Author Topic: Spell For Critique: Splitting Of The Essence (Evil Twin Spell)  (Read 2946 times)

Offline bibliophile20

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Spell For Critique: Splitting Of The Essence (Evil Twin Spell)
« on: February 03, 2011, 05:33:06 AM »
A little something inspired by a trip through TVTropes and the Loup-Garou uncursing debate, among other things:

Splitting of the Essence (a.k.a. Evil Misunderstood Twin Spell)
Type: Thaumaturgy, transformation
Complexity: 50+ (enough to "take them out", plus complexity to increase the duration; that's about 45-50; now start adding complexity for the "splitting" and then the binding the two polar opposites into new bodies, which are probably half-physical, half-ectoplasm (with enough duration that replacement of tissue won't make the ectoplasm too much of an issue--hopefully))
Opposed By: Target's Discipline, but at these power levels, it hardly matters.
Effect: The target splits into two separate beings along some designated dividing line; a changeling might be split into a mortal and a fey, a wereform might be split into a mortal and an animal, a loup-garou might be split into a human mortal and a ravening beast of pure destruction.  The spell does not work on beings that are singular in purpose--fey, most vampires (although White Court might be targetable) 
Notes: Any mortal caster of this spell will almost certainly have Lawbreaker Second.


This is completely a theoretical exercise, more in the "plot device" power level of an Unraveling than anything else, and inspired by some recent discussions on undoing curses; this allows for a certain amount of "sidestepping", as one can split the curse from the man and then deal with the embodied curse in a more direct fashion.  However, it could make for a very interesting signature ability of a high level antagonist, which has it's own possibilities. 
Tips for the Evil Henchman:
#12. If the seemingly helpless person you have just cornered is confident and unafraid despite being outnumbered and surrounded, you have encountered a Hero in disguise. Run while you still can.

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Offline jybil178

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Re: Spell For Critique: Splitting Of The Essence (Evil Twin Spell)
« Reply #1 on: February 03, 2011, 06:14:25 AM »
Hmm... Interesting concept.  I was about to go into the fact that the spell would probably flat out kill them in the process, and you'd need to work in making a flat out new body for them, but then I noticed you had already figured that in, hehe...

Would be very difficult to pull off though for the most part, and would require a very large amount of effort, time and resources to garner a spell this powerful...  One would wonder why a villain would put so much effort into such a spell, when they could use a fraction of it to just kill you...  The actual splitting part of the spell would vary greatly from target to target, the loup-garou quite possibly being one of the most difficult targets by far...  You would have to figure in, on top of everything else, the vast complexity of the curse placed upon them...  And not only the part where they are turned into such a monstrous creature, but the complexity as well of a curse that could pass down from generation to generation, lasting potentially hundreds of years..  I forget if there is even a potential limit to how long the Loup-Garou curse can last...  And you'd have that nasty monster, standing right there...  Very nasty prospect...  Also potentially doable, if the person had the expertise...

Now, the act would be a permanent transformation though, so I don't know if you'd have to worry about duration tables... It gets kinda weird there...  Maybe thats why complexity to some of that stuff gets so high, because you have to figure for incredible durations... But for the most part, as far as flavor goes, such a major change to a person physically and spiritually would be a permanent kinda thing, one that would let you not have to worry about duration and all that...
my 2 cents

Offline sinker

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Re: Spell For Critique: Splitting Of The Essence (Evil Twin Spell)
« Reply #2 on: February 03, 2011, 06:24:51 AM »
This could make a really awesome villain. Everyone in town is raving about a guy who's going around "curing" everyone of vampirism and other terrible things, when it turns out he's really building his own menagerie of horrible things.

Offline bibliophile20

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Re: Spell For Critique: Splitting Of The Essence (Evil Twin Spell)
« Reply #3 on: February 03, 2011, 06:26:16 AM »
This could make a really awesome villain. Everyone in town is raving about a guy who's going around "curing" everyone of vampirism and other terrible things, when it turns out he's really building his own menagerie of horrible things.
The local ghoul clan is now a group of disaffected 20-somethings with a taste for BBQ... and their uber-ghoul counterparts are waiting in the wings to be deployed.   ::)  How's that for a scary scenario?
Tips for the Evil Henchman:
#12. If the seemingly helpless person you have just cornered is confident and unafraid despite being outnumbered and surrounded, you have encountered a Hero in disguise. Run while you still can.

