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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 6948178" data-attributes="member: 4937">For some time now, I've wanted a generic 'Contact Spirit' spell.  Unfortunately, as with any sort of divination, all the mechanics I can think of are both complex and require quite a bit of DM input.   However, I really want this as a spell, so here is where my thinking is at present:Contact SpiritUsing this ritual, the spell caster attempts to lure a spirit into briefly manifesting themselves to them and answering a simply phrased question.  One such question may be asked per 5 caster levels (round up), but the entire interview must not take more than 1 minute per caster level.  Unless they are hostile, spirits will answer most questions honestly, but will often owing to personality quirks and alien disposition be brief, cryptic and speak in riddles.  Hostile creatures will lie, prevaricate, mislead, or speak nonsense in an attempt to thwart the caster’s intent.   More powerful ones may even attack the caster in fury at his intrusion, so casters are best advised to prepare defenses such as protection from spirits.   Even a spirit which is not hostile, will refuse to answer questions that are opposed to its own interests.The spell caster begins by making a small fire and burning a small quantity of incense (usually about 1 ounce) while chanting the spell.  Such incense is generally worth about 1 s.p.  A random nearby spirit normally answers out of curiosity, but with appropriate knowledge regarding the ritual the shaman can influence which spirit answers.  With a DC 15 Alchemy check and access to appropriate materials, the spell caster can craft incense of an appropriate formulae to make it appeal to spirits with a specific alignment or specific subtype.   Alternately, with an appropriate DC 15 Knowledge check, the caster can select a small sacrifice or offering, in order to lure vary specific sorts of beings.  A Knowledge (Nature) check is required with respect to nature spirits and fey.  A Knowledge (Planes) check is required with respect to denizens of the inner planes and transitive planes.  A Knowledge (Arcane) check is required with respect to undead and native outsiders, and a Knowledge (Religion) check is required with respect to denizens of the outer planes.  This offering is worth at least 1 c.p. times the HD of the creature to be contacted, and generally takes the form of a food or libation which the creature may find desirable.  When a sacrifice is offered, Contact Spirit takes on the same subtype descriptors as the creature being contacted.  However, if a sacrifice is offered, if no spirit of that sort is known to be associated with the area, then there is only a 4% chance per caster level that the attempt to contact the spirit is successful.Skill checks to adjust the ritual are made secretly.  If they fail, the caster has made an inappropriate change to the ritual, and the spell automatically fails.If the shaman knows spirit’s true name or else has an appropriate totem for the spirit, a specific spirit can be contacted.  Spirits specific to a location, including almost all minor spirits and many of the greater ones, can only respond if the spell is cast in the vicinity of that location – usually within 1/2 mile per HD of the spirit - and the spell will fail if that spirit is unable to respond.   The names and totems of spirits with more global scope to their activities are thus highly prized, and closely guarded by those that know them.   Spirits which are bothered too often or whose names are taken too lightly tend to become hostile.  Exact details are up to the DM, but a spirit will generally become annoyed if contacted more than once a month unless sizable bribes and offerings are made.This spell can be used to contact the spirit of a dead and departed person, but only if used in a place closely associated with that person such as their home in life, their grave, or in the presence of their mortal remains.  The shaman must either know the person’s true name or else have been acquainted with them in life.  The dead are generally uninterested in the concerns of those still living who they did not know in life, but may make an exception for mortal descendants or other close relatives.  Favored personal possessions of the dead person may be used as effective totems.A totem can be crafted to represent a spirit that a shaman is acquainted with.  Such totems generally cost at least 1 s.p. per HD of the spirit that they represent, and require a DC 20 Knowledge (Religion) check to correctly design the totem and an appropriate DC 20 crafting check.   Both checks are made in secret, and if either check fails the work is wasted.  A totem may be of virtually any size, but generally may not be smaller than about ¼ lb. per HD of the spirit that they represent, and smaller totems are desired then they must be more finely wrought or of proportionately more valuable materials.  In inhabited portions of the world, it is not uncommon to find many small shrines along roads and paths built to house totems of this sort.  Stealing from such shrines is considered very bad luck, for somewhat obvious reasons.The spell cannot be used to contact any spirit with any amount of Divine Rank, including creatures of Divine Rank 0.  For that purpose, Contact Other Plane or similar powerful magic beyond the bounds of this spell must be sued.If the spirit is of different alignment to the caster or otherwise has cause to be hostile to the caster, the caster must make an opposed charisma check to gain the spirit’s cooperation.  If this fails, there is a 50% chance the spirit attacks the caster if it has greater than or equal HD than the caster, and the spirit lies and attempts to deceive the spell caster otherwise.  If it has less HD than the caster, the creature lies to the caster regarding its knowledge, or seeks to mislead the caster or give evasive answers to any questions.  If the spirit does attack, it generally will not waste more than 1 round attacking per level of the caster, unless the caster is already a mortal enemy or adds insult to injury by attempting by attempts to hold or bind the spirit in some fashion.Spirits of any sort will be wary, and seek to keep sufficient distance from the caster of a Contact spell to allow for flight should the encounter go sour.  They will prefer to not manifest and maintain incorporeal form, or use spells of their own such as illusions to act as proxies for their presence. A spirit that is willing to answer the spellcaster’s questions does not always know the answer.   A spirit either knows something or it doesn’t.  Asking the same question rephrased in a different way always obtains the same results.  The DM is the final judge of whether or not a spirit can answer a specific question, but in general the chance that a spirit can answer a given question is as follows.   Common Knowledge                              :  65%Unusual Knowledge                                        :  15%Rare, Inaccessible, or Specific Knowledge                     :  -5%Rare and Specific Knowledge:                  : -30%Add the HD of spirit to chance that it knows.Add +25% bonus if the spirit is questioned regarding something pertaining to its specific domain or its immediate environs.Subtract 5% for each point of intelligence below 11.Hostile spirits that don’t know the answer always lie or mislead.   If the spirit does not know the answer, then there is a 5% chance that it believes that it does and gives a plausible but entirely wrong answer.Still with me?If you are still with me, would you as a player learn/prepare a spell like that?Approximately how much value do you think you could squeeze out of a spell like that?  Is it broken?  Too weak?If it isn't broken, about what level of spell would you consider it?</blockquote>

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