"And if that ain't your cup of tea, I know a couple of people who, shall we say, are all the more happy to bend reality into a pretzel and grant your every Wish."
Rather than use Varys or a raven to carry the message, it is the bold solicitor who bears it along with spells and enchantments to gift him a silvered tongue that he might give a fair and skillful accounting before Lord KJeath can interrupt. To your surprise, Loreso's smile grows a touch strained as you apply the needed magics. "Ah... I see wizards will be putting us out of business soon," he says only half in jest.
"Worry not, sorcery might grant a glib tongue, but knowledge of the law is harder by far to come by," you assure him.
The neat thing about this is Viserys is being fully honest. The Law changes a lot, especially when ground breaking research into magic makes you consider all of the various things taken for granted or counted common sense needing to be navigated again to make some kind of sensible ruling.
So you can have a high Knowledge skill but that doesn't count the same as someone who devotes their time and energy into navigating waters that are frequently only recently charted.
Most people who would have casual access to magic might not have the time to fight in the courts.
I'm... pretty sure there was a spell to call back an unwilling soul in a resurrection-like manner, when I was rifling through full 3.5/pathfinder lists.
Can't find it now, but remember it being Necromancy-school...?
Regardless, just mentioning that to fuck around with the point we are making
Unwilling:
1. Cast Temporary Resurrection which you'll note has no restriction on willing targets.
2. Slap them with Dominate, to change 'unwilling' for 'totally willing'
3. Use Raise Dead or similar to yank them back proper.
Demonic-peekaboo and Infernal-peekaboo, can be found on this page after scrolling down a tad.
Unwilling:
1. Cast Temporary Resurrection which you'll note has no restriction on willing targets.
2. Slap them with Dominate, to change 'unwilling' for 'totally willing'
3. Use Raise Dead or similar to yank them back proper.
Demonic-peekaboo and Infernal-peekaboo, can be found on this page after scrolling down a tad.
Part of me says I would totally allow this at my table, since it's a clever combination of spells that you really have to bend backwards to make work.
The other part of me would point out this goes against the spirit of the RAW, but the RAW on these spell types is only there in the first place to prevent metagaming and cheese. In this setting, if you don't have consent, you have to hunt down the soul. You totally have that ability, thus from a DM's perspective game experience and story experience should take precedent over cheap and simple solutions, since there's an element of sacrifice involved. If you come up with a combination of these spells, clearly XP or even gold are not a sacrifice for you (and it's even more obviously the case with us), but time and even making more enemies in the process of running over whatever is between us and that soul clearly would be.
Unwilling:
1. Cast Temporary Resurrection which you'll note has no restriction on willing targets.
2. Slap them with Dominate, to change 'unwilling' for 'totally willing'
3. Use Raise Dead or similar to yank them back proper.
Demonic-peekaboo and Demonic-peekaboo, Greater can be found on this page after scrolling down a tad.
Now that we know the Inevitables aren't a problem I am more than a little tempted to do this at some point.
Also, @Crake, is House Keath the last one we have to tackle before moving on to the Bracken/Blackwood debacle, and then hopefully finishing off with Houses Caron and Dondarrion to completely secure the Stormlands for Stannis?
And I, in turn, would totally inquire out of character before doing anything of the sort since an extraplanar adventure to Limbo or wherever they ended up as petitioners would be delightful. If, however, they do not care to create this sort of narrative.. The spells are there.
The neat thing about this is Viserys is being fully honest. The Law changes a lot, especially when ground breaking research into magic makes you consider all of the various things taken for granted or counted common sense needing to be navigated again to make some kind of sensible ruling.
So you can have a high Knowledge skill but that doesn't count the same as someone who devotes their time and energy into navigating waters that are frequently only recently charted.
Most people who would have casual access to magic might not have the time to fight in the courts.
Not to mention most magic users and particularly the Wizards he named, though he does not understand the implications of his specificity, start at a low enough base socially that it's making up for a handicap more than it is winning harder.
