Life Necromancy

[GralphidB]

So I created a half-elf wizard specialist necromancer who took the life focused school. He's good aligned, who is motivated by a fear of aging due to being raised purely among elves. His ultimate long term goal is to make the immortality Arcane Discovery. However, along the way, it would make sense for him to have spells that manipulate and enhance life force, rather than just drain it like, unfortunately, almost all of the necromancy spells do. To that end, I created a bunch of spells that he might research and cast, and was looking for input on balance.

I tried to differentiate the spells from standard divine healing by assuming that with divine healing, the character just channels energy, and the god/power makes the effort of controlling the energy. With the arcane magic, there's no such limiting force, and thus most of the spells have somewhat to very nasty side effects (and could in some cases be used offensively).

Anyways, I was looking for comments/suggestions on balance for the spells. Any feedback would be appreciated. In all cases, I put the wiz/sor level, and left what other classes could take it empty, because it's not applicable to the character, so I didn't care to think about it. Without further ado:

Accelerate Healing
School Necromancy; Level: Wiz/Sor 4, ???
Casting Time: 1 round
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: Creature Touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving throw: Fort negates (mostly harmless)

With a touch, you cause the body's natural healing abilities to accelerate, knitting together old wounds. The creature immediately gains hit points as if they had rested for 2d4 days. They recover 1 hit point/character level/day of hitpoints (maximum 10 hit points/day). Any excess hit points from their maximum are lost. They also recover 1 point of ability damage per day.

However, there are side effects as well. The target immediately becomes fatigued (if less than 5 days of rest are being given), or exhausted if (5 or more days), until such time as they eat rations equal to the amount of days of healing they received. Eating this much food will typically take at least 10 minutes/day of rations. In addition, any poison the character is currently suffering from will immediately affect the character as if the amount of time had actually passed. A poison with a duration of rounds, minutes, or hours will immediately be fully processed, requiring saving throws to throw off the effect of the poison as usual, while one with a duration of days will go as if the rolled number of days had passed. For round, minute, or hour durations, the poison effects will be rolled first, and then the ability damage will recover. For day duration potions, apply one day of poison, then recovery, then the next day, etc.

Accelerate Healing, Minor
School Necromancy; Level: Wiz/Sor 1, ???
Casting Time: 1 round
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: Creature Touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving throw: Fort negates (mostly harmless)

As Accelerate Healing, but only 1 day of healing is provided, and no ability damage is recovered. However, poisons are not accelerated.

Fueled Empowerment
School: Necromancy; Level: Wis/Sor 2
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: creature touched
Duration: 1 minute/lvl
Saving throw: Fort (mostly harmless); Spell Resistance: yes
The target gains a +4 bonus to Str and Dex, and a -4 penalty to constitution (this causes hit point loss as normal). Every minute, the target can make a fortititude save against the spell. If they succeed, it ends. If it fails, or if they choose not to take the save, they take an additional -2 penalty to constitution.

Fueled Empowerment, Mass
School: Necromancy; Level: Wis/Sor 6
Range: close (25+5/2 caster lvl ft), Target: 1 creature/lvl, no two of which can be more than 30 ft apart
As Fueled Empowerment, but effects multiple creatures. Each creature can save or not independently.

Infuse
School: Necromancy; Level: Wiz/Sor 2 ???
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: Creature Touched
Duration: instantaneous/see text
Saving throw: Fort negates (mostly harmless)

You infuse the target with a burst of positive energy. The touched creature gains 1d20 temporary hit points, +1d20 for every two caster levels (maximum 5d20 at level 10). Any hit points greater than the target's maximum become temporary hitpoints that last for 1 hour. However, the creature becomes sickened by the rapid infusion of energy (duration 1 hour). If the creature gains temporary hitpoints, it also becomes nauseated. Nauseated targets once they have lost all of the temporary hit points may make a fortitude save once/round. Once successful, they remain sickened for 24 hours.

If the target is undead, it takes 1d6 points of damage for each d20 that would be healed. Constructs are unaffected by this spell.

Transfer Condition
School: Necromancy; Level: Wiz/Sor 3 ???
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: two willing creature touched
Duration: instantaneous
Saving throw: none

You transfer one condition, hit point loss, disease, or poison from one willing target to another. The caster can be either of the targets. Conditions that can be transferred include bleed, blind, confused, dazed, dazzled, deafened, energy drained (From one stat only), exhausted, fatigued, frightened, nauseated, panicked, paralyzed,shaken, sickened, or stunned.

