Epic Spells

WHAT ARE EPIC SPELLS?

ACQUIRING EPIC SPELLS

EPIC SPELL DEVELOPMENT

The easiest way to develop an epic spell is to use one already given. The description of each of these unique spells gives the amount of gold, time, and experience points required to develop the spell. If a character pays a spell’s development cost, he or she develops (and thus knows) that spell.

For information on developing an epic spell completely from scratch, see Developing Unique Epic Spells, below.

EPIC SPELLCASTING

A spellcaster can prepare or cast any epic spell he or she knows as many times per day as he or she has available epic spell slots. A spellcaster who can cast epic spells has a number of open epic spell slots per day equal to one-tenth his or her ranks in the Knowledge skill appropriate to the spell and the caster’s class. Knowledge (arcana) is appropriate for arcane casters, and Knowledge (religion) or Knowledge (nature) is appropriate for divine casters. The rules for rest between casting a day’s allotment of epic spells are the same as for rest required to prepare standard spells. If the caster doesn’t use up a day’s allotment of epic spell slots, the unused slots remain available whether or not the spellcaster receives appropriate rest.

Even if the epic spell has been developed and an epic spell slot is available, successfully casting an epic spell isn’t assured. The caster’s Spellcraft skill modifier is vital for casting an epic spell. To cast an epic spell, a spellcaster makes a Spellcraft check against the epic spell’s Spellcraft DC. If the check succeeds, the spell is cast. If the caster fails the check, the epic spell fizzles and the epic spell slot is used for the day.

Because epic spells require Spellcraft checks, a spell is beyond the caster’s ability if the final Spellcraft DC is greater than 20 + the spellcaster’s Spellcraft modifier. Epic spells with DCs higher than 10 + the spellcaster’s Spellcraft modifier are risky; a caster can take 10 when casting an epic spell, but he or she can’t take 20. When routinely casting epic spells, most spellcasters take 10 on their Spellcraft checks.

Epic Spell Levels: Epic spells have no fixed level. However, for purposes of Concentration checks, spell resistance, and other possible situations where spell level is important, epic spells are all treated as if they were 10th-level spells.

Metamagic, Items, and Epic Spells: Metamagic feats and other epic feats that manipulate normal spells cannot be used with epic spells.

A character can’t craft a magic item that casts an epic spell, regardless of whether the item is activated with spell completion, a spell trigger, a command word, or simple use. Only major artifacts, which are beyond the means of even epic characters to create, can possibly contain magic of this power.

The saving throw against a character’s epic spell has a DC of 20 + the character’s relevant ability score modifier. It’s possible to develop epic spells that have even higher DCs, however, by applying the appropriate factor.

EPIC SPELL TERMS

Epic Spell Slots: A character must have an available epic spell slot to prepare or cast an epic spell, just as he or she needs a normal spell slot for a nonepic spell. A character doesn’t gain epic spell slots by virtue of his or her level and class, however. A character gets one epic spell slot for every 10 ranks he or she has in the relevant Knowledge skill.

Factor: When creating an epic spell, a character can modify the basic use of a seed. Each modification is called a factor, and most factors increase the difficulty of casting the spell.

Mitigating Factor: The opposite of a normal factor, a mitigating factor modifies the spell but makes it easier to cast.

Seed: Every custom epic spell created by spellcasters begins with a base effect called a seed. Seeds are the fundamental building blocks of epic spells.

Spellcraft DC: For epic spells, the Spellcraft DC is a measure of how difficult the spell is for a spellcaster to cast. It also measures how powerful an epic spell is.

EPIC SPELL FORMULAS AND CALCULATIONS

Epic Spells Per Day: Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (religion), or Knowledge (nature) ranks ÷ 10 (round down).

To Cast an Epic Spell: Spellcraft check (DC = epic spell’s Spellcraft DC).

Level of an Epic Spell: Epic spells are considered 10th level for the purpose of Concentration checks, spell resistance, and other determinations.

Saving Throw for an Epic Spell: DC = 20 + key ability modifier.

DISPELLING,EPIC SPELLS,AND ANTIMAGIC FIELD

Antimagic field does not automatically suppress epic spells as it does standard spells. Instead, each time an epic spell is subject to an antimagic field, make a dispel check as a 20th-level caster (1d20 + 20). The epic spell has a DC of 11 + the epic spell’s spellcaster level. If the suppression check is successful, the epic spell is suppressed like any other spell. If the dispel check is unsuccessful, the epic spell functions normally.

