Campaign Design - Spells: Curse of Terror

Curse of Terror (adapted from Relics & Rituals)
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Fear, Language-Dependent, Mind-Affecting]

Level: Bard 3, Cleric/Favored Soul 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 full round
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 caster levels)
Target, Effect, or Area: One creature

Duration: See text

Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

The target must hear the caster's voice as she pronounces the curse and defines the object of the victim's fear. The victim receives an immediate Will saving throw against the curse. If the saving throw fails, the victim must henceforth make a Will saving throw or become panicked whenever he encounters the object of his phobia. The phobia lasts until the victim rolls a natural 20 on the Will saving throw or until other magic removes the curse.

Multiple castings of curse of terror stack, although any casting that would set up a contradictory phobia automatically fails. For example, a victim already afraid of wide-open spaces cannot be made claustrophobic.

Curse of terror automatically fails is the victim could not possibly avoid the subject of his fear. Thus, a victim could not be cursed to fear himself or breathing or anything else whose avoidance would be suicidal. A victim could, however, be made to fear something the avoidance of which would make their life uncomfortable or inconvenient.

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Campaign Design - Spells: Inquisition

Inquisition (from Relics & Rituals)
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Language-Dependent, Mind-Affecting]

Level: Bard 5, Cleric/Favored Soul 5, Missionary 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 full round
Range: Touch

Target, Effect, or Area: One creature

Duration: 10 minutes

Saving Throw: Will partial (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell may be used to gain truthful answers from the most stubborn creatures. So long as the creature touched can understand the caster, then the affected creature must answer three questions put to him by the caster. In order to resist the spell, the creature must make a Will save. Success means that he can resist answering that question, but must save again for the next. As soon as a Will save is failed, the creature is allowed no more saves and must answer the remaining questions. Note that the subject must answer truthfully, but he can only answer the truth as he knows it. If he has no pertinent information with which to answer a question posed, he is compelled to say as much.

At the end of 1 minutes or after three questions have been asked and answered, the spell comes to an end.

The caster and the subject must be in a reasonably calm environment when the spell is cast. The subject should be restrained in some way, otherwise he gets a +2 bonus to his Will save and the first success means that the spell is broken and no more questions may be asked.

Questions posed must be direct and simple, such as yes/no questions or a question answered with a name, a time, a place, a command word, and so on. Asking multi-part or elaborate questions will at best, use two or all three allowed questions, and at worst provide the subject with means to satisfy the spells compulsion by only answering a fragment of the question posed.

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Campaign Design - Spells: Inspired Aim

Inspired Aim (from The Book of Exalted Deeds)
Enchantment (Compulsion)[Language-Dependent, Mind-Affecting]

Level: Bard 3, Cleric/Favored Soul 3, Fæy 3, Ranger 3
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 40 feet
Target, Effect, or Area: Allies within a 40-foot-radius emanation centered on you

Duration: Concentration

Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

You inspire allies within the spell's area of effect to focus their minds on hitting their intended targets. All affected allies gain a +2 insight bonus on all ranged attacks.

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Campaign Design - Spells: Incite

Incite (from Relics & Rituals)
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Language-Dependent, Mind-Affecting]

Level: Cleric/Favored Soul 7, Missionary 7
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 caster levels)

Target, Effect, or Area: All persons within range who can hear you

Duration: 1 hour per caster level (see text)

Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell enables you to sway a large group of people to your service to accomplish a specific goal. You achieve this effect by speaking emphatically to the subjects for 10 minutes, attempting to inflame their emotions in favor of a cause or purpose o against a person, place, or thing and stating clearly the specific goal you wish to achieve. For example, the goal might be "The prince's castle is in danger and must be defended against all attackers", or "The Wizard's Guild is evil and corrupt and we must burn it to the ground." The subjects of the spell must be able to hear you, and only those who can understand the language you are speaking are affected by the spell. The stated goal does not have to be one that would normally be viewed favorably by those listening; the magic of the spell overcomes alignment and other normal restrictions on behavior. If you compel people to actions they would normally view unfavorably, they may be quite angry when the spell wears off.

