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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Edena_of_Neith" data-source="post: 514654" data-attributes="member: 2020">A comparison of the power of these spells versus the power of spells I am familiar with is in order here.  The base spell for this purpose is Slay Living (as I remember that spell, at least.)  This spell is 5th level.  This spell requires a successful Touch Attack.  This spell allows a save.  This spell allows spell resistance.  This spell kills on a failed save, based on a Death Magic attack.  On a successful save, the target sustains 3 to 18 points of damage, based on a Death Magic attack.  The 5th level spell, Loviatar's Gift, involves the following:  This spell is 5th level, like Slay Living.  This spell allows a (requires a successful) Ranged Touch Attack, making it more powerful than Slay Living.  This spell allows a save, as per Slay Living.  This spell allows spell resistance, as per Slay Living.  This spell can be used to attempt to kill an enemy, but it will take some time to kill, regardless of what part of the enemy's body is targeted (even targeting the brain stem of the enemy will take some time to cause death.)  This makes Loviatar's Gift weaker than Slay Living.  This spell can be countered, during the 2 to 8 hour period in which it is working, by a number of spells.  Dispel Magic, Remove Curse, and many other spells will negate the acid.  Anesthetize will stop the pain, along with rendering the target unconscious or placing the target into magical sleep.  This also renders Loviatar's Gift weaker than Slay Living.  This spell can be protected against by the prior casting of defensive spells that negate magic or protect from acid.  This is on a par with Slay Living, which can be hedged out by defenses against Death Magic.  The odd point here is the concept of the magic leaping to another target.  As far as I know, this particular concept of spellcasting has not been well addressed, and there is some question concerning the power required to pull off such a stunt.  In the case of the 5th level Loviatar's Gift, the spell leaps randomly, to the nearest target, if the original target saves.  It cannot affect the spellcaster, but it can affect her allies.    It can only strike at any one individual once.  If it runs out of human/demihuman/humanoid targets in the immediate area, it will strike some unfortunate sentient plant or animal in all likelihood - if the casting was in a wilderness area.  In a city, it will strike at the nearest unfortunate civilian.  I made an assumption that 5th level spellpower was the minimum requisite for this kind of leaping power for a spell.  It seemed to me that the power of the magic had to go somewhere.  Yes, spells do dissipate when saved against, but it was a more appealing, dastardly (and darkly humorous) concept to have the magic strike something, if resisted by the one it was meant to affect.  Also, the spell leaves - in this case AFTER it is resisted - the knowledge of what it is, and what it DOES, with the target, so that he or she can choose to forego resisting a second assault by this spell.  THAT aspect of the spell is purely Loviaritan:  it was built into the spell to produce pain in the target whether he was affected or not affected.  Certainly, to produce pain in someone, and perhaps to create hard feelings within an adventuring party.  Definitely a spell for the DM's evil NPCs.  THIS spell is non-aligned, and any alignment can use it - although why a good aligned character would use this spell is beyond me.  Resisting this spell is not an evil act.  However, it certainly might cause trouble amongst one's friends and allies.  That was the intent of the Loviarites who designed it.  So, is this spell, Loviatar's Gift, stronger or weaker than Slay Living?  It is CERTAINLY a more vile, more putrid, spell than Slay Living .... and it was meant to be darkly humorous, whereas Slay Living is a straight to the point killing spell.</blockquote>

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