Campaign Design - Spells: Seek the Soulless

Seek the Soulless (found in the Book of Eldritch Might II)

Necromancy

Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 3

Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 caster levels)

Target, Effect, or Area: Cone

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes

Seek the soulless creates a cone of strange magical energy. within its area, living mortal creatures with souls (all creatures other than undead, constructs, plants, and outsiders) find themselves surrounded by a momentary nimbus of light that protects them from the spell's influence. all those not protected suffer 1d6 points of damage per caster level (maximum 10d6). Inanimate objects suffer full damage from this blast of energy. This spell proves useful for fighting undead or other creatures without worrying about harming your friends.

Material component: A feather dipped in lacquer.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Wither

Wither (from Gods)
Necromancy

Level: Cleric/Favored Soul 4, Storm 4
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 full round
Range: Personal

Target, Effect, or Area: 100 feet + 10 feet per caster level radius

Duration: 1 minute per caster level

Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: No

This spell causes all vegetable matter within the area of effect to wither and die. Grass and crops turn brown and curl up. Trees lose their leaves. A mossy green pond turns brown. Plant creatures such as treants must make a Fortitude save or suffer 6d6 + 6 points of damage. Once plant creatures have made their saving throw, they do not need to make it again for the same casting, even if they remain within the area of effect.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Death's Shadow

Death's Shadow (found in Necromancy: Beyond the Grave)

Necromancy

Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch

Target, Effect, or Area: One living creature

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

By touch, you transfer a small amount of negative energy directly to a creature that attacks and disrupts their vital organs before dissipating. if a Fortitude save is made, no damage is caused. Failure results in 1d12 hit points of temporary damage. This damage is regained at a rate of 1 point per round, even if the subject is taken into negative hit points. If hit points are taken down to a negative total equal to or greater than the subject's Constitution score, then the subject is indeed dead.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Animate Necrosis

Animate Necrosis (from the Book of Eldritch Might II)
Necromancy

Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 caster levels)
Target, Effect, or Area: One wounded living creature

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (later Will partial, see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes

You animate the dead tissue in the wound of a wounded living creature. This spell can affect any creature currently below its maximum hit points due to injury. Bits of animate flesh form a sickly tendril that reached up and out of a single wound, attacking the living portion of the creature. The creature must make a Will saving throw immediately or the sight of this horror stuns it for 1d3 rounds.

Whether the creature is stunned or not, the undead tendril of flesh makes attacks with a +15 bonus (Strength 20). It makes a grapple attack as a creature of the subject's size (even though it is actually smaller). if it achieves a hold, it immediately begins constricting and strangling the creature, inflicting 2d6 points of damage per round.

The necrotic tendril has 2 hit points per Hit Die of the original creature and an Armor Class of 15 (+2 for size, and +3 for natural armor). A single casting of this spell only affects one wound.

Arcane material component: A bit of string coated in animal fat.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Divine Sacrifice

Divine Sacrifice (from the Book of Exalted Deeds)
Necromancy

Level: Champion of Þunor 1, Paladin 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target, Effect, or Area: You

Duration: 1 round per caster level or until discharged

Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You can sacrifice your life force to increase the damage you deal. When you cast the spell, you can sacrifice up to 10 of your hit points. For every 2 hit points you sacrifice, on your next successful attack you deal +1d6 damage, to a maximum of +5d6 on that attack. Your ability to deal this extra damage ends when you successfully attack or when the spell duration ends. Sacrificed hit points count as normal lethal damage, even if you have the regeneration ability.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Soul Burst

Soul Burst (found in the Book of Eldritch Might II)

Necromancy

Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 4

Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 feet + 10 feet per caster level)

Target, Effect, or Area: 20-foot-radius burst

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes

You summon a burst of energy that harms all living creatures that have a soul. Thus, inanimate objects suffer no damage, and neither do undead, constructs, plants, or outsiders. Thos affected sustain 1d6 points of damage per caster level (maximum 15d6). This spell is favored among necromancers who wish to damage their enemies but not their own undead guardians.

