DM Nagging: It's pretty much my job

[Anastasia]

It's less a question of what level if falls on for the +10 cap boost, but instead if I want that at all. I've avoided making an epic magic weapon and epic magic vestment spell as a design choice - namely, that you can't just make generic weapons epic weapons all day long. The spells that do it - things like shardread weapon or whatever that spell is, or avenging angel's strike - are round or minute/level spells (and I had a long think about making avenging angel's strike a minute/level spell instead of a round/level spell).

I don't feel this is a good look for the game: Oh hey, we can get an awesome +8 sword...or just make that sword over there a +10 weapon. Or let's boost up all our weapons to +10 just because. I want epic weapons you get to be more meaningful than that, more meaningful than just plop a big enhancement bonus on something and be done with it or just become another always cast +x to your attack rolls.

Though all that being said, a mile radius magic vestment spell wouldn't strike me as 13th level. Probably 11th or 12th. Those sort of spells aren't about automatically boosting your core node as much as boosting a huge number of people around you. An army spell as you named it, a war spell.

Mmm. I took inspiration from existing War spells, one of which did actually expand MV bonus. Warrior's Boon (overpriced at lvl22, IMO) is an epic War spell that gives +14 GMW and +14 MV, plus a bunch of other nice buffs. I figured the Army spell could find a nice niche since it was, in fact, in character for War spells.

That said, if you don't like it, you don't like it. I'm scrapping the spell since I don't want a Mass MV spell that does MV to a bunch of NPCs I don't actually see affected as a player.

So noted.

For what it's worth, Warrior's Boon is old and really speculative. I wouldn't read too much into it since it's basically a shot in the dark for that power level. Fair point though.

[Corwin]

I'd really appreciate some clarifications on infrequently-used aspects of my powers and resources.

-Item redemption quests. We've covered (more or less) what I can purify through divine will alone, and what needs to be done the hard way. But does this mean I need to find followers who would do the quest for me? Can I do any such quests myself? If so, who grants it? Do I do it for myself? How are the quest parameters decided?

We've had it happen before, and even I gave such a quest to my Malana party. But it feels like a thing of indeterminate timeframe and the rewards are equally vague, it's more a plot hook than anything else. I doubt that as things stand I will see it resolved in the frame of B6. So I want to see what can actually happen where I can see it through, and how. Please provide some guidelines and examples.

-Actual redemption quests. It's something that I've been wondering about for a while. Stuff like Atonement has never been used, so I'm asking whether paladins never make missteps and clerics never misstep. What happens then? Do I immediately know for my followers? Are they cut off from spells/divine powers, or is it always a conscious choice? Does it need to result in alignment change?

This is mostly OOC stuff, but I'm curious and it'll help me understand how the gameworld works better.

-Living spells. Is there a flavor or balance reason for me to not build up an army of them, costs aside? As for convenience, if I want my realm to have convenience from noncombat applications of spells and living spells, how is it handled? Am I assumed to have anything I want since it's a heaven, is it anything that doesn't have dual-use possibilities, do I need to make a task and assign realm resources via the new mechanic? Something else?

-Magical holograms. Something we ran into near the end of B1 and I used a couple times in B6 so far. As with the previous point, should I just use them for convenience as is? Do I need to use realm resources? What if I want to give everyone in the realm a Siri? I presume the current usage isn't intelligent and thus isn't self-aware, but can that sort of thing actually happen?

-Finally, I'm toying with trying a secondary character again, along the lines of Marie or Calleigh. Are you open to that sort of thing? If so, do they need to be familiars? To be clear about this, I want to try the same usage, so they'd be around in some of my scenes, and if I want to focus on them for some reason Seira is doing important stuff off-screen. Not to run two concurrent threads, say.

[Anastasia]

Mass Spiritual Weapon
    Evocation [Force]
    Level: Clr 12, War 12
    Components: V, S, DF
    Casting Time: 1 standard action
    Range: Personal
    Area: 100ft/level radius spread
    Effect: Magic weapons of force
    Duration: 1 round/level (D)
    Saving Throw: None
    Spell Resistance: Yes

    This spell functions like Spiritual Weapon, except the cap is extended to +15. Your feats and combat actions affect the weapons, as if you were wielding them. If one of the targets is destroyed, goes beyond the spell range or goes out of your sight, the weapon attacking it is dispelled.

