Blood Magic, Souls as Currency, True Names [3.5/Pathfinder]
Posted: Sun Aug 10, 2014 6:37 pm
It took a while to come up with a decent system to make these things work, but now that I finally did I'm looking for outside thoughts and opinions on a few plot devices I coughed up. If you've got a second, I'd appreciate it if you'd check them out and give me some feedback. The reason for these is to spruce up spellcasting a bit and give casters more interesting options without completely throwing balance out the window, or adding enormous bonuses to damage.
The system is built around pathfinder at its core, but works just the same in 3.5.
The 3.5 Hack: Find and replace any instance of Linguistics with Decipher Script. The Words of Worlds feat requires Decipher Script 9 ranks.
Further Notes: These are intended for an urban fantasy setting. While they can be used in any context, you might find some artifacts in the text, like a conversion from GP to US Dollar.
Blood Magic
A mage is deadly by any definition, but he or she becomes considerably more so in possession of some of its target's blood. When casting a spell that affects one or more targets within range, the caster can channel the magic through fresh blood and affect the target with the spell without having line of sight or line of effect to it. In order to do so, he or she must have a clear mental image of the target.
This picture doesn't have to be accurate to any specific degree, but it must match the creature as she knows it. For example, a wizard having encountered a red dragon in disguise could target it with a spell in its true form even if she had never seen it, as long as she has a vial of its blood. This spell can only be used to direct magic that doesn't directly affect an area (so, for example, it could be used as part of inflict light wounds, but not to aim a fireball spell).
Blood can only be used for this purpose once, because it burns up after magic is channeled through it, leaving behind only very distinctive, dull brown ashes. A subject under the effect of a protection from evil spell, a magic circle against evil spell, a hallow spell or a similar effect, can apply the benefits of the protection against blood magic and receive a second saving throw against the effect. Those creatures also always know they are being targeted by blood magic.
Souls as Currency
Many claim that the soul is the core of one's being, and they aren't far from the truth. After all, there is a very good reason why so many demons and devils want nothing more than to own it, and for why angels want nothing more than to protect it. This section doesn't delve into the myriad of different ways to sell one's soul, like making a deal with a contract devil, for instance. Rather, it deals with the complications involved after the transaction is complete. There are two stages to this problem: the Before and the After.
During the Before stage, the character's soul is in escrow, but he or she still retains the full benefits of possessing a soul. However, the creature to whom the soul was promised, the true owner of the soul, gains unholy power over the character. That creature gains a +10 circumstance bonus on any skill check made to compel or alter the attitude of the character, and a +5 circumstance bonus on the saving throw DC of any compulsion, charm or enchantment spell or effect it uses against the character. Despite this, a general and prevalent sense of unease and a mild aversion to holy grounds, the character suffers no other negative effects for having sold his or her soul.
The After stage, on the other hand, is not only very rare, but also dramatically more nefarious. This condition occurs after the character has already lost his or her soul, either after having sold it, died and been brought back to life without it, or through a freak accident. In a case where a character sold his or her soul, the creature it was sold to has already taken possession of the soul and no longer has any special power over the character. As a result, however, the character becomes as an empty shell and loses his or her alignment, effectively becoming completely unaligned. All access to feats and class abilities that require an alignment is lost. Any spell or effect that affects a particular alignment always affects the character in the worse possible way. Furthermore, the character becomes completely immune to emotion and fear effects, and gains no benefit from morale bonuses. Finally, the character always fails saving throws made to resist possession.
All of these conditions last until the deal is broken or a lost soul is recovered, something which is typically beyond the scope of normal miracle and wish spells.
The Power of True Names
The true name of a creature is a metaphyscial representation of its nature. As such, it is an ever changing construct that can only be captured for a short amount of time. There are two steps required to properly make use of a creature's true name: the Discovery, and the Invocation. They are described below.
The Discovery: The process of learning a creature's true name is an involved and complicated one that requires an extensive study of the subject's life up to this point. Because true understanding of the subject is required, this step cannot be delegated. The character must succeed on a number of Diplomacy checks to gather information equal to the subject's challenge rating, minimum one check. The DC for these checks is 30, and is modified by the character's familiarity with the subject (+10 to the DC if the character has little or no knowledge of the subject, +5 with secondhand knowledge of the subject and –5 if the character is familiar with the subject). Failing one or more of these checks might draw unwanted attention on the character, and failing two checks consecutively causes the process to fail entirely and forces the character to start again from the beginning. Each attempt takes one day.