EPIC SPELL DESCRIPTIONS

Spellcraft DC: This is the DC of the Spellcraft check required to cast the epic spell. When casting an epic spell, you gain a +5 bonus on your Spellcraft check if the base seed of the epic spell is from your arcane school specialty or primary psionic discipline. You take a -15 penalty if the epic spell seed is from your prohibited arcane school.

To Develop: The first part of this entry shows the resources in gold, time, and experience points a character must expend to develop the spell shown. If the character expends the resources, he or she develops the spell if he or she has access to all the seeds. Spells containing the life or heal seed are typically only available to those with 24 or more ranks in Knowledge (religion) or Knowledge (nature). The rest of the development entry details the seeds and factors used to create the epic spell. This information is provided as an example for characters when they attempt to create and develop their own unique epic spells.

Animus Blast

When this spell is cast, enemies within range are dealt 10d6 points of cold damage. However, up to twenty of those victims that perish as a result of this blast are then instantly animated as Medium skeletons. These skeletons serve the character indefinitely. The character cannot exceed the normal limit for controlling undead through use of this spell, but other means that allow the character to exceed the normal limit for controlled undead work just as well with undead created with animus blast.

Animus Blizzard

When this spell is cast, enemies within range are dealt 30d6 points of cold damage. However, up to five victims that perish as a result of this blast are then instantly animated as wights. These five wights serve the character indefini tely. The character cannot exceed the normal limit for controlling undead through use of this spell, but other means that allow the character to exceed the normal limit for controlled undead work just as well with undead created with animus blizzard.

Contingent Resurrection

Contingent resurrection returns the subject to life if he or she is slain. Once cast, the spell remains quiescent and does not activate until the trigger conditions have been met (but each day it remains untriggered, it uses up an epic spell slot, even if the character cast it on another creature). Once triggered, the spell is expended. If the subject is killed (the trigger), he or she is restored to life and complete health 1 minute later, so long as even a tiny bit of dust remains for contingent resurrection to act upon. A shaft of light shines down from the heavens, illuminating the subject and everything within 20 feet. The creature is restored to full hit points, vigor, and health, with no loss of prepared spells. However, the subject loses one level (or 1 point of Constitution if the subject was 1st level). Contingent resurrection does not work on a creature that has died of old age.

Create Living Vault (Ritual)

The character creates a construct known as a living vault to protect and hide his or her treasures. Upon completion, the vault initially measures only 5 feet on a side, but it gradually increases to its proper size over the following 4d4 days. The vault is attuned to the character, allowing him or her alone entrance and egress in a manner similar to a dimension door spell. When the character desires the vault to hide itself, he or she gives it a simple command. To summon the vault, the character may cast a sending spell or arrange some other manner to contact it.

XP Cost: 20,000 XP.

Crown of Vermin

After casting crown of vermin, one thousand venomous, biting and stinging spiders, scorpions, beetles, and centipedes erupt from the very air around the character. This swarm forms a living aura around the character to a radius of 10 feet. The character is immune to his or her own crown of vermin. The swarm goes where the character goes at his or her speed, even if the character takes to the air or water (though water drowns the vermin after 1 full round of immersion, unless the spell is cast underwater, in which case aquatic or marine vermin answer the call and cannot leave the water). Each vermin in the crown of vermin bites a creature who enters the area occupied by the effect (or the character forces the effect into an area occupied by another creature) for 1 point of damage, and then dies. Each victim takes enough points of damage to kill it, destroying that number of vermin in the process. Victims get a Reflex saving throw each round to avoid the full press, and if successful, take only 10d10 bites (and 10d10 points of damage). A total of 1,000 points of damage can be dealt to those who fall prey to the crown of vermin. The vermin have damage reduction 1/epic, so the vermin’s natural weapons are treated as epic for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. If there aren’t enough vermin to kill all the creatures in the spell’s effect, the creature with the fewest hit points is affected first, then the creature with the second fewest hit points, and so on. After all creatures that can be killed have been killed, any remaining damage is distributed among the survivors equally.

The character has utter control over the vermin in his or her aura, and can force them into areas that would normally deter common vermin. The character can completely suppress his or her vermin aura as a free action so that no vermin are visible at all. The time that vermin are suppressed does not count toward the spell’s duration. Alternatively, the character can roughly shape and move the vermin in any fashion he or she desires within the limits of the 10-foot-radius spread as a move-equivalent action. The vermin cannot be wrested from the character’s control through any means. The vermin make all saving throws to avoid damaging effects using the character’s base saving throw bonuses. They gain the character’s spell resistance, if any, and they get saving throws against spells that would otherwise automatically slay vermin. A character can see through his or her crown of vermin without difficulty, but gains one-half concealment against enemy attacks launched both outside and within the character’s crown of vermin.

