Posted by EarthDragon on 23rd December 2016.
Spellblights were introduced in the Pathfinder supplement Ultimate Magic.
Spellblights are rare and unusual magical conditions that uniquely affect spellcasters, including creatures that use spell-like abilities. Spellblights are curses, some functioning continuously and others manifesting only when the afflicted creature attempts to cast a spell or use a spell-like ability. A creature that lacks the ability to cast spells or use spell-like abilities cannot usually be afflicted by a spellblight.
Unlike many magical effects, a spellblight usually persists in an antimagic field, though because they often affect spellcasting, their effect is typically lessened in such a field.
There are many ways a spellcaster can become afflicted with a spellblight. These conditions can be gained by way of a bestow curse or greater bestow curse spell, as well as spontaneously with a number of unusual circumstances, many of which are detailed below.
Areas of Spellblight: Typically, the act of casting a spell has little chance of inflicting a spellblight, but there are some areas of magical instability where the mere act of casting a spell within the area can endanger a spellcaster. There are two main types of spellblight areas. In areas of minor spellblight, each time a spellcaster casts a spell, she must succeed at a DC 14 Will saving throw or be affected by a random minor spellblight. In areas of major spellblight, the caster must succeed at a DC 22 saving throw or contract a major spellblight. Due to the strange and random nature of such areas, their effects are not always consistent. There are areas that inflict a single type of spellblight, and areas that are easier or harder to resist with each spell cast. See the section on Magic 'Zones' for more information.
Curses and Other Spells: All spellblights can be inflicted upon spellcasters with a bestow curse or greater bestow curse spell. Bestow curse can bestow any minor spellblight, while a greater bestow curse is required to afflict a spellcaster with a major spellblight. Other spells or sorcery may inflict a specific spellblight or may allow the caster to select any spellblight as part of the spell. A successful saving throw against the spell prevents the spellblight from taking hold.
Antimagic Field: The first time a spellcaster attempts to cast a spell within an antimagic field, there is a chance they will spontaneously gain a major spellblight. The caster must succeed at a Will saving throw (DC 15 + the caster level of the antimagic field or DC 23 if there is no caster level for the effect).
Arcane Spell Failure: When a spellcaster fails an arcane failure check by rolling a 5% (a roll of 01–05 on the spell failure roll) or lower, they have a chance of becoming afflicted with a spellblight. The failed spellcaster must succeed on a Will saving throw (DC 15 + the spell's level) or gain a spellblight. A failed spell of 4th level or lower results in a minor spellblight, while a failed spell of 5th level or higher results in a major spellblight.
Crafting Magic Items: When a spellcaster is crafting a magic item, and fails the skill check to create the item, the caster has a 50% chance of suffering a spellblight instead of having that check result in a cursed item. Determine the spellblight randomly based on the caster level of the item they were attempting to create. Creating an item with a caster level of 10 or lower gives a random minor spellblight, while creating an item of caster level 11 or higher gives a random major spellblight.
Spell Turning: When a spellcaster is warded with a spell turning, and so is the creature he or she attacks, such occurrences usually create a resonance field as described in the spell's description. Instead, the spellcaster who cast the original effect can choose not to create the resonance field and both spellcasters are affected by a major spellblight. The spell that triggered the resonance field drains away without effect.
Teleportation Mishap: A spellcaster who casts a teleportation spell that results in a teleportation mishap has a chance of gaining a spellblight. The spellcaster who cast the teleportation spell must succeed at a Will saving throw (DC 15 + the spell level of the teleport) or gain a major spellblight.
Use Magic Device: When a spellcaster rolls a natural 1 while attempting to use a magic device with the Use Magic Device skill, they can choose to risk gaining a minor spellblight instead of not being able to activate the item for 24 hours (Will negates DC 10 + item's caster level).
While the most severe symptoms of a spellblight may manifest only episodically, the condition is often tenacious and difficult to remove. Each spellblight lists conditions for its removal, and can also be removed as if it were a curse (with remove curse, break enchantment, and so on). The caster level check DC to remove a minor spellblights is 20; the DC to remove a major spellblight is 30. The DC to remove the spellblight is reduced by 1 with each day that passes (minimum DC 10). Using anything other than a curse-removing spell to remove a spellblight imposes a –5 penalty on the caster level check. Any spellblight can be removed automatically, without a caster level check, with mage's disjunction, miracle, or wish.
