[Spell] Where do your loyalties lie?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Lines of Fealty
Divination
Level: Brd 5
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Area: 10-ft./level radius emanation, centered on you
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes per level.
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

The spell reveals connections between individuals (shared loyalty within radius) as well as loyalty to outside figures (lines leading outside the focused area). These lines are colored, based on the relationship. Some may have multiple colors if they have simultaneous relationships. It does not show the exact relationship, such as the name of the king they have sworn fealty to, or the name of the god both worship, only that they share one in common.

Opalesce - Deity
Golden - Emporer, King, or other nation-wide figure
Silver - Local lord, magistrate, master, or other being of power
Bronze - Friends or comrades
Rose - Familial and romantic associations
Black - Enemy or intends harm, such as an assassin.

The thickness of the lines denote the level of devotion. A hair's width may shaow a new recruit's loyalty to a commander, or one like thick rope between a mother and her child.

If there is a central figure, such as a king, where the lines intersect, they glow brightly in the correct color.

Focus: A hair plucked from a stranger wound around the casting hand.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Sever Lines of Fealty
Divination
Level: Brd 6
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Target: One creature
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/level)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You make a ranged touch attack again a being in range. If successful you sever their connections to others. This turns most being's attitude to indifferent to everyone. Creatures with a intelligence of 2 or less become unfriendly, so that a steed would attempt to dislodge his rider. Races who hold a racial hostility against another race however lose this hostility, caring not enough to wish them harm.

This may even separate cohorts and familiars. Any relationships they have built must be reforged, though they have no particular need to. This may even separate a cleric from his god. In this case they gain a bonus to their save equal to 1 1/2 times their level in a divine casting class. If they fail their save they may no longer cast divine spells.

This feeling of disconnection causes the target to take a -4 penalty to all Charisma-based checks until they rebuild at least 1 connection.

Focus: A blade used by another to commit suicide.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Repair Lines of Fealty
Divination
Level: Brd 6
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 minute
Target: Two or more creatures touched
Range: Touch
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes

You reforge any lines broken by the Sever Lines of Fealty spell. The two or more beings whose line was severed must be touched by you at time of casting

Focus: A hair, rope, or some bonding agent tying the targets together.

[Bibliomancer]

Interesting idea, but it could use a Will Save, and also possibly variable thickness of line to show level of commitment (hair-fine represents new connection, rope-thick represents fanatical devotion).

Also, does this reveal connections between individuals (shared loyalty within radius) or loyalty to outside figures (lines leading outside the focused area)?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Interesting idea, but it could use a Will Save,

There's no will save because you aren't affecting them. You're seeing the actual bonds between peoples. Now, if you are immune to divination in some way it wouldn't work because you would be effectively out of the loop.

and also possibly variable thickness of line to show level of commitment (hair-fine represents new connection, rope-thick represents fanatical devotion).

Also, does this reveal connections between individuals (shared loyalty within radius) or loyalty to outside figures (lines leading outside the focused area)?

Both. And those are very good ideas. Going to use them.

[Merk]

I really like this idea. I would also probably use the Rose color for romantic relationships.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I really like this idea. I would also probably use the Rose color for romantic relationships.

Very good.

Also just added two more spells.

[TabletopNuke]

This is an interesting concept, and I personally like it much better than the usual "detect x". Perhaps you could make a lower level version that simply detects alliances and hostility.

The focus for sever lines of fealty poses a bit of a conundrum. Such items are not terrible easy to come by. How is a character expected to come across such a weapon? What would the price be?

Would it be alright if I used this concept for my world setting?

[deuxhero]

Any reason the first isn't on the wizard list?

"Save or lose class features indefinitely" (Most parties don't have a 16th level bard on speed dial) doesn't really sound fun. Perhaps make it auto repair after a time.

[Demented]

You could probably redeclare your faith quite quickly. Though, you would probably also need to reprepare all of your spells.

The focus for sever lines of fealty poses a bit of a conundrum. Such items are not terrible easy to come by. How is a character expected to come across such a weapon? What would the price be?

It comes standard in your spell component pouch. Beyond that, it is best not to ask questions.
(Though it may have something to do with Reincarnate and bugbears.)

