Magic Jar Question

[mindcontrolsquid]

I can't find a definitive answer for this anywhere: do magic-users retain their spellcasting capabilities if they possess a body via a magic jar spell? Or are they stuck with whatever magical ability is native to the possessed subject (most likely none, unless possessing another magic-user)?

[Red Baron]

Magic Jar is by far the most powerful spell in the 3LBBs even without retention of magic-using ability.

I rule it like this:

-The magic-user retains his level and is therefore able to memorize high level spells and cast spells as if he were a high level.
-However, the magic-user only may memorize as many spells as the possessed victim is able to memorize (if any).

Two items allow magic-users to overcome such difficulties when possessing a body through a magic jar spell:

Affixable Ancillary Brains: Stacks of brains harvested from 11th level magic-users and alien psionic creatures are riveted together in a framework of bone. The magic user interfaces his neural strings to those of the additional brains, granting him one additional space for storing spells, enough additional hardware to employ several sets of new sensory organs should he choose to affix these to his person (sensory organs not included), and the capacity to learn one additional language.

IOUN stones: IOUN stones function as additional brain cavities, and are considered by many magic-users a far more elegant and aesthetic solution than appending additional brains to their own. Such a device allows a magic user to imprint spells within, whereupon they will hang suspended around the magic user’s head until the spell is cast. An unimprinted IOUN stone will absorb the first spell cast at its possessor, and then finishes its total gravitational implosion, permanently destroying the spell. If you use spell levels, each IOUN stone has a different color corresponding to the spell level they work for. If you don't use spell levels, each IOUN stone is a translucent white until imbued with spells whereupon they change color corresponding to the spell stored within.

All (non-lawful?) NPC magic-users able to cast a magic-jar spell will have a magic-jar in their possession; an inconspicuous item that is exceptionally difficult to destroy and enchanted with additional protections.

[mindcontrolsquid]

A novel and delightfully gruesome solution; the thought of high-level magic-users locked in a never-ending struggle to harvest each others' brains is appealing in a ghoulish sort of way. Though I personally think that a magic-user would consider virtual immortality to be an acceptable tradeoff for the loss of their spellcasting capabilities.

I do like that the spell encourages such creative thinking. It lends itself to many adventure possibilities...

[jcstephens]

Feb 13, 2016 10:17:59 GMT -6 mindcontrolsquid said:

A novel and delightfully gruesome solution; the thought of high-level magic-users locked in a never-ending struggle to harvest each others' brains is appealing in a ghoulish sort of way. Though I personally think that a magic-user would consider virtual immortality to be an acceptable tradeoff for the loss of their spellcasting capabilities.

I do like that the spell encourages such creative thinking. It lends itself to many adventure possibilities...

That just went into my Carcosa notebook.

[mgtremaine]

Limitations on spell casting might have been/ might be a good way to handle this spell. I agree it is by far the most powerful spell and was abused heavily in all the OLD od&d / ad&d games I played back in the day. I won't even go into all the exploits I've seen on this one.

-Mike