    As with Spiritual Weapon, this spell uses the caster's relevant ability rather than Wisdom.

    Unlike with Spiritual Weapon, this spell doesn't allow redirecting the weapons to a new target.


Range/Area need adjusting, but I'd have to go look up precisely how this sort of spell would be handled. I'll deal with that on my end if it gets that far.

For the cap extended to +15, you mean the 1d8+5 cap goes up to 1d8+15 now?

Okay, so how many weapons are generated? Does it send one to attack every target in the range? Is it a set number? The text isn't clear. I get the impression this is meant to be a radius thing that hits everyone in the radius with a spiritual weapon on them. It implies multiple weapons several times, but never clarifies exactly how many are generated.

I don't see anything in spiritual weapon that has it 'use the caster's relevant ability rather than Wisdom'. Can you elaborate where that comes from?

Let me reserve further comment until I get clarifications and I better grasp your intent with this spell. Weapon swarm is a solid enough idea.

Pasting this for my own reference.

Okay, reading the results over now.

As I said before, the basic concept's fine. Not sold on the range + the blades being fire and forget - the area of the spell is enough that this is largely mitigated, and there's nothing to say you can't cast the spell again and again to stack more blades or simply do other things. As it is now the spell's simply too big a radius combined with fire and forget potential for the level. Sure, some of the later attacks may miss, but it has a whole lot of rounds to hit things with.

If I were doing it, I'd probably amend it to something like this.

Mass Spiritual Weapon
Evocation [Force]
Level: Clr 12, War 12
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 150ft
Effect: Magic weapons of force
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell is identical to spiritual weapon, except as noted here. You generate one weapon for each creature in the range, you can choose to exclude creatures from this at will and not attack them. Otherwise, all creatures in range are attacked with a spiritual weapon. This weapon follows them automatically in the radius and makes a single attack or multiple attacks. This takes no action to do so and is automatic, and persists as long as the creature is within the range of the spells. A weapon that kills its target vanishes, as does if the target leaves the spell range. You can't switch weapons like with spiritual weapon, you get one weapon per creature. A creature who enters the range of this spell is not attacked.

The damage of each weapon is 1d8 + 1 per three caster levels, to a maximum of 1d8+15 at caster level 45th. If the spellcaster's primary statistic for spellcasting is not Wisdom, they may use that stat in place of Wisdom to determine the attack roll of the spiritual weapons.

Due to the number of spiritual weapons, make one set of attacks each round and apply them to all creatures affected.

[Anastasia]

I'd really appreciate some clarifications on infrequently-used aspects of my powers and resources.

-Item redemption quests. We've covered (more or less) what I can purify through divine will alone, and what needs to be done the hard way. But does this mean I need to find followers who would do the quest for me? Can I do any such quests myself? If so, who grants it? Do I do it for myself? How are the quest parameters decided?

Anyone can do them, including yourself. You grant it yourself (or Amaryl, whatever). In that case I'd give you a few suitable choices amid things you know need to be done and you can work with them.

We've had it happen before, and even I gave such a quest to my Malana party. But it feels like a thing of indeterminate timeframe and the rewards are equally vague, it's more a plot hook than anything else. I doubt that as things stand I will see it resolved in the frame of B6. So I want to see what can actually happen where I can see it through, and how. Please provide some guidelines and examples.

Malana wouldn't happen in the frame of B6, since we might come back to that. Bad example in that case.

Otherwise, hm. Refresh me on the ones you've sent out, so I know where you're coming from?

-Actual redemption quests. It's something that I've been wondering about for a while. Stuff like Atonement has never been used, so I'm asking whether paladins never make missteps and clerics never misstep. What happens then? Do I immediately know for my followers? Are they cut off from spells/divine powers, or is it always a conscious choice? Does it need to result in alignment change?

Atonement is used, it was used in B1. It's just not usually needed by PCs, since most played paladins or clerics manage to stay within the dotted lines. It's been used before, but usually not directly by PCs on themselves or to PCs from others. You generally know when someone fucks up and if they need to atone, that's handled by you and the clergy under the aegis of general upkeep. I haven't felt the need to call too much attention to that sort of thing.

