weird kalamar spell

[zook1shoe]

here's a weird spell that i found while fixing/updating my spell list. i had to remove all the Kalamar Player's Guide 3.5 spells, since that was never officially licensed.

i'm curious if there's an official ruling for how temporary positive levels work

   Lifesap [Kalamar: Player’s Guide 3.0 178]
Transmutation
Level: Anagakok 6, Beholder Mage 6, Chameleon 6, Deathwalker 6, Fleshcrafter 6, Sha’ir 6, Sorcerer/Wizard 6, Soul Reaper 6, Spellsinger 6, Sublime Chord 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 0 ft.
Target: 10 ft. radius
Duration: 1 round / level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
   All creatures within 10 feet of you must make a Fortitude save or gain 1 temporary negative level. For each level lost in this way, you gain 1 temporary level. You lose these temporary levels at the end of the spell.
   Material Component: unknown.

[Maelphaxerazz]

Well, if that's the reason you removed them, then I think you should put them back. Just opened up the Kingdoms of Kalamar Player's Guide, and there it is: Wizards of the Coast Official Licensed Product seal. Page 1, under the Table of Contents. Clear as day.

[Nanashi]

I'd rule it as temp HD, like that one Bard ability (and seemingly nothing else in 3E OR PF) gives.

[zook1shoe]

@Maelph

1/3 of the Kalamar books are unlicensed, including the Player's Guide 3.5. but the 3.0 version is licensed.

i didnt realize that until i was double checking sources for spells. only took a decade
to realize it

@Nan....

makes complete sense

[Power]

Seems like an absurd spell. I'd probably just invert what negative levels do.

Negative level: "An affected opponent takes a –1 penalty on all skill checks and ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws, and loses 5 hit points and and one effective level or Hit Die (whenever level is used in a die roll or calculation) for each negative level. A spellcaster loses one spell slot of the highest level of spells she can cast and (if applicable) one prepared spell of that level. If she has more than one spell at her highest level, she chooses which she loses.."

Positive level interpretation: +1 bonus on all skill checks and ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws. Gain 5 hit points (and max hit points). Gain 1 effective level and HD for calculation purposes. A spellcaster gains one empty spell slot of the highest level of spells she can cast and (if she is a prepared spellcaster) can utilize partial spell preparation or other such capability to fill the empty spell slot with a prepared spell to cast. A spellcaster still does not obtain spell slots of a higher spell level than normal.

But then I'd probably houserule to pare it down a bit, or just ban the spell. This spell is highly abusable, especially with a Persistent Spell metamagic or similar, but even without that and even with Nanashi's interpretation there are ways to just get a giant bag of chickens, quick draw them and drop them as free actions, lifesap them, gain like 100 temporary HD, and leverage some HD scaling ability for absurd effect before the spell runs out. This is just a very badly designed spell with major balance issues.

[Nanshork]

Seems like an absurd spell. I'd probably just invert what negative levels do.

Negative level: "An affected opponent takes a –1 penalty on all skill checks and ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws, and loses 5 hit points and and one effective level or Hit Die (whenever level is used in a die roll or calculation) for each negative level. A spellcaster loses one spell slot of the highest level of spells she can cast and (if applicable) one prepared spell of that level. If she has more than one spell at her highest level, she chooses which she loses.."

Positive level interpretation: +1 bonus on all skill checks and ability checks, attack rolls, and saving throws. Gain 5 hit points (and max hit points). Gain 1 effective level and HD for calculation purposes. A spellcaster gains one empty spell slot of the highest level of spells she can cast and (if she is a prepared spellcaster) can utilize partial spell preparation or other such capability to fill the empty spell slot with a prepared spell to cast. A spellcaster still cannot cast spells of a higher spell level than normal.

But then I'd probably houserule to pair it down a bit, or just ban the spell. This spell is highly abusable, especially with a Persistent Spell metamagic or similar, but even without that and even with Nanashi's interpretation there are ways to just get a giant bag of chickens, beat them all unconscious so they auto-fail saves, quick draw them and drop them as free actions, lifesap them, gain like 100 temporary HD, and leverage some HD scaling ability for absurd effect before the spell runs out. This is just a very badly designed spell with major balance issues.

