Pen & Paper Spell Guidelines
General Clarification of Saves versus Spells:
When a character rolls a save and
fails, they do not know they have failed a Save, except for any immediately obvious effects that may have manifested from the spell, such as a Horrid Wilting, a Fireball, or just plain being Dominated. If a character rolls a save and
succeeds, the character is aware that a spell was attempted on them, feeling the effect as a fuzzy and immediately identifiable tingle through their body.
They do not know the spell or the caster outside of any immediately obvious effects that may manifest from succeeding on your save, such as taking no damage from a Fireball due to Evasion, or seeing through an Illusion due to a successful save.
A character may choose to willingly fail the save of any spell that has a save, but in order to do so, they must be fully aware that the spell is targeting them, and aware of it at the time the spell is being cast on them. For example, a character looking to prove her loyalty to a new faction could willingly fail the Zone of Truth spell being cast on the area in order to be compelled to tell the truth. However, a character could not willingly fail a save vs Scrying out of the blue, even if it were one of the character's friends, because the character is not both 1: aware of the spell targeting them and 2: aware of the spell being cast on them at that moment. A character may willingly lower their effective mental/physical defenses and fail saves as they please if they suspect the need to do so, but during this time, they will fail all saves of all spells directed at them, regardless of who they come from and who they are targeting, if it as an AoE. It takes one full round (6 seconds) for a character to lower their mental defenses, but once they do it takes one full minute to mentally and bodily center yourself to be prepared to fend off powerful magics again. Entirely lowering your spell defense, therefore, is not something characters tend to do lightly, as situations where you know the exact time a spell is going to hit you without also being subject to spells from others, is rare and difficult to discern indeed. A spellcaster may make a DC 30 spellcraft check as a full round action to discern if your spell defenses are currently lowered.
- Detect Magic:
- The DM team would like to remind and clarify that the Detect Magic spell is a 3 round concentration spell, and only reveals schools and aura upon a successful Spellcraft check, and if the object is in line of sight. This means that an item in a bag of holding, or similar, is not subject to Detect Magic's school detection properties. If you turn your gaze to a new area, you must restart your three round timer before you properly detect things and make Spellcraft checks.
Detect Evil (And all other alignment derivatives):
- Like Detect Magic, detect Evil works off of a three round timer before you get full information from the spell, although presence or absence of "Alignment" is the first round. This spell detects objects of that alignment, and so if you stare at someone for only a round, and they have Evil items on them, even if the character is a Paladin, even if those items are in magic bags, then they will Detect as Evil. However, upon that third round, if the object is in the magic bag, you only discern that the aura emanates from their general person and do not know which object. It is to be noted that you only learn number and location of auras, and not what the aura originates from, if the originator is out of your line of sight. In our above example, there is no distinguishing between an Evil aura from a person, and an Evil aura emanating from an item they carry that you cannot see.
Finally, this spell does not require the player to report their alignment via the rest menu, since that information is not what the spell gives. It simply gives the presence or absence of evil, and the strength and number of those auras. Under no circumstances in the use of this spell is a player required to report their alignment in order to prove the truth or falsehood of the statements they make.
Sending:
- Just a small reminder that no matter how the casting of Sending is achieved be it by object, scroll, ring or actual spell cast, it has a ten minute casting time, and is immediately visible casting to all parties that can witness the caster at any point during the ten minutes. Ceasing to cast the spell mid cast still consumes the spell slot. This may be relevant in DM events or other time sensitive situations.
Wish / Miracle:
- Due to the major functions of this spell, including effects that can have wide reaching consequences and XP costs, Wish and Miracle always require DM supervision to cast.
Teleport (and derivatives such as Dimension Door, Shadow Walk, Gate, Ethereal Jaunt, Door of Decay, Greater Teleport, Plane Shift, Passwall, and any and all other catch-all "Movement Spells"):
- As a clarification, if these spells are used in any manner to bypass an obstacle that would normally require a DM's presence to arbitrate, such as bypassing NPC guards that would deter you, locks for which you do not have keys, monsters that must be played by a DM, or in general any situation that cannot be resolved 100% under player power, then the casting of that Movement Spell also requires DM supervision in order to confirm the success of the spell and properly play the environment that comes along with jumping past locks, wards, guards, and the like. This means if a PC is being held prisoner in a faction base, you must have DM approval and supervision in order to attempt something like a Teleport into a jail cell. This is in order to remain fair to both sides, who may have erected guards and wards and defenses that may not be immediately apparent to the would be jailbreaker or the prisoner, and would require a DM to arbitrate.
