...And Justice For All [Spell]

[Dhavaer]

Punishment
Necromancy
Level: Clr 1, Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 minute
Target: Willing, living creature touched
Duration: 6 hours
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

The target suffers agonising pain for the duration of the spell. They are effectively unconscious.
This spell is generally used as a punishment when incarceration is deemed unrealistic, uneconomical or unethical. ‘Willingness’ is usually enforced with the threat of execution as an alternate punishment.

[DracoDei]

And it doesn't actually carry the risk of infection that scourging does... "nice"...

[Assasinater]

Usually one doesn't feel pain when unconscious (it is a defense mechanism, after all). So is it more like long tortures (the victim eventually wakes up but falls unconscious again from pain), or is the pain nightmare-like, haunting the victim in his unconscious state?

Anyway, good idea.

[Tengu]

I don't really see any situations where incarceration would be considered unethical, but agonizing pain for 6 hours wouldn't.

[magic8BALL]

Usually one doesn't feel pain when unconscious (it is a defense mechanism, after all). So is it more like long tortures (the victim eventually wakes up but falls unconscious again from pain), or is the pain nightmare-like, haunting the victim in his unconscious state?

I think the pain is real, and so debilitrating that for all effects realating to game mechanics, he is trated as being unconscious. Imagion someone rolling around screeming, drifting into and out of convulsions as each muscle contracts to the point bones bend. If I were in that situation, I'd be in no possition to make a Spot check or an attack roll. What game effect simulates this? Unconsciousness.

Nice spell. Can be quite an effective in game alternative to exeqution... but I'd like to see something else like it used for torture too, something like:
Target: creature touched
Duration: concentration and 1 day/level
Save: Will
The pain lasts while the caster consentrates, but this forces a loss of will power: -1 moral bonus to will saves that stacks with other castings of the spell from the same caster.

[Baron Corm]

this thing definitely needs the [evil] descriptor.

also, perhaps allow the duration to be changed, kind of like in delayed blast fireball. anywhere from 1 minute to 1 day, measured in minutes, sounds about right.

i'm not sure that you have to specify that the target must be living. spells like symbol of pain don't. otherwise i really like the spell.

[Matthew]

For a few delightful moments, I thought this was going to be the beginning of some Metallica themed Homebrew...

[SurlySeraph]

I'd say the [Law] descriptor, given that it's intended as punishment. If I understand correctly, the idea is basically "OK, you stole his sheep, but we need you around to help with the harvest so we can't put you in jail. Instead, we'll pack in all the suffering of a year in jail into 6 hours so justice will be done but you can get back to work." Maybe you should allow the caster to vary the amount of pain the target is in depending to insure that the target isn't over- or under-punished, but that's just fluff.

[Poppatomus]

For a few delightful moments, I thought this was going to be the beginning of some Metallica themed Homebrew...

I assumed that the title mocks Metallica.

I can see it now,

Metallica fan DM: "Are you familiar with 'and Justice for all?'"

Naive PC: "yea, that's the thing that causes so much pain to those experiencing it they actually lapse into unconciousness to avoid the experience?"

MFD: "...." rolls "oh look, it appears you all missed your spot checks. The balors now have a surprise round."

[Matthew]

Seems doubtful to me...

[Khoran]

this thing definitely needs the [evil] descriptor.

I don't exactly see how this needs the [Evil] descriptor. I mean, what this spell does is that it inflicts horrible pain to those who I would assume are normally criminals. Compared to some other things they could do, this is actually pretty humane. It dosn't have the chance of killing you and dosn't actually cause anyone physical damage, it just makes them feel pain for a long time to get the point across of "You did wrong." It won't kill them, it won't cause any physical damamge, it dosn't have the potential to do either.

[Talanic]

I'd stipulate that there should be a material component: Evidence. A written, signed confession, for example.

[JackMage666]

Plus, you can use this against already unconcious opponents - Make sure you get a head start on your non-lethal damaged opponent.

[Poppatomus]

I'd stipulate that there should be a material component: Evidence. A written, signed confession, for example.

very good Idea I feel. With it, it's a normal spell, or maybe lawful. without "conclusive evidence" it is an evil aligned spell

[Kyace]

I'd stipulate that there should be a material component: Evidence. A written, signed confession, for example.

How about focus instead of component? Destroying evidence isn't usually a good idea.

[DracoDei]

I agree it should be a focus if used. I also think that you might want to consider , at the very least, having it usable both ways with descriptors (lawful, evil etc) based on whether it is present or not.