Spells for the Vivimancer
A while ago I found Theories and Thautamurgy here: http://the-city-of-iron.blogspot.de/p/publications.html It is a free pdf that includes a trio of new wizard types and many cool spells for LL/AEC. Not suprisingly the class within that got the most attention from me is the vivimancer, a form of magic-user that manipulates life (though the metamagic section almost won out as it is nothing like metamagic feats). Unlike the merlane kit from Dragon 237, the vivimancer can affect plant life and intelligent creatures. Heck, one of the spells summons a plant familiar that lives on or in the master. But like all things, even though the spell selection for the vivimancer is good, it can be made better. So here are some spells I suggest from the 2e Wizard's Spell Compendium, a couple other sources and my own additions. Some may be inappropriate for your setting, but it is easy to okay or deny any or all of them (obviously).
I have written down a list of all the spells in the WSC that alter biology. Because the books draw from many sources, there is a terrible amount of overlap and much isn't balanced towards each other. Mutating a creature can be anything from 5th to 9th level. So I decided to exclude several, those that overlap with the spells the vivimancer already has. Others need a major change because of the nature of the vivimancer, but nothing that changes the purpose of the spell.
Create Tree of Life is an 8th level Dark Sun spell that makes a plant that is resistant to defiling and gives clerics and druids additional spells. In this case, I would make the trees nearly indestructable (immune to energy and regenerates all damage even if cut down to the roots) and provide a vivimancer an additional 3 first level spells and 2 second level spells as long as the caster is in contact with the tree. They don't have to memorise the spells, but rather it allows casting of spells already in memory.
Curse of Lycanthropy is a 6th level spell. It allows the caster to permanently inflict whatever form of lycanthropy they are aware of. With the use of a lab human (see at bottom), the vivimancer can create new forms and release them on the world. With alternates of the lab human, the vivimancer can use this spell to design other forms of lycanthropy- weird stuff like cattle that turn into drakes during the new moon.
Death Spider is an 8th level drow spell. It turns one of the victim's arms into a giant spider. If severed from, or allowed to consume, its host, the spider becomes "real". I think of this like the chest burster from Alien, except the victim may survive the birth of the monster. Vile but it fits with some of the vivimancer spells.
Enhance Plant is a 5th level spell that is lame. It allows the caster to enhance one trait of a non-magical, non-monstrous plant. Why it would be 5th level, rather than 1st, I have no idea. So I want to keep the spell, but make it better. It becomes the plant version of Enhance Trait, a merlane spell I mention below. And I drop it to 2nd level.
Evolve is an 8th level spell that turns animals into anthromomorphic creatures. In effect it turns them into humanoids. It is rather specialized for an 8th level spell (compare with Polymorph Any Object which can do the same and turn the animal into just about any other creature permanently). I would add in plants and drop it to 6th level.
Identify Species is 3rd level. It is meant to figure out what creatures were used in making the specimen. It is almost worthless for natural creatures, but can be quite revealing for vivimancer creations. I would either drop it to first level or allow it to also determine how the monster was created, so that the caster has some idea on how to make their own.
Life Bolt is a 4th level spell and is different from most other vivimancer spells, but still remains within their purview. It uses the caster's life energy to destroy undead. For every d4 points of damage the caster takes, the bolt inflicts d6 points. The undead can save for half damage and the bolt has no effects on the living or objects.
Metamorphose Liquids is a 1st level spell first found in The Tome of Magic. The vivimancer version creates only acellular biological fluids- sweat, saliva, sap, etc. So no blood or semen. A higher level version, say 3rd level, can create living fluids (but not slimes or oozes- they are 5th level).
Organic Disruption is a 3rd level Dark Sun spell meant to destroy the biological machines of a halfling nation. For the vivimancer, it acts like a Fireball that harms only flesh and plant material. Some LLs may want to allow it to slay certain vivimancer creations or monster types if they fail their save.
Rejuvenate is a 5th level Dark Sun spell that restores the land after defiling. For the vivimancer, it is a precursor to Egg of Life. Where that spell creates whole ecosystems, Rejuvenate removes toxins, curses and such from an area. It is something that every vivimancer should use before casting Egg of Life to ensure the new life will take hold.