At the end of the 10-minute casting time, all potential targets of the spell must make a Will save. Those who succeed are unaffected by the magic; their response to your words is determined normally by their alignment and general beliefs and their specific reactions to you. These people may still, of their own accord, choose to help you; they may also be moved to oppose you. Those who fail heir saves are compelled to follow your orders for the duration of the spell so long as you personally lead them and all of tour words and actions are clearly directed toward the goal you have specified. No morale checks or other determinations of the crowd's actions are required, so long as you fulfill the above conditions. if you violate them, the spell ends instantly. The spell also ends when the stated goal is achieved or when its normal duration expires.

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Campaign Design - Spells: Death Curse

Death Curse (adapted from the Shaman's Handbook)
necromancy [Death, Language-Dependent]

Level: Cleric/Favored Soul 5, Druid/Spirit Shaman 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 caster levels)

Target, Effect, or Area: One living creature

Duration: Variable (see text)(D)

Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

You can place a terrible curse on any one living creature within range by simply pointing at them and pronouncing their impending doom. The spell only affects creatures able to hear and understand your pronouncement (i.e. intelligent and capable of understanding the language you are speaking). The subject is entitled to a Fortitude saving throw.

After a time you specify - anywhere from one hour to as long as you wish - the subject suffers the effects of the spell. The time interval cannot be changed once the spell is cast. If the Fortitude save is failed, the subject dies after the allotted time. Even if the Fortitude save succeeds, the subject suffers 3d6 + (1 per caster level) points of damage, so it is possible the subject may still die even if the saving throw succeeds. The saving throw is made in secret, so the player of an affected character will not know whether or not their character will die.

A death curse cannot be dispelled, but there are several ways to escape before it runs its course. First, the caster can dismiss the curse at will before it takes effect, and some casters use a death curse to blackmail others into doing their bidding. Second, a remove curse spell can end the death curse before it takes effect, provided the caster of the remove curse is at least two levels higher than caster of the death curse. Confront curse spirit can also remove the spell. A limited wish, wish, or miracle can remove the effects of the death curse. Finally, the death of the caster before the death curse takes effect ends the spell. Many cultures consider slaying someone who has placed a death curse on you an act of self defense.

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Campaign Design - Spells: Bind Oath

Bind Oath (from the Book of the Righteous)
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Language-Dependent, Mind-Affecting]

Level: Cleric/Favored Soul 3, Justice 3
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Target, Effect, or Area: Creature touched

Duration: Permanent (see text)

Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

You are able to bind the subject to an oath that she voluntarily swears. No one can be forced to be bound to an oath with this spell, and any efforts to trick or coerce a creature into doing so will result in the failure of the spell. You cannot even threaten t put someone in jail unless they swear to be good.

During the casting, the subject agrees to be bound by an oath before the witness of Tiwas' divine judgment. Anything the subject says after the words "I swear to" is the oath. Anything prior to that is merely preamble.

If the subject violates the oath, she suffers from the effects of bestow curse until she atones. Because she swore the oath voluntarily, the curse cannot be lifted by any means short of an atonement spell or divine intervention. Instead of bestow curse, the breaking of the oath may lead to the loss of powers granted as a member of a holy order such as the Order of the Scales or the Order of the Gauntlet. This too cannot be undone by any means short of atonement.

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Campaign Design - Spells: Missive Token

Missive Token (found in the Book of Eldritch Might II)

Transmutation [Language-Dependent]

Level: Cleric/Favored Soul 3, Sorcerer/Wizard 3

Components: V, S, M, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch

Target, Effect, or Area: A magical token

Duration: Until used

Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

You imbue a nonmagical object of tiny size or smaller with a special communication magic. Anyone possessing this token can contact you telepathically and send you a message up to 25 words long; you are aware of the sender's identity. This spell does not give you the power to respond, nor does the possessor of the token know our location or any detail about you - or even whether you are alive to receive the message. Once used, the object retains no special properties.

Material component: A pinch of platinum dust worth at least 25 shillings, sprinkled on the token.

Focus: The object to be used as the token.

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