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So I've been working on a duplicate spell and I just noticed the twin form alchemist spell in the advanced players guide so here's my version for arcane casters adapted to incorporate elements of that spell. What do people think?
TWIN
School transmutation
Level Wizard/Sorcerer: 9
Casting Time 1 Hour
Components V, S, M (powdered rubies worth 500 gp per HD of the caster)
Range personal
Targets you
Duration 1 hour/level
This spell creates a perfect double of yourself, dressed and equipped exactly as you are. You are in control of both bodies at the same time. While normally this is not an issue the stress and need for instant reactions in combat make this more difficult.
Both you and your twin have the same statistics and start with the number of hit points you had when you cast the spell. Once you have split, these points are still linked and any damage to one body is mirrored on the other. Any spells, extracts, class abilities or magical effects (such as from potions) that were active when you ingested the extract are active for both you and your twin. If any such effects expire, are dispelled, dismissed, or otherwise used or ended, this applies to both of you. For example is the twin casts fireball it is expended for the original as welle. Similarly your equipment is linked between your two selves, and if an item on one is consumed or destroyed, its duplicate is used up or destroyed as well. This shared pool also applies to move actions, full round actions, etc and only a single initive or skill check is made and applied to both.
The twinned body vanishes when the spell’s duration expires or is dismissed.
Mythic
If cast as a mythic spell the duration increases to 1 day per level.
Augmented (2nd): If you expend five uses of mythic power, the duration increases again to 1 month per mythic tier.
This is intended primarily for out of combat use. As a result in combat it doesn't change your action economy if you have one body cast a spell that's your spell this round, if you have one body move that's your move this round and as detailed above using resources will also use those resources for you regardless of which body uses them.
I guess there's situational uses for it, but in a lot of ways project image, simulacrum or clone would be just better. Or greater teleport & greater scrying...I'm not sure I'd make this a 9th level spell.
How would it work with the out of combat uses it's for? Is it basically a way to get twice as much magic item crafting done? Or for social interactions in two different locations?
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Its inspiired by the fact I never seem to have enough time in real life to do all I want to do.
The other spells all have issues for what I've got in mind . ..
Projected image requires line of effect which ties you to that location so you can't be say advising the king while also conducting research on how to play the violin in your tower and its intangible anyway so no picking up and moving things.
Simulcrum (as the original inspiration before I saw the alechmist spell) creates an independant being so you don't remember what it did and it may not want to be the one staying home to clean anyway.
Clone is a if I die I pop back in duplicate body not a second me doing things spell.
Greater teleport and scryping merely move you and let you see things distantly.
This one essentially lets you be in two places at the same time in remote loctaions doing things and still benefit from the memories of it. Social interactions, cleaning, spell research, teaching an apprentice basically its more utility than anything. Even just taking a month long beach vacation while still taking care of all your commitments. To use a real world example I'm both lounging on the couch, typing this while half watching a video and at the exact same time cleaning the apartment able to decide what to throw out, chatting to myself etc. I don't imagine this is a spell that'll have wide player appeal especially as its mostly useless for combat purposes but for me having one mind with two bodies operating at the same time opens up all sorts of out of combat possability. If you remove the you restriction cast it on a party rogue they're stealing X while maintaining an alibi by being in plain sight at the pub.
Item creation's broken anyway if a dm doesn't handle it carefully so I don't imagine that'd be a big problem having a second caster making items and you have plenty of way's to handle it if it is.
So if not 9th level then what level would you put it at 8th, 7th, 6th?
Project image moves physical things just fine if you cast mage hand or a similar spell. It has similar but different limits; call it the same level?
Simulacrums do what you tell them to even if they don't like it. It needs to be a higher level spell than your twin spell IMO.
Though - someone disagrees with me. Bilocation, a spell with no real use I can think of, is your twin spell with a useless duration and 8th-9th level.
Short form of what's about to follow: You've created a 10th level spell as you have it written.
So let's look at twin form first.
Transmutation - Alchemist 6, investigator 6
CT: 1 standard
Comp: VSM. (M: a drop of your blood)
Range: personal.
Target: you.
Duration: 1 round/LV "or until discharged" (D) - but no way in the spell description to discharge it.
Both you and your twin have the same statistics and start with the number of hit points you had when you ingested the extract. Once you have split, these hit points are tracked separately. Any spells, extracts, or magical effects (such as from potions) that were active when you ingested the extract are active for both you and your twin. If any such effects expire, are dispelled, dismissed, or otherwise used or ended, they end for both of you. Extracts or spells cast after you split affect you and your twin as though you were two separate targets. Your equipment is linked between your two selves, and if an item on one is consumed or destroyed, its duplicate is used up or destroyed as well.
The body you do not inhabit crumbles into dust when the extract’s duration expires or is dismissed. If the body you inhabit is destroyed, you immediately shift to your surviving self and the extract immediately ends. The body you left behind crumbles into dust, and you are stunned until the start of your next turn. If the body you do not inhabit is destroyed, the extract also ends immediately, but you suffer no ill effects.
