Iron Mage III: Read All About It!

Welcome back, playgrounders, to the Iron Mage competition. Inspired by the popular game show from the OotS universe (See "On the origin of PCs", page 47), the object of this game is to use a material component (selected by your truly) to create a unique new spell for casters everywhere to use. This spell may be of any level or school, and can have any effect you desire (provided it fits with the component). You may create up to five spells for submission, and can also have up to three magic items based around the spells (wondrous items, magic armor or weapons, etc.)

Spells will be judged on the following criteria:
-Originalityl: We want to see something unique and inventive! Use your imagination on this competition! Plagarism is strictly prohibited.
-Flavor: A spell has to fit with the component. You won't be conjuring up lighting using a rock.
-Functionality: Your spell should be fun to use. Make players want to add it to their spellbook.

Without further ado, I give you the component:

Spoiler

Show

A Newspaper

Submissions are due Wednesday, September 23th at midnight PST. Good Luck and Happy Brewing!

Contest	Name	First Place	Winner
I	An Apple Core	As the Nectar, so the Poison	Cyanide
II	A Straight Razor	Phase Razor	Syne

City Call
Evocation
Level: Clr 5, Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 20 minutes
Target: Every creature in a settlement, up to 10 miles/level.
Duration: 1 round, see text.
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

City Call allows you to send a message to an entire settlement, and is usually used by wealthy cities to broadcast new happenings. The message is similar to the one in Sending, but reaches everyone within a set distance, and no response can be made - the message can therefore be no more than 25 words, and can be understood even by a creature of intelligence 1, whatever languages it might or might not speak.

Arcane Material Component: A small piece of paper onto which you must write the news you wish to send.

Katerin's Paper Plane
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Effect: 1 paper plane
Duration: See text.
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You create a small paper plane, bearing a message of up to 25 words. The paper plane is diminutive, and has AC of 16 (10 + 4 size + 2 dodge) and one hit point. Any hit with a weapon or fire will destroy the plane (unless you take steps to make it more resistant). The plane flies at a speed of 30 feet per round towards a creature you choose upon casting, provided that creature is within half a mile per level.

Material component: A page ripped out of a newspaper, upon which you scrawl your message.

Findelwald's Universal Publisher
Conjuration
Level: Sor/Wiz 4, Bard 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 1 mile
Target: Every creature within a one-mile radius
Duration: Instantaneous (but see text)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Material component: a page of text

You write a message of up to one page in length (300 words or less), then tear it into little pieces and toss them into the air. A minute later, a page of paper that bears the same words manifests in the hands of every creature within one mile of the point at which you cast the spell, or, if the creature has its hands full, in the air in front of them.

Note: this spell can only transmit nonmagical text. No pictures, no drawings, no maps, no magical runes, no scrolls, no spell traps of any kind, no magical words, no dark speech and not even ASCII-drawings (which don't exist in fantasy worlds). No, not even then.


Findelwald's Vile Calumny
Enchantment (compulsuion) [mind-affecting, language-dependent]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6, Bard 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 minute
Target: One randomly determined creature per caster level within the spell's radius
Range: 1 mile
Duration: 3 days
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
Material component: a page of text

You speak a simple statement about a person loudly to yourself as part of casting the spell. The spell then randomly selects a number of creatures within its radius who know that person or have heard of it before. These creatures must succeed on a will saving throw or instantly be convinced that that rumour is true. If the rumour is especially outlandish, they gain a +10 circumstance bonus on their will save. ("The mayor is a dragon from the moon")
For the next three days, these creatures are overcome by a powerful urge to spread that statement, telling it to as many people as they possibly can. Every person who hears the rumour must also succeed on a will saving throw or be overcome by the same compulsion to spread it. The person who is the target of the rumour is itself immune to the effect.
After three days, every creature affected stops believing the rumour, unless it is very plausible.

Bad Dog!
Enchantment (compulsion) [fear, mind affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1, Bard 1, Druid 1
Components: V, S, M, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Every creature within a one-mile radius
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Focus: a rolled up newspaper

You imbue the rolled up newspaper with special energies that make it have a curious effect on animals.

