Sunday, January 2, 2011

Campaign Design - Spells: Bind Guardian II

Bind Guardian II (Conjuration: By Bell, Book, and Candle)
Conjuration (Calling)[see text]

Components: V, S, F, XP
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 caster levels)
Target, Effect, or Area: One or more summoned creatures
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell calls an extraplanar creature (typically an outsider, elemental, or magical beast native to another plane). This spell summons one creature from the 2nd level list or 1d3 creatures from the 2nd level list. It appears where you designate and remains motionless does nothing during the spell's duration, disapprearing without further effect if they are attacked or the bind fails.

The called target if the bind guardian spell must make an opposed Will save against the caster or be bound to the caster's service in much the same way as an animal companion. If the spell tries to bind multiple creatures, they all receive a single saving throw; failure binds them all. A willing subject may voluntarily fail this save, but targets are generally hostile to the idea of being permanently bound. A caster can only have twice their arcane caster level in Hit Dice worth of guardians at one time. If the spell affects multiple creatures from one casting of bind guardian and any are slain thereafter, the survivors must all be relased before replacements can be bound. In addition, while a caster has bound guardians, they cannot prepare or cast the equivalent summon monster spell until the bound guardians are released.

At the caster's option, the guardians can be assigned (at the time of binding) to another individual, but they still count towards the caster's total number of Hit Dice available and the decision cannot later be changed without releasing them first.

Although the experience cost of this spell is 200 experience points, only half of that is paid if the targets of the spell are not successfully bound. If a magic circle is used during casting, it automatically confines the called creature, which cannot attempt to test it.

When a caster uses a binding spell to summon an air, chaotic, earth, evil, fire, good, lawful, shadow, or water creature, it is a spell of that type.

When an arcane spellcaster scribes this spell in their spellbook (as a wizard does) or chooses this spell as a known spell (as a sorcerer does), they must select two types of creatures from the following list: anarchic, aquan, auran, axiomatic, celestial, fiendish, fioð, ice, ísern-souled, ignan, magma, ooze, shadow, smoke, and terran. When the caster uses this spell, they may summon creatures that either have one of the applicable templates or that are drawn from one of the two applicable lists.

Evil arcane casters and necromancers can also choose bone, corpse, or corrupted creatures as one or both of the two types of creatures they can summon using bind guardian spells.

An arcane caster who uses a spellbook, such as a wizard, can scribe this spell into their spellbook multiple times, and each time they do so, they may select two more types of creatures to be able to summon. Similarly, a spontaneous spellcaster who has a limited selection of spells known, such as a sorcerer, may select this spell as a "known spell" multiple times and every time they do so, they may also select two more types of creatures to be able to summon. The only limit to the number of times a spellcaster could scribe this spell into their spellbook or select this spell as one of their "spells known" is the number of types of creatures that can be summoned.

Some arcane spellcasters are constrained in their choices. An elemental-blooded or genie-blooded character must select creatures of their own element with one of their first two choices of creature type, and may never select the opposing element as one of the types of creatures they can summon. Sûl-blooded characters that have a breath-weapon that deals elemental energy damage must select creatures of that element with one of their first two choices of creature type. A celestial-blooded character must select celestial creatures as one of their first two choices, and a fiend-blooded character must select fiendish creatures as one of their first two choices.

Note that an arcane spellcaster's selection of which types of creatures they can summon with this particular bind guardian spell only applies to this particular bind guardian spell. If the spellcaster scribes or selects a different level bind guardian spell, they may select two different types of creatures to be able to summon, subject to the usual limitations. The spellcaster may, of course, choose to select the same types of creatures to be able to summon with their new spell. For example, a wizard scribes bind guardian I into their spellbook, choosing to be able to summon celestial and ice creatures with that spell. Later, the same spellcaster scribes bind guardian II into their spellbook, and this time he elects to be able to summon aquan and terran creatures with that spell. When the wizard casts bind guardian I, he may summon celestial and ice creatures, but not aquan or terran creatures, and when he casts bind guardian II, he may summon aquan and terran creatures, but not celestial or ice creatures. If he chooses to scribe bind guardian I in his spellbook a second time, he may choose to be able to summon two different types of creatures with that spell, but this will not expand the range of creatures he can summon using bind guardian II. To expand the range of creatures he could summon with bind guardian II, he would need to scribe bind guardian II in his spellbook for a second time.

