Dire sight, offensive divination.

[Ferret]

Dire sight
Divination
Level: Brd 5, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 full round
Range: Touch
Targets: One creature (special)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fort
Spell Resistance: No

When the caster touches his victim they receive an image of their own death or similiar mishap, the resulting shock is enough to kill them. If they fail the fortitude save they are killed, however they gain a bonus from their wisdom not fortitude. For this to work the creature must have a Wisdom and intelligence score, also creatures who do not 'die', undead, constructs, outsiders cannot be affected by the spell.

For instance: If Gimble used this spell on an orc with 10 wisdom, and 18 constitution he has to make a bare fort save or die. However a human cleric with a wisdom of 18 and a constitution of 10, gains a +4 bonus on her fortitude save.

I should be balanced, I may add a HD cap, and then a Greater dire sight. What do you think on the balance?

 

[CombatWombat51]

It's a fairly simple save or die. I'd also make it a mind-affecting effect, and maybe cause some damage if they make their save. I don't think it really fits for bards though. Oh, and you forgot to list the focus.

 

[Geoff Watson]

Sounds very similar to Phantasmal Killer.

Why do you need a Divination version? Are you playing a psycho Diviner?

Geoff.

 

[Fieari]

It does sound a lot like Phantasmal Killer... except that instead of showing them their worst fear, it only shows them "the way that they will die". What if that's not such a terrifying thing to me? Why would I have to make a fort save to discover that I will die surrounded by those I love, and go willingly into the night after years of good service and a worthwhile life? Or that I will fall in glorious battle exactly as I've dreamed of for so many years? Or die saving the one I love? Or any number of other worthwhile things?

Death isn't always enough to scare one to death.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Have you looked at the psion Seer powers? They have a range of offensive divination powers including "Recall Pain" and "Recall Death". It is like you are doing a variation on Recall Death, and it would be worth checking them up in the SRD.

Cheers

 

[Hashmalum]

When the caster touches his victim they receive an image of their own death or similiar mishap, the resulting shock is enough to kill them.

So they see themselves getting killed by the dire sight spell? This seems rather silly to me...

 

[Darklone]

So they see themselves getting killed by the dire sight spell? This seems rather silly to me...

Right. That way this spell can't kill

 

[wocky]

You could change the sight from their own deaths to simultaneous vision of the death, destruction and eventual decay of everyone and everything they hold dear.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

It does sound a lot like Phantasmal Killer... except that instead of showing them their worst fear, it only shows them "the way that they will die". What if that's not such a terrifying thing to me? Why would I have to make a fort save to discover that I will die surrounded by those I love, and go willingly into the night after years of good service and a worthwhile life? Or that I will fall in glorious battle exactly as I've dreamed of for so many years? Or die saving the one I love? Or any number of other worthwhile things?

Death isn't always enough to scare one to death.

That's what you might see if you made the save.

If you failed it, you'd see the dire sight spell killing you?

It should probably wipe the memory of the death scene from the targets mind - otherwise you could end up with a minor paradox of explaining to a PC how their character is going to die?

Edit: If you are going to be/have been raised from the dead would you get a multiple vision?

 

[Ferret]

They won't always see death, if sometime between now and their death they fall off a cliff or are tortured thats what they see, a monster you encounter or even being pulled from your "heaven" as you are raised. It will be something that would kill you.

I haven't seen the seer powers though, are they in the D&D version?

The point is that they see something from there future, and (I've just thought of this) maybe the past. Them seeing them selves dies of seeing them selves die.... should be enough to overload them and kill them.