Monday, October 22, 2018

Magical Girls, Transform! Now a Spell


So, Magical Girls. I've written several classes for them, but what if that's not what you want? You just want like, a taste? Well, one of my players unlocked it, you see.

There is a notable NPC in my setting that honestly deserves his own post at some point, probably; he's one of the Celestial Lords, presiding over the Neutral Plane of Elysium, Paimon is the name he wears, stolen from a devil prince. Paimon is the highest-level Princess in the planes, and possesses divinity. While he does not keep a religion or have a church in his name, it is inevitable that people will worship him whether or wants it or not. In his case, one must merely hold his spiritual and moral values, which are idealistic, innocent, and arguably naive and childish to an extreme. But... if you have the power to make that sort of world, why not reach for it?

Any Cleric, or Magic-User in a pact with Paimon, may cast the following spell: due to his greaser/rock n' roll tastes, its aesthetic is according, but just relabel shit to suit your campaign.

Custom Spell: Rock n' Roll REVOLUTION!
Cleric 1
Duration: Special
Range: Touch

This spell channels the spirit of Paimon, Sorcerer of Smiles, right into a willing vessel touched by the caster. If the subject wants power for the sake of spreading Hope, protecting Love, ending Suffering, and giving evil Salvation, then they can mantle the radiant soul of the Sorcerer of Smiles, becoming one of his angelic Gangsters of Love. This is literal; the transformation is coupled with a special determination or emotional impetus, so if you have a goal in mind, or a strong emotion, the transformation lasts until it is resolved. For instance, if you transform out of worry for someone's life, you change back as soon as you feel relieved for their safety. On the other hand, if you're transforming for the sake of hurrying to acquire a cure for a friend's disease from a horrid tomb, you can probably maintain it for a whole dungeon delve, even if a puzzle requires you wait for hours. In any case, you never un-transform when it'd be dangerously inconvenient to do so, such as if you're maintaining a power keeping you safe.

This spell has many effects, as the Gangster of Love transforms, becoming a prettier, sexier, cooler version of themselves; details are variable but a pompadour (often with streaks of their Kokoro color) and a higher level of glam is constant. This form allows the subject to add their Charisma modifer to AC, Saving Throws, and Attack Rolls. If they lack a positive Charisma modifier, they still gain a +1 benefit. In this form, the Gangster radiates a Goodliness that puts even the brightest Paladins to a pale, dim shame. They are simply the brightest this world has to offer.

Secondly, the Gangster of Love gains an indestructible focus tentatively called a Lucky Strike, though they usually have their own form and names. A Lucky Strike can be used as a melee weapon that deals 1d6-1 damage. However, while this damage is fully effective on fiends and undead and creatures of pure evil (ignoring resistances and immunities), it only deals non-lethal damage on anyone else, and any such people defeated by it instead rolls a Morale check against the Power of Friendship. The Lucky Strike is also a necessary focus for using Pomp Powers; without it, they cost twice as many Pomp Points.

A Gangster of Love has Pomp Points equal to their Level+1, and each Pomp Power costs 1 point to use. The spell and transformation typically ends when you run out of Pomp Points, though your Determination might manage to make it persist a bit longer. Every Gangster has the Shining Smile Beam, a magical laser that deals 1d6+Level damage and follows the same rules as melee with the Lucky Strike. At higher spell levels, add +1d6 to the damage die. Each Gangster also rolls 2d6 to determine a theme color and power, which is set for that person forever. See "Colored Kokoro."

Finally, if the Gangster has an animal companion or familiar they're emotionally connected to, they can elevate it into a Greaser Mascot. Their form is augmented to a specific form based on the Gangster's Level, and gains a power based on a d6 table (See "Mascot Mutations"). The Gangster cannot select a different companion as long as their current one is alive.

If this spell is cast at higher levels, the benefits are all magnified, changing the Pomp Points to Character Level+Spell Level, and allowing a Gangster to roll a new color to have simultaneously with their original, so that a 7th level casting makes you a literal Rainbow of seven-colored powers (though these are also set and consistent even on additional castings).

There is a danger to this spell, however. Every time it is cast, there's a 1-in-6 chance that 1d3 Heartaches are born from the Darkness to oppose the brightest of Lights.

Colored Kokoro (2d6)
2. Pink: Rose Healing Serenade!
3. Red: Crimson Magma Escalation!
4. Orange: Citrus Shielding Sphere!
5. Yellow: Luminous Valor Sunshine!
6. Green:Verdant Vine Binding!
7. Teal: Seafoam Pearl Tsunami!
8. Blue: Eternal Blue Ascent!
9: Purple: Royal Passion Illusion!
10. Black: Dark Matter Transmutation!
11. White:White Angel Honeymoon Kiss!
12. Prismatic: Roll a different color every time you transform!

