Author Topic: [PF] Fable Tapestry Bard spell  (Read 2838 times)

Offline Power

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[PF] Fable Tapestry Bard spell
« on: June 04, 2020, 02:14:49 PM »
So there's a Bard only spell that lets you summon NPCs as if using Shadow Conjuration on a Summon Monster spell for some daft reason (with a 1 round casting time too):
Quote
FABLE TAPESTRY
Source Inner Sea Races pg. 219
School illusion (shadow) [shadow]; Level bard 5, skald 5 (Varisian)
CASTING
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S, F (your kapenia)
EFFECT
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect 1 legendary character/4 caster levels
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Will disbelief; Spell Resistance yes
DESCRIPTION
The spell weaves shadows and colors from your kapenia into the shape of legendary characters from Varisian folktales. This spell functions as shadow conjuration emulating summon monster I, except as noted here. You can summon only one copy of the same character at the same time, even with multiple castings of this spell. The shadow creatures are 40% real and are drawn from the list below.

Character
Source
Anelda the beautiful (freelance thief)
NPC Codex 147
Old Mother Toad (fey giant toad)
Bestiary 3 116
Sonnorae the storyteller (con artist)
NPC Codex 29
Vyushbaro the savior (carousing champion)
NPC Codex 47
Winter’s Son (evasive slip)
NPC Codex 65
Zykomso the slaver (bearded devil)
Bestiary 73

So it's a bit of a question how to put this spell to use. Worth noting that the bard can immediately summon 3 of them in a single casting. Now, it's possible to add Solid Shadows and make it 60% real (add Crook of Cildhureen for another 50%) if you care, but the more interesting question is what to do with a spell that lets you summon a Cleric, Druid, Rogue, and Bard (also those monsters, but who cares). The most interesting aspect that stands out about this spell is the crazy amounts of healing your party can obtain just by summoning the Carousing Champion (who has 7 channel energy uses and can spontaneously convert all his non-domain spells into cures) and the Evasive Slip (who comes with a wand of cure moderate wounds that has 15 charges remaining). The NPCs come with all their magic items, which makes for a bit of an interesting question. When a summon monster spell expires and the creatures it has summoned disappears, all the spells that creature has cast end. But if you use spells from magic items that the summoned monster possesses? Then it's not exactly the summoned monster casting them. However, a GM might reasonably rule it to fall under that all the same. If not, one of the things that's possible here is summoning the Freelance Thief, Con Artist, and Evasive Slip and getting 4 potions of invisibility, and the Evasive Slip also comes with a wand of barkskin. The summons also come with gold and magic items. I know for sure that the Con Artist's Elixir of Truth will outlast the summon spell, seeing as it's not a spell effect (much like how supernatural abilities don't expire at summon's end), although the double will saves will make it horribly unreliable (unless you either use Beguiling Gift to make them voluntarily drink it or Mind Fog to destroy their will saving throws, but both of those spells are pretty rare picks for spells known).

Other stuff you can probably do involves items that interact with the classes in question. A Bard summon can be handed a Page of Spell Knowledge to cast whatever's on it after all (but you might prefer Summon Monster 6 for a 100% real Lillend Azata that casts as a 7th level Bard) or use its Lore Master ability to make knowledge checks for you (except you are a Bard yourself so you don't exactly need this), but I'm not sure about the rest.

This spell feels like it has some stunts in it (beyond just casting it to out-do Heal with a massive amount of healing spells and channels between the Evasive Slip and Carousing Champion alone), so I'm wondering how far you can push this spell to extract value out of it. It seems to be pretty shitty for combat, tbh, thanks to those shadow conjuration rules giving them garbage health. 
« Last Edit: June 12, 2022, 07:28:43 AM by Power »

Offline Nanashi

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Re: [PF] Fable Tapestry Bard spell
« Reply #1 on: June 04, 2020, 05:18:26 PM »
Use their magical gear as material components for some other spell? The only one that comes to mind is Storm of Blades, and that's kinda meh even if you use eschew material components/false focus to spam artifacts, but I'm fairly sure there's others that will be boosted by using a magic weapon as a component or require "sacrifice" of a magic item.

Offline Power

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Re: [PF] Fable Tapestry Bard spell
« Reply #2 on: June 04, 2020, 06:07:15 PM »
When it comes to offering magic items, the only thing that comes to my mind is the Bard's Music Beyond the Spheres masterpiece which lets you cast Wish at 17th level by destroying a 25k gp or more magic item, but that has to be a single item. Psychics can use any item that has sufficient emotional significance as a substitute for normal components, but I don't think fable tapestry items would qualify unless the psychic were to have a ridiculous fascination with the fables in question maybe (and even that seems suspect). I think there should be some magic spells that have you use gold coins as a special component too. You do get 900+ gp of shadow coins.

