Spellblighting
Spellblights are rare magical conditions that uniquely afflict spellcasters, including creatures that use spell-like abilities. Unlike ordinary conditions, a spellblight usually persists in an antimagic field — though because they often affect spellcasting, their effect is typically lessened there. A creature unable to cast spells or use spell-like abilities cannot normally be afflicted.
Gaining Spellblights
All spellblights can be inflicted via bestow curse (minor only) or major curse. Other spells may inflict a specific spellblight as part of their effect. A successful save against the triggering spell prevents the spellblight from taking hold.
Areas of Spellblight
In areas of minor spellblight, each time a spellcaster casts a spell she must succeed at a DC 14 Will save or contract a random minor spellblight. In areas of major spellblight, the DC is 22 and the result is a major spellblight. Some areas inflict a single specific type; others have varying DCs per spell cast.
Optional Acquisition Methods
The GM may allow any or all of the following triggers:
Antimagic Field
The first time a caster attempts to cast within an antimagic field, she must succeed at a Will save (DC 15 + field's caster level, or DC 23 if no caster level applies) or gain a major spellblight.
Arcane Spell Failure
When a spellcaster fails an arcane failure check with a roll of 01–05, she must succeed at a Will save (DC 15 + spell level) or gain a spellblight. A failed 4th-level or lower spell → minor spellblight; 5th level or higher → major.
Crafting Magic Items
When a caster fails the skill check to create a magic item, the GM can grant a spellblight instead of a cursed item. Item caster level 10 or lower → minor; caster level 11+ → major. Determined randomly.
Spell Turning
When two warded casters would create a resonance field, the original caster may choose to forgo the field — instead, both are afflicted with a major spellblight and the triggering spell drains away harmlessly.
Teleportation Mishap
A caster who triggers a teleportation mishap must succeed at a Will save (DC 15 + spell level of the teleport) or gain a major spellblight.
Use Magic Device
When a spellcaster rolls a natural 1 on a UMD check, she may choose to risk a minor spellblight instead of the 24-hour activation lockout (Will negates, DC 10 + item's caster level).
Removing Spellblights
Each spellblight lists conditions for removal and can also be removed as a curse (remove curse, break enchantment, etc.).
| Severity | Caster Level Check DC | DC Reduction |
|---|---|---|
| Minor spellblight | 20 | −1 per day elapsed (minimum DC 10) |
| Major spellblight | 30 |
Using anything other than a curse-removing spell imposes a −5 penalty on the caster level check. Mage's disjunction, miracle, and wish remove any spellblight automatically without a check.
| d10 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Caster Blank |
| 2 | Caster Croak |
| 3 | Confounded Casting |
| 4 | Disassociation |
| 5 | Ebon Eyes |
| 6 | Eldritch Ague |
| 7 | Hemoculysis |
| 8 | Lassitude |
| 9 | Ritualistic Obsession |
| 10 | Spell Addiction |
| d10 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Eldritch Cataracts |
| 2 | Nameless Dread |
| 3 | Negated |
| 4 | Obsessive Fixation |
| 5 | Phase Blight |
| 6 | Spell Burn |
| 7 | Spell Sap |
| 8 | Transference Block |
| 9 | Vertigo |
| 10 | Roll twice (minor); both apply |
Minor Spellblights
After targeting a creature with a targeted spell, the caster cannot target that same creature again with a targeted spell until caster blank is removed or suppressed. To suppress: spend a standard action concentrating — this shakes off the effect until the next targeted spell is cast. Area spells are unaffected.
Cure: Any effect that removes confusion or insanity. Immune: creatures immune to mind-affecting effects.
The caster's throat is magically constricted. Being heard requires spending a swift action to focus will on speech. Verbal-component spells have a 20% spell failure chance; save DCs of language-dependent spells are reduced by 4. Spell-like abilities (no verbal component) are unaffected. Shouting or screaming is impossible.
Cure: A heal spell or similar effect; or by casting shout (still subject to the spellblight's penalties when doing so).
The first time the caster casts a spell on her turn, she makes a concentration check (DC 15 + twice the spell's level). On failure, she must cast a different spell of the same level or lower with the same casting time instead. If no alternatives exist, the action is lost. The originally intended spell is not expended.
Cure: Any effect removing confusion or insanity. Immune: mind-affecting immune creatures.
The caster dissociates her identity and perceives herself as someone else. She cannot cast personal-range spells or target herself with any spell effect. Area spells that include her square but do not individually target creatures function normally.
Cure: Any effect removing confusion or insanity.
A jet-black film covers the caster's eyes, inverting light perception. Darkness is treated as bright light, dim light as normal light, normal light as dim light, and bright light as darkness.
Benefit: +2 bonus on saving throws against blinding, dazzling, patterns, and other visual effects.
Cure: Any effect removing blindness.
The caster is sickened continuously. When she casts a spell, she is overcome with shaking for 1 round — any spellcasting or SLA use in that round requires a concentration check (DC 15 + twice the spell level); failure loses the spell and the action.
Cure: Remove disease (no −5 penalty for this method). Immune: disease-immune creatures.
