Sorcerous Form

Posted by Aeillien, September 26, 2003
(Put here to preserve the idea)

NOTE:  This is part of longer conversation that took place during the discussion for the Lich Form idea posted by Virilneus.  Unfortunately, the only post I have from that conversation is the one below.  Since that time, we've discovered that the 750 slot will still be used for Greater Summoning / Demonic Control.  This spell could fill one of the other open slots though. ~Eredhen

>What strikes me as a better idea than per se Lich Form is what I will off the top of my head call Sorcerious Transformation.-Me

>The idea of having one spell take on two forms based on training is a very good one, if you ask me. It really allows us to have the higher-level spells be available to the community as a whole, rather than working out "but Necromancers get THIS, I want something that cool but in higher slot so it deserves even MORE power!!" stuff.-Licel

>As for the 50th level spell slot - I didn't really like lich form, but the idea of a Sorcerous Form spell has potential-Eredhen

Well, obviously, this call for just a wee bit more conceptual development.

Now, I will grant right off the top that even talking about a 750 spell involves some wishful thinking, or at the very least some very long term thinking. If you are simply going to reply that this will never happen, that I am wasting my time, etcetera.... go away. I know that already. I'm developing the idea a bit more anyway. It really deserves more than just the blurb off the top of my head I gave it, and its been wandering around my mind and striking different kind of sparks since I mentioned it.

Now, much like 725, this probably should not be a prep/cast spell, and by a similar token, it should be a truly awesome thing to behold.

Quite simply, this spell would cause the Sorcerer to partake on the image, some of the abilities, and the nature of a Undead being or a Demonic being. I am divided on the issue of whether we should actually be physically calling *up* such a being and "joining with them." The issue with that is that while it makes a great deal of sense with demons, it becomes more highly problematic on several levels with Undead beings... as joining with a simple animated corpse doesn't strike me as exactly useful on various levels. Perhaps if the emphasis were put on *calling* a Undead being some of the problems with this might be surpassed, we do not want to have a situation where a Sorcerer is *creating* Undead, as this would put them on a level resembling the powers of an Arkati. (In my opinion, anyway) Certainly the Sorcerer joining with a demon is also calling it, not creating it.

In my earlier post I stated it could be done in various ways, and my preference is that a Sorcerer have a choice between the main branches of this spell (Necromantic vs. Demonic) at all times. That is, the Sorcerer can choose at any particular cast to *attempt* to call a Undead being or a Demonic being and become one with them in some fashion. The success a Sorcerer has in transforming on either branch being their training.

Rather than their training choices "dividing the stream" and taking them down one path or the other without access to the alternative route depending on their training, success or failure is based on that training. This is sufficient, as a Sorcerer who focuses on one path will choose the form from that path more often anyway.

This leads to the other important element of this spell that occurred to me.. the choice of form.

With 725, we see we have a multiplicity of demons, of various strengths and uses. There are certainly differing Undead creatures with different powers and strengths.

This spell should give us access to a progressive list of Undead and Demonic beings we can join with. Since Animate Dead and 725 already fulfill the role on each side of the Sorcerous coin of creating a being to fulfill menial sorts of tasks, the focus on the Sorcerous transformative forms should probably be combat or more specialized and powerful forms of utility functions.

With the use of various components, much like 725, the Sorcerer can choose from a variety of Undead and Demonic beings to call and join with, changing into the form and gaining benefits from it for a certain period of time. The emphasis should not be on making components more expensive per se, but on making the more powerful demonic or Undead forms require more training in Demonic or Necromantic lores as well as simple Sorcerous ability. Level base should definitively play a part.

Upon joining with the Demon or Undead, the Sorcerer should appear different, and bear a strong resemblance to the being they have joined with. For natural reasons, they will not thus be exactly welcome in a town. The Demon could have access to spells from other professions, or augment the magical abilities of Sorcerous spells. The possibilities of what a Sorcerer can do when their abilities are augmented by these forms are only as limited as the imagination. They need to be limited to combat augmentation, but can include powerful utilities, such as Sorcerous Teleportation, for example. Naturally, the more powerful the demon, the greater the risk that something will go wrong when the Sorcerer attempts to join with it temporarily.

I am still idly developing thoughts for nothing more than my own amusement. Feel free to join in.

Aeillien's player