The newspaper becomes a light weapon dealing 1d3 nonlethal bludgeoning damage (for a medium creature, adjust damage accordingly for other sizes). Whenever you hit an animal with the newspaper, you may make an intimidate check to demoralize it as an immediate action. You gain a +5 circumstance bonus on these intimidate checks.

Planar Probe
Conjuration (Creation)
Level: Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Target: The ruby focus; see text
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

With a word, you enchant the ruby and it disappears to the plane you wish to observe. Moments later, the paper's text morphs into a description of the desired plane.

You can only cast this spell if you are also capable of using plane shift. You enchant a ruby which acts as a magical sensor, and then send it to the location to where you will end your plane shift -- this requires choosing a destination plane and rolling for the offset from the intended location. After 1 round, the ruby relays information about the surrounding environment on your paper. You learn all of the plane's physical traits (gravity, time, shape, size, morphic) as well as its elemental and energy, alignment, and magic traits. You learn if the plane is coterminous, coexistent, or layered with another plane.

In addition, you learn the current weather, lighting, temperature, and basic environmental characteristics within 100 feet where the sensor appears. Such characteristics include large bodies of water, sand, or forested areas. Lastly, you determine the number of creatures within ±50% (d% - 50) inside the area that do not benefit from cover or concealment relative to the sensor.

The paper containing this information lasts for the duration and then turns to dust. While the paper still exists, the your use of plane shift is locked in and will take you to the location determined above. You can choose not to shift for the duration.

Focus
A ruby gem worth at least 50gp, which is sent to the destination. It can be retrieved if plane shifted to.

Material Component
One sheet of newspaper.

Foxgnu's Deceptive Report
Enchantment
Level: Sorc/Wiz 6, Brd 5
Components: V, M
Casting Time: 1 Full Round
Target: Every Creature within 50ft
Saving Throw: Will Negates
Spell Resistance: No
Material Component: Newspaper with a spin on said story.

The archmage Foxgnu had a large following back before he died. He manage to take a story, alter the events, make it favorable towards a certain party, and then convince the world that Reltih did nothing wrong.

You scribe about a recent event that has happened, albeit with a twist of events. You may change the memories of nearby creatures to recall a bit different turn of events. All creatures must make a will save or be forced to have their memories replaced with an altered form. Any offenders or victims in the memory may have their disposition moved up or down by one, decided on the casting of this spell. You could make a murderer appeared to be a misunderstood robbery victim or make a murder victim appear to be a gruesome bully. Was it murder? Nope! Self defense!

Materials: A newspaper written with snake oil costing 10gp.

Vunderbult's Incantation of Gainful Employment
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 0
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: One minute
Range: Personal
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None (Harmless)
SR: No

A favorite of debt-laden apprentice wizards, this spell allows the caster to make an untrained Profession check with a +10 insight bonus.

Material Component: A newspaper's classified ad pages.

Seraphina's Spell-book Safety
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: One minute
Range: Touch
Duration: 24 hours or until discharged; see below
Saving Throw: None (Harmless)
SR: No

This spell transforms a common newspaper into a miniature (though blank) replica of the caster's spell-book. Any damage inflicted upon the spell-book will instead be transferred to the replica, which will absorb 5 points of damage per level before expiring in a puff of torn paper. This spell lasts until the replica is destroyed or the duration lapses.

Material Component: An undamaged newspaper.

Seraphina's Nasty Paper Cut
Conjuration
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: One Standard Action
Range: 30 feet
Area: Cone-shaped burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
SR: No

As the caster completes this spell, thousands of slashing pages of newspapers explode from their hand to strike all creatures within the area of the spell. They take 1d6 slashing damage per two levels, and will take an additional 1d4 damage every round following until they receive magical healing or a DC 15 Heal check. Creatures made primarily of fire or water take half damage from this spell.

Material Component: An newspaper with a sprinkle of humanoid blood.

