Defiling Metamagic - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Defiling Metamagic

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Sep 08, 2004 12:46:09 Here is a different idea for Defilers:
Defiling Metamagic
Requirements: Any nongood alignment
A spell caster with this feat may add spell levels to a spell he is casting, or he may add any metamagic feat he has to the spell he is casting. When using the Defiling Metamagic feat 1 ft of vegetation per spell level turns to poor nutrient ash. An additional 1 ft is added per increase in spell level OR 2 ft per metamagic level added. This range is increased by lack of vegetation and decreased by more then average vegatation. All PCs and NPCs suffer -1 to fortitude saves for 1 day when caught within the Defiling Radius
#2
zombiegleemax
Sep 08, 2004 22:23:54 It's tough to really judge this, because it "feels" like it should be something a defiler can do, defile more to increase the strength / utility of their spells the way that metamagic feats do. However, in practice it's pretty unbalanced, because you shouldn't be able to gain use of those feats without the sacrifice of higher leveled spellslots which is the intended drawback for using them.

In gameplay terms, a defiler doesn't care about defiling a greater area much of the time. This feat then removes all of the tactical decision making that goes into using metamagic. For example, "do I need my 5th level spellslot, or can I memorize an enhanced whatever". Anytime they are in combat, all of their spells are going to be enhanced, maximized, or whatever other feat they have, just because there are no real consequences to doing so, AND they are going to have more of these metamagic enhanced spells of all levels than they otherwise should be able to.

I say no real consequences because I don't like the drawback you suggest. In my mind, non-psionic enhancement defiling should never have an effect on anything but plants, in terms of "spell energy fuel", be it loss of HP or a fortitude save reduction. I am toying with the idea of allowing non-advanced beings a lower level version of psionic enhancements that would drain some amount of its energy from animal life (including and especially the caster themself), but it would require obsidian orbs, as well as proficiency in psionic manifestation as well as magic.
#3
zombiegleemax
Sep 09, 2004 12:40:28 In my campaign there are mages who can tell if someone is a defiler. There is no way to tell mages apart in the crowd, but people with the defiling feat are recognized with certain spells. Yes it is too powerful, but that is kinda the idea of Defiling isnt it?

Even if they werent able to be detected, the party would hate them and if they ever use their magic everything (creatures, good guys, bad guys) will try to kill them. Defiling is a terrible thing. The only thing to make it worth it is to make it too powerful.
#4
zombiegleemax
Sep 09, 2004 16:24:41 I use the system presented in the classic campaigns Dragon, but with a couple of changes...

Noonan (I believe he did this article) suggests meditation to offset defiler points... but I think that's a bit light, even if flavorful.

I have reconciled the massive boost in power of defiling by the 'taint' presented in the magazine NOT being removable simply by meditation...this seems a bit easy to work around for creative PCs...

Instead, their "meditation" imposes an xp penalty based on the number of defiling points (a percentage) when I award xp. And of course, they can "assume the taint" to avoid the penalty, but that has it's own dangers, as detailed in the issue.

this prevents every spell cast from being maximized+empowered, because even one of those augmentations lands the pc an xp penalty.

So they take a rush of power in exchange for slower advancement... I think this balances.

thoughts?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Sep 08, 2004 12:46:09	Here is a different idea for Defilers: Defiling Metamagic Requirements: Any nongood alignment A spell caster with this feat may add spell levels to a spell he is casting, or he may add any metamagic feat he has to the spell he is casting. When using the Defiling Metamagic feat 1 ft of vegetation per spell level turns to poor nutrient ash. An additional 1 ft is added per increase in spell level OR 2 ft per metamagic level added. This range is increased by lack of vegetation and decreased by more then average vegatation. All PCs and NPCs suffer -1 to fortitude saves for 1 day when caught within the Defiling Radius
#2 zombiegleemax Sep 08, 2004 22:23:54	It's tough to really judge this, because it "feels" like it should be something a defiler can do, defile more to increase the strength / utility of their spells the way that metamagic feats do. However, in practice it's pretty unbalanced, because you shouldn't be able to gain use of those feats without the sacrifice of higher leveled spellslots which is the intended drawback for using them. In gameplay terms, a defiler doesn't care about defiling a greater area much of the time. This feat then removes all of the tactical decision making that goes into using metamagic. For example, "do I need my 5th level spellslot, or can I memorize an enhanced whatever". Anytime they are in combat, all of their spells are going to be enhanced, maximized, or whatever other feat they have, just because there are no real consequences to doing so, AND they are going to have more of these metamagic enhanced spells of all levels than they otherwise should be able to. I say no real consequences because I don't like the drawback you suggest. In my mind, non-psionic enhancement defiling should never have an effect on anything but plants, in terms of "spell energy fuel", be it loss of HP or a fortitude save reduction. I am toying with the idea of allowing non-advanced beings a lower level version of psionic enhancements that would drain some amount of its energy from animal life (including and especially the caster themself), but it would require obsidian orbs, as well as proficiency in psionic manifestation as well as magic.
#3 zombiegleemax Sep 09, 2004 12:40:28	In my campaign there are mages who can tell if someone is a defiler. There is no way to tell mages apart in the crowd, but people with the defiling feat are recognized with certain spells. Yes it is too powerful, but that is kinda the idea of Defiling isnt it? Even if they werent able to be detected, the party would hate them and if they ever use their magic everything (creatures, good guys, bad guys) will try to kill them. Defiling is a terrible thing. The only thing to make it worth it is to make it too powerful.
#4 zombiegleemax Sep 09, 2004 16:24:41	I use the system presented in the classic campaigns Dragon, but with a couple of changes... Noonan (I believe he did this article) suggests meditation to offset defiler points... but I think that's a bit light, even if flavorful. I have reconciled the massive boost in power of defiling by the 'taint' presented in the magazine NOT being removable simply by meditation...this seems a bit easy to work around for creative PCs... Instead, their "meditation" imposes an xp penalty based on the number of defiling points (a percentage) when I award xp. And of course, they can "assume the taint" to avoid the penalty, but that has it's own dangers, as detailed in the issue. this prevents every spell cast from being maximized+empowered, because even one of those augmentations lands the pc an xp penalty. So they take a rush of power in exchange for slower advancement... I think this balances. thoughts?