Long duration fear effects

[Rebel7284]

I have noticed that most fear effects last for a fairly short period of time with the best I found being Haunting Tune at 10min/level.

Are there any effects that last longer? Low level preferred of course. Doesn't have to be a spell.

And yes, for day to day adventuring a handful of rounds is fine, but if I want someone to be shaken all day. :smallbiggrin:

(no dragon magazine content)

[Fero]

Dream Casting (6/SC) lasts a day/level and can render a target shaken for that duration, so long as they see the caster or know the caster is present.

[icefractal]

While not one of the basic effects, I think most people would consider "permanently shaken" reasonable for Bestow Curse. It's weaker than the basic "-4 to most things" effect, but it does make frightened+ more likely, so seems about right to me.

[ShurikVch]

Extended Intimidation - Zhentarim Soldier ACF - Instead of ending when the Zhentarim Soldier leaves, as is normal for the Intimidate skill, the intimidation effect lasts for 24 hours after his departure.

Scourge of the Seas feat (Stormwrack) - If you succeed on the Intimidate check, the target is frightened for as long as it remains able to see you and for 1d6x10 minutes afterward.

[Maat Mons]

I can't find it, but at one point I came across a leech monster that extended the durations of Enchantment effects affecting its host.

[Inevitability]

I very vaguely recall a build in iron chef (or junkyard wars?) that could somehow apply frightened/panicked indefinitely to a single creature at the time, I think the fluff mentioned a hellcat, and it was set in eberron? The trick might've relied somehow on not having to sleep; unsure about that part. That's not much to work with, but does that ring a bell with anyone?

[Saintheart]

Cheesemongery, and subject to anyone else's thoughts, but:

Fear (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/fear.htm) (PHB, Bard 3, Sor/Wiz 4) has a fixed range (30 feet), but is not of instantaneous duration (round/level or 1 round), nor is it dischargeable (no (D) entry in its line).

It is therefore eligible for Persistent Spell metamagic.

Persistent Spell Fear, target becomes panicked on a failed Will save and stays that way for 24 hours.

If the higher spell slot is a problem, notionally Metamagic Rods of Persist are possible, and since this is a third level Bard spell, a Lesser Metamagic Rod (Persist) would work just fine on it. Or just Incantatrix your way to zero metamagic costs, particularly via Sanctum Spell to bring it down to Sor/Wiz 3.

[Beni-Kujaku]

I very vaguely recall a build in iron chef (or junkyard wars?) that could somehow apply frightened/panicked indefinitely to a single creature at the time, I think the fluff mentioned a hellcat, and it was set in eberron? The trick might've relied somehow on not having to sleep; unsure about that part. That's not much to work with, but does that ring a bell with anyone?

There was a feat that makes people intimidated until the end of the character's rage‚ and it used badger (dire? Were?) to be permanently enraged until it was unconscious‚ thus the no sleeping clause (iirc‚ it used a warforged).

[ShurikVch]

Intimidating Strike feat (Player's Handbook II) - Intimidate check against the foe you struck; if this check succeeds, your opponent is shaken for the rest of the encounter

Acolyte of the Skin 3 - Fiendish Glare CF: shaken for 10 minutes (no save)

Unhallow (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/unhallow.htm) - "Finally, you may choose to fix a single spell effect to the unhallowed site. The spell effect lasts for one year... Bane (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/bane.htm)..., Cause Fear (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/causeFear.htm)..."

[Darg]

A Scarlet Corsair's Frightening Lunge is a permanent shaken (Ex) effect.

[H_H_F_F]

I very vaguely recall a build in iron chef (or junkyard wars?) that could somehow apply frightened/panicked indefinitely to a single creature at the time, I think the fluff mentioned a hellcat, and it was set in eberron? The trick might've relied somehow on not having to sleep; unsure about that part. That's not much to work with, but does that ring a bell with anyone?

Ka'assani. It was an E6 build, in the barbarian round. You can find it in my sig (judgements and medals, E6). It indeed had an issue I didn't clock with sleep - you'd need either the wakeful mind graft, or to change the racial choice (and have to rebuild - there were options relying on spellscale in the build).


