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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Apr 2007 : 23:27:53
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After reading over some of Ed's old spellbooks from sources like Pages from the Mages, I noticed that he has a lot of "a version of fireball but it needs X for a material component instead of Y," or "a poorly written version of spell X that takes up a higher level spell slot because of its poor construction."
Beyond coming up with spells with alternate components or spellbooks with "less than optimal" casting proceedures (thus making a spell higher level), do you suppose a spell caster could write a "sabotaged" spell. For example, a form of Domination that is specifically constructed so that it could never affect the writer of the spell in question, thus protecting the "master" from the "apprentice," if they ever came into conflict.
If such a thing is possible, do you suppose a character with a high enough Spellcraft check could pick out such intentional alterations to a spell formula? And what would the DC be to come up with such a "clause" in a spell.
In fact, here is a nasty thought . . . if this is possible to do, how many wizards in Faerun do you suppose might be running around with spells from spellbooks they have found in this or that tomb that would never have a shot at affecting, say, Larloch?
Just wondering what people think on this one, for no particular reason. 
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The Hooded One
Lady Herald of Realmslore
5056 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2007 : 01:53:36
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Well spotted!
You've hit upon one of Ed's "home" Realms roleplaying wrinkles that TSR glossed over lightly so as to avoid a lot of confusion. Couple what you've posted about with the spell creation processes Ed outlined in VOLO'S GUIDE TO ALL THINGS MAGICAL, and you've got the basis for an intensive roleplaying campaign (perhaps one-player-one-DM, perhaps as many as three players) centered on advancing as a mage through spell research, experimentation, intrigue, and a little adventuring.
Ed had a LOT of "faulty" Realms spells out there (that is, floating around the "home" Realms), to confound both PCs and NPCs. Many spells found in tombs are traps or "planted" lures; those of us who played what 3e calls "arcane spellcasters" had to be VERY wary.
love,
THO |
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KnightErrantJR
Great Reader
USA
5402 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2007 : 02:35:12
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Heh . . . well then, I guess I have precedence on my side. It makes perfect sense that someone could do something of this nature. I can imagine this would definately play into a spellcaster finding a trustworthy master to learn from, and make discovered spellbooks much more of a "fatal attraction." ("I really want to learn Manshoon's Bonetwister, but can I trust a spellbook that we found lying out in the open in a Zhent camp?")
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11701 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2007 : 15:17:45
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>>In fact, here is a nasty thought . . . if this is possible to do, how many wizards in Faerun >>do you suppose might be running around with spells from spellbooks they have found in this >>or that tomb that would never have a shot at affecting, say, Larloch?
Or how many liches were created using a variant lich potion that made them servants of Larloch... I mean, who says he defeated all those liches and enslaved them magically.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11701 Posts |
Posted - 06 Apr 2007 : 15:23:51
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oh, the wickedness... Knight, you've kicked my mind nasty Thayan mind into overdrive. How about these for some sinister little plots which could add a little fun to a game?
A portal that has temporarily been modified to transport the user to a prison and create a simulacrum of them which appears at the exit (this could be a spell effect, one time use trap type spell, etc..). Neat way for a spy to be placed into an adventuring party.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Darkmeer
Senior Scribe
USA
505 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2007 : 02:08:53
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Seeing as I'm playing a spellcaster in an upcoming KEJR campaign...
You are an evil man.
But seriously, I'm quite a fan of this. It even makes opening up some "wu-jen" spells available to normal wizards, due to strange formulae, but advancing them one to two levels, depending on the source.
As to sabotaged spells, a fireball that can't affect the caster would be mighty useful, but there are feats for that, as well as a few spells. The ones that are most useful, at least to me, are divinations and enchantments. Making onesself immune to a spell out of your spellbook would be quite handy, although I would certainly ban the use of such things for offensive spells in favor of increasing the level of the spell.
hmmm, Flavor? Yes.
/d |
"These people are my family, not just friends, and if you want to get to them you gotta go through ME." |
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Bladedancer
Learned Scribe
USA
149 Posts |
Posted - 10 Apr 2007 : 05:02:44
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I just recently sprung a spelltrapped (kinda) spellbook of an Arcane Trickster/Wild mage who worshipped Erevan Ilesere on one of my pc's. Who just happens to be a drow wizard. So far the book has cursed him in the following ways.
1. His skin now turns blue anytime he lies.
2. He has lost all his hair on his head which then transferred to his nose and ears.
3. Caused him to drink only apple brandy as any other liquid tastes like ashes. |
Solarr Bladedancer
Mercenary For Hire
Master of the Ginsu Knives
They Slice They Dice They Will Cut through A Tin Can |
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sleyvas
Skilled Spell Strategist
USA
11701 Posts |
Posted - 11 Apr 2007 : 16:44:53
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>>Seeing as I'm playing a spellcaster in an upcoming KEJR campaign...
>>You are an evil man.
LOL, sorry. But, I guess now I gotta really prove it.
"Potions" that work as scrying "antennae", enhancing a mage spying on the person's ability to scry on individuals that he hasn't even met. For those parties that just don't have a chance to identify those potions mid-adventure but chuck them in the sack to be checked out later.
Attuned Gems, placed in the loot that have teleport spells on them, transporting characters that touch them into a room filled with disenchanters .
Ah, that's enough for now <g>.
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Alavairthae, may your skill prevail
Phillip aka Sleyvas |
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Sanishiver
Senior Scribe
USA
476 Posts |
Posted - 15 Apr 2007 : 08:41:43
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The DM would just have to roll in secret for the player to see if they discover the spell-trap/sabotage after the first read through of the discovered spell.
Stuff like this would be good from an RP perspective. Heck I could even see players trying to pen such spells themselves and arrange for bad guy NPCs or other foes to find them, so the bad guys get hosed.
Even better maybe slip in to a Thayan Enclave and swap out their standard spell formulae texts with forgeries, where those forgeries might alert certain individuals (say, Harpers or War Wizards) whenever such spells are cast and allow the alerted individual a brief glimpse of teh caster.
Who needs Eberron for cloak and dagger intrigue when one already has a place perfectly suited to it like the Realms?
J. Grenemyer |
09/20/2008: Tiger Army at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz. You wouldn’t believe how many females rode it out in the pit. Santa Cruz women are all of them beautiful. Now I know to add tough to that description.
6/27/2008: WALL-E is about the best damn movie Pixar has ever made. It had my heart racing and had me rooting for the good guy.
9/9/2006: Dave Mathews Band was off the hook at the Shoreline Amphitheater.
Never, ever read the game books too literally, or make such assumptions that what is omitted cannot be. Bad DM form, that.
And no matter how compelling a picture string theory paints, if it does not accurately describe our universe, it will be no more relevant than an elaborate game of Dungeons and Dragons. --paragraph 1, chapter 9, The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene |
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"Sabotaged" Spell Formulae