To be fair, this is Kalamar we're talking about.  Those books are full of badly designed items with major balance issues. 

[Maelphaxerazz]

@Maelph

1/3 of the Kalamar books are unlicensed, including the Player's Guide 3.5. but the 3.0 version is licensed.

I see, the book I'm looking at is actually 3.0. my bad.

[zook1shoe]

@Power... probably easiest to just ban.

..


@Nan... agreed, by far the worst of the licensed products.

home of the infamous Miser of Magic and Irresistible Spell feats.

..


@Maelph... no worries, kind of obnoxious that the 3.5 version couldn't at least be licensed

[Nytemare3701]

here's a weird spell that i found while fixing/updating my spell list. i had to remove all the Kalamar Player's Guide 3.5 spells, since that was never officially licensed.

i'm curious if there's an official ruling for how temporary positive levels work

   Lifesap [Kalamar: Player’s Guide 3.0 178]
Transmutation
Level: Anagakok 6, Beholder Mage 6, Chameleon 6, Deathwalker 6, Fleshcrafter 6, Sha’ir 6, Sorcerer/Wizard 6, Soul Reaper 6, Spellsinger 6, Sublime Chord 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 0 ft.
Target: 10 ft. radius
Duration: 1 round / level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
   All creatures within 10 feet of you must make a Fortitude save or gain 1 temporary negative level. For each level lost in this way, you gain 1 temporary level. You lose these temporary levels at the end of the spell.
   Material Component: unknown.

I wonder if positive levels can give spell slots, and if you can persist this spell? If so, this seems like yet another Chicken Silo situation

[zook1shoe]

To be fair, this is Kalamar we're talking about.

i noticed even the 3.0 errata didn't help the brigand.

table 2-2 lists the class as 3/4 bab, but 2-6 lists it as 19/20 BAB... yeah nineteen

p. 35 - Table 2-2 lists the incorrect Base Attack Bonus for the Brigand. It should follow the progression on pg. 39 in Table 2-6: The Brigand.

also, its saves are completely wonky, which wasn't fixed in the errata

(click to show/hide)

Table 2-6: The Brigand

Brigand 01 d8, +00, +01, +01, +00
Brigand 02 d8, +01, +02, +01, +00
Brigand 03 d8, +02, +02, +02, +01
Brigand 04 d8, +03, +03, +02, +01
Brigand 05 d8, +04, +03, +02, +01
Brigand 06 d8, +05, +04, +03, +02
Brigand 07 d8, +06, +04, +03, +02
Brigand 08 d8, +07, +05, +03, +02
Brigand 09 d8, +08, +05, +04, +03
Brigand 10 d8, +09, +06, +04, +03
Brigand 11 d8, +10, +06, +04, +03
Brigand 12 d8, +11, +07, +05, +04
Brigand 13 d8, +12, +07, +05, +04
Brigand 14 d8, +13, +08, +05, +04
Brigand 15 d8, +14, +09, +06, +04
Brigand 16 d8, +15, +10, +06, +04
Brigand 17 d8, +16, +10, +06, +04
Brigand 18 d8, +17, +11, +08, +04
Brigand 19 d8, +18, +11, +08, +04
Brigand 20 d8, +19, +12, +08, +04

at 1st level, the Brigand can have 8 ranks in Bluff due to the "improved bluff" class feature, since you advance skill ranks before class features when applying levels.

this could help w early entry into PrCs

p. 40 - The Brigand's Improved Bluff class feature grants 4 bonus ranks, not 4 ranks.

...

@Nytemare

i've never heard that term before :-/

[Nytemare3701]

@Nytemare

i've never heard that term before :-/

There was an old build called Colonel Sanders that used a level of Commoner to get Chicken Infested, fill a silo with chickens each day, then use Consumptive Field (and some sort of uncapper?) and walk into the silo, instantly disintegrating the chickens and getting a massive CL buff to do their buff routine for the day.

Napkin math says you can fit about 700 chickens in the area of the kalamar spell, so...that's a lot of free spell slots.

[zook1shoe]

aaah, i see

i assumed it'd be easier to just buy a ton of rats