Damnation

The character sends his or her foe to hell. If the character succeeds at a melee touch attack, the target must succeed at a Will saving throw (DC = the standard epic spell DC + 15). If he or she fails this saving throw, he or she is sent straight to a layer of a lawful evil plane (or a chaotic evil plane, at the character’s option) swarming with fiends. The subject will not willingly leave the plane for 20 hours, believing that his or her predicament is a just reward for an ill-spent life. Even after the compulsion fades, he or she must devise his or her own escape from the plane. Unless the GM devises a specific location and scenario in the Nine Hells, the subject encounters a group of 1d4 pit fiends (or balors, if in a chaotic evil plane) every hour he or she spends in hell.

XP Cost: 2,000 XP.

Demise Unseen

The character instantly slays a single target and at the same moment animate the body so that it appears that nothing has happened to the creature. The target’s companions (if any) do not immediately realize what has transpired. The target receives a Fortitude saving throw to survive the attack. If the save fails, the target remains in its exact position with no apparent ill effects. In reality, it is now a ghoul under the character’s control. The target’s companions notice nothing unusual about the state of the target until they interact with it, at which time each companion receives a Will saving throw to notice discrepancies. The ghoul serves the character indefinitely. The character cannot exceed the normal limit for controlling undead through use of this spell, but other means that allow the character to exceed the normal limit for controlled undead work just as well with undead created with demise unseen.

Dire Winter

The creature or object targeted emanates bitter cold to a radius of 1,000 feet for 20 hours. The emanated cold deals 2d6 points of damage per round against unprotected creatures (the target is susceptible if not magically protected or otherwise resistant to the energy). The intense cold freezes water out of the air, causing constant snowfall and wind. The snow and wind produce a blizzard effect within the Area.

XP Cost: 10,000 XP.

Dragon Knight (Ritual)

This spell summons an adult red dragon. It appears where the character designates and acts immediately. It attacks the character’s opponents to the best of its abilities (on the first round, it prefers to breathe fire on an enemy, if possible). The character can direct the dragon not to attack, to attack particular enemies, or to perform other actions. This is a ritual spell requiring two other spellcasters, each of which must contribute an unused 8th-level spell slot to the casting.

Dragon Strike (Ritual)

This spell summons ten adult red dragons. They appear where the character designates and act immediately. They attack the character’s opponents to the best of their abilities (on the first round, they all prefer to simultaneously breathe fire on an enemy, if possible). The character can direct the dragons not to attack, to attack particular enemies, or to perform other actions.

XP Cost: 2,000 XP (per caster).

Dreamscape

The character and any creatures he or she touches are drawn into the region of dreams. The character can take more than one creature along (subject to the character’s weight limit), but all must be touching each other. The character physically enters the land of dreams, leaving nothing behind. For every minute the character moves through the dream landscape, he or she can “wake” to find him or her self five miles displaced in the waking world. The character does not know precisely where he or she will come out in the waking world, nor the conditions of the waking world through which the character travels. The character knows approximately where he or she will end up based on time spent traveling in dream. Dreamscape can also be used to travel to other planes that contain creatures that dream, but doing this requires crossing into the dreams of outsiders, where the character is subject to the dangers of alien dream realities. This is a potentially perilous proposition. Transferring to another plane of existence requires 1d4 hours of uninterrupted journey. Any creatures touched by the character when dreamscape is cast also make the transition to the borders of unconscious thought. They may opt to follow the character, wander off into the dreams of others, or stumble back into the waking world (50% chance for either of the latter results if they are lost or abandoned by the character). Creatures unwilling to accompany the character into the region of dreams receive a Will save, negating the effect if successful.

Eclipse

With this spell, the character can create a limited eclipse, as though a heavenly body moves between the sun and the earth. The landscape within a five-mile radius of the character’s location experiences the dimming of the sun as a disk the character creates passes in front of it, culminating in a complete blackout and accompanying coronal ring. The eclipse follows the character across the landscape for up to 8 hours, or until the sun goes down, or until the character dismisses the eclipse. The character does not need to concentrate on the eclipse while it lasts.

XP Cost: 4,000 XP.

