Would You Like To See My Mask? [Spells]

[The Demented One]

Baleful Gaze
Divination [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Bard 1, Cleric 1, Sorcerer/Wizard 1
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You peer into a character’s mind and discover their greatest fear, allowing you to use it against them. For the duration of this spell, you gain a +10 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks made to influence them, and they take a -1 penalty on saves against any spell with the [Fear] descriptor that you cast. At 5th level, the bonus on Intimidate checks rises to +15 and the save penalty rises to -2. At 9th level, the bonus rises to +20, although the save penalty is unchanged.

Children of Blood
Conjuration and Necromancy (Creation) [Fear]
Level: Bard 2, Cleric 2, Sorcerer/Wizard 2
Components: V, S, M, DF
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Summoned scarecrows, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
Duration: 1 round/level (D)

You summon up a horde of scarecrow minions to serve your will, your children of blood. You summon one scarecrow, plus an additional scarecrow for every three caster levels you have beyond 3rd. Each scarecrow is treated as a medium animated object, except that they have a base land speed of 40 ft., hardness 0, vulnerability to fire, and the unnerving presence ability, listed below:

Unnerving Presence (Su)
Whenever a scarecrow attacks or charges, all creatures within 30 ft. that can see it must make a Will save, with DC equal to that of the spell, or be shaken for 1d4+1 rounds. Once a creature successfully saves against a scarecrow’s unnerving presence, it is immune to the unnerving presence of that scarecrow and all those created by the same spell as it.

Material Component
One drop of blood for each scarecrow created. You take 1 hp of damage in shedding blood, but shedding multiple drops does not increase the damage.

Fog of Fear
Conjuration and Necromancy (Creation) [Fear, Mind-Affectng]
Level: Sorcerer/Wizard 6
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Hallucinogenic fog spreads in 20-ft. radius, 20-ft. high
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: Will partial
Spell Resistance: No

This spell creates a cloud of hallucinogenic gas, similar to a fog cloud spell, that causes those exposed to it to experience terrifying delusions, bringing their greatest fears to life before their eyes. All creatures within the cloud, as well as any creature that enters it, must make a Will save or be frightened for as long as they remain within the cloud, and for 1d4+1 rounds thereafter. Even those that succeed on the Will save are shaken for 1 round. In addition, any creature that fails its Will save must make a Fortitude save, with a +5 bonus on the save, or die of fright.

Magefright
Necromancy [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Bard 2, Cleric 3, Sorcerer/Wizard 3
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: Standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/level or 1 level, see text
Saving Throw: Will partial
Spell Resistance: Yes

Every mage’s worst fear is losing his power to cast spells, and the magefright spell lets you turn this against them. By breaking their will, you can deny them their magical power. If the subject of this spell fails their save, they are frightened, and take a -2 penalty to their caster level for the duration of this spell. In addition, they lose their highest-level remaining spell or spell slot. If they fail their save by four or more, they are instead panicked, lose their highest-level remaining spell or spell slot, and cannot cast any spells for the duration of this spell. If they succeed on their save, they are shaken and take a -1 penalty to caster level for 1 round instead.

Phobia
Necromancy [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Bard 3, Cleric 4, Sorcerer/Wizard 4
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Saving Throw: Will negates (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes

You scar a foe’s psyche, leaving it with a crippling fear. When you cast this spell, you choose a specific trigger for the phobia: a particular kind of creature, heights, tight spaces, thunder, or something similarly specific, at the DM’s discretion. Whenever the subject is exposed to the trigger (sees a creature of the particular type, hears thunder, is trapped in a tight space) they must make a Will save. If they fail, they are panicked for as long as they remain 30 ft. of the trigger (if it is a creature or object) or as long as they are exposed to the trigger (if it is something non-material, like a storm or tight space). If the subject succeeds on its save, it does not need to make saves for expose to that particular trigger for 24 hours. Phobia cannot be dispelled by the dispel magic spell or similar effects, but a remove curse spell, a break enchantment spell, or similar effects can remove it.

[DracoDei]

You should change it so utterly failing your save against "Mage Fright", rather than trying to make it isn't the best option if the fight is near its end...

[The Demented One]

You should change it so utterly failing your save against "Mage Fright", rather than trying to make it isn't the best option if the fight is near its end...

Huh? I don't quite understand.

[DracoDei]

Because if you fail by enough you are back to full power within a minute or two, whereas if you fail by just a bit, then you lose a spell slot for the day it seems.

[The Demented One]

Because if you fail by enough you are back to full power within a minute or two, whereas if you fail by just a bit, then you lose a spell slot for the day it seems.

Oh yeah, I should put the lose a spell slot thing in with panicked as well.

[JoshuaZ]

There are rules for handling phobias in Heroes of Horror. Maybe the central Phobia list should just be the list of things that are acceptable phobias there?

Also, Children of Blood should probably have a material component of a drop of your own blood.

[The Demented One]

That it should. Fixed.