Reduce/Reuse
Transmutation

Level:	Sor/Wiz 3, Cleric 4, Ranger 4, Druid 4
Components:	V, S, M
Casting Time:	1 Minute
Range:	Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target:	10 Cu. Ft./Level; See text
Duration:	Instantaneous
Saving Throw:	None
Spell Resistance:	None

You convert refuse and destroyed items into usable raw materials, suitable for use in spells such as Fabricate, or in conjunction with the Craft skill. Magic items and items being used by someone cannot be transmuted by the Reduce/Reuse spell. Material which was destroyed during a failed craft check can be salvaged by this spell, for up to 1/2 its original value. Any normal item targetted by this spell is reduced automatically to materials worth 1/4th the base price of the item. Masterwork and disjunctioned magic items targetted by this spell are considered to have the same material value as normal, non-masterwork versions of the item

In addition to the above, garbage and refuse material may be converted by use of this spell are shown on the chart below. Only one category of material can be converted per casting of this spell, and the material output is based on the weight of the target materials. Metal, stone and glass/crystal are limited to 1 Cu. Ft./Level per casting.

Category	Example materials	End Product
Kitchen Waste	discarded food, vegetable matter, meat scraps, dead animals, etc.	Converted into mulch, fertilizer or topsoil (caster's choice)
Waste Wood	sawdust, sticks, twigs, raw lumber, broken furniture, etc.	Converted into planks of particle-board lumber, which has the same properties as wood except it has one fewer HP per inch of thickness, and it is 30% denser. Cannot be used for crafting Masterwork items. The planks may be up to 2 inches wide per caster level, 1 inch thick per caster level, and 2 feet long per caster level, and is always produced in the form of finished rectangular planks suitable for construction.
Waste Paper	ruined paper, old papyrus, fabric scraps, etc.	Converted into new sheets of (blank) tissue-paper (200 sheets per pound, cannot be used for writing normally), light paper (150 sheets per pound, 20% chance per page it will rip when written on), regular paper (100 sheets per pound) or velum (50 sheets per pound). Only Velum may be used in the construction of spellbooks, and such books will be twice as heavy as normal.
Scrap Metal	rusted metal, most other metals, but will not work on precious metals other than copper	Converted into potmetal, which has the same properties as steel except it has 5 fewer HP per inch of thickness and is 30% lighter. Cannot be used for crafting Materwork items. The metal produced is in the form of Bar stock (up to 1 inch thick and 1 foot long per caster level) or ingots (rounded metal hunks, up to 1 ounce per caster level). Can be smelted into the original component metals, but doing so requires the equivalent of a masterwork crafting roll.
Glass or Crystal	any glass, crystals which weigh less than 2 ounces, gems which have been destroyed and no longer have a GP value	Converted into glass ingots (rounded glass stones, up to 1/2 ounce per caster level) or panes (1/2 inch thick per caster level, and 1 foot on a side per caster level).
Rock and Stone	any rock or stone which weighs less than 2 ounces, any worked stone object which has been cracked or destroyed	Converted into bricks (always 9 inches by 5 inches by 4 inches) or mortar (dry powder, requires the inclusion of bones or other hard animal materials like hooves or horns or scales or shells).

Material Components: An old newspaper or an empty canning jar once used to store preserved food, as well as the material to be transmuted

False Lead
Illusion
Level: Bard 1, Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 Minute, see text
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One event (see text)
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: Will Disbelief
Spell Resistance: None

Wiping down a scene of some event with the local newspaper, you scoop up evidence, rake muck off of trails, and carefully sweep up signs of the truth until you're left with a ball of mud-like consistency. Uttering accusations of malfeasance, you hurl the mass at a target creature (a ranged touch attack). If it hits, anybody who seeks to investigate the event will find that all evidence points to the target as being responsible. Conflicting evidence will allow a Will save to disbelieve the illusion, but said evidence must exonerate the victim of this spell, not implicate another. Those who make the will save once they've found such conflicting evidence gain the ability to perceive the truth behind the illusion, however, and can try to find the true culprit normally thereafter.

Mischievous fleet
Conjuration [fire]
Level: Sorc/Wiz 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 Minute
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: a fleet of explosive paper boats.
Duration: 1 hour/level, untill discharged
Saving Throw: Reflex halves
Spell Resistance: None

While you cast this spell you take one by one the sheets that compose the material component and rapidly fold them into little paper boats. As you complete the spell, these boats are infused with elemental energy that makes them deadly weapons.