Eidolon

Upon casting eidolon, the character creates a duplicate version of him or her self as the character was when he or she was a 21st-level character, and the character gains one negative level while the duplicate persists. For each additional negative level the character bestow upon him or her self at the time of casting, the eidolon has one additional character level. No matter how many negative levels the character bestows on him or her self, the eidolon can never have more character levels than the character has (taking the negative levels into account). Treat the duplicate as the character with a number of negative levels conferred that would lower him or her to the character level of the eidolon. The eidolon is considered fresh and rested when created. It may cast any spell the character has access to, including an epic spell. Use the eidolon’s Spellcraft modifier as the basis for the number of epic spells it can cast in a day, and its effective character level as a basis for its skills, feats, and other abilities. The eidolon is effectively lower level than the character and probably can’t cast all the spells he or she knows. A powerful enough eidolon might conceivably cast the eidolon spell itself. The eidolon appears in whatever mundane clothing the character desires when initially conjured, but it has no other possessions. It shares part of the character’s soul, so it is the character for all intents and purposes. The character and his or her eidolon communicate with each other normally. Usually, the eidolon does not begrudge its brief existence, because it is still part of the character. If the eidolon is killed prior to the expiration of the spell’s duration, the character immediately regains the lost levels. Normally, the eidolon does not last long enough to threaten the character with permanent level drain.

XP Cost: 2,500 XP.

Enslave (Ritual)

The character makes a permanent thrall of any living creature. The character establishes a telepathic link with the subject’s mind. If the creature has a language, the character can generally force the subject to perform as he or she desires, within the limits of its abilities. If the creature has no language, the character can communicate only basic commands. The character knows what the subject is experiencing, but does not receive direct sensory input from it. A subject forced to take an action against its nature receives a saving throw with a penalty of -10 to resist taking that particular action, but if it succeeds, it still remains the character’s thrall despite its minor mutiny. Once a subject makes a successful saving throw to resist a specific order, it makes all future saving throws to resist taking that specific action without a penalty. Protection from evil or a similar spell can prevent the character from exercising control or using the telepathic link while the subject is so protected, but it does not prevent the establishment of enslave or dispel it.

XP Cost: 2,000 XP.

Epic Counterspell

To use epic counterspell, select an opponent as the target. The character does this by readying an action, electing to wait to complete his or her action until the opponent tries to cast a spell (the character may still move his or her speed, because readying a counterspell is a standard action). If the target tries to cast a spell, make a dispel check: Roll d20+40 against a DC of 11 + the foe’s caster level. If the check is successful, the character’s spell negates the foe’s spell.

Epic Mage Armor

An invisible but tangible field of force surrounds the subject of epic mage armor, providing a +20 armor bonus to Armor Class. Unlike mundane armor, epic mage armor entails no armor check penalty, arcane spell failure chance, or speed reduction. Because epic mage armor is made of force, incorporeal creatures can’t bypass it the way they do normal armor.

Epic Repulsion

The character can create a permanent ward against a specific creature type. Any creature of the specified type cannot attack or touch the warded creature or object. The protection ends if the warded creature makes an attack against or intentionally moves to within 5 feet of a specified creature. Spell resistance can allow a creature to overcome this protection and touch the warded creature.

Epic Spell Reflection

The character can create a permanent ward against all spells of 1st through 9th level that target the subject. These spells are reflected back on the caster. Spells that affect an Area are not affected by this spell.

XP Cost: 7,500 XP.

Eternal Freedom

The subject becomes permanently immune to the following specific spells, effects, and spell-like abilities: entangle, hold, imprisonment, paralysis, petrification, sleep, slow, stunning, temporal stasis, and web. This is a ritual spell requiring ten other spellcasters, each of whom must contribute an unused 9th-level spell slot to the casting.

XP Cost: 10,000 XP.

Greater Spell Resistance

The character grants the subject touched spell resistance 35 until the duration expires. The spell resistance granted does not stack, but overlaps with, any previous spell resistance. This is a ritual spell, requiring two other spellcasters, each of whom must contribute an unused 6th-level spell slot to the casting.

Greater Ruin

The character deals 35d6 points of damage to a single target within range and line of sight. If the target is reduced to -10 hit points or less (or a construct, object, or undead is reduced to 0 hit points), it is utterly destroyed as if disintegrated. Only a trace of fine dust remains. XP Cost: 2,000 XP.

