[Epic Spell] Karsus' Folly

[Fax Celestis]

Karsus' Folly
Transmutation/Abjuration [Polymorph]
Spellcraft DC: 244
Components: V, S, XP
Casting Time: 1 Swift Action
Range: 1,800 ft.
Effect: Ray
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will and Fortitude Partial
Spell Resistance: Yes
To Develop: 2,916,000 gp, 59 days, 116,640 XP; Seeds: Banish (40), Transform (31), Destroy (109)
Factors: Increase Saving Throw By +30 (+60), +30 To Overcome Spell Resistance (+60), Increase Damage Dice to d20s (+40), Change Target to Ray (+4), Increase Range by 600% (+12), Quickened Spell (+28), Burn 20,000 XP (-200), Backlash 40d6 (-40)

Karsus used this spell to first bind Mystryl and then take his place as God of Magic, causing the (literal and figurative) fall of Netheril.

The caster must first target a deity with a ray attack. If this attack strikes, the deity is first transformed into a nonmagical sphere of iron. A successful fortitude save versus DC 60 + prime casting statistic modifier negates this part of the spell. The deity (whether or not in sphere form) is then dealt 40d20 points of damage. A successful fortitude save versus DC 60 + prime casting statistic modifier halves this damage. If this is enough damage to destroy the sphere, it is vaporized as per the disintegrate spell.

If the deity still survives, their type changes to Construct and they are banished to the Prime Material Plane. A successful Will save versus DC 60 + prime casting statistic modifier negates this effect.

As part of this spell, the caster takes the portfolio and domains of the displaced deity and becomes a deity himself, with Divine Rank equal to one quarter his hit dice. However, this transition is painful and deals the caster 40d6 points of damage. If this kills the caster, the spell is negated and the caster is unrevivable by any means, including wish and true resurrection. The deity may make a DC 60 + prime spellcasting statistic modifier to resist this effect.

If the deity is not destroyed by this spell, the sphere radiates strong transmutation and abjuration. Casting disjunction, wish, and greater restoration on the sphere (in that order) will return the deity to their natural form and restore their divine status, but does not restore their portfolio, essentially making them a deity of nothing.

XP Cost:
20,000 XP

[The Glyphstone]

...and if said deity has the Deflect Ray spell, or the Exceptional Deflection feat, or a Shield of Exceptional Deflection...it's completely nullified.

What happens if the deity passes all its saves (isn't turned into iron, takes half damage, isn't Banished)...how does the caster still strip them of their divinity?

[Fax Celestis]

...and if said deity has the Deflect Ray spell, or the Exceptional Deflection feat, or a Shield of Exceptional Deflection...it's completely nullified.

What happens if the deity passes all its saves (isn't turned into iron, takes half damage, isn't Banished)...how does the caster still strip them of their divinity?

Gah! Forgot that there's a will save to resist divinity stripping.

And if the deity has any of those, more power to them. You can always mod the spell yourself, making it touch or target instead of ray. You'll up the DC, though.

EDIT: Fixed. Also, apparently Mystryl was rolling all ones that day.

[The Glyphstone]

Okay, that's better, and suitably Epicly wacked. Taking divinity with no saves was....wrong.

Although, isn't the permission of Ao the Overgod required to become a deity? I'd think he would intervene with a mortal just zapping a deity this way.

[Fax Celestis]

Okay, that's better, and suitably Epicly wacked. Taking divinity with no saves was....wrong.

Although, isn't the permission of Ao the Overgod required to become a deity? I'd think he would intervene with a mortal just zapping a deity this way.

Karsus did it without asking. I'd rule you could do it, but Ao might want to have a good talking to you afterwards.

[Closet_Skeleton]

I think this spell was supposed to be 12th level back in 2nd ed.

40d20 sounds too low for backlash damage. It should be at least 200d6 if you look at other Epic spells.