Material component: A crushed feather.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Broken Mirror

Broken Mirror (found in the Book of Roguish Luck)
Necromancy

Level: Cleric/Favored Soul 8, Fortune 7
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 caster levels)

Target, Effect, or Area: Ray

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

You shatter a mirror as you point your finger at someone and call on Lódur, releasing a spirit of bad fortune that steals the luck of the living creature you have designated. You must make a ranged touch attack to hit. If the attack succeeds, the target loses all luck points currently in its luck pool. These points immediately and permanently transfer to you.

The subject earns additional luck points normally if it gains a new level, but does not regain or regenerate any luck points from its former pool. Undead creatures and constructs are not affected.

The effect of a broken mirror can only be reversed with a successful remove curse spell. When this happens, the points remaining are restored to the victim and you lose those stolen points permanently.

Material component: A silvered glass mirror (worth at least 50 shillings), which must be dropped or otherwise destroyed at the conclusion of the casting.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Lesser Astral Projection

Lesser Astral Projection (adapted from the Shaman's Handbook)
Necromancy

Level: Cleric/Favored Soul 5, Druid/Spirit Shaman 5, Sorcerer/Wizard 7
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 30 minutes
Range: Touch

Target, Effect, or Area: You

Duration: See text

Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

By freeing your spirit from your physical body, this spell allows you to project an astral body onto another plane altogether.

You project your astral self onto the Astral Plane, leaving your physical body behind on the Material Plane in a state of suspended animation. The spell projects an astral copy of you and all you wear or carry onto the Astral Plane. Since the Astral Plane touches upon other planes, you can travel astrally to any of these other planes as you will. To enter one, you leave the Astral Plane, forming a new physical body (and equipment) on the plane of existence you have chosen to enter.

While you are on the Astral Plane, your astral body is connected at all times to your physical body by a silvery cord. If the cord is broken, you are killed, astrally and physically. Luckily, very few things can destroy a silver cord. When a second body is formed on a different plane, the incorporeal silvery cord remains invisibly attached to the new body. If the second body or the astral form is slain, the cord simply returns to your body where it rests on the Material Plane, thereby reviving it from its state of suspended animation. Although astral projections are able to function on the Astral Plane, their actions affect only creatures existing on the Astral Plane; a physical body must be materialized on other planes.

You may travel through the Astral Plane indefinitely. Your body simply waits behind in a state of suspended animation until you choose to return your spirit to it. The spell lasts until you desire to end it, or until it is terminated by some outside means, such as dispel magic cast upon either the physical body or the astral form, the breaking of the silver cord, or the destruction of your body back on the Material Plane (which kills you).

Material component: Gems or crystals worth at least 300 shillings.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Shadow Wall

Shadow Wall (adapted from the Complete Guide to Drow)
Necromancy [Shadow]

Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 feet + 10 feet per caster level)
Target, Effect, or Area: Wall up to 10 feet per caster level long and 5 feet per caster level high (S)

Duration: 1 round per caster level

Saving Throw: Fortitude half
Spell Resistance: Yes

A curtain of inky black shadow appears, giving creatures behind the wall ⁹/₁₀ concealment. The wall is one foot thick and very resilient. The side of the shadow wall that is facing the caster is translucent enough for the caster and anyone else on that side to see though without being hampered by the darkness. A shadow wall cannot form in an area occupied by physical objects or creatures. The wall deals 2d6 points of negative energy damage +1 point per caster level (maximum +20) to any creature passing through it. Undead, both corporeal and incorporeal, are healed instead of damaged by the wall. A Fortitude save will reduce this damage to one-half.

If any five-foot portion of the shadow wall takes 20 points of damage from light spells or effects in one round, the wall fades from existence. A light or continual light spell deals 1d4 points of damage per caster level against the wall, burning holes through it.