Hellball

A hellball deals 10d6 points of acid damage, 10d6 points of fire damage, 10d6 points of electricity damage, and 10d6 points of sonic damage to all creatures within the area. Unattended objects also take this damage. The character takes 10d6 points of damage upon casting (in addition to burning 400 XP). The character points his or her finger and determine the range (distance and height) at which the hellball is to detonate. A sun-bright, fist-sized globe of energy streaks forth and, unless it impacts a material body or solid barrier prior to attaining the indicated range, expands into its full area.

XP Cost: 200 XP.

Kinetic Control

Once a character has cast this spell, he or she can absorb, store, and redirect the energy contained in any physical (melee or ranged) attack. The character absorbs 20 points of each separate slashing, bludgeoning, and piercing attack made against him or her, saving it for later. A character can absorb up to 150 points of damage in this fashion; however, if the stored damage is not discharged prior to reaching the 150-point limit, the spell automatically discharges, dealing the 150 points of damage to the character. The character keeps track of the number of points of damage he or she has absorbed (the character doesn’t have to keep track of the type of damage). At any time during the spell’s duration, the character can make a touch attack against another creature or object. If successful, the character deals the target some or all (character’s choice) of the points of damage he or she has stored. The damage delivered is considered bludgeoning damage. A character can absorb and discharge damage any number of times during the spell’s duration, so long as the character doesn’t absorb more than 150 points at a time. When the spell expires, any stored damage the character has not redirected is discharged into the character.

Let Go of Me

The character deals 20d6 points of damage to any creature grappling him or her. The damage dealt is of no particular type or energy-it is a purely destructive impulse. If grappled by a magical force the force is automatically destroyed.

Living Lightning

The character develops a spell that he or she can cast; thereafter, the spell can effectively “cast itself.” When the character casts the spell, a stroke of energy deals 10d6 points of electricity damage to each creature within the spell’s area. Living lightning follows all the standard rules for epic spell casting when the character casts it. Living lightning is sentient and generally friendly toward the character. It has the character’s mental ability scores, but it has no physical ability scores. It senses the world through the character’s senses and communicates with him or her by thought. As a self-triggering spell, it isn’t truly alive but is a fragment of the character’s personality. It cares little for the world around it, but at the character’s urging (and sometimes at its own discretion) it casts itself at his or her foes. Casters who prepare spells before casting must prepare living lightning normally in order for it to cast itself. When the spell casts itself, it acts on the character’s initiative but does not count against his or her own actions in the round. The character cannot simultaneously cast living lightning while it is casting its own effect, even if it has been prepared more than once. Living lightning uses up one of the character’s epic spell slots for the day whenever it casts itself. When the character has used up all his or her epic spell slots for the day (or has cast all his or her prepared living lightning spells, if a caster who must prepare spells), living lightning becomes quiescent. It remains so until the character has rested to regain his or her epic spell slots for the next day.

Lord of Nightmares

The character is possessed by a dream larva. For 20 rounds, the dream larva’s body physically replaces the character’s, though the dream larva has the character’s equipment. The dream larva is free to call on all its own powers and abilities, or use the character’s equipment. The character’s consciousness and physical form are suppressed for the duration of the possession. The character has no way to dismiss the spell, communicate, or otherwise maintain awareness once possession has commenced. The dream larva, temporarily freed from its imprisonment in some distant nightmare, will attempt to slay and incapacitate any creature it can see or find, whether it is a friend or foe of the caster. Casting lord of nightmares entails some risk for the caster, since it’s unknown what a dream larva might do over the course of 20 rounds. The larva will dispatch all enemies it can find before turning to its own concerns. Sometimes a dream larva will attempt to place itself in a dangerous or precarious situation prior to the end of the spell, leaving the caster to extricate him or herself. If the dream larva is slain during the duration of the spell, the character’s consciousness is instantly restored to aware-ness within his or her own body. The character’s condition remains what it was when he or she completed casting lord of nightmares, regardless of what damage the dream larva received. However, magic item charges used, potions consumed, and other physical resources used up by the dream larva are permanent.

XP Cost: 1,000 XP.

Mass Frog

This epic spell turns all Medium or smaller creatures in the area into frogs. The transformed creatures retain their mental faculties, including personality, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores, level and class, hit points (despite any change in Consitution score), alignment, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, extraordinary abilities, spells, and spell-like abilities, but not supernatural abilities. They assume the physical characteristics of frogs, including natural size and Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores. (Use the statistics for the toad.) All the creatures’ equipment drops to the ground upon transformation.

Momento Mori

As a free action that counts as a quickened spell, the character wills the target dead without a word or gesture. The character’s thought snuffs out the life force of a living creature of 160 or fewer HD, killing it instantly. The subject is entitled to a Fortitude saving throw (DC 30 + relevant ability modifier) to have a chance of surviving the attack. If the save is successful, the target instead takes 3d6+20 points of damage.

