Secaffero's Spike (spell, PEACH)

[Bellmaethorion]

Need to extract some information from someone, without leaving traces?
Now for the use of your evil party, or antagonist, Secaferro's Spike, a truly torturous spell.

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Secaferro’s Spike
Enchantment [Mind-Affecting]
Level: 0
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: touch
Target: One living Creature.
Duration: 1 round/2 levels (D)
Saving Throw: Will saves partially
Spell Resistance: No

Upon activation of this spell, a wispy tendril will appear out of the caster’s hand, before shaping into a spike.
Attacking someone with Secaffero’s Spike does not harm them, but makes them feel the pain as if they had been, thus, a person "stabbed" in the stomache, will feel as if he had been stabbed with an actual weapon.
The target of this spell must make a successful will save (DC 10+1/2 CL), or gain a -3 penalty on all checks against intimidation(multiple uses stack, but the penalty is reduced by 1, so, upon the second successful use, an additional -2, and the third, -1)
Beating the required save by 4 or more means the target will not feel pain.

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the 0 level might seem a bit low, but, it doesn't actually deal damage, and will find most of it's use in synergy with intimidation, and how often will you stop in the middle of a battle to extract some questions from a bad guy?
and with a low level character, the save is not too difficult, and can be made 50% of the time.
Seeing as how most casters will want spells that actually do damage, this is more for flavour.

[Umarth]

When the caster makes a successful attack on a concentrating opponent, the target must make a concentration save(DC 10+1/2 CL) or suffer loss of concentration.

That bit makes it higher than a level 0 spell. Level 0 spells should not have the ability to interupt spell casting. I'd recommend removing it.

You should also specifiy how long the penalty against intimidation lasts. I'd probably have it last only for the duration of the spell.

I'd probably also change the spells duration to 1 round / 2 levels.

[Bellmaethorion]

That bit makes it higher than a level 0 spell. Level 0 spells should not have the ability to interupt spell casting. I'd recommend removing it.

You should also specifiy how long the penalty against intimidation lasts. I'd probably have it last only for the duration of the spell.

I'd probably also change the spells duration to 1 round / 2 levels.

Hm, you're probably right about the disrupting, I added it last minute, as a sort of "hey, that could happen"
but I will remove that bit.

But with deciding how long the penalty lasts... for balance sake, I'd say, as long as the spell, but for flavour's sake, it's a bit more difficult, I'd say.

Torturing is, in some respects, a quite precise art, if you have a victim with a strong will, then you need to play him properly, break his mind, through the words you speak, and what the body of the victim goes through.
the target won't feel the pain after a while, but it'll still be ontheir mind, and the fact that the person standing in front of them, CAN do it again, even though a day has passed, would to me, also make for a penalty.

[Umarth]

Torturing is, in some respects, a quite precise art, if you have a victim with a strong will, then you need to play him properly, break his mind, through the words you speak, and what the body of the victim goes through.
the target won't feel the pain after a while, but it'll still be ontheir mind, and the fact that the person standing in front of them, CAN do it again, even though a day has passed, would to me, also make for a penalty.

I 100% agree with you from logic and "real world" view points. From a game balance stand point though having the penalty last longer than the spell (or some other short amount of time) is a bit much from a 0th level spell.

If you wanted to bump it up to 1st level you could probably have it last a few days.

[Bellmaethorion]

maybe I could make a "Secaffero's Greater Spike"?
one that does affect concentration, and will last for a longer period, is 1 day/level too much?
if not too strong, what level should that be then?

[Umarth]

My world is low magic and that's what I'm used to designing for but I could see a spell like this:

Secaferro’s Sudden Spike
Illusion [Phantasm, Mind-Affecting]
Level: 5
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 Immediate Action
Range: Close (25 ft. +5ft/level)
Target: One living Creature.
Duration: See Text
Saving Throw: Will (See text)
Spell Resistance: Yes

With a simple act of will you twist your foes mind at just the right time. This causes it's target to see a ghostly representation of your hand suddenly plunge into it's chest and grab it's heart. If the target fails it's will save it immediately loses what ever action it was currently taking and is stunned until it's next round. In addition you gain a +6 bonus on any intimidate rolls made against the target for 1 day per caster level you posses.


Obviously you could replace the flavor text with what ever description you like.

Writing up this spell I noticed the level 0 one doesn't allow spell resistance. I'd recommend changing that as well. I don't see any particular reason spell resistance wouldn't apply to it.