Sculpt Features is a 3rd level spell that makes permanent cosmetic changes that are not heritable (that requires the 7th level Mutate). One advantage it has over similar spells that make changes is that the recipient never has to make a transformative shock roll (AEC page 5, system shock for AD&D).
Slow Metabolism is a 1st level spell that decreases the need for food and water. It can be used every 12 hours and can stave off hunger and thirst for one day per caster level. After that , the recipient(s) have to eat normally for a week.
Pure Breed is a 10th level Dark Sun spell (a psionic enchantment, thus 10th level). It turns a hybrid into one of its parent species permanently. So a half elf could become an elf or a human. I would drop this to 7th level.
As I mentioned above, the merlane kit from Dragon 237 has a few spells that could work very well for the vivimancer.
Enhance Trait is a 1st level spell. It boosts armor class, speed, damage, adds a hit die or enhances a power (slightly) for a short time (caster picks one trait per casting). The vivimancer can only cast it on animals, Enhance Plant (above) is for plants and fungi.
Unbridle the Wild Beast is a 2nd level spell. It makes domestic creatures feral. This doesn't work so well on druid and ranger companions (they can make a second save for the animals) but it can be disasterous for dogs, cattle and other pets and livestock. The vivimancer has no control over the animal, so this spell can be dangerous to them as well. If the setting has domesticated animated plants, it can affect them as well.
Teratism I, II and III are 3rd, 5th and 7th level spells. They make permanent changes to a creature but sterilizes them as well. The first makes minor to moderate physical changes, the second makes major physical and minor magical changes (0 to 2nd level spell once per day) and the third can make unnatural physical changes (the article mentions claws of glass and cloth feathers) as well as adding a moderate magical change (0 to 4th level spell twice per day).
One other source I found some interesting spells to add is Sine Nomine's The Crimson Pandect, a magic supplement for Red Tide.
Invert Plague is a 5th level spell that turns a disease into a mutalistic ally. The recipient regenerates wounds (3/ round) and is immune to diseases and poisons for the duration of the spell (1 round per level). When the spell ends, the disease vanishes.
Leader of the Pack is a 5th level spell. For a vivimancer, it creates a pheromone that affects one species. Every member of that species within 100' treats the caster as one of their own and a leader. They do what the caster wants as long as it isn't suicidal or beyond their nature.
Tailored Venom is a 2nd level spell. It altered an existing poison so that it affects one specific species (this is a change from the spell description).
Tireless March is a 1st level spell and has limitations similar to Slow Metabolism. It allows the recipients to walk without tiring for 24 hours. They can march only for one day per caster level before they need sleep. Trying to overextend is bad for the characters' health.
I would also allow the Detach/Graft, Organ Transferance and Greater Organ Transferance from the necromancer's spells in Theories and Thautamurgy (I don't know why the author didn't do this in T&T).
As for my own creations
Name Bone Seed
Level: 3rd
Duration: permanent
Range: 60'
The caster can create a structure out of bone grown from corpses, stone and/or soil. The basic creation is a wall that is 10' high by 20' long per caster level by 5' deep. This takes one turn to grow. More complex shapes, such as pyramids and buildings take longer but can be added on to with repeated castings. The resulting bone is dead (so it can't be turned). Each casting requires 2 corpses of Medium sized creatures that have boney skeletons.
Name Chemosynthesis
Level: 5th
Duration: 1 day per level
Range: touch
Similar to the 4th level Plant Metabolism spell, Chemosynthesis allows the recipient to survive on any energy source. It can be sound, lightning, acid (if 3e style energies are used) and even magic. As long as there is some form of energy around, the recipient will not starve.
Name Elemental Symbiote
Level: 8th level
Duration: 1 turn per level
Range: personal
The caster hosts a tiny elemental, thus providing them with minor elemental powers. The caster can use up to 1 spell level per caster of 1st and 2nd level elemental spells (another magic-user type in T&T). As soon as the maximum levels have been used or the duration ends, the elemental returns to its plane of origin. A 9th level version allows up to 3rd level spells.