DFRPG Resources Wiki

Offline MijRai

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Re: Spell For Critique: Splitting Of The Essence (Evil Twin Spell)
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2011, 06:33:28 AM »
If you do it to yourself without practice on others, there wouldn't be Lawbreaker.

As far as the 'why' of the split, it makes sense to me from an evil standpoint. Either there will be two moderately evil yous, or a distilled evil you (the product) and a distilled good you (the waste material). Or, if doing it to another person, you get more evils with more by-products to remove. And at the same time, they are the same person with the same memories, skills, etc. Just evil and ready to fight now. Imagine if the evil biomancer wanted to infiltrate the Council. Just keep the evil twins from doing any black magic until it is time to act, and they are at the heart of the operation ready to kill. Just bait one warden, catch and split him, have him go back and say the warlock is dead in the fighting. Then, bait another warden using the original to make another. An another. Eventually you could have quite the problem for the White Council in there.
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Offline Ren

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Re: Spell For Critique: Splitting Of The Essence (Evil Twin Spell)
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2011, 06:39:23 PM »
Reminds me of an old D&D character I had who had his emotions removed but didn't count on them being formed into an evil counterpart he had to track down and destroy...the only emotion he was left with was anger. Made for an interesting game as he was completely amoral and was more than willing to sacrifice his party to achieve his goals. With this spell you could easily make two separate villains who'd tear apart a city just to destroy each other.

Or imagine someone who was split into their ID, Ego and Superego...

I have an NPC fallen angel in my game who doesn't know who they are as their essence and memories have been separated across multiple layers of existence...
« Last Edit: February 03, 2011, 06:41:06 PM by Ren »
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Offline AlexFallad

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Re: Spell For Critique: Splitting Of The Essence (Evil Twin Spell)
« Reply #6 on: February 04, 2011, 12:57:28 AM »
The local ghoul clan is now a group of disaffected 20-somethings with a taste for BBQ... and their uber-ghoul counterparts are waiting in the wings to be deployed.   ::)  How's that for a scary scenario?

The ghouls or the disaffected 20-somethings?

Offline devonapple

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Re: Spell For Critique: Splitting Of The Essence (Evil Twin Spell)
« Reply #7 on: February 04, 2011, 04:22:02 PM »
It's a wonderful idea, but definitely one I would put at plot-device-level usage. Which COULD include having the players help to make it happen, but it would be a scenario all its own, and not something I'd want them to keep in their closet "for later."
"Like a voice, like a crack, like a whispering shriek
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That I’m positive are not even mine"

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Offline bibliophile20

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Re: Spell For Critique: Splitting Of The Essence (Evil Twin Spell)
« Reply #8 on: February 09, 2011, 02:35:24 AM »
So, any suggestions for a possible Sponsor for a spell like this?  Yin-and-yang?  Maiden-Mother-Crone? 
Tips for the Evil Henchman:
#12. If the seemingly helpless person you have just cornered is confident and unafraid despite being outnumbered and surrounded, you have encountered a Hero in disguise. Run while you still can.

DFRPG Resources Wiki

Offline devonapple

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Re: Spell For Critique: Splitting Of The Essence (Evil Twin Spell)
« Reply #9 on: February 09, 2011, 02:40:33 AM »
Hel, perhaps?
"Like a voice, like a crack, like a whispering shriek
That echoes on like it’s carpet-bombing feverish white jungles of thought
That I’m positive are not even mine"

Blackout, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets

Offline bibliophile20

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Re: Spell For Critique: Splitting Of The Essence (Evil Twin Spell)
« Reply #10 on: February 09, 2011, 02:44:48 AM »
Hel, perhaps?
The Norse goddess of the underworld?  Half-living, half-dead?  Perfect!
Tips for the Evil Henchman:
#12. If the seemingly helpless person you have just cornered is confident and unafraid despite being outnumbered and surrounded, you have encountered a Hero in disguise. Run while you still can.

DFRPG Resources Wiki

Offline devonapple

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Re: Spell For Critique: Splitting Of The Essence (Evil Twin Spell)
« Reply #11 on: February 09, 2011, 02:57:10 AM »
I also forgot Janus, god of portals and... having two faces.
"Like a voice, like a crack, like a whispering shriek
That echoes on like it’s carpet-bombing feverish white jungles of thought
That I’m positive are not even mine"

Blackout, The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets