Extending Burnout spell

In my last blog post, I had, among other things, Burnout Spell. I’m going to repost it here with some minor changes.

Burnout Spell [Wizard]
Requirements: 3 metamagic feats

When you cast a spell, you can force incredible power into the spell at a huge cost. As part of the action of casting a spell, you can add an amount of metamagic no more than 1/2 your caster level. This metamagic does not increase the spell slot used for the spell, nor does it increase the casting time for casting it spontaneously. The DC of the spell is as if it were cast from your highest level spell slot, and even a direct counterspell requires a caster level check (DC 11 + your caster level, but all spells that act as Dispel Magic take a -10 penalty to the caster level check when countering or dispelling any spell).

When you do this, the spell slot is burned out. Burned out spell slots cannot be recovered by any method short of deific intervention. Casting a Burnout spell requires incredible focus, and a creature under a [Fear], [Charm], or [Compulsion] effect cannot use a Burnout Spell.

What I hope to accomplish by extending this is a path where casters can burn their permanent power for power now. This is a trope that comes up often, and while D&D doesn’t like permanent power losses, the idea is that it should always be the player’s decision. In this group are feats that give players more ways to burn out spells (lose them permanently), gain further benefits for burning out spells, and have outs if they burn out all of their spells. Ways of burning out spells without feats will be in other posts.

Many weaker casters are willing to take ungodly risks to be able to amass infinite power. Burnout spell is the most controlled one, because while a caster can Burnout their slots that they have, if they manage to become stronger casters, this feat can never take their future, because of the discipline that it takes to do this in the first place. However, there are more drastic measures, ones that can remove a caster’s future while bringing power now.

Final Spell [Wizard]
Requirements: Endurance. Caster level 1

If you fall below 0 hp, even if the effect would kill you, you can as a free action cast a spell with a casting time of no longer than 1 standard action. If you do so, the spell slot that you used is burned out. Also, your primary casting stat is reduced by 1 for the purposes of the highest level spell you can cast and bonus spell slots for a high casting stat. Any spell slots lost this way are also burned out. You must be able to cast spells of a specific level if you have any penalties from this feat before you gain any spell slots of that level.

Burned out spell slots (and the effective casting stat reduction) cannot be recovered by any method short of deific intervention. This feat counts as Diehard for any feat or class prerequisites, and if you gain Diehard as a bonus feat, you can take this feat instead if you qualify.

Suppressive Cast [Wizard]
Requirements: Caster level 1

When you cast a spell, you can burn out this spell slot and one spell slot at least 2 levels higher that you have already used or cannot yet cast from (Casters that use the bard or ranger casting progression instead burn out a spell at least 1 level higher), even if you are not high enough level to cast from that slot.
Against each creature, roll for spell penetration 3 times, taking the highest roll. Each creature must roll their saving throw 3 times, taking the lowest roll. You can only burn out a number of slots you don’t have equal to the number of spell slots you would gain when you first gain that spell level. For example, a 4th level Sorcerer with 18 Charisma that cast a 2nd level spell with this could burn out 4 4th level slots before he’d have to use higher level slots.

Burned out spell slots cannot be recovered by any method short of deific intervention.

Taking risks of burning out spell slots while bringing forth the power that the caster needed at the time, there is the issue of not having that power later. These next few feats give more avenue for burning out slots for generic power, but also add more power for the spells you’ve already burned out.

Spell Guide [Wizard]
Requirements: 1 burned out spell
While you have burned out spells, all spells gain +1 to hit, and increases by +1 for every 5 levels of burned out spells. Spells also gain +1 to caster level checks for spell penetration for every 10 levels of burned out spells.

Spell Reverie [Wizard]
Requirements: 1 burned out spell
When you burn out a spell, you gain DR/- equal to twice the spell level you burned out for 24 hours. If you are already under the effect of this, you can extend it by 24 hours instead of replacing the effect. You must be able to cast from the spell slot burned out to gain this effect.

Threads of life [Wizard]
Requirements: 1 burned out spell
As a free action, you can burn out a spell slot to gain temporary hit points equal to 5 times the slot’s level, as well as heal a number of hit points equal to twice the number of spell slots you have burned out, including this one. This can be done in response to a caster taking enough damage to be knocked out or even killed. If it’s used in this way, the healing is applied before determining whether the caster is knocked out or killed, although the temporary hit points are applied afterwards.

Blessed Until the End
Requirements: Spontaneously cast cure spells, 1st level divine spells, 1 burned out spell

When you cast a divine spell, you can burn out the spell to heal an amount of damage equal to all of your burned out spell levels to all targets of the spell. Multiply this by 5 if the spell is single-target. If you are already casting a Conjuration(Healing) spell, all targets also gain an amount of temporary hit points equal to the amount healed that last for 1 hour.

If the target spell is empowered, multiply this effect by 1.5, and if it is maximized, multiply this effect by 2. This is considered a Positive Energy effect, although it has no effect on Undead.

Special: If you have the Healing or Protection domain, you can burn out any spell slot, not necessarily the one that you cast from.

Hopeless Dispel
Requirements: Can cast Dispel magic or a spell based off of Dispel Magic, 1 burned out spell

When you cast Dispel Magic (or a spell that references Dispel Magic), you can burn out the spell slot. If you do so, instead of rolling 1d20 for the dispel check, you can roll 2d10 + 1d10 for every 10 levels of burned out spells (including this slot).

Unlike Dispel Magic, this gains benefits from Empower and Maximize spell.

All but the most foolish realize that burning through every spell is a high-risk endeavor. Most have their retirement plans in order, but a few find that they are still needed, and that the world will not be kind, even though they do not have their powers. This training pushes to be a last hope for these casters.

Faint Energy [Wizard]
Requirements: At least 6 levels of burnt out spells

The caster purifies himself and vows never to reach to those depths of powers again. While the spell slots will never return, this allows for some healing. For every 6 levels of burnt out spells that you could otherwise cast, you gain 1 level worth of spell slots, divided how you wish (you can regain 2 0th level spells with 1 spell level). You make this decision when you gain this feat. If you burn out spell slots for any reason, any spell levels you gain from this feat are automatically burned out (as well as any other costs), and you lose access to this feat. Once you have 24 hours, you can retrain into any other feat. These spell slots do not count towards your total level of burned out slots after the initial event that burns out your spell slots.

You cannot retrain into this feat, and this feat cannot be granted by Psychic Reformation, though you can take this feat again even if you lost the feat.

Drained Reserves [Wizard]
Requirements: At least 1 reserve feat, all spell slots burned out

You may treat all of your burned out spell slots as spell slots 2 levels lower prepared with any spell that you wish for the purposes of reserve feats.

Special: If you have Faint Energy, you can still take this feat, but using any reserve feats with burned out slots disrupts that feat as if you burned out a spell slot. You gain no other benefits from burning out a spell slot.

Ingenuity of the Weave [Wizard]
Requirements: All spell slots Burned out

The total spell level of burned out spells can be split and applied as competence bonuses to skills. You may add no more than twice your character level + your mythic rank to any one skill. Gaining spell slots later surpesses these bonuses until you have burned out your spell slots again (and then you can add the new spells to the bonuses).

Special: You can take this feat alongside Faint Energy, and gain the benefit of both feats, even though Faint Energy grants non-burned out spell slots.