The following tables list minor and major spellblights. When called to randomly determine a spellblight, roll on the appropriate table.
Random Minor Spellblights |
|
|---|---|
| d10 | Result |
| 1 | Caster Blank |
| 2 | Caster Croak |
| 3 | Confounded Casting |
| 4 | Disassociation |
| 5 | Ebon Eyes |
| 6 | Eldritch Ague |
| 7 | Hemoculysis |
| 8 | Ritualistic Obsession |
| 9 | Spell Addiction |
| 10 | Roll on the major spellblight table instead. |
Random Major Spellblights |
|
|---|---|
| d10 | Result |
| 1 | Eldritch Cataracts |
| 2 | Nameless Dread |
| 3 | Negated |
| 4 | Obsessive Fixation |
| 5 | Phase Blight |
| 6 | Spell Burn |
| 7 | Spell Sap |
| 8 | Transferance Block |
| 9 | Vertigo |
| 10 | Roll twice on the minor spellblight chart. The spellcaster is afflicted with both spellblights. |
The following section details spellblights, split up based on their severity and featuring descriptions of effects and special methods to end those effects. Note that some of the effects of spellblights can be somewhat beneficial. Crafty spellcasters can make the best of even the worst situations, and the beneficial effects of any spellblights represent this. If a spellblight calls for a concentration check based on the level of the effect, and the caster is using a spell-like ability that doesn't have an effective level, use half the caster level of the spell-like ability instead.
The following is a list and descriptions of many of the most common minor spellblights.
A spellcaster with caster blank has a hard time focusing their spells or spell-like abilities on the same creature more than once. After targeting a creature with a spell, the caster cannot target that creature again with a spell until caster blank is removed or suppressed. To suppress caster blank, the afflicted spell caster must spend a standard action concentrating, which shakes off all effects of the caster blank until they cast a targeted spell again. Caster blank only affects spells that target creatures, and a spellcaster can still affect the creature with area spells.
Caster blank can be cured by any effect that removes confusion or insanity. Creatures that are immune to mind-affecting effects are immune to this spellblight.
The afflicted spellcaster's throat or mouth is magically constricted. The spellcaster can barely make their words heard, and then only with great effort. A creature under this affect can only make itself heard by others by spending a swift action to focus its will on speech. Casting spells with a verbal component has a 20% chance of spell failure, and the save DCs of any spells they cast with a verbal component are reduced by 4. Spell-like abilities are not affected by this spellblight because they lack verbal components. Shouting and screaming is impossible while the creature is affected by this spellblight.
A heal spell or similar effect cures this spellblight, as does casting the shout spell, though doing so is still affected by the spellblight's effects.
A spellcaster with confounded casting has a mental disconnect between the spells he or she intends to cast and the spells they actually cast. The first time on their turn that they cast a spell or use a spell-like ability, tjey make a concentration check with a DC of 15 + twice the level of the spell being cast. If the concentration check fails, the caster must pick another spell or spell-like ability of the same level or lower to cast with the same casting time. If the spellcaster has no other spell or spell-like ability, the action is lost. The spell or spell-like ability she originally picked is not spent and they can attempt to cast that spell again later, however, the spell that is cast uses up the same number of spell points as the intended spell.
Confounded casting is cured by any effect that removes confusion or insanity. Creatures that are immune to mind-affecting effects are immune to this spellblight.
A spellcaster with disassociation lapses into a mild insanity in which they dissociate their identity and start to perceive themselves as someone else. While subject to disassociation, a spellcaster is incapable of using spells or effects with a range of personal or of targeting themselves with a spell effect. A spell with an area that includes themselves but does not need targeted individual creatures functions normally.
Disassociation can by cured by any effect that removes confusion or insanity.
A spellcaster with ebon eyes develops a jet-black film over their eyes, which inverts their capacity to perceive light and darkness. The creature treats darkness as bright light, dim light as normal light, normal light as dim light, and bright light as darkness. The ebon eyes protect against blinding, dazzling, patterns, or other visual effects, granting a +2 bonus on all saving throws against those effects.
