Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Stigger 03-23-07, 02:46 AM	This is a spell I've been working on for a custom PrC along the lines of Master Inquisitives from Eberron, but with a more Realms flavor to them, and I'm curious as to whether the spell levels looks a bit low or not, given what I want the spell to do: Dweomer Divination: Divination Level: Sor/Wiz 6 Components: V, S, M (2" square glass pane) Casting Time: 10 minutes Range: Touch Area/Target: 1 creature or object Duration: 1 round per level Saving Throw: Special Spell Resistance: No This spell is designed to analyze a spell that has been placed on an item or creature, and to gather as much information about the caster as possible. Each round it will reveal a new piece of information if a successful spellcraft check is made against the original DC of the target spell's save, or what the save would have been if the target spell did not allow a save. If the target spell is more than a tenday old in duration, the spellcraft checks DC increases by +1 for each tenday past the first. If any check is unsuccessful, the spell will continue in order of revelation, and a new check for any missed check can be made in any rounds that might be remaining in the spell's duration. If cast on an object increase the spellcraft check DC's by +2, and if cast on an object not directly targeted, but still affected by the target spell, increase the spellcraft check DC's by +10. The nondetection spell being active on the original caster at the time of casting the target spell increases the spellcraft check DC's by +20. round 1: Type of Spell (school, subschool, descriptor, etc) round 2: Magnitude of Spell (level of spell cast) round 3: Type of Caster (arcane or divine or other) round 4: General Type of Caster (wizard, sorcerer, bard, cleric, etc) round 5: Spellcaster Level round 6: Enhancements to Spell (metamagic, item boosts, various feats, etc)* +5 to spellcraft check DC round 7: Caster Traits (specialist wizard if from specialty school, PrC class abilities applied to target spell, etc)* +10 to spellcraft check DC round 8: Caster Sigil or Identity of Divine Patron (depends on caster type)** +15 to spellcraft check DC round 9: Caster Name (thinking more nicknames or titles unless there's a dramatic success on the check here, not likely given the probable DC)** +20 to spellcraft check DC round 10+: Retry any missed checks in any order desired * indicates lack thereof as well ** inscribed on the pane of glass as the information is revealed Basically this is operating on the premise that spells cast leave an identifiable 'fingerprint' of magical energy that can be traced to the caster on things that their spells target or affect, and that it is easier to trace on people since their tissues would hold some of those magical energies a bit better than an object would, something like arcane forensics. Obviously this wouldn't be easy, hence all the possible increases to spellcraft check DC's, and I'm also presuming that there would be ad hoc circumstantial bonuses and penalties to those checks depending on the conditions of a given situation that would be far too numerous to list. So, thoughts? Come to think of it, maybe it might be a good idea to subtract the spell level from the spellcraft DC instead of adding it, since it should have more power behind it and leave a larger amount of energy to be analyzed, making it easier to detect.
Red_Wizard 03-23-07, 08:49 AM	So along the lines of the spell that was being practised at the beginning of the Blackstaff novel?
Stigger 03-23-07, 02:35 PM	You know I didn't realize it, but yes, a lot like that, only more useful on a forensic level. The idea was to hand it over to watch wizards, like the ones in Waterdeep, only a bit more like an investigative version of Force Gray, though the exact city they're going to be based in isn't completely decided yet... kinda depends on what my players veer towards.