, thank heavens.

[monty]

I've used living spells before. They're little different from any other ooze with magical abilities, such as a teratomorph or reason stealer.

I've always wanted to create a living prestidigitation, and have it clean up my wizard's house. You have to be careful, though, because I'm pretty sure the spells that can be made living are rather limited. They cannot be ray spells, I think... I'll have to look it up. So I don't think you can have a living disintegrate, thank heavens.

It's any spell that creates an area of effect. Which is too bad, because a living Disintegrate would be really mean.

[Kyeudo]

Living Mordenkainen's Disjunction!

That'll shut them down.

That's thinking small. Look at this nasty:

Spoiler

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Name: Fiendish Sentry Ooze Living Mage's Disjunction Monk 2
Size and Type: Huge Ooze
Hit Dice: 17d10+1d8+72 (170 hp)
Inititive: +6
Speed: 20 ft
Armor Class: 33 (+6 Dex, +9 Deflection, +8 Wis)
Base Attack/Grapple: +13/+25
Attack: Slam +15 melee (1d8+6 plus Spell Effect)
Full Attack: Unarmed Strike +13/+13/+7/+3 melee (1d6+4) and Slam +10 melee (1d8+6 plus Spell Effect)
Space/Reach: 15 ft/ 10 ft
Special Attacks: Spell Effect (Will DC 28), Engulf (Reflex DC 28), Smite Good 1/day, Flurry of Blows, Unarmed Strike
Special Qualities: Ooze Traits, Blind, Blindsight 60ft, Immune to Critical Hits and Flanking, DR 10/magic, SR 27, Resistance to Fire 10, Resistance to Cold 10, AC Bonus, Evasion
Saves: Fort+17 Ref+17 Will+17 (+4 racial bonus on saves against mind affecting spells and effects)
Abilities: Str19 Dex22 Con19 Int5 Wis26 Cha29
Skills: Listen +30
Feats: Stunning Fist (5/day, DC 27), Combat Reflexes, 7 Other Feats (Need Good Suggestions)
CR: 23
Treasure: None
Alighnemnt: Lawful Evil

Spell Effect (Su): Creatures struck by a Living Mage's Disjunction are affected as though by the spell Mage's Disjuction (Will DC 28 Negates)

Engulf (Ex): As living spell.

Smite Good (Su): As fiendish creature.

It's BAB may be low for it's CR, but after a few engulfs (no attack roll needed) the party will have crap for AC and attacks.

[sonofzeal]

Living Mordenkainen's Disjunction!

That'll shut them down.

Oh joy, throwing a CR 18 encounter against a lvl4 party is always good for a laugh. Sad thing is, that'd actually be really good for them - they've hardly got any good magic items, but the xp from killing it would send them through the roof.

So... I'm thinking combo spells are the way to go, mix one DD spell with a save-or-suck, or battlefield control, then envelope. Candidates for DD: Magic Missile, Burning Hands, Flaming Sphere, Shocking Grasp, Acid Arrow. Candidates for utility half: Obscuring Mist, Colour Spray, Pyrotechnics, Glitterdust, Web. Any non-core ones that produce good combinations?

[Jothki]

Would a Living Teleportation Circle work?

[Dumbledore lives]

I'd want to make a Living Mordenkin's Magnificent Manor (I think that's what it's called), It could be a living manor that walks around and changes the rooms every once in a while. It would be pretty awesome.

[Aquillion]

My advice: If you aren't to sure about them, don't make the living spell the focus of the encounter, challenge-wise -- have a small living spell left over from the Last War being used by a soldier-turned-bandit who took it with him when he deserted or when the war ended or whatever. (That would explain how he can control it; it was originally assigned to him, or he knows the control word or whatever.) Color Spray or Cause Fear would be a nice choice. He uses it to intimidate and extort money from merchants and passing travellers or something. Maybe two bandits if you want.

[DrowVampyre]

Living Locate City nuke.

Seriously though, I think the over/under powered thing would depend on the spell. I've never seen them in play (never actually played an Eberron campaign, unfortunately).

[Reel On, Love]

Try a living Good Hope as someone's pet. It cheers them up!

