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Amazing Spells

September 24th, 2014

Joshua Zaback

Obscure Arcana Archive

Earlier this week I was watching late night TV when I came upon an ad for an appliance which, according to the advertisers, could replace a whole bunch of different things we keep in the kitchen. That ad was the inspiration for this week’s articles, which offer spells which, for the mere price of a high level spell slot, can do the job of several other spells. From blasting to beguiling and even running and hiding, these new spells are sure to amaze.

 

BEWILDERING CHARM
School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]; Level bard 4, sorcerer/wizard 7, witch 6
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a vial of perfume and sea water)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature
Duration 1 round/level, 24 hours; see text
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes

                You fill the head of the target with sweet visions of pleasant and wonderful things, clouding his mind to the subtle influence of your magic and rendering him in a state of pure bewilderment. The target must succeed on a Will save or become fascinated by you for a number of rounds equal to your caster level. When the fascination ends, whether because the duration elapsed, or because the fascination effect was ended early, the target must succeed on a secondary Will save or become confused. The confusion caused by this spell is somewhat peculiar: on a result that would normally indicate that the target damages himself, he attacks the nearest creature, instead. Further, the first time that the target is able to act normally, he must immediately make a new Will save. Success on this save ends the spell entirely. Failure on this save ends the fascination effect, but causes the target to view you as a trusted friend, as though by the spell charm monster, for the next 24 hours.

 

FROSTY DEMISE
School evocation [ice]; Level druid 6, magus 6, sorcerer/wizard 7
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M/DF (an icicle)
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft. /level)
Target one creature
Duration instantaneous, 1 round/level; see text
Saving Throw Fortitude partial, Reflex partial, see text; Spell Resistance yes

                From your fingertips issues a beam of freezing ice which super-cools the target, causing him to become encased in ice and explosive vapors, which will explode if the ice is cracked, spraying shards of razor sharp ice everywhere. This spell requires a ranged touch attack to hit. If the attack hits, the target suffers 10d6 points of cold damage, and must succeed on a Fortitude save or become frozen and encased in ice. This effectively causes the target to gain the stunned condition for a number of rounds equal to your caster level, or until the target suffers at least 1 point of damage. Because of the hard shell surrounding the victim, he gains DR 10/- for as long as he is affected by this spell. Each round on his turn, the stunned character may attempt a Fortitude save in order to free himself enough to crack the ice. When the ice is cracked, either as a result of the target succeeding on his saving throw or because the target was dealt at least 1 point of damage, the ice explodes in a 15-foot-radius burst, dealing 5d6 points of slashing damage and 5d6 points of cold damage to all characters within that radius. A successful Reflex save halves this damage.

 

SHADOW FLIGHT
School illusion (shadow) [shadow]; Level bard 6, sorcerer/wizard 9, witch 9
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M/DF (a piece of sackcloth)
Range personal
Target you
Duration instantaneous, 1 round/level; see text

                You open a path to the Plane of Shadow, pulling massive amounts of shadow energy through the path while invisibly sneaking along the border between realms, allowing you to escape a short ways and leaving behind hideous shadow versions of creatures for your foes to face. When you cast this spell, you become invisible (as invisibility)and may magically travel, as though by greater teleport, to any area of dim light or darkness within 1 mile. The invisibility effect lasts for 1 round per level.

                Additionally, at the point where you cast this spell, 2 random creatures from the Plane of Shadow, drawn from the summon monster VIII and summon nature’s ally VIII lists, appear and fight your enemies to the best of their abilities, as though they had been summoned by summon nature’s ally I. These creatures are only partially real, however, and any character that succeeds on a Will save to disbelieve them treats them as though they were 50% real, exactly as though they had been summoned using a shadow conjuration spell, except that they are treated as 50% real instead of 20% real.