Heart of Power

Level: True Ritual – Clr 7*, Drd 7, Sor/Wiz 7 (varies)

Components: V, S, M, DF, XP

Casters Required: 3 Proxy: Yes (10 followers* / HD of the recipient for a Divine casting) or No (for an Arcane casting)
Casting Time: 1 day
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

Description

A ritual first devised in Khirdet, this spell allows the casters to tear the heart from a living subject and replace it with the specially prepared heart of an elemental genie, conferring upon that subject all the advantages of the Half-Elemental template. Elven Wizards refined it to grant themselves the powers of those descended from Dragons. A modification of the ritual soon spread to the Clerics of the Divine using the hearts of Fiend, and not long after, a champion of Corean was rewarded with the heart of a Celestial that had fallen in battle. Over the following century, Wizards refined all versions to be usable by arcane means. Each variation on this ritual must be learned seperately, and it represents a series of related spells.

Spell Effect

Replaces the subjects heart with the heart of an outsider, genie or dragon, granting him the abilities of the Half-Fiend, Half-Celestial, Half-Elemental or Half-Dragon template as appropriate, if he survives. Each process is different, and ends with surgery to remove the heart of the recipient (Heal check, DC 15, as no special care needs be taken) , who is under the effect of an enchantment much like Sleep of the Dead, which keeps him alive (but conscious) during the process, and the implantation of the new heart, followed by a Heal spell (for a Divine ritual) or a simple Shocking Grasp (for an Arcane version). An immediate Fortitude check at DC 17 (+ the HD of the donor) must be made, or the ritual fails and the recipient dies (but can be ressurected). The heart is lost in this case, and the ritual must be started anew. [This is seperate from a Fortitude save to resist the enchantment, which is waived by a willing recipient.]

If the ritual succeeds, the creature gains all the abilities of the appropriate template, awakening with 1d4 hit points and with all attributes drained to half value (half of their new, adjusted, values) via temporary ability damage, which may be healed naturally. Magical healing of either ability damage or hit point damage can only occur after the recipient has consumed her original heart, a process which can take anywhere from a 1d6 rounds (for a Half-Fiend or Half-Dragon now possessing natural Bite attacks) to 1d10 minutes (for a Half- Celestial who might require the use of a fork, knife and napkin). If her original heart is kept from her, she can only heal this damage naturally, over time, and remains subject to the holders will, as he can at any time, as a Standard Action, squeeze the heart, causing incapacitating pain to the recipient (Fort save at DC 25 or Nauseated with pain for 1d4 rds, and takes 4d6 damage. Half-damage and both Shaken and Staggered from the pain effect for the duration if saved.) Wizards, Evil Clerics and the Druids of Khirdet alike make use of this feature to retain control of those they empower with this spell.

Material Components: One specially prepared heart.

XP cost: 500 XP / HD or character level of the target creature. The three casters may split this XP cost evenly between themselves, *and* the recipient also pays 1000 XP / HD or character level. If the recipient cannot pay it (being a creature with no XP score, for instance), *each* caster must pay the 500 XP / HD charge instead.

*Only a Cleric with access to the appropriate Domain (Air, Earth, Fire or Water) can use the Rituals for the appropriate Half-Elemental templates, and only worshippers of a diety with such a Domain can serve as a proxy.

Air - Madriel, Enkili or Syhana (only one Madrielite known, and it was a divine gift, not a ritual result, several Enkilites rumored, but specifics seem to change with the teller, and few verified, no Syhanites known)

Earth - Goran (a half-dozen such 'Stoneheart' champions exist, all in Burok Torn)

Fire - Corean (none known, but possible, Half-Celestial is preferred)

Water - Manawe (none known, but her worshippers are notorious for secrecy on such matters)

Specific Variations

Heart of Darkness - Clr 7, Sor/Wiz 7

Requires the heart of a Fiend (Tanari or Baatezu), which must kept warm in an iron kettle for 1 day / character level of the recipient, bathed in the life's blood of 1 living sacrifice / day (which must be of the same race as the recipient). The fiend must have been of equal HD as the character level of the recipient, and 9 flasks of Unholy Water must be pumped into the veins of the donor, replacing his own blood, during the surgery. His own blood must be fed to the heart during the day of casting, only the power of the ritual holding his body alive while his blood is replaced with Unholy Water and he lies paralyzed by agony during this full day ritual. The touch of light ruins the heart, or even the prepared subjects body, for the enchantment, and it must be kept in darkness at all times, which requires that the ritual be performed by Darkvision or some form of Blindsight.

