Heart Blight (Necromancy)
Sphere: Necromantic
Range: 10’/level
Components: V, S
Duration: Special (up to three rounds)
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: One living creature
Saving Throw: Neg.
With this spell, an evil necromancer priest may exert his or her dark will on
the still-beating heart of any living victim, provided the target remains in
clear view (line of sight) and within the spell’s range. After casting the spell,
the priest must focus his or her entire concentration on the victim’s heart
for three rounds, during which time the caster may not cast other spells or
engage in melee. The priest may, however, walk, talk, and take ordinary defensive
precautions while the spell runs its course through the victim.
During the first round of the spell, the victim must make a saving throw vs.
death magic with a –2 penalty. This saving throw is modified according to the
victim’s hit point adjustment due to Constitution (+1 bonus for 15 Con, +2 for 16
Con, and so on; see page 15 in the PHB for more on this).
If the victim makes this first saving throw, the spell fails to take hold of
his or her heart and has no further effect. If the victim fails the save,
however, then he or she suffers a massive spasm of pain in the chest (similar to that
felt in a heart attack), inflicting 1–8 points of damage on the victim and
completely incapacitating the individual for one excruciating round.
During the second round, the victim is entitled to another saving throw, this
time with a –1 penalty (plus any bonuses for Con). As before, if the victim
makes the save, the spell ends with no further effect. If failed, however, the
victim’s chest pain intensifies, as if a searing band of iron were being slowly
tightened around the heart. The character experiences severe dizziness,
disorientation, and terrible shooting pains in the arms, jaw, and left shoulder.
Meanwhile, the victim loses 25% of any remaining hit points, is paralyzed with
pain for 2–5 rounds, and immediately loses 2–5 points of Strength,
Constitution, and Dexterity. Providing the victim survives the final stage of the spell
(see below), these lost points are regained at a rate of 1 point in each these
three ability scores per day.
On the third round of the spell, the target must make a (third, unmodified)
saving throw vs. death magic or suffer a massive heart attack, resulting in
immediate death (onset time is 1 round, during which time, the victim is completely
incapacitated). Alternatively, a kind DM might decide that the final phase of
the spell merely plunges the victim into a deep, death-like coma, lasting 1–4
days and resulting in the permanent loss of 1 point of Constitution.
This deadly spell may be thwarted in a number of ways. Successfully casting dispel magic on either the victim or the priest will disrupt the heart blight, as will casting a simple protection from evil spell on the victim or wearing
a scarab of protection (this drains a charge, however). Furthermore, the victim may be entitled to
repeat a saving throw with a +2 bonus if treated by another character with the
healing non-weapon proficiency. Finally, the spell is immediately broken if the
victim is transported out of range or removed from the priest’s line of sight.
Because of its murderous effect, this spell is only granted to wicked priests
by the gods of Death, Disease, and Evil.
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