[Spell] All Consciousness is One (P.E.A.C.H.)

[unosarta]

Hivemind

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Hivemind
Enchantment [Mind-affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3, Clr 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 Minute
Range: Touch; 1000 feet (see text)
Target: 1 target/level
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Saving Throw: Will (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

You create an invisible connection between yourself and the other subjects of this spell.

You touch a number of targets equal to your caster level, up to a maximum of 5, as a minute long ritual.

After that period, you can communicate with the targets affected by the spell without speaking, within a range of 1000 feet.

Whenever one creature affected by this spell is within 15 feet of another that is affected by this spell, as long as one creature isn’t flatfooted, the other also isn’t flatfooted. As long as they are adjacent to each other, one cannot be flanked unless both are. If there are multiple creatures within 15 feet of each other that are all affected by this spell, they must all be considered flatfooted before they are actually flatfooted. If more than one creature is adjacent to another creature, and they all benefit from this spell, they must all be flanked in order to be considered flanked. The creatures must be able to see each other for this effect to work.

A rogue with a rogue level equal to the caster of this spell’s caster level ignores any of these effects for the purposes of sneak attack.

A creature affected by this spell may, as an Immediate action, sever their connection to the hivemind. They may not rejoin the hivemind unless the spell is cast again, and the target is touched by the caster.

Material Components: When casting this spell, the caster must shatter a conch shell worth 600 gp.

Greater Hivemind

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Greater Hivemind
Enchantment [Mind-affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6, Clr 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch; 1 mile (see text)
Target: 1 target/level
Duration: 1 hour/level
Saving Throw: Will (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

As the Hivemind spell, except for as noted above. The spell affects 1 target per caster level (maximum 10 targets). Any distances noted in the Hivemind spell are doubled, for the effects of distance for being flatfooted and flanked. Creatures that are part of the hivemind can communicate mentally as long as they are within 1 miles of each other.

In addition; a character does not suffer the effects of a mind-affecting ability unless they wish to as long as they are within 5 feet of a character who is part of their hivemind and who is not being affected by the same mind-affecting spell or ability.

A creature affected by this spell may, as an Immediate action, sever their connection to the hivemind. They may not rejoin the hivemind unless the spell is cast again, and the target is touched by the caster.

Material Components: When casting this spell, the caster must destroy a golden horn, worth 4000 gp.

True Hivemind

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True Hivemind
Enchantment [Mind-affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 9, Clr 9
Components: V, S, M, XP
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch; 100 miles (see text)
Target: 1 target
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

As the Greater Hivemind spell, except for as noted above. The spell lasts forever. A creature that opts out of the hivemind may rejoin at any time, as an Immediate action. While they are not a part of the hivemind, they gain no benefits from the hivemind. Creatures that are part of the hivemind can communicate mentally as long as they are on the same plane.

When the spell is cast, the caster bonds with a single creature, creating a hivemind. Both of the creatures affected by this spell must pay the experience point cost.

The original caster may add a new creature to the spell as an hour long ritual. That creature must pay the original experience point cost, plus an additional 500 experience points. All other members of the hivemind must also pay 500 experience. The experience point cost increases by 500 for each new member.

In addition; as long as more than one creatures that are part of the hivemind are within 20 feet of each other, any spell cast on one may be shared with the other, at the discretion of the creature to be affected. This effect may not transmit Self-Only spells.

Material Components: When casting this spell, the caster must destroy a gemmed trumpet, worth 50,000 gp.

XP Cost: When casting this spell, the caster must spend 5,000 experience points from their own pool of experience points.

[bloodtide]

1.Hivemind starts off good with the communication link. But how does extra thoughts in your head not make you flat footed or prevent flanking? While part of being flat footed or flanked is mental, the other part is physical. So how does the spell stop that?

Example:No matter how hard/fast/good you think, if your looking to the right, then someone can flank you from the left.

And to eliminate both flat footedness and flanking all day is way too powerful.

2.Greater Hivemind starts off good too, but then gives multiple saves? So this spell can give each person in a hivemind up to twenty saves per mind effecting attack? That's way too many. And the immunity of all mind effecting attacks is just too much on top of that.

3.True Hivemind--how does having a mental connection transmit a spell? This is way too powerful. A lot of powerful spells are self only for this reason. To have 40 people all with Time Stop, Iron Body or Shapechange is just way, way, too powerful.

[unosarta]

1.Hivemind starts off good with the communication link. But how does extra thoughts in your head not make you flat footed or prevent flanking? While part of being flat footed or flanked is mental, the other part is physical. So how does the spell stop that?

Example:No matter how hard/fast/good you think, if your looking to the right, then someone can flank you from the left.

And to eliminate both flat footedness and flanking all day is way too powerful.

This effect is tied directly to the Hive Mind ability. It can be found in the Formian description. The idea is basically that if the creature is in sight of another that are both part of the hivemind, the creature is aware of any attacks being done to the other creature, making any bonuses associated with the conditions null. It isn't about reflexes, but rather being aware of what is going on. I added the Rogue condition so that caster level becomes important, and because a high level rogue should be able to move faster than many creatures can see, and faster than the hivemind itself can transmit images or thoughts.

2.Greater Hivemind starts off good too, but then gives multiple saves? So this spell can give each person in a hivemind up to twenty saves per mind effecting attack? That's way too many. And the immunity of all mind effecting attacks is just too much on top of that.

Good point. I completely agree that within 1 mile is too high. Something more like 20 feet sounds better.