Pink Healing Serenade: This Pomp Power wraps the subject touched in a rose-shaped bubble of pink light, and heals them 2d6+Gangster's Level in Hit Points. This Power also cures all diseases, normal or magical, though magical diseases gain a saving throw to resist.
At Higher spell levels, add another die of healing to this powers, and give an increasing penalty to the saving throws of magical plagues.

Crimson Magma Escalation: The Gangster creates an explosion of lava streams, ash clouds and debris made entirely of Love energy. This impressive display levels an area around the character (60 ft radius) and inflicts 1d6-1 damage (save for half damage) in the affected area for 1d3 rounds.
At Higher spell levels, add another dice of damage to this power, increase the range by ten feet, and the duration by another 1d3.

Citrus Shielding Sphere: This Power creates an orange bubble big enough to hold the Gangster and up to four friends; the bubble can be maintained for an hour, and protects against all conditions, including the vacuum of space, and also blocks all attacks. Roll a number of d3s equal to 1/2 the Gangster's HD, minimum 1; that's how much punishment a Sphere can take.
At Higher spell levels, add another level to the bubble's duration, another friend the bubble can hold, and increase the bubble's Hit Dice by a step, accordingly: 1d3>1d4>1d6>1d8>1d10>1d12>1d20

Luminous Valor Sunshine: The Gangster can surround a touched ally in a yellow aura, that gives them a quasi-Gangster state. Though they don't get any Pomp Points or Pomp Powers or even a transformation, they are able to add your Charisma modifier to their attack rolls, AC, and Saves. This automatically expires at the end of an encounter/scene, if the Gangster's transformation is cancelled, or if the subject takes enough damage to incapacitate them.
At Higher Spell Levels, increase the duration of this Power by an additional encounter/scene, and add a +1 bonus to all the above things modified.

Verdant Vine Binding: Glowing green energy vines grow from the ground and coil around existing terrain such as wires and bridges, and snag a target. A successful saving throw avoids the trap, otherwise the person bound by this Pomp Power is restrained for 2d6 turns.
At Higher Spell Levels, you may target an additional target and add a die to the turns restrained.

Eternal Blue Ascent: This Power allows the Gangster to grow glowing white energy wings, and fly at three times their normal movement speed. They can carry up to four people with this power with tactile telekinesis, and this power lasts three minutes per level.
At Higher Spell Levels, you may carry an additional person and last an additional minute per level.

Seafoam Pearl Tsunami: The Gangster transforms a landscape into rubble with a tsunami wave of teal-colored energy that tears down all structures in an area around the character (60 ft radius) and hits with a 1d6 + Level damage (save for half damage). This power also allows the Gangster and four people to breathe underwater for three minutes per level.
At Higher spell Levels, you may grant an additional person waterbreathing an add an extra die of damage.

Royal Passion Illusion: A purple haze is released in a hundred foot fog around the Gangster, who may choose to target as many targets as equals his level, or focus on one target who takes the Gangster's Charisma modifier as a penalty to the Saving throw; a target cannot have more HD than the level of the Gangster. On a failed Save, subjects are subjected to a mesmerized state where they are shown whatever false reality the Gangster desires. This lasts for 2d6 rounds, and they immediately snap out of it if they take any damage.
At Higher Spell Levels, add another die to the rounds duration,and add an extra target you can effect with this power (and can effect targets of +1 HD to the caster for each spell level).

Dark Matter Transmutation: The Gangster must declare how the power is being used:
1. The Gangster may take the shape of any object or creature and acquires abilities of the new creature (flight, bite, claws, etc.), but retains the character’s Hit Points, intelligence and combat skill. Powers or special abilities are lost while transformed, but not Gangster abilities. The Referee may allow a better armor class due to small size, or armored hide. Other details must be decided by the Referee as the character transforms. This form lasts one hour per level of the Gangster.
2. Alternately, the Gangster may transform another creature into a different creature. This creature gains the abilities of the new form, but keeps the intelligence and Hit Points of the original form. Powers or special abilities are lost while transformed. The spell’s range is 60 feet. The power lasts for 24 hours per level of the Gangster.
This power does not improve with Higher Spell Levels.

