View source for SRD:Crown of Vermin

{{OGL Top}}
{{3.5e Epic Spell
| name=Crown of Vermin
| school=Conjuration
| subschool=Summoning
| sdc=56  
| comp=V, S  
| time=1 minute  
| range=Personal  
| tsea=e 
| subj=Aura of one thousand insects that surrounds you in a 10-ft.-radius spread  
| dur=20 rounds (D)  
| save=None (see text)  
| sr=No  
| todev=504,000 gp; 11 days; 20,160 XP. Seeds: ''[[SRD:Summon (Epic Spell Seed)|summon]]'' ([[SRD:DC|DC]] 14), ''[[SRD:Fortify (Epic Spell Seed)|fortify]]'' ([[SRD:DC|DC]] 17). Factors: summon [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]] mass instead of one creature (ad hoc +8 [[SRD:DC|DC]]), grant [[SRD:Damage Reduction|damage reduction]] 1/epic (+15 [[SRD:DC|DC]]), allow mass to move at your speed (ad hoc +2 [[SRD:DC|DC]]), perfect control of [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]] (ad hoc +2 [[SRD:DC|DC]]). Mitigating factor: change range to personal (–2 [[SRD:DC|DC]]).  
}}

After casting ''crown of [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]],'' one thousand venomous, biting and stinging spiders, scorpions, beetles, and centipedes erupt from the very air around the character. This swarm forms a living aura around the character to a radius of 10 feet. The character is immune to his or her own ''crown of [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]]''. The swarm goes where the character goes at his or her speed, even if the character takes to the air or water (though water drowns the [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]] after 1 full [[SRD:Round|round]] of immersion, unless the spell is cast underwater, in which case aquatic or marine [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]] answer the call and cannot leave the water). Each [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]] in the ''crown of [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]]'' bites a creature who enters the area occupied by the effect (or the character forces the effect into an area occupied by another creature) for 1 point of damage, and then dies. Each victim takes enough points of damage to kill it, destroying that number of [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]] in the process. Victims get a [[SRD:Saving Throw|Reflex]] [[SRD:Saving Throw|saving throw]] each [[SRD:Round|round]] to avoid the full press, and if successful, take only 10d10 bites (and 10d10 points of damage). A total of 1,000 points of damage can be dealt to those who fall prey to the ''crown of vermi''n. The [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]] have [[SRD:Damage Reduction|damage reduction]] 1/epic, so the [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]]’s [[SRD:Natural Weapons|natural weapons]] are treated as epic for the purpose of overcoming [[SRD:Damage Reduction|damage reduction]]. If there aren’t enough [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]] to kill all the creatures in the spell’s effect, the creature with the fewest [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]] is affected first, then the creature with the second fewest [[SRD:Hit Points|hit points]], and so on. After all creatures that can be killed have been killed, any remaining damage is distributed among the survivors equally.  

The character has utter control over the [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]] in his or her aura, and can force them into areas that would normally deter common [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]]. The character can completely suppress his or her [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]] aura as a [[SRD:Free Actions|free action]] so that no [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]] are visible at all. The time that [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]] are suppressed does not count toward the spell’s duration. Alternatively, the character can roughly shape and move the [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]] in any fashion he or she desires within the limits of the 10-foot-radius spread as a move-equivalent action. The [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]] cannot be wrested from the character’s control through any means. The [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]] make all [[SRD:Saving Throw|saving throws]] to avoid damaging effects using the character’s base [[SRD:Saving Throw|saving throw]] bonuses. They gain the character’s Special Ability[[SRD:Spell Resistance and Spell Immunity#Spell Resistance (Ex)|Spell Resistance]], if any, and they get [[SRD:Saving Throw|saving throws]] against [[SRD:Casting Spells|spells]] that would otherwise automatically slay [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]]. A character can see through his or her ''crown of [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]]'' without difficulty, but gains one-half [[SRD:Concealment|concealment]] against enemy attacks launched both outside and within the character’s ''crown of [[SRD:Vermin Type|vermin]]''.  

{{SRD Epic Spell Footer}}
School	Conjuration +
Spellcraft DC	56 +
Subschool	Summoning +
Title	Crown of Vermin +