Chaotic Sleep (Alteration)

Sphere: Chaos

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M

Duration: Permanent

Casting Time: 1 turn

Area of Effect: One creature

Saving Throw: Neg.

After casting this spell, the priest must successfully touch his victim. The victim is then allowed a saving throw to avoid the spell's effect. If the saving throw is failed, the spell takes effect at the next sunrise or sunset (whichever comes first).

From the time the spell takes effect until the spell is negated, the sleeping pattern of the victim is randomly disrupted. At sunset and sunrise of every day, a check is made to determine the effects of chaotic sleep. In the 12-hour period that follows the check, there is an equal chance that the character will be unable to sleep or unable to remain awake (roll 1d6; on a roll of 1-3, the character is awake, on a roll of 4-6, he sleeps). This condition lasts until the next sunrise (or sunset) when the check is made again.

For example, a fighter fails to save against chaotic sleep. For the next few hours, the spell has no effect. At sundown, the first check is made, resulting in a 2. The fighter does not notice anything until he tries to sleep that night, at which time he is wide awake, fidgeting and restless. At sunrise, another die roll is made, resulting in a 6. The fighter is suddenly exhausted and sleeps until sunset.

Characters who sleep as a result of this spell can be roused only by physical stimuli--a slap or a wound, for example. Once awake, the character remains conscious only as long as there are active stimuli around him, such as a fight. Walking through caves or riding a horse will not keep the character awake. Unlike a sleep spell, characters affected by chaotic sleep doze off as soon as they are left relatively undisturbed. Keeping an affected character awake is difficult at best.

Lack of sleep will eventually take a physical toll on any character under the influence of the spell. For every 12-hour period that a character remains awake beyond the first, he suffers a -1 penalty to THAC0. Such characters do not regain hit points as a result of normal healing. Spellcasters cannot memorize spells until they have had sufficient sleep.

Chaotic sleep can be removed with a remove curse.

The material components are a pinch of sand and three coffee beans.

Table of Contents