First-Level Spells
Analyze Balance: In Ravenloft, no spell or magical item can
reveal good or evil in a creature's alignment. When
assessing how many "grades" a creature is removed from
neutral, the only possible answers are one and zero, as the
spell would only detect that a creature is lawful or chaotic
(one grade away from neutral) or neutral (zero grades away
from neutral). This same rule applies to analyzing the
alignment of areas and objects.
Courage: As noted earlier for spells in the sphere of war, a
crowd of villagers can be given courage with this spell; thus,
the next time they are required to roll a morale check (most
likely to be when they first sight a monster up close), they
automatically pass it. Unfortunately for the mob, actually
fighting the monster will almost certainly require another
morale check. This spell lasts until the next dawn or twelve
hours, whichever is greater.
Detect Evil/Detect Good: No one can magically detect
good or evil here. Thus, neither this spell nor its reverse
work in Ravenloft.
Emotion Read: This spell functions normally in Ravenloft,
but the Dungeon Master should keep in mind that self-willed
undead can project a barrier of false thoughts and emotions.
Know Age: This spell judges the age of the physical body;
in the case of many undead, this provides interesting
answers. The bodies of some undead, like vampires, stop
aging at the moment of their deaths. A vampire might really
be four hundred years old while his body is preserved at
thirty-seven.
Any creature whose body has ceased aging is allowed a
saving throw vs. spell. If successful, the spell reports the
apparent age of the body. If the saving throw fails, it reports
the true age (from the moment of the creature's birth).
Zombies, skeletons, ghosts, and banshees and the like do
not have preserved bodies, so for all of these cases, the
spell functions normally.
Morale: As stated in Tome of Magic, this spell improves
the morale of a military unit. In Ravenloft, the most likely
use is with a crowd of villagers storming a castle or chasing
a monster. The typical mob has a morale rating of 9. Thus,
if raised by one the mob has a morale of 10, and if raised
by three it has a morale of 12. This improvement remains
in effect until the next dawn or for twelve hours, whichever
is longer.
Speak With Astral Traveler: Since astral travel does not
function in Ravenloft, this spell has no astral travelers to
affect. If through some outrageous quirk of domain laws an
astral traveler is encountered, then the spell works normally.
Thought Capture: This spell resembles the metapsionic
devotion retrospection, allowing the caster to capture
wandering thoughts set loose from their owners. In
Ravenloft, such thoughts still bear the stamp of the
personalities who created them, and the thoughts of the
lords of the domains are stronger than others. As a result,
this spell has a 10% chance of gathering a thought from the
lord of the domain. If the location where the spell is cast is
visited regularly by the lord of the domain, the chance rises
to 50%.
The thoughts of domain lords can be tainted with evil and
horrors that should not be contemplated. Characters who
gather a thought from a domain lord have a 25% chance of
being forced to attempt a madness check. Even if he does
not have to make the madness check, he must still make a
horror check.
Second-Level Spells
Create Holy Symbol: This spell functions normally in
Ravenloft, except that the lord of the domain knows
instantly that a holy symbol has been created somewhere in
his domain. If the symbol is of any evil alignment, that is all
the lord learns. If the symbol belongs to any neutral
alignment, he knows the approximate location of the newly
created symbol (e.g. somewhere in the village or on the
grounds of the ruined monastery). If it is of any good
alignment, the lord knows the exact location of the priest
who cast the spell.
Creating an evil holy symbol warrants a Ravenloft
powers check.
Know Alignment: Ravenloft insulates evil from detection.
As with the standard version of this spell, the target gets a
saving throw to avoid detection altogether. Even if that roll
fails, the spell can detect only a chaotic, neutral, or lawful
alignment; the spell never reveals evil or good alignment.
Mind Read: This spell has difficulty penetrating the barrier
of false thoughts presented by self-willed undead. Thus,
although normal folk get no saving throw, self-willed undead
do. If the saving throw succeeds, the undead creature can
plant whatever thoughts it wishes into the caster's mind. If
the saving throw fails, the priest penetrates the veil and
delves into the foul depths of the creature's evil mind. He
learns everything listed in the spell description. However, he
must roll a madness check after experiencing the abhorrent
mind of an undead monster. Sometimes an undead creature
chooses not to resist the spell, allowing the priest to look at
things mortals were not meant to see.
A madness check may also be necessary for reading the
minds of living creatures brimming with loathsome evil,
such as mind flayers.
