Borrowed Life (3.5e Spell)

Author: Zhenra-Khal (talk) Date Created: 9/27/2016 Status: Complete Editing: Clarity edits only please

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Borrowed Life

Necromancy (Summoning) [Evil]
Level:	Sorcerer/Wizard 2, Cleric 3, Blackguard 4, Druid 3
Components:	V, S, XP, see text
Casting time:	2d4+2 rounds
Range:	5 feet
Target:	One humanoid, monstrous humanoid, giant, animal or magical beast.
Duration:	1d4+1 days, plus 1 per caster level
Saving Throw:	Will Negates (Harmless)
Spell Resistance:	Yes

This spell is a primitive form of resurrection, infusing the body with necromantic force, animating it, and calling the person's spirit back to possess the body. If they don't want to be raised, they can use a Will save to negate the spell, but not the caster's sacrifice (See Special).

This spell only works on humanoid, monstrous humanoid, animal, magical beast and giant creatures, and the HD of the creature in question cannot exceed the caster's caster level. The creature can have been dead no more than a day; Beyond that point, the body is too decayed for this spell to function properly (It instead raises them as a medium Zombie that dies at the end of the spell's duration). If these conditions are not met, the spell fails completely.

A creature so raised in this manner counts as Undead for the purposes of spells and effects (Including being Turned/Rebuked), in addition to their original types and subtypes; They cannot be healed by any means, suffer a -4 penalty to Constitution, Charisma, attack rolls and skill checks, and all of their movement speeds are reduced by half, to a minimum of 5 feet, and they are Fatigued, bypassing any immunity to fatigue; However, they gain a Deflection bonus to AC equal to 1 + 1/2 the caster's CL for the duration of the spell. The creature raised has 5 HP per point of Con the caster sacrificed upon casting (See Special).

If they had spells, they lose any they had prepared/remaining for the day, but can regain them normally; However, when they cast a spell, there is a percentage chance that the spell will fail equal to 10% per spell level, in addition to arcane spell failure from armor, if applicable. The creature loses 1d4+1 HP each day, until the last day of the spell, upon which is loses any remaining HP.

For the duration of the spell, the creature speaks only Celestial (If good), Abyssal (If Chaotic Evil), Infernal (If Lawful Evil), Ignan (If the Fire Subtype), Aquan (if the Water subtype), Auran (If the Air subtype), Terran (If the Earth subtype), or their racial language (Elven for Elves, etc. and Common for Humans), unless Tongues or a similar spell is cast on them. (Those that fit multiple categories can choose which language to use.)

Once the pseudo-zombie dies again at the end of the spell, the spell cannot be used on them by the same caster for 3d4 days, and of course, the 1-day-since-death rule still applies. If the spell's target receives a Raise Dead or similar spell before the spell is over, the spell ends and the character can avoid losing a level/Constitution/XP by succeeding on a successful Fortitude save vs. the spell used to return them fully to life (The subject uses their reduced Con score for this save), with a bonus on the save equal to +1 per remaining day of duration of the Borrowed Life, and takes a penalty equal to -1 for each day they've already spent as a pseudo-zombie.

Special: As part of the casting, the caster must sacrifice his own blood, dealing 1 Con damage to himself per HD of the creature to be raised (If the caster is immune to ability damage, the spell fails, but the XP is still lost). This ability damage cannot be healed by any means as long as the spell is active. The blood must fall on or otherwise end up on the target creature (Can be done with a ranged touch attack). If this damage would reduce the caster to 0 Con, this occurs (In addition to the XP loss) AND the spell only lasts 1d4+1 rounds. The creature raised has 5 HP per point of Con sacrificed. Each day, when the pseudo-zombie loses 1d4+1 HP, one point of the Con damage the caster took upon casting becomes eligible to be healed, via rest or spells, but the rest remains unavailable until the next day or the spell ends.

XP Cost: 1d4+1x10 XP per HD of the creature to be raised.

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