White Angel Honeymoon Kiss: The Gangster channels Paimon's celestial essence without any color-filter; while there is flashing lights and effects and messianic imagery, there is no beam to dodge or make contact with. A subject is merely selected; a friendly target is healed 2d6+Gangster's Level in HP and cured of diseases as with Pink Healing Serenade, or they may be healed of a drained level, a curse, or some other malady that normally requires a saving throw. A hostile target can be given an equivalent amount of damage, or purified of curses, possession, or whatever else, though on all cases they are entitled to a Save.
At Higher Spell Levels, this power adds another dice to related factors, and also allows for greater miracles. At 2nd level, hostilities take your Charisma modifier as a penalty to the saving throw. At 3rd level, you are able to to purify mutations and regenerate permanent injuries and disfigurements. At 4th level, you are not only able to drive out possessing forces but Banish them. At 5th level, you are able to purify magical effects as if you Dispelled them. At 6th level, you can revive the dead, and at 7th level, you can purify atoning evil creatures, turning fiends into celestial beings, undead into benevolent guardian forces, and aberrations into entirely unique otherworldly beings of Goodliness.

In Addition to all of the above, when cast as a 7th level spell (or whatever is your maximum for Clerics), a Gangster of Love is capable of a genuine miracle. A Gangster can cast Wish, and it will come true without fail, as long as the Wish is genuinely selfless, purehearted, and aimed toward making the world a better place in some way or done for someone's benefit. However, not only does this cancel the transformation, but it also makes the caster of this spell unable to cast it again, at any spell-level, for a full week.

 MASCOTS
An ordinary animal, augmented by the power of magic. Whatever the creature is, the Gangster must have a meaningful emotional attachment to it. While transformed, the animal gains some sort of obviously unnatural feature. Antennae or butterfly wings on a cat, a pastel fur pattern, whatever. Given the aesthetic of the Sorcerer of Smiles, it's also possible to give this bond (as well as temporary intelligence) to a favored vehicle, especially motorcycles and personal cars. Things like large ships are usually too big for the enchantment to take root. As a reminder, a bond with a Mascot is permanent even when the spell is over. When the spell is recast, the Gangster must share his power with the same Mascot unless it is dead or destroyed.

Mascots improve at a rate equal to the Gangster's level.
1-4: Kawaii
5-8: Evolved
9+: Mythic

Use these stats unless the creature innately has better:

KAWAII:
AC: 14
HD: 2
Attacks: 1d6
Saves: As Master's
Special: Roll once on the Mascot Mutation table.

EVOLVED:
AC: 15
HD: 5
Attacks: 2d6, x2 attacks
Saves: As Master's
Special: Roll twice on the Mascot Mutation table.

MYTHIC:
AC: 17
HD: 8
Attacks: 4d6, x3 Attacks
Saves: As Master's
Special: Roll thrice on the Mascot Mutations table.

MASCOT MUTATIONS
1. Flight
2. Tough Skin (+4 AC)
3. Ranged Attack (As Shining Smile Beam, but 1d6+2 damage, usable as many times as the creature's HD per transformation)
4. Three times as fast
5. +2d6 damage to attacks
6. Magical! (Roll a random spell it can use; Kawaiis get a 1st level spell they can use 1x a transformation; Evolved can use their 1st level spell 3x now, and gain a 3rd level spell they can use 1x. Mythics can use their 1st-level at-will, their 3rd-level 3x, and now gain a 5th level spell they can use 1x.)

And finally...Heartaches are shadowy monsters that come out of the Darkness to target these beacons of Light. 1d3 of them are summoned on every 1-in-6 chance of the Gangster of Love transformation as well as every hour the transformation is maintained and whenever the Gangster fails a Save VS Magic, with the number of Heartaches increasing at every spell level, as follows: 1d3>1d4>1d6>1d8>1d10>1d12>1d20

HEARTACHE
AC: 15
HD: 5
Attacks: Enervation

Heartaches are shadow beings that are immune to any mental effects such as Sleep, or Charm, or anything else. They don't even have intelligence for a Gangster of Love to redeem; they're just pure badness. They take half damage from anything except the attacks and powers of a Gangster of Love, but their own attacks don't do damage. Those hit by a Heartache must make a Save VS Death (or CON, or Doom, or whatever) or lose a level. This level always heals back after 24 hours of rest, and multiple levels will still all heal at once, but you lose all the benefits of the level until then. If a target is fully drained of all levels, they can be struck once more only, and then are drained into a husk, which dissipates like pillar of salt.

Heartaches take -2 to AC and all their rolls in full sunlight or in happy environments. Cheerful music, happy crowds of people, all of these things damper their essence.

If a Heartache drains a Gangster of Love's levels, there's a reality-warping paradox effect. Everyone in the area, friend and foe, is now subject to Wild Magic rolls for their supernatural abilities. This aura lasts for as long as the Heartache menace is present, and the range is as far as the Heartache and/or the Gangster can be observed. Wild Magic is rolled with Disadvantage during this event; meaning roll two results on the table and take whichever one is worse for the Gangster, in particular. The more likely it is to make their heart ache, the better.