Epic Athas 3.5 by redking (WIP)

[redking]

I am trying out the dictate function of Word. Here the start of an explanation I am working on for metamophosis.

How to manage an advanced being metamorphosis

There is a stringent process for the metalmorphosis of advanced beings. The ten-stage process of metamorphosis for advanced beings is set in stone. The process of metamorphosis is laid out in the defiler and preserver epic spells. Each of these spells can be customised, but only additions to the factors are allowed not deletions of the factors. That is, new abilities can be added but not taken away. If an advanced being is unable to meet the spell DC of the next metamorphosis spell then it may if it wishes to use a gentle metamorphosis to obtain some of the factors from the next metamorphoses spell early and thus eliminate the relevant DC from the next metamorphosis spell, reducing the required DC.

The budding advanced being is not free to deviate from its path. The advance being may delay its metamorphosis, but ultimately the advanced being will feel an urgent need to advance to the next stage. Of course, advanced beings live for thousands of years, so this sense of urgency is unlike that felt by mortals.

There are ten and only ten psionic enchantments until full metamorphosis. The entire metamorphoses must be done in ten steps, however any gaps in the metamorphosis may be filled or random abilities may be obtained via gentle metamorphosis, the limits of which dictated by the number of ranks cut the advance being has in the psiotheurgy skill. Gentle metamorphosis never uses a focus structure and is never cast as part of a ritual.

[Imraisen (J)]

@redking

Each of these spells can be customised, but only additions to the factors are allowed not deletions of the factors. That is, new abilities can be added but not taken away. If an advanced being is unable to meet the spell DC of the next metamorphosis spell then it may if it wishes to use a gentle metamorphosis to obtain some of the factors from the next metamorphoses spell early and thus eliminate the relevant DC from the next metamorphosis spell, reducing the required DC.

Just so I’m clear, there are two options to deviate:

1. For added factors, the advanced being can customize the metamorphosis spell.
   1a) These added factors can be abilities from the next metamorphosis spell in order (i.e., a stage II avangion about to cast preserver metamorphosis III can increase the Spellcraft DC by adding a factor to borrow an ability from preserver metamorphosis IV)
   1b) These added factors can customize an ability that is not standard in the existing metamorphosis spells

2. The advanced being that meets the psiotheurgy prereqs can use gentle metamorphosis to grab either 1a (which will give an ability in advance, but not reduce the Spellcraft DC of the next stage because factors can’t be removed), or 1b to grab an ability outside the current progression of metamorphosis

EDIT: This will mess everything up that I’ve learned in the last two weeks.

[redking]

@Imraisen

1a) These added factors can be abilities from the next metamorphosis spell in order (i.e., a stage II avangion about to cast preserver metamorphosis III can increase the Spellcraft DC by adding a factor to borrow an ability from preserver metamorphosis IV )

Yes. It can add a factor to metamorphosis 3 from metamorphosis 4. It may not however remove any factor from metamorphosis 3 in exchange. In this case, you have already fulfilled the factor for metamorphosis 4, and you can take the cost of that factor off the cost of producing the metamorphosis 4 spell.

@Imraisen

1b) These added factors can customize an ability that is not standard in the existing metamorphosis spells

Yes. You can add some random ability, for example, like cerebral expansion.

@Imraisen

The advanced being that meets the psiotheurgy prereqs can use gentle metamorphosis to grab either 1a (which will give an ability in advance, but not reduce the Spellcraft DC of the next stage because factors can’t be removed), or 1b to grab an ability outside the current progression of metamorphosis

The advanced being has not removed the factor, but fulfilled it earlier. So if there is a factor in metamorphosis 4, it has to be either in the spell or already completed.

EDIT: What I am getting at here is there may be advanced beings, that for whatever reason, cannot meet the Spellcraft DC of their next metamorphosis spells. The impatient (probably someone like Farcluun) will use a gentle metamorphosis to pick up a factor or two early, so the next metamorphosis (the ritualized one with the focus structures) are easier to pull off.

[Imraisen (J)]

@redking

EDIT: What I am getting at here is there may be advanced beings, that for whatever reason, cannot meet the Spellcraft DC of their next metamorphosis spells. The impatient (probably someone like Farcluun) will use a gentle metamorphosis to pick up a factor or two early, so the next metamorphosis (the ritualized one with the focus structures) are easier to pull off.