Mummy Dust

When the character sprinkles the dust of ground mummies in conjunction with casting mummy dust, two Large 18-HD mummies (see below) spring up from the dust in an area adjacent to the character. The mummies follow the character’s every command according to their abilities, until they are destroyed or the character loses control of them by attempting to control more Hit Dice of undead than he or she has caster levels.

Material Component: Specially prepared mummy dust (10,000 gp).

XP Cost: 2,000 XP.

Mummy, Advanced: CR 8; Large undead; HD 18d12+3; hp 120; Init -1; Spd 20 ft.; AC 20, touch 8, flat-footed 20; Base Atk +9; Grp +24; Atk +20 melee (1d8+16 plus mummy rot); Full Atk +20 melee (1d8+16 plus mummy rot); Space/Reach 10 ft./10 ft.; SA Despair, mummy rot; SQ Damage reduction 5/-, darkvision 60 ft., undead traits, vulnerability to fire; AL LE; SV Fort +8, Ref +7, Will +13; Str 32, Dex 8, Con --, Int 6, Wis 14, Cha 15. Skills and Feats: Hide -5, Listen +9, Move Silently +10, Spot +9; Alertness, Blind-Fight, Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Toughness, Weapon Focus (slam).

Despair (Su): At the sight of a mummy, the viewer must succeed at a Will save (DC 21), or be paralyzed with fear for 1d4 rounds. Whether or not the save is successful, that creature cannot be affected again by that mummy’s despair ability for one day. Mummy Rot (Su): Supernatural disease-slam, Fortitude save (DC 21), incubation period 1 minute; damage 1d6 Con and 1d6 Cha. The save DC is Charisma-based. Unlike normal diseases, mummy rot continues until the victim reaches Constitution 0 (and dies) or is cured as described below.  Mummy rot is a powerful curse, not a natural disease. A character attempting to cast any conjuration (healing) spell on a creature afflicted with mummy rot must succeed on a DC 20 caster level check, or the spell has no effect on the afflicted character. To eliminate mummy rot, the curse must first be broken with break enchantment or remove curse (requiring a DC 20 caster level check for either spell), after which a caster level check is no longer necessary to cast healing spells on the victim, and the mummy rot can be magically cured as any normal disease.

An afflicted creature who dies of mummy rot shrivels away into sand and dust that blow away into nothing at the first wind.

Nailed to the Sky

Nailed to the sky actually places the target so far from the surface of the world and at such a speed that it keeps missing the surface as it falls back, so it enters an eternal orbit. Unless the target can magically fly or has some other form of non-physical propulsion available, the target is stuck until someone else rescues it. Even if the target can fly, the surface is 2 to 4 hours away, assuming a fly spell, which allows a maximum speed of 720 feet per round while descending. The target may not survive that long. Depending on the world where nailed to the sky is cast, conditions so far from its surface may be deadly. Deleterious effects include scorching heat, cold, and vacuum. Targets subject to these conditions take 2d6 points of damage each from heat or cold and 1d4 points of damage from the vacuum each round. The target immediately begins to suffocate.

XP Cost: 1,000 XP.

Origin of Species: Achaierai

This spell creates a new creature: an achaierai. When first created, the achaierai is Medium, but it grows to Large size in 1d4 days. A created achaierai does not possess the treasure, culture, or specific knowledge of a normal achaierai. If released to be among its own kind, it quickly picks up achaierai traits and alignment.

XP Cost: 10,000 XP.

Peripety

Ranged attacks targeted against the character rebound on the original attacker. Any time during the duration, five attacks are automatically reflected back on the original attacker; the character decides which attacks before damage is rolled. The reflected attack rebounds on the attacker using the same attack roll. Once five attacks are so reflected, the spell ends.

Pestilence

When pestilence is successfully cast, a wave of illness radites outward from the site of the ritual, instantly infecting every living thing in the area with the debilitating disease known as slimy doom. Within 24 hours, everything in the area begins to show signs of rot and decay.

Each day that a victim fails a Fortitude save, it takes 1d4 points of temporary Constitution damage. If the victim then fails a second save, 1 point of that damage is permanent drain. If the victim succeeds at the first saving throw of the day on consecutive days, he or she has recovered from the disease. This magical form of the disease is not contagious and will not spread beyond those initially infected. Fruits and vegetables infected with slimy doom are unfit for consumption, as are disease-ridden livestock. This is a ritual spell requiring two other spellcasters, each of whom must expend an unused epic spell slot for the casting. The primary caster must also burn 10,000 XP.

