Spells That Are Fucking Metal: Extinction Debt

February 07, 2018

Eternal Solstice is some pretty decent death metal.

There's this anime called Fist of the North Star where the main dude does a super fast series of strikes to the different chi points of the body, which pretty much blocks up their energy and makes them incredibly vulnerable or just kills them. But it also takes a little bit, so he can do cool stuff like walk away and tell them they're already dead while they respond incredulously for a few seconds before exploding into a tidal wave of blood. That's the inspiration for this spell, along with the cool-ass song title, which means "the future extinction of a species due to events in the past", and seems like itself a very cool premise for a spell.

Extinction Debt
No./Area Affected: 1 person wounded by the caster
Duration: Until triggered by caster

There is power in restraint. Violence is power, but the threat of violence can be even greater. In withholding cruelty until a later time, one with the right knowledge can creep through the fabric of fate and seize the strings of the soul.

Extinction Debt allows the caster to “save” damage dealt to a subject rather than inflicting it right away. The spell must be cast immediately after successfully dealing damage and does not require an action. The damage caused by the attack can be withheld and inflicted at a time of the caster’s choosing at least one round after the damage was initially dealt, even days, weeks, months, or years later. Triggering Extinction Debt requires a round and is interrupted if the caster takes damage during the activation. If damage caused by Extinction Debt deals the final blow and kills the subject, then the target’s soul comes under the control of the caster. The subject may make a save versus Magic with a penalty equal to the Caster's Level to avoid coming under the control of the caster. The caster may demand one task of the soul, which it must attempt to complete to the best of its ability. For the purposes of this spell, souls are semi-corporeal spirits with HD, knowledge and mental abilities identical to their living state. All physical abilities are lost, and performing any physical action requires a successful roll-under Intelligence check.

The existence of a soul persists for 1+CL days, until they have completed their task, or they fade away into the cold oblivion of death. The caster may not memorize another spell in the place of Extinction Debt while the spell is active (cast but untriggered) or while the soul of a subject is under the caster’s control.

Miscast Table

1	As normal, but the caster suffers damage equal to the target. They are not aware of this until it occurs.
2	As normal, but the soul of the subject is infused into the caster’s body after completing their task or when they would otherwise fade away. While they are present the caster takes a -1 penalty to their Intelligence and Wisdom from the mental effort of drowning out a second, hostile consciousness. They may only leave of their own free will, but long for the sweet release of death and will be eager to strike a bargain.
3	As normal, but the damage suffered by the target is in the form of a rapidly incubating strain of the black plague, which is highly contagious. All within 10’ of the subject must save versus Poison or be infected. Those who save are immune to the strain.
4	Spell fails. Microscopic blood worms manifest within the wound inflicted by the caster, causing it to heal immediately. In addition, the subject regenerates 1d6 hp per round, even after death. The blood worms die after 2d12-CL days, ending the effect.
5	Spell fails. The caster is rendered into a floating ectoplasmic skeleton for a number of days equal to the damage dealt by their attack. They may only be damaged by silver, bone and the personal effects of the intended original target of the spell. All physical acts require a roll-under Intelligence check. If the caster is killed in this state they manifest as a spirit under the control of the original subject.
6	Spell fails. An additional limb immediately sprouts from the wound and the subject is healed by the number of hp inflicted by the attack. The limb allows the subject to make an additional attack per round for 1d4 damage. It is permanent until the death of the caster, which causes it to wither and fall off with no sign of its presence. It may also be removed by normal surgical means.
7	As standard Miscast Table result.