Material component: A small lantern icon that has been painted black.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Doomwail

Doomwail (from Relics & Rituals)
Necromancy [Fear, Sonic]

Level: Bard 5, Cleric/Favored Soul 5, Sorcerer/Wizard 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 caster levels)
Target, Effect, or Area: Cone

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

All those caught within the doomwail must make a Fortitude saving throw. Those who succeed avoid the worst of the spell's effects, but are still shaken. for 3d8 rounds. Those who fail are also shaken, and must additionally roll 1d100 on the following table:

Roll	Effect
01 - 50	Victim is deafened
51 - 75	Victim is paralyzed
76 - 00	Victim is deafened and paralyzed
These effects of this spell remain until magically cured

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Shadow Projection

Shadow Projection (adapted from the Shaman's Handbook)
Necromancy

Level: Cleric/Favored Soul 9, Druid/Spirit Shaman 9, Penumbral Lord 9, Sorcerer/Wizard 9, Spirit 9

Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 30 minutes
Range: Touch

Target, Effect, or Area: You plus one additional creature touched per two caster levels

Duration: See text

Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

By freeing your spirit from your physical body, this spell allows you to project your spirit form made of shadows to the Shadow Realm.

You can bring the shadow forms of other willing creatures with you, provided that these subjects are linked in a circle with you at the time of the casting. These fellow travelers are dependent upon you and must accompany you at all times. If something happens to you during the journey, your companions are stranded wherever you left them.

You project your shadow self onto the Shadow Realm, leaving your physical body behind on the Material Plane in a state of suspended animation. The spell projects a shadow copy of you and all you wear or carry into the Shadow Realm. Since the Shadow Realm touches upon other realms, you can travel to any of these other planes as you will. To enter one, you leave the Shadow Realm, forming a new physical body (and equipment) on the plane of existence you have chosen to enter.

While you are on the Shadow Realm, your shadow body is connected at all times to your physical body by a shadowy cord. If the cord is broken, you are killed, shadowy and physically. Luckily, very few things can destroy a shadow cord. When a second body is formed on a different plane, the incorporeal shadow cord remains invisibly attached to the new body. If the second body or the shadow form is slain, the cord simply returns to your body where it rests on the Material Plane, thereby reviving it from its state of suspended animation. Although shadow projections are able to function on the Shadow Realm, their actions affect only creatures existing in the Shadow Realm; a physical body must be materialized on other planes.

You and your companions may travel through the Shadow Realm indefinitely. Your bodies simply wait behind in a state of suspended animation until you choose to return your spirits to them. The spell lasts until you desire to end it, or until it is terminated by some outside means, such as dispel magic cast upon either the physical body or the shadow form, the breaking of the shadow cord, or the destruction of your body back on the Material Plane (which kills you).

Material components: A black opal worth at least 1,000 shillings plus a silver bar worth at least 5 shillings per person to be affected.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Lockjaw

Lockjaw (from Nyambe: African Adventures)
Necromancy

Level: Bard 2, Iron 1, Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 feet + 5 feet per 2 caster levels)

Target, Effect, or Area: One living creature

Duration: Special

Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This simple but effective spell causes the jaw muscles in the chosen target to clench, making the person incapable of speech. The inability to speak prevents the target from casting spells with verbal components or using magic items with command words.

Lockjaw also makes the target unable to eat solid foods. The target can attempt a new saving throw every day and once the save succeeds, the target has thrown off the effect of the spell.

Remove paralysis will also counter lockjaw.

Material component: A rusty nail.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Animate Zombie

Animate Zombie (found in Necromancy: Beyond the Grave)

Necromancy

Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch

Target, Effect, or Area: One corpse touched

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell turns the bones or body of one dead creature into an undead zombie that follows your spoken commands. This spell will only animate zombies of Medium size or smaller. The zombie will follow you or can remain in an area and attack any creature or specific type of creature entering the place. The zombie remains animated until it is destroyed. A destroyed zombie cannot be reanimated again.

Only a single zombie may be controlled at any one time by a single caster. If another zombie is animated using this spell while another is under your control, the original zombie becomes uncontrolled.

An undead zombie can be created only from a mostly intact corpse. The statistics for the created zombie depend on its size and the type of corpse used to create it.