On the lists below, "templated creatures" are summoned as the normal creature with the applicable template added. These creatures must be summoned as templated creatures, and may not be summoned in their base form. All summoned creatures have the same alignment as the base creature except as specifically noted in the tables below and as follows: Anarchic creatures are always chaotic, axiomatic creatures are always lawful, celestial creatures are always good, and fiendish creatures are always evil. Bone, corpse, and corrupted creatures are always evil.

The venom of venomous creatures deals damage as normal except as follows: The venom of anarchic creatures always inflicts Wisdom damage, the venom of axiomatic creatures always inflicts Strength damage, the venom of celestial creatures always deals Dexterity damage, and the venom of fiendish creatures always deals Constitution damage.

The spell conjures one of the creatures from the 2nd-level list below. You choose which kind of creature to summon, and you can change that choice each time you cast the spell.

Bind Guardian, 2nd Level List
Templated CreaturesBee, Giant
Bombardier Beetle, Giant
Dog, Riding
Eagle
Hyena
Monstrous Centipede, Large
Monstrous Crab, Medium
Monstrous Scorpion, Medium
Monstrous Spider, Medium Diving
Monstrous Spider, Medium Hunting
Monstrous Spider, Medium Webspinner
Shadovig 1
Shark, Medium 2
Squid 2
Sea Snake, Medium
Viper, Medium
Wolf
AnarchicPlanetouched - Chaond
AuranGingwatzim - Pakim
AxiomaticModron - Duodrone
Planetouched - Zenythri
FiendishDæmon - Arrow
Devil - Lemure
Howler Wasp
FioðFetid Fungus
Grig (no fiddle)
Gith 3Githyaki
Githzerai
Isern-SouledAnimated Object, Small - Statue
Bladeling
Clockwork Mender
Mirror Master 4Varoot Nerra
ShadowEther Scarab
Shadowraven
1 Can only be summoned as an anarchic, axiomatic, fiendish, or shadow creature
2 Can only be summoned into an aquatic or watery environment
3 A spellcaster must specifically select "Gith" as one of their choices of summonable creatures to be able to summon Gith creatures
4 Only a member of the Mirror Master prestige class may summon Mirror Master creatures

Alternatively, the spell can conjure 1d3 of the creatures from the 1st-level list below. You choose which kind of creatures to summon, and you can change that choice each time you cast the spell.

Bind Guardian, 1st Level List
Templatable CreaturesBadger
Dire Rat
Dog
Giant Fire Beetle
Hawk
Monkey
Monstrous Centipede, Medium
Monstrous Crab, Small
Monstrous Scorpion, Small
Monstrous Spider, Small Diving
Monstrous Spider, Small Hunting
Monstrous Spider, Small Webspinner
Octopus 1
Owl
Porpoise 1
Raven
Sea Snake, Small
Viper, Small
AnarchicBariaur
AquanPlanetouched - Water Genasi
AuranPlanetouched - Air Genasi
AxiomaticFormian - Worker
Modron - Messenger Monodrone
Modron - Monodrone
CelestialBariaur
Planetouched - Aasimar
FiendishPlanetouched - Tiefling
IgnanPlanetouched - Fire Genasi
Isern-SouledAnimated Object, Tiny - Statue
TerranPlanetouched - Earth Genasi
1 Can only be summoned into an aquatic or watery environment

Arcane Focus: A tiny bag and a small (not necessarily lit) candle.
Experience point cost: 200 experience points.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

No comments:

Post a Comment