Mystic Transfer: Unlike many spells in Ravenloft, this one
can cross domain borders, provided that they have not been
closed by the lord. In addition, if either domain lord closes
his borders, the link is severed.
Nap: This spell can negate the effects of a failed fear
check, as the passage of time and a good sleep allow the
terror to pass. The nap spell does not work as well on failed
horror checks, merely allowing the victim of a failed horror
check to attempt a new check. It also allows a temporary
respite from those horror check results affected by a sleep
spell, even if the new check fails (see Chapter Six: Fear,
Horror, and Madness). Also, this refreshing sleep eliminates
any accumulated penalties.
Rally: Although designed specifically for use with the
Battlesystem rules, this spell can be used with a mob or
crowd of villagers. If the villagers have failed a morale check
(and are probably fleeing the scene) this spell might rally
them. Another morale check is rolled, and if it is successful,
the mob recovers its lost poise and can approach the
situation again.
Sanctify/Defile: Sanctify works normally in Ravenloft. If
cast in a sinkhole of evil (as described in Appendix Three:
Character Classes), the two effects cancel each other out.
For the duration of the spell, neither positive or negative
modifiers apply. If the area of the sinkhole exceeds the area
of the spell effect, then the region not covered by the spell is
still a sinkhole of evil, with the original modifiers.
Defile adds its bonuses to those of the sinkhole, making
the place even more foul and evil. Using this version of the
spell requires a Ravenloft powers check.
Third-Level Spells
Animate Dead: This spell works almost too well in
Ravenloft. Normally the caster can animate a number of
skeletons or zombies approximately equal to his level in Hit
Dice. When a priest casts this spell in Ravenloft, however, it
animates twice the usual amount. (Use the regular formula,
but double the result.) The caster can add as many Hit Dice
to the monsters as desired, as long as the total is no more
than twice his own level.
Dungeon Masters should keep in mind that the Hit Dice of
an undead creature affect its resistance to turning. Further,
those creatures whose Hit Dice exceed the caster's level can
attempt a saving throw vs. spell to break free of control.
The casting of this spell prompts a Ravenloft powers check.
Astral Window: The Astral Plane is not accessible via
most spells in Ravenloft. However, since astral window does
not attempt to move anything between Ravenloft and the
Astral Plane, the spell works normally, except that creatures
cannot leave Ravenloft through the window. However,
beings can still enter the Demiplane of Dread if they
succeed in the roll described in the Tome of Magic entry.
Choose Future: For the most part, this spell functions
normally in Ravenloft. Horror checks are not rolled twice,
however. The first roll applies to both futures. (If necessary,
the Dungeon Master can roll to pretend that it might have
been possible to get a different result.)
Cause Disease: Cause Disease is the reverse of cure
disease. Casting this spell requires a Ravenloft powers
check.
Emotion Control: This spell functions normally in
Ravenloft. The courage option can be used to remove the
effects of a failed fear check. In that case, it cancels the fear
but does not provide its normal bonuses. This spell does not
affect failed horror checks.
Feign Death: This spell requires the caster to make a
Ravenloft powers check.
Helping Hand: This ghostly hand cannot cross domain
borders. If the target is in a different domain than the caster,
the hand does not find him.
Negative Plane Protection: Ravenloft insulates undead
from the influence of other planes. Thus, the attacking
undead monster suffers only 1d6 points of damage from this
spell, and it can attempt a saving throw vs. death magic for
no damage at all.
Remove Curse/Bestow Curse: Remove curse works poorly
in Ravenloft, where its duration is limited rather than permanent.
The target of this magic can attempt a saving throw vs.
spell to temporarily rid himself of a curse, but it only holds
back the curse for one turn per level of the spellcaster.
Curses are very powerful in Ravenloft (see Chapter
Twelve: The Whispered Evil). The stronger the curse, the
less likely it is that a mere spell can suspend it. Table 23
lists the saving throw modifiers according to the power of
the curse.
Bestow curse works as described, but it requires a
Ravenloft powers check with the modifiers given in the table
below (expressed as positive percentage values).
Table 23: Remove Curse/Bestow Curse Penalties
| Curse |
|
Saving Throw
Penalty |
|
Powers Check
Penalty |
| Embarrassing |
|
0 |
|
0% |
| Frustrating |
|
-1 |
|
+1% |
| Troublesome |
|
-2 |
|
+2% |
| Dangerous |
|
-3 |
|
+3% |
| Lethal |
|
-6 |
|
+6% |
Speak With Dead: Casting this spell requires a Ravenloft
powers check.