Ebon eyes can be removed with an effect that removes blindness.
Eldritch ague manifests itself as a sickness that is debilitating to spellcasters. A spellcaster with this spellblight is sickened until the curse is removed. When the subject of the curse casts a spell, he or she is overcome with shaking for 1 round, requiring any spellcasting or the use of a spell-like ability during that time to succeed at a concentration check (DC 15 + twice the spell level of the spell being cast). If they fail the save, the spell and the action to cast it are lost.
While a curse, eldritch ague acts much like a disease, and creatures with immunity to disease are also immune to eldritch ague. Remove disease cures eldritch ague; unlike with most spellblights, using this spell to remove the spellblight does not impose a –5 caster level check penalty.
A spellcaster with hemoculysis bleeds from their eyes whenever they cast a spell. The volume and duration of this flow depends on the level of the spell, lasting 1 round per level of the spell. While bleeding from the eyes, the spellcaster is considered dazzled and takes 1 point of bleed damage (vitality damage, unless out of vitality points). Casting additional spells while the eyes are already bleeding resets the duration of existing hemoculysis by the spell level, provided it's greater than the current duration. The sight of the spellcaster's eyes bleeding is horrifying, granting a +2 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks and a –4 penalty on Bluff and Diplomacy checks for the duration of the bleeding.
Hemoculysis can be cured by heal or regenerate.
A spellcaster afflicted with ritualistic obsession adds unnecessary gestures to their spellcasting activities. Any spell without a somatic component (even a spell cast with the Still Spell feat) now requires one, and any spell that already has a somatic component requires two free hands rather than one. Spell-like abilities now require a somatic component. The extra complexity increases swift action casting times to a standard action, standard action casting times to 1 round, and 1 round casting times to 2 rounds. Other casting times are not increased. The extra focus does serve to increase the efficacy of the caster's spells. All save DCs for spells and spell-like abilities that have their casting time increased with ritualistic obsession are increased by 1.
Ritualistic obsession is cured by any effect that removes insanity. Creatures that are immune to mind-affecting effects are immune to ritualistic obsession.
A spell addict feeds off the elation of wielding magic, but suffers rapid withdrawal once spellcasting ends. After successfully casting a spell, the addict gains a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws until their next turn. On any round the spell addict does not cast a spell on her turn, however, yjru go into withdrawal, and are sickened until their next turn.
Spell addiction is cured by any effect that removes confusion, insanity, or disease. Creatures that are immune to mind-affecting effects are immune to spell addiction.
The following is a list and descriptions of many of the most common major spellblights.
Each time a spellcaster with this spellblight casts a spell, their vision becomes fuzzier and fuzzier until eventually they are blinded. Each time the spellcaster casts a spell, they must succeed at a Fortitude save with a DC equal to 15 + the spell's level. If they fail, they takes a –1 penalty on vision-based Perception checks until the spellblight is removed. Further failed saving throws increase the penalty by 1 until the character reaches a –4 penalty, at which point they become blinded instead.
Eldritch cataracts is a difficult spellblight to cure. Any effect that cures blindness reduces the penalty by 1. If the penalty is reduced to –3 or lower, any blindness is relieved until the caster fails the Fortitude saving throw enough times to bring the penalty back to –4. Reducing the penalty to 0 cures the spellblight.
Blind creatures and creatures that don't use sight are immune to eldritch cataracts.
A caster with nameless dread believes strange beings from far dimensions or the blackness between the stars are hounding them and sapping their sanity. Every time the caster uses a spell or a spell-like ability, they see a glimpse of their nameless pursuers. They must succeed at a concentration check (DC 15 + twice the spell's level), or become shaken for 1 round per level of the spell. If already shaken, the spellcaster becomes frightened for the duration of the original effect or the duration of the new effect, whichever is greater. If They are already frightened, they becomes panicked (and cannot cast) for the duration of the current effect or the duration of the new effect, whichever is greater. Each time a spellcaster becomes panicked, there is a 5% chance they will become permanently insane (as the insanity spell, or the DMs may choose a form of insanity, at their discretion).