The target which takes the new effect can only try to save when the originally effected creature would have gotten to take new saves. Thus, if you transfer a poison, the new recipient can make saves against the ongoing affect of the poison, but they cannot save against being poisoned in the first place.

If a poison or disease is transferred, so to is all the ability damage or other effects that poison or disease has transferred. If hit point loss is transferred, the recipient takes damage equal to the amount of hit points the donor had lost, and the donor is fully healed (no partial transfer is possible). All effects last for a duration equal to whatever the duration would have been without this spell being cast (hit points are healed normally on the recipient from any form of magical healing).

Undead and constructs cannot be either target for this spell. If the donor is normally immune to the effect, normally the spell would just fail. In some situations, the donor may be affected anyway, even though they should be immune (DM discretion if this ever happens).

De-Age
School: Necromancy; Level: Wiz/Sor 5 ???
Casting Time: 1 day
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: willing creature touched
Duration: instantaneous
Saving throw: none; Spell Resistance: no
The creature de-ages. They lose 75% of their race's average maximum lifespan, or become the age of adulthood if this would lower them below adulthood. Each time a creature has this spell cast on it, the maximum amount they can be lowered decreases by 5%. De-aging removes any penalties to physical stats. It does not remove bonuses to mental stats, which continue to progress as if the character had not been de-aged. Regardless of the target's eventual lifespan, mental stats cannot be improved greater than +3 as normal.

In addition, each time this spell is cast, roll a d6 and consult the chart below to determine the side effect.
1: Become physically warped and hideous. Take a -4 penalty on all social interaction and disguise rolls unless physical appearance is completely concealed (such as through illusions or polymorph spells).
2: Permanently sickened.
3: Plagued by nightmares. Every night, there is a 10% chance that the target is affected by nightmare (as the spell), with no saving throw allowed.
4: Become frail and weak bodied. Target loses 2 points of constitution
5: Target becomes delusional, megalomaniac, or some other delusion (GM or target's choice)
6: nothing

These affects are cumulative each time the spell is cast. Being sickened multiple times increases the penalty by 2 each time. Chance of nightmares increases by 10% each time. The effect of this spell can only be removed if the target willing accedes and with the casting of limited wish, wish or miracle. Removing the spell also ends the de-aging. If this puts the target's age above their maximum age, they die instantly unless they have since somehow become immune to the effects of aging.

Energize
School: Necromancy; Level: Wiz/Sor 5 ???
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: creature touched
Duration: 1 round/lvl
Saving throw: none; Spell Resistance: yes

The touched creature gains 1d4 “positive energy levels”. If the character currently has negative levels, the two cancel on a one for one basis. Otherwise, “positive energy levels” grant a +1 bonus on all ability checks, attack rolls, combat maneuver checks, Combat Maneuver Defense, saving throws, and skill checks. In addition, the creature increases its current and total hit points by 5 for each positive level it possesses. The creature is also treated as one level higher for the purpose of level-dependent variables (such as spellcasting) for each positive level possessed. Spellcasters do not gain any prepared spells or slots as a result of positive levels. If a creature would gain positive levels exceeding its total Hit Dice or level, it gains instead only enough to equal its Hit Dice or level. The hit points are not temporary hitpoints (they are not lost first).

If an undead creature is struck by Energize, it takes 1d4*5 damage.
Energize counters and dispels Enervate, (and vice versa, despite the level difference)

Inflict Condition:
School: Necromancy; Level: Wiz/Sor 6 ???
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: two creature touched
Duration: instantaneous
Saving throw: Fort negates

As Transfer Condition, but the targets do not need to be willing. The maximum amount of hit points transferred is equal to 5/caster level (maximum 75), and cannot be greater than the recipients current hit points. You must make a melee touch attack if one of the creatures is unwilling.

Inflict Condition, True
School: Necromancy; Level: Wiz/Sor 8 ???
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Components: V, S, M
Range: Touch, Target: two creature touched
Duration: instantaneous
Saving throw: Fort negates

As Transfer Condition, but the targets do not need to be willing, and all applicable conditions are transferred.. There is no maximum amount of hit points transferred You must make a melee touch attack if one of the creatures is unwilling.

All comments are greatly appreciated.

[Vindicator]

I had a similar idea, but I approached it differently. Firstly, Wizards who are specialists in my campaign can learn any spell of their school, including cleric, bard, and oracle spells. Second, I changed all healing subschool spells and their harming counterparts from conjuration to necromancy/ conjuration. Something to consider rather than creating new spells.

[Vrecknidj]

I don't have the luxury of time, but I'll try to add to this post later.

But, first, I like what you're aiming for. The run-of-the-mill necromancer has been done to death (pardon the pun).