Offline Nanashi

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Re: [PF] Fable Tapestry Bard spell
« Reply #3 on: June 04, 2020, 07:35:23 PM »
Some are intelligent humanoids. Maybe something that's powered by sacrificing such?

Offline zook1shoe

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Re: [PF] Fable Tapestry Bard spell
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2020, 03:00:41 AM »
theres a wizard arcane discovery that lets you replace material components with gems

Quote
Yuelral's Blessing (Champions of Purity pg. 27): You cast any spells that appear on both the wizard and druid spell lists at +1 caster level and with +1 to the save DC. In addition, you may replace the material component of any arcane spell with gems of the same value. You must be at least a 5th-level wizard to select this discovery.
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Offline Power

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Re: [PF] Fable Tapestry Bard spell
« Reply #5 on: June 12, 2020, 03:27:50 PM »
Honestly paying for spell components with shadow conjurations can get dicey, but strictly speaking, failing the will save does mean you treat it as 100% real for all intents and purposes, which would include how your magic interacts with it. At any rate, I think the tricks remaining here are to equip the conjurations with items that interact with their class to let them do things normally not within their abilities. I know you can boost the Cleric's healing even further with a Phylactery of Positive Channeling. You can also use Construct Channel Brick to heal constructs and objects (although mending cantrip spam is all you need for most objects). I'm sure there are items that let you do more.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2022, 08:30:37 PM by Power »

Offline Power

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Re: [PF] Fable Tapestry Bard spell
« Reply #6 on: December 14, 2020, 07:52:57 AM »
Well, the Rogue has trapfinding, the Evasive Slip has Speak with Animals, the Cleric has Hide From Undead, Detect Undead, and Locate Object, and beyond their consumable items you can also use them for Aid Another checks I figure.

One thing I'd missed is that you can buff all of them with a Skald's Raging Song and give them Rage Powers, and if the Skald is a Red Tongue he can give them a Rogue Talent he knows too.

Also with a Sandman Bard you can use the lot of them to grab all of their spells as temporary spells known. That can get you a large selection of spells to nab, including Barkskin or a lot of situational spells like Zone of Truth or Endure Elements. You could also spam Bless Water if you want, which, if you have a False Focus feat, costs you nothing and can get sold for 25gp each.

Come to think of it, you can probably use them with a Ring of Spell Knowledge to flexibly expand your spell list.
« Last Edit: December 22, 2020, 08:00:20 AM by Power »

Offline Power

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Re: [PF] Fable Tapestry Bard spell
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2021, 07:39:35 PM »
Hm, found another stunt. If you use a Clandestine Voucher (250gp), you can convert the shadow conjuration coins into mundane coins, since it allows you to store magical or abnormal coins and explicitly restores them as mundane currency. With the three creatures you get to summon at CL 13 (4 at 16), you can summon the Carousing Champion, Thief, and Evasive Slip for a total of 934 gp, making this spell into a decent money-maker. That's pretty neat.
« Last Edit: January 08, 2021, 09:28:28 PM by Power »

Offline zook1shoe

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Re: [PF] Fable Tapestry Bard spell
« Reply #8 on: January 10, 2021, 03:21:36 AM »
is it just me, or is that Ring phrased really oddly at the end...

Quote
Arcane spells that do not appear on the wearer’s class list are treated as one level higher for all purposes (storage and casting).

because spells known isn't really a.... storage

derp i see...

wait... the storage space is based on the wearer. but what if the wearer isn't the one who added the spell, like a psychic's mind thrust 1 now worn by a sorcerer?

i assume the spell level for the sorcerer is 2, but the ring itself doesn't have to jump from a 1 to a 2. still written really strangely
« Last Edit: January 10, 2021, 03:25:23 AM by zook1shoe »
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Offline Power

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Re: [PF] Fable Tapestry Bard spell
« Reply #9 on: January 10, 2021, 10:51:28 AM »
If the one who added the spell doesn't have it on their class list, it's stored as though 1 spell level higher. If the one who is wearing it doesn't have it on their class list, it's cast as though 1 spell level higher. So you can store it as a 2nd level spell by its spellcaster only to have to cast it as a 3rd level spell when the ring transfers to you because it's not on your list. Of course, if you UMD the ring, the spell is always on your class list as far as the ring is concerned, so you get to avoid the penalties.
« Last Edit: January 10, 2021, 02:54:51 PM by Power »

Offline zook1shoe

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Re: [PF] Fable Tapestry Bard spell
« Reply #10 on: January 10, 2021, 03:08:15 PM »
Just UMD.... nice!

I knew what the item would do, just that the phrasing was really weird.
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Offline Power

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Re: [PF] Fable Tapestry Bard spell
« Reply #11 on: December 18, 2023, 01:32:30 PM »
Turns out you can pay for components costs with gp, gems, and jewelry instead (at 1.5x the cost) using the Invested Magic feat, so there is that.