Delayed Explosive Runes [PEACH]

[DanielLC]

"As always, should you or any of your IQ force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This message will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck, Jim."

Delayed Explosive Runes
Abjuration [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 6
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Touch
Target: One touched object weighing no more than 10 lb.
Duration: Permanent until discharged (D)
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell functions like explosive runes, except that it detonates one round after the runes are read, and has a +10 DC for removing without setting it off.

The explosion will completely destroy whatever was written.

[DracoDei]

If it is for self-destructing messages, I would make the delay variable, and up to 5 rounds (1 round) per caster level. That way you can put it at the beginning of the message so that if they get ambushed in the middle of reading by someone wanting to intercept the message (after all the protections against opening have already been bypassed), it will still trigger.

[DanielLC]

If they get ambushed, they could just glance at the end and give the message to the people trying to take it.

In an unrelated note, IQ force is supposed to be Impossible Quest force, not Intelligence Quotient force.

[DracoDei]

I was more thinking of the sort of scenario where the attacker introduces himself with a garrote rather than a mere threat.

[DanielLC]

When I originally thought of this idea, I thought what you wrote was the explosive runes, rather than them being written in what you wrote. As such, it would make perfect sense to just make it go off after you stop reading.

In any case, if the enemy ambushes you, they'd probably try to make the plan useless by killing you rather than by reading it.