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Epic Destiny: Arcane Metamorphosis

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
Nyronus
Aug 04, 2008 22:22:09 Epic Destiny: Arcane Metamorphosis

Slowly and steadily the terms of your pact draw to a close as the very power that courses through your body consume the mortal flesh of your being and you transform into the same power you once served.

Prerequisites: 21st level, Warlock Class, Warlock pact.

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”

These words you find, with perhaps both content and horror, have become true for you. After years of wheeling and dealing with the immortal forces of magic, you find that you are slowly and steadily becoming more and more like those you have served in the past. The magic energies that you have become subservient too are slowly eating away at your body and soul. The question is, will you overcome and master this change, or will you become the monster and be consumed by the arcane forces of the universe?

Only the strongest of warlocks ever chose or reach this path. Some can perhaps avoid this fate by focusing their growing might down another path, but you, by will or be fate, are now walking the path of not only mastering the arcane might of your pact masters, but taking your place among them as an equal. As your power grows and you go farther down this path, you will gain the powers of those beings with whom you made a pact with and also take on their appearances. If you have chose the fey pact, your body will grow more graceful and fey-like, perhaps becoming somewhat ethereal and fairy-like until you finally evolve into a wild spirit of magic and chaos. Those who chose the infernal pact will slowly and steadily take on the appearance of devils, their skin becoming like scales as they grow horns, tails, and wings until finally they are indistinguishable from the Dukes on the Nine Hells. Those though, who took the star pact, must watch as their bodies take on alien angles and they grow perhaps extra eyes or mouths stretched upon tentacles and spider-like limbs. As their forms becomes terrible to look upon though, they gain access to the very secrets of fate.

Know that the path you walk is a lonely one. No one else can even comprehend what is happening to your body and mind. The Archmage and Demigod will be able to sympathize with you, but even they can’t know the depths of your transformation. While lonely though, this path has one ultimate benefit. Those who seize their change and become master instead of monster will gain completely mastery of not only their powers but their destiny and souls.

Immortality;

No matter the result of your final inner struggle, once you reach the apex of your power your mortal form sheds away and you become an entity much like the one you once served. Those who fail in mastering themselves find their soul and personality consumed by the power. When the final change happens all that they were is sublimated and the raw arcane energy creates a new entity of the same power which in turn leaves upon its own path. Those who succeed though obtain not only vast power and immortality, but also achieve a state of total self mastery and will join their new peers not only as the same man as before, but as a first among equals.

Those who took the way of the fey will journey into the fey-wild, spending an eternity living in among the fey. For and endless time they will flit in and out among the vast streams of arcane power and beauty. Those of a more prankish edge might find themselves manipulating the mortal realm, often causing bad luck and strange dreams. People will curse your name when strange passion take them. The more benevolent may be contented to spend forever in the realm of the fey, or perhaps coming to the world once again to grant good favor or to help in a great endeavor of beauty or love, but never overtly. These former warlocks will often become associated with creativity or good luck.

Those who took the path of the infernal will find themselves becoming a devil themselves, taking on the appearance of an archfiend. This may very well have been the fate of those who would become tieflings centuries past. The benevolent among these may seek to create a remote kingdom for those devils who seek to renounce the ways of Asmodeus, perhaps one day creating a civilization to rival those of empires past. These devils will eventual tire of rule and travel to another place, leaving behind the legacy of a powerful and wise rule. Malevolent warlocks may instead chose to travel to the Nine Hells itself and take their place as an Archduke, mayhap rising in a tale of terror to become an exarch of Asmodeus himself. These warlocks’ names will be whispered with fear.

Finally come the destiny of those who have taken the path of the star pact. They themselves have become alien and not of this world, but in exchange the dark secrets of the universe are known to them. Fate will, to them, be as readable as a book. They will travel deep into the Far Realm to a destiny unknown. They may one day return as a omen of doom, or sign of coming change. Oracles will call them back to ask of what the future may hold, but answers will be exacted at a price, sometimes a steep one to be paid.
Regardless of the path or final fate of those who undergo the Arcane Metamorphosis, one day, some time in the future, an ambitious young man or woman will call the names of those heros and villains of ages past. These men and women will know of the histories and fates of these former mortals, and eagerly ask for the power of those who have gone before them. Regardless of the price, they are willing to make a deal.
(The DM can perhaps work the angle of the final failure or choice of the warlock character as perhaps a skill challenge or an RP scene. Perhaps it comes down it a charisma based roll to master the power eating the Warlock from the inside out, or perhaps a confrontation with an old enemy or with the help of another party member)

