A switch souls spell [Archive] - Wizards Community

A switch souls spell [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Turlis
07-16-04, 06:29 AM I got this idea from an episode of the X-files. Tell me what you think of this spell.

IF YOU ARE PLAYING IN MY CAMPAIGN, DO NOT READ THIS UNLESS YOU WANT TO SPOIL A GREAT SURPRISE!!!!

The spell affects two people. It takes theis souls (memories, personalities, class features, etc.) and switches their bodies. It is a permanent effect, negatable by a Will save.

The caster can use it by making a succesful melee touch attack against both targets while casting the spell. If both targets fail their save, their souls are switched until a higher power can dispel the magic, or cast the spell again.

It would be quite a high-level spell, perhaps 7 or 8. It's not as powerful as Trap the Soul or Imprisonment, because the soul is not locked away in some far off realm, and the body carries on living, just with a different posessor.

I imagine that it would be similar to a polymorph spell in what it does. They keep their personality, their Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma, they keep class abilities, BAB, feats, etc.

It could also be something the caster does to himself and another subject. It would be great for spies, or people on the run from the law, etc.

What do you think? Is it possible? How should I modify it? Thanks for your input.
Will Brandiman
07-16-04, 06:34 AM Otherwise known as the immortality spell. Got an old and feeble body? Just go out, find a young, healthy peasant, cast this spell and then kill the poor sod. Voila! One nice new body, mint condition, one careful owner.
Will Brandiman
07-16-04, 06:40 AM This actually reminds me of the Dragonlance series with Fistandantilus doing exactly this in order to survive throughout the centuries until Raistlin turned the tables on him.

It is open to SERIOUS abuse and would, IMHO, be a 9th level spell unless serious restrictions were enforced.
Turlis
07-16-04, 07:52 AM What if it were only usable on other people? The nature of the spell only allows the caster to be the conduit, not the recipient of the magic. Sure, the same abuses could happen by someone hiring or forcing the wizard to cast the spell on him and someone else, but it might be a little less common.

Or perhaps it has a duration, say one day per caster level. My intention in creating this spell is to be offensive, so that you disorient your enemies in combat and effectively incapacitate them without killing or even damaging them.

Can you imagine a dwarf barbarian getting switched with a gnome bard? Neither would know what to do with their new bodies.

I like the idea of having a limited duration, but then what do you do if one of the creatures is killed before the time is up?
ksbsnowowl
07-16-04, 09:30 AM There is already an effect similar to this in D&D. Check out the 'Mind Switch' power from the 3.0 psionics handbook. It was 6th level, and basically a permanent effect.

I think they nerfed it somewhat in the revised XPH. I think they made it a higher level, and gave it a rediculous XP cost.
Egres
07-16-04, 09:33 AM From the SRD:
Mind Switch
Telepathy [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Telepath 6
Display: Visual
Manifesting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: You and one other creature
Duration: 10 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text
Power Resistance: Yes
Power Points: 11, XP
You can attempt to take control of a nearby living creature, forcing your mind (and soul) into its body, and its mind into your body. You can target any creature whose Hit Dice are equal to or less than your manifester level.
You possess the target’s body and force the creature’s mind into your body unless it succeeds on a Will save. You can move your mind back into your own body whenever you desire, which returns the subject’s mind to its own body and ends the power. If the manifestation succeeds, your life force occupies the host body, and the host’s life force takes over yours.
You can call on rudimentary or instinctive knowledge of the subject creature, but not upon its acquired or learned knowledge (such as skills and feats it possesses). The same is true for the subject in your body. The mind switch brings about the following changes.
• You gain the type of your assumed body.
• You gain the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of your assumed body.
• You gain the natural armor, natural attacks, movement, and other simple physical characteristics of your assumed body.
• You gain the extraordinary special attacks and qualities of your assumed body, but you do not gain supernatural or spell-like abilities.
• You gain the possessions and equipment of your assumed body.
• You retain your own hit points, saving throws (possibly modified by new ability scores), class abilities, supernatural and spell-like abilities, spells and powers, and skills and feats (although skill checks use your new ability scores, and you may be temporarily unable to use feats whose requirements you do not meet in your new body).
Supernatural abilities that require a certain body part may be unavailable in your new form.
If either body is killed while the power is in effect, the other participant also dies when the power ends. If one participant’s body becomes petrified, imprisoned by temporal stasis or imprisonment, or incapacitated in some other way, the other participant will be incapacitated in that way when the power ends.
A targeted dispel psionics (or similar spells or effects) successfully manifested on either participant causes both minds to return to their original bodies.
XP Cost: 100 XP.
Augment: For every 2 additional power points you spend, this power’s save DC increases by 1.

