Nosicar's Return
Near the beginning of Obscure Arcana, way back in early 2012, we had an article that presented spells from a spellbook by Nosicar of the Flesh, a mad wizard who specialized in the manipulation of body parts. Though the spells were somewhat bizarre and a bit on the gruesome side, Nosicar is one of my favorite characters whose spells we’ve featured throughout the years, and I thought it was time that we showcased some more of his work. So get ready for some body horror, because today’s article is going to get a little … icky.
NOSICAR’S FROG TONGUE
School transmutation; Level alchemist 2, bloodrager 2, druid 2, ranger 3, shaman 2, sorcerer/wizard 2, witch 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a frog or chameleon’s tongue)
Range personal
Target you
Duration 10 min./level (D)
Your tongue transforms into the large, long, sticky tongue of a giant frog. You gain a tongue natural attack with a range of 15 feet, which does not deal any damage on a successful hit, but attacks made with it are touch attacks, and if the attack hits, you can start a grapple with the target as a free action. When grappling with your tongue, your CMB is equal to your caster level + your primary spellcasting ability score modifier, and your CMD is equal to 12 + that amount.
You are not considered grappled when grappling with your tongue, although you cannot use your tongue while doing so, making it difficult to speak intelligently or cast spells (casting a spell with verbal components while grappling in this way requires a successful concentration check (DC 20 + twice the spell’s level). Your tongue is also exposed when being used in this way: a creature that deals 10 points of slashing damage can sever the tongue, ending the spell immediately.
Finally, the tongue is also prehensile, and can be used to pick up, hold, and manipulate objects from a range of up to 15 feet.
NOSICAR’S HEAD DOUBLER
School transmutation; Level alchemist 5, sorcerer/wizard 8, witch 8
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S, M (powdered ettin teeth)
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 min./level; see text
A second head, identical to your first, grows instantly from the base of your neck, taking on a life of its own. This second head shares your personality and memories, but acts and thinks independently of you. This grants several benefits. First, you can’t be flanked, and can see in all directions at once, as the all-around vision universal monster ability. Second, the second head can take a full round’s worth of actions each round on your turn, although it has no control over the rest of your body, making its options somewhat limited. It can make any skill or ability checks that do not require more than a head (including, but not necessarily limited to Appraise, Knowledge, Linguistics, Perception, Perform [act, comedy, oratory, or sing only], and Sense Motive checks, as well as Intelligence and Wisdom checks). The second head uses your bonuses for these checks.
The second head can also cast spells, although they must not have a somatic or material component. It shares your prepared spells or unused spell slots, and knows the spells you know. Any spell that it casts is expended as though you had cast it yourself. Casting your spells in this way is very straining to the second head, and each time it casts a spell, the remaining duration of this spell is reduced by 1 minute per spell level of the spell cast. If the remaining duration of this spell is less than that amount, the second head is unable to cast the spell at all.
Finally, if you are decapitated while under the effects of this spell, only one of your two heads is severed, and you remain alive until the spell ends. If it is unclear which of your two heads (the original or the one granted by this spell) is severed, the GM should determine which head remains randomly. If the remaining head is the one granted by this spell, you die when the spell ends (unless you have regenerated your head).
While the second head technically possesses its own will and mind, it is very rare for it to act against your best interests, and it will almost always follow your commands. If you are affected by a mind-affecting effect, the second head is not necessarily affected (unless it is affected separately).
NOSICAR’S SKIN BOND
School transmutation; Level alchemist 3, sorcerer/wizard 4, summoner 3, witch 4
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a piece of discarded skin)
Range touch
Target up to 1 creature touched/level, each of which must be touching at least one other target
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw Reflex negates; Spell Resistance yes
You fuse the living flesh of the affected creatures together at the points where they are touching one another. You only need to touch one of the target creatures to cast this spell, though all targets must be touching at least one other target for them to be affected. Creatures fused in this way cannot separate themselves easily, and must remain adjacent and touching at all times. Depending on the body parts that are fused, and how, one or more targets may lose the function of one or more of their limbs. The affected creatures cannot move independently of one another, and must either coordinate their movements (in combat, this requires all but one of the creatures fused together to ready an action to move at the same time the other fused creature does), or drag one another along (the character attempting to move must succeed on a combat maneuver check to move the group, and can only move at 1/2 his normal speed).
The fused flesh can be severed, but it is extremely durable, and doing so is very unpleasant, requiring that 1 point of slashing damage per caster level be inflicted to the spot where the flesh is fused. Both of the fused creatures suffer this damage. Any healing bestowed on one or both of the fused creatures also heals this fused flesh.
An alchemist can administer this as an extract by pouring it on the flesh to be fused. Alternatively, he can consume the extract to have his flesh fuse with all flesh he is touching instantaneously (the creatures that he is attempting to fuse to are still entitled to a Reflex save to avoid this effect). This spell cannot fuse a creature’s flesh to another part of its own body: it can only fuse two different creatures together. For any two targets that are to be fused together, if either succeeds on a Reflex save, that fusion does not occur, although other targets may still be fused to one another.