[Caelestion]

The spell was actually known as Karsus' Avatar and it was the only 12th-level Arcanist spell known to exist. Considering that Karsus was transformed into a gargantuan petrified corpse, even when he failed, I don't think that iron is the best thematic component. Karsus was 41st-level when he used his spell. I think there should be a far huger XP component, if only for verisimulitude. (You don't become a god just by sneezing!)

[Triaxx]

how does the caster still strip them of their divinity?

(Sorry, can't help myself.)

Why with Jan Jansen's Pattented Crowbar of Divinity Stripping +7. Guaranteed to rip out the divinity, unless the deity rips out your heart first.

[Fax Celestis]

The spell was actually known as Karsus' Avatar and it was the only 12th-level Arcanist spell known to exist. Considering that Karsus was transformed into a gargantuan petrified corpse, even when he failed, I don't think that iron is the best thematic component. Karsus was 41st-level when he used his spell. I think there should be a far huger XP component, if only for verisimulitude. (You don't become a god just by sneezing!)

Using standard epic rules, if I were to upgrade the XP cost to 20,000, like I originally had it, it'd only have a spellcraft DC of 266.

...let me do that.

[Fax Celestis]

I think this spell was supposed to be 12th level back in 2nd ed.

40d20 sounds too low for backlash damage. It should be at least 200d6 if you look at other Epic spells.

I actually can't increase the backlash anymore, unless I'm not understanding the Epic spell creation rules.

[Caelestion]

Not counting of course that 200d6 damage will slay almost anything.
Karsus' original spell had a gold dragon's gizzard and the pituary gland of the Tarrasque as material components. I'd like to see unique components in your spell. (The epic spells suggest a -4 ad hoc reduction for using materials costing 10,000 gp.)
Mystryl was definitely female - a CN female to be precise.

[Diem]

I hesitate to bring it up, since no one else has, but to my knowledge, the spell is moot anyway, since deities would be immune to the transmutation (see direct quote)----->A deity is immune to polymorphing, petrification, or any other attack that alters its form. Any shape-altering powers the deity might have work normally on itself.<-----So killing the Deity would probably work, and with a friendly DM you could probably replace them, but changing them into iron just fizzles.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Quote the SRD FTW!

And welcome, Diem, to GitP.

[Eighth_Seraph]

Giem, Iames; Iames, Giem. Iames here is our un-official greeting service program, modified specifically for your convenience. Anyway, where's all this Karsus/Mystryl stuff coming from? Though the spell seems great and theory, I feel I would appreciate it more if I understood the history behind it.

[Fizban]

I'll try that:

In the forgotten realms setting, Mystra is the god of arcane magic, embodying the weave etc etc. Karsus was a big powerful mage who wanted to be a god. So he made a spell that let him steal mystra's divinity, but it backfired because he didn't know how to maintain the weave that supplies magic to the whole setting. The floating cites of Nethiril temporarily lost magic, and fell, and Karsus died. Mystra got revived or maybe it was that someone else got raised to a god and took over the weave, but it all worked itself out, minus one nation of flying cities.

[I_Got_This_Name]

IIRC, Mystryl was the goddess of magic when Karsus did this; Mystra was her replacement.

[Caelestion]

1500 years before the Faerûn present, Karsus (CN male Netherese Arcanist 41) created the only 12th-level spell in existence, one that allowed him to replace any god in the firmanent. Unfortunately, he chose Mystryl (CN female goddess of magic) and Mystryl was only able to avoid Karsus' spell by silencing the Weave (the flow of magic) throughout Faerûn.
30 seconds or so later, the Weave came back online, with Mystryl reincarnated as Mystra (LN goddess of magic).
Karsus, for his folly, met the fate of all dead gods: he became a gigantic petrified statue, exiled from the heavens. Likewise, the entire Netherese Empire, founded and sustained by unending magic, ended rather suddenly.

[Umbral_Arcanist]

(Sorry, can't help myself.)

Why with Jan Jansen's Pattented Crowbar of Divinity Stripping +7. Guaranteed to rip out the divinity, unless the deity rips out your heart first.

You know.... that reminds of that time waaaaaaaaaay back..... See, i'd just gotten into town and was walking to the market to buy some turnips when..........