Arcane Metamorphosis Features;

Level 21; Arcane Mutation;
The warlock begins to take on the features of either a fey, a devil, or an aberration. Depending on the pact, they gain the following benefits;

Fey Pact; Fey Form; +2 Charisma, +1 Intelligence, +1 Constitution, Fey Aura 1; Enemies that enter or start their turn in this aura take 5 psychic damage

Infernal Pact; Infernal Form; +2 Constitution, +1 Charisma, +1 Intelligence, Infernal Aura 1; Enemies that enter or start their turn in this aura take 5 fire damage

Star Pact; Star Form; +2 Intelligence, +1 Charisma, +1 Constitution, Star Aura 1; Enemies that enter or star their turn in this aura take five radiant damage

Level 24; Arcane Transformation;
The transformation from mortal to immortal will have reached a halfway point. Objects such as wings, horns, extra limbs have already begun to appear. All auras gained in this epic destiny increase to 2. Characters gain Fly (hover) movement equal to their land speed. Characters now no longer require sleep, but they must still rest for appropriate stretches of time.

Level 30; Arcane Actualization; The transformation from mortal to immortal is now complete. Fey Pact users have becomes entities of wild energy and color. Those under an Infernal pact are nearly indistinguishable from any other high ranking devil. Those who have taken the star pact have become hovering wraithlike entities of withered limbs and staring eyes and mouths. All auras gained in this epic destiny increase to 3 and damage increases to 10. All encounter powers of the corresponding pact can now be used as if they were at-will powers.

Winds of Magic, Arcane Metamorphosis (Fey) Utility, Level 26
You seize control of the very winds of magic, drawing strength from it and turning it against your enemies
Daily Standard Action, Healing, Personal
You regain HP equal to your bloodied value. You gain a defense bonus equal to your charisma modifier to all defenses until the end of the encounter. If an attack made against you fails, the caster becomes dazed until the end of your next turn.

Souls of Victory, Arcane Metamorphosis (Infernal) Utility, Level 26
With a roar, you call forth the souls of those you have taken, grasping a hold of their power and turning it against your foes
Daily Standard Action, Healing, Personal
You gain hit points equal to the number of life sparks under your control, plus your constitution score. Any attack you make for the rest of the encounter gain a bonus to attack rolls equal to your constitution modifier. The attacks deal an extra 1/2 con modifier fire damage.

Threads of Fate, Arcane Metamorphosis (Star) Utility, Level 26
You open your eyes and can see as plain as day the threads of fate that make up all of reality. Causality opens for you like a book, the movements of enemies are now obvious, and you can see time itself stretch out into the future before you.
Daily Standard Action, Personal
Until the end of the encounter, whenever a creature attempts a roll against you for any reason, you can choose to give that roll a penalty equal to your intelligence modifier. Any time you make a roll, you can grant yourself a bonus equal to your intelligence modifier to that roll.
#2
haferka
Aug 04, 2008 23:21:28 Threads of Fate does seem rather broken.. I would just let them add/subtract 2 + Int Mod to all rolls they make or that target them. Nothing else... no fear.. no crit stuff.

i love the auras..very cool.
#3
haferka
Aug 04, 2008 23:24:06 there doesnt seem to be anything preventing a warlock Fey pact from taking the lvl 30 power.. and I like that.. however.. I would suggest shifting some of the abilities into a "pact only" bonus... not the whole power.. just part of it.
#4
Nyronus
Aug 04, 2008 23:27:25
there doesnt seem to be anything preventing a warlock Fey pact from taking the lvl 30 power.. and I like that.. however.. I would suggest shifting some of the abilities into a "pact only" bonus... not the whole power.. just part of it.

?

Could you clarify what you mean by this?

Also: when compared to the kind of bonus Victory of Souls would get, Threads of Fate is not as bad, so if it is still two powerful even with the modifiers I suggested, then Victory of Souls would need to be toned down as well. Glad you like it though.
#5
haferka
Aug 05, 2008 0:01:18 Better to demonstait than to explain... but i will do both...

A Fey pact warlock is not forced to take the Fey powers.. so adding a Fey only ability to the powers is usually sufficient to encourage most people to pickup that power.

I removed the whole.. bonus based on # life sparks.. becouse that could get sick when you kill tons of minions...