So far, I only have this comment:

Fueled Empowerment does too much. The bonus to Str and Dex is greater than what is offered by the similar buff spells, and the penalty to Con, since it increases by -2 per minute, and since the save is Fort, will kill some targets too easily.

[GralphidB]

Vrecknidj wrote:

I don't have the luxury of time, but I'll try to add to this post later.

But, first, I like what you're aiming for. The run-of-the-mill necromancer has been done to death (pardon the pun).

So far, I only have this comment:

Fueled Empowerment does too much. The bonus to Str and Dex is greater than what is offered by the similar buff spells, and the penalty to Con, since it increases by -2 per minute, and since the save is Fort, will kill some targets too easily.

Thanks for the kind words, I agree, which is why I was trying to create something a bit different. For Fueled Empowerment, I was basing it on Bull's Strength/etc. It gives a net of a +4 bonus to stats, and steadily gets worse through the duration.

In terms of killing enemies, the steadily decrementing Con won't matter that much, since it only decrements Con once a minute. Most combats (that I've been in anyway) last at most a minute or 2. Maybe if I put in that the spell ends instead of draining con to 0? That way if you cast the spell and then run, the monster/villain can run away and counter, or just hide and heal, and if you stay and fight, you have to deal with the significant stat bonuses the enemy gets.

[Marc Radle]

I might also suggest checking out the Fall issue of Kobold Quarterly when it comes out (in October, I think ...)

There just might be a new class presented that might be of interest ;)

[Tuboo]

Pretty good all in all. I do enjoy the idea of positive levels. I think they've been long needed. I would re-examine the wording on that spell re: "If a creature would gain positive levels exceeding its total Hit Dice or level, it gains instead only enough to equal its Hit Dice or level." Doesn't this suggest that energize can ONLY be used to counter enervate? because when else would someone have more levels than they have levels? I think I know what you're trying to say, but you're just not saying it yet.

The negative effects are logical and balanced, but they seem like a lot of new mechanics that might bog things down. Consider making all of these spells run off of the same base mechanic (exhaustion, nauseated, CON loss, of varying degrees dependent on spell level), or consider amping up the spell level and removing the negatives altogether.

You might also want to search the transmutation spells. Many of those have always seemed more life-energy oriented to me and could easily be re-flavoured. I look forward to seeing more of these actually. They are really good and they fight the "necromancy must be evil" tendency of the game creators, which I am firmly opposed to.

[Set]

I'm particularly fond of Transfer Condition and Minor Accelerate Healing. Having the higher level version(s) of Accelerate Healing result in 1 day / 3 caster levels worth of healing, instead of a random amount (2d4) might be more consistent. Alternately, a version of Accelerate Healing might take 8 hours to take effect, cast on someone who is resting for the night, and give them healing equal to a full nights rest for each hour they sleep.

I came up with some non-evil necromancy spells here that you can pillage for ideas, if you want.

By concentrating on magic that affects the necromancers own spirit, or contacts non-evil ancestral spirits, a necromancer could seperate their spirit to go scout an area, or send it to possess someone (a much weaker version of magic jar, where you don't displace their spirit, but engage in a sort of 'spiritual grapple' with them and cause them to suffer various penalties to their actions, perhaps a blanket -2, as they have to resist your interference to do any action that you oppose), or 'ride' someone to spy on their activities, or invade their dreams, or even assist someone 'from within' by offering spiritual support or advice (free Aid Other action each round of your 'assistance' giving them a +2 to a skill check, their AC vs. a single target or their attack roll vs. a single target, as your spirit offers them guidance from within). Ancestral spirits could be called up to offer the same sorts of benefits (or impose the same sorts of penalties).

The spirits of animals or plants could also be contacted to learn about the past events of a natural area, or to provide guidance or insight or even called into oneself by a necromantic rite that requires one to appease the spirit of the creature while wearing it's hide or drinking it's blood, awakening in oneself some sort of temporary bonus related to the abilities of that animal type, emulating some of the effects of a bull's strength or beast shape spell, by wearing the skin of a wolf and gaining it's senses as the 'wolf-spirit' temporarily is channeled within the necromancer, or drinking the blood of the bear, and gaining it's mighty strength for a short time.

In certain cultures, curses, diseases and poisons may be associated with evil spirit-creatures as well, that a necromancer might be able to draw forth from the victim and do battle with. If he wins the spirit battle (represented by a check, but described as a pitched battle between an animalistic avatar of plague or toxin or spite), the affliction is expunged from the sufferer. If he fails, it remains and he is fatigued/exhausted by the effort and has to save or suffer the effects of the disease/poison/curse as well!

