Consumptum Feurium Magnifica (Sorcerer/Wizard Spell)

Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 9

School: Evocation

Casting

Casting Time: Standard Action, or the first attack of a Full Attack Action

Components: V, S, M (Several drops of the caster's own blood, worth 1 gp.)

Effect

Range: Self

Target or Area: A blast 35 feet across, which must include the caster within it.

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: Reflex partial
 Save DC: 10 + caster stat modifier + spell level

Spell Resistance: Yes

Description

Consumptum Feurium Magnifica is almost unique among spells due to the simple fact that it is not powered by mana. This means that it can be cast and used in areas with no magic, such as Antimagic Shell. It can still be countered by effects such as Dispel Magic, although if you are casting Consumptum in an anti-magic zone, nobody can get a Dispel in to stop you.

While this seems to be a tremendously powerful effect, this spell is still powered by the caster, but instead of using mana, it uses the caster's life force. Using your very life-force as fuel for a spell this mighty is fraught with peril.

The caster of Consumptum Feurium Magnifica must pronounce the dire syllables of this fell magic, and pour their very life-force into the working to power it. The resulting blast of dark, smoky fire, choked through with negative energy, issues from the caster's body and emanates out around them. The caster has some minor control over this dark and bloody storm of flames, but must always be within the effect.

Upon casting, this spell affects a 35-foot diameter area (7x7 squares) around the caster. The caster may place the center of this area around them as they wish, with the caveat that they must always appear somewhere within the central 5x5 area of the effect. They may be in the center, off to a side or in a corner of that 5x5 area, but they must be within the central zone of the area of effect.

Each creature in the (full 7x7) target area is allowed a REFL saving throw against a DC calculated above. If they fail that saving throw, they suffer (Circle 9 damage): 1d6+3 points of damage per character level (max 25d6+75 at character level 25) as darkfire (energy, rare). If they make their save, they suffer only half damage.

While resolving the effects of Consumptum, the spellcaster takes a number of points of darkfire (energy, rare) damage equal to the Challenge Rating (CR) of each creature affected by the spell who has successfully made their saving throw. (This damage applies to friend and foe alike, this terrible spell makes no distinction of enemy or ally.) If this damage knocks the spellcaster unconscious, they then also suffer the full lethal damage of the spell without benefit of a saving throw, which is frequently lethal. In consolation, the spell also does its normal effects to those around the caster, even if the caster falls unconscious. If the Darkfire damage does not cause the spellcaster to become unconscious, they do not suffer the spell's damaging effects.

If the Consumptum Feurium Magnifica kills any creature, then the spellcaster gains temporary hit points equal to that creature's hit dice rating. This effect is especially effective against minions and weak foes, it should be noted. Note further that these temporary hit points (like all temporary hit points) do not affect any damage the caster has suffered. Consumptum is dangerous indeed.

For example, if this spell is cast on ten CR 3 orcs, and they all (predictably) fail their saving throws, then the orcs are utterly obliterated. At the same time, the caster gains a whopping 40 temporary hit points, from killing forty hit dice worth of creatures. Like always, temp hit points and damage have no effect on each other. If cast on ten CR 30 Atropals and they all (predictably) make their saving throws, then they only suffer half damage, but the caster suffers a colossal 300 points of Darkfire damage (and gains no temporary hit points). If the caster managed to kill one of the Atropals, they would gain 63 temporary hit points... which they are likely to need very badly, as they are likely to fall unconscious from the Darkfire damage and thus suffer the full lethal effects of the spell without benefit of a saving throw.

Using this terrible magic is a gamble, as the damage is balanced by the temporary hit points gained. If the spell can slay foes, the temporary hit points quickly begin to mount up. However, if the caster is struck down by the spell, pouring too much of their life force into the workings, then they suffer the full effects, although temporary hit points may allow them to survive. Like all temporary hit points, the benefits are ephemeral, the temporary hit points vanishing at the end of combat as they always do.

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Mana Burn Circle Damage

Spell Circle	Burn Cost	Req'd Char Level	Base Dice	Max Dice
0	N/A	N/A	1d4 per 2 character levels	max of 4d4 at character level 8
1	N/A	1st	1d6 per character level	max of 4d6 at character level 4
2	+1	3rd	1d6 per character level	max of 6d6 at character level 6
3	+1	5th	1d6 per character level	max of 10d6 at character level 10
4	+1	7th	1d6+1 per character level	max of 12d6+12 at character level 12
5	+1	9th	1d6+1 per character level	max of 15d6+15 at character level 15
6	+1	11th	1d6+2 per character level	max of 16d6+32 at character level 16
7	+1	13th	1d6+2 per character level	max of 20d6+40 at character level 20
8	+1	15th	1d6+3 per character level	max of 21d6+63 at character level 21
9	+1	17th	1d6+3 per character level	max of 25d6+75 at character level 25
10	+1	19th	1d6+4 per character level	max of 25d6+100 at character level 25
11	+1	21st	1d6+5 per character level	max of 25d6+125 at character level 25
12	+1	23rd	1d6+6 per character level	max of 27d6+162 at character level 27
13	+1	25th	1d6+7 per character level	max of 27d6+189 at character level 27
14	+1	27th	1d6+8 per character level	max of 29d6+232 at character level 29
15	+1	29th	1d6+9 per character level	max of 29d6+261 at character level 29
16	+1	31st	1d6+10 per character level	max of 30d6+300 at character level 30
17	+1	33rd	1d6+11 per character level	max of 30d6+330 at character level 30
18	+1	35th	1d6+12 per character level	max of 30d6+360 at character level 30