Epic Athas 3.5 by redking (WIP)

Rules 3rd Edition D&D or Pathfinder
#24

Another psionic enchantment conversion from Dragon Kings. Masquerade. Don’t get your hopes up about many more conversions from this product. Many of those psionic enchantments don’t really make much sense in 3E. I am pleased with this conversion.

Masquerade/Impostor

Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting] (psionic enchantment)

Spellcraft DC: 51 DC
Components: V, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Target, effect or area: One single community (a village, a town, a city or even a section of a city)
Duration: 7 days
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

To develop: 459,000 Cp, 10 days, 18,360 XP. Seed: compel (19 DC). Factors: change target to area (+10 DC). Change area to a single community (ad hoc +80 DC). Level dependent affecting 10 HD per caster level (ad hoc +25). Increase duration by 140 hours (+14 DC). Instill demeaning fiction about leader (+5 DC). Spell is reversable (ad hoc +2 DC). Mitigating factors: psionic enchantment via expenditure of epic power slot (-19 DC). 35d6 backlash damage (-35 DC). Burn 5000 XP (-50 DC).

With this spell, the caster can make the most powerful individuals in a community believe that the spell recipient is their leader. The number of individuals convinced is a function of their Hit Dice or levels, and the caster’s level. The caster can convince 10 Hit Dice or levels per caster level. When casting the spell, the caster must be physically present within the community to be affected along with the recipient of the spell (the caster or someone else). This spell passes over epic characters (individuals or creatures over 21 HD or levels) and they are not counted in the number of HD of individuals affected. The duration is one week. If the recipient of the spell is not the caster, he must be willing, or the spell fails.

The individuals affected are chosen out of the community in descending order of Hit Dice or levels (highest are convinced first, then second highest, etc., until the total Hit Dice or levels have been accounted for). Whether or not the rest of the community believes the spell recipient is their leader depends on the situation. If all the most powerful people in a small village say he is the leader, the entire village might go along with it. However, if a very few powerful people in a large city proclaim the recipient as their new leader, the rest of the population might ignore them or incite civil violence. Often, the rightful leader is affected by the spell, helping to legitimize the deception.

If the area targeted is a section of a city instead of the entire city, then the spell makes the recipient of the spell a local area chief, whatever that position may be.

This spell does not create a coherent narrative about the ‘leader’. It does not make affected individuals share an idea about ‘the one true king returned’ or anything of that nature. Quite simply, the leadership of the recipient of the spell is rationalized by each individual differently.

Sense Motive check against DC 30 can determine that the subject’s behavior is being influenced by this enchantment effect, although it does not give any details about the specifics of the spell.

The spell is inherently fraught with dangers. The reverse of the spell, impostor (casting the reverse version of the spell can be chosen at the time of casting), has the opposite effect, convincing the most powerful people in a community that their leader is a fraud. Again, the situation dictates events, but those affected are absolutely convinced they are right.

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#25

Another psionic enchantment. This is how Oronis protects his lands from defiling (to an extent).

Oronis’ Scourge

Evocation (psionic enchantment)

Spellcraft DC: 20 DC
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 minute
Target, effect or area: 100 mile radius.
Duration: Permanent (1/day effect)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

To develop: 180,000 Cp, 4 days, 7200 XP. Seed: Energy (19 DC). Factor: duplicate Backlash spell (ad hoc +12 DC). Increase range to 100 mile radius, centered on New Kurn (+98 DC). Effect resets 1/day on the first defiler to defile on that day (ad hoc duration +20 DC). Mitigating factors: psionic enchantment via expenditure of epic power slot (-19 DC). 50d6 backlash damage (-50 DC). Burn 6000 XP (-60 DC).

This is an epic version of the preserver’s scourge (Backlash) spell (page 142, Dark Sun Core Rules 3.5). Should a defiler try to tap into land that is protected by Oronis’ Scourge in Kurn (centered on New Kurn for a 100 mile radius), she automatically takes 5d6+5 of damage. The defiler must make a Concentration check (DC 10 + spell level + damage dealt) in order to continue casting her spell. Once it has inflicted damage, the spell is discharged and the ground returns to normal.