With this spell you create a number of Diminutive paper boats equal to your caster level (max 15) that you can use to spread destruction among your enemies in any aquatic environment. Once created the boats retain their power for 1 hour per caster level. When this time elapses they become simple, useless paper boats.

You can use these boats in two ways: you can leave them to the tides, letting them go where winds and waters decides, or you can choose to have them move toward a specific target (in straight line) at a speed of 20 ft. per round. If the target ceases to exist, the boats are left to the tide.
You can take a different decision for each boat when it first touch the water but once made the decision cannot be changed.
Putting a paperboat in the water is a move action but you can throw all of them in the water as a standard action. You cannot give them separate commands if you put them in the water in this way.

Whenever a ship, a creature of Small size or larger or the selected target are within 10 ft from a paper boat, that paper boat explodes dealing 4d6 fire damage in a 10 ft. radius. The same happens if a boat takes damage (a paper boat have 1 PF, AC 16). A Reflex save halves the damage. If something is caught in the radius of different boats it is allowed to make a different save for each one.

Once all the boats are exploded the spell is discharged.

Material component: A newspaper.

Papier-mache

Level: Sorc/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 Standard action
Range: Close
Duration: 1 round / level
Saving throw: none.
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell allows you to wrap your enemy in an hard shell made of papier-mache, hindering its movement.
To do this you must succede on a ranged touch attack against your target as you hurl at him the material component. If you succede the material component quickly grows encasing the target and solidifying.

The target is now immobilized and cannot move any part of his body (this is not a paralysis effect), so he cannot attack nor perform the somatic components for a spell or do anything else that would require him to move.
The encased target can try to break free making a DC 20 Strenght check as a standard action. Creatures that have any special ability that deals fire or acid damage to those who touch them (like balors or fire elementals) gain a +5 competence bonus to this check.

Material component: A crumpled newspaper bathed in glue.

Special: If you bath the crumpled newspaper in a dose of Sovereign glue (instead of normal glue) the DC of the Strenght check made to break free form this spell is raised to 25 and the competence bonus given to creatures that have any special ability that deals fire or acid damage to those who touch them is lowered to +2.

Childish hat

Enchantment (mind-affecting)
Level: Sorc/Wiz 5; Bard 6
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 Standard action
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 round / level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You rapidly fold a page of a newspaper in a paper hat that you put on the head of your target, bringing him back to its childhood.
As you complete the spell you make a melee touch attack against your target to put the paper hat on its head. The target must then make a Will save. If it is successful, the paper hat falls on the ground and immediately burns to ashes.

If it fails, the paper hat is anchored to its head and the target immediately starts acting like a child: it becomes childish, capricious, stubborn, vengeful, unable to focus on any task for too long, easy to frighten or cheat.

The target gains immunity to any other "mind-affecting" and "compulsion" effect (this immunity does not apply against effects that are also fear effects), gains a -5 penalty on Concentration and Sense motive check and on rolls made to oppose Intimidate and Bluff checks.
In addiction, the target must roll 1d6 every round. If the result is 6, roll on the table associated to "Confusion" spell and apply the result.

Material component: A newspaper.

Wordcrawl
Transmutation
Level: Sorc/Wizard 2
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action.
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: 20-ft.-radius spread
Effect: A swarm of living words.
Duration: 1 round per level, or until dispelled.
Saving Throw: None.
Spell Resistance: None.

Wordcrawl is a spell invented by a group of unknown mages, as an experiment in animating things without a proper three-dimensional form. When cast, the words on the material component come to life and pour off the page to swarm to the designated area, which can be given by words or simply by pointing a finger. In any case, the animated words have a singular purpose. For rounds equal to the mage's caster level (maximum ten) they will harass anyone within that area, inflicting burns in their own shape as they crawl over bared skin or hide. This deals 1d6 damage a round to any creatures caught within the area, be they friend or foe. All the worse, nothing less than a dispel magic spell or it's equivalent can destroy the words before the duration elapses, at which point they will turn into harmless ink once more and can easily be wiped off.

