Incantations, Yes or no?

I like it with a couple of caveats

~I wouldn't allow PCs to take 20...there should be an element of risk, however small.
~I think the backlash should come into play if the PCs accumulate more failures than successes (this also ruins the incantation). Having a level-appropriate fey appear and attack in mid-casting should - I would think - pretty much kill the incantation.
~I think helpers should be limited to Aiding Another, not adding 1/2 their skill ranks to the main caster's roll.

Good idea. So mote it be.

Will do. Good call since one can't even Take 20 on checks that have a risk of something harmful on fail.

We could go that way, or make it so that (as my girlfriend asked) one may store a limited number of previous successes for a certain amount of time.

I'll change it so that for every fail after the first fail the Backlash occurs. That OK?

Yeah, I had doubts about this one too.
I figured that with enough synergy/stat/item cheese an Incant user would be acing the checks anyway, so why not give a little help to underfunded yet well-accompanied adventurers?
Agreed though that this isn't the place to be messing with core rules, even if by exception.


Also: how many Incantations may an individual learn?
• No limit?
• As many as they have Spellcraft ranks or Knowledge (specific type)?

I'm reluctant to add a static monetary cost to them as with 4e's setup, since individuals will put more or less worth in them as they see fit.

It depends on the specific backlash. For instance, with astral door you have a chance to lose some helpers (but probably not the main caster). With dark hunter's hounds and crossroads in twilight, a backlash results in a fight.

The way I see it, once you start casting you're committed: either you succeed, or you fail horribly. If you accumulate enough successes, yay! If you accumulate too many failures - or give up halfway through - the magic twists out of your control and does fun things.

We need to decide whether a backlash definitively ends the incantation (as I think it should) or just causes some trouble (as you appear to think). I notice that your description doesn't specify whether you can take a break or whether you have to keep "casting" or lose the incantation. I strongly favor the latter.

I need to dig up my copy of UA and check the standard; I'd prefer not to deviate too far from it unless we have to. My gut feeling says no limit, no cost - but you have to research every one individually, and you find what the GM says you find. Maybe you have to maintain an "Incantationbook" (iBook?) like a spellbook.

Another thing to keep in mind is that incantations are probably going to be used by low-level PCs or non-casters...after all, if you can cast summon monster VI as a normal spell, you can probably do a lot worse things to someone than sic some doggies on them. If it's available, PCs are going to prefer the more powerful and reliable "normal" magic...so incantations need to be either exotic enough that a spell can't properly replicate their effects, or scaled for weaker PCs.

(I'm between classes)

Just noticed I'm missing the appropriate type of skill checks for each.
I'll go back and put those in when I have time, along with a few more incants, unless you think it should be a universal Spellcraft check?

No on Spellcraft; yes on various types of skills. It encourages variety and prevents the spellcasters from automatically being the ones to ace the incantations.

OK then, should we have a fuckhuge list of skills or restrict the range to Knowledge, Survival, Spellcraft, Perform, Diplomacy (for summoning something maybe) and similar?

Some other incants I have in mind will duplicate Planar Ally but for Fey, one for a longterm buff (or series of buff options in 1 incant, user picks), a curative one for healing HP and status changes, a clairvoyance/scrying one for witchlike characters, and something for longterm detection evasion like Nondetection.

I'd be inclined to stay with the skills you listed, but I would keep an open mind regarding any other skills that seem to fit a particular incantation.

Here's what could work (but not necessarily restricted to):

Survival
Knowledges
Spellcraft
Diplomacy
Bluff
Perform

Uni Verde
Transmutation (Polymorph)
Spell Emulation:multiple
Spell Level: 2+
Skill Check: Survival or Knowledge (Nature) DC 14
Focus: User
Target: Self and Allies
Area: 10-foot radius
Duration: Permanent(D)
Backlash: All beings involved dealt 10 damage as tiny thorny vines tear outward from the skin.

All willing beings affected by this incant become living immobile trees as by the spell Tree Shape and can cancel their own change any time they choose after 1 round.
While in this form they are also affected by Nondetection, Undetectable Alignment, Speak With Plants (telepathically), and Hide From Animals.
They do not age or hunger but retain their own minds and heal normally.
The wooden tree shape is altered as if by the Ironwood spell.

Campaign Use: A favored method of forest-dwelling Fey to dodge troubled times much like how many amphibians and insects burrow to avoid harsh seasons. Dryads are even known to then watch over groups of resting tree-shaped Fey like nurses in an infant ward.
Sometimes the prosperity of an entire Fey nation depends on accurate use of this kind of reclusion.



Etheroid Biogenesis
Transmutation or Conjuration (Creation)
Spell Emulation: Summon Nature's Ally I to VI
Spell Level: varies, 1 to 6
Skill Check: varies, Survival or Knowledge (Nature) DC 12 to DC 22
Focus: A Mana-generating terrain, and user with Fey type.
Target: Location
Area: 1-mile radius
Duration: 1 day (D)
Backlash: User can not attempt this incantation again for 1 day.

The mana-rich ground is infested with fey-creating spores commonly known as "pixie dust". The local plants and soil themselves randomly mutate and bud fey in large fungus-like sacs composed of the same fleshy material as the fey.

After the duration passes the area spawns fey as by the Summon Nature's Ally spell appropriate to a chosen matching spell level of this incantation (highest spell level determined by 1/2 of terrain's Mana level, minimum 1).

The type of terrain itself determines what kinds of fey are spawned;
• Roll on an appropriate random encounter table for fey as by setting, or
• Work with your DM to set up a list of 4 level-appropriate types and roll a d4 to decide.

The new infant fey have no memories other than instinct and knowledge of the Sylvan language, begin with neutral attitude, and do not automatically follow the incantation user's directions.
They appear randomly within the area; one much search for them with a Survival check vs. the incantation's DC or detect them by other means such as magic.

Special: The terrain must not be altered by negative energy in any way. The presence of any undead or active negative energy (a spell, Rebuke attempt, Desecrate spell, item used, etc) in the area applies a +10 bonus to the incantation DC.

Campaign Use: While not the sole option for creating new fey or introducing fey to a setting, this incantation is effective in giving rise to a large fey population quickly.



Feyshift
Transmutation (Polymorph)(school)
Spell Emulation: Alter Self
Spell Level: 2
Skill Check: Spellcraft or Survival DC 14
Focus: User
Target: Self
Duration: Instant
Backlash: User takes 4 CON burn (damage be restored by rest only) and is Exhausted.

The user changes their own Fey race in to another pre-existing Fey race that can be found within the same realm.
The new Fey race must be of equal or lower level.

Class levels and Fey racial HD may be exchanged for each other, but class levels may not be changed to those of other classes (use retraining rules from the PHB2 for that). If the user had no class levels before using this incantation, that option is not available.

Campaign Use: Fey use this incant to alter their role in society. Advancements in social rank might also mean a greater need for
For instance, while a Sprite is mobile and fast, they are also very weak and small; a change in personal role to that of a hard-hitting warrior to guard gateways and locations might call for something suitably
Likewise, reproduction between individuals is difficult unless the species of Fey matches.