It is funny though that while Wizards might be considered professionals at magic, it's probably going to be the Sorcerer's who are magic professionals as they are most likely to have magic talent combine with a mundane passion, for Wizards almost by definition their passion must be magic.
Adventuring might make it so socially speccing your limited spell list isn't a great idea but there will be plenty who never intend to go looking for ancient barrows and even more ancient assholes.
Unwilling:
1. Cast Temporary Resurrection which you'll note has no restriction on willing targets.
2. Slap them with Dominate, to change 'unwilling' for 'totally willing'
3. Use Raise Dead or similar to yank them back proper.
Demonic-peekaboo and Infernal-peekaboo, can be found on this page after scrolling down a tad.
Here are our Advanced Fiery Gigantean Half-Dragon Darkenbeasts. We're growing eight of them this month.
Fiery Dragonbeast AdvancedFieryGiganteanHalf-DragonDarkenbeast - CR 15
Size/Type: Colossal Magical Beast (Dragon) Hit Dice: 30d10 + 390 (555 HP) Initiative: +2 (DEX) Speed: Ground: 60 ft., Fly: 160 ft. (Poor) Armor Class: 27 (-8 Size, +2 Dex, +23 Natural), Touch 4, Flat-Footed 25 Base Attack/Grapple: +30/+46 Full Attack: 2 Claws +44 (4d6+3d6[Fire]+22), 1 Bite +39 (4d8+3d6[Fire]+11) Space/Reach: 30 ft./30 ft. Special Attacks: Breath Weapon Special Qualities: Darkvision 240 ft, Low-light Vision, Damage Reduction 5/--, Spell Resistance 30, Fast Healing 3, Immunity to Sleep & Paralysis effects, Immune to Fire, Vulnerable to Cold (+50% damage) Saves: Fort +25, Ref +14, Will +6 Abilities: Str 54, Dex 15, Con 36, Int 11, Wis 11, Cha 6 Skills: Listen +28, Spot +28, Survival +10 Feats:Awaken Spell Resistance, Extra Exhalation (x2), Fast Healing, Flyby Attack, Flyby Breath, Maximize Breath, Power Attack, Quicken Breath, Strafing Breath, Tempest Breath Languages: Valyrian Alignment: True Neutral
Breath Weapon (Ex): 3/Day, but no more than once every 1d4 rounds, you can breath a 70 foot cone fire which inflicts 30d6 points of Fire damage. DC 38 Reflex save for half damage.
Trample (Ex): As a Full-Round Action, a Fiery Dragonbeast can attempt to Overrun any creature that is Gargantuan-sized or smaller. This works just like the Overruncombat maneuver, but the Fiery Dragonbeast does not need to make a check, it merely has to move over opponents in its path. Targets of the Trample suffer 4d6+3d6[Fire]+33 points of damage. Targets of the Trample can attempt a DC 47 Reflex save to take half damage. The Fiery Dragonbeast can only deal trampling damage to each target once per round, no matter how many times its movement takes it over a target creature.
Not to mention most magic users and particularly the Wizards he named, though he does not understand the implications of his specificity, start at a low enough base socially that it's making up for a handicap more than it is winning harder.
It is funny though that while Wizards might be considered professionals at magic, it's probably going to be the Sorcerer's who are magic professionals as they are most likely to have magic talent combine with a mundane passion, for Wizards almost by definition their passion must be magic.
Adventuring might make it so socially speccing your limited spell list isn't a great idea but there will be plenty who never intend to go looking for ancient barrows and even more ancient assholes.
Our Scholarium Sorcerers are pretty well set for adventuring and they can handle social encounters fairly well, too. Diplomacy is a maxed skill for both the Combat Sorcerers and Enchanters, and the Enchanters learn Air of Nobility at 6th level. A Combat Sorcerer could learn it if they manage to reach 7th level or save up for a PoSK.
Supernatural Abilities: Fiery Burst(Su): As long as you have a Fire spell of 2nd level or higher available to cast, you can spend a Standard Action to create a 5-foot-radius burst of fire at a range of 30 feet. This burst deals 1d6 points of fire damage per level of the highest level fire spell you have available to cast. A successful Reflex save halves the damage.