Heart of Light - Clr 7, Sor/Wiz 7

Requires the heart of a Celestial of HD equal to the character level of the recipient, and must steep for 1 day / HD in 7 flasks of Holy Water, each enchanted with a Continual Flame enchantment by a good Outsider (such as a Lantern Archon). The heart is ruined for use if it is ever not surrounded by light, or if any being other than a good-aligned Outsider physically touches it, thus the actual removal of the heart from the golden chalice it must steep within to place it within the chest of the recipient can only be performed by a good Outsider, who need not be a spellcaster, although the being can be summoned, compelled or bound, it need not be willing. The recipient must spend the 24 hour casting time of the ritual upon a consecrated surface (such as an altar) and consume no food, and only consecrated (Holy) water while he awaits the arrival of his new heart, being ritually purified by incense and prayers the whole while and purged of all impurities.

Heart of Fire - Drd 7, Sor/Wiz 7, Fire 7

Requires the heart of an Efreeti, soaked for 1 day / HD of the recipient in the fires of a Fire Elemental whose HD equals her character level. The Fire Elemental suffers the loss of 1 HD of potency / day, which can only be restored at spells end by a Heal spell or greater magics, usually requiring it to be bound or compelled in some way. Cure Wounds spells only cure this damage if cast by a Cleric with access to the Domain of Fire. If the heart is ever allowed to grow cool, it is ruined, and thus it can only be removed and implanted by hands that are bathed in flame (although this can be handled as simply as casting Resist Elements on the casters hands and soaking them in flammable oil for the actual round of implantation, or, more commonly, summoning an Azer to handle that task). The recipient also must be aflame, and in this case, the expediment of Resist Fire and some form of lamp oil is the preferred method.

Heart of Stone - Drd 7, Sor/Wiz 7, Earth 7

Requires the heart of a Dao, which must be contained within an Earth Elemental whose HD equals his character level for days equal to his character level. The Earth Elemental suffers 1 pt of temporary Con damage / day, which cannot be restored until the spell ends, and even then only by magic. If the heart ever feels the touch of air, it is ruined, and it must be implanted into the chest of the recipient while still within a protective coating of soil, usually being placed there directly by the hand of the Elemental who has been containing it.

Heart of the Storm - Drd 7, Sor/Wiz 7, Air 7

Requires the heart of a Djinni, suspended for 1 day / HD of the recipient in the winds of an Air Elemental whose HD equals her character level. The Air Elemental suffers the loss of 1 HD of potency / day, which can only be restored at spells end by a Heal spell or greater magics, usually requiring it to be bound or compelled in some way. Cure Wounds spells only cure this damage if cast by a Cleric with access to the Domain of Air. The heart can never suffer the touch of matter, not earth, nor even flesh, until it settles within the recipients chest, or it is ruined, and some form of magic, such as Mage Hand, must be used to place it into the chest of its recipient, or it can be lowered into the chest by the winds of the Elemental who has been holding it. The recipient himself must be suspended above the earth at the time of implantation, not touching earth, stone, metal, bone (save his own, obviously) or wood, usually by some form of magical levitation.

Heart of the Sea - Drd 7, Sor/Wiz 7, Water 7

Requires the heart of a Marid, which must be immersed within a Water Elemental whose HD equals his character level for days equal to his character level. The Water Elemental suffers 1 pt of temporary Con damage / day, which cannot be restored until the spell ends, and even then only by magic. The heart must remain soaked at all times, and the recipients chest must be immersed in sea-water (although her head may remain above water) as the heart is implanted.

Heart of Scale - Sor/Wiz 7

Requires the heart of a dragon of the appropriate sort, of the same size as the donor (meaning, in most cases, a Wyrmling to Young dragon), but steeped within the blood of a larger dragon of the same species for 1 month / character level of the recipient. The 'blood donor' dragon must have HD equal to or greater than the character level of the recipient, and loses a single point of Con in blood loss, although this is only temporary ability damage, and restores naturally or magically at normal rates. The heart must be sealed within a coffer of crystal, which is them filled with treasure, gold and gemstones worth at least 100 gp / level of the recipient, so that coins and stones surround the heart on all sides, covering it and concealing it completely from view. When decanted, many months later, the treasure is gone, having been dissolved away by the blood, which is now thickened like a combination of gelatin, foil and flesh, and must be carefully sliced away with a jewelled mithral dagger, and then lifted with richly manufactered tongs of precious metals, also studded with gemstones, to be placed within the chest of the recipient. It can never know the touch of any item not of masterwork quality and precious composition.