[b]Winds of Magic, Arcane Metamorphosis (Fey) Utility, Level 26
You seize control of the very winds of magic, drawing strength from it and turning it against your enemies
Daily Standard Action, Healing, Personal
You regain HP equal to your bloodied value. You gain a defense bonus equal to your charisma modifier to all defenses against arcane attacks until the end of the encounter.
Fey Pact: If an arcane attack made against you fails, the caster becomes dazed until the end of your next turn.

Souls of Victory, Arcane Metamorphosis (Infernal) Utility, Level 26
With a roar, you call forth the souls of those you have taken, grasping a hold of their power and turning it against your foes
Daily Standard Action, Personal
You gain temporary hit points equal to your level plus your constitution modifier.
Infernal Pact: You gain a bonus to all of your attack and damage rolls against adjacent creatures equal to your constitution modifier until the end of the encounter.

Threads of Fate, Arcane Metamorphosis (Star) Utility, Level 26
You open your eyes and can see as plain as day the threads of fate that make up all of reality. Causality opens for you like a book, the movements of enemies are now obvious, and you can see time itself stretch out into the future before you.
Daily Standard Action, Personal
Until the end of the encounter, you can add 1 plus your Intelligence modifier to all attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks.
Star Pact: Until the end of the encounter you can apply your Intelligence modifier as a penalty to all attacks targeting you.
#6
Nyronus
Aug 05, 2008 0:53:04 The point was that you could ONLY take the utility power corrisponding to your pact. There is no need to break any of the power apart. These are meant to represent a further step in your evolution from mortal man into immortal arcane entity. I wanted a power for the Infernal pact that would at least somewhat correspond with its paragon path. I may consider changing the Infernal utility altogether.
#7
Nyronus
Sep 12, 2008 13:45:50 Bumping, also, toned down utility powers.
#8
pyromancer999
Sep 13, 2008 12:39:09 Perhaps you could incorporate the new homebrew pacts being made?
#9
Nyronus
Sep 13, 2008 15:23:24 If you can link me to some, I can see what I can cook up. Its really a manner of coming up with a utility power for each pact, as the rest of the abilities only need a keyword change.
#10
pyromancer999
Sep 14, 2008 15:10:24 Well, I can't find them, but here are two pacts that have their own threads: Astral pact and Mind pact. Also, if you take care to look at my profile, you'll find one or two more pacts on the "Alternate Warlock Pacts" thread.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Nyronus Aug 04, 2008 22:22:09	Epic Destiny: Arcane Metamorphosis Slowly and steadily the terms of your pact draw to a close as the very power that courses through your body consume the mortal flesh of your being and you transform into the same power you once served. Prerequisites: 21st level, Warlock Class, Warlock pact. “Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.” These words you find, with perhaps both content and horror, have become true for you. After years of wheeling and dealing with the immortal forces of magic, you find that you are slowly and steadily becoming more and more like those you have served in the past. The magic energies that you have become subservient too are slowly eating away at your body and soul. The question is, will you overcome and master this change, or will you become the monster and be consumed by the arcane forces of the universe? Only the strongest of warlocks ever chose or reach this path. Some can perhaps avoid this fate by focusing their growing might down another path, but you, by will or be fate, are now walking the path of not only mastering the arcane might of your pact masters, but taking your place among them as an equal. As your power grows and you go farther down this path, you will gain the powers of those beings with whom you made a pact with and also take on their appearances. If you have chose the fey pact, your body will grow more graceful and fey-like, perhaps becoming somewhat ethereal and fairy-like until you finally evolve into a wild spirit of magic and chaos. Those who chose the infernal pact will slowly and steadily take on the appearance of devils, their skin becoming like scales as they grow horns, tails, and wings until finally they are indistinguishable from the Dukes on the Nine Hells. Those though, who took the star pact, must watch as their bodies take on alien angles and they grow perhaps extra eyes or mouths stretched upon tentacles and spider-like limbs. As their forms becomes terrible to look upon though, they gain access to the very secrets of fate. Know that the path you walk is a lonely one. No one else can even comprehend what is happening to your body and mind. The Archmage and Demigod will be able to sympathize with you, but even they can’t know the depths of your transformation. While lonely though, this path has one ultimate benefit. Those who seize their change and become master instead of monster will gain completely mastery of not only their powers but their destiny and souls. Immortality; No matter the result of your final inner struggle, once you reach the