Still one of my favorite things I've done, even if it ended up being reliant on a graft you couldn't reasonably afford in E6.

[Inevitability]

Ka'assani. It was an E6 build, in the barbarian round. You can find it in my sig (judgements and medals, E6). It indeed had an issue I didn't clock with sleep - you'd need either the wakeful mind graft, or to change the racial choice (and have to rebuild - there were options relying on spellscale in the build).


Still one of my favorite things I've done, even if it ended up being reliant on a graft you couldn't reasonably afford in E6.

...I was going to suggest Tomb-Born Vitality but that obviously doesn't work if you're exalted good - I suppose it must've been the first place you looked.

You could sacrifice two feats to grab Endurance and Shape Soulmeld (Strongheart Vest), and then switch out the crusader level for Horizon Walker (thanks to druid making geography a class skill), grabbing the desert terrain benefit? You would still 'need' to sleep, but the penalties from lack of sleep (fatigue and 1 wisdom damage per day) would cease to matter for you.

If you could somehow port the build to Faerun, using the Orphan of the Yellow Rose regional background to get access to Tireless as a spellscale would be an alternative for the horizon walker level.

[Troacctid]

There are a few effects that fail to list a duration for the fear they inflict. Scarlet Corsair is one of them. Roaring weapons (Book of Exalted Deeds) are another. However, I only know of one effect that explicitly has a duration of permanent for the fear that it inflicts, and that is the hand of the creator, from Dragon #328 (also reprinted in Dragon Compendium).

The hand of the creator works as a +1 keen punching dagger that deals an extra 1d4 points of damage when wielded by an elf or half-elf. When used by a character with elven blood, the hand of the creator bestows the Curse of the Creator on any creature without elven blood it strikes. The non-elf foe can make a DC 14 Will save to resist the curse. The Curse of the Creator surrounds the creature in a permanent faerie fire effect and causes the target to be permanently shaken. (A shaken creature takes a –2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.) The hand of the creator’s wielder can remove the curse as a standard action. The spells break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse, and wish can also remove the curse.
Is it worth 48,502 gp? You decide!


(no dragon magazine content)
...Ah. Well, nevertheless.

[ShurikVch]

There are a few effects that fail to list a duration for the fear they inflict. Scarlet Corsair is one of them. Roaring weapons (Book of Exalted Deeds) are another.
Some more examples:
Banshee Stone (Stronghold Builder's Guidebook)
Domineering weapon (Player's Guide to Faerûn)
Fear weapon (Oriental Adventures)
Mirror of Fear (Oriental Adventures)
Screaming Bolt (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm#screamingBolt)

Daunting Challenge - 12th-level Knight CF

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Bard 1, Inspire Awe ACF in Dragon Magic, enemies within 30 ft. are shaken, "The effect lasts for as long as the enemy hears the bard perform and for 1 round thereafter." Even if they get out of range, the effect persists for as long as they can hear you performing.

[Saintheart]

Bard 1, Inspire Awe ACF in Dragon Magic, enemies within 30 ft. are shaken, "The effect lasts for as long as the enemy hears the bard perform and for 1 round thereafter." Even if they get out of range, the effect persists for as long as they can hear you performing.

Friendly reminder that Resounding Voice (HoB) has a range of 100 feet per caster level and lasts 1 min/level. On cleric and bard lists, so a Bard dip + Archivist rest of the way does just fine.

Or for equipment-based solutions, carry an Alphorn (Song and Silence): Inspire Courage carries 1d10 miles away. Not overwritten by 3.5, still valid for use.

[ShurikVch]

Dragon Ascendant PrC - Awesome Aura: looks like there is no time limit as long as creatures are within the Aura

Dread Necromancer - Fear Aura: apparently, the same duration

Natural Bully feat (Champions of Ruin) works this way too

[Fero]

Everlasting Terror (Dragon 308) creates a permanent fear effect that applies whenever the target is within (long?) Range of the casting dragon.

[ShurikVch]

Some more of "shaken forever" (i. e. no listed duration) examples: Boneworm (https://web.archive.org/web/20201111233000/http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20020817a), Tainted Minion template, and Frightful Fury of Corrupt Avenger PrC (the latter two are both from the Heroes of Horror)