Fourth-Level Spells
Abjure: Normally, this spell sends creatures from the Outer
Planes back to their homes. The spell's chance of success is
50%, plus (or minus) 5% for each positive (or negative)
difference in level between the caster and the target. Of
course, one cannot so easily escape the Demiplane of
Dread. If this spell succeeds in Ravenloft, it merely sends
the creature to a random location in the Demiplane (but not
across a closed domain border).
Call Woodland Beings: The fairy folk listed in the Player's
Handbook do not inhabit any of the known domains of
Ravenloft. Furthermore, the lord of the domain in which the
spell is cast controls the spell's results. The lord can send
any creature in his land to answer the summons. Of course,
the being will obey the lord's instruction and not the
caster's.
Dimensional Folding: This spell cannot connect areas in
different domains. The priest cannot fold the Demiplane to
connect to any area outside the domain where the spell was
cast.
Focus: Most domain lords can detect the casting of a
focus spell. Domain lords steeped in the arcane lore of
magic tend to have this power, as do those of strong
supernatural origins. However, lords of more normal or
mortal backgrounds cannot usually detect a focus any
better than their subjects. For example, Strahd von Zarovich
or Harkon Lukas could almost certainly detect a focus; on
the other hand, Vlad Drakov and Ivana Boritsi could not.
If priest creates a focus devoted to an evil alignment,
those domain lords who can sense such things will know
only that the deed has been done, nothing more. If the priest
creates a focus devoted to a neutral alignment, the lord will
know the approximate location of the casting (within a mile
or so). If the spell creates a good focus, however, the lord
knows exactly where it was cast.
As described in the Tome of Magic, focus amplifies only
positive effects of the listed spells. In Ravenloft, it can also
focus some of the reversed spells. Focus can affect the
following reversible spells: bless/curse*, cure
blindness/cause blindness*, cure disease/cause disease*,
detect lie/undetectable lie, dispel evil/dispel good*, know
alignment/undetectable alignment, protection from
evil/protection from good*,
purify food & drink/putrefy food & drink*, remove fear/cause fear*, tongues/babble, and
true seeing/false seeing. Those reverses marked with an
asterisk (*) force the caster to roll a Ravenloft powers
check. The table below gives the few additional spells that
focus can affect in the Demiplane of Dread.
Table 24: Additional Spells Affected by Focus
| Spell |
|
Possible
Focus Type |
| Accelerate healing |
|
S/I |
| Anti-vermin barrier |
|
S/I/L |
| Aura of comfort |
|
S/I |
| Calm chaos |
|
S |
| Efficacious monster ward |
|
S |
| Elemental forbiddance |
|
S/I/L |
| Emotion control+ |
|
S/I/L |
| Land of stability |
|
S |
| Slow rot |
|
I/L |
| Undead ward |
|
S/I/L |
| Zone of sweet air |
|
S/I |
| Zone of truth |
|
S/I |
+ A single emotion must be specified.
Creating a focus with devotional energy gathered from
followers of an evil deity, regardless of the spell, also
warrants a Ravenloft powers check.
Join With Astral Traveler: This spell simply does not
work in Ravenloft, as it lies in the Ethereal Plane.
Leadership/Doubt: The Battlesystem game use for
leadership is inappropriate for Ravenloft. However, the
priest can use this spell to single out a person in a mob
and make him into a leader. This new leader could then
conduct the mob in search of a monster or other objective.
The presence of the leader grants the mob a+ 1 morale
bonus. Should the leader die during the hunt, the mob
must immediately roll a morale check. Refer to the
"Sphere of War" section earlier in this chapter for more
information about mobs and crowds.
Doubt removes leadership qualities from a person. If
successfully cast upon the leader of a mob, the mob must
immediately roll a successful morale check or disperse.
Even if the check succeeds, the mob no longer receives the
bonus for having a leader. It can attack an immediately
visible target, but if the mob has no obvious target, it
disperses.
Modify Memory: This spell can negate the effects of a
failed fear or horror check. It either wipes the memory of the
event from the person or alters his memory so that the
horror of the situation is masked.
This spell can cause sinister effects as well. If used to
force a person to relive a scene that was originally cause for
a horror check, the victim reacts as if he were really there. If
a previous horror check for that situation failed, then the
results of that check may come back to haunt the victim.
For example, if the previous result had been "aversion", the
character again feels the need to run in horror. If the
previous check succeeded, the victim must roll a new horror
check, with a +1 bonus for having survived the scene
before. Making a person relive a scene of horror almost
certainly warrants a powers check.