Once enough information has been gathered, the character must immediately undergo a divination ritual that takes 24 hours to complete and requires 100 gp ($2,000) per hit die of the subject in material components. To complete this ritual, the character must succeed on a Knowledge check of the appropriate specialty relating to the subject. The DC for this check is 20+the subject's CR, and it cannot be retried without first completing the first step over again.
Completing this ritual imbues the character with powerful divination magic for exactly seven days. The next time the character lays eye on the subject, he or she will innately know its true name.
The Invocation: When a true name is known, it is known on a level that goes beyond physical. It cannot be written, or passed down or simply picked up by hearing another creature speak it. In fact, the mere ability to invoke a true name requires knowledge of a magical language, a universal tongue that all sentient creatures can understand on a subconscious level. This language is known by scholars simply as words of worlds, and is thought to be the language spoken by God, if such a being truly exists.
Invoking a creature's true name has one of three effect, and all require the character to make a Linguistics check. The DC of this check is 25+the creature's CR. The first invocation allows the character to compel the creature as a standard action. This has the effect of a suggestion spell cast by a 20th level character. The DC to resist this effect is 10+one-half the character's level+the character's key spellcasting ability bonus. A successful save renders the creature immune to any further compulsions by the character for 10 minutes.
The second invocation can be accomplished when casting a spell with a vocal component. Invoking a true name this way imposes a –5 penalty on any saving throw the creature might need to make against the spell, and allows the character to automatically overcome the creature's spell resistance.
Finally, the third and last invocation is simply a byproduct of the first two. Whenever a creature hears its true name spoken aloud, it is struck by a sense of dread and becomes shaken for 1 hour. These invocations are spell-like abilities.
Ephemereal Power: For all of its dreadful power, a true name is a highly mutable metaphysical construct, and only stays useful for so long. A creature's true name can be invoked for up to 1 year, or until it gains a level or hit dice, or until it undergoes a life-changing event, whichever comes first. From that point on, its true name changes forever and its history must be studied all over again.
Words of Worlds
You have a limited ability to speak the words of worlds, the magical language the universe was written in.
Prerequisites: Polyglot, Linguistics 5 ranks, ability to cast 3rd level arcane or divine spells.
Benefit: You gain the ability to speak a powerful magical language that can be understood by any creature capable of language. To do this, you must first succeed on a Linguistics check as a standard action, the DC of which varies depending on the complexity of the idea conveyed.
The DC is 25 for simple messages, and 35 for complex messages. This check must be repeated every round the character wishes to speak the words of worlds. Having the power to speak the words of worlds doesn't grant you the ability to understand languages you do not know.
The system is built around pathfinder at its core, but works just the same in 3.5.
The 3.5 Hack: Find and replace any instance of Linguistics with Decipher Script. The Words of Worlds feat requires Decipher Script 9 ranks.
Further Notes: These are intended for an urban fantasy setting. While they can be used in any context, you might find some artifacts in the text, like a conversion from GP to US Dollar.
Blood Magic
A mage is deadly by any definition, but he or she becomes considerably more so in possession of some of its target's blood. When casting a spell that affects one or more targets within range, the caster can channel the magic through fresh blood and affect the target with the spell without having line of sight or line of effect to it. In order to do so, he or she must have a clear mental image of the target.
This picture doesn't have to be accurate to any specific degree, but it must match the creature as she knows it. For example, a wizard having encountered a red dragon in disguise could target it with a spell in its true form even if she had never seen it, as long as she has a vial of its blood. This spell can only be used to direct magic that doesn't directly affect an area (so, for example, it could be used as part of inflict light wounds, but not to aim a fireball spell).
Blood can only be used for this purpose once, because it burns up after magic is channeled through it, leaving behind only very distinctive, dull brown ashes. A subject under the effect of a protection from evil spell, a magic circle against evil spell, a hallow spell or a similar effect, can apply the benefits of the protection against blood magic and receive a second saving throw against the effect. Those creatures also always know they are being targeted by blood magic.
Souls as Currency
Many claim that the soul is the core of one's being, and they aren't far from the truth. After all, there is a very good reason why so many demons and devils want nothing more than to own it, and for why angels want nothing more than to protect it. This section doesn't delve into the myriad of different ways to sell one's soul, like making a deal with a contract devil, for instance. Rather, it deals with the complications involved after the transaction is complete. There are two stages to this problem: the Before and the After.