Class Features: Fiery Metamagic: When you apply a Metamagic effect to a Fire spell, you do not increase its casting time. Arcane Thesis (Pyromancy): +4 Competence bonus on saves against Fire abilities, +2 to the DC of [Fire] spells. Restricted Magic: You cannot cast spells with the Cold descriptor and cannot use any item which mimics or casts Cold spells. Cooperative Study (Ex): A Scholarium Sorcerer has learned that the sharing of knowledge and research with his fellow Sorcerers is crucial to the mastery of wild magic. The ability increases the bonus provided by any Aid Another actions made to help with the Knowledge (Arcana), Spellcraft, or Use Magic Device skills. The total bonus is equal to his number of Scholarium Sorcerer substitution levels +2. Up to three additional Sorcerers with this ability may aid a single character, each making their own Aid Another check, but the total bonus gained by the recipient may not exceed +10. If all spellcasters involved have this ability, choose one to be the recipient of the Cooperative Study.
Amulet of Tears (3 charges/day): 1 Charge (12 Temporary Hit Points), 2 Charges (18 Temporary Hit Points), 3 Charges (24 Temporary Hit Points), Duration: 10 minutes
Anklets of Translocation (2/day): Ability: Instantly teleport as per a short dimensional hop (with no chance of error) up to 10 feet. The new space must be within line of sight and line of effect. One cannot use the anklet to move into a space occupied by another creature, nor can one teleport into a solid object; if such an attempt is made, the anklet's activation is wasted. The Wearer can bring along objects weighing up to your maximum load, but you can't bring another creature with you.
Boneward Belt (3 Charges/Day): +1 Constitution, 1 Charge (Heal 2d8 points of damage), 2 Charges (Heal 3d8 points of damage), or 3 Charges(Heal 4d8 points of damage)
Bracers of Arcane Freedom: 2/day apply the Still Spell Metamagic feat to a spell as a Swift Action.
Handy Haversack: This backpack is of high quality but appears otherwise normal.
It has two side pouches, each of which appears large enough to hold about a quart of material. In fact, each is like a Bag of Holding and can actually hold material of as much as 2 cubic feet in volume or 20 pounds in weight. The large central portion of the pack can contain up to 8 cubic feet or 80 pounds of material. Even when so filled, the backpack always weighs only 5 pounds.
While such storage is useful enough, the pack has an even greater power. When the wearer reaches into it for a specific item, that item is always on top. Thus, no digging around and fumbling is ever necessary to find what a haversack contains. Retrieving any specific item from a haversack is a Move Action, but it does not provoke the Attacks of Opportunity that retrieving a stored item usually does.
Launcher: Somewhat resembling a crossbow where the bow mechanism has been replaced by a two foot long and two inch diameter hollow steel tube, this device allows its wielder to shoot items no larger than Tiny-size or weighing more than 10 pounds using the Launch Item spell up to 440 feet. Where applicable, the wielder must make a Ranged Attack roll to strike a target.
Equipped Enchanted Items: Amulet of Tears, Anklets of Translocation, Boneward Belt, Bracers of Arcane Freedom, Earrings of Arcane Acuity, Gloves of theStarrySky, Goggles of the Golden Sun, Greater Ribbon of Disguise, Grimoire, Handy Haversack, Healing Belt (+1 CON), Launcher, Ring of Continual Flame, Ring of Protection from Evil (+2 CHA), Ring of Sustenance
Lesser Dragon Shape Transmutation (Polymorph) Level: Sorcerer 2 (see text) Components: V, S Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 10 minutes/level
You invigorate your Draconic blood with an infusion of Arcane power, allowing you to temporarily assume a small wyrmling form.
Your size changes to Small (+1 Size bonus to AC and Attack), you gain a Natural Armor bonus of +2, a flight speed of 60 with Average maneuverability, one Bite (1d6) and two Claw attacks (1d4), and Energy Resistance 10 (matching the energy type from your Draconic Heritage).