This is a resetting spell that resets once a day, and only affects the first attempt to defile on any particular day. Defilers know about this effect, but do not know the true cause. They only know that the region of Kurn is strangely hostile to defiling, affecting defilers at random. Most defilers in the Kurn region believe spirits of the land to be responsible for the effect.

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#26

Hey redking, I have to come to notice that the dragon and avangion magic feats don’t scale like their class feature counterparts in legends of athas. Was this intentional or an oversight?

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#27

I haven’t decided how to handle it.

The Dragon Magic feature as it scales has been rendered obsolete by the other features in my epic Athas work. I don’t feel particularly loyal to the mechanic. Important to look at the WHY of the mechanic. Its a way to harvest XP for use in spells. My version has enough XP to go around. I am inclined to make Dragon Magic and Avangion Magic the prerequisite for applying the Advance Being subtype.

#28

Not strictly true, for either mechanic, both improve your terrain type, and dragon magic does more damage when casting a spell, and enables dragon meatamagic and extended dragon meta magic.

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#29

If you are talking about the Athas dot org mechanics for drawing power, I honestly don’t pay much attention to it. Shadow wizards, ceruleans, and necromants have an absolute advantage when it comes to drawing energy.

I’ll look into it.

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Restoring the defiling and preserving dichotomy to the Dark Sun setting
#30

You should, at least a little. Up to a +2 to save dc’s and caster level for every spell is no joke, even if I also feel the base system is lacking. Raze feats also help.

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#31

By the way, redking, I’ve looked back some on the avangion transformation, both the legends of athas one and the 2e one, and it strikes me that the biggest problem with the spells themselves is that they are almost the definition of needing serious ad-hoc factors, seeing as they have nowhere near the material cost (in gold and lives) of the dragon transformation. Have you thought any more about the mechanics of the avangion spells?

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#32

Ad hoc mitigating factors? Or factors? Or both?

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#33

Both. Like with the dragon transformation, there’s some flavor elements that vanished between editions, and useful things added in 3e, but I’m just generally eager, seeing how much I liked your revised dragon rules, to know more about your avangions (also, I’m interested in building one. I could build Oronis, but I could also do what I did with dragons and see how it all works at the highest levels)

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#34

OK. Do Avangions actually have limbs or do they become disabled because of metamorphosis? The 2E lore says yes, my rational mind says no. LOL.

EDIT: I need to go back to 2E Dragon Kings to work out what the intentions of the designers were in 2E for avangions, and then translate these intentions into the 3E system.

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#35

Yep, you could also look at Defilers and Preservers. Half the problem, I think, is that the intentions were all over the place. Beyond the statistical elements, between Dragon Kings and Defilers and Preservers, Avangions were talked about as being connected to water, air, light, life, holding “extreme magical power” even compared to dragons and being called delicate more than once. The statistics, of course, don’t really line up terribly well with many of these elements. (I can try to find page numbers for the above information, if you like. Some of it is near the beginning of Dragon Kings, some from Defilers and Preservers, some from the adventure with Korgunard’s transformation and some from the short story Service by Lynn Abbey with an Avangion called Amiska from the Black Flames Adventure.)

The other half of the problem, and the reason for the above, is that Avangions were never given even the level of thought Dragons were. The Dragon of Tyr was a staple of the setting from fairly early in its conception, and in general a Dragon is a fairly straightforward beast, even if TSR managed to mess that up too. Avangions are more complicated, but just seemed to have had some general angelic type abilities thrown on them without further thought as to what the were actually supposed to be or represent.

The elemental cleric transformation had it even worse of course, both thematically and statistically (I mean, they literally got weaker when going from 29th to 30th level, it’s so stupid, and who knows if their psionics advanced. Also, I am now made of rocks is an extremely uninspiring advanced being concept to begin with when there are no magical or interesting abilities attached), and the advanced druid transformation literally consists of a table with 2 columns, that being hit points and armor class.