XP Cost: 10,000 XP.

Rain of Fire

This spell summons a swirling thunderstorm that rains fire rather than raindrops down on the character and everything within a two-mile radius of him or her. Everything caught unprotected or unsheltered in the flaming deluge takes 1 point of fire damage each round. A successful Reflex save results in no damage, but the save must be repeated each round. Unless the ground is exceedingly damp, all vegetation is eventually blackened and destroyed, leaving behind a barren wasteland similar to the aftermath of a grass or forest fire. The fiery storm is stationary and persists even if the caster leaves.

Raise Island

The character can literally raise a new island from out of the sea, bringing to the surface a sandy or rocky but otherwise barren protrusion that is solid, stable, and permanently established. The island is roughly circular and about 200 feet in diameter. Raise island only works if the ocean is less than 1,000 feet deep where the spell is cast.

XP Cost: 2,000 XP.

Ruin

The character deals 20d6 points of damage to a single target within range and line of sight. If the target is reduced to -10 hit points or less (or a construct, object, or undead is reduced to 0 hit points), it is utterly destroyed as if disintegrated. Only a trace of fine dust remains.

XP Cost: 2,000 XP.

Safe Time

Safe time can move the character (or the target) out of harm’s way by shunting him or her into a static time stream. Once cast, the spell remains quiescent and does not activate until the trigger conditions have been met. Each day it remains untriggered, it uses up an epic spell slot, even if you cast it on another creature. Once triggered, the spell is expended normally. When the character would otherwise be subject to any instantaneous effect that would deal him or her 50 or more points of damage, he or she is instead transported to a static time stream where time ceases to flow. The character’s condition becomes fixed-no force or effect can harm him or her until 1 round of real time has passed. Thus, the character avoids the damage he or she would otherwise receive, but the character also misses out on one round of activity. To the character, no time passes at all, but to onlookers who are part of real time, the character stands frozen and fixed in space for 1 full round.

Soul Dominion

When a character casts this spell, he or she is temporarily able to take control of another sentient creature with whom the character is familiar (by meeting, observing, or successfully scrying the subject). The target receives a Will save, and if successful, prevents the character from making the telepathic connection. The target is aware of the attempted takeover as a strange, momentary tingling. If the Will save fails, the character is able to control the subject’s body as if it were his or her own, hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling, and tasting everything the target senses. Once the character dismisses the spell or its duration ends, the target resumes control of its body, fully aware of all events that occurred, having been a helpless witness trapped inside its own body. The target knows the name and general nature of its possessor if it succeeds at an additional Will saving throw. A character cannot control undead or incorporeal creatures with soul dominion.

Soul Scry

When a character casts this spell, he or she is temporarily able to tap the consciousness of another sentient creature with whom the character is familiar (by meeting, observing, or successfully scrying the subject), experiencing everything he or she does with all five senses. The target receives a Will save, and if successful, prevents the character from making the telepathic connection. Whether the saving throw is successful or not, the target is unaware of the attempted intrusion. Once the subject is tapped, the character is able to hear, see, feel, smell, and taste everything the subject senses. The character cannot control the subject, however. The character can only see what the subject chooses to look at, and the character tastes something only if the subject eats or drinks it during the spell’s duration. During this time, the character’s own body remains in a trance-like state. If the subject takes damage, the character senses the injuries, although his or her own body does not actually suffer any ill effects. If the subject is knocked unconscious or killed, the spell immediately ends.

Spell Worm

On a failed save, the subject must spend a standard action each round abandoning his or her highest-level spell (or losing his or her highest-level unused spell slot). Each round, the subject eliminates another spell or spell slot, moving to lower-level spells once all the higher-level spells are gone. In the case of prepared spells, the subject decides which spells to abandon at each level. If the subject has more than one standard action allowed in the round, he or she may spend those actions as he or she desires. The subject doesn’t realize the spells or spell slots are gone until he or she tries to cast a spell and finds it unavailable. Abandoning a spell slot or losing a spell is standard action, but it does not draw an attack of opportunity. It is a purely mental exercise not obvious to observers.

Summon Behemoth

The character can summon a behemoth to attack his or her enemies. It appears where the character designates and acts immediately, on the character’s turn. It attacks the character’s opponents to the best of its ability. If the character can communicate with the creature, he or she can direct it not to attack, to attack particular enemies, or to perform other actions. Summoned creatures act normally on the last round of the spell and disappear at the end of their turn.