Special: To learn this spell you must be a Sorcerer with the Draconic Heritage feat, plus one additional Draconic feat.
Class Features: Potent Enchantment: The Potent Enchantment ability increase the maximum HD of creatures affected by the Scholarium Sorcerer's Enchantment spells by +3. Arcane Thesis (Enchantment): +4 Competence bonus on saves against Enchantment spells, abilities, and effects, and a +1 bonus to the saving throw DCs of their Enchantment spells. Enchantment Domain: At the expense of losing the ability to cast spells from the Necromancy and Transmutation schools of magic, the Scholarium Sorcerer gains access to the Enchantment Domain. They automatically learn each spell upon reaching the necessary level to cast it. Piercing Enchantment: The Scholarium Sorcerer selects one Enchantment spell they know. The saving throw DC of this spell is increased by +1 and the caster level is increased by +2. The affected spell can be altered, but doing so requires the Scholarium Sorcerer to meditate uninterrupted for three hours per level of the new Enchantment spell. Cooperative Study (Ex): A Scholarium Sorcerer has learned that the sharing of knowledge and research with his fellow Sorcerers is crucial to the mastery of wild magic. The ability increases the bonus provided by any Aid Another actions made to help with the Knowledge (Arcana), Spellcraft, or Use Magic Device skills. The total bonus is equal to his number of Scholarium Sorcerer substitution levels +2. Up to three additional Sorcerers with this ability may aid a single character, each making their own Aid Another check, but the total bonus gained by the recipient may not exceed +10. If all spellcasters involved have this ability, choose one to be the recipient of the Cooperative Study.
Amulet of Tears (3 charges/day): 1 Charge (12 Temporary Hit Points), 2 Charges (18 Temporary Hit Points), 3 Charges (24 Temporary Hit Points), Duration: 10 minutes
Anklets of Translocation (2/day): Ability: Instantly teleport as per a short dimensional hop (with no chance of error) up to 10 feet. The new space must be within line of sight and line of effect. One cannot use the anklet to move into a space occupied by another creature, nor can one teleport into a solid object; if such an attempt is made, the anklet's activation is wasted. The Wearer can bring along objects weighing up to your maximum load, but you can't bring another creature with you.
Boneward Belt (3 Charges/Day): +1 Constitution, 1 Charge (Heal 2d8 points of damage), 2 Charges (Heal 3d8 points of damage), or 3 Charges(Heal 4d8 points of damage)
Bracers of Arcane Freedom: 2/day apply the Still Spell Metamagic feat to a spell as a Swift Action.
Handy Haversack: This backpack is of high quality but appears otherwise normal.
It has two side pouches, each of which appears large enough to hold about a quart of material. In fact, each is like a Bag of Holding and can actually hold material of as much as 2 cubic feet in volume or 20 pounds in weight. The large central portion of the pack can contain up to 8 cubic feet or 80 pounds of material. Even when so filled, the backpack always weighs only 5 pounds.
While such storage is useful enough, the pack has an even greater power. When the wearer reaches into it for a specific item, that item is always on top. Thus, no digging around and fumbling is ever necessary to find what a haversack contains. Retrieving any specific item from a haversack is a Move Action, but it does not provoke the Attacks of Opportunity that retrieving a stored item usually does.
Launcher: Somewhat resembling a crossbow where the bow mechanism has been replaced by a two foot long and two inch diameter hollow steel tube, this device allows its wielder to shoot items no larger than Tiny-size or weighing more than 10 pounds using the Launch Item spell up to 440 feet. Where applicable, the wielder must make a Ranged Attack roll to strike a target.
Mask of Allure: +2 bonus to the saving throw DC of your Enchantment spells.
Equipped Enchanted Items: Amulet of Tears, Anklets of Translocation, Boneward Belt, Bracers of Arcane Freedom, Earrings of Arcane Acuity, Gloves of theStarrySky, Greater Ribbon of Disguise, Grimoire, Handy Haversack, Healing Belt (+1 CON), Launcher, Mask of Allure, Ring of Continual Flame, Ring of Protection from Evil (+2 CHA), Ring of Sustenance
So with the realization that we needed to rework some of our Forge orders, here's what I have for a replacement for the Green Behemoth Darkenbeasts.
