[Spell Theme] Fear of Death

[Ikkitosen]

Theme: Fear of Death

Many assassins recognise fear as a powerful tool in their murderous arsenal. Veteran assassins know that some fights cannot be won with a single blow no matter how well-aimed, and so use fear to give them the edge in the ensuing combat. Fear is also a useful tool in paralysing an opponent's ability to reveal the assassin's presence, allowing the fatal blow to be struck before they can summon aid.


Frightened Silence
Necromancy (Fear, Mind-affecting)

Level: Assassin 1
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 free action
Range: 20 Feet
Target: One living creature, who has witnessed a successful Death Attack by the caster within 1 round/Assassin level
Duration: 1 Round
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell causes the target to be unable to make verbal sounds any louder than a whisper (such as screaming) for the duration of the spell (spellcasting is unaffected, although the affected party may not cast spells with the Sonic descriptor, and cannot cast spells with the Language-Dependent descriptor unless their targets make successful Listen checks).


Frightened Faint
Necromancy (Fear, Mind-affecting)

Level: Assassin 2
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: 1 creature, of the same as or smaller size than the caster
Duration: See text
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell causes one creature to develop an intense fear of the caster, such that they must succeed at a Will saving throw or faint at the mere sight of him/her. Note that a creature may be unaware that he/she is the subject of this spell until he/she sees the caster. This spell dissipates (unknown to the subject) if not triggered within 1 round per caster level. The duration of the faint is also 1 round per caster level. Upon waking (either after the duration has expired or by being awoken as if from a Sleep spell) the target recalls only vague details about the assassin (size, general clothing colour, etc.), but cannot give a full description (race, facial features, etc.).



Terrified Silence
Necromancy (Fear, Mind-affecting)

Level: Assassin 3
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: No

This spell causes all creatures that observe the caster in anything other than full daylight (the latter includingDaylight and similar spells) to succeed at a Will saving throw or be unable to communicate this fact to anyone for the duration of the spell. This includes, but is not limited to, speech, writing and drawing pictures of the caster. Also, anyone subject to this spell cannot make sounds above a terrified whisper in volume (spellcasting is unaffected, although the affected party may not cast spells with the Sonic descriptor, and cannot cast spells with the Language-Dependent descriptor unless their targets make successful Listen checks). Subjects may, however, carry out other actions against the caster (attacking, following, casting spells such as Daylight, fetching allies without mention of the caster) as they see fit.

The material component of this spell is the tongue of a creature killed by a Death Attack.


Feed on Fear
Necromancy [Evil] (Fear, Mind-Affecting)

Level: Assassin 4
Components: V,S,F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 5 feet
Target: One living creature
Duration: 1 round/2 levels (and 1 hour)
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell causes the affected creature to quail with fear, sapping its will to live whilst the caster feeds off of this feeling. Whilst the target's ability to take actions is unaffected, each round he/she must make a saving throw or suffer damage equal to 1D6 per 3 caster levels (rounded down). Any character failing this save also becomes shaken for that round. The caster gains temporary hit points equal to the amount of damage dealt by this spell, but can’t gain more than the subject’s current hit points +10, which is enough to kill the subject. The temporary hit points vanish after 1 hour.

The focus for this spell is a canine tooth from a vampire.

EDIT: Added prevention of spells with Sonic and/or Language-Dependent descriptor(s) to Frightened/Terrified Silence, as suggested. Also, changed the target of frightened silence to the way I originally intended it!

Thanks for the comments.

Ikki.

[The Giant]

Suggestion: I understand why the two silence-type spells don't interfere with most spellcasting, but they should indicate that they prevent spells with the Sonic descriptor—or with the Language-Dependent descriptor, unless the target makes their Listen check to hear the whisper. In other words, you can technically cast command at a creature standing 30 feet away, but if they can't hear you because you are whispering, the spell still fails. Likewise, if you can't speak loudly, you can't real utter a holy word.

[Starbuck_II]

I like it, it fits the Assassin ideas good.

Feed on Fear
Necromancy [Evil] (Fear, Mind-Affecting)

Level: Assassin 4
Components: V,S,F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 5 feet
Target: One living creature
Duration: 1 round/2 levels (and 1 hour)
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell causes the affected creature to quail with fear, sapping its will to live whilst the caster feeds off of this feeling. Whilst the target's ability to take actions is unaffected, each round he/she must make a saving throw or suffer damage equal to 1D6 per 3 caster levels (rounded down). Any character failing this save also becomes shaken for that round. The caster gains temporary hit points equal to the amount of damage dealt by this spell, but can’t gain more than the subject’s current hit points +10, which is enough to kill the subject. The temporary hit points vanish after 1 hour.

Its better to say usually killing subject because he could be healed sometime before he reaches -10.

Other than that no problem with it.

[Ikkitosen]

I'll be honest - I got that line from the SRD's Vampiric Touch, so it'll have to do :P ;)

Ikki.