Heads Up Divination (3.5 Spell - PEACH)

[Lysander]

Heads Up Divination
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The subject's vision is enhanced with charts, graphs, icons, and informative messages regarding all that they see. The subject gains continuous darkvision, detect magic, detect poison, know direction, see invisibility, and a limited form of Comprehend Languages that only translates written text. The subject gains a targeting reticule that provides a +1 circumstance bonus to all ranged attack rolls and ranged touch attack rolls. Important objects are highlighted, providing a +2 circumstance bonus on all search and spot checks. The display provides information about anything of interest the subject sees, allowing the subject to automatically succeed on any DC10 Knowledge check regarding anything within their vision. The spell's overlay also dims excessive incoming light, granting immunity to being dazzled.

Material component
An eye (any species)

[Admiral Squish]

Is it just visible to the wearer, or is there little floating dots and arrows and windows floating around the target's head?

I can't honestly comment on balance here, but this is awesome.

[JoshuaZ]

Heads Up Divination
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: One creature
Duration: 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

The subject's vision is enhanced with charts, graphs, icons, and informative messages regarding all that they see. The subject gains continuous darkvision, detect magic, detect poison, detect good/evil/law/chaos, know direction, see invisibility, and a limited form of Comprehend Languages that only translates written text. The subject gains a targeting reticule that provides a +1 circumstance bonus to all ranged attack rolls and ranged touch attack rolls. Important objects are highlighted, providing a +1 circumstance bonus on all search and spot checks. The display also provides information about anything of interest the subject sees, taking 10 on its knowledge check for any subject. The spell's overlay also dims excessive incoming light, granting immunity to being dazzled.

Material component
An eye (any species)

I'm not sure how balanced this is. In particular, while none of the effects are major, detect alignment is normally a cleric not a wizard spell and so you are given them the power of 4 such spells to a wizard. Moreover, those spellls normally only work with concentration. On the other hand, it is 5th level so it seems ok. I would reword slightly the knowledge section saying that "this allows the subject to 10 on any knowledge checks related to information about things in its field of vision."

[Lysander]

Hm. Maybe I should take out the alignment detection and grant it something else instead. Any suggestions? Or maybe it's fine without anything to replace that.

[JoshuaZ]

Hm. Maybe I should take out the alignment detection and grant it something else instead. Any suggestions? Or maybe it's fine without anything to replace that.

Maybe change the knowledge checks so that they role and they don't get less than a 10? That fits theme wise since even if they do poorly they still get the minimal info provided by the spell. That would probably be balanced.

Also, maybe have it apply to martial lore checks also?

[lightningcat]

Personally, I would have this as a 6th level spell for both Sor/Wiz and Bard lists, and change it so that either you roll with a minimum result of 10 on knowledge checks or gain a scaling bonus to them. Likewise, change the circumstance bonuses to insight bonuses and make them scale as well (maybe +1/5 caster levels). Also add in the information on being made permanent.
All that being said, I like the idea.

[Lysander]

The knowledge check isn't actually made by the character. It's made by the spell. The character can make their own separate knowledge checks. I should clarify that.

[lightningcat]

The knowledge check isn't actually made by the character. It's made by the spell. The character can make their own separate knowledge checks. I should clarify that.

Then perhaps, go with a roll twice and use the better result ability, to better difine that seperation.

[Human Paragon 3]

This is awesome.

If the spell makes the check and takes 10, what is the spell's modifier?

Do you meant that the subject always knows what a knowledge check of DC 10 would tell them?

If it's really highlighting important objects, I'd think the bonus to search and spot should be +2 at least.

[Lysander]

This is awesome.

If the spell makes the check and takes 10, what is the spell's modifier?

Do you meant that the subject always knows what a knowledge check of DC 10 would tell them?

If it's really highlighting important objects, I'd think the bonus to search and spot should be +2 at least.

You're right, I phrased it wrong. The spell can provide whatever a DC10 check would provide.

I'll change the bonus to +2 also.

[Ashtagon]

You're right, I phrased it wrong. The spell can provide whatever a DC10 check would provide.

I'll change the bonus to +2 also.

Without any ranks in a Knowledge skill, you can always attempt a DC 10 check (and no DC higher than that). There is also nothing to suggest that untrained, you can't take 10 on such a Knowledge check. In other words, every sentient creature always gets to succeed on DC 10 Knowledge checks, without the need of this spell.

I'd up the game a bit here. Maybe allow the character to automatically succeed on any DC 15 Knowledge check related to understanding something that he looks at.

[DracoDei]

While writing the below, it occurred to me that this should probably include the equivalent of a gyroscopic compass and perhaps artificial horizon (so you can guess the slope of the passage you are in). For a more schlocky take, include any or all of the following: altimeter (above sea-level, and above nearest solid/liquid surface if flying, and above the floor if immersed), speedometer, relative windspeed meter, thermometer, hydrometer (humidity), and/or breathability index of surrounding air.


For humorous campaigns (or maybe even non-humorous), I suggest including a either a higher level version that puts also sub-titles in for everything you hear, and thus gives the same bonuses to both sight and hearing as this does to sight OR one of equal or perhaps 1 to 3 levels lower that ONLY works with sound and doesn't include the detect spells... or maybe it does... so you get stuff like:


Clink of 3 pound sword or dagger, enchanted with strong evocation magic.


Elderly Lawful Evil Half-Orc in medium armor says: "Surrender or die!" and does not appear to be lying.


Sound of running water, moving faster than a trotting horse, flowing through stone passageway, approximately 13 feet below you, and probably slightly to your left at its closest point of approach, running approximately 10 degrees clockwise from your current direction of facing.

[JoshuaZ]

While writing the below, it occurred to me that this should probably include the equivalent of a gyroscopic compass and perhaps artificial horizon (so you can guess the slope of the passage you are in). For a more schlocky take, include any or all of the following: altimeter (above sea-level, and above nearest solid/liquid surface if flying, and above the floor if immersed), speedometer, relative windspeed meter, thermometer, hydrometer (humidity), and/or breathability index of surrounding air.



Not to nitpick but if your setting is anything like a standard setting many of these won't be understood based on the understanding of science at the time. Temperature and humidity are difficult concepts which didn't have numeric scales until very late.

(Do I kill a catgirl if it isn't a physics issue but is an issue of when what physics was known?)

[DracoDei]

Not to nitpick but if your setting is anything like a standard setting many of these won't be understood based on the understanding of science at the time. Temperature and humidity are difficult concepts which didn't have numeric scales until very late.

(Do I kill a catgirl if it isn't a physics issue but is an issue of when what physics was known?)

I didn't know that, but those were under "schlocky" anyway. Also, I never said anything about numerical scales... it could be a blue/red spectrum color patch for temperature... or (as I saw in "Cups and Sorcerery" a list of the melting or combustion point of which material was the last one you passed on the way up).

FWIW Da Vinci invented a hygrometer.