Random DM nagging.

[Anastasia]

Sylvie retrains cunning brilliance into cunning mimicry. I just don't use cunning brilliance at all, so better to train to something she might use.

Tepen may retrain and hop into magical factotum next level up, but there's no immediate changes to him.

[Anastasia]

1. Aurora stuff in the Aurora topic related to nagging. Probably later when I'm not sleepy.
2. Post Faded Sorrow. He's 99% done.
3. Spells, domain and otherwise.
4. Character build charts for new recruits.
5. Iddy Twin Metamagic Rod question.
6. Death/Decay druid for Iddy.
7. Hanna and Mirajane sans gear stats.
8: Stone colossus.
9: Possible Sylvie and Tepen retrainings for factotum booster pack.

Just updating.

[Corwin]

900k total, or are you asking if getting both would make one cheaper?

Yes, since they won't be active simultaneously.

I'd simply use the fireball cannon standard for this, so check out that upgrade. It's the same thing in lightning form. I assume they're ran by soldiers.

What about the True Casting-based CL booster feature? Can it exist? If so, how is it priced?

I'm also not getting a good sense of how the cannons integrate with the army battles. Say we had the CL20 lightning ball cannons for the last battle. How would it have improved matters? What about the orb-based ones, the standard or the lesser? Having a hypothetical example of a battle with and without them would help.

How do you mean blessed? As in they count as good to overcome damage reduction and regeneration? Not terribly hard. True striking is expensive as hell if I even allow it, that's like the poster child for cheap spell effect that completely breaks the magic item creation rules.  Let me think about this one.

Yes, blessed like that. I do see your point with True Seeing, but I'd like to point out that this is a landlocked siege weapon. We're not going to be firing those ballistae at mooks. They'd be anti-dragon or pit fiend weapons and up. +20's there to give them a shot at all, given the usual level of our dudes.

Dungeons-wise, are they even at half capacity? I can't recall us holding more than a handful of devils.

[Yuthirin]

The book containing the Father is in a cell there as well.

[Ebiris]

We've got a few dozen easy, most just don't get much mention/full writeups in the interrogation thread.

Speaking of, Afina has that greater planar binding spell burning a hole in her spell selection, should really try filling the dungeon up some more with that.

[Anastasia]

Yes, since they won't be active simultaneously.

Probably worth some discount. I'd have to set up so there's a preliminary stage that only has to be completed once on both paths. Somewhere in the league of 100k savings to knock it down to a total cost of 800k. Exact form will depend on how they get written up.

What about the True Casting-based CL booster feature? Can it exist? If so, how is it priced?

I'd rather not. There's already a mechanism to increase the CL and damage of the lightning balls.

I'm also not getting a good sense of how the cannons integrate with the army battles. Say we had the CL20 lightning ball cannons for the last battle. How would it have improved matters?

You would have had cannons firing lightning balls at the devils surrounding Aurora. This would have inflicted some extra attrition, though it likely would not have been decisive considering the battle's circumstances. The cannons are positioned about Aurora's perimeter so you can attack with them in 360 degrees. You could change that if you want - to say front and back cannon batteries for more focused fire over versatility instead, or something else. Increasing the total number/focus/power of cannons will result in a matching price increase.

What about the orb-based ones, the standard or the lesser? Having a hypothetical example of a battle with and without them would help.

If the lightning cannons are crowd control artillery, the orb of lightning cannons are sniper shots. Probably wouldn't have mattered here, since Aurora's situation was (as far as you know) difficult in any case.

Yes, blessed like that. I do see your point with True Strike, but I'd like to point out that this is a landlocked siege weapon. We're not going to be firing those ballistae at mooks. They'd be anti-dragon or pit fiend weapons and up. +20's there to give them a shot at all, given the usual level of our dudes.

In this case I need to go read up on siege weapons and see how to hit is tallied on them. I'll get back to you on this.

Dungeons-wise, are they even at half capacity? I can't recall us holding more than a handful of devils.

Yes. See the posts above this one.

[Corwin]

Got thinking about spell variants again.



Original spell:

Heresy's Reward
Evocation/Divination [Good]
Level: Clr 11
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100ft + 10ft/level)
Area: 40ft radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous and permanent; see text
Saving Throw: Will partial; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell was developed by Vel Custos during his lifetime of destroying and exposing a vile heresy within the Tyrran faith. The caster calls on his deity to smite and reveal the wicked, causing a detonation of brilliant white power. Good creatures are immune to this blast, as are most neutral creatures.

Evil creatures and neutral creatures that worship a god directly in opposition to the caster's deity (for example, a neutral Sharran targeted by a Selunite) take 1d8 points of damage per caster level (maximum 30d8) points of damage. Further, they are branded with an aura of divine wrath. This aura is permanent unless dispelled by greater dispel magic or stronger spells. Any creature that worships the same deity as the caster that sees the affected creature is instantly aware of what they are and a sense of what crimes they have committed (such as heresy, murder or so forth). A successful Will save halves the damage and negates the aura.