During the Before stage, the character's soul is in escrow, but he or she still retains the full benefits of possessing a soul. However, the creature to whom the soul was promised, the true owner of the soul, gains unholy power over the character. That creature gains a +10 circumstance bonus on any skill check made to compel or alter the attitude of the character, and a +5 circumstance bonus on the saving throw DC of any compulsion, charm or enchantment spell or effect it uses against the character. Despite this, a general and prevalent sense of unease and a mild aversion to holy grounds, the character suffers no other negative effects for having sold his or her soul.
The After stage, on the other hand, is not only very rare, but also dramatically more nefarious. This condition occurs after the character has already lost his or her soul, either after having sold it, died and been brought back to life without it, or through a freak accident. In a case where a character sold his or her soul, the creature it was sold to has already taken possession of the soul and no longer has any special power over the character. As a result, however, the character becomes as an empty shell and loses his or her alignment, effectively becoming completely unaligned. All access to feats and class abilities that require an alignment is lost. Any spell or effect that affects a particular alignment always affects the character in the worse possible way. Furthermore, the character becomes completely immune to emotion and fear effects, and gains no benefit from morale bonuses. Finally, the character always fails saving throws made to resist possession.
All of these conditions last until the deal is broken or a lost soul is recovered, something which is typically beyond the scope of normal miracle and wish spells.
The Power of True Names
The true name of a creature is a metaphyscial representation of its nature. As such, it is an ever changing construct that can only be captured for a short amount of time. There are two steps required to properly make use of a creature's true name: the Discovery, and the Invocation. They are described below.
The Discovery: The process of learning a creature's true name is an involved and complicated one that requires an extensive study of the subject's life up to this point. Because true understanding of the subject is required, this step cannot be delegated. The character must succeed on a number of Diplomacy checks to gather information equal to the subject's challenge rating, minimum one check. The DC for these checks is 30, and is modified by the character's familiarity with the subject (+10 to the DC if the character has little or no knowledge of the subject, +5 with secondhand knowledge of the subject and –5 if the character is familiar with the subject). Failing one or more of these checks might draw unwanted attention on the character, and failing two checks consecutively causes the process to fail entirely and forces the character to start again from the beginning. Each attempt takes one day.
Once enough information has been gathered, the character must immediately undergo a divination ritual that takes 24 hours to complete and requires 100 gp ($2,000) per hit die of the subject in material components. To complete this ritual, the character must succeed on a Knowledge check of the appropriate specialty relating to the subject. The DC for this check is 20+the subject's CR, and it cannot be retried without first completing the first step over again.
Completing this ritual imbues the character with powerful divination magic for exactly seven days. The next time the character lays eye on the subject, he or she will innately know its true name.
The Invocation: When a true name is known, it is known on a level that goes beyond physical. It cannot be written, or passed down or simply picked up by hearing another creature speak it. In fact, the mere ability to invoke a true name requires knowledge of a magical language, a universal tongue that all sentient creatures can understand on a subconscious level. This language is known by scholars simply as words of worlds, and is thought to be the language spoken by God, if such a being truly exists.
Invoking a creature's true name has one of three effect, and all require the character to make a Linguistics check. The DC of this check is 25+the creature's CR. The first invocation allows the character to compel the creature as a standard action. This has the effect of a suggestion spell cast by a 20th level character. The DC to resist this effect is 10+one-half the character's level+the character's key spellcasting ability bonus. A successful save renders the creature immune to any further compulsions by the character for 10 minutes.
The second invocation can be accomplished when casting a spell with a vocal component. Invoking a true name this way imposes a –5 penalty on any saving throw the creature might need to make against the spell, and allows the character to automatically overcome the creature's spell resistance.
Finally, the third and last invocation is simply a byproduct of the first two. Whenever a creature hears its true name spoken aloud, it is struck by a sense of dread and becomes shaken for 1 hour. These invocations are spell-like abilities.
Ephemereal Power: For all of its dreadful power, a true name is a highly mutable metaphysical construct, and only stays useful for so long. A creature's true name can be invoked for up to 1 year, or until it gains a level or hit dice, or until it undergoes a life-changing event, whichever comes first. From that point on, its true name changes forever and its history must be studied all over again.
Words of Worlds
You have a limited ability to speak the words of worlds, the magical language the universe was written in.
Prerequisites: Polyglot, Linguistics 5 ranks, ability to cast 3rd level arcane or divine spells.
Benefit: You gain the ability to speak a powerful magical language that can be understood by any creature capable of language. To do this, you must first succeed on a Linguistics check as a standard action, the DC of which varies depending on the complexity of the idea conveyed.
The DC is 25 for simple messages, and 35 for complex messages. This check must be repeated every round the character wishes to speak the words of worlds. Having the power to speak the words of worlds doesn't grant you the ability to understand languages you do not know.