Truly Evil Spells
Some of you may have already heard that this week’s spells are of the blackest, most evil sort. Actually, they’re designed with the vilest and most wicked class in mind: the terrible antipaladin. These warriors of darkness prefer spells which allow them to torment and cause great pain and fear in their foes, since they can rely on their swords for the killing. With that in mind, today’s spells are meant to be cruel and possibly cause long-term suffering.
CRAWLING CURSE
School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]; Level antipaladin 2, bard 3, cleric/oracle 2, sorcerer/wizard 2, witch 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M/DF (a live caterpillar)
Range touch
Target one living creature
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance no
This dire curse is aptly named, forcing the victim to crawl about, following you wherever you go and subjecting the target to meek obedience. For the spell’s duration, the target falls to his knees, unable to walk normally, and feels compelled to follow you wherever you travel, each round moving 10 feet closer to you. This movement always provokes attacks of opportunity. Each round, the target receives a new Will save to negate the affect. If the target has suffered damage since his last save, he receives a +5 bonus on this Will save. If you attack the target during this time, the spell automatically ends.
MARK OF DAMNATION
School enchantment (compulsion) [evil]; Level antipaladin 4, sorcerer/wizard 8, witch 8
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M/DF (blood from a demon or devil)
Range touch
Target one living creature
Duration permanent
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance no
You compel the target to speak an ancient rite and join in a powerful unholy pact, gifting his soul to a powerful devil. While most characters that perform such a pact do so in exchange for power, because you are forcing the target into it, he gains nothing from it, and only suffers the consequences. On the target’s next turn, he takes no action other than to recite ritual words offering up his soul to any devil who will claim it. At the end of his turn, a mark of pure evil and damnation, which appears as clawed hand blacker than black, appears upon the target’s brow. Only evil characters and good characters can see the mark, and both recognize it as a sign of a pact with a powerful devil.
This infernal contract ensures that, should the target die while under the effects of this spell, his soul will be dragged to the lower planes. A character that dies under the effects of this ability cannot be returned to life by any means. Additionally, a character so marked is especially susceptible to attacks of creatures from the lower planes and suffers a -2 penalty to saving throws against the spells and special attacks of outsiders with the evil subtype. This penalty is doubled against effects which allow the outsider to mentally control or possess the target. A break enchantment spell cast by a good character can remove this effect, as can a wish or miracle spell.
VENOM EYES
School transmutation (evil); Level antipaladin 3, clerics/oracle 7, druid 7
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, DF
Range touch
Target one living creature
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Fortitude negates and Fortitude partial, see text; Spell Resistance yes
The target’s eyes fill with poison as they begin to cry tears of burning venom. The venom makes vision difficult and the target treats all creatures as though they had concealment (20% miss chance) because of this. Because of the nature of the spell, the target’s vision is never obstructed against gaze attacks as an effect of this venom, though could still obscure his vision through other means. Additionally, each round the target must succeed on a Fortitude save or suffer 1 point of Strength, Dexterity and constitution damage and be nauseated for 1 round. Any effect which cures poison also removes the effects of this spell. Characters immune to poison are immune to this spell, and any saving throw against poison applies to all portions of this spell.