[Aquillion]

Living Locate City nuke.

A living Animate Dead could be fun. It engulfs corpses and turns them into undead... you'd want to fight it in a cemetery or someplace with lots of dead bodies, of course. Maybe too high level for this encounter, though.

Or a living Greater Consumptive Field, loose in a town. Every time it kills anything, it gets +2 strength...

Or how about that living Prestigitation? If it engulfs food, it reflavors it. If it engulfs objects, it will randomly color, clean, or soil them. Occasionally, small crude objects with no value or use drop out of it. Absolutely terrifying.

[Khanderas]

Or how about that living Prestigitation? If it engulfs food, it reflavors it. If it engulfs objects, it will randomly color, clean, or soil them. Occasionally, small crude objects with no value or use drop out of it. Absolutely terrifying.

I like it, makes for a great haunted house / village. Question is what will spook the PC's most ? A grilled chicken that tastes like ash, or dirt that tastes like wine ? The cleanest pigsty in the world... with blue pigs... (yeah living but still) that smell of cinnamon and taste like strawberries.

[Sebastrd]

I'd want to make a Living Mordenkin's Magnificent Manor (I think that's what it's called), It could be a living manor that walks around and changes the rooms every once in a while. It would be pretty awesome.

Howl's Moving Castle ?

[sonofzeal]

Alright, so here's what I'm thinking of right now.

a} Polychroma (CR 2; Colour Spray + Magic Missile). Looks like a christmas tree coupled with a rave, with splashes of colour and ever-shifting geometric shapes. Stuns and damages.

b} Thunderbroiler (CR 2; Obscuring Mist + Shocking Grasp). Looks like a miniature thundercloud, ominous flashing of lightning from inside. Disorients to disguiseactual location (Obscuring Mist covers a big area, but the actual ooze is only Medium), and damages anyone in the centre.

c} Microdots (CR 4; Glitterdust + Acid Arrow). Looks like a glittering man-sized dust devil; when the scintillating specks come in contact with the person, they stick and begin disolving him bit by bit. Blinds, and can deal substantial damage over a few rounds.

d} Fire In The Sky (CR 4; Pyrotechnics + Flaming Sphere). Looks like... well, the 4th of July, nuff said. Pyrotechnics will be set to blinding at first, then Smoke Cloud if it takes more than 50% damage. Debuffs and damages.

[SamTheCleric]

Living Spells have to be an Area or Effect, (not area OF effect)... which means any spell that doesnt say "Target: Blah" ... So "Effect: Ray" is a valid Living Spell... As is Enervate, burning hands... or any other Area/Effect spell.

Magic Missile says "Targets", so it is not a valid living spell.
Shocking grasp says "Target", so it is not a valid living spell.
Acid Arrow, on the other hand, says "Effect: One arrow of acid" so it is a valid choice.

[Dhavaer]

I'd want to make a Living Mordenkin's Magnificent Manor (I think that's what it's called)

Magnificent mansion, actually.

[KazilDarkeye]

A Living Reality Maelstrom would be a great way to railroad players into a planar campaign. Of course the destination is random, but any DM who would do this would probably just fiat.

[SamTheCleric]

My favorite is a living Prismatic Spray.

[Kol Korran]

i've actually did have a few living spells in play. they are quite fun, if handled correctly. it's a pity that the livivng spell template can only be applied to area or effect spells (not targeted ones, or cooler ideas). however, with a little thoughts, that can be overcome.
as to your'e worries:

• if you're worrying about mobility, or being sniped, put the living spell in close quarters, or preventing the party from getting soemwhere. also- surprise is always sweet. it's an ooze, let it flow from holes in the ceilings or soemthing.
• living spells have DR 10/magic... unless your party packs magical projectiles or missiles, it chould protect it from nonmeliers. it's SR should protect at least from some of the spells cast on it.
• the ooze immunities should protect from many conventional attacks, which is offset by it's dumb behaviour ad possible low speed. note that if you take a spell with a long range, theis ooze is fairly speedy, though it still can't run.

i liked your Thunderbroiler and Microdots, here are a few ideas for spells:

1) sleep: fairly innocent, but could prove a real bother when swimming, climbing, walking through a room with trapped tiles, and so on. if combined with anohter "colorless" spell, this living spell is practically invisible. a much nastier version would be deep slumber.

