"Trap the Soul" as a Spell Like Ability [Archive] - Wizards Community

"Trap the Soul" as a Spell Like Ability [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
evilgenius
08-16-06, 10:16 PM Here's a question that came up. I decided not to post on the What's a DM to Do threads because it is quite specific to spells...

I've had a character level up as a Dwarven RuneSmith, and he can now take any one spell he knows and make it a spell like ability. The text states:

"If the spell has a costly material component, he must expend resources equal to 20x the gp cost of the material component. f it has a costly focus, he must expend resources equal to the cost of the focus".

Essentially, you carve a permanent rune into your body and you can now use this as a spell like abilityl twice per day in exchange for a single higher level slot.

Here's the question:

With a targeted Trap the Soul spell, the target's soul goes into the material component (a costly gem). According to the SRD, and pretty much implied in the description of the class ability, as a spell like ability the material component is no longer necessary...

WHERE DOES THE SOUL GO?

?????
Millennium
08-16-06, 10:44 PM For something like this, I'd have the character spend some of that money integrating several suitable gems into his body, possibly at endpoints of the lines that make up the rune. No additional cost mechanically; it's all just flavor.

At that point, whenever he uses his trap the soul ability, the soul goes into one of these permanently-integrated gems. You could even do a demilich-type thing and have a the gem glow wickedly when a soul is trapped in it. The gems aren't destroyed when and if the soul is freed, so the character can use the gems again and again; the point isn't to restrict him but to provide a nice flavor description for how the ability works.
evilgenius
08-16-06, 10:56 PM Cool, I'm down with that.

Perhaps the rune itself has to be a tattoo made with ink containing crushed gems...

I'll let the player decide since it's for flavour only. The only thing I am worried about though is what hapens after ten or thirty castings? How many souls can he keep in his "body"?

;)

Thanks for the advice!
ElIsRa
08-17-06, 03:24 AM This has nothing to do with the RAW but, I would say either 2, or 30.

2 because that's the number of times per day that he can cast the spell.

30 because that's the cost of making the spell perminate.

I'd lean more towards the first one, but that's just me.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
evilgenius 08-16-06, 10:16 PM	Here's a question that came up. I decided not to post on the What's a DM to Do threads because it is quite specific to spells... I've had a character level up as a Dwarven RuneSmith, and he can now take any one spell he knows and make it a spell like ability. The text states: "If the spell has a costly material component, he must expend resources equal to 20x the gp cost of the material component. f it has a costly focus, he must expend resources equal to the cost of the focus". Essentially, you carve a permanent rune into your body and you can now use this as a spell like abilityl twice per day in exchange for a single higher level slot. Here's the question: With a targeted Trap the Soul spell, the target's soul goes into the material component (a costly gem). According to the SRD, and pretty much implied in the description of the class ability, as a spell like ability the material component is no longer necessary... WHERE DOES THE SOUL GO? ?????
Millennium 08-16-06, 10:44 PM	For something like this, I'd have the character spend some of that money integrating several suitable gems into his body, possibly at endpoints of the lines that make up the rune. No additional cost mechanically; it's all just flavor. At that point, whenever he uses his trap the soul ability, the soul goes into one of these permanently-integrated gems. You could even do a demilich-type thing and have a the gem glow wickedly when a soul is trapped in it. The gems aren't destroyed when and if the soul is freed, so the character can use the gems again and again; the point isn't to restrict him but to provide a nice flavor description for how the ability works.
evilgenius 08-16-06, 10:56 PM	Cool, I'm down with that. Perhaps the rune itself has to be a tattoo made with ink containing crushed gems... I'll let the player decide since it's for flavour only. The only thing I am worried about though is what hapens after ten or thirty castings? How many souls can he keep in his "body"? ;) Thanks for the advice!
ElIsRa 08-17-06, 03:24 AM	This has nothing to do with the RAW but, I would say either 2, or 30. 2 because that's the number of times per day that he can cast the spell. 30 because that's the cost of making the spell perminate. I'd lean more towards the first one, but that's just me.