The 87 transmutation spells in this tome offer unique synergy with wild shape and other polymorph spells, a rich and engaging alchemical component system and of course the crowning achievement that inspired us all to enroll in magic academies: temporal manipulation!
These spells provide rich immersion and have been thoroughly playtested.
Design Goals:
Enhance polymorph's form-specific flavor without upsetting its balance.
Reward alchemists for interacting with their environment.
Provide a reliable means to use crafting feats while adventuring.
Product Availability
Fulfilled immediately.
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This pdf is 34 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page SRD, leaving a total of 31 pages of content, so let's take a look!
The pdf kicks off with 7.5 pages of spell-lists by class before delivering all the new spells, this issue of the "Grimoire"-series centering on Transmutation-magic.
Since I can't go into details regarding the spells, I'll instead give you examples on the innovative mechanics used in some of the spells: There is a whole selection of spells herein that can be cast as a free action when using another spell or wildshape to change into the respective forms, granting you e.g. keener senses when turning into canine form. However, only one such spell may be cast and be in effect per transformation. Now if that doesn't immediately excite you, take a look at "Phoenix's Flames" - it is one of the spells of this category and adds even more effects: You do damage to adjacent foes, but also deal damage to yourself - and if your flames consume you, you have a percentile-based chance (20% + 1% per round under the spell's effects, maximum 70%) to resurrect with full HP and 2 negative levels. You can only benefit from this resurrection every 1d4 years. Vastly superior and more balanced than the broken sanctified 3.5-spell.
And then there are some other neat ones: Want to create a workshop for your witch that makes your familiar become rather hard to destroy indeed? There's a spell herein. Speaking of familiars, there's a spell that lets you change your familiar for 24 hours and thus also grant you different bonuses - just your familiar won't like it. And then there's the druid spell crowstorm - transform into a swarm of deadly crows that deals a bunch of damage - the death of individual crows don't affect you, but if the swarm is destroyed, you revert to 0 HP and your regular form. The bard-spell "Moving Finale" is another winner herein - you have to have a bardic performance in effect to cast this spell - the spell ends the performance and gives one of your allies an immediate movement action. Following Dreadfox Games' tradition, there are also some spells exclusive for the APG-classes (very cool), from eidolon-buffing (including turning into an aqueous orb) to the lvl 9-witch-spell that rusts all metal objects of a whole legion of foes.
And then there are the time-spells: Temporal Advance lets you ready standard and move-actions, even if you don't have one available. You can trigger these actions 3d4 and 2d4 rounds later, but become staggered respectively stunned afterwards for a round. And then there's the lvl-9-spell Temporal Distortion that just screams "Use me for the ambient effect of a high level dungeon" - it features 4 different speeds of time with different consequences for those affected. Complex? Yes. Interesting? Hell yeah!
And then there is my personal favorite section, the Culture Monster-series of alchemist extracts: These spells let you take partial bonuses from select foes by using components harvested from them: The Witcher, a lot of literature and countless other games, my home-game included are waving right now. Even better, in the end of the pdf, we get a comprehensive list of the items required (e.g. a braided strands of dwarven beard, dragon bile etc.) as well as containers required to keep the ingredients fresh. This section of spells is plain awesome and the containers and connections between items, etc. is awesome - plus, an alchemist can learn the higher versions of the extract by making successful Craft (Alchemy) checks. I sincerely wished there were more spells like this - both in this pdf and in general. Kudos and respect.
Of course, there is also one spell (yes only one this time around) I have a problem with: Focal Indoctrination changes all holy symbols in range into the one of your patron deity. While the imagery evoked is cool, the spell is essentially a major save-or-suck-spell for divine casters and thus might prove to be the beginning of a rather unpleasant TPK. That's just a personal preference, though - as written, there's nothing truly wrong with it.
Conclusion:
Editing and formatting are very good and though I encountered some minor glitches, none impeded my understanding of the spells. Layout adheres to Dreadfox Games' 2-column standard with the thorny frame. The pdf has no artwork, but is fully bookmarked.
I've said it once and I'll say it again: After RiP's excellent 1001 spells and Advanced Arcana I +II, my spell-needs have been satisfied. I'm jaded. Hard to impress, much less inclined to cut any spell-pdf slack. Plus, 5 bucks is not exactly cheap.
Well, after the first 2 Grimoires were ok books with some balance concerns on my side and Grimoire Illusionatus rocked hard, I'm happy to announce that Grimoire Mutamateria is once again a spellbook I can wholeheartedly recommend. The wealth of ideas, the uncommon mechanics utilized, the lack of balance-concerns on my part, the innovative time-spells, the wildshape-spells and all the others that interact with class-abilities make this pdf an all-out-winner. Even my personal pet-peeve spell mentioned above can see some justified use and can be countered by smart adversaries/PCs. This is an excellent spellbook and in spite of the high prize in comparison to competitors worth the price of admission - twice. I hope the Grimoire Enamoris, which I also have here, will stand up to this excellent standard and that the Dreadfoxes will further explore the areas of mechanically innovative spells. My final verdict? 5 stars. Hands down one of the spell-selections you should definitely consider buying out there.
