A Ravenloft spell.

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alhoon
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A Ravenloft spell.

Post by alhoon »

Domain insight:
divination
lvl: Cleric 1, wiz/sor2
CT: 1 round
Comp: V, S, M
Duration: 10 mins/level
Range: Personal
Area: cone 60'

This spell uses the power of one of the domains (imbued in a handful of earth) to give the character the ability to detect the aspect of the domain chosen. The material component is a handful of earth from the chosen domain. It follows the rules of the detect undead/magic etc rules (1st round: presence/absence of auras, 2nd round number/strength of auras etc.)

The spell detects the aspect of the domain. For example:
- Earth from Barovia works like Detect undead, but targets only vampires (which get the usual will save)
- Earth from Borca works like detect poison
- Earth from Larmordia works like detect undead for dread constructs (will save to resist)
- Earth from Tepest detects hags (will save to resist)
- Earth from Darkon detects Obedient dead (will save to resist if sentient)
- Earth from Verbek detects werewolves (will save to resist)
- Earth from Dementlieu detects charmed/dominated people (WSave)
- Earth from the Shadow rift detects shadow fey (Wsave)
- Earth from Nova Vasa detects possessed people (WSave)
- Earth from Mordent detects incorporeal undead (WSave)
- Earth from Bluetspur detects mind flayers and psionic using aberrations like intellect devourers (WSave)
- Earth from Hazlan detects wizards only (not arcane magic users) (WSave)
- Earth from Richemulot detects Wererats (Wsave)
- Earth from Kartakass detects wolfweres (Wsave)
- Earth from Falkovnia detects Fighters only not barbarians, rangers etc. (WSave)
- Earth from Paridon detects doppelgangers (Wsave)
- Earth from Sithicus detects Self-induced cursed undead like Death knights, mohrgs, liches, restless dead, mummies that chose their fate. It doesn't detect vampires, vampire spawn, wraiths etc that were brought back to unlife by the spawn ability of others or by necromantic spells. It detects undead that became monsters as a result of lost power checks. (Wsave)*
- Earth from Invidia detects full blooded Vistani (Wsave)*
- Earth from Har Akir detects ancient dead (WSave)
- Earth from Nidala detects paladins and holy/unholy warriors. The caster doesn't know if the armored figure that exudes the aura is a blackguard a paladin or another kind of warrior blessed with divine abilities. (Wsave)
- Earth from Saragoss detects weresharks. (Get the earth from the bottom of the sea, find a way out of the closed borders and use it freely to detect weresharks all over the Dread realms! :twisted: ) (Wsave)
- Earth from Sourange detects zombies (and their variants, like zombie lords)

Curiously the spell cannot be used in the same domain as the handful of earth used. That means that a cleric cannot use earth from Barovia in the domain of Barovia to any useful end. While vampires exist in many places, sand from Saragoss isn't dramatically useful.
Also note that a PC doesn't automatically know what he can detect with earth from the specific domain! While the connection of Barovia with vampires or Borca's with poison is easy to guess, the usual wizard/sorcerer/cleric may not know what he can detect with earth from Lamordia or Dementlieu.
The spell automatically fails against Darklords. That means that a character using Hazlan earth in Azalin's/Strahd's presence will not detect them as wizards.

* Jasper's propositions
Last edited by alhoon on Mon Jul 11, 2005 8:29 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Lucius
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Re: A Ravenloft spell.

Post by Lucius »

alhoon wrote: - Earth from Sithicus detects . . . ? (Help me here)
Lies.
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Re: A Ravenloft spell.

Post by Stygian Inquirer »

LUCIFERABADDON wrote:
alhoon wrote: - Earth from Sithicus detects . . . ? (Help me here)
Lies.
Maybe Shades and Salt Shadows, creatures with the Shadow descriptor, or incorporeal undead other than ghosts and then change the Mordent effect to just ghosts.