Got it. I like it.

I also think maybe Spellcraft DC’s for the metamorphosis spells should be revisited. Maybe. They shouldn’t be impossible because they already cost a fortune and lives and at least 27 levels, but 67 and 72 doesn’t seem impossible. If I have the psiotheurgy bonus, my +25 from Int, 30 ranks, +2 synergy from KS Arcana, a +2 masterwork tool, and Skill Focus (Spellcraft), I’m at 62+ psiotheurgy before I cast a spell to give me a bonus to the roll.

I’d be adding every factor I could for an increase in abilities. At least one or two every stage.

I think this is the point that created Khalid-Ma and Kalak, and it’s sooooooo tempting.

@redking

cerebral expansion

Link or description? My mind is failing me on this one.

[redking]

@Imraisen

I also think maybe Spellcraft DC’s for the metamorphosis spells should be revisited

The Spellcraft DCs will be revisited. They are placeholders for now. Especially the factors for metamorphosis. But -

@Imraisen

at 62+ psiotheurgy before I cast a spell to give me a bonus to the roll

Psiotheurgy has no check. It’s just a flat bonus to your Spellcraft DC equal to your apparent ranks psiotheurgy when you expend an epic power slot at the when casting an epic spell (as a Psionic enchantment). I’ll have to make that clear. It was clear in the previous iteration. Maybe I accidentally deleted it.

Edit: You’ve made me think of something. The ritualised metamorphosis spells should not be used for novel metamorphosis. Instead, quickened metamorphosis should ONLY include factors from the next stage. Because it is accelerated, there should be some extra cost for the factors from the higher rank (and only from one rank up). I’m glad you asked me about this.

Any novel stuff has to be from gentle metamorphosis, or an entirely new form of metamorphosis (a ten level shadow shifter, a variant dragon like a shadow dragon or something).

Edit 2: new forms of metamorphosis into variant or completely different advance beings could nonetheless has the same total cost for factors and mitigating factors and final spell DC. Operating within those guidelines makes it easy to design metamorphosis spells.

Edit 3: What about Kalak and Kalid-Ma? Both are dead or missing. DM fiat.

Edit 4: What happens when I have all the rank 10 factors at rank 9? Then you are allowed to go to town at rank 10 and put in whatever you like.

@Imraisen

Link or description? My mind is failing me on this one

It’s in the first post. The metamorphosis PDF with some of my custom factors.

[Imraisen (J)]

@redking

Psiotheurgy has no check. It’s just a flat bonus to your Spellcraft DC equal to your apparent ranks psiotheurgy when you expend an epic power slot at the when casting an epic spell (as a Psionic enchantment). I’ll have to make that clear. It was clear in the previous iteration. Maybe I accidentally deleted it.

No, it was clear, I just hadn’t committed the numeric effect to memory yet. I knew it gave a bonus based on something; couldn’t recall the exact number.

@redking

You’ve made me think of something.

Yessssssssss

@redking

Edit 3 : What about Kalak and Kalid-Ma? Both are dead or missing. DM fiat.

Meaning ‘Oh! I can do this metamorphosis all at once if I murder enough people to offset the Spellcraft DC! Why wait?’

@redking

Edit 4: What happens when I have all the rank 10 factors at rank 9? Then you are allowed to go to town at rank 10 and put in whatever you like.

And if I combine so many in fewer castings, then there is this. Four-winged Dragon! With avangion glow! Who causes earthquakes when he sneezes! Kidding, but wanted to make sure I was getting it right.

[redking]

@Imraisen

And if I combine so many in fewer castings, then there is this. Four-winged Dragon! With avangion glow! Who causes earthquakes when he sneezes! Kidding, but wanted to make sure I was getting it right.

Lol. The original version of metamorphosis from Legends of Athas has no limitations at all. You could, for example, boost your ability scores or whatever on a daily basis using metamorphosis. And the metamorphosis spells stayed in your memory. So you just do it daily. The Epic Bureau was repeatedly asked about how this breaks quickly, but they just brushed any concerns aside.

I made gentle metamorphosis to handle edge cases and non advanced being cases of metamorphosis (like Dregoth’s templar, Mon Adderath).

[Imraisen (J)]

Ok, I stole a few minutes to piece together my outline of Farcluun so I can get to messing it up with the other two NPC opponents. I went down the psionic PrC rabbit hole first when I couldn’t make the psion the way I wanted, and now am back to this.