Arcane material component: A small black onyx gem worth at least 50 shillings that must be placed into the mouth or eye socket of the corpse. The magic of the spell makes this gem worthless.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Graft Limb

Graft Limb (from Gods)
Necromancy (Evil)

Level: Composition 8, Sorcerer/Wizard 9
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 hour
Range: Touch
Target, Effect, or Area: One willing creature

Duration: Permanent

Saving Throw: See below
Spell Resistance: No

This spell grafts a limb onto the subject. Any body part other than a torso can be grafted onto another willing creature, although limbs from a creature more than one size category larger than the subject can't be used as they simply won't fit. The grafted limb is fully functional and retains all extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like abilities associated with it. For example, grafting as beholder's eyestalk grants the subject the ability to use the ray attack generated by that eye.

If grafting wings for flight, both wings must be grafted for the subject to be able to fly. Entire heads can be grafted, granting any powers associated with the head such as gaze attacks, breath weapons, and sensory related bonuses, but not skills or memories. If a head is grafted, the recipient must make a Will save with a DC equal to the Intelligence of the "donor" or be afflicted with insanity as the spell.

Creatures with no discernible "limbs" such as oozes, cannot be used as "donors" for this spell. Only creatures with organic, solid bodies can be subjects of this spell.

Material component: The limb to be grafted plus 100 shillings worth of herbs and alchemical components to treat the limb with. The previous owner of the limb must be dead when the spell is cast, but cannot have been dead for longer than one day per caster level of the caster. Regardless of the state of the "donor", the limb cannot have been severed for more than one week per caster level. The limb is perfectly preserved until that time. The limb can also be reattached to the "donor" within one week per caster level by use of lesser restoration, if for some reason they are alive.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Black Hand

Black Hand (found in the Book of Roguish Luck)
Necromancy

Level: Duskblade 4, Shadowsworn 4, Sorcerer/Wizard 4, Unholy Warrior 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch

Target, Effect, or Area: Creature touched

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: Fortitude partial
Spell Resistance: No

You gather the powers of darkness into your fist and strike with a paralyzing and shadowy chill. Summoning a black hand effect encases your hand in black and purple flames. With a successful touch attack, you deal 1d3 points of permanent Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution drain to an enemy. These ability score points are then added to your own totals as an enhancement bonus for 1 round per caster level. If the victim makes a Fortitude save, then she loses (and you gain) just 1 point of Constitution.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Burrowing Bony Digits

Burrowing Bony Digits (from Spells & Spellcraft)
Necromancy

Level: Duskblade 4, Sorcerer/Wizard 4, Unholy Warrior 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 feet + 10 feet per caster level)
Target, Effect, or Area: Up to five creatures, no two of which can be more than 15 feet apart

Duration: See text

Saving Throw: Reflex partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

By means of this fiendish spell, the caster causes up to five skeletal fingers to streak forth and imbed themselves in the flesh of the targets. Each digit inflicts 1d6 points of damage upon striking its target. They do not stop there, though. Any creature that fails its Reflex save is unable to extract the bony digit before it lodges itself in the wound. The bony digit continues to penetrate the creature's body for one round for every 3 caster levels of the caster, dealing 1d6 points of damage each round. Once the bony digit is lodged in the wound, it cannot be extracted.

A creature can only be targeted by one finger at a time.

Arcane material component: Five humanoid fingers stripped of flesh and muscle. The individual finger bones must be tied together with a black thread.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Stinking Bolt

Stinking Bolt (from Wrath & Rage: A Guidebook to Orcs and Half-Orcs)
Necromancy

Level: Poison 2, Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 feet + 10 feet per caster level)
Target, Effect, or Area: Ray

Duration: Insteantaneous

Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You direct a ray of sickly light against one living creature as a ranged touch attack, subjecting the struck creature to wrenching nausea. Nauseated creatures are unable to attack, cast spells, or concentrate on spell; the only action they can take is a single move or move-equivalent action per turn. This effect lasts for 1d4 rounds after the subject is struck.