Also, for the Saragoss sand, maybe to make it more useful have it detect all aquatic lycanthropes like sea stalkers and werecrocodiles as well.

Maybe earth from the Isle of Ravens could detect avian lycanthropes (wereseagulls, wereravens, werealbatrosses, werebats).

Cool idea. Sounds kind of reminiscent of a land-based power, but used for detection. Very useful for a monster-hunting party.
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Post by Don Fernando »

A power's check may be also in order. Since you are getting information on things you are not suppose to see and actually using the planar fabric of Ravenloft to gain this information.
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Post by Jasper »

I would up the level to a at lest level 3 spell. I love what it does but it works like a detect magic/undead/live spell on steriods, far to powerfull for a 1st level spell.
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bravo!

Post by vipera aspis »

this is an awesome spell. whom in the dread realms could have first scrolled it? i bet it could have a great history.

*and for Sithicus, maybe people/persons inhabited/controled by a salt shadow or the like*
Last edited by vipera aspis on Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Troile »

Area: cone 60'
I don't see that as overpowered at all.

Think of what you need...it is very limited.

You can't just *choose* which type to cast it with.
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Post by Drinnik Shoehorn »

How about Sithicus allows "Detect Innocence"
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Post by alhoon »

Thanks all for the replies! I never expected such an interest on a spell I made while I was bored.

About the Sithicus:

- Lies = Too powerful! Detect lies is a 4th level spell. I thought of that.

- Salt shadows & possessed creatures & incorporeal undead = Hmm. I thought of that too, but Sithicus Land and Soth himself isn't that tied to Shadows etc. The point of the spell is that it detects what the Domain is most planary tied too, most sympathetic with. Not just sympathetic, most sympathetic with.

- Innocence = in a way it detects alignment so I wouldn't want that. . .

-

About Powers check: Perhaps you're right, but I would prefer the spell as it is. It isn't so much as detecting something you shouldn't and using the land to help you. It is like just detecting (but using the land to help you).
Yes, I could see a powers check, but then people would be afraid to use it.
OTOH . . . 1% for clerics, 2% for mages. If used altruistically the chances are even half that. And I would like my PCs to remember not to call on the powers of the land lightly.
Not to mention that clerics get it easier, because I thought the Dark Powers are giving them easy access.
A good point Don Fernado

About spell level: while with a single spell you can detect what you hunt (if you know the type of earth needed and have it at hand):
1. it is not as useful as detect evil (in other planes of course)
2. it is very limited. Also it doesn't need a sprinkle of earth, it needs a handful. And adventurers aren't likely to keep 10 - 15 bags of earth from all around Ravenloft.
3. You need to know what the domain is tied with, so a Knowledge(Ravenloft) check is needed most of the times.
So I believed it is a balanced spell since it is more focused. Clerics get it at 1st level since I consider them better at divination and the spell seems more divine to me.

About Saragoss: Don't mistake me. It is the fact that people don't leave Saragoss that hurts mainly the usefulness of the spell, along with the fact that getting earth from the bottom of the sea is a bit tricky
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maybe...

Post by vipera aspis »

ELF! it could detect elves maybe.
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Post by Jasper »

alhoon wrote:Thanks all for the replies! I never expected such an interest on a spell I made while I was bored.
You forgot to add Invidia. I sujest Detect Vistani (only full blood)

As for Sithicus- How about detect cursed undead (Death knights, Reverants, those ghost/zombie hanged men things, drownling etc:)


As for powerchecks-
I wouldn't have it be a power check but rather a huge becon to the darklord that someone is using the power of the land just like the use of a Paladins powers does.




