Telepathic bond is a cool spell, and you can even slap permanency on it. But for a large party that gets very, very expensive, because you can only apply permanency to two bondees at a time. (So a 4-person party needs 6 castings of permanency, a 5-person party needs 10, etc.) I want sizable parties to be able to get this without going broke and without worrying so much about it being dispelled, so I propose this spell:
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Durable Telepathic Bond
School divination; Level 8 for classes that get telepathic bond at 5, 7 for classes that get it at 4 (i.e. TB's level plus 3)
CASTING
Casting Time 1 minute
Components V, S, M (20,000 gp diamond dust per creature, including you unless you exclude yourself from the bond)
EFFECT
Range close
Targets you plus one willing creature per two levels, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration permanent
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
DESCRIPTION
This operates exactly as telepathic bond except as specified above, but it is not subject to dispel magic.
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My questions for the boards are (A) is the level increase right? and (B) is the per-creature cost right?
I set the cost so that for parties of 2-4 it's cheaper to get regular telepathic bonds with permanency but for parties of 5+ it's cheaper to get this. The prices match exactly for a party of 4.2 creatures. If I raised it to 25,000 they match at 5.0 creatures; raised to 30,000 they match at 5.8 creatures. These numbers all assume a party member knows and casts the spells involved. If you have to get someone else to do the castings, or worse do them off a scroll, the price for the usual way increases way faster than for the durable version since it involves many more castings. Of course, even small parties might want to shell out for the durable version just to guard against dispels.
Keep in mind that people may well want to include their animal companions (if they've raised Int > 2) and familiars in the bond, so a party of 4 PCs could easily want to bond 6 or 7 creatures.
Seems fair. Though I'd think that a party on a budget wouldn't necessarily make every possible pairing telepathic - most likely a hub-and-spokes model or a ring, though a line would save one more bond required.
Hmm, Homebrew hasn't been very active at all this week; maybe I should have posed in Advice? But thanks, avr.
Forging ahead.... With dispel magic ruled out by fiat and break enchantment clearly inapplicable (it's not an enchantment nor a curse), are there any potential ways of getting rid of the bond besides wish, miracle, limited wish? (I don't count telepathic censure because it's a temporary effect.) I'm thinking of specifying that those three spells will remove one individual from the bond per casting.
Nowhere on the Paizo boards has been very active this week, there's been a lot of problems with getting on to them.
Other effects which might break it - mage's disjunction could rip it apart of course. Being 7th-8th level and not subject to dispel magic blocks almost everything else. The clause about not being affected by dispel magic is otherwise only found on spells which are subject to remove curse or break enchantment or similar, it might not be entirely appropriate here. Perhaps it's only affected by dispel magic cast by one of those so bonded?
The clause about not being affected by dispel magic is otherwise only found on spells which are subject to remove curse or break enchantment or similar, it might not be entirely appropriate here.
Are any of those spells beneficial?
Perhaps it's only affected by dispel magic cast by one of those so bonded?
Ack! I forgot to give them a way out! I might allow the bonded folks to unbond themselves (individually) just by concentrating on it, it's not supposed to be a punishment, and I want the martials to have a way out as easily as the casters.
I should also specify that you can add new people to an existing durable telepathic bond by re-casting it in the presence of the new people and at least one of the current ones, at a cost of 20,000 gp diamond dust per new person, as long as everyone involved is willing.
Beneficial? Maybe globe of invulnerability, prismatic wall/sphere or wall of force. Otherwise they're geases, curses or similar. No actual buffs that I can see.
If you don't want suggestion to be the way enemies dispel this bond you might want to make it concentration for some time (not a standard action) or a ritual to unbond themselves.
Since this one is a buff, I don't feel a need to provide a low-level way for other people to get rid of it---enemies can already nullify it for an encounter with telepathic censure.
I think I have a solution I like for leaving the bond:
"A participant may quit the bond by meditating for one hour in a calm environment (one suitable for preparing spells). Halfway through, the other participants become aware of what is being done, but telepathic entreaties to stay do not spoil the calm environment."