Heart of Stone
(Necromancy)
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Range: 0 |
Components: V, S, M |
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Duration: 1 year |
Casting Time: 1 day |
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Area of Effect: The caster |
Saving Throw: None |
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Subtlety: 8 |
Knockdown: None |
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Sensory: None |
Critical: None |
This potent spell exchanges the necromancer’s own living heart for a finely crafted heart of perfect, unblemished stone that alters the very nature of the wizard’s body. As long as the heart of stone remains in effect, the caster need not fear attacks that pierce, slash, or cut him; he does not bleed and can ignore the most horrible injuries of this kind. The caster can also ignore most magical effects such as spells, magical devices, and innate spell abilities of less than 8th level.
In game terms, the character suffers only 1 point of damage from any type S or type P attack, plus any magical adjustment for the weapon. For example, if struck by a long sword +1, he would suffer only 2 points of damage. Strength and specialization bonuses are ignored. If the wizard is dismembered, he suffers no additional damage other than the inconvenience of having his limbs removed, and he can reattach a severed limb by holding it in place for one full turn. The heart of stone is also partially effective against type B attacks since it prevents bruising, swelling, and crushed blood vessels. Against bludgeoning weapons, the wizard only suffers half the normal damage. Cause wound spells always inflict minimum damage against a wizard protected by this spell. While the caster may not feel a sword in his rib cage, any damage sustained interrupts spellcasting.
In addition to resisting injury, the heart of stone also renders the character immune to fatigue and exhaustion, whether normal or magical. He also gains a +4 bonus to saving throws vs. petrification attacks.
While the heart of stone is quite powerful, it has limitations. First of all, determined physical attack can eventually destroy the wizard despite his unnatural resistance to injury—a mob of angry peasants with hatchets and spears can finish him off 1 point at a time if that’s what it takes. Second, the heart confers no protection against other attack forms, such as fire, electricity, cold, acid, and so on, although any bleeding caused by a burn is ignored. Disintegration effects also affect the caster. Most importantly, the caster loses the ability to naturally recover from injury and no longer regains lost hit points with the passage of time. Healing spells, potions and items are reduced to their minimum effect, so a cure serious wounds (2d8+1 hit points restored) would only return 3 hit points to a wizard protected by heart of stone. However, limited wish or wish can be used to restore 1 hit point per level of caster or all but 1d4 hit points, respectively.
In addition to these disadvantages, heart of stone also renders the caster vulnerable in one other way: his own real heart can be destroyed, instantly slaying him. Naturally, the caster will want to take steps to hide and protect his true heart to prevent this from happening. The living heart continues to beat for the duration of the spell but requires no special receptacle or facilities to protect it—the caster could leave it lying on the floor, if he wished.
The heart of stone cannot be dispelled, although a more powerful negation magic such as Mordenkainen’s disjunction can bring the spell to an end. Stone to flesh also undoes the magic of the heart of stone. No matter how the spell is ended, the wizard’s own living heart instantly returns to its proper place, and the stone heart appears wherever the living heart was kept. At this time, any injuries the wizard currently has are multiplied by 1d6 as the wounds begin to bleed again. For example, a necromancer who was injured for 6 points of damage instead suffers 6d6 when the spell ends.
The material component for this spell is the stone heart itself. This must be a carved stone of quality (jade, obsidian, or gold-veined marble would be appropriate) worth not less than 5,000 gold pieces. It must be prepared by use of the enchant an item spell. The stone is not consumed at the spell’s end and may be used again if it is undamaged.