Node Affinity Feat

[Katdoral]

Node Affinity Feat:
Requirements: Caster Level 1st, and must obtain GM permission.

When this feat is taken, it must be specified if it relates to arcane or divine spellcasting. This feat allows for taking control of an earth, or similiar, node. With this feat, all of the below is available.  Without it, barring exceptional circumstances, accessing the power of a node is impossible  (with the exception of boosting caster levels within the area of influence of the node, as described below.).

Acquiring a Node:

Taking control of a node requires an attribute check (That attribute being your primary casting attribute) equal to the listed node's class maximum DC.  This check is performed after 1 hour of concentration while physically in sight of the node you are attempting to take control of.  You can only attempt to take control of a node once in any 24 hour period.  If the node is currently controlled, then the current controller of the node can contest the attempt.  The above process is identical, except as follows:  The owner does not need to be within sight of the node, nor do they need 1 hour of concentration.  Both parties must meet the node's class DC on their attribute check, if either gets below that threshold they forfeit their attempt to contest and the other, provided it exceeded the node's class DC, succeeds.  If both fail in the their attribute check, the node remains controlled by the original owner.  If both succeed in their attribute check, then the highest check gains control of the node.  In the event of a tie, the original owner retains control.  

Nodes of Power

Class	Node DC	Width, Min Feet	Width, Max Feet	Dia, Min Feet	Dia, Max Feet
1	10	5	30	10	60
2	15	10	40	40	160
3	20	20	80	120	480
4	25	30	120	240	960
5	30	40	160	400	1600
6	35	50	200	600	2400
7	40	60	240	860	3440
8	45	70	280	1000	4000
9	50	80	320	1400	5600
10	55	90	360	1800	7200

1) Bonus to effective caster level.

Regardless of who controls a node, anyone can attempt an attribute check (That attribute is your primary casting attribute) with a DC of the node's DC plus the level of the spell to gain a caster level bonus equal to the node's class rank.  However, if this check fails, the spellcaster must wait 24 hours to attempt this again.  If it succeeds, they may continue to utilize the power of the node until they fail.  Additionally, a spellcaster can always attempt to use less of the power available from the node, with a lower DC.  As an example; A class 5 node could instead be treated as a class 1 node, with the appropriate DC of a class 1, if that is all the spellcaster wanted to raise their caster level by.


2) Bonus Spells.


Nodes, if controlled, can bestow a number of spells equal to their class to a spellcaster, with a maximum spell level also equal to the node's class.  Each node is further associated with a school of magic, further limiting these bonus spells to that specific school. This effect applies if within the area of influence of a node, otherwise it is 1 additional spell of the appropriate school (In cases where bonus spells are prepared and then the area of influence is left, all but 1 of the bonus spells are inaccesable until within the area of influence again.).

3) Bonus Attributes.


While in the area of effect of a node, if controlled, spellcasters get a bonus to their primary spellcasting attribute score equal to the node's class.  If outside the area of effect of a node, if controlled, spellcasters get a +1 bonus to their primary spellcasting attribute score.  These bonuses have no type, and therefore will stack with themselves as well as any other sources.

4) Spell Save DC's.


While in the area of effect of a node, if controlled, spellcasters get a bonus to their spell save DC's equal to the node's class of the schoool associated with that node.  If outside the area of effect of a node, if controlled, spellcasters get a +1 bonus to the spell save DC's of the school associated with that node.  These bonuses have nno type, and therefore will stack with themselves as well
as any other sources.

Important:


While nodes do have a physical manifestation within the world, they cannot be moved.  Attempting to do so, or otherwise damaging a node is very dangerous.  Attempts to move a node physically, by any method, automatically detonate, and destroys, the node, causing 100d12 per class level to the entire area of the node's influence.  Damage done to a node has a percentage chance, equal to the damage dealt, of resulting in the same effect.  In addition, any effect that alters a node's physical component, up to and including disintigration, automatically results in detonation.  Barring divine intervention, the only reasonably safe method of destroying a node is through disjunction.  However, treat the node as an artifact, and all possible ramifications, with a caster level of 10 times the node's class level.  Nodes are otherwise immune to dispelling effects.

[Sardinal]

we're gonna have to talk about this. Is there a specific reason it needs to be this over powered? By giving it distinct bonuses to DC's, bonus spells, and Ability scores you are effectively doubling down on the bonus spells and DC's.

A wizard attuned to a level 6 node gets six bonus spells + bonus spells from having an INT score that is 6 higher as well as a +9 (NINE!!??!!??!!) to DC's, 6 from the node and 3 from the nodes bonus to his INT. This is EXTREME. This is wildly more powerful than circle magic and circle magic requires both a feat and a specifically designed prestige class to access. If there is a plot device that requires this level of power, that is one thing. Just unleashing this on the three worlds seems dangerous, however. Every caster in the world would be hunting down nodes and fighting over them. These are considerably more powerful than leylines and nexus points, circle magic, and the standard fearun version of nodes.

Also, what exactly are these nodes. Are they features of the world the game is being played on or all three? A result of the magical catastrophe that afflicted that world or natural?

[Sardinal]

also not to nitpick, but since the roll to take control of a node is an Intelligence check, the higher level nodes are impossible to control. Is that on purpose? For example, a level 10 node requires and Int check with a DC of 55. Sardinal, who i assume is the most INT heavy character in the three worlds atm, only has a +25 with gear. with a Nat 20 he could take control of a level 8 node, but 9 and 10 are impossible. Likely for anyone, if he cant do it. most of our epic characters would have trouble taking over a class 5 or 6. 7 and above are likely impossible for them.

[Katdoral]

Well, bear in mind that, with the exception of spell casting level within the area of influence, controlling a node is fairly difficult. The Intelligence check for a class 6 node for instance is a DC 35, meaning they'd have to have an INT modifier of at least 15 before they could even have a chance to control it. As for the bonuses, yes, it is extreme, but only so within the area of influence of the node itself. (still using a class 6 node, that means within a maximum diameter of 2400 feet.) Outside of that area of influence, regardless of the node class level, it's a +1.

That being said, there are specific plot related reasons for their power level (which I would rather not divulge this early). As for the nodes themselves, while they do exist on all three worlds, they are few and far between on (As well as relatively low as far as class level goes.)Severall and Katrall. I'd imagined that there weren't more then a couple dozen between those two worlds. The nodes were the primary reason for the massive alteration of Theyllus. For whatever reason, Theyllus did have more of these nodes, but most were destroyed long ago. So in answer, they are naturally occuring, but extremely rare.

[Katdoral]

LOL, whoops. I sort of left out a rather important sentence concerning bonus spells. That has been corrected.