Someone who falls from grace presumably has you cut off spells from them. The exact point varies on what they'd done and the deity in question. Some give more latitude than others and sometimes a screw up manages to screw up in a way that demands immediate response. It may or may not result in alignment change, depending on what they've done. A paladin of Seira who goes and loots, plunders and torches a peaceful village? Yeah, he's probably going straight to evil alignment along with getting cut off. Someone who simply drifts away from the methods and message of the church to another LG church may not change alignment. Not every split involves a drastic fall from grace, some are softer and a case more like quitting a job where you don't fit anymore. (At least amid goodly churches, sometimes. Almost any other tends to be...acrimonious. At best. Woe to the heretic.)

This is mostly OOC stuff, but I'm curious and it'll help me understand how the gameworld works better.

-Living spells. Is there a flavor or balance reason for me to not build up an army of them, costs aside? As for convenience, if I want my realm to have convenience from noncombat applications of spells and living spells, how is it handled? Am I assumed to have anything I want since it's a heaven, is it anything that doesn't have dual-use possibilities, do I need to make a task and assign realm resources via the new mechanic? Something else?

Costs aside, not really. If you want some and want to invest in that, knock yourself out. The main limitation is that it's a 10th level spell to create them, and those sort of casters don't grow on trees.

-Magical holograms. Something we ran into near the end of B1 and I used a couple times in B6 so far. As with the previous point, should I just use them for convenience as is? Do I need to use realm resources? What if I want to give everyone in the realm a Siri? I presume the current usage isn't intelligent and thus isn't self-aware, but can that sort of thing actually happen?

Elaborate a little more here? Do you mean like projecting an image of yourself and talking through it or essentially silent/minor/major image spells or other illusions?

-Finally, I'm toying with trying a secondary character again, along the lines of Marie or Calleigh. Are you open to that sort of thing? If so, do they need to be familiars? To be clear about this, I want to try the same usage, so they'd be around in some of my scenes, and if I want to focus on them for some reason Seira is doing important stuff off-screen. Not to run two concurrent threads, say.

Probably too much added DM upkeep, but it depends. If it's another 30+ level character no, because that's just too much for me to deal with. I'm deep enough in DM work as it is. Something like Calleigh might be just possible, but you'd need to hit a home run on the pitch and execution. I mean, I -liked- Lucy a lot, it's just a matter of only so much of me to go around and I'm wary of burning myself out by overreaching and overcomplicating things.

Side note: Marie gets a special grandfathering in since she's too important in her role to Sylica. None of the rules really apply to her since she got her status in B1 and as stated, she's a bit too important not to have available.

[Corwin]

Works for me. So that's two epic War spells. I'll work on a replacement for the third.

[Corwin]

I've been wondering about the Power Word line of spells, specifically Power Word Stun. It seems like a lot beat it due to being immune to stun or immune to mind-affecting/compulsion.

What sort of spells prevent Power Word Stun and its friends? What sort of class abilities/feats/races?

Are there racial types that immune the stun aspect outside ooze/plant/undead/construct/elemental? Are there stun-based spells or abilities that affect them despite this type immunity?

Are there mind-affecting/compulsion spells or abilities that get past such immunities?

[Anastasia]

Works for me. So that's two epic War spells. I'll work on a replacement for the third.

Done.

[Anastasia]

Emily reaches level 32.

- Sorcerer 32 and Dragonfire Knight 22.
- 9 on a d10 for a total of 17 hit points and a grand total of 425 hit points.
- +1 BAB on a d10 for a total of +30.
- Another daily use of dragonfire wrath and the damage rises by 1d10.
- Dragon's hope rises to 30 hit points.
- Emily gains 32nd level sorcerer spellcasting. Another 13th level spell per day and spell known is the bounty. Emily selects Wall of Superb Dispelling, mostly to have variet.
- Emily gains 28th level favored souls pellcasting. Another 12th level spell known is the reward. Emily selects Emily's Miraculous Gift. She's obligated.
- All saves rise by 1.
- +1 Charisma for a total of 32.
- Skills go up as normal.
- Emily selects the following feats: Automatic Metamagic(S32) and Epic Toughness(DF22). Both are needed and obvious.

Solid level.