This spell is a church secret of the Tyrran faith, but has spread to the rest of the Triad and over time to other good aligned deities.

Possible variant?

Stigma
Evocation/Divination [Good]
Level: Clr 11
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100ft + 10ft/level)
Area: 40ft radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous and permanent; see text
Saving Throw: Will partial; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

From her experiences with Bahamut and Tiamat's mark and upon hearing of a particularly inventive and vindictive spell by a Tyrran inquisitor named Vel Custos, Jaela of Aurora came up with this particular bit of magic. The caster calls on her deity to smite and reveal the wicked, causing a detonation of brilliant white power. Most creatures are immune to this blast, with the sole exception of devils.

Devils take 1d10 points of damage per caster level (maximum 30d10) points of damage. Further, they are branded with an aura of divine wrath. The aura remains permanent unless dispelled by greater dispel magic or stronger spells even through the devil's reincarnation. Any creature that treats the marked devil as an enemy sees "Beaten by Jaela of Aurora" and is instantly aware of under which circumstances the devil parted ways with the caster (such as fleeing in humiliation, being outright destroyed in battle and so forth). A successful Will save halves the damage and negates the aura.

*Uncursing requires caster of CL24 or higher.



Original spell:

Sunlance
Evocation [Light]
Level: Drd 11, Sor/Wiz 11, Sun 11
Components: V, S, M.
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400ft + 40ft/level)
Target: 1 creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex partial; see text.
Spell Resistance: Yes; see text.

Calling on Lathander's glow, the caster summons a 10ft long lance of pure solar energy. This lance hurtles from the caster and requires a ranged touch attack. On success it deals 1d6 points of damage per caster level (Maximum 30d6). A creature to which sunlight is harmful or unnatural takes double damage. A second after impact the lance explodes into a burst of radiance. This burst is treated as a sunburst spell with a doubled area (160ft). The area is centered on the target and the target is also affected by the sunburst normally.

There is no saving throw against the sunlance's primary damage and a reflex save is allowed as normal with the secondary sunburst effect. For the sake of evasion, the sunlance's primary damage is not negated on a successful reflex save, only the sunburst damage. Spell resistance is allowed on the lance and the sunburst.

Material Component

A hunk of sunstone.

Possible variant?

I tried to come up with something but sunlance is just too good at everything. If it became a cleric spell as is, which level would it be?



Gae Assail
Evocation [Good, Light]
Level: Clr 10
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: 1 creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

The caster grinds the yew under her grip, summoning a 10ft long spear of holy power. This spear hurtles from the caster and requires a ranged touch attack. On success, it deals 1d6 points of damage per caster level (maximum 30d6) to evil creatures (or 1d12 points of damage per caster level, maximum 30d12, to natives of the Negative Energy Plane, evil outsiders and undead) and blinds them for 1d4 rounds. The spell does no damage to good or neutral targets.

Material Component:

A piece of yew wood.

[Iron Dragoon]

Interested in building a Spellpool into my lair. Maybe combining it with the Living Vault. Living Spellpool Vault or something. I know that vault is still pending.

[Corwin]

Let's see. I want a dimensional travel denial aura. Something better than existing stuff, something lesser than 'kill Astral with a knife'.

Original spells:

Teleportation Scrambler
Evocation
Level: Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 hour/level

You cause a zone of astral distortion to surround you, which scrambles, distortes and damages any creature that teleports to a point 10ft per caster level of you. Creatures that do so suffer 1d10 points of damage points of damage per caster level (maximum 10d10) when they do so. A successful Fortitude save halves the damage but spell resistance does not apply.

Dimensional Anchor
Abjuration
Level:    Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 4
Components:    V, S
Casting Time:    1 standard action
Range:    Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect:    Ray
Duration:    1 min./level
Saving Throw:    None
Spell Resistance:    Yes (object)

A green ray springs from your outstretched hand. You must make a ranged touch attack to hit the target. Any creature or object struck by the ray is covered with a shimmering emerald field that completely blocks extradimensional travel. Forms of movement barred by a dimensional anchor include astral projection, blink, dimension door, ethereal jaunt, etherealness, gate, maze, plane shift, shadow walk, teleport, and similar spell-like or psionic abilities. The spell also prevents the use of a gate or teleportation circle for the duration of the spell.

A dimensional anchor does not interfere with the movement of creatures already in ethereal or astral form when the spell is cast, nor does it block extradimensional perception or attack forms. Also, dimensional anchor does not prevent summoned creatures from disappearing at the end of a summoning spell.