Scrying:
- Scrying has a great deal of conditional modifiers that modify the Will Save of the spell, as well as a clause that makes the target immune to that caster's Scrying for 24 Real Life Hours if they succeed on the save. Per the above clarification on saves, a character that makes a save vs Scrying knows a spell was cast on them, but not what spell or who cast it.
It also creates a Sensor that can be detected:
A scrying spell creates an invisible magical sensor that sends you information. Unless noted otherwise, the sensor has the same powers of sensory acuity that you possess. This level of acuity includes any spells or effects that target you, but not spells or effects that emanate from you. However, the sensor is treated as a separate, independent sensory organ of yours, and thus it functions normally even if you have been blinded, deafened, or otherwise suffered sensory impairment.
Any creature with an Intelligence score of 12 or higher can notice the sensor by making a DC 20 Intelligence check. The sensor can be dispelled as if it were an active spell.
Lead sheeting or magical protection blocks a scrying spell, and you sense that the spell is so blocked.
Legend Lore:
- The 11th level clarification of this spell does not apply on Amia. The DMs are the final arbiter of what is and is not legendary on Amia, and what information this spell will give you. As a result, this spell can only be cast with DM supervision and assistance. No player may provide Legend Lore information about their own characters - unless it is to the DMs seeking clarifications on situations.
Mindblank:
- A note to say that all forms of Mindblank, Lesser and Normal (since there is no way to distinguish between the two in NWN) are proof against all forms of Divination magic that attempt to affect the Mindblanked person. While it does not last 24 hours, it can be repetitively cast. Scrying attempts and even Discern Location and Wish simply fail to provide information.
Mindrape and Programmed Amnesia:
- This spell does not exist in the Amian Forgotten Realms. Player consent does not matter - even if all parties consent to the spell being used, knowledge of this spell is not available to cast IC by any known source in the world.
Genesis
- This spell does not exist in the Amian Forgotten Realms, knowledge of this spell is not available to cast IC by any known source in the world.
Modify Memory:
- Modify Memory may be used with mutual consent, but careful examination of the terms of the spell should be exercised. Specifically, that "A modified memory does not necessarily affect the subject’s actions, particularly if it contradicts the creature’s natural inclinations. An illogical modified memory is dismissed by the creature as a bad dream or a memory muddied by too much wine. " This means the players (who knows and understands their character best) is free to determine what actually counts as illogical for them, and what that means for them when they begin to deal with the newly implanted and changed memories.
As well, as an Amian specific feature - another Bard may make a contested Caster Level Check: their own CL + spell focus (enchantment) feats, vs modifiers CL + spell focus (enchantment) feats. Success indicates the caster may "unmodify" the damage done to the character, provided the damage can be identified. This specific clause applies to player on player application of this spell, and other specific exemptions may apply when DMs make use of memory modifying effects and spells.
Dominate Person and Dominate Monster:
- These spells, despite having their duration changed for mechanical reasons, continue to last longer for the sake of RP, if players consent to it per PnP rules. The spells mechanically apply a debuff to Will Saves that helps serve as a timer for how long the Domination effect continues to last beyond the "Dazed"/"Dominated" debuff. Players should use this as a guide for continued RP.
Clone:
- Cannot be used on Amia save for explicit DM usage and exceptions. PCs may not create clones to "IC respawn" for any reason.
Contingency:
- Contingency may only be used with DM permission for the effects - generally these effects are short term and involved with a DM event in the immediate future, and not things like "if attacked in PvP I teleport away for free." DMs must approve any and all uses of Contingency.
Magic Jar (or similar):
- These spells require specific DM permission to utilize, and must be approved and overseen by a DM in its entirety. "Permanent body changes" utilizing known loophole sin Magic Jar are not allowed.
Trap the Soul (and other derivations, such as Imprisonment, or Temporal Stasis, or other known "Permakilling Spells":
- These spells may only be used with DM permission and supervision, and even then, unless the DM team has made a decision overriding it, these spells are still subject to player consent - players may not be permakilled without their permission, and that death may always be rescinded at any time for any reason, save by a decision from the DM team.
True Seeing:
- It functions per PnP, with these Amia specific additions and alterations:
Various special DM granted subraces have un-pierceable disguises, such as Dragons, Fey'ri, and others at our discretion.
Assassins' Alter Self [per DC requests] - one "Alter Ego" is un-pierceable by True Seeing. This must be maintained and cannot be changed at a whim.
Druids' and Shifters' Wildshape, Elemental Shape, Greater Wildshapes, all feat-granted forms, and Thousand Faces are un-pierceable by True Seeing.
Casters with Epic Spell Focus: Transmutation are allowed one Alter Self or Polymorph that is not pierced by True Seeing.