However, the immunity to mind affecting spells and abilities is not immunity. It just means that in order for something to dominate the creatures that are part of this spell and within 5 feet of each other (which also means adjacent, just so you know), must spend extra resources. It doesn't meant the spell doesn't affect them, just that they ignore any effects of the spell. So, if they are separated, then the spell goes back into effect. And that can be ignored if you affect the other creature with a mind affecting ability.

3.True Hivemind--how does having a mental connection transmit a spell? This is way too powerful. A lot of powerful spells are self only for this reason. To have 40 people all with Time Stop, Iron Body or Shapechange is just way, way, too powerful.

I could make it not transmit self only spells. However, this is a ninth level spell. A ninth level spell that costs 50000 gp and as much exp as wish.

[jiriku]

I recognize your source - the hivemind ability of some lawful outsiders. Nice.

While I like the spells, they're pitched several levels too low.

I'd move hivemind to 6th or 7th level.

It offers a benefit comparable to rary's telepathic bond (which is two levels higher, and additionally grants uncanny dodge and improved uncanny dodge to all affected creatures. While its casting time is slower than RTB, its duration is so much longer that casting time becomes irrelevant. The gp cost is a tenuous method of balancing this, as it will tend to make the spell impractical at its current level (and thus not used), but do little to restrict it at high levels (and thus have minimal effect).

Further, allowing a spellcaster to grant UD and IUD with the casting of a single spell at level 5 is just a kick in the junk to players of classes that haven't even earned those features yet.

I'd peg greater hivemind at 9th level, given the increased range, duration, and impressive protection from mind-affecting spells.

True hivemind should definitely be an epic spell.


Edit:
A minor comment on the material components: Conch shells, no matter how pretty, aren't going to be worth 600 gp. Trumpets, being made of brass, can't be shattered by a sharp blow - you might use a term like "break" or "destroy".

[unosarta]

It offers a benefit comparable to rary's telepathic bond (which is two levels higher, and additionally grants uncanny dodge and improved uncanny dodge to all affected creatures. While its casting time is slower than RTB, its duration is so much longer that casting time becomes irrelevant. The gp cost is a tenuous method of balancing this, as it will tend to make the spell impractical at its current level (and thus not used), but do little to restrict it at high levels (and thus have minimal effect).

Further, allowing a spellcaster to grant UD and IUD with the casting of a single spell at level 5 is just a kick in the junk to players of classes that haven't even earned those features yet.

I could lower the duration to 10 minutes per level.

The IUD only functions when two or more creatures are next to each other, which brings up some serious disadvantages when facing classes with abilities that affect an area.

Uncanny Dodge is granted to most classes that even do receive it at 4th or 5th level.

And, in most cases when one creature would be flatfooted, it is very likely the other is as well. For instance, if a creature that is invisible and attacks one creature, since the other creature cannot see it and is not aware of it, they are both flatfooted. It is very easy to block the ability, for instance, Obscuring Mist (available at level 1) completely blocks the effect. I will add something into the spell that it requires sight specifically.

I'd peg greater hivemind at 9th level, given the increased range, duration, and impressive protection from mind-affecting spells.

True hivemind should definitely be an epic spell.

Greater Hivemind, again, only does it when they are within 5 feet of each other. So, if the two are separated, they are screwed. I think I will be removing the bit about extra saves.

What do you think I could do to make True Hivemind a ninth level spell?

Edit:
A minor comment on the material components: Conch shells, no matter how pretty, aren't going to be worth 600 gp. Trumpets, being made of brass, can't be shattered by a sharp blow - you might use a term like "break" or "destroy".

You would be surprised. For inland countries, you can bet your ass that a conch could be worth 600 gp, especially if it is rare or not commonly found even for more coastal area.

And honestly, there are a few other material components that are quite frankly ridiculous; for instance, the ointment for True Seeing. Saffron is expensive, but it honestly isn't that expensive.

The comment on the trumpet is true, and I will be changing that.

[jiriku]

To make true hivemind non-epic, it should either a) not be permanent, or b) have a per-recipient xp cost. I'd suggest one closer to what you'd pay to make a 9th level spell permanent with permanency -- around 4,500 - 5,00 xp per recipient. To be even a little more conservative, The initial casting might affect only one recipient, who is bound specifically to a hive mind with the caster. Future recipients could be added to the caster's hivemind at a rate of one per casting. This means creating a permanent 40-person hivemind would require 40 spells cast over many days, rather than being a something you can whip off with a single 9th-level spell slot.

[unosarta]

To make true hivemind non-epic, it should either a) not be permanent, or b) have a per-recipient xp cost. I'd suggest one closer to what you'd pay to make a 9th level spell permanent with permanency -- around 4,500 - 5,00 xp per recipient. To be even a little more conservative, The initial casting might affect only one recipient, who is bound specifically to a hive mind with the caster. Future recipients could be added to the caster's hivemind at a rate of one per casting. This means creating a permanent 40-person hivemind would require 40 spells cast over many days, rather than being a something you can whip off with a single 9th-level spell slot.

Oooh, good idea. I am also thinking of having it be that the creature has to pay an experience cost.

In addition, I greatly lowered the durations of all of the spells except True Hivemind, and I lowered the distance by a large bit. Hivemind is only 1000 feet now, Greater is 1 mile, and True is 100 miles. Some of the distances for abilities like the no-flatfooted bit have been lowered, as has the distance for spell sharing for True.

I edited in the bit about the experience point cost. Now, to make a 40 member hivemind, each member has to pay 24000 experience.

[jiriku]

Having the recipient pay the cost seems quite reasonable to me.