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Thinking Spells

August 19th, 2015

Joshua Zaback

Obscure Arcana Archive

                Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about thinking, and who wouldn’t be with new spells powered by psychic mind energies floating around? This has led me to the question of exactly what kind of magic someone might perform using pure thought, and I came to the conclusion that one might do a lot of mental communication and mind reading. While some spells already exist to serve these purposes, such as detect thoughts and telepathic bond, there is always room to do more. So if you’re ready to monkey around in someone else’s head, read on!

 

CALL TO MIND
School enchantment (mind-affecting); Level bard 4, mesmerist 4, psychic 4, sorcerer/wizard 4, witch 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target one living creature
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Will negates, Will partial, see text; Spell Resistance yes

                You cause the target to think about whatever you wish, altering his surface thoughts. When you cast this spell, you choose a subject that you wish the target to think about (such as the events of the last hour, or where he hid the stolen loot, or his mother’s maiden name, etc.), and he may attempt a Will save to negate the effects. If he fails, he begins to dwell on the chosen subject. By concentrating on this spell, you can attempt to change the subject the target is thinking about. If you do, the target may attempt a new Will save to resist thinking about the new subject; if he succeeds, he continues to think about the previously chosen subject, and he automatically succeeds on any further attempts to make him think about that particular subject.

                While under the effects of this spell, the target suffers a -4 penalty to concentration checks, and suffers an additional -4 penalty to concentration checks made to cast a spell with thought components.
 

OPEN CONDUIT
School enchantment (mind-affecting); Level bard 5, mesmerist 5, psychic 6, sorcerer/wizard 6, witch 6
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target one living creature
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes

                You open a conduit directly between the target’s mind and cosmic otherworldly forces that whisper secrets of space and time to the target, greatly empowering him, but also causing a serious risk of mental collapse. The target gains a +6 competence bonus to AC, attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks and weapon damage rolls. Each round, the target must make a Will save with a -6 penalty (effectively canceling the bonus from this spell) or become confused for 1d4 rounds. If the target fails this saving throw while babbling incoherently, he instead falls unconscious for 1 minute (the spell’s duration continues to elapse during this time). The unconscious character can be awoken from unconsciousness with sufficient prodding, requiring a standard action to wake him, but upon waking, the target continues to babble incoherently for the remainder of the 1 minute he would have been unconscious.

 

WHITE NOISE
School enchantment (mind-affecting); Level bard 2, mesmerist 2, psychic 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target one living creature
Duration concentration
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes

                You can fill the target’s head with buzzing white noise, making it extremely difficult to think about anything at all for more than a brief moment. This spell causes 20% spell failure for spells the target casts with verbal components. Additionally, it is very difficult to cast spells with thought components while under the effects of this spell. Each round at the beginning of your turn, you and the target make opposed concentration checks if you win the check the target is unable to cast spells with thought components that round.