Learned Energy Substitution Spells-

[Kyrinn S. Eis]

:: There may be a duplicate under a different title ::

I created an NPC Cleric/Sorcerer on the fly whose Domains and Focus/'Specialisation' was on Glass, as a sub-set of Earth and Fire Elementalist.

After the session, a player approached me and wanted to know how they could do the same. I gave a general answer, but on the drive back home, I began to think it over more carefully.

I have a few Elementalist source products and PrCs, etc., but I was thinking that I may be over-complicating the whole issue.
Wouldn't learning Energy Substitution: 'Glass' be just as feasible a fix as going through all the trouble of calling someone a Glass Witch?

Hang on, follow my train of thought.
Instead of being taught Mage Armour (Force), learning it from someone who had already tweaked it as Mage Armour [Elemental] (Glass), with all the commensurate reductions in its capabilities/immunities, etc.

Likewise, 'Magic Shard' for Magic Missile, 'Shatter Sphere' for Fireball, etc.

This is the direction I am leaning toward, but I'm covetous of your input on this topic.

Thanks! :D

[Hunterofthedusk]

That sounds like a really cool idea, but how would that work exactly? Are you treating the damage as physical, or as an energy type? There are some advantages and disadvantages to both, and it seems very interesting.

If you put some more time into it, you could create (or have the player create) all new spells based off of the old ones to alleviate some of the things that the feat normally wouldn't do. Like rather than flesh to stone, you could have flesh to glass. There's a lot of potential to be tapped on this

EDIT: Also, energy substitution alone wouldn't change it since glass isn't an energy type. You could design a feat yourself that would allow them to learn such spells, though

[Kyrinn S. Eis]

Thanks. I appreciate the positive strokes. :)

I'm going primarily for Physical effects, although the NPC's molten glass constructs did Heat/Fire damage.

I had to dig around to find where I'd read Energy Substitution, and then finally found it in Tome and Blood. Go figure.

I wonder what is appropriate for Transmute Glass to _____?
--Just figured that one out: Sand. :)

Yeah, I'll just have it be a new Feat, and one that has to be taught through a very specific group of cloistered Arcane/Divine casters.

Thanks again.

[Hunterofthedusk]

and the mage armor substitute, would it make actual armor out of glass? Because that could incur spell failure any way I think about it, but I could easily see the Shield spell being modified to being a big floating disc of glass. Rather than using fire for Burning Hands, maybe it'll shoot a cone of hot sand. The mechanics of the spell wouldn't change, but the flavor certainly would.

[Kyrinn S. Eis]

lol. I can see how someone could say that about the ASF with actual glass, but it operates as per the spell, but having DR instead of being a Force Effect, so it is a trade-off in that it can be Dispelled, as well as penetrated through force, and Shattered, as per the spell. As a result, I'm not imposing ASF on the wearer, nor increasing the caster's Encumbrance Load while it is in effect -- it is still magic'd, just Glass instead of Force.

Glass-grit; runs of hot glass that resemble lightning bolts, but crack and fall to the ground after hitting the target, only to turn to sand and blow-away; etc.

It's all essentially the same, but with the occasional 'heat/fire' substitution when it makes sense.

Perhaps I'll share some of the effects of altering spells in this fashion as we develop them.

Thanks. :)