This is all fantastic, thank you all!
if something is possible to do and it has benefit then we’d expect someone to do it. So why isn’t it being done in your world?
I like this. I can see a wise old fella who has studied the forbidden arts for her whole life and realized this knowledge should never be shared. After all, casting a spell from upper level does have consequences.
So my concern is that if we start adding Rank 4 spells, it will inevitably lead to fighter PCs wanting Rank 4 in their Talents. Then after a few weeks it will be Rank 5. And then it is a slippery slope to the game becoming something different than what it set out to be.
My understanding is that the character would learn a rank 4 spell with a profession rank at level 3, which is the maximum. By doing so, they are forced to have a mishap every time they cast a spell from a rank higher than their profession rank. I do agree there has to be a limit, after all the players are meant to be nobody. One of the main characters in the Raven's purge book does a pact with a demon in exchange of power, which makes her lose something very important, and the spells are barely rank 2 and 3. Something like that seems good to me, with higher degree of course.
This gives the GM and players a great and meaningful story arc if they wish to take it, a quest for the Messiah or something along those lines, probably a very dangerous and demanding journey. I feel like potentially you could also award Rank 4 talents if player's did something absolutely extraordinary with their skills, like something that altered the world significantly.
100%. It does focus the whole campaign to that, and forces everybody to follow the same path to help a single individual, which can end good or bad.
I have been thinking in some concepts for rank 4.
- Healing: regrowing/reattaching limbs. Some restrictions may apply, like you need the part of the body that has been cut in order to "glue" it back.
- Shapeshifting: intelligent being. You become half animal half kin, or you are an animal with your mental capacity. Ultimate blend between both realms.
- Awareness: Time shift. What would you do if you could shift back a single minute?
- Symbolism: I'm a bit short here. Some sort of a very powerful rune.
- Stone Song: I feel construction would be the theme here. I am aware there are already construction spells but, can you imagine creating a whole mountain or a palace?
- Blood: Demons. I can not thing of anything different here. We have the BIND DEMON spell, but it has its limitations. Maybe it can be the secret spell the rust brothers use to grow limbs to their members, it can be the spell to become a demon, or let a demon posses you.
- Death: It would be really cool if you can become ethereal.