Deus, Fidelis Servus (3.5e Epic Spell)

I will forever remember that day.

''I was just a boy. I didn't realize what I was looking at or what precisely was going on. But still, I will never forget that day.''

''I remember that the sun lingered in the sky, even though the clock tower told that it was an hour past midnight. My mother and father were worried, I could tell, and even though they had tried to put me to sleep, they didn't protest when I got up a few minutes later.''

I remember that there was a gathering in the square, where two strange men stood.

''The first man was tall and wore golden armor, a golden chain around his neck. He gave me a sense of immense power. As I looked on, an instinct, a fear, rose up within me, telling me to run before this all-powerful being reached out and destroyed this entire town. Yet, I also sensed frustration and forced restraint radiate from this man, relaying the idea that, even though he wished to lash out, doing so was utterly impossible for him.''

''The other man was small and wrapped in a black wool cloak. His eyes were milky and must have been blind, while his face was infinitely weathered. Scars and wrinkles encased every inch of his face, and while I did not exactly feel power emanating from the man, something in his manner, the tilt of his head or the squint of those white eyes, told me that he was utterly determined, and nothing would stand in his way for long.''

As the crowd watched, the man of power knelt before the man of determination, to audible murmurs from the sleepy masses.

''I learned later that the golden man was Helios, god of the sun, and the sun lingering in the sky was a demonstration of his power. I also learned that the man in black wool was unknown to all the world before that day. He would go on to be immortalized by the name "God Slaver".''

''No one ever learned anything about God Slaver. All he was ever remarked as doing was enslaving a deity and walking him around the world. Maybe this was to illustrate what he could do, but to what end? After all, he didn't even seek to extend his lifespan, though such must have been in his power. He died only a few years after his tour concluded, passing into myth and spawning a thousand thousand adventurers who lusted after the spell which had given him his name.''

''Of those thousand thousand adventurers, only one has actually found his work: I, myself, hold his notes in my hands. Now that I see the work, however, I despair to ever use it.''

From what I see now, God Slaver only managed to enslave a deity, because he was already more powerful than one.

Deus, Fidelis Servus is one of a series of spells known as "elder spells". An elder spell is a type of epic spell which is so far beyond what any spellcaster could reasonably achieve, that they are actually categorized as something else entirely. In fact, there is even some open questioning among magical authorities as to why any elder spell was ever made, as even getting to the place where you could cast one, makes you so powerful that you could do anything even without casting it.

There are stories that, some day, in the distant future, some great calamity will befall our world, beyond even what our greatest defenders would be able to fathom, and that those who create elder spells are simply stockpiling weapons for our use for when that happens. Others believe that the elder spell is the goal in and of itself, for they tend to be mind-bogglingly impressive. A few others believe that there is some secret society which works in the Far Realms, and, to earn membership, one must create a spell worthy of the title "elder spell". There are more theories still, but I suppose you aren't here to hear about them.

Deus, Fidelis Servus is a spell which allows it's caster to enslave a god to their will forever.

Researching the spell alone requires 25 millions gold pieces (which, for those curious, would weigh 250 tons) of research equipment, as well as the expenditure of 1 million experience points (meaning you are likely at least level 46) over 500 days. You must also succeed on a DC 2778 Spellcraft check, which is the truly mind-bending part. After this has been done, the actual casting of the spell takes place in a ritual lasting 100 days which uses up 19,900 more experience points. You must also have some kind of chain to use as the focus of this spell.

Of course, gods don't enjoy being enslaved, so, the instant you start casting this spell, you are in danger of being attacked by a god. For this reason, the spell actually includes a safeguard, which prevents you from being observed or even detected by any divination spell cast by a creature with a divine rank, or any agent of such a creature. Other spellcasters can still divine your whereabouts, so be aware.

During the casting of the spell, you must specify which god in particular you will enslave. Once the spell concludes, that god must make a Will save (DC 60 + your spellcasting ability) or be teleported to your location, bound by the chain which was used as the focus for the spell, and then becomes irresistibly forced to obey your will, until you die. The deity does not receive spell resistance nor any immunity which it would usually enjoy from it's divine rank. After the spell is complete, the chain is superficial, though, of the few who have ever actually cast this spell, the majority have kept it on their slave as a symbol.

If the god succeeds on the save, it immediately becomes aware of your existence and what you have tried to do. The spell persists in obscuring your presences from any attempt to divine your location, even if the save is successful, so, while a deity might be hunting you now, you aren't in instant danger.

Now keep in mind that you can enslave any god, but, if the god's alignment differs from your own, it becomes more easy for them resist your will. Specifically, if they have a different alignment than you on either the good-evil axis or the law-chaos axis, they get +20 to their saving throw. Further, if their alignment differs from yours on both the good-evil and law-chaos axis, they receive +40 on their saving throw.

Focus: A chain for your new servant to wear.

XP Cost: 19,900 xp