Mylsibis's Arcane Contention

A wizard who unleashes Mylsibis's arcane contention enters a magical duel of extreme efficacy and catastrophic effect with another wizard. The arcane contention creates twin phantasmal creatures of awesome size (which seem real to all others), controlled by the participating wizards.

The challenge is issued when one wizard casts this spell, initiating a complex series of formal responses. The challenge can be issued to any wizard within range, regardless of intervening barriers of any type. The spell fails if a specialist mage is challenged.

If the challenge is accepted, the challenged wizard is immediately compelled to cast at least 10 spell levels of spells or his own arcane contention spell. These spells are absorbed to power the contention; none of their normal effects manifest in any way. When the challenged wizard's casting is complete, the arcane contention proper is joined.

A challenged wizard who does not wish to meet the challenger must make a saving throw vs. spell to avoid being drawn into the contention. Wizards of less than 12th level automatically make their saving throws against the spell if they so choose. Failure to save draws in the challenged wizard and the required spells must be cast.

Once the arcane contention proper begins, both wizards become immobile and absolutely vulnerable. Typically, each wizard will be in friendly territory or have magical defenses prepared. Each wizard chooses a monster type to represent him in the battle. Any monster can be chosen, as long as it is one the wizard has studied in detail. The monster need not be of the wizard's alignment, but it cannot be a unique being or a specific individual.

Once both wizards have selected a “champion monster,” the apparently real champions form at 10 times the creatures' normal size (this affects size, Hit Dice, and other applicable factors by a factor of 10; however, damage per attack is but three times normal). Hit points are rolled for the monsters, and 2 hit points are added to each monster's total for each level of the controlling wizard (an 18th-level wizard adds 36 points to the champion monster).

Each champion monster is identical to the stock from which it is envisioned, including special abilities, special defenses, magic resistance, Intelligence, immunities, and so on. In addition, the champion can cast spells as its controller, using the wizard's actual memorized spells, except Mylsibis's arcane contention. The magical champions damage only each other, regardless of attack form, and take damage only from the opposing champion.

The champion monsters do battle under the direction of the controlling wizards. All movement, attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, etc., are made exactly as they would be in a normal battle. Players should keep track of how many points of damage their monsters take in combat.

During the battle, each wizard must maintain concentration, or lose control of his champion during the interruption. An “uncontrolled” champion can attack only physically (no spell use). Neither champion can use spells or physical movement to leave the battlefield; neither can willingly move out of sight of the opposing champion or either of the controlling wizards. The battle ends when one champion is slain by the other.

The wizards can affect their champions during the contention in the following ways:

Expend Hit Points: The wizard can transfer his own hit points directly into his champion on a one-for-one basis; this includes hit points received from magical healing. (Note: The heal spell and other methods of restoring all hit points at once will not restore any hit points during the arcane contention.)

Expend Ability Score Points: The wizard can increase the damage done by any attack of his champion at a rate of 1 point per point of any ability score expended (Strength, Intelligence, etc.). No score can be reduced below zero; if any score is at zero at the end of the battle, the wizard dies. Expended ability score points return at the rate of 1 point per ability below normal for every two rounds.

Expend Magical Item Charges: The wizard can expending charges from his magical items. Each charge can either add 1 to the champion's hit point total, or increase the damage done in one attack by 1 hit point.

Magical Healing: Any healing that the wizard receives during the contention may optionally be applied to his champion, with the exception of a heal spell.

Healing Limits: No more hit points can be added to a champion once it has received twice its original number of hit points.

Example: A wizard with 56 hit points increases the hit point total of his champion (currently at 200 hit points) by 40 hit points. The wizard's new total will be 16 hit points, and the champion's new total will be 240. The wizard also has a Strength of 16 and a Constitution of 17. If the champion monster is directed to cast a fireball spell that would normally do 67 points damage, the wizard may opt to reduce both his Strength and Constitution scores by 10 (to 6 and 7, respectively) and have the champion inflict 87 points of damage (save for half). Much later, the champion is severely wounded and has but 42 hit points remaining. The wizard drinks a potion of extra-healing and opts to use half of the 20 hit points he gains to heal himself, bringing his total up to 26 hit points, and the champion's hit point total up to 52.

When the battle is concluded, both phantasms vanish, and the losing wizard takes 10% of the damage his champion suffered (no saving throw), and loses from memory all the spells his champion cast during the battle.

The victor loses 5% of the damage his champion suffered, but does not lose any spells from his memory (besides an expended Mylsibis arcane contention, of course). The victor also gains an experience points bonus equal to half the experience point value of the vanquished wizard.

Any enemies of the victor under 2 Hit Dice who viewed the battle must make morale checks or suffer the effect of a fear spell, and those of 2+to 4 Hit Dice must make saving throws vs. spell or suffer from the effects of a scare spell. Those friendly to the victor gain a bonus of +1 to their morale for the battle.

Notes: Very rare spell; barred to specialists. Known to be in Mylsibis's Codex of Contention. (Updated from Dragon Magazine.)