[Anastasia]

Ianvasah reaches level 32.

- Druid 32 and Dragonheart Shapeshifter 12.
- 8 on a d8 for a total of 17 hit points and a grand total of 442 hit points.
- +1 BAB for a total of +29.
- Breath weapon damage rises by 1d10 to 32d10.
- Gains another draconic gift. She selects ravager's might.
- Ianvasah gains level 32 druid casting. She gains another 13th level spell. Ianvasah selects another mass energy immunity and needs a few custom spells. To do the todo list, because it keeps groooowing.
- All saves rise by 1.
- +1 Constitution for a total of 30. It was that or Wisdom, but with this node's lowish HP, boosting her own HP made sense.
- Ianvasah selects Automatic Metamagic(Quicken)(D32) as her feat.

Whew, done.

[Anastasia]

This is overdue, but I may as well do it during the level up run.

Ebony reaches level 31.

- Sylican Angel 31 and Singer of the Celestial Choir 10.
- 6 on a d8 for a total of 17 hit points and a grand total of 587 hit points.
- +1 BAB for a total of +31.
- Spell resistance rises by 1 to 46.
- Adjusted Ebony's inspire courage to +9. Meant to audit it so here it is. She has enough going on that it's easy to make a mistake on that.
- Gains another bonus sanctified spell. This is resolved below.
- Gains true words of creation. This is nice.
- Gains 31st level bard casting. This grants Ebony another 9th and 10th level spell per day and another 10th level spell known, as well as a bonus exalted spell from her PrC. Star explosion is the sanctified spell (and may be replaced with a custom spell) and the normal spell is something new. See below. It's mostly a proof of concept for Ebony and experimenting in this field. She has some more interesting ideas to be useful down the line.
- Gains 29th level sorcerer casting. That means another spell per day and another spell known, both 12th level. Ebony chooses Visions of the Past, mostly because it has utility for her.
- Skills go up as normal.

Ebony's Whisper
Transmutation
Level: Brd 10
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 200ft/level
Targets: All creatures within the range
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell allows you to pass on a single message of no more than 15 words to all creatures within the range of the spell. This message does not need to be spoken aloud, though the targets hear it as if you spoke it. The message is heard as a whisper to the target, as if they are the only target of the spell. The message is heard in the favored language of each target.

At your choice, you can have the message spoken sound like someone else. You must be familiar with a person's voice to have the message sound like them, usually by having heard them speak several times.

This spell does not allow you to send other spells or effects that rely on speech through it.

Review: Ebony's bardic music progression.

Base level of 31 + 5 (vest of legends) for 36. That puts her at a base of +6. Next boost there is at level 38, so at level 33.

+1 for song of the heart.
+2 for epic inspirationx2.

+9 total.

[Anastasia]

General notes:

1. The heap of DM work is slowly lessening. In retrospect I should have taken at least 1 more down day during the main batch of level ups. I'm going to try and eliminate an entry or two a day on the todo list. I got two down this morning amid other things to do, so that's progress.
2. I've been meaning to get Yuth for a weekend session, but it hasn't really happened. I haven't felt the energy and/or I've been busy on weekend days. Hopefully soon.
3. Army rules of some kind are on the todo list, I just haven't had the time yet. Just heads up there.
4. Besides Iddy's spell, I think I'm more or less current on nagging? Point out if I'm wrong.
5. I've had a soft 'one custom SDA per divine tier (1 for demi, 2 for lesser, 3 for intermediate and 4 for greater)' rule in place for design. I haven't really enforced it, because honestly, the way I design makes it unneeded. I rarely make more than 2 custom SDAs for someone, and if a demipower has 2, there's usually a good enough reason for it. I'm going to make this a hard rule shortly, albeit with anything already in play, under consideration or otherwise a concern but not officially approved being grandfathered in if they exceed this limit.

To be clear: A custom SDA is one that refers to the deity in question in the description, directly referencing the crux of their powers. They very much define the deity. That's really the crux of it - they're meant to define, and adding more to that dilutes that, and I really dislike that. They're also meant to be strong as a result of that, and as such, adding too many overpowers. Note that while most of these have prerequisites, it isn't really a matter of simply fulfilling them and grabbing them.