Superb Dispelling

As greater dispel magic, except that the maximum bonus on the dispel check is +40, and the character takes 10d6 points of backlash damage.

Time Duplicate

The character snatches him or her self from 1 round in the future, depositing this future self in an adjacent space as a free action that counts as a quickened spell. The character’s future self is technically only a possible future self (the time stream is a maelstrom of multiple probabilities), but snatching that future self from 1 round in the future collapses probability, and the possible future becomes the definite future. The character and his or her future self are both free to act normally this round (the character has already used up the limit of one quickened spell per round, but his or her duplicate hasn’t). The future self has all the resources the character has at the moment he or she finishes casting time duplicate. Because the future self was previously only a possibility, his or her resources are not depleted as a result of whatever might occur this round (even if the character dies this round). Likewise, he or she doesn’t have any special knowledge of what might occur during this round. Because the future self is still part of the time stream, the round it spends with the character is a round it misses in its own future. Because the chracter’s future duplicate is also the character, the character misses the next round as well. He or she simply isn’t there. Tampering with the time stream is a tricky business. Here is a round-by-round summary.

Round One: The character casts time duplicate, the future self from round two arrives, and both act normally.

Round Two: The future self-the character-gets snatched back in time to help the past self. During this round, there are no versions of the character present.

Round Three: The character rejoins the time stream. The character arrives in the same location and condition that the future self ended with at the end of the first round. Any resources (spells, damage, staff charges) the future self used up in round one are gone for real. Record them now. Using this spell to snatch a single future self stretches time and probability to its limit; more powerful versions of time duplicate are not possible. A character cannot bring more than a single future version of him or her self back at one time, nor can a character snatch a version of him or her from farther in the future.

Vengeful Gaze of God

The target of this spell is subject to 305d6 points of damage (or half of that if a Fortitude save succeeds). If the target is reduced to -10 hit points or less (or a construct, object, or undead is reduced to 0 hit points), it is utterly destroyed as if disintegrated, leaving behind only a trace of fine dust. The caster is likewise dealt 200d6 points of damage

Verdigris

This spell creates a tsunami of grass, shrubs, and trees that overgrows the area like a tidal wave. The plant growth creeps and curls across every-thing in the area, ensnaring it and coiling around it as if it had been growing there for a century or more. Creatures in the area must make a Reflex saving throw to avoid the fast-moving growth, which otherwise deals 10d6 points of damage from the crushing press. Buildings are engulfed and they likewise take 10d6 points of damage. Those destroyed by the damage have their foundations uprooted and walls crumbled. The plant growth remains for 24 hours, after which it vanishes.

Verdigris Tsunami

This spell creates a tsunami of grass, shrubs, and trees that overgrows the area like a tidal wave. The plant growth creeps and curls across every-thing in the area, ensnaring it and coiling around it as if it had been growing there for a century or more. Creatures in the area must make a Reflex saving throw to avoid the fast-moving growth, which otherwise deals 40d6 points of damage from the crushing press. Buildings are engulfed and they likewise take 40d6 points of damage. Those destroyed by the damage have their foundations uprooted and walls crumbled. The plant growth is permanent. This is a ritual spell requiring fourteen other spellcasters, each of whom must contribute an unused 6th-level spell slot to the casting.

XP Cost: 10,000 XP.

NON-EPIC SPELL

Genesis

The spellcaster creates a finite plane with limited access: a demiplane. Demiplanes created by this power are very small, very minor planes.

A character can only cast this spell while on the Ethereal Plane. When he or she casts the spell, a local density fluctuation precipitates the creation of a demiplane. At first, the fledgling plane grows at a rate of 1 foot in radius per day to an initial maximum radius of 180 feet as it rapidly draws substance from surrounding ethereal vapors and protomatter.

The spellcaster determines the environment within the demiplane when he or she first casts genesis, reflecting most any desire the spellcaster can visualize. The spellcaster determines factors such as atmosphere, water, temperature, and the general shape of the terrain. This spell cannot create life (including vegetation), nor can it create construction (such as buildings, roads, wells, dungeons, and so forth). The spellcaster must add these things in some other fashion if he or she desires. Once the basic demiplane reaches its maximum size, the spellcaster can continue to cast this spell to enlarge the demiplane, adding another 180 feet of radius to the demiplane each time.

Material Component: A crystalline sphere.

XP Cost: 5,000 XP.