So yours differs by linking the HP and being somewhat more liberal with the action economy than the extract's hard rules.
But now let's look at a 9th level spell called bilocation:
Conjuration (creation) - Sorcerer (etc) 9, psychic 8
Casting time: 1 standard
Components: V
Range: close
Target: 1 duplicate of you
Duration: 1 round/LV (D)
You perceive sensory information from your body and that of your duplicate simultaneously. The spell enables you to process the sensations so you don’t find them disorienting.
When you take any action, you choose which of your bodies performs the action, but both bodies share the same pool of actions. For instance, if you take a standard action to cast a spell, you can use either body as the point of origin, but the other body can’t also take a standard action that round. Likewise, if your duplicate takes a full-round action, you couldn’t take a standard or move action. Both bodies can take any number of free actions as usual; for example, both bodies could say different things or each drop a different item. If either body doesn’t move during the round, that body can either take a 5-foot step or move your speed once as a free action.
The two bodies are affected by attacks, spells, and effects as though they were one person, taking the worse effect when applicable (for example, if the bodies would be subject to differing effects due to being at different ranges). If both bodies are in the area of the same fireball, you would attempt the saving throw only once and take the damage only once. If one body is targeted by hold person, both would become paralyzed on a failed save. Both bodies count as a single creature for effects that target a specific number of creatures, and they can’t be chosen more than once for such effects. You do count your other body as another creature for most combat effects, such as flanking or determining cover. However, you don’t count as two unique creatures for the purposes of teamwork feats or effects you use that can target only creatures other than yourself.
Any magical effect with a duration affecting you has its duration halved while you’re bilocating. For example, the hold person spell mentioned above would lose 2 rounds’ worth of duration per round until your duplicate disappeared. If you were under an eagle’s splendor effect that had 1 minute remaining when you cast bilocation, the effect would end after 5 rounds instead of 10. An effect shortened in this way lasts a minimum of 1 round total, and if an effect that lasts an odd number of rounds has 1 round remaining, it has its full effect on both of your bodies for that round.
When the spell ends, you decide whether you or your duplicate disappears. If you disappear, you become your duplicate. If you are carrying artifacts when you do this, they transfer with your consciousness.
Note the additional restrictions that this has compared to twin form, such as having your effect durations burn twice as fast, having disadvantage on any save that hits both yous, and having to share HP (thus, unlike twin form, if the extra you gets flipped by massive damage, YOU get flipped instead of just being stunned for half a round - so you can't safely use it for scouting, for example.) On the other hand, the extra you counts as a combatant for any purpose that doesn't require you to count it as "not you".
Since yours is basically this, but a much longer duration in exchange for a long cast time and material component... and that long duration makes the spell useful in a SPECIFIC way that negates its basic weaknesses... it has to be higher level than this.
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Hmmm a few corrections that may not have been clear from my initial spell due to bad writing.
1) You do share hp i.e if you have 60 hp and create a duplicate you both have 60 hp, if either of you gets hit for 30 damage you BOTH take 30 damage and are reduced to 30 current hp.
2) Bilocation has a casting time of 1 standard action vs my spells 1 hour meaning it can be cast in combat and is I think intended for that purpose? I know you mention the casting time but I do think that the difference betwween 1 standard action and 1 hour is important in the spells use. Mine your not casting it in combat, bilocation you create a duplicate behind the enemy then blast them.
3) Bilocation does have a few benefits my spell doesn't
You both count as 1 creature (in my spell you and your body are two creatures).
You take the worse effect from AOE spells e.g. 5' hits duplicate, 20' hits you then you take the 5' damage. In my spell you'd take BOTH the 5' and 20' damage as both of you are in the spell.
If I'm reading this right aside from the shared pool (same as my spell) if either you or the duplicate doesn't move then it can take a 5' step or move your speed as a free action in addition to the other you moving as normal. Mine if original takes a move action the duplicate CAN'T no free 5' step or move your speed bonus (unless thats a rule I'm just not familiar about outside this spell).
Again if I'm reading this right effects cast on either bilocated body get the spell at half duratione e.g spell on you = 1/2 duration for you and duplicate. In mine spell on you is full duration but only on you the duplicate gets nothing unless a spell is also cast on it. Yes spells on you are duplicated when you create the copy but considering it takes an hour to cast the twin spell its probable your not planning on combat in the immediate future and have the more powerful short duration buffs running.
When the spell ends you decide if you want to be you or your duplicate no choice in mine. Minor difference true but in mine you and your duplicate are next to each other so you still need to cross the chasm somehow, in this your duplicate appears 25 to 50 (depending on feats) away then you become them thus bypassing an obstacle.
That said you don't think the expensive material component and restriction don't keep it close to bilocations 9th level?