Changing from the Plant-type to Dragon-type really makes these guys much stronger than I was expecting; higher BAB, higher saves, d12 HD rather than d8s, and more skill points. I'm deliberately not making them as powerful as possible, as it would get really ridiculous if I included stuff like Rapidstrike here given their abnormally high HD and BAB. As things stand, they're already ridiculously beefy for CR 15, so keeping them relatively unsophisticated seems warranted, IMO.
Fiery Dragonbeast (AdvancedFieryGiganteanHalf-DragonDarkenbeast - CR 15)
Size/Type: Colossal Dragon Hit Dice: 30d12 + 390 (585 HP) Initiative: +2 (DEX) Speed: Ground: 60 ft., Fly: 160 ft. (Poor) Armor Class: 27 (-8 Size, +2 Dex, +23 Natural), Touch 4, Flat-Footed 25 Base Attack/Grapple: +30/+46 Full Attack: 2 Claws +44 (4d6+3d6[Fire]+22), 1 Bite +39 (4d8+3d6[Fire]+11) Space/Reach: 30 ft./30 ft. Special Attacks: Breath Weapon Special Qualities: Darkvision 240 ft, Low-light Vision, Damage Reduction 5/--, Spell Resistance 32, Fast Healing 12, Immunity to Sleep & Paralysis effects, Immune to Fire, Vulnerable to Cold (+50% damage) Saves: Fort +25, Ref +14, Will +12 Abilities: Str 54, Dex 15, Con 36, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 6 Skills: Hide +35, Listen +33, Move Silently +35, Spot +33, Survival +33 Feats:Awaken Spell Resistance (x2), Fast Healing (x4), Flyby Attack, Maximize Breath, Power Attack, Quicken Breath, Shape Breath Languages: Valyrian Alignment: True Neutral
Breath Weapon (Ex): 1/Day breath a 70 foot cone or 140 line of fire as a Free Action which inflicts 180 points of Fire damage. DC 38 Reflex save for half damage.
Trample (Ex): As a Full-Round Action, a Fiery Dragonbeast can attempt to Overrun any creature that is Gargantuan-sized or smaller. This works just like the Overruncombat maneuver, but the Fiery Dragonbeast does not need to make a check, it merely has to move over opponents in its path. Targets of the Trample suffer 4d6+3d6[Fire]+33 points of damage. Targets of the Trample can attempt a DC 47 Reflex save to take half damage. The Fiery Dragonbeast can only deal trampling damage to each target once per round, no matter how many times its movement takes it over a target creature.
To put that into perspective, a formation of these could obliterate about 800 soldiers with the combined weight of their breath weapon cones, and every time they move they crush and charbroil everything in their path that can't literally teleport out of the way or run fast enough before it reaches them.
Oh, and their SR is pretty ridiculous too so counting on mages to save you only works if they're Mythic bastards. You would have more luck with siege engines.
To put that into perspective, a formation of these could obliterate about 800 soldiers with the combined weight of their breath weapon cones, and every time they move they crush and charbroil everything in their path that can't literally teleport out of the way or run fast enough before it reaches them.
Oh, and their SR is pretty ridiculous too so counting on mages to save you only works if they're Mythic bastards. You would have more luck with siege engines.
I toned down the SR a bit and shuffled feats around some to get them Flyby Breath and Strafing Breath. If you can only use your breath weapon once per day, you might as well be able to get the most out of it.
Now they can do a strafing flyby at optimal altitude and incinerate a 70 foot by 150 foot swath of real estate.
So with the realization that we needed to rework some of our Forge orders, here's what I have for a replacement for the Green Behemoth Darkenbeasts.