Arcane material component: The musk glands of a mink, red fox, or skunk.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Greater Ethereal Projection

Greater Ethereal Projection (adapted from the Shaman's Handbook)
Necromancy

Level: Cleric/Favored Soul 5, Druid/Spirit Shaman 5, Sorcerer/Wizard 7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal

Target, Effect, or Area: You

Duration: Permanent (D)

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

You send your spirit into the Ethereal Plane, leaving your body behind in a deep, deathlike trance. Your spirit has all of your normal abilities and ethereal duplicates of everything you wear and carry (except for living creatures like a familiar). Your body remains in a state of suspended animation until you choose to end the spell and return to it. Your body suffers all of the damage your spirit receives and vice versa, making you vulnerable to harm from both the Ethereal Plane and Material Planes. If either your body or your spirit is killed, you die.

An ethereal creature is invisible, insubstantial, and capable of moving in any direction, even up or down, albeit at half normal speed. As an insubstantial creature, you can move through solid objects, including living creatures. An ethereal creature can see and hear on the Material Plane, but everything looks gray and ephemeral. Sight and hearing onto the Material Plane are limited to 60 feet.

Force effects and abjurations affect an ethereal creature normally. Their effects extend onto the Ethereal Plane from the Material Plane, but not vice versa. An ethereal creature can’t attack material creatures, and spells you cast while ethereal affect only other ethereal things. Certain material creatures or objects have attacks or effects that work on the Ethereal Plane.

Treat other ethereal creatures and ethereal objects as if they were material.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Necrotic Blast

Necrotic Blast (found in Spells & Spellcraft)
Necromancy [Evil]

Level: Duskblade 5, Sorcerer/Wizard 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 feet + 10 feet per caster level)

Target, Effect, or Area: 20-foot-radius spread

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell taps into the dark energies generated in fresh corpses as the creature's soul leaves the material prison. In order to cast this spell, there must be fresh humanoid corpses (no more than a week old) within the range of the spell. During the casting, the necrotic energies in the corpses are drawn into a ball between your hands. You then hurl the ball at your target, causing damage to all living creatures within a 20-foot radius.

Each corpse provides 1d6 damage (maximum of 10d6). The necrotic blast also automatically spoils food and water and corrupts holy water within the blast radius. One pound of food, one gallon of water, or one vial of holy water is ruined for each die of damage the necrotic blasts inflicts.

Negative energy protection provides protection from the spell. Undead caught within the blast are healed, gaining a number of hit points equal to the damage rolled (up to their maximum).

Arcane material component: A translucent gemstone of any sort worth at least 50 shillings.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List

Campaign Design - Spells: Dark Channeling

Dark Channeling (from Spells & Spellcraft)
Necromancy [Evil]

Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 8
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Long (400 feet + 40 feet per caster level)

Target, Effect, or Area: The caster and one undead creature

Duration: 10 minutes per caster level

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

With this powerful spell, you place your body in a state of suspension and project your psyche into any corporeal undead creature within range. If the undead creature is intelligent, it is entitled to a Will save to resist the dark channeling. If this saving throw is successful, the spell fails. The caster must have line of sight to the undead before casting the spell.

The caster gains control of the undead target upon completion of the spell. The caster can use the target's body as if it were his own, including any special abilities of the undead. The caster retains his own intelligence, but loses the ability to cast spells unless the creature he is inhabiting is a spell caster as well. If unable to do so normally, the dark channeling empowers the possessed undead to speak.

The caster cannot move beyond the range limit of this spell, counting the c aster's location when the spell was cast as the center point, without ending the spell immediately. The caster can vacate one undead host in favor of another within range by concentrating for one round. As normal, if the new would-be undead host is intelligent, it is entitled to a Will saving throw. If the undead host is destroyed before the caster can vacate it, the caster must make a Will save (DC 20). Failure means the caster's disembodied spirit is unable to escape before being destroyed as well. Success immediately ends the spell and stuns the caster for 1d10 rounds.

Arcane focus: A bronze brazier in which the caster must burn 1,000 shillings worth of incense. The caster must wear a cap made from the flesh of a sentient creature during the casting.

Home     Three Worlds     Spell List