Material Component: A newspaper.

Condemn
Illusion (Glamer)
Level: Sorc/Wizard 5
Casting Time: 1 Hour.
Range: 5 Miles.
Effect: A brand in the shape of a single word
Duration: One week.
Saving Throw: Will Negates.
Spell Resistance: Yes.

This cruel spell is often used in non-violent rivalries between mages, for it's potential to humiliate and offend at the worst of times. As soon as the spell is completed, the caster must name and describe a single individual they know. As soon as this is done, the chosen target must make a Will save, the success of which will completely negate all effects and render them immune to further use of this spell for a week's time. Failure, however, carries a heavy price. A single word of the caster's choosing will appear written upon the victim's forehead in glowing letters and stay there until the effect ends or is dispelled. Any attempt to cover the text will cause worse insult, as an unearthly voice will shout on the word without pause until it is uncovered again.

This spell may be made permanent, although the victim will likely not cooperate.

Material Component: A newspaper.

Extra!
Transmutation
Level: Bard 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One written text(see text)
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: None

This spell allows the caster to add a bit text to a single page of a written document. The caster can add 25 words or a picture at the cost of five words, in any combination up to 25. The words appear instantly on the document in the same handwriting and ink used on the rest of the document. For every five levels the caster can add 25 more words, for a total of 100 words at 20th level.

Material Component- one newspaper

Insidious Extra
Level: Bard 3, Sor/Wiz 3

As per Extra!, except the effected written document will also alter any other written document that it comes within 25 feet of for at least one round. There is no limit to the number of texts that can be effected by the original altered document, but a single text can only be effected once, and secondary texts can only alter one other text for every four levels of the caster(max 5).

See of Me, Become of Me
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V, S, F, M, XP
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Effect: 1 newspaper
Duration: Permanent
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: None

You imbue a newspaper with a small piece of your soul. As the piece of your soul enters the focus, all of the words on the newspaper disappears. You may then scribe any number of spells with the Divination, Conjuration (Teleportation), or Transmutation schools that you know onto the paper. Scribing a spell in this manner does not use up any pages (as the scribed spells immediately disappears from view), although it will cost an amount of GP in ink as if you had scribed the spell in your spellbook. You may do this even if you spontaneously cast spells or otherwise do not require a spellbook. You cannot use the newspaper to prepare spells.

As long as this spell is active, the newspaper used as the focus detects as a magical item with strong necromancy, although it remains inert for as long as you are alive. If the magic in the newspaper is dispelled, if the newspaper is destroyed, if you voluntarily dismiss the spell, or if you and the focus are ever voluntarily on different planes (and neither of these planes is the astral plane), the soul fragment returns to you unharmed and the newspaper crumbles into dust.

If you are killed, or at any time as a free action that can be used outside of your turn, you can command your soul to leave your body and enter the newspaper. Your body immediately disappears from existence, and nothing short of epic magic or alter reality can trap your soul or otherwise prevent it from reaching its destination. As long as you are inside the newspaper, you cannot be turned into an undead or raised by any means - not even with true resurrection, wish, miracle, or epic equivalents. You may will the focus to move to the astral plane as a standard action or cast any Divination or Conjuration (Teleportation) spells that you have scribed into the focus (although teleportation spells can only affect you). Treat all spells as having a cast time of 1 standard action, no material components as long as the components cost less than 1000 GP total, no focus (adjusting the spells as needed), and modified by both silent spell and still spell; however, if the focus is destroyed, your soul will be released and you will die.

While your entire soul is inside the newspaper, you may will the newspaper to present itself to a successor of your choosing, or you may describe a few general features (such as appearance, gender, strength, etc.) and the newspaper will present itself to a being that most closely match your descriptors. The race of your successor may be different from your current race, but it must be of the same type and subtype. For example, if you are humanoid, your successor must also be a humanoid. If you are an outsider, the subtype of your successor must also match your previous subtype. You do not have to choose your successor immediately; you do not age while your soul is in the focus, and you may remain within the focus for as long as you wish and use divination spells to help assess potential candidates for your successor.