apex of your power your mortal form sheds away and you become an entity much like the one you once served. Those who fail in mastering themselves find their soul and personality consumed by the power. When the final change happens all that they were is sublimated and the raw arcane energy creates a new entity of the same power which in turn leaves upon its own path. Those who succeed though obtain not only vast power and immortality, but also achieve a state of total self mastery and will join their new peers not only as the same man as before, but as a first among equals. Those who took the way of the fey will journey into the fey-wild, spending an eternity living in among the fey. For and endless time they will flit in and out among the vast streams of arcane power and beauty. Those of a more prankish edge might find themselves manipulating the mortal realm, often causing bad luck and strange dreams. People will curse your name when strange passion take them. The more benevolent may be contented to spend forever in the realm of the fey, or perhaps coming to the world once again to grant good favor or to help in a great endeavor of beauty or love, but never overtly. These former warlocks will often become associated with creativity or good luck. Those who took the path of the infernal will find themselves becoming a devil themselves, taking on the appearance of an archfiend. This may very well have been the fate of those who would become tieflings centuries past. The benevolent among these may seek to create a remote kingdom for those devils who seek to renounce the ways of Asmodeus, perhaps one day creating a civilization to rival those of empires past. These devils will eventual tire of rule and travel to another place, leaving behind the legacy of a powerful and wise rule. Malevolent warlocks may instead chose to travel to the Nine Hells itself and take their place as an Archduke, mayhap rising in a tale of terror to become an exarch of Asmodeus himself. These warlocks’ names will be whispered with fear. Finally come the destiny of those who have taken the path of the star pact. They themselves have become alien and not of this world, but in exchange the dark secrets of the universe are known to them. Fate will, to them, be as readable as a book. They will travel deep into the Far Realm to a destiny unknown. They may one day return as a omen of doom, or sign of coming change. Oracles will call them back to ask of what the future may hold, but answers will be exacted at a price, sometimes a steep one to be paid. Regardless of the path or final fate of those who undergo the Arcane Metamorphosis, one day, some time in the future, an ambitious young man or woman will call the names of those heros and villains of ages past. These men and women will know of the histories and fates of these former mortals, and eagerly ask for the power of those who have gone before them. Regardless of the price, they are willing to make a deal. (The DM can perhaps work the angle of the final failure or choice of the warlock character as perhaps a skill challenge or an RP scene. Perhaps it comes down it a charisma based roll to master the power eating the Warlock from the inside out, or perhaps a confrontation with an old enemy or with the help of another party member) Arcane Metamorphosis Features; Level 21; Arcane Mutation; The warlock begins to take on the features of either a fey, a devil, or an aberration. Depending on the pact, they gain the following benefits; Fey Pact; Fey Form; +2 Charisma, +1 Intelligence, +1 Constitution, Fey Aura 1; Enemies that enter or start their turn in this aura take 5 psychic damage Infernal Pact; Infernal Form; +2 Constitution, +1 Charisma, +1 Intelligence, Infernal Aura 1; Enemies that enter or start their turn in this aura take 5 fire damage Star Pact; Star Form; +2 Intelligence, +1 Charisma, +1 Constitution, Star Aura 1; Enemies that enter or star their turn in this aura take five radiant damage Level 24; Arcane Transformation; The transformation from mortal to immortal will have reached a halfway point. Objects such as wings, horns, extra limbs have already begun to appear. All auras gained in this epic destiny increase to 2. Characters gain Fly (hover) movement equal to their land speed. Characters now no longer require sleep, but they must still rest for appropriate stretches of time. Level 30; Arcane Actualization; The transformation from mortal to immortal is now complete. Fey Pact users have becomes entities of wild energy and color. Those under an Infernal pact are nearly indistinguishable from any other high ranking devil. Those who have taken the star pact have become hovering wraithlike entities of withered limbs and staring eyes and mouths. All auras gained in this epic destiny increase to 3 and damage increases to 10. All encounter powers of the corresponding pact can now be used as if they were at-will powers. Winds of Magic, Arcane Metamorphosis (Fey) Utility, Level 26 You seize control of the very winds of magic, drawing strength from it and turning it against your enemies Daily Standard Action, Healing, Personal You regain HP equal to your bloodied value. You gain a defense bonus equal to your charisma modifier to all defenses until the end of the encounter. If an attack made against you