When casting a spell, the caster bleeds from her eyes for 1 round per spell level. While bleeding: dazzled and takes 1 point of bleed damage per round. Casting additional spells resets the duration if the new spell level exceeds the current remaining duration.
Benefit: +2 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks; −4 penalty on Bluff and Diplomacy checks during the bleeding duration.
Cure: Heal or regenerate.
When casting a spell, the caster must make a concentration check (DC 15 + twice the spell level). On failure, she takes 1 point of nonlethal damage per spell level (minimum 1; or 1 point per 2 caster levels for SLAs). This nonlethal damage cannot be reduced by any means while the spellblight persists.
Cure: Lesser restoration, restoration, or any effect that completely removes exhaustion. Rest alone has no effect. Immune: nonlethal damage immune creatures.
Spells without somatic components now require one (even if cast with the Still Spell feat). Spells with somatic components now require two free hands. SLAs gain a somatic component. Casting times increase: swift → standard, standard → 1 round, 1 round → 2 rounds. Longer casting times are unaffected.
Benefit: Save DCs for all spells whose casting time was increased by this spellblight are raised by 1.
Cure: Any effect removing insanity. Immune: mind-affecting immune creatures.
After successfully casting a spell, the caster gains a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws until her next turn. On any round she does not cast a spell on her turn, she goes into withdrawal and is sickened until her next turn.
Cure: Any effect removing confusion, insanity, or disease. Immune: mind-affecting immune creatures.
Major Spellblights
Each time the caster casts a spell, she must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 15 + spell level) or take a −1 penalty on vision-based Perception checks. Repeated failures stack. At a −4 cumulative penalty, she becomes blinded instead of taking further penalties.
Any blindness-curing effect reduces the penalty by 1. Reducing below −3 removes any active blindness. Reducing to 0 cures the spellblight entirely.
Immune: blind creatures and creatures that don't rely on sight.
Each time the caster uses a spell or SLA, she must succeed at a concentration check (DC 15 + twice the spell's level) or become shaken for 1 round per spell level. Already shaken → frightened for the greater duration; already frightened → panicked (cannot cast). Each time panicked: 5% chance of permanent insanity (as insanity spell).
Benefit: When casting spells with the fear or chaos descriptor, save DC +1 and +1 competence bonus on caster level checks to overcome SR.
Suppression: Fear-suppressing spells suppress this spellblight (and its benefits) for 1 hour.
The caster gains spell resistance equal to 10 + (2 × highest spell level she can cast). This SR cannot be voluntarily lowered. When casting, she must make a caster level check (1d20 + CL) against her own SR. On success, the spell resolves and SR drops until her next turn. On failure, the spell is not lost and may be attempted again.
Suppression: Restoration suppresses for 1 day.
Prepared casters: Must prepare duplicate copies of each chosen spell (two of each), limiting versatility without exceeding total slot count.
Spontaneous casters and SLA users: After casting a spell or SLA, the same spell must be cast again on the next turn or the caster becomes dazed for 1 round at turn's end. After two consecutive casts of the same spell (or after being dazed), the fixation resets and any spell may be cast.
Suppression: Confusion/insanity removal suppresses for 1 day.
When the caster casts a spell, she phases in and out of reality for 1 round per spell level. While phasing:
- Defensive: Physical attacks against the caster have a 50% miss chance; individually targeted spells aimed at the caster have 50% failure; area attacks deal half damage.
- Offensive: The caster's physical attacks have a 50% miss chance; her targeted spells have a 50% failure chance; her area attacks deal half damage.
Unlike blink, the caster does not become ethereal — she blinks in and out of reality entirely. Dimensional anchor and similar effects stabilize a phasing creature for their duration.
When casting a spell or SLA, the caster feels as if her skin is on fire (a mind-affecting figment). She must succeed at a concentration check (DC 15 + twice the spell level) or become staggered for 1 round.
Benefit: While staggered by this spellblight, fire descriptor spells have their save DC increased by 1.
Immune: mind-affecting immune creatures (and gain no benefit).
When casting a spell or SLA, the caster must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 14 + caster level) or become dazed until the end of her next turn. On a failure by 10 or more, she falls prone and becomes unconscious for 1d4 rounds.
Suppression: Confusion/insanity removal suppresses for 1 day.
When casting a spell on an ally, the caster must succeed at a concentration check (DC 15 + twice the spell's level) or the spell is lost.
Cure: Spending 1 hour in an antimagic field.
When casting a spell or SLA, the caster must succeed at a concentration check (DC 15 + twice the spell level). On failure, she falls prone and for 1d4 rounds takes a penalty on Acrobatics, Climb, Ride, Stealth, and Swim checks equal to 1 + the spell's level. While under that penalty, standing from prone requires a DC 10 Acrobatics check.
Suppression: Restoration suppresses for 1 day.
Optional: Benefits of Harmful Conditions
At the GM's discretion, a resourceful spellcaster can draw on affliction to lend power to her magic. Where a spell failure chance is listed, it is in addition to other rolls (arcane spell failure, caster level checks) and is resolved after them.