2) silence: combined with another spell, this could prove a real challangeto spell casters...

3) entangle: with the large area of effect of this lowlevel spell, it could prove a real hassle, adding entanglement to engulfment. now add a cold or fire spell, and you got a burning/ freezing bush.

4) call lightning: 3d6 (5d6 in a storm) per round could prove pretty nice, and not devestating. i'm unsure of whether this should be appiled to one engulfed character, or all.

5) sleet storm: could be a worthy addition to any spell (especialy the one above, though the combination might be of a CR to high for them).

6) darkness: this is a great, lowlevel spell to add to the situation (and your players will finally have a real reason to "attack the darkness!") add to this the flaming sphere (the "burning shadow"), or a similar more damaging spell, and you create a small terror.

7) Grease: this one is realy, realy fun- getting most of your tanks and casters down (it it gets to them)- once they fell, it's hard to get up (Also provoking AoO), and to escape (only one move action laeft, the living spell can easely catch up with you).

and now, for some whackier ideas (most liekly of a higher level than your party will handle, probably not fitting to the tmeplate as well):

8) living Guards and Wards: a spell protecting a small keep, it gives hell to whomever wants to get in. the effect extends far beyond the actual "body" of the spell (size large), so they spell can't be fought directly, until you reach the wizards study (or wherever it resides). there may be a few other living spells living within it's confines.

9) living leumond's secure shelter: on the side of a fomrmer battlefied, this odd, out of place structure stands. the characters may use it, but when they try to leave, the small house (beds, table, walls) fights back. after all- it just want them to be safe andd comfortable. how safe will they be outside?

10) Living tenser's floating disk: best used as a part of a puzzle, this noncombative spell just wants to carry things (perhaps for someone with an emblem, uniform, medalion it is supposed to recognize?). could be a nice reward for the party, and an unusuall one.

11) living stone shape: a spell in a dungeon/ castle/ other constructed area, wondering about, changing the features constantly (could be great for the morphing dungeon)

12) a living clairaudaince/ clairvoyance: the spell's area is constantly fille with the image of another place (the place it scries up constantly). this could be confusing to the characters (the "room" they try to get into is actually the ooze and the scrying) or it might be vital to the players (perhaps they need to learn soem secret of it? the ooze might then try to constantly evade them. they cannot kill it- the scrying will end. they need to capture it. now how do you do that?)

13) dimension door spell: it transports the characters some distnace away (perhaps into not so kind conditions).

ok, all i got, for now. hope this helped,
Kol.

[Zenos]

Living Enervate? Negative levels all the way!

[SamTheCleric]

Living Black Death (Darkness + Enervate + Disintegrate). :)

I should take the time to stat that out...

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Living Antimagic Field is a personal favorite. Make it awakened and specialized in grappling. Ultimate caster bane right there.

[Hal]

Um . . . forgive the new guy here, but what is a living spell, and what book does it come from?

[SamTheCleric]

Living Spell is a template from Monster Manual 3. Basically, it changes a spell (or spells) into an Ooze. When that ooze uses its slam attack, the target is also affected by the spell (or spells).

Alternatly, the ooze can just roll over you to Engulf you, and you are subject to the spell effects every round that you are grappled inside of it.

[Duke of URL]

Living Enervate? Negative levels all the way!

Can you tack a create greater undead onto that? Enervate them to nothing, and then bring 'em back as cool undead, many of them under its control.

[jcsw]

Now if only there was a spell that could create oozes so that we'd have oozes that could reproduce themselves when they... engulf each other.

EDIT: Wait a second... Gate! Living Gate Oozes. Mmm.

[Zeta Kai]

If your looking for some fun, I made a living disease template a while back. It's in the Elemental Plane of Flesh, in my signature. They're called the Infectoplasms, & although they may be a little tough for a 4th-level party, they are as fun to fight as they were to create.