Probability Control: This spell cannot alter the
probabilities or effects of a fear, horror, madness, or powers
check. It affects only the chances of an action taken by a
creature. Since these checks are not actions, but reactions,
this spell does not affect them.
Rapport: Of course, self-willed undead have the ability to
raise a barrier of false thoughts, effectively blocking this
spell. If such a creature chooses to enter into a rapport with
the priest, it has a choice of actions: It can feed innocent
thoughts and emotions via the barrier, or it can allow the
priest a true glimpse of its malevolent inner self.
Any normal person who gets a close look at the twisted
mind of a self-willed undead monster must make a madness
check. For this reason, many undead monsters would allow
the priest access to its mind, knowing the possible effects.
Since the participants choose which thoughts and emotions
to share, the undead creature need not reveal anything of
importance.
Reflecting Pool: Instead of offering a window to another
plane or grounded setting, this spell creates an image of
swirling fog, and the priest actually sees a specific location
in the Mists of Ravenloft. The priest has a 10% chance of
glimpsing some horrid, evil creature within the image,
prompting a horror check.
Thought Broadcast: Any self-willed undead creature
subjected to this spell broadcasts only false thoughts. It has
total control over these thoughts and can even send out the
complete opposite of its true thoughts.
Those within range of the spell may be forced to make
fear, horror, or madness checks at the Dungeon Master's
discretion, depending upon the nature of the subject's mind
or thoughts.
Weather Stasis: The effects of this spell cannot override
the domain lord's control of the weather. The lord may
choose to let the spell work normally, however.
Fifth-Level Spells
Commune: Since Ravenloft is effectively cut off from the
rest of the multiverse, this spell does not function in the
Demiplane of Dread.
Dispel Evil/Dispel Good: Normally this spell can return
evil, summoned creatures to their home planes, but the dark
and deadly creatures in Ravenloft cannot be dispatched so
easily. If this spell succeeds in Ravenloft, it merely sends the
creatures to a random location within the Demiplane (but
not across a closed domain border).
The spell does remove evil enchantments, though it is
generally ineffective against curses laid down by a
nonmagical means. The same restrictions apply to the
reverse of the spell.
Magic Font: Just as with reflecting pool (above), this spell
reveals a random location in the Mists, with a 10% chance
that a ghastly monster will wander into view, prompting a
horror check.
Plane Shift: This spell transports the character to a
different domain within Ravenloft, so it cannot help anyone
or anything escape the Demiplane altogether. Further, it
does not transport across closed borders.
Quest: Normally, a target who does not follow a quest suffers cumulative penalties to all saving throws. In Ravenloft,
the caster can also assign another additional punishment for
not following the assigned quest. The punishment cannot be
too severe or life threatening, but it must slowly worsen each
day that the quest is ignored. Likewise, following the quest
should gradually cancel the punishment. For example, a
character might shrink 10% in height each day he violates
the quest. Each day the character returns to the quest, he
reverses one day of shrinkage.
Raise Dead/Slay Living: If the target of a raise dead spell
fails his resurrection survival roll, he becomes an undead
creature of a type equal in Hit Dice to his former level.
Vampires are the most powerful creatures a raise dead spell
can create in this fashion, and they retain any abilities they
had in life. In campaigns where the Requiem rules are being
used, characters raised as undead should be converted
according to the guidelines presented in that accessory.
Casting this spell (or its reverse, slay living) requires a
Ravenloft powers check.
True Seeing: When priests detect alignment with this
spell, they discern only law or chaos, not good or evil (see
know alignment). Otherwise, the spell functions as
described in the Player's Handbook, with the following
clarifications:
The description of this spell states that the caster sees
through illusions and "apparitions". This does not mean
ghosts or other intangible beings, who are real while not
physical. Undead creatures of this ilk do not appear
differently under this spell. If they look like normal
people, this spell usually does not change the caster's
perception.
Enchanted creatures include conjured or summoned
creatures and beings under some sort of controlling
spell such as charm or geas. True seeing reveals these
spell effects. Vampires and lycanthropes control animal
troops through enchantment, but they do not control
subservient creatures of their own kind this way.
Polymorphed creatures and items become apparent. A
lycanthrope in animal form is not considered
polymorphed, nor is a vampire or similar creature with
natural shapechanging abilities. As a general rule, if the
creature can change shape as part of its nature, this
spell (when cast in Ravenloft) does not reveal the
change. In order to qualify as polymorphed, a
transformation must involve spellcasting.