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Culture Monster I:
Culture Monster I School transmutation; Level alchemist 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (remains worth 25 gp, see text)
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 round/level
This extract imparts one of several bonuses based on the component used to create it. For a complete list of viable components along with their effects and storage requirements, refer to Table: Culture Monster on page 32 of Dreadfox Games’ Grimoire Mutamateria.
Dwarven beard: +2 Con, stability
Elven ear: +2 Dex, elven immunities
Gnomish nose: +2 Cha, gnome magic
Halfling breath: +2 Cha, halfling luck
Human heart: Component human’s most iconic feat
Orc bone: +2 Str, ferocity
Snake venom: Bite (2d4 plus poison), poison (Ex) bite-injury; save Fort DC 10 + 1/2 your HD + your Con modifier, frequency 1/round for 6 rounds, effect 1d2 Con, cure 1 save
Zombie ashes: DR 5/slashing
CR 1/4 or higher creatures of the appropriate type that died no more than 24 hours ago (aside from halflings, whose breath must be captured as they die) provide suitable components for the effects listed above. A successful DC 6 Craft (alchemy) check allows you to harvest enough components from a creature’s remains for one extract. Failure ruins a creature’s components. The process of extraction takes 1 minute. It is imprecise and practically ruins the creature’s remains; only one component may be collected from a given creature, even if that creature’s remains consist of multiple components. The strength (CR) of a component must be noted prior to storage. A human’s most iconic feat must also be noted prior to the storage of their heart. The amount of matter required varies by component but is never more than would fit inside a handheld jar. If a storage requirement is violated, that component is ruined.
The components of culture monster I are extremely rare and it is nearly impossible to find them among the stores of even the most well-stocked alchemists or apothecaries. However, demand tends to be nonexistent, which makes it very difficult to sell the components under normal circumstances.
Magician's Workshop:
Magician's Workshop School transmutation; Level sorcerer/wizard 2, witch 2
Casting Time 10 minutes
Components V, S, F (suitable workspace)
Range 0 ft.
Effect 4 hours of craftsmanship
Duration 4 hours
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
This spell accomplishes 4 hours worth of crafting as if you were investing that time yourself. You must make any checks necessary to the creation process, applying your own ranks and modifiers to the results. Magician’s workshop can develop mundane or magical items so long as the means to craft the items are provided before you cast the spell. Multiple instances of this spell may be used to develop the same item simultaneously, provided that the workshop is capable of accommodating multiple craftsmen.
Magician’s workshop’s development does not apply toward the caster’s normal magic item creation limit of one item per day, nor does it apply toward the caster’s normal magic item creation limit of eight hours of work per day.
If this spell is extended, eight hours of work are accomplished.
Thirsty Blade:
Thirsty Blade School transmutation; Level antipaladin 1, inquisitor 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, DF
Range 0 ft.
Target one melee weapon wielded by you
Duration 1 min./level
Saving Throw Fortitude negates (harmless, object); Spell Resistance yes (harmless, object)
The hilt of your weapon extends to slither down your arm and coil around your wrist before puncturing your skin with a pair of jagged fangs that deal 2d4 piercing damage. The weapon cannot be removed unless your arm is altogether severed. This makes it impossible to disarm the weapon, but you cannot use the hand for any purpose other than wielding the weapon. Each time you hit a living creature with the weapon and deal damage, 1 of its hit points is transferred to you (hit points in excess of your maximum are gained as temporary hit points that last for 1 hour). At the end of the spell, the weapon draws your blood before releasing your wrist, dealing 2d4 points of damage.
Thunderbird's Polarity:
Thunderbird's Polarity School transmutation; Level druid 3, sorcerer/wizard 4
Casting Time 1 standard action*
Components V, S
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 round/level*
You charge your body with the polarity of a thunderbird. Spells you cast that have the electricity descriptor deal an additional +1d6 points of electricity damage the first time they deal electricity damage each round.
You may cast this spell as a free action when you assume an avian form. If you do so, you gain the ability to cast spells with the electricity descriptor in your avian form as if utilizing the feat Natural Spell and the effects of this spell last until the end of the triggering polymorph effect.
This spell ends if you gain the effects of another spell or ability that can be cast as a free action upon assuming certain forms.
How to navigate the PDF:
Click the name of a spell to travel to that spell's description.
Click a class to travel to that class's spell list.
What's the use of Thirsty Blade, though? I cannot think of a reason to cast that spell.
As with any 1 round/level or 1 min./level buff, Thirsty Blade is best when cast just prior to combat or during a "buff break" (Sleet Storm, Fog Cloud, etc).
It has 3 things going for it.
Immunity to Disarm. Keeping your weapon can amount to a huge bonus to attack and damage (especially once class/feat specialization and enhancement bonuses become common).
+1 Damage. This damage can't be reduced (it bypasses DR and resistances).
+1 HP Per Hit. This allows you to pay for healing in advance (you can cast this spell before combat and heal while attacking, freeing up actions that would have been used to heal). It probably won't rival Cure Moderate Wounds' healing and requires you to attack in order to heal, but action economy and its other bonuses keep it competitive.
This spell does inflict ~10 points of damage to you, but it can contribute more than most spells of its level (on the antipaladin and inquisitor list, anyway). It takes ~10 hits to heal itself, and ~30 hits to match a CL 10 Cure Moderate Wounds. We start to prefer this spell at ~5 hits, and easily prefer it at 10+ hits (or 0 if it prevents a disarm).