Mind Switch, True
Telepathy [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Telepath 9
Manifesting Time: 1 minute
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates; see text
Power Resistance: Yes
Power Points: 17, XP
As mind switch, except as noted here. You permanently exchange bodies with the subject. Since this power’s duration is instantaneous, you cannot be forced to return to your natural body by means of dispel psionics, an antimagic field, or a similar effect. If the subject’s body dies while you are in it, you are dead. The subject immediately loses one level, but otherwise survives the experience in your natural body. If your natural body dies while the subject is in it, you immediately lose one level, but you likewise survive the experience in your new body.
Your “natural” body is always considered to be the last one you switched out of. If you exchange bodies with a chain of multiple subjects, you need worry only about the welfare of the last body you switched with. In other words, if your mind is expelled from your current body, your mind returns to the last body you switched with, not to your original body. Similarly, if your original body dies but you have since switched minds with a second subject, you take no penalty. You lose a level only if the body you inhabited immediately prior to your current body is killed.
XP Cost: 10,000 XP.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Turlis 07-16-04, 06:29 AM	I got this idea from an episode of the X-files. Tell me what you think of this spell. IF YOU ARE PLAYING IN MY CAMPAIGN, DO NOT READ THIS UNLESS YOU WANT TO SPOIL A GREAT SURPRISE!!!! The spell affects two people. It takes theis souls (memories, personalities, class features, etc.) and switches their bodies. It is a permanent effect, negatable by a Will save. The caster can use it by making a succesful melee touch attack against both targets while casting the spell. If both targets fail their save, their souls are switched until a higher power can dispel the magic, or cast the spell again. It would be quite a high-level spell, perhaps 7 or 8. It's not as powerful as Trap the Soul or Imprisonment, because the soul is not locked away in some far off realm, and the body carries on living, just with a different posessor. I imagine that it would be similar to a polymorph spell in what it does. They keep their personality, their Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma, they keep class abilities, BAB, feats, etc. It could also be something the caster does to himself and another subject. It would be great for spies, or people on the run from the law, etc. What do you think? Is it possible? How should I modify it? Thanks for your input.
Will Brandiman 07-16-04, 06:34 AM	Otherwise known as the immortality spell. Got an old and feeble body? Just go out, find a young, healthy peasant, cast this spell and then kill the poor sod. Voila! One nice new body, mint condition, one careful owner.
Will Brandiman 07-16-04, 06:40 AM	This actually reminds me of the Dragonlance series with Fistandantilus doing exactly this in order to survive throughout the centuries until Raistlin turned the tables on him. It is open to SERIOUS abuse and would, IMHO, be a 9th level spell unless serious restrictions were enforced.
Turlis 07-16-04, 07:52 AM	What if it were only usable on other people? The nature of the spell only allows the caster to be the conduit, not the recipient of the magic. Sure, the same abuses could happen by someone hiring or forcing the wizard to cast the spell on him and someone else, but it might be a little less common. Or perhaps it has a duration, say one day per caster level. My intention in creating this spell is to be offensive, so that you disorient your enemies in combat and effectively incapacitate them without killing or even damaging them. Can you imagine a dwarf barbarian getting switched with a gnome bard? Neither would know what to do with their new bodies. I like the idea of having a limited duration, but then what do you do if one of the creatures is killed before the time is up?
ksbsnowowl 07-16-04, 09:30 AM	There is already an effect similar to this in D&D. Check out the 'Mind Switch' power from the 3.0 psionics handbook. It was 6th level, and basically a permanent effect. I think they nerfed it somewhat in the revised XPH. I think they made it a higher level, and gave it a rediculous XP cost.
Egres 07-16-04, 09:33 AM	From the SRD: Mind Switch Telepathy [Mind-Affecting] Level: Telepath 6 Display: Visual Manifesting Time: 1 round Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Targets: You and one other creature Duration: 10 min./level Saving Throw: Will negates; see text Power Resistance: Yes Power Points: 11, XP You can attempt to take control of a nearby living creature, forcing your mind (and soul) into its body, and its mind into your body. You can target any creature whose Hit Dice are equal to or less than your manifester level. You possess the target’s body and force the creature’s mind into your body unless it succeeds on a Will save. You can move your mind back into your own body whenever you desire, which returns the subject’s mind to its own body and ends the power. If the manifestation succeeds, your life force occupies the host body, and the host’s life force takes over yours. You can call on rudimentary or instinctive knowledge of the subject creature, but not upon its acquired or learned knowledge (such as skills and feats it possesses). The same is true for the subject in your body. The mind switch brings about the following changes. • You gain the type of your assumed body. • You gain the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of your assumed body. • You gain the natural armor, natural attacks, movement, and other simple physical characteristics of your assumed body. • You gain the extraordinary special attacks and qualities of your assumed body, but you do not gain supernatural or spell-like abilities. • You gain the possessions and equipment of your assumed body. • You retain your own hit points, saving throws (possibly modified by new ability scores), class abilities, supernatural and spell-like abilities, spells and powers, and skills and feats (although skill checks use your new ability scores, and you may be temporarily unable to use feats whose requirements you do not meet in your new body). Supernatural abilities that require a certain body part may be unavailable in your new form. If either body is killed while the power is in effect, the other participant also dies when the power ends. If one participant’s body becomes petrified, imprisoned by temporal stasis or imprisonment, or incapacitated in some other way, the other participant will be incapacitated in that way when the power ends. A targeted dispel psionics (or similar spells or effects) successfully manifested on either participant causes both minds to return to their original bodies. XP Cost: 100 XP. Augment: For every 2 additional power points you spend, this power’s save DC increases by 1. Mind Switch, True Telepathy [Mind-Affecting] Level: Telepath 9 Manifesting Time: 1 minute Duration: Instantaneous Saving Throw: Will negates; see text Power Resistance: Yes Power Points: 17, XP As mind switch, except as noted here. You permanently exchange bodies with the subject. Since this power’s duration is instantaneous, you cannot be forced to return to your natural body by means of dispel psionics, an antimagic field, or a similar effect. If the subject’s body dies while you are in it, you are dead. The subject immediately loses one level, but otherwise survives the experience in your natural body. If your natural body dies while the subject is in it, you immediately lose one level, but you likewise survive the experience in your new body. Your “natural” body is always considered to be the last one you switched out of. If you exchange bodies with a chain of multiple subjects, you need worry only about the welfare of the last body you switched with. In other words, if your mind is expelled from your current body, your mind returns to the last body you switched with, not to your original body. Similarly, if your original body dies but you have since switched minds with a second subject, you take no penalty. You lose a level only if the body you inhabited immediately prior to your current body is killed. XP Cost: 10,000 XP.