Then I got confused on the number of updates since I ran through the avangion test case.

Salient feats are still granted retroactively upon the casting the first stage, with AB automatically, and then selections for 22, 25, etc.

Psiotheurgy is granted when the prereqs are met, and under the new Secular Authority-like skill (ranks equal to lesser of two relevant skills).

Am I missing where the proposed evolution score comes in? Is that just a bonus to psiotheurgy ranks with the +1 per stage of metamorphosis spell and +3 per 10 levels of Evolved Paragon? Want to make sure I’m accounting for all of the changes.

[redking]

Psiotheurgy = the lower of your knowledge arcana and knowledge psionics ranks. No skill checks for psiotheurgy.

Evolution score = your level +3, your ranks of metamorphosis. If you have 10 levels in EP, you get an additional+3 to the evolution score. Let’s take Graytch for example.

Graytch 35th level and has 5 ranks of defiler metamorphosis. From his levels he gets +38 to evolution score, and from metamorphosis he gets +5, for a total of 43.

To have a evolution score you need the advanced being trait. You get the score after your first metamorphosis.

[Imraisen (J)]

Anyone have a decent selection of powers for a 20th level Nomad or Egoist? I’m lazy on that front and get stuck with the same choices for powers. Close to Farcluun build being done.

Additional note: I think the DC’s are ridiculous l for the AB, which makes targeted saves a viable tactic. Nothing like a DC 40-something decerebrate in the opening salvo against a wizard with a Fort save in the high teens.

[redking]

DC from high ability scores?

After you have done your test with 4 vs 1, put Farcluun in a death match with one of the dukes of hell from this publication.

The Gates of Hell, by Dicefreaks Publishing

EDIT: Fission. Split into 2, doubling your action economy. Use Hyperconscious (do you have it?) for persist power.

EDIT 2: In Black Flames, Farcluun engages in physical combat with Abalach-Re. I’m guessing that Farcluun has a bunch of psychic warrior powers obtained through Psychic Chiurgury.

After schism (fission, sorry), the additional Farcluun manifests Claws of the Vampire and Psionic Lion’s Charge, which automatically manifests as a swift action. Next round Farcluun’s copy goes funky with a quickened Form of Doom, netting him 4 additional tentacle attacks in addition to being thematically cool. Third round the copy of Farcluun manifests Expansion with the swift action augment and the 2 size category increase augment, becoming more terrifying and increasing threat range.

The original Farcluun casts Gate to call an Elemental Monolith into the fight to soak up damage and distract. Next round he casts a heightened maximized empowered Stinking Cloud to impose the nauseated condition on the foe. If a foe appears unaffected, the original Farcluun hits one of them with heightened Insanity

This isn’t meant to be an optimised attack routine. It just uses the SRD. This is meant to show that Farcluun is a cruel combatant, grinding down his enemies.

If Farcluun wins, the foe will wish they were dead. Black Flames claims that Farcluun is LE, but he is probably CE, based on the fact that he doesn’t even contemplate keeping a promise even when it doesn’t hurt him to do so. The characters defeated by Farcluun will end up in some sort of suicide squad, shackeled to Farcluun’s will by magical or psionic means, similar to what happens in Black Flames. Most likely mission? They each have to murder a Raamin templar at least once a day, effectively becoming terrorists or face the consequences of the curse that Farcluun placed on them. Of course, the curse also prevent them from asking for help.

If one of the Farcluun instances is destroyed by the foe, Farcluun flees. But Farcluun will be back, and soon. Most likely Farcluun has the salient feat Recuperation, and will restore his spells and power points to full in 2 hours. Unless his foes have a good place to hide, Farcluun will be back with a vengeance and will rinse and repeat until victory. The smart foe will cast dimensional anchor to prevent Farcluun from fleeing. If they are high level and know about Farcluun’s abilities, they will surely do that.

Keen to hear your thoughts.

[Imraisen (J)]

@redking

Keen to hear your thoughts.

This is good. I also thought he would be more physical and was wondering how I would accomplish that that. I was going to cherry pick discipline powers through the research function, and didn’t want to go overboard on anything added between psychic surgery, and one custom power (a microcosm that isn’t mind-affecting).

