To Develop: 450,000 gp; 9 days; 18,000 XP. Seed:
summon (DC 14).
Factors: summon CR 31 creature (+58 DC), allow creature to possess body and act at its own discretion (ad hoc -20 DC), 1-action
casting time (+20 DC).
Mitigating factors: 12d6 backlash (-12 DC), burn 1,000 XP (-10 DC).
The character is possessed by a
dream larva. For 20 rounds, the
dream larva's body physically replaces the character's, though the
dream larva has the character's equipment. The
dream larva is free to call on all its own powers and abilities, or use the character's equipment. The character's consciousness and physical form are suppressed for the
duration of the possession. The character has no way to dismiss the spell, communicate, or otherwise maintain awareness once possession has commenced. The
dream larva, temporarily freed from its
imprisonment in some distant
nightmare, will attempt to slay and incapacitate any creature it can see or find, whether it is a friend or foe of the caster. Casting
lord of nightmares entails some risk for the caster, since it's unknown what a
dream larva might do over the course of 20 rounds. The larva will dispatch all enemies it can find before turning to its own concerns. Sometimes a
dream larva will attempt to place itself in a dangerous or precarious situation prior to the end of the spell, leaving the caster to extricate him or herself. If the
dream larva is slain during the
duration of the spell, the character's consciousness is instantly restored to aware-ness within his or her own body. The character's
condition remains what it was when he or she completed casting
lord of nightmares, regardless of what
damage the
dream larva received. However, magic item charges used, potions consumed, and other physical resources used up by the
dream larva are permanent.