New Spell: Seebora's Mind Search

[Vlos]

Following is a spell I am submitting to my GM, would like public opinion.

Thanks...

Spell: Seebora's Mind Search
Level: 7
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 8 Hours
Range: Touch
Saving Throw: WILL(Special)
Spell Resistance: None
Duration: Permanent
Description:
This spell allows the caster to probe a prepared skull and retrieve prior knowledge that it had.

This is an improved version of Speak with Dead. It allows the caster to concentrate and search/question the skull for information that it had known when it was alive.

Since the skull/being is dead, it does not get any Spell Resistance, but it does get a one time WILL save to resist the spell, though at a -4. If the skull makes it's save, then the spell fails and the skull cannot be the target of either Speak with Dead or Mind Search again. It also cannot be animated. If the skull fails the save, then it is properly prepared for future use.

Also the skull could not have been the target of either a Speak with Dead or Mind Search prior to casting of the spell, also the corpse from which the skull was taken could not have been animated prior to casting. This includes low level undead, but higher undead and natural undead (those that came alive by curses or unnatural means) can be included. Excluded Skeletons and animated constructs/beings. Included, vampires, wights, lichs, etc.

Once the spell is cast on the skull, the skull is prepared to be searched at any time in the future. Any information that the being knew during its life can be searched. Though a concentration check is required to retrieve any information. Even though the skull has been prepared and "indexed" it still takes time to concentrate and retrieve the information. The more personal/private the information, the longer and harder the concentration check is required.

The base concentration check has a DC of 10, Common/public knowledge has a +5 DC, Uncommon Knowledge has a +10 DC, Private Knowledge has a +20 DC, Secret Knowledge has a +30 DC. Forgotten or Knowledge Magically sealed/locked also adds a +30 DC.

Also the amount of detail trying to be researched is factored in. General information is +0, while moderate details are +10 and specific details are +30. For example, searching for information about a meeting, his bidy guard was there, is general information, his name was "gerard" in moderate details while the spelling would be specific details.

Also the futher back in the history of the skull/being the harder it is to search as well. Add a +1 to the DC for every 10 years back. This applies in the beings life, not the life of the skull/corpse.

The time required to search the information is based on the DC check. For every point above 10 takes 1 minute. So a search on common knowledge would take 5 minutes.

The information retrieved is as the being knew it when they were alive. It is not encrypted or misleading, unless the being who knew the information was mislead.

The caster can search as much and as often as they like given the time.

DC Modifiers (Base of 10) [add all that apply]:
> Personal [First hand] Information +0
> Non-Personal (Second hand) +10 [someone told me rather than being there]

> General Detail +0
> Moderate Detail +10
> Specific Details +30

> Common Knowledge +5
> Uncommon Knowledge +10
> Private Knowledge +20
> Secret Knowledge +30

> Magically/Psionically Blocked +30


So if you prepared a skull from a pesant that attended a public hanging. The following are various DCs:

Who was at the hanging: (the King and his bodyguard) [10 + 5] = 15
[base + common knowledge]

Who was the king's bodyguard: (jerry top guard) [10 + 10 + 10] = 30
[base + Moderate Detail + uncommon knowledge]

How do you spell his name: (Gerard) [10 + 30 + 10] = 50

Have you[the target pesant] every wanted to kill the king: (probably) [10 + 10 + 30] = 50
[base + Moderate + Secret]

Again the DC adjustments would be up to the GMs call.

 

[Mordane76]

Hmm...

This seems like a lot of meat, for not necessarily a lot of pay-off.
However, there are situations where this spell could prove very useful, and the inhibiting factors would not come into play at all -- if you want information from a particular person, it would probably prove far simplier to just kill them, and then prepare their skull using this spell, instead of taking the falsehood chances of bribery, interrogation, and torture.

Also, this spell involves potent divination magic in an obviously necromantic spell. There's a good deal of DM control, because the skull can only tell things it knows. However, I don't see a result for failing the Concentration check on a consultation, which does bother me somewhat -- if there's no 'penalty' for failing the Concentration check, then the caster will eventually find what they want to know if they just keep retrying the check unless the DC is impossible for them to beat, so it's sort of like a Zone of Truth in that manner, except that the skull doesn't have the option not to answer like a person does when under ZoT.

I'd say 8th the way it's written.