No Fun With Sepia Snake Sigil

[Scorponok]

I was just reading through this spell's description, and it seems this spell is only put in place to give the party grief.

If it does go off and the PC doesn't make the reflex save, he's immobilized for 1d4 days. Aside from amusing the DM, the only other reasons for using this spell is to delay the PCs waiting for their ally to recover or to have them make a decision on whether to leave the immobilized PC there and split the party. Either that or make the PCs have to burn a Dispel. I suppose the villain who put it there could also demand a ransom, (pay meee or prepare to stay there 1d4 days.) but other than that, this seems like one of those spells that doesn't have much other use. And once the PCs fall for it one time, I can see them dragging along an NPC to read all their notes or dragging all literature back to town before reading it, which makes this spell problematic in terms of having the game remain fun.

As far as having it available to the players, the only reason I can think of is if they write a note to the arch villain with the sigil inside and hope it freezes him so they can come get him. Is this the only legit use of the spell?

[Eldariel]

It's a very powerful and useful trap spell, like Symbols, Shrink Item and Explosive Runes. You can carry items with it, unveil/sneak ship them to enemies and force some saves. People tend to read texts they can't easily see. Also it couls be slipped between a Spellbook with Sleight of Hand. You can also use them to trap your own hideout, base, castle, Spellbook, Magnificent Mansion or whatever defensively.

But yes, it's a great spell for everyone: the more time PCs give a caster enemy, the more Snake Sigils can be prepared. It's essentially a save-or-die from a 3rd level slot with the proviso that the character is immune to resurrection during its duration. It can make for fun minigames where the party wins the day but has to defend a party member for days to guarantee safe extraction. Doubly so if the enemy escapes, bruised but not permanently defeated (perhaps their Clone activates, they Teleport away or such), and has a day to lick their wounds and plan a counterattack with the PCs more or less locked in place lest they abandon their comrade to likely captivity and torment. I let the trapped PC play a companion, cohort, NPC or whatever while they're trapped.

[noob]

Seriously sepia snake sigil is cool for managing kids in a library:if you do not want them to read the necronomicon or whatever you can just fill it with sepia snake sigils and then you both stop them from reading it and also know who is guilty of reading it.
You know the universe it not just split between adventurers and bbegs.

[Kurald Galain]

For NPCs, the spell works just fine in a campaign where you aren't in action 24/7. For example, in a city campaign, it can be routine to have a couple days' downtime between major events.

For PCs, the spell has obvious use in protecting your spellbook.

[Elricaltovilla]

Put a Sepia Snake Sigil on your shield. Cover it with a cloth that you can easily remove with a free or swift action. Wait until combat starts, reveal the sigil, and force your opponent to eat a nasty Save or Die. Fun for the whole family!:smalltongue:

[Mr Adventurer]

Spell says they have to deliberately read it, so accidental readings don't trigger it.

However, it does seem to suggest that so long as there's line of effect, distance away once it's read doesn't matter. So you could scribe a few in big letters on the Moon, then laugh as the astronomers figure them out...

[Elkad]

It's a Save-or-Die where you don't die.

The good guys use it as a trap. (Or the bad guy if he wants to interrogate you without resorting to Speak With Dead.)

As the DM, it's nice for lower levels, so you don't have to kill the party.

It's even useful as a lifesaving measure. Pauses Poison, Disease, Mummy Rot (maybe, it's a curse), and other lethal effects you can't fix until you get to town and buy the cure.