A spellcaster suffering from nameless dread is particularly adept at wielding spells with the fear or chaos descriptor. When they cast a spell with that descriptor, the save DC for that spell is increased by 1, and they gain a +1 competence bonus on all caster level checks made to bypass spell resistance.
Spells that suppress fear work on nameless dread. Those that remove fear effects suppress the effects of nameless dread (and its benefits to spellcasting) for 1 hour.
A negated spellcaster has their ability to manipulate magical energies disrupted. They gain spell resistance equal to 10 plus twice the highest spell level they can cast. This spell resistance cannot be voluntarily lowered. In addition, anytime they cast a spell, they must make a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) against this spell resistance. On a successful check, the spell is completed and the spellcaster's spell resistance is removed until the start of their next turn. Failure indicates they failed to muster up enough magical energy to cast the spell, but the spell is not lost and may be attempted again. Any feats or abilities that aid in bypassing spell resistance help with this check.
Restoration suppresses the negated spellblight for one day.
A spellcaster with an obsessive fixation develops a tendency toward repetition. When the spellcaster casts a spell or uses a spell-like ability, they must cast that spell again on their next turn, or become dazed for 1 round at the end of their turn. Once they cast two copies of the same spell in a row or becomes dazed, the obsessive fixation resets, and they can cast any spell they know, starting the cycle again.
Obsessive fixation can be suppressed for 1 day with an effect that removes confusion or insanity.
A spellcaster afflicted with spellblight fades in and out of existence. Each time they cast a spell, they phase in and out of reality for 1 round per level of the spell cast. While phasing, any physical attacks made against the spellcaster have a 50% miss chance, any individually targeted spell has a 50% chance to fail to affect the caster, and the spellcaster takes only half damage from area attacks. In addition, while actively phasing, all of a spellcaster's physical attacks have a 50% miss chance, all of the caster's spells that target creatures have a 50% chance of affecting the target, and all of the caster's area attacks do 50% of their normal damage. Unlike when casting the blink spell, the spellcaster does not become ethereal; they blink in and out of reality altogether.
Effects that block planar travel, like dimensional anchor, stabilize a phasing creature for the duration of the effect.
Each time a spellcaster afflicted with this spellblight casts a spell or uses a spell-like ability, their skin feels like it burns, as if they were on fire. With a successful concentration check (DC 15 + twice the spell level cast), the spellcaster can ignore the pain of the effect, but if they fail, they are staggered for a round. While the caster is staggered by this spellblight, any spell with the fire descriptor that they cast has its saving throw DC increased by 1.
The burning sensation is a figment of the caster's imagination. Spellcasters that are immune to mind-affecting effects are immune to this spellblight, and don't gain the beneficial effect when casting spells with the fire descriptor.
A spellcaster with spell sap is subject to blackouts when casting spells. They may become mentally locked, distant, or catatonic, or may even slip into unconsciousness. Each time the afflicted spellcaster casts a spell or uses a spell-like ability, they must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 14 + caster level) or become dazed until the end of their next turn. If they fail the save by 10 or more, they instead fall prone and lapse into unconsciousness for 1d4 rounds.
Spell sap can be suppressed for 1 day with an effect that removes confusion or insanity.
A spellcaster with transference block has difficulty targeting allies with spell effects. Anytime they cast a spell on an ally, they must make a concentration check (DC 15 + twice the spell's level) or the spell is lost.
Transference block can be cured by spending 1 hour in an antimagic field.
A spellcaster with vertigo becomes dizzy and lightheaded when casting a spell. Each time they cast a spell or use a spell-like ability, the world spins and shifts around them. They must succeed at a concentration check (with a DC equal to the 15 + twice the level of the spell being cast). If the spellcaster fails the check, they fall prone, and for 1d4 rounds takes a penalty on Acrobatics, Climb, Ride, Stealth, and Swim checks equal to 1 + the level of the spell. While the afflicted spellcaster takes those penalties, they must also succeed at a DC 10 Acrobatics check in order to stand up from prone.
A restoration cast on the afflicted spellcaster suppresses this spellblight for 1 day.