Spirit propitiation, negotiation and / or conflict was central to many shamanic practices, and this makes for rich ground to mine for necromantic ideas, since dealing with life-force and bodiless spirits is pretty much what this school of magic is all about.

[Set]

Tuboo wrote:

You might also want to search the transmutation spells. Many of those have always seemed more life-energy oriented to me and could easily be re-flavoured.

The Scarred Lands setting had a 'Crypt Lord' necromancer Prestige Class (in Relics & Rituals) that had 'extended necromancy' as a class feature, which allowed the wizard to convert any transmutation spells he knew into necromancy spells. Any such converted spells would have a necromantic theme, so that bull's strength would become vampire's strength or strength of the dead and make the recipient pale-skinned with red eyes, while animate rope would work best on a rope made of catgut or other animal sinew, and impart it with a sinister animation, or cat's grace might make the recipient appear skeletally thin, etc.

Transmutation is indeed a good school to mine for necromancy ideas, although, with some imagination, a grease spell could be seen as a slick of blood, or a mage armor could form armor composed of spectral bones wrapping around the recipient.

(A 2nd level version of the above wouldn't just be a re-fluffed necromantic version mage armor, but have the secondary effect of being able to step forth from the caster and function as a skeleton with HD equal to half his caster level for 1 round / level if he falls below 0 hit points while the spell is in effect, possibly preventing him from being coup de graced, or giving his allies time to get to him to render aid.)

[Vrecknidj]

GralphidB wrote:

In terms of killing enemies, the steadily decrementing Con won't matter that much, since it only decrements Con once a minute. Most combats (that I've been in anyway) last at most a minute or 2. Maybe if I put in that the spell ends instead of draining con to 0? That way if you cast the spell and then run, the monster/villain can run away and counter, or just hide and heal, and if you stay and fight, you have to deal with the significant stat bonuses the enemy gets.

If the effect ends on its own, or has a set minimum so that it shuts off once the Con gets to a certain score, that would work.

[GralphidB]

Set wrote:

I came up with some non-evil necromancy spells here that you can pillage for ideas, if you want.

Awesome, thanks. Will definitely try and use several of these

Set wrote:

I'm particularly fond of Transfer Condition and Minor Accelerate Healing. Having the higher level version(s) of Accelerate Healing result in 1 day / 3 caster levels worth of healing, instead of a random amount (2d4) might be more consistent. Alternately, a version of Accelerate Healing might take 8 hours to take effect, cast on someone who is resting for the night, and give them healing equal to a full nights rest for each hour they sleep.

I kind of intentionally liked the random effect to give it a chance of being really helpful, but a chance of actually being more of a hindrance than a help. I'm imagining my character saying to a wounded party member "ok, I can heal you, but you might end up exhausted, or sickened. These spells are kind of experimental, and arcane magic isn't REALLY supposed to be used this way."

Tuboo wrote:

Pretty good all in all. I do enjoy the idea of positive levels. I think they've been long needed. I would re-examine the wording on that spell re: "If a creature would gain positive levels exceeding its total Hit Dice or level, it gains instead only enough to equal its Hit Dice or level." Doesn't this suggest that energize can ONLY be used to counter enervate? because when else would someone have more levels than they have levels? I think I know what you're trying to say, but you're just not saying it yet.

Sorry, that wasn't clear. The idea is they couldn't more than double their effective level through use of the spell (ie a 3rd lvl character couldn't have more than 3 positive levels). There's just only so much energy that can actually be absorbed and still be helpful.

Tuboo wrote:

The negative effects are logical and balanced, but they seem like a lot of new mechanics that might bog things down. Consider making all of these spells run off of the same base mechanic (exhaustion, nauseated, CON loss, of varying degrees dependent on spell level), or consider amping up the spell level and removing the negatives altogether.

I'm using different mechanics to differentiate the spells from each other, and because they seem more applicable based on the flavor. Also, considering that offensive necromancy spells tend to use a bunch of different mechanics that you have to keep track of (ray of exhaustion, ray of sickening, enervate, etc). It's not that much worse than if I used those spells, just the PCs have to keep track instead of the DM. So long as I have cards with the descriptions of the spells and those various effects, I'm hoping it won't be too bad.

Thanks everyone for all of the feedback, it's been really helpful. Any other thoughts?

I'm a bit worried about the balance between accelerate healing and infuse, although infuse only gives temporary hit points. By the way, there's a typo in infuse, you're only nauseated if you get enough temporary hit points that you have more than your normal maximum.