Once your successor is chosen, the successor must immediately make a will save against this spell. If she succeeds, you must make the same will save; if you fail, the newspaper appears before your successor, but she is not compelled by it. If your will save is successful, the newspaper is unaffected and you may choose another successor, but your target may no longer be a target of this spell from you in the future. If the target fails her save, fate twists itself so that the newspaper will somehow end up in his or her hands, and she will be captivated by it - as if by destiny - to start her own journey into the world, although unaware that she is silently acting under your direction. Through the focus, your soul forms a link with the successor, and as long as the link remains, the successor will not suspect anything even if shown or convinced otherwise, and will treat the paper - and, by extension, yourself - as a precious item to be trusted.

The newspaper becomes temporarily inert if taken to an anti-magic field, although the soul link cannot be broken by anything less than a wish or miracle.

The newspaper also acts as a conduit of knowledge between you and your successor. She may use your knowledge, spellcraft, an sense motive checks in place of her own by consulting the newspaper; the results of your knowledge - whether you actually know anything about the subject or not - appears on the paper as words and pictures of your choosing, giving her any needed information while subtly twisting the words to convincing her to sympathize with your ideals and your goals in life. She may also consult you for knowledge of the future, which you can provide using the appropriate divination, phrased as passionate pleas and nonobjective truths. Any time your successor consults the newspaper - either for knowledge, for divination into the future, or simply out of boredom, you may make a diplomacy check against the successor's sense motive. If you do not actually have the knowledge that your successor is seeking (or if you just feel like telling tall tales), you may instead make a bluff check to fool your successor with elaborate lies. Success by 4 or more moves the successor ever so slightly towards your views, and makes her just a little bit more like yourself. If you fail by 2 or more, the successor immediately senses something is wrong and makes another will save to break her bond with the focus. If she succeeds, the link between your successor and your soul is instantly broken, though she may still independently choose to trust you.

In addition, once every week, you may choose to commune with your successor. You enter the successor's mind (or her dreams) and speak with her as if a mentor speaking with his student, teaching her new skills from your vast experiences while slowly convincing her to identify with your ideals. As long as your successor is not immediately being threatened, she will always be receptive to these teachings as long as your soul is still linked to her's. If you commune with your successor for at least two hours in this fashion, you may make a single diplomacy or bluff check against the successor's sense motive, as above.

Finally, in times of peril, you may assist your student from within to protect her from immediate harm. You may also choose your successor as a target for your conjuration (teleportation) spells as long as the soul link is intact, and you may cast any transmutation spells on your successor as a standard action (as a still and silent spell), treating your successor as if she was yourself.

Every four times you succeed (by 4 or more) in these opposed skill checks against your successor, or every time your successor would gain a level, your successor (instead) gains one of your class levels (but NOT RHD) in the same order that you have acquired them. If she already has class levels of her own, she automatically loses one of her existing class levels every time she gains one of yours. RHD, Savage Progression, and LA adjustments are not counted as class levels for the purposes of this. She also gains feats and skill points appropriate to the class, although her skill ranks can never exceed yours, and she may only choose feats that you already possess. All class features are resolved as normal; her physical and mental scores remain the same, although as long as your souls are linked, she may use your mental scores in place of her own to determine any properties of spell-casting and SLAs. You act as a mentor throughout this process, and may make any class-dependent choices (such as spells known, etc.) for your successor as long as your souls remain linked.

In addition, the successor becomes more similar to you as she acquires your levels. After she gained or replaces four levels in this fashion, she gains your alignment. After she gains or replaces eight levels in this fashion, she starts identifying with your beliefs, and suffers an untyped -2 penalty to her sense motive checks against you. This penalty increases by an additional -1 every two levels she gains or replaces; if she gains or replaces twelve levels, your soul bond can no longer be broken unless if your successor dies.