[Golden-Esque]

There's no will save because you aren't affecting them. You're seeing the actual bonds between peoples. Now, if you are immune to divination in some way it wouldn't work because you would be effectively out of the loop.

Don't know if you've altered this or not, but technically you're destroying emotional bonds between people, which is indeed a mental attack. It should allow a Will Save, representing bonds between people that are too strong for any magic to interfere with (bonuses to resist if family / soul mate, etc).

[Ashtagon]

That spell to break the bond should probably only work (and even then should require a save rolled by the stronger of the two targets) if both individuals are in the area of effect. The bond is just as much intrinsic to both individuals, after all. Just because you break Bob's loyalty to his family, it doesn't mean his folks have stopped caring about Bob. And unless he is completely insane, his feelings for them would be quickly rekindled the first time he meets them again, assuming they act as they always have (which they would, not having been affected by the spell).

Of course, the above paragraph makes the spell non-viable as a means of depriving clerics of their power. Presumably, an actual avatar of their deity would be a viable target (along with nearby clerics of the deity that avatar represents), although the avatar's save bonus would be astonishingly high.

[Milskidasith]

There should be a bonus equal to the height of the authority figure for sever lines of fealty; severing a peasant from people is easy, but severing the emperor would be hard, and even for a high level bard spell, pretty frigging world changing.

Something like this:

A creature gets a bonus on their save equal to their status and a bonus or penalty based on the strength of their closest bond:

Status bonuses: (*'d stacks with all others).

Deity: Immune. You cannot sever a Deity's connection to the world.
Nation-wide figure (Should probably include legends and heroes): +10-+20 (depending on the size of the nation, and balance issues).
Local lord: +5 (again, this is rough).
Leader of a small organization: +3
Leads two or three people: +1
*Recently in the news (needs better phrasing): +...something.

Strength of bond relationship (ignoring class features and feats, aside from leadership, that provide companionship):

-5: Hermit. They may know a few people, but they generally don't meet with them at all and if they do, it's usually not for anything besides business.
-2: Friendless: They live in society, and talk with people, but they don't really hang out with them and prefer to be with themselves.
0: Normal. They have friends, maybe a romantic interest, hang out, and generally act normal.
+2: Familial bond: This person has a family, or people he cares about like a family, and those ties are harder to sever than normal.
+5 Fanatical devotion: This person is obsessed with one or more people. Maybe they have an especially deep relationship with their spouse, or a twin brother, or would take massive amounts of arrows for a party member. Whatever the reason, they are too devoted to easily sever their ties with others.

[Lubirio]

That spell to break the bond should probably only work (and even then should require a save rolled by the stronger of the two targets) if both individuals are in the area of effect. The bond is just as much intrinsic to both individuals, after all. Just because you break Bob's loyalty to his family, it doesn't mean his folks have stopped caring about Bob. And unless he is completely insane, his feelings for them would be quickly rekindled the first time he meets them again, assuming they act as they always have (which they would, not having been affected by the spell).

Of course, the above paragraph makes the spell non-viable as a means of depriving clerics of their power. Presumably, an actual avatar of their deity would be a viable target (along with nearby clerics of the deity that avatar represents), although the avatar's save bonus would be astonishingly high.

If the bolded is accepted I suggest a bonus on the save corresponding to the ties of the two characters, such as sin the altered diplomacy rules by rich burlew (-10 Nemesis, -7 Personal Foe -5 Enemy, -2 Negative Acquaintance, +2 Positive Acquaintance, +5 Ally, +7 Friend +10 Intimate)

Milskidasith, you're missing out in Waves of High seas, I haven't seen you there in a long time, I had to DMPC you.

[vegetalss4]

I am against Sever Lines of Fealty being able to server the line between a wizard/sorcerer and his/her familiar, since those are an extension of said wizard/sorcerers soul. however i would be fine with it working against holy mounts and animal companions.

[Sereg]

How are one-way relationships affected? Could Lines of Fealty be used to determine the direction of a lost associate? Personally, I would make Sever/Repair Lines of Fealty enchantment spells. Also, it might be a good idea to be able to distinguish between romantic and familial relationships. Then you could use it to find out if someone is single (something that the stereotypical bard is interested in). Also, does it detect a diffence between blood families and, for instance, adoptees, in-laws, step-family, products from affairs, individuals whom consider each other family etc.?