The Noble Art
Hello, and welcome to another Obscure Arcana. It’s about time for us to be wrapping up Nobility Week here at Necromancers of the Northwest, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have some great noble-themed spells for you. Today’s a bit of a hodge-podge of different kinds of spells, though: alter apparel allows you to always have the latest in high fashion, or to be dressed so as to pass unnoticed as one of the common folk. Aura of imposition and aura of majesty are similar spells that cause you to radiate auras which make your foes second-guess whether or not they want to fight someone as noble as you. We’ve also got a greater version of eagle’s splendor, as well as a noble-themed tweak on dominate person, called dominate peasant.
Alter Apparel
They say that clothing makes the man, and this spell is prized both by those who rely on it to adopt the expensive and outlandish fashions of nobility, and also by those nobles who feel a need to become inconspicuous at a moment’s notice. The touched outfit (which may contain multiple components, such as a shirt, pants, shoes, and hat; up to one individual item per caster level can be affected) transforms into the shape, color, and consistency desired by the caster. This spell cannot be used to make the outfit function in ways that the original object could not (for example, it can’t cause a cloth tunic to offer an armor bonus, even if it is transformed into a leather hauberk, nor can it cause an evening gown to offer the kind of protection against the cold that would be provided by a cold weather outfit). It can be used to change the outfit into any style the caster desires, however, and also to adjust the dimensions of the outfit to fit the caster (or, if desired, someone else) perfectly.
Aura of Imposition
This spell causes you to exude a palpable aura of noble majesty or righteous anger, which unnerves your foes. All creatures within the area of the spell (and those who enter that area during the spell’s duration) must succeed on a Will save or become frightened for the duration of the spell. Even those who succeed on the saving throw must succeed on an additional Will save if they attempt to attack you, as the spell sanctuary. Unlike sanctuary, you can attack without ending the effect, but any attack or hostile spell that would normally end the sanctuary effect does end it for the purposes of the target of that attack or hostile spell (for example, if you attack the goblin chieftain, he will be able to attack you normally, but his goblin bodyguards will still be affected by the sanctuary effect).Finally, even those who succeed on both Will saves still struggle with doubts about attacking someone as imposing as you, and suffer a -2 penalty on attack rolls made against you for the duration of the spell. Creatures that are immune to fear effects are also immune to this penalty, and to the sanctuary effect.
Aura of Majesty
This spell causes you to exude a palpable aura of charm and grace, which makes your foes reconsider whether they should be fighting you, or serving you. All creatures within the area of the spell (and those who enter that area for 1 round per caster level after the spell is cast) must succeed on a Will save or be affected as though by charm person. The duration of this charm effect, if they fail their save, is 1 hour per caster level. Even those who succeed on the saving throw must succeed on an additional Will save if they attempt to attack you, as the spell sanctuary. Unlike sanctuary, you can attack without ending the effect, but any attack or hostile spell that would normally end the sanctuary effect does end it for the purposes of the target of that attack or hostile spell (for example, if you attack the goblin chieftain, he will be able to attack you normally, but his goblin bodyguards will still be affected by the sanctuary effect).Finally, even those who succeed on both Will saves still struggle with doubts about attacking someone as majestic as you, and suffer a -2 penalty on attack rolls made against you for the duration of the spell. Creatures that are immune to charm and compulsion effects are also immune to this penalty, and to the sanctuary effect.
Dominate Peasant
This spell functions like dominate person, except that it only functions on those of particularly weak will, who are used to taking orders. You can only target a humanoid creature with less than 5 Hit Dice. Additionally, you must have at least two more Hit Dice than the target, and the target must not have any levels in classes besides commoner or expert. You do not know in advance whether or not a specific individual will meet these criteria (unless you have some other way to do so), and if they do not there is no particular indication whether the target did not meet the criteria (and so the magic had no effect), or if the target simply succeeded on his saving throw. It otherwise functions identically to dominate person, except that you do not gain any ability to issue commands telepathically: the commands must be instead issued verbally, or through some other medium. Finally, you cannot concentrate on the spell to receive sensory input from the target, like you can with dominate person.
Eagle’s Splendor, Greater
The transmuted creature becomes exceptionally poised, articulate, and personally forceful. The spell grants a +6 enhancement bonus to Charisma-based skill checks and other uses of the Charisma modifier. Bards, paladins, and sorcerers (and other spellcasters who rely on Charisma) affected by this spell do not gain any additional bonus spells for the increased Charisma, but the save DCs for spells they cast while under this spell’s effect do increase. Additionally, the spell grants a further +2 competence bonus to any Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, or Perform checks the target makes for the spell’s duration.