Author Topic: The Black Labyrinth  (Read 1268 times)

Offline Stratovarius

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The Black Labyrinth
« on: December 10, 2019, 10:16:17 AM »
What's the best shenanigans someone can come up with this hilarious curse?
Quote
Black Labyrinth
Master, Shadowscape
Level/School: 9th/Conjuration (Creation)
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: One-mile-radius spread, centered on a point in space
Duration: 24 hours/2 levels (D)
Saving Throw: Will partial; see text
Spell Resistance: No

The air blackens, the shadows of the alleys lengthen, and the wind shrieks as the Shadow and Material Planes collide.

Black labyrinth causes substantial disorientation within the area it affects. Direction and distance become impossible to determine, as the world itself bends and twists:

All attacks have a 50% miss chance.

Area effects with a source or target within the black labyrinth have a 20% chance of improper placement. If this occurs, the spell is centered 1d4 x 5 feet in a random direction from where the caster intended. To determine direction, use the rules for a missed splash weapon (PH 158).

All Search and Spot checks take a -10 penalty.

Any movement, from a 5-foot step to a full run and everything between, occurs in a random direction. (Again, use the rules for a missed splash weapon to determine direction.) Reroll any result that places the creature in an "illegal" space (in another creature's area, within a wall, and so on). A random roll that results in a fall off a ledge (or a similar mishap) is allowable. A successful Will save negates this particular effect, but that save must be repeated for each round of movement.

Any teleportation effects with a destination inside the black labyrinth deposit their passengers 1d% x 5 feet from the intended destination. If this would put them inside a solid object, treat as a mishap as described in the teleport spell. If this would send them outside the mystery's area, roll again. A teleport effect cast within the black labyrinth and intended to transport the subject to a point outside the affected area requires a successful Will save; failure indicates that the subject instead teleports to a random point within the black labyrinth.

When within your own black labyrinth, you are immune to the last two effects (movement and teleportation), but not the others. You may attempt to guide your companions through the labyrinth; this does not allow them to find their way automatically, but it does grant them a +4 bonus on Will saves to resist those two effects.

Offline Nanashi

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Re: The Black Labyrinth
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2019, 12:09:32 PM »
(It's from Cityscape web enhancement)
Assuming this spell doesn't just get left behind in the planet's orbit because it's anchored in space instead of the planet...

The random movement can only be on the x/y axis. Anything that requires vertical movement (except maybe stairs), is impossible to reach, be it a ladder into the basement, or a Telvanni tower that requires you cast at least levitate to reach the top floors. The random movement may allow going through walls.

That there's no way to even mitigate the random direction of movement across a huge area and duration makes this really good for killing everyone in a city (or at least its center if large enough) without destroying the infrastructure. Nobody can get to their water, food, bed or toilet without a string of natural 20s (and I'm sure there's some shenangians to make even that not apply). Since it's dismissable, you can even keep the people if your demands are met quick enough.

Offline Stratovarius

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Re: The Black Labyrinth
« Reply #2 on: December 10, 2019, 12:40:56 PM »
It really does seem like the "Screw your city" spell, doesn't it? Also... as you point out, what the hell happens when someone casts this thing on the Elemental Plane of Air or off the ground or anything that involves the third axis? Because it really doesn't clarify that at all.