Dimensional Lock
Abjuration
Level:    Clr 8, Sor/Wiz 8
Components:    V, S
Casting Time:    1 standard action
Range:    Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area:    20-ft.-radius emanation centered on a point in space
Duration:    One day/level
Saving Throw:    None
Spell Resistance:    Yes

You create a shimmering emerald barrier that completely blocks extradimensional travel. Forms of movement barred include astral projection, blink, dimension door, ethereal jaunt, etherealness, gate, maze, plane shift, shadow walk, teleport, and similar spell-like or psionic abilities. Once dimensional lock is in place, extradimensional travel into or out of the area is not possible.

A dimensional lock does not interfere with the movement of creatures already in ethereal or astral form when the spell is cast, nor does it block extradimensional perception or attack forms. Also, the spell does not prevent summoned creatures from disappearing at the end of a summoning spell.

Sever Astral Links
Abjuration
Level: Sor/Wiz 15
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Short (25ft + 5ft 2/levels)
Area: 1 100ft cube/level
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell severs an area's connection to the Astral Plane. Doing so prevents teleportation and dimensional magics from working in the area affected. An area affected can only be restored by a restore astral links spell or a deity using alter reality.

Severing astral links can be dangerous. While there is little risk if done in most locations, doing so on an outer plane or in a deity's divine realm will attract the attention of the deity or planar lord who rules there. This usually provokes the deity to send powerful servants or even an avatar to ascertain the situation and punish the spell caster. A deity and her avatars are capable of teleportation in their own divine realm, even if the astral links are severed, so this spell offers no defense against that happening.

Focus

A silver knife stained with the blood of an astral dreadnought.



What I want is an aura (as with Teleportation Scrambler) that won't be easily escaped (a mile like those lvl10 spells), and for the spell to be useful against devils stronger than myself. This means no save (which they'd easily beat) as with Dimensional Anchor, and no SR as with Teleportation Scrambler. No need for the damage or long duration of the Teleportation Scrambler or the Dimensional Lock. No need for anything permanent like Sever Astral Links.

Teleport DoS
Abjuration
Level: Clr10, Sor/Wiz 10
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard
Range: Personal
Area: 1 mile radius
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

If I can't get an aura but a stationary mile-wide dimensional block that lasts 1rnd/lvl, can I instead get a (+5 or +10, whichever seems reasonable) bonus to CL for the purpose of opposed checks by anyone who wanted to dispel it? Or a penalty to their CL check for the same?

[Corwin]

Elena would like to throw in a few comments about upgrades as well.

- Upgrading the baths for more capacity or multiple baths for each gender. They're popular and more capacity could be useful as Aurora's ranks continue to grow.
- Upgrading the dungeons. More space here would help as you capture more devil prisoners.
- A general courtyard space upgrade, as well as possibly adding more buildings. (This one's more Galariel, but Elena says he thinks more secondary buildings would help space and make attacking forces divide up rather than overwhelm Aurora proper.)

That's a good question. Simplest ways I can think of and with the understanding that some overlap is inevitable:

- Baths provide fast healing 1 while soaking.
- Baths give you an effect that keeps you clean and smelling good for a time after bathing.
- Baths provide some spell effect, ala the mission readiness arch.

Pricing depends in which direction y'all go in with this.

Expand dungeon(Double capacity): 50,000 gold; 1 DC 20 K:A&E check; 1 DC 25 spellcraft check; 5 days.

Might as well? From the chat it seems there's support for the dungeon upgrade.

Disjunction trap for the gates, fires before the magic missiles (CL 20): 100,000 gold; 2 DC 35 spellcraft checks; 1 DC 35 K:A check; 6 days.

I can't believe this hasn't been done, but it should! I remember going for it, but for some reason it didn't happen?

Repair training rooms: 30,000 gold; 2 DC 30 K:A checks; 1 DC 32 K:A&E check; 4 days.

Long overdue, really.


Baths! Fast healing 1 is actually neat, we could close our healer's ward. Perhaps also some effect to help deal with trauma? It's fitting thematically and we've had plenty of examples, from the mundane refugees and rescues to Adrian, mine and Rosa's problems with contamination. Could nicely compliment the healing beds.

Weapons-wise, I think I want to pass now. I just don't see a tangible benefit and they're ridiculously expensive. Gate, too, is too expensive for what it does and we have plenty of high level casters for it.

Other upgrades that might be useful and I want opinions on:

Create bulletin boards (Connected to generals and colonel's rooms and allow updates from there, allow illusionary images to enlarge for viewers): 20,000 gold; 3 DC 25 spellcraft checks; 4 days.

Do the bulletin boards raise morale or combat readiness/defender response times? If so, could come in handy.

Sending Orbs(Planar sending, allows sendings at will from various points in Aurora): 100,000 gold; 1 DC 35 spellcraft check; 1 DC 35 K:A check, 1 DC 35 K:P check; 5 days.