About Saragoss- Perhaps change is to use not Earth but something uniquly represitive of each domain taken from that domain-

EX:
Barovia - A blood red rose
Borca - A leaf of deadly nightshade
Lamordia - A small gear
Tempest - a small bit of chared wood from a witch burning stake
Darkon - A bone chip
Verbeck - Any piece of wolf bone
Dementlu - A small mirror
Shadow rift- A drop of honey from shadowland bees
Nova Vassa - Any two sided coin
Modent - a chip of stone from a gravestone
Hazlan - a stone with a arcane mark etched in it.
Richemulot - A bit of rotted wood
Kartakass - A string from a lute
Falkovnia - a pair of shackles/bracers
Paridon - a small ivory knife
Sithicus - a broken shard of a mirror
Har Akir - a vial of sand
Nidala - a childs holy symbol (wooden/clay etc:)
Saragoss- Seaweed (and change it to detect aquatic life)
Sourange- A vial of swamp water
Invidia - A lock of black hair


This way they need to put a little thought into what would represent the domain while giving them something thats not too hard to come across.
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Post by alhoon »

Jasper wrote:

You forgot to add Invidia. I sujest Detect Vistani (only full blood)

As for Sithicus- How about detect cursed undead (Death knights, Reverants, those ghost/zombie hanged men things, drownling etc:)

As for powerchecks-
I wouldn't have it be a power check but rather a huge becon to the darklord that someone is using the power of the land just like the use of a Paladins powers does.
Granted!
While a detect elf variant would be useful, I believe Sithicus is more tied to even-more Cursed undead (since all undead are cursed :wink:).

About Saragoss/componets: While your idea is inriguing, it does make the spell powerful as it can be used (most of the times) with a few hours planning and in all domains.

I would do this: The components you mention, if added in the spellcasting they increase the CT to 1 minute and increase the DC of the will save by 2.

I don't have a problem with the spell not being useful at all with closed domain borders. :) Sorry if I was misunderstood. I used Saragoss as an example to show that the spell isn't as useful in every situation.

About the scrolls of Domain's insight:
I forgot to mention this earlier! Since the scroll needs the material components being present at the time of casting, it can be used to detect only the variant of the spell that the earth would give.
So a scroll that has been made using Verbek's earth cannot be used to detect vampires.
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Post by alhoon »

Check the Border
Divination
Cl2, Sor/Wiz2
Comp: V,S
CT: 2 rounds
Duration:10 min/ level

This spell doen't detect where the borders are. Instead the caster gets to know if the domain borders are closed but not where they are. If the borders close somewhere within the duration of the spell, the caster feels it.
While the spell doen't seem very helpful (you can see with your eyes the flames surrounding Hazlan for example) it is useful in Borca (where you don't see that the borders are closed) or where you are far away from the borders and you want to teleport out for example.
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Post by Troile »

- Innocence = in a way it detects alignment so I wouldn't want that. . .
I always thought innocence was detectable.

Innocence is something special in Ravenloft.

Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't there a lot of different powers/other things that would define someone as being innocent or not...
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Post by alhoon »

Malectify
Necromancy [evil]
Cler 4, Wiz/sorc 4
CT 1 minute
Components: V, S, M, DF
Duration: 1 day/2 levels
Area: special

You use foul energies to suffuse and taint the area with evil. For the duration of the effect, you create a rank 2 sinkhole of evil, or you increase the rating of an existing sinkhole of evil by 1.
The spell either affects a building, a small cavern complex, a small castle, or just an area of 5'/level radius. If used to create a sinkhole of evil where there is none, the area around the affected area also becomes a rank 1 sinkhole of evil.
For example if a 10th lvl evil cleric moves to a manor house and uses this spell on it, the manor becomes a rank 2 sinkhole of evil and the manor grounds a rank 1 sinkhole of evil. If later he uses this spell on a town's plaza, an area of 50' radius becomes a rank 2 sinkhole of evil surrounded by 50 more feet of a rank 1 area.

Material component: A drop of a virgin's blood, a finger from an innocent executed for a crime (innocent = not guilty), common candles.

Obviously the spell requires a power's check. Since it is evil and necromantic, it needs a 12% powers check.
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