If the successor gains or replaces sixteen levels (or the number of non-RHD class levels that you possessed) in this fashion, her soul is completely attuned to yours, and she effectively and instantaneously becomes you; her soul merges with your own, and her body is treated as your natural body - you gain all of her memories, and you will also gain small fragments of her ideals, her personalities, and her quirks as a consequence of the merging of your souls. All of her class levels, feats, skills, class features, and other character features except racial bonuses and ability scores are removed and replaced by your own. She retains her physical ability scores, while her mental ability scores are replaced with yours. Your old racial bonuses (except bonus feats and bonuses to skills) are replaced with the racial bonuses from the new body (except bonuses feats and bonuses to skills). Physical ability score adjustments from your old race and mental ability score adjustments from your new race are lost, and all other ability score adjustments are retained. You are now treated as your successor's race for all abilities that are dependent on race. You lose all of your former RHD and gain any RHD possessed by your successor (if any). This is not a possession effect, is instantaneous in duration (so cannot be undone by anti-magic), and cannot be undone except through a correctly worded wish or miracle. The newspaper, having served its purpose and no longer housing your soul, crumbles into non-magical dust and loses all of its magic.

If your successor dies while maintaining a soul bond, the newspaper is instantly jaunted into the astral plane, and your mind is overpowered by the experience. You may still perceive the world around you, although you may not take actions or use any magic or choose another successor for 1d4 years.

Focus
A newspaper to serve as the soul container.

Material Component
10,000 GP in various gems and arcane ingredients, plus the cost of ink to inscribe spells into the focus (varies).

XP Cost
5000 XP

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Tell My Story
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 8, Clr 7
Components: V, S, M/DF, F
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will (Harmless)
Spell Resistance: No

You utter an act that you are about to perform, and concentrate your magic into a newspaper unfolded before you. Suddenly, all the words from the paper disappear; slowly, scribbled words and crudely-drawn pictures appear in their place, mimicking your own writing, as if warning you of fore-coming events.

The writing appears to have been written by you - or, rather, some future version of you. You may send your request forward in time up to 2 hours/caster level, and the spell writes words that seem to have been written by you - or, rather, yourself from an alternate time stream - exactly this much time in the future, and addressed to the present you. The you of the future will write up to 200 words on the paper or draw pictures (each picture counts as 20 words), including as much detail as you would have included about subjects that you would most likely want to know. For the most part, he will prioritize imminent dangers and other items that may be detrimental to your life or the life of someone you care about, followed by general observations of interest to you.

The "you" from the future will always be pulled from a time stream where you have survived the ordeal after taking the action in question, so even if the future "you" have survived an ordeal, you are not guaranteed to do the same. Also, his time stream is only a possible future self. You may attempt to avert the dangers he described or simply evade them by not taking the action you are divining.

If there is absolutely no chance for you to survive after taking a certain action, the newspaper will slowly darken until it becomes entirely black. Otherwise, the words are permanently etched onto the newspaper, and the writing becomes non-magical once the spell is complete.

Arcane Material Component
A small piece of paper with "1.048596%" written on it.

Focus
A newspaper.

{{Scrubbed}}

Relive the Story
School: Illusion (Phantasm, Fear)
Level:Sor/Wiz 4, Bard 3
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 Standard Action
Range: Long (400 + 40ft/level)
Target: Any number of creatures within the range
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

As you read the headline article from the paper, the memories of the article unravel themselves for anyone who had experienced it. Any creature within the spell's range who was involved or witnessed the events of the headline article no more than 1 day per caster level ago take 1d8 subdual damage per caster level (max 12d8) and are dazed for 1 round as the events twist themselves in the creature's brain in many different possibilities. A creature that succeeds on the Will Save takes half damage and is not dazed.

Focus Component: A newspaper

Special: A creature that gains the Knowledge Domain can, after choosing subdomains, replace the 4th level spell on their domain list with this one. This choice must be made upon gaining the Knowledge Domain, and cannot be changed with an effect short of Lesser Wish, Psychic Reformation, Wish, or Miracle.

Spoiler: Note

Show

Given that the paper itself is supposed to give the information that limits this spell from hitting everyone, I had it as a focus instead of a material component to avoid undefined interactions with Eschew Materials or Blood Money. I will withdraw the spell if you don't feel that it meets the spirit of the rules.

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