Miscellania

[Anastasia]

Increased Metamagic Capacity needs a rewrite for clarity. I'd also have it just grant double slots, this is far less confusing than how it's written now. I'd take a long look at rejiggering it but I see what concept you want. As for Vitalize Spellcasting, I see what you're going for, but potions and rings of wizardry are far different beasts.  You're essentially tripling your spellslots for a level with a ring of wizardry combined with this feat. That's not even counting in bonus slots counting now. That's too good for what it does.

I don't actually have a per encounter mechanic so far to demonstrate even as a draft. Maybe this could be yet another area where turning is used as fuel, to substitute for the Hellreaver holy fury points? Like you said, Dune, I'm certainly thinking on and off about a one-level dip to get turning one day to power Travel Devotion, so it could be one more reason if that direction sounds right. I'm vaguely thinking of a framework that lets you refresh spells after encounter by spending X turning attempts (3-4?), perhaps increasingly more with each such refreshing. Thoughts?

Look at Divine Feats. You spend a feat for an effect. http://www.crystalkeep.com/d20/rules/DnD3.5Index-Feats.pdf - Go to Divine feats and read these, page 72. If you simply want an 'encounter' power you can fuel with turns, look at these.  As for refreshing spells with turns? That could range from too weak to too strong with a very narrow sweet spot where it's sane.  

Let me ask: Do you want more spell slots or just an encounter power to throw around?

[Anastasia]

Unrelated to the above:

1. I posted a tentative chart of the new epic spell progression, it's a notepad attachment in the same posts as the Feanmerc PDFs. How does it look to you guys?

2. I'm thinking about scapping creation costs for spells altogether. With the higher and epic levels depending more on custom content, this seems to be less needed. Thoughts?

[Corwin]

Increased Magic Capacity [Epic]
Prerequisites
Spellcraft 13 ranks, ability to cast 9th-level arcane or divine spells

Benefit
You may double all of your prepared 0-, 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-level spell slots. The normal limits to the spells in question apply.

Special
You can gain this feat multiple times. Each time you take the feat, it now applis to the spells of your next three lowest spell levels.


You mean like this, except with stronger prereqs? I'm still not entirely sure what would be a good prerequisite that makes sense.


On Vitalize Spellcasting, why would it triple things or more? Say you're a wizard with 4+3+1 (class+wis mod+domain) spell slots at level 3, and you get a ring of wizardry III. Normally, it would give you 4+3+1+4 slots for lvl3, while what I tried to propose would give you (4+3+1)x2. Not that I like the way this entire approach goes that much, but I don't understand your specific critique there.


Editing in response to 1: Considering I get access to lvl9 spells at level 23, and natural CL20 at level 26, it's very hard for me to care for epic spell slots at this stage, while I'm level 19....

Basically, this all just feels too unreal to me at this point in time. Ditto for costs, and most such spell mechanics.

[Anastasia]

Well, if it's all feeling disconnected, don't worry about it so much right now. Give it another level and come back to it, say?

[Corwin]

I'm in despair! This cruel and impossibly distant epic spell progression has put me in despair!

[Anastasia]

1. Mythals: Both of you have shown interests along these lines. What are you guys thinking here?

[Ebiris]

I haven't actually gone into the details of statting it up since I haven't really examined the new epic spell creation guidelines, but I was thinking of basically incorporating the Mythal epic spell seed from Lost Empires of Faerun into the new rules and making a spell that fit.

Of course, it's hard for sorcerers since every Mythal is unique in the old rules, so I'd have to rely on a single standard Mythal spell whereas a wizard or cleric could just make unique ones to fit whatever their current needs are, unless the new rules would allow for making something with more flexibility.

Like I said, though, I haven't looked at it in detail. Even 10th level magic is way way off for me, and it'd probably end up higher level than that.

[Anastasia]

I'd recommend making it a 10th(or higher, whatever) spell that's very much a template. That's what I'm doing when I work on a Genesis replacement.

[Anastasia]

While I'm at it! This is a beta.


Genesis
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 10
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 week (8 hours/day)
Range: 20ft radius/level. (see text)
Effect: A demiplane coterminous with the Ethereal Plane, centered on your location
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

The spellcaster creates a finite plane with limited access: a demiplane.

A character can only cast this spell while on the Ethereal Plane. When he or she casts the spell, a local density fluctuation precipitates the creation of a demiplane. At first, the fledgling plane grows at a rate of 2 feet in radius per day to it's maximum after one week.

The spellcaster determines the environment within the demiplane when he or she first casts genesis, reflecting most any desire the spellcaster can visualize. The spellcaster determines factors such as atmosphere, water, temperature, and the general shape of the terrain. This spell cannot create life (including vegetation), nor can it create construction (such as buildings, roads, wells, dungeons, and so forth). The spellcaster must add these things in some other fashion if he or she desires. Special traits can be added, see below.

Once the basic demiplane reaches its maximum size, the spellcaster can continue to cast this spell to enlarge the demiplane, adding another casting's feet to it's size per week.

Specialized variations of this spell may exist that allow demiplanes beyond the Ethereal, but they're beyond the scope of the basic spell.

Adding special traits

Special planar traits may be added at great expense and difficulty. Almost any effect the wizard can imagine can be created with the following exception: The flow of time may not be changed in any way due to the divine ban on time-altering magic. To do so costs a material component of at least 50,000 GP per effect, these are often unique things that must be obtained.

Material Component:

A crystal sphere, as well as any material components required for special planar conditions.

[Corwin]

Eb, I've actually considered trying for a Mythal using Incantations, which feel more inclusive and more... I dunno, unique, which seems to fit the creation of epic artifacts. Thoughts?

[Ebiris]

Well, we've never had any incantations show up in game before, so I don't necessarily see that as being more inclusive - whether it's an incantation or epic magic, either way it's something we haven't done before. And the rules for incantations cover stuff between 6th and 9th level, so a Mythal is way above its remit.

Also, incantations kinda hit me in the 'no, you don't have skills, fuck off' spot, so they're not really something I can play with. Unless we went and bought 'hats of mythal-making' which grant +20 to all the skills needed for the incantation, which is pretty lame and would probably just result in Dune setting higher DCs to stop low level dudes using the same to toss up mythals everywhere.

[Corwin]

Mmm. Maybe I should just say how I wish to see it, rather than frame it in terms of spell/incantations/whichever.

I want a sense of this being epic, not just the epic levels, but in the true meaning of the word. So I'm looking for uniqueness, something to set it apart from even other epic spells. I'd also like it to take the form of a ritual, not being trivial in the least, and requiring considerable time and cooperation between more than one mage. That seems to be awesome to me. Does it sound awesome to you and Dune? Is that the direction you guys agree something like Mythal-creation should go?

[Anastasia]

That could be good. I think you're making a slight fallacy here - you don't need to make something new. You can work within the already established spell rules to do this. Making a mythal is unique, make a unique spell to represent it if you like. You don't have to make a new system or bring in something new to work with it.

[Ebiris]

Basically, I want a mythal to be something Alicia can either make herself, or play a primary role in creating if it's a team effort. I don't want it to be a case of Seira doing all the awesome ritual stuff while Alicia's just one of the scrubs who contributes a 3rd level spell slot to the process.

It's basically a case of playing to our strengths. Seira's got all the epic skills and the boatload of wizard followers so going the skill check and group effort thing is easy for her. Alicia doesn't have any of that so that's why I'm focusing my attention on the 10th+ level spell direction.

[Corwin]

Sharing the primary role is totally fine, and in fact preferable from my end of things, etc. Works?