No aspiring dragon king has survived without knowing he’s being spied on, and while the others may get the drop on him, that too is an illusion. The fight you describe is certainly real, for the time-hopped epic simulacrum. Farcluun knows the first rounds will exhaust the careful setups, contingencies, and the overwhelming force of his opponents. So he’ll show up on round 3 or 4 with his own fissioned self to assert dominance.

@redking

DC from high ability scores?

Yeah, it’s a +10. Inherent, enhancement, age, base and levels makes the modifier from Int +23. Plus the base plus the level of the spell or power, before any outside additives. DC 33 plus the level of the spell. Anything heightened makes it worse. My initial setup has two Improved Spell Capacity feats, with the salient feat that gives two-for-one, he has access to 13th level slots. That’s DC mid-40’s for anything requiring a save. Those babies are getting through anything that isn’t outright immunity.

@redking

. Use Hyperconscious (do you have it?) for persist power.

Yes; I’ll go let that change everything I’ve thought of so far.

I have also considered spell haste from Kingdoms of Kalamar as something the SM’s and other AB’s would have figured out or researched, even as a higher level spell.

[redking]

@Imraisen

I have also considered spell haste from Kingdoms of Kalamar as something the SM’s and other AB’s would have figured out or researched, even as a higher level spell.

Person A mentions respected third party product Hyperconscious by creator of 3.5e psionics, person B pisses in the punch at a high class function by mentioning Kingdoms of Kalamar in polite company. Just sayin’.

Let me know how your 4 vs 1 fight goes. Then put Farcluun against a Duke of Hell. If he wins, put him in the ring against an Archduke.

[Imraisen (J)]

@redking

Person A mentions respected third party product Hyperconscious by creator of 3.5e psionics, person B pisses in the punch at a high class function by mentioning Kingdoms of Kalamar in polite company. Just sayin’.

This cracked me up, and is completely accurate. I’ll refrain from further stupidity.

For years I’ve been wondering how to capture the essence of millennial, immortal, formerly-mortal monarchs and what they should be able to pull off, then backing away from the extremes. With centuries to refine spells and powers and their interaction, they are likely to approach everything through the lens of T.O., and experiment heavily within the constraints of the world. It’s maddening to ask, ‘why did they only go this far?’

@redking

Let me know how your 4 vs 1 fight goes. Then put Farcluun against a Duke of Hell. If he wins, put him in the ring against an Archduke.

Do you have a page number on that document for those? I scanned through every ten pages or so through 200, but it’s a big document with no table of contents. I never knew this 3rd party existed, so now I have something else to read. Did they make other 3.5 content worth picking up?

EDIT: Are we limiting Hyperconscious to persistent power, or is it open?

[redking]

@Imraisen

Are we limiting Hyperconscious to persistent power, or is it open?

Given that its well respected, its open. Re-fluff (Colorless Adept, I’m looking at you) may be required in some instances. Ghostbreaker is pretty cool.

@Imraisen

Do you have a page number on that document for those? I scanned through every ten pages or so through 200, but it’s a big document with no table of contents.

The dukes start at page 210 (page position 223 on the PDF reader itself). Archdevils are in the next chapter after that. You could also set Farcluun against Aesmadeva, the first pit fiend (page 110, reader position 120), although I suspect that challenge may be more appropriate to a Sorcerer Monarch.

@Imraisen

I never knew this 3rd party existed, so now I have something else to read. Did they make other 3.5 content worth picking up?

They used to have a forum where they would do epic content. A lot of it is gone, but fortunately the best work has been preserved in The Gates of Hell.

[Imraisen (J)]

@redking

Re-fluff (Colorless Adept, I’m looking at you)

Now I see psionic templars and want to make that happen. This must be a glimpse of what ADHD feels like.

It’s been a loooooooong time since I’ve looked through Hyperconscious. I forgot how good it was.

[redking]

@Imraisen

It’s been a loooooooong time since I’ve looked through Hyperconscious.

Hyperconscious = high quality coke, Scarface burying his face in a small mountain of that white gold.
Kingdoms of Kalamar content = bath salts, people turning cannibal in a first world country.

I expect that you will want to pick up Permanent Focus [Psionic] for your Dragon Kings. You’ll need it to make Persistent Power [Metapsionic] work without a hiccup.

[Imraisen (J)]

@redking

I expect that you will want to pick up Permanent Focus [Psionic] for your Dragon Kings. You’ll need it to make Persistent Power [Metapsionic] work without a hiccup.

erases whiteboard for psion build

Dammit. Someone needs to develop ‘think-to-text’, would be so much more efficient.

