Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 jon_oracle_of_athas Aug 20, 2004 6:27:28	I've converted the Overchannel feat from the Expanded PsiHB. Adding the feat as is to the existing DS3 rules and feats for defilers *might* break the system, but at least it's an option you can use if you want it. Cannibalizing Raze Prerequisites: Defiler You drain your life force to further strengthen your spells. Benefit: While casting a spell, you can increase your effective caster level by one, but in so doing you take 1d8 points of damage. At 8th level, you can choose to increase your effective caster level by two, but you take 3d8 points of damage. At 15th level, you can increase your effective caster level by three, but you take 5d8 points of damage.
#2 jon_oracle_of_athas Aug 20, 2004 6:54:59	Note: I am working on a new defiler prestige class, Leech, that will have Cannibalizing Raze as a class feature.
#3 zombiegleemax Aug 20, 2004 12:47:48	It's interesting, but it is stepping on the toes of dragon magic in my mind. There isn't an intuitively large step from being able to drain energy from myself to figuring out how to drain energy from other people, yet we know that can't be true looking at the requirements for dragons to be dragons and use those kinds of spells (level requirements, arcane / psionic combination, obsidian orbs, etc.) To me the big deal about dragon magic is its ability to drain life energy from beings instead of plants. Using overchannel as a template for this doesn't work, because arcane magic is taking it's energy from outside the caster, whereas psionic manifestations are taking their energy from the manifester. To be comparable to overchannel, you would just have to be defiling a larger area, or more severly defiling the same area to add energy to the spell. If you were to introduce this as a something similar to a psionic enhancement, that isn't neccessarily limited to advanced beings, but had some kind of psionic requirement, I'd be more comfortable with it. It would represent that the caster was able to generate supernatural energies from within and contribute them to the spellcasting, but not with the efficiency and force of an advanced being. *almost totally unrelated thought* Any EQ players might be having manastone flashbacks reading your feat description. I would laugh my butt off at any player who used this not being fully aware of their HP total and killing themselves accidentally.
#4 zombiegleemax Aug 20, 2004 12:53:19	Originally posted by Barmoz *almost totally unrelated thought* Any EQ players might be having manastone flashbacks reading your feat description. I would laugh my butt off at any player who used this not being fully aware of their HP total and killing themselves accidentally. It sounds like the hp-to-mana line of spells for the necromancers. You can very definetly kill yourself if you are not careful.
#5 Sysane Aug 20, 2004 13:06:36	There isn't an intuitively large step from being able to drain energy from myself to figuring out how to drain energy from other people, yet we know that can't be true looking at the requirements for dragons to be dragons and use those kinds of spells (level requirements, arcane / psionic combination, obsidian orbs, etc.) A little side query. Should dragon magic be an ability to drain the life from others due to the fact that a character is a Dragon or would/should this be a feat taken by the AB character in order to do so?
#6 xlorepdarkhelm_dup Aug 20, 2004 13:20:27	Originally posted by Sysane A little side query. Should dragon magic be an ability to drain the life from others due to the fact that a character is a Dragon or would/should this be a feat taken by the AB character in order to do so? It should be part of being a Dragon. I personally worked it like this: Empowered Obsidian Orbs are psionic devices that had been used in the Green Age, but were found to be useful to a Defiler who had one, as it allowed them to draw the life energy of animals instead of plants. Any defiler who has an Empowered Obsidian Orb can actually use it this way (and there was a special-made orb that worked correctly for Preserver Magic, and is in Ktaendo's Cane). Dragons have more mastery over it, but require more orbs. As this is a psionic device, a Defiler will either need to be psionic themselves (by taking levels in a psionic class), or somehow convince and explain to a Psionic item crafter how to craft one of those. Plus, I have them as extremely illegal (punishable by public execution) in the City-States which have Sorcerer-Kings, due to the connection to their own power, and they demand the orb for themselves. For my designs, Dragon Magic expands upon what a normal Defiler can do with an Empowered Obsidian Orb, and goes above and beyond. Each stage of the dragon progression unlocks new abilities with the Empowered Obsidian Orbs, but also requires more and more obsidian orbs to achieve these new abilities.
#7 Sysane Aug 20, 2004 13:29:42	For my designs, Dragon Magic expands upon what a normal Defiler can do with an Empowered Obsidian Orb, and goes above and beyond. Each stage of the dragon progression unlocks new abilities with the Empowered Obsidian Orbs, but also requires more and more obsidian orbs to achieve these new abilities. Makes sense. I would agree that it would be an ability granted for being a Dragon as well. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't alone on that.
#8 Kamelion Aug 20, 2004 15:04:12	I like the idea that defilers start to dabble in life-leeching magic before dragonhood. I would go so far as to suggest that an obsidian orb be a necessary feature of the Leech class, if not the feat (like the myrmeleon's orb or the cerulean's lens). Obsidian has mystical qualities on Athas and this feat (and the Leech class) seem to me to be a good way to represent the first footsteps a defiler might take in learning how to utilise it.
#9 Sysane Aug 20, 2004 15:11:16	In another unrelated topic. There was a 2e class called the Meta Mage that was pretty much a defiler but he used PSP to power his spells. He would leech PSP from other players as well. It was written pretty well. Just curious if a 3e class or PrC is floating out there of this.
#10 xlorepdarkhelm_dup Aug 20, 2004 15:14:35	One of the important things I stressed with my design was that the Empowered Obsidian Orb is not just a regular ball of flawless obsidian, but that it is actually a psionic item. I figured that it is not unlike the orbs that are made in the Last Sea region, that captures a soul (life-energy?) within it, and are used for the Guardians, as well as the Mind Lords. However, when used with Arcane Magic, it allows for the soul (life-energy) to become stored within it, and the caster then uses that life energy for their own ends. Basically, Arcane Magic, specifically, Defiling magic, has abused and corrupted what the Orbs originally were intended for, and uses them for an entirely different, and very lethal purpose. Now Obsidian does have other significance on Athas, as is represented by the Dark Lens, which is a powerful artifact that steals energy from the Sun. I'd hazard to guess that it could very well be an integral part of the proper functioning (original purpose) of the Pristine Tower, or it could have been a failed attempt that was discarded and later Rajaat retrieved. It also is connected heavily with the Black, as is (according to the Prism Pentad) all flawless obsidian orbs. There definitely is an extreme metaphysical significance in relation to Obsidian. I just think that the uses that Arcane wielders have for it, are an abberation, a corruption of it's purpose.