fails, the caster becomes dazed until the end of your next turn. Souls of Victory, Arcane Metamorphosis (Infernal) Utility, Level 26 With a roar, you call forth the souls of those you have taken, grasping a hold of their power and turning it against your foes Daily Standard Action, Healing, Personal You gain hit points equal to the number of life sparks under your control, plus your constitution score. Any attack you make for the rest of the encounter gain a bonus to attack rolls equal to your constitution modifier. The attacks deal an extra 1/2 con modifier fire damage. Threads of Fate, Arcane Metamorphosis (Star) Utility, Level 26 You open your eyes and can see as plain as day the threads of fate that make up all of reality. Causality opens for you like a book, the movements of enemies are now obvious, and you can see time itself stretch out into the future before you. Daily Standard Action, Personal Until the end of the encounter, whenever a creature attempts a roll against you for any reason, you can choose to give that roll a penalty equal to your intelligence modifier. Any time you make a roll, you can grant yourself a bonus equal to your intelligence modifier to that roll.
#2 haferka Aug 04, 2008 23:21:28	Threads of Fate does seem rather broken.. I would just let them add/subtract 2 + Int Mod to all rolls they make or that target them. Nothing else... no fear.. no crit stuff. i love the auras..very cool.
#3 haferka Aug 04, 2008 23:24:06	there doesnt seem to be anything preventing a warlock Fey pact from taking the lvl 30 power.. and I like that.. however.. I would suggest shifting some of the abilities into a "pact only" bonus... not the whole power.. just part of it.
#4 Nyronus Aug 04, 2008 23:27:25	there doesnt seem to be anything preventing a warlock Fey pact from taking the lvl 30 power.. and I like that.. however.. I would suggest shifting some of the abilities into a "pact only" bonus... not the whole power.. just part of it. ? Could you clarify what you mean by this? Also: when compared to the kind of bonus Victory of Souls would get, Threads of Fate is not as bad, so if it is still two powerful even with the modifiers I suggested, then Victory of Souls would need to be toned down as well. Glad you like it though.
#5 haferka Aug 05, 2008 0:01:18	Better to demonstait than to explain... but i will do both... A Fey pact warlock is not forced to take the Fey powers.. so adding a Fey only ability to the powers is usually sufficient to encourage most people to pickup that power. I removed the whole.. bonus based on # life sparks.. becouse that could get sick when you kill tons of minions... [b]Winds of Magic, Arcane Metamorphosis (Fey) Utility, Level 26 You seize control of the very winds of magic, drawing strength from it and turning it against your enemies Daily Standard Action, Healing, Personal You regain HP equal to your bloodied value. You gain a defense bonus equal to your charisma modifier to all defenses against arcane attacks until the end of the encounter. Fey Pact: If an arcane attack made against you fails, the caster becomes dazed until the end of your next turn. Souls of Victory, Arcane Metamorphosis (Infernal) Utility, Level 26 With a roar, you call forth the souls of those you have taken, grasping a hold of their power and turning it against your foes Daily Standard Action, Personal You gain temporary hit points equal to your level plus your constitution modifier. Infernal Pact: You gain a bonus to all of your attack and damage rolls against adjacent creatures equal to your constitution modifier until the end of the encounter. Threads of Fate, Arcane Metamorphosis (Star) Utility, Level 26 You open your eyes and can see as plain as day the threads of fate that make up all of reality. Causality opens for you like a book, the movements of enemies are now obvious, and you can see time itself stretch out into the future before you. Daily Standard Action, Personal Until the end of the encounter, you can add 1 plus your Intelligence modifier to all attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks. Star Pact: Until the end of the encounter you can apply your Intelligence modifier as a penalty to all attacks targeting you.
#6 Nyronus Aug 05, 2008 0:53:04	The point was that you could ONLY take the utility power corrisponding to your pact. There is no need to break any of the power apart. These are meant to represent a further step in your evolution from mortal man into immortal arcane entity. I wanted a power for the Infernal pact that would at least somewhat correspond with its paragon path. I may consider changing the Infernal utility altogether.
#7 Nyronus Sep 12, 2008 13:45:50	Bumping, also, toned down utility powers.
#8 pyromancer999 Sep 13, 2008 12:39:09	Perhaps you could incorporate the new homebrew pacts being made?
#9 Nyronus Sep 13, 2008 15:23:24	If you can link me to some, I can see what I can cook up. Its really a manner of coming up with a utility power for each pact, as the rest of the abilities only need a keyword change.
#10 pyromancer999 Sep 14, 2008 15:10:24	Well, I can't find them, but here are two pacts that have their own threads: Astral pact and Mind pact. Also, if you take care to look at my profile, you'll find one or two more pacts on the "Alternate Warlock Pacts" thread.