Name Flesh Gardening
Level: 5th
Duration: special
Range: touch
The vivimancer can take a corpse and grow gear from it with this spell. Each power, quality, sense, etc. can be turned into a single object. This gear is not alive but has an organic look. Powers that are equal to or higher than 4th level spells can not be turned into gear with this spell (higher level versions do). The LL has to determine how often a particular object can work as well as its lifespan. The garden takes 1 month to mature and only one power, quality, etc. can be taken from a specific corpse.
Name Living Architecture
Level: 9th
Duration: permanent
Range: 100'
Living buildings and other infrastructure are created with this spell. The initial casting creates a seed or spore that must be planted into the desired location. The egg grows and splits when the building is finished growing. This spell can create something the size of a castle or 50 miles of road or aqueduct. It usually takes 6 months to 10 years before the structure is done growing, depending on its size and complexity. The advantages of a living building are internal heat, healing and detection. The structure reacts if it suffer harm (anything over 10 points) and will direct people to where it was hurt (by a voice or limbs as the vivimancer wishes). The structure heals up to 200 hit points per day. The downside of a living building is the food and water requirements. It needs as much as an half amount of humanoid mass. So if it weights as much as 10,000 humans, it needs 5,000 humans worth of food and water. Roads can draw water from the ground, drying out the area in the process, but still need to be fed every mile. Castles can eat food, and biological, waste but still need a significant source of water. The cost of the spell is negligable, though most vivimancers ask for hundreds of thousands to millions of gp to make others think the spell is expensive.
Name Living Machine
Level: 6th
Duration: permanent
Range: 10'
Living machines can be used to do most sorts of work. They grow like living infrastructure but only take a week to a month to hatch. Most machines are used to move water, people and goods but any sort of industry can be enhanced with a living machine. Even blacksmiths can have living forges that allow them to safely reach temperatures that coal simply can not. Tailors can use living machines to measure customers and spin out customized clothing. Carpenters can use living machines to grow or enhance trees and make the wood easy to work with, yet the result is as hard as bronze. Like Living Architecture, this spell is cheap to cast but most vivimancers charge much for the resulting devices.
Name Modify Disease
Level: 4th
Duration: permanent
Range: touch
Vivimancers can make a disease more or less virulent, alter symptoms and even make permanent changes to the ill with this spell. With the last, treat the result as Sculpt Features (only cosmetic, no chance of dying from shock) in the survivors of the disease. An 9th level version spreads the Mutate spell (from T&T).
A while ago, I posted this creature to the forums. It, and variants, can be used by vivimancer to study spell effects, diseases and symbionts. Any reduction in research time due to the use of lab creatures is up to the LL.
Name Lab Human
No. Enc. 0 (d100 X d6)
Alignment Neutral
Movement 120' (40')
AC 9
HD 1
Attacks 1 (weapon)
Damage by weapon
Save L0
Morale 4
Hoard Class none
Many creatures and races do not like the dominance of humans on their worlds. One solution for those wishing alchemical and magical experiments is the lab human. They differ from normal humans in two ways. Their INT and WIS are 2 as to prevent escapes, unnessary learning, questions, etc. The other is that they bud as well as sexually reproduce. With the buds, the lab humans have an annual population increase of 20% (standard humans would have trouble making 5%). The buds are what make the lab humans valuable. They are easily genetically engineered and many thousands of subraces have been developed using the buds. Aboleths looking for better skum prefer using lab humans over wild strains because of the genetic flaws in the latter. Illithids use lab humans as emergency rations (they don't taste very good). Dragons use them to discover ways to keep the vermin down (many anti human spells have come from this work). Humans use lab humans in medicine and less savory works. Undead made from basic lab humans are significantly weaker than those made from normal humans but some of the subraces can make most vile and powerful zombies and ghouls. A single lab human can bud itself an entire population within a matter of years. Fortunately those that escape rarely survive very long due to their mental handicaps.