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#36

Lol. You aren’t going to make it easy for me and let me off the hook, are you?

The way I see it the issues are all on the metamorphosis side. I don’t need to do anything with the salient feats… Which is good!

The Avangion should be able to match a dragon of the same level and metamorphosis, individual differences notwithstanding. I’ve been busy recently organizing my mother’s funeral (don’t worry - she had a long life) so it may be a while before I do it.

Not sure how I am going to replace the mitigating factors like the living sacrifice. Maybe the Avangion creates, instead of destroys. Perhaps to advance to the next step (meaning, to get that juicy mitigating factor) they need to cast their metamorphosis spell within a restored area. Restored by prolific forestation and prolific vegetation, spells that I have already converted to 3E. And so on.

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#37

Nope :grinning:

Between the varying requirements for the spells 2e and 3e LoA, there should be some ways to go about it. I’ll look into it and drop some suggestions. I’d probably start with a list of the “mitigating factors” that were used in 2e and 3e as base ideas, then remove or modify the stupider ones (notably, the whole adventuring without so much as interacting with a sentient creature unless it’s something you kill one).

Oh. I’m sorry.

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#38

Warning: Long.

Some useful quotes for avangions:

Rather than becoming a fearsome dragon, however, the pre- server emerges as a beautiful, fragile creature that looks much like a gossamer- winged butterfly. This process is also extremely painful, but the avangion gains in Wisdom rather than falling prey to savagery. (defilers and preservers 38)

Each class metamorphoses into a different advanced form. Defiler/psionicists become drag- ons. Preserver/psionicists become avangions, ex- tremely delicate creatures of tremendous magical power. A defiler or preserver cannot advance past
20th level without becoming an advanced being. (dragon kings 9)

The transformation requires a similar process, a series of steps that lead from human to avangion, but whereas the defiler/dragon metamorphosis is characterized by massive destruction and great pain, the preserver/avangion blend is a more se- rene, peaceful process of light, water, and the life- giving properties of a dying world. (dragon kings 42)

In his present state, Korgunard can be used like a tree of life by the defiler to
charge his defiling spells (arcane shadows some page. there are no page numbers in this section and I’m not counting).

speaking of arcane shadows Korgunards transformation involves water and ends up creating a bunch of plants. (that said, in general I take arcane shadows with a grain of salt)

Mitigating factors:

2e stage 1-3: isolation period at 75% xp, must gain 25% xp alone: the preserver must spend the isola- tion period gathering physical remains of the ene- mies of life, usually those of high level defilers—their bodily remains, destructive belongings or artifacts, ash from their spellcasting, etc. These items are evi- dence of devotion to life and the land. The spell must then be cast at night, beneath the light of both Athasian moons. The casting time is six hours.

2e stage 4-6: complete isolation at 75% xp, must gain remaining xp without contact with any creature that is not a foe to be defeated. The material components at the middle levels are gifts gathered from no fewer than three powerful good creatures during isolation. The powerful crea- tures realize the consequences of contact for the pre- server, so they leave the gifts to be found after the preserver achieves extremely dangerous or impor- tant goals.
The material component for the spell (not con- sumed in casting) is a single tree or bush personally saved by the preserver from defiler magic destruc- tion. The casting time is 12 hours. At the time of casting, there must be living vegetation for at least one mile in all directions, untainted by defiler ash or evil creatures.