Expensive, but we do use Sendings a lot. I also presume they wouldn't require a 10min wait per message.

Add long range Analyze Portal capacity(Allows Analyze Portal results from the nearest portal when detected): 55,000 gold; 2 DC 30 spellcraft checks; 1 DC 30 K:P check; 7 days

We don't use this a lot, but it's not too expensive and we could look before we follow strange portals somewhere. Or even if one opens way away from us, so devils don't sneak up on us too easily.

Add long range spell capacity (Allows casting spells through Medicant and through the illusionary battlefield) 400,000 gold; 5 DC 50 spellcraft checks; 4 DC 50 K:A check; 10 days.

Expensive but I really want this!

[Anastasia]

Interested in building a Spellpool into my lair. Maybe combining it with the Living Vault. Living Spellpool Vault or something. I know that vault is still pending.

So noted. Not a lot to do about it immediately, but keep it on the burner for when the Sword of Myr's done.

[Anastasia]

Cor, I'll look through your spell stuff tonight or tomorrow. Chatted some on IRC about the basics anyway.

[Yuthirin]

Expand dungeon(Double capacity): 50,000 gold; 1 DC 20 K:A&E check; 1 DC 25 spellcraft check; 5 days.

Might as well? From the chat it seems there's support for the dungeon upgrade.

Disjunction trap for the gates, fires before the magic missiles (CL 20): 100,000 gold; 2 DC 35 spellcraft checks; 1 DC 35 K:A check; 6 days.

I can't believe this hasn't been done, but it should! I remember going for it, but for some reason it didn't happen?

Repair training rooms: 30,000 gold; 2 DC 30 K:A checks; 1 DC 32 K:A&E check; 4 days.

Long overdue, really.


Baths! Fast healing 1 is actually neat, we could close our healer's ward. Perhaps also some effect to help deal with trauma? It's fitting thematically and we've had plenty of examples, from the mundane refugees and rescues to Adrian, mine and Rosa's problems with contamination. Could nicely compliment the healing beds.

Weapons-wise, I think I want to pass now. I just don't see a tangible benefit and they're ridiculously expensive. Gate, too, is too expensive for what it does and we have plenty of high level casters for it.

Other upgrades that might be useful and I want opinions on:

Create bulletin boards (Connected to generals and colonel's rooms and allow updates from there, allow illusionary images to enlarge for viewers): 20,000 gold; 3 DC 25 spellcraft checks; 4 days.

Do the bulletin boards raise morale or combat readiness/defender response times? If so, could come in handy.

Sending Orbs(Planar sending, allows sendings at will from various points in Aurora): 100,000 gold; 1 DC 35 spellcraft check; 1 DC 35 K:A check, 1 DC 35 K:P check; 5 days.

Expensive, but we do use Sendings a lot. I also presume they wouldn't require a 10min wait per message.

Add long range Analyze Portal capacity(Allows Analyze Portal results from the nearest portal when detected): 55,000 gold; 2 DC 30 spellcraft checks; 1 DC 30 K:P check; 7 days

We don't use this a lot, but it's not too expensive and we could look before we follow strange portals somewhere. Or even if one opens way away from us, so devils don't sneak up on us too easily.

Add long range spell capacity (Allows casting spells through Medicant and through the illusionary battlefield) 400,000 gold; 5 DC 50 spellcraft checks; 4 DC 50 K:A check; 10 days.

Expensive but I really want this!

I'm in favor of all of this. I don't know the size of the Aurora fund off the top of my head, but if we can afford everything, let's.

If not, we should probably prioritize Long Range Casting, Analyze Portal, & Disjunction Traps.

Bulletin Boards were Muirfinn's idea, a sort of meta idea to allow the residents of Aurora to post requests, quests, etc. for those adventuring types. A way for the people to toss up requests to us.

Sending Orbs would save a lot of spell slots for the Magi Group.

Baths would be good.

Lightning Cannons would be useful, I think. I don't think the discussion in #e really gave them justice.

[Iron Dragoon]

I like the idea of the baths, too. I don't think we should shut down the healer's ward, but maybe retro fit them for more specialized things. Rosa's encounter comes to mind. Maybe turn them into a psychic healing ward with Tryll's help or something similar?

Bulletin boards I like, too. Maybe send out emissaries to other places with special books that transcribe the requests given to them directly to the boards? A central location for quests and stuffs.

Long range spell capacity also looks immensely useful.

I'm also all for the training rooms, with the proviso that they're big enough for the Hydras to use. I wanna get these guys combat ready ASAP.

The rest I don't really have much of an opinion on.

[Corwin]

We have about 200k in the fund right now. My opinion on weapons is also based on chats with Dune about their implementation, and remains just that, my opinion.