EDIT: So this just made Quicken Power and Multipower infinitely more useful.

[redking]

A salient feat for SMs that want to increase the power of their servants. This isn’t a great feat (for the SM - the abilities conferred are great for the recipient) and isn’t meant to be. It relies on channelling power from the elemental vortice, which isn’t very reliable and the cost vs performance ratio is quite bad for unorthodox uses of the elemental vortice. Most likely candidate for using this salient feat is the cult leader Oba of Gulg.

Sorcerer Monarch’s Favour [Advanced Being]

By experimenting in ways of manipulating your elemental vortice, you have come across a method of increasing the power of your servants, granting them drop of your power in an occult ritual.

Prerequisites: Able to channel spells to templars through an elemental vortice. Advanced Being.

Benefit: A number of your servants (who do not necessarily have to be templars and must not be undead, constructs, or incorporeal) equal to the ability modifier of your evolution score can be inducted as your favourites. This feat does not grant the Sorcerer Monarch any special control over the inducted. Except for sorcerer monarch’s voice, this favour cannot be revoked and only a year after the death of a favourite can another favourite be initiated. The favourites get the following benefits.

Sorcerer Monarch’s Voice (Ex): The inducted gains the ability to use secular authority, as if it had the feat (DS3 Core Rules, page 74). If the inducted already had secular authority (for example, it already had the secular authority feat or is a templar), it gains the benefits of the Favourite feat (DS3 Core Rules, page 72). If the inducted already had both secular authority and the Favorite feat, it can use secular authority a further four additional times per day.

Gift of Tongues (Su): The inducted has the ability to speak any language, so as to better serve its Sorcerer Monarch, like the spell tongues .

Regeneration (Ex): The inducted gains regeneration 1. Fire and acid deal normal damage to the inducted. If the inducted loses a limb or body part, the lost portion regrows in 3d6 minutes. The inducted can reattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump.

Fanaticism (Su): The inducted can call on his Sorcerer Monarch to increase his morale and protect his body against attacks as an immediate action three times a day, for a number of rounds equalling 3 plus character level. The inducted has its attitude set to fanatic, which grants the inducted a +2 morale bonus to Strength and Constitution scores, a +1 morale bonus on Will saves, and a -1 penalty to AC. Additionally, the inducted gains gains damage reduction 5/magic and 10 temporary hit points for the duration of the effect.

Advancement (Ex): The inducted gains a +2 inherent bonus to an ability score of its choice and is considered to have the Able Learner feat, regardless of whether it qualifies. If the inducted already has the able learner feat, it may select another feat for which it qualifies. Additionally, the inducted gains experience points sufficient to place it halfway into two levels of experience past its current level (meaning, the inducted gains two character levels). The inducted must select which single class to which this level increase will apply.

CR adjustment for inducted: +2

[redking]

A shout out to fans of 4E. Warlocks as templars. That said, it comes with a heavy feat tax of one other salient feat (every salient feat slot is valuable beyond measure), so this is going to be a rare ability among the Sorcerer Monarchs. I doubt any of the “mainstream” SMs have this ability, although Daskinor might have it - although he is hardly mainstream. It is a certainty that the Godking of Gozar has templar warlocks among the templarate in that remote kingdom.

Warlock Monarch [Advanced Being]

You have been able to reverse engineer warlock pacts through extensive experimentation with your elemental vortice. If you wish, you may have warlocks as templars.

Prerequisites: Domain magic feat. Sorcerer Monarch’s favour.

Benefit: You can have warlocks (from Complete Arcane) as templars, in addition to your normal templars. Unlike normal warlocks, their powers are divine in nature, not arcane, although they still incur spell failure chance for wearing medium or heavy armor. Also, the Imbue Item ability has the Use Magic Device check for arcane and divine item creation reverse to that of arcane warlocks, meaning that they can substitute a Use Magic Device check (DC 25 + spell level for arcane spells or 15 + spell level for divine spells) in place of a required spell that the doesn’t know or can’t cast. Warlock Monarchs can have templars that have levels in both warlock and templar.

In addition to their normal warlock powers, they gain secular aptitude and sigil abilities at 1st level, and at 20th level get the Unbreakable Bond (Ex) ability, just like regular templars.