2e stage 7-9: must gain final 25% xp with up to 8 10+ level good companions.The material components are a single gift from each of the companions in the core group. During the casting of the spell, the preserver must have the aid of a single companion for the entire length of the ceremony. If the companion is not ab- solutely good, the spell fails and the companion is slain in the release of failed magical energy. Com- panions cannot repeat the process with a single preserver

2e stage 10: To cast this spell, the preserver must make an area of lush vegetation (crops, scrub- grass, forests, or any combination) at least five miles in diameter. The preparation time for the spell equals the time it takes the preserver to create these lush lands. At the time of casting, the lush lands must be free of evil creatures.
The material components for the spell are a dia- mond of no less than 10,000 gp value with which to capture the life- giving qualities of sunlight, a stone tomb large enough to hold the preserver’s body, and a perfectly sealed glass case built around the tomb. The casting time is one round. Upon casting, the preserver/avangion, diamond, and stone tomb dis- appear, bound for planes unknown. The DM then secretly rolls 2d12—this is the number of months before the return of the preserver, in final avangion form, to the glass case. If the glass case is damaged in the meantime, the avangion is lost to oblivion.

3e made Avangions have focus structures of a sort, and used the companion part of the 7-9 spells to add 8 additional casters contributing 5th level spell slots. Final stage had a huge ad-hoc reduction based on the 2e version.

If you’d like I can try to do a statistical breakdown of what I feel the spells should give them overall and add in suggestions based on my own thoughts on what powers it might give that were not in the 2e or 3e version as well as what I find weird about both.

Edit: Also, from the 4e epic destiny: You feel the pulse of the world and hear the whis- pers of its spirits. Your soul keeps you in a constant meditative connection with creation. The life force of Athas weaves its threads into your being, linking your mind, body, and soul with the world. Using this connection, you can alter your mortal form to become a bright, winged spirit.

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#39

2e, 3e and 4e useful stats:

2e: By level 30: either 10 hit dice or 68 (hooray for TSR editing!), Thac0 7, AC -6, MR 80%. Immune to attacks from all monsters and all weapons below +5 enhancement bonus. Speed fly 60 (A). Aura 200 foot radius dispels darkness, protection from evil, ray of enfeeblement on evil creatures, and globe of invulnerability. +5 to Wisdom (can go to 25). They are immortal and gain four spell-like abilities that are permanently active: tongues, know alignment, ESP, and detect lies.
physically has no limbs and a 90 foot wingspan.

3e: by 10th stage: same wingspan, hit dice irrelevant, aura is identical. Weirdly, detect thoughts is not included in their innate spell ability list. Huge size, Aberration type. fly 400 (perfect). total of +5 natural and +12 defection bonus to armor class. DR 20/–, SR/PR=hit dice +18). constant levitate and far hand psi like abilties. int mod to grapple checks. no requirement of material or somatic components for non epic spells. Has unique ability boost from size gain mechanics (no strength bonus, adds half to int instead) total ability score boosts (counting inherent bonuses granted from the spells= str +0, dex -2, con+8, int+8, wis+3, cha+5)

4e: main thing of note is a focus on radiant damage and possession of limited healing powers.

EDIT:

Can you explain your issues with this a little more? I might be able to offer suggestions. (on that note, I’ve seen a pathfinder conversion of the metamorphosis where they gave avangions wing attacks).

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#40

Avangions have no arms. They can’t hold an item. They can’t wear an item in their arm slot because they don’t have arms. Here’s how you fk up an Avangion. Cast geas on the Avangion and tell it to pick up that pen or rock or whatever. It can’t do it.

#41

well, legends of athas gave them far hand and the ability to absorb items for a reason. still, I agree it could be altered a little.

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#42

Giving avangions ghost limbs as a passive psionic ability wouldn’t be game breaking. There shouldn’t be an issue with rings or bracers as that goes against game balance. Perhaps these things can be absorbed within the character or some such concession.

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#43

I like this idea. This does bring up the oft debated question of what kind of physical appearance avangions should have, but this idea is neat regardless. Do you have any other ideas for the transformation? If Redking is going to be unavailable for some time, I could try my hand at developing some of the spells myself, though I’m still trying to figure out what the final benefits and form should look like. Once I have an idea for the final benefits and typical mitigating factors, I can start breaking it into chunks, basically, working backwards.

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