Forbidden Spells
The Book of Forbidden Magic contains loads of new spells, ranging from the relatively weak to the extremely powerful. However, as forbidden magic, these spells are far more potent than other spells of their level. This means they come with a terrible drawback; namely, the accrual of those profane points we’ve been talking about all week. Whenever you cast a forbidden magic spell, you gain a number of profane points. The cost in profane points varies with the relative power of a spell compared to other spells of that level. Thus, some lower level spells have a much higher profane point cost than some higher level spells, as seen in this sample.
ARMAGEDDON
School evocation [fire, forbidden]; Level sorcerer/wizard 9
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a shard from a meteorite covered in human blood)
Profane Points: 3
Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area 20-ft.-radius spread
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Reflex half; Spell Resistance yes
Meteors rain fire from the sky, smiting all who would dare oppose you. Each round, at the beginning of your turn, the meteors deal 10d6 fire damage and 5d6 bludgeoning damage to all creatures within the spell’s area. As a full-round action each round, you may move the spell’s area to anywhere within the spell’s range. This does not affect where the meteors strike on the round that you make the action. The area currently affected by the spell is clearly visible, potentially allowing characters in the spell’s area to move out of it before the next group of meteors hits
DARK SUPPLICATION
School conjuration (calling) [forbidden]; Level sorcerer/wizard 9
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (blood of an innocent)
Profane Points: 1
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect one summoned outsider
Duration instantaneous and 1 day/level; see text
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance no and yes, see text
You declare your worship of evil and call out to your masters that they might send you one of their servants. By means of this spell, you can summon either a balor or a pit fiend as though by the spell planar binding. When you cast this spell, you must succeed on an opposed Charisma check with the summoned outsider; if you fail, you fall under the outsider's influence as though affected by dominate person for 1 day/level. If you succeed, the summoned creature serves you faithfully and to the best of its ability for 1 day/level, instead, after which it acts as normal for a creature summoned by planar binding.
DEMISE OF THE WARLOCK
School enchantment (compulsion) [forbidden, mind-affecting]; Level sorcerer/wizard 2, witch 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (the skull of a horse)
Profane Points: 2
Range touch
Target creature touched
Duration 1 min./level
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
You rob the target of his higher mental faculties, not crippling him, but stripping him of everything that makes his mind extraordinary. For the spell’s duration, the target’s Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores are each reduced to 10. Any enhancement, profane, or sacred bonuses to the target’s ability scores apply to these new scores (so if the target was benefitting from fox’s cunning his Intelligence would be 14), but inherent and racial bonuses to the target’s ability scores do not.
PHANTOM SHIELD
School abjuration [forbidden]; Level sorcerer/wizard 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (piece of a wooden shield destroyed by fire)
Profane Points: 1
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 min./level (D)
You gain a +4 shield bonus to AC and also gain immunity to a single 1st-level spell of your choice (such as magic missile).
DANCE OF DEMONS
School enchantment (compulsion) [forbidden, mind-affecting]; Level sorcerer/wizard 8
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (the beak of a vulture)
Profane Points: 2
Range medium (100 ft. +10 ft./level)
Target one creature/4 levels, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Will negates, Reflex half, see text; Spell Resistance yes
You screech in a harsh and birdlike tongue, and your victims begin to caper and twirl. This functions identically to the spell irresistible dance, except that each round that an affected creature spends dancing, they are treated as performing a dance of ruin. At the end of each round in which one or more creatures danced in this way, a crackling wave of energy erupts from one of the dancers (chosen at random) inflicting 5d6 points of damage to each creature within 100 feet. A successful Reflex save (DC equal to dance of demons’ DC) halves this damage.For every creature that joined in the dance beyond the first, the damage increases by 5d6, and the saving throw DC increases by +1. Only creatures affected by this spell, or those that are independently capable of performing a dance of ruin, such as a vrock, can contribute to the dance in this way. You are not immune to this damage.
FORM OF THE DARK GODS
School transmutation [forbidden]; Level sorcerer/wizard 6
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a human hand)
Profane Points: 1
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 min./level
You call out to the dark ones to provide you with their power and assume a form akin to a demigod of evil and corruption. For the duration of the spell, you grow an angry red carapace of scales and scabs which increases your natural armor bonus by +10 for the spell’s duration. You also gain a +10 enhancement bonus to your Strength and Dexterity scores, and your hands twist into wicked claws, granting you two primary claw natural attacks that deal 1d8 points of slashing damage on a successful hit (for Medium creatures). The claws also deal an additional 2d6 points of damage against good creatures. There are some negative side effects, however: for the spell’s duration, you are unable to cast any spells unless their range is personal. Additionally, this new form is hard to control, as dark entities whisper corruption in your mind, and each minute that you remain under its influence, you must succeed on a Will save (DC equal to form of the dark gods’s saving throw DC)or gain the confused condition for the remainder of the spell’s duration, even if you would normally be immune to confusion or mind-affecting effects in general.
MIRROR OF THE WITCH
School abjuration [forbidden]; Level sorcerer/wizard 7, witch 7
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (a hand mirror made from silver or iron)
Profane Points: 1
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 round/level
You quietly intone wicked phrases, causing four demon-faced mirrors to appear around you. These mirrors shelter you from all harm, both magical and mundane. For the spell’s duration you gain total concealment and immunity to all spells, so long as the mirrors created by this spell remain intact. The mirrors are actually metaphysical manifestations of abjurative power and can be disrupted or destroyed through sufficient hostile intent. A successful Intimidate check (DC 10 + your caster level + you primary spell casting ability score modifier) destroys the mirrors. The mirrors can also be destroyed by anything which can destroy a wall of force, such as a rod of cancelation, but cannot be destroyed by physical damage of any sort.
SPIRIT OF BLACK KNIFE
School transmutation [forbidden]; Level sorcerer/wizard 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (a minuture representation of a jet black dagger)
Profane Points: 1
Range touch
Target dagger touched
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Fortitude negates (object); Spell Resistance yes (object)
You empower the touched weapon with a trace of the power of the black knife, transforming it into a +1 unholy dagger for the spell’s duration. Each round that the dagger is not used to make a melee attack, the spell backlashes, dealing 2d6 points of damage to you. This damage occurs even if you are no longer holding the dagger.