Most deities conform to this rule, and the only exception I can think of (Mammon) was intentional due to plot reasons.

Examples of custom SDAs

DEVIL GENOCIDE
Prerequisite: Banestrike (Lawful Outsiders)
Benefit: Such is Zquujaj's fury that he cares nothing but for the extermination of devils. His banestrike ability no longer affects non-devil lawful outsiders, such as archons. The bonus to hit against devils from banestrike increases to +6 and the extra damage dice increase to +6d6. Any devil that is successfully damaged by an attack that benefits from banestrike must immediately make a fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 hit dice + Strength modifier + divine rank; DC 56) or suffer 6 negative levels. Unlike normal negative levels, these negative levels are immediately permanent. No secondary saving throw is allowed to remove them.

RESILIENT EMBER
Prerequisite: Con 31, Divine Fast Healing
Benefit: Zaaman Rul was rejuvenated by a phoenix after his crushing defeat on the Plain of Burnt Dreams. This touch enhanced his own resiliency and granted him even greater reserves of stamina. Zaaman Rul gains bonus hit points equal to his Charisma modifier times his hit dice. This stacks with the bonus hit points he gains for having a high Constitution modifier.
Special: The exact prerequisites for this ability are not clear. It is though that the phoenix's intervention is key to it, but the details are not clear.

However, there are new SDAs that are -not- custom SDAs. These are new material that is created but not with a particular deity in mind. These are generally fair game for anyone to select and are meant to expand the base of SDA material. A few examples I've made are below.

DIVINE SCOUT
The deity is the epitome of the scout and has abilities that far surpass that of mortal scouts.
Prerequisite: Scout level 20th, Skirmish+5d6/+5 AC, Blindsight 30ft
Benefit: The deity gains Emergency Skirmish, Epic Blindsight and Epic Skirmishx3 as a bonus feats. The deity never provokes attacks of opportunity when making a skirmish attack.
Suggested Portfolio Elements: Scouts.

STOP MOVEMENT
The deity can stop creatures from moving at all.
Prerequisite: Travel Domain
Benefit: As a standard action, the deity may attempt to prevent up to one creature per divine rank from moving. The deity must be able to see the creatures to affect them and must succeed on an opposed rank check to affect another deity. If the creature falls a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 hit dice + divine rank + Charisma modifier), the creature's movement speed is reduced to zero. This applies to all types of movement they possess. In essence, the creature cannot move of its own volition. The creature can still be moved by outside forces, such as another person pushing them. This effect lasts for one day, though the deity can end the effect as a free action. Stop Movement can be removed by another deity who succeeds on an opposed rank check.
Suggested Portfolio Elements: Travel.

Generally, new SDAs that are not custom SDAs are written in a style that refers to 'the deity' without naming anyone specific. These are tricks that aren't intimately tied to a particular deity. They aren't affected by the above limit.

In the case of borderline situations on if an SDA is a custom SDA or not, I'll make a decision. Ask me about an SDA if you aren't sure.

[Anastasia]

Divine FAQ updated with two new Q&As to reflect the above.

[Corwin]

You forgot this one: http://www.soulriders.net/forum/index.php/topic,104100.msg1132313.html#msg1132313

[Anastasia]

I've been wondering about the Power Word line of spells, specifically Power Word Stun. It seems like a lot beat it due to being immune to stun or immune to mind-affecting/compulsion.

What sort of spells prevent Power Word Stun and its friends? What sort of class abilities/feats/races?

Anything that stops enchantments, compulsions or mind-affecting spells. That covers a good chunk of things right there. Immunity to stun also stops it cold, naturally. More saliently, due to the hit point requirement, the spell rapidly runs into problems with higher hit point totals.

Are there racial types that immune the stun aspect outside ooze/plant/undead/construct/elemental? Are there stun-based spells or abilities that affect them despite this type immunity?

There may be, but those are the biggest offenders off the top of my head.

If something's immune to stun, they're immune to it unless a specific power notes that it can bypass typical immunity.

Are there mind-affecting/compulsion spells or abilities that get past such immunities?

Occasionally. Those things are generally rare, and most things that bypass immunities give a +5 or +10 bonus to save if you are immune.

[Corwin]

A reminder that I'm waiting on that sda review specifically to lower the amount of custom sdas.