Epic Developments
Hello, everyone. As you may have noticed, we’ve gone epic here at NNW this week, and From the Workshop is no exception. Today I have not one but four brand new epic spells, using the epic spellcasting rules from The Epic Level Handbook (available as part of the SRD, for those of you who don’t have The Epic Level Handbook). As a quick note before we get started, in order to keep the epic spellcasting rules compatible with Pathfinder, I’ve replaced the XP costs with equivalent gp costs, denoted as special ingredients in oils, incense, or similar. If you prefer to spend XP over gp, then you’d just need to reverse that, at a rate of 1 XP = 5 gp.
Align the Stars
School Transmutation
Spellcraft DC 35
Components V, S, F (20,000 gp in astrological equipment)
Casting Time 24 hours
Effect celestial convergence
Duration 7 days
Saving Throw none
Spell Resistance no
To Develop 315,000 gp; 6 days; 63,000 gp in star charts. Seeds: none. Factors: Ad hoc DC 35
When this spell is cast, it realigns the stars in the sky, creating a more advantageous environment for the spellcaster to practice his craft. For the spell’s duration, you gain a bonus on all Spellcraft checks made to develop or cast epic spells. This bonus is equal to ½ your level, rounded down.
Many epic spells take longer than 7 days to develop. You must be under the effects of align the stars for the entire development process in order to gain the benefit. You may pause your research in order to recast align the stars, and then resume research once it takes effect again.
Create Portal
School Transmutation [Teleportation]
Spellcraft DC 37
Components V, S, M (35,000 gp in magical runes)
Casting Time 14 days
Range touch
Target one doorway or arch
Effect one portal
Duration Instantaneous
Saving Throw none
Spell Resistance no
To Develop 333,000 gp; 7 days; 66,600 gp in special oils. Seeds: transportation (DC 27). Factors: Portal can access another plane (DC +4), portal is permanent (DC x5), 14-day casting time (DC -48), material component cost (DC -70).
Once this spell is cast, the touched doorway becomes a permanent portal to a specific location, determined by the caster. The location can be on any plane, but the caster must have at least basic information about the location, and insufficient knowledge of the target area may cause the portal to go to the wrong destination, or not to function at all. The portal can transport up to 1,000 lbs at a time.
Once the portal is created, any creature which walks through it is immediately transported to the destination. If desired, the caster may specify a password which must be said, or item which must be held or worn, in order for the portal to function, but this decision must be made at the time of the casting, and cannot later be changed. Multiple portals may be placed on the same doorway, though if they do not have special requirements in order to function, the destination will be determined randomly from among the existing portals.
Portals created by this spell are one-way, but by placing a return portal on the other side, the portal can be made effectively two-way.
Extirpate
School Necromancy [Death]
Spellcraft DC 85
Components V, S
Casting Time Standard action
Range 300 ft.
Target One living creature, and that creature’s bloodline
Duration Instantaneous
Saving Throw Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance Yes
To Develop 765,000 gp; 15 days; 153,000 gp in necromantic incense. Seeds: slay (DC 25). Factors: Undetermined number of additional, pre-determined targets (ad-hoc DC 30), unlimited range for additional targets (ad-hoc DC 10), 1-action casting time (DC 20).
Once the spell is cast, the target must succeed on a Fortitude save or be instantly slain. Even on a successful save, the target still takes 3d6+20 points of damage. If the target fails the save, then each of the target’s immediate family members (brothers, sisters, parents, and children) are also affected by the spell, and must succeed on a Fortitude save or be slain. The spell spreads from there through the character’s bloodline, stopping only when a target succeeds on its Fortitude save, or when there are no more immediate relatives to target. A creature who successfully saves against a particular casting of extirpate cannot be made to save against it again, even if multiple family members fail their saving throws.
The spell spreads through the target’s bloodline regardless of distance, as long as the target is on the same plane. No matter how great the target’s family tree, this spell cannot slay more than 25 creatures at any one time.
(For example, extirpate is cast on Julian d’Estate, a lesser nobleman. He fails his saving throw, and is slain. Then, his father, Jacob d’Estate, and his sister, Emily Bolimar, must succeed on saving throws, or be slain. Jacob succeeds on his saving throw, but Emily fails, and is slain. Now, her son, William Bolimar, must succeed on a saving throw. Her father, Jacob d’Estate, does not need to make another saving throw, as he has already succeeded on one for this casting of the spell. William Bolimar fails his save, and so his father, Emily’s husband, is now subject to the spell. If he fails his save, the spell will pass on through his entire family.)
Alright, well, I guess I sort of lied, because this last one is actually a seed, rather than a spell in and of itself. Still…
Seed: Levitation
Transmutation
Spellcraft DC 18
Components V, S
Casting Time 1 minute
Range 300 ft.
Target One creature or object weighing up to 1,000 lbs
Duration 1 hour
Saving Throw Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance Yes (harmless)
Spells using the levitation seed cause their target to defy gravity. If the target is a creature, it gains a fly speed equal to its normal movement speed. If the target is an inanimate object, it is able to float. In the case of an inanimate object, the caster can telekinetically move the target through the air at a rate of 10 feet per round.
To affect targets in excess of 1,000 lbs, increase the DC by +2 for every 100 additional lbs. You can increase the fly speed granted to the target to twice their base speed by adding an additional +4 to the DC. Finally, by increasing the DC by +8, you can allow an inanimate object targeted by the spell to have a fly speed of 60 feet. The object can be controlled mentally by the caster, or, if it has an obvious control mechanism (levers on an apparatus of the crab, or the helm of a ship), that can be used to maneuver the object as well.