Changing from the Plant-type to Dragon-type really makes these guys much stronger than I was expecting; higher BAB, higher saves, d12 HD rather than d8s, and more skill points. I'm deliberately not making them as powerful as possible, as it would get really ridiculous if I included stuff like Rapidstrike here given their abnormally high HD and BAB. As things stand, they're already ridiculously beefy for CR 15, so keeping them relatively unsophisticated seems warranted, IMO.
Fiery Dragonbeast (AdvancedFieryGiganteanHalf-DragonDarkenbeast - CR 15)
Size/Type: Colossal Dragon Hit Dice: 30d12 + 390 (585 HP) Initiative: +2 (DEX) Speed: Ground: 60 ft., Fly: 160 ft. (Poor) Armor Class: 27 (-8 Size, +2 Dex, +23 Natural), Touch 4, Flat-Footed 25 Base Attack/Grapple: +30/+46 Full Attack: 2 Claws +44 (4d6+3d6[Fire]+22), 1 Bite +39 (4d8+3d6[Fire]+11) Space/Reach: 30 ft./30 ft. Special Attacks: Breath Weapon Special Qualities: Darkvision 240 ft, Low-light Vision, Damage Reduction 5/--, Spell Resistance 30, Fast Healing 12, Immunity to Sleep & Paralysis effects, Immune to Fire, Vulnerable to Cold (+50% damage) Saves: Fort +25, Ref +14, Will +12 Abilities: Str 54, Dex 15, Con 36, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 6 Skills: Hide +35, Listen +33, Move Silently +35, Spot +33, Survival +33 Feats:Awaken Spell Resistance, Fast Healing (x4), Flyby Attack, Flyby Breath, Maximize Breath, Power Attack, Quicken Breath, Strafing Breath Languages: Valyrian Alignment: True Neutral
Breath Weapon (Ex): 1/Day breath a 70 foot cone fire as a Free Action which inflicts 180 points of Fire damage. DC 38 Reflex save for half damage.
Trample (Ex): As a Full-Round Action, a Fiery Dragonbeast can attempt to Overrun any creature that is Gargantuan-sized or smaller. This works just like the Overruncombat maneuver, but the Fiery Dragonbeast does not need to make a check, it merely has to move over opponents in its path. Targets of the Trample suffer 4d6+3d6[Fire]+33 points of damage. Targets of the Trample can attempt a DC 47 Reflex save to take half damage. The Fiery Dragonbeast can only deal trampling damage to each target once per round, no matter how many times its movement takes it over a target creature.
I toned down the SR a bit and shuffled feats around some to get them Flyby Breath and Strafing Breath. If you can only use your breath weapon once per day, you might as well be able to get the most out of it.
Now they can do a strafing flyby at optimal altitude and incinerate a 70 foot by 80 foot swath of real estate.
They only take a -16 penalty to Hide and Move Silently skill checks due to their size, so in some situations they could still be pretty sneaky.
Investing a lot of feats into the breath weapon is a deliberate decision due to the high number of feats they receive thanks to having 30 HD. I'm a big fan of our resources being powerful, but it's crazy how much more dangerous these things could be if a few of those feats were used differently. I'm just trying to apply a little sanity to them so that they're strong without being over the top.
Being able to nuke a big chunk of real estate with 180 Fire damage as a Free Action is worth investing a few feats, IMO.
Now that we know the Inevitables aren't a problem I am more than a little tempted to do this at some point.
Also, @Crake, is House Keath the last one we have to tackle before moving on to the Bracken/Blackwood debacle, and then hopefully finishing off with Houses Caron and Dondarrion to completely secure the Stormlands for Stannis?
Honestly I don't know about completely. But assuming no one intervened, then yeah he could probably tie up the Anti-Loyalists quite handily and keep the Dornish passes open.
Honestly I don't know about completely. But assuming no one intervened, then yeah he could probably tie up the Anti-Loyalists quite handily and keep the Dornish passes open.
Assuming we manage to flip Houses Caron and Dondarrion, that will leave a mere 6 out of 19 houses aligned against us. Yeah there will be resistance that Stannis will need to deal with, but the odds will be hilariously in his favor by that point.