Arcane Mark, a way to magically ensure authenticity?

[LeDM]

Can personal arcane mark be duplicated? The spell description doesn't seem to offer any hints.

Case in point. Grand vizier of the army (high level wizard) wants to send a written message, and would like to ensure that it cannot be forged. If he arcane marks it, can any arcane caster duplicate the mark on a forged document?

If not, is there anything at his disposal to accomplish this? Maybe I need to create a wondrous item: Magical Sealing Wax of Authenticity

[LazarX]

LeDM wrote:

Can personal arcane mark be duplicated? The spell description doesn't seem to offer any hints.

Case in point. Grand vizier of the army (high level wizard) wants to send a written message, and would like to ensure that it cannot be forged. If he arcane marks it, can any arcane caster duplicate the mark on a forged document?

If not, is there anything at his disposal to accomplish this? Maybe I need to create a wondrous item: Magical Sealing Wax of Authenticity

In old Forgotten Realms, forging a Wizard's Arcane Mark would get the "Curse of Mystra" laid on you. It's pretty nasty.

CURSE OF MYSTRA

All arcane spellcasters create a personal sigil or rune. This rune is used to identify belongings, as a warning, and as a signature. As the goddess of magic, Mystra takes it upon herself to protect powerful spellcasters (above 10th level) maligned by another using their rune with deceitful intent. If anyone (spellcaster or not) willfully copies a sigil with the intent to trick another or usurp the owner's identity, that person must make three successive saves to avoid the threefold Curse of Mystra. If the owner of the sigil is still in existence as an intelligent entity the curse is immune to being removed, except for the magical methods outlined below, as this curse is bestowed by Mystra's divine power. A violator can avoid the second and third wave of effects, by renouncing and discontinuing the false usage of the sigil, otherwise the subsequent effects are forced upon the subject in 10 minute intervals.

When someone fails any of the saves, they are bestowed with a cursed mark. The cursed mark consists of the sigil they misused being permanently branded upon the violator's skin. The appearance of the sigil is painful (1d4 physical damage), and will appear upon an exposed area of the violator's skin. Attempting to cover up the sigil will cause it to immediately and painfully (1d4 dmg) move within 1 round to another exposed area. If no such area is available, it will continue to painfully move every minute until it is successfully exposed. When exposed the sigil illuminates to the brightness of a candle (5 ft radius).

If the sigil's owner still exists, the sigil can be removed with the casting of an erase spell by the owner of the sigil. In the event that a sigil's owner no longer exists, it can be removed by the casting of a Remove Curse by a cleric of Mystra.

Primary Effect
DC 14 + Caster Level of Sigil Owner (Max DC 34) Fort Save - 2 points of permanent Strength drain.

Secondary Effect
DC14 + Caster Level of Sigil Owner (Max DC 34) Will Save - 2 points of permanent Intelligence and Charisma drain. If the subject is a caster, they will loose all bonus spell slots gained from a high ability score for a period of one month

Tertiary Effect
DC 14 + Caster Level of Sigil Owner (Max DC 34) Will Save - 2 points of permanent Wisdom drain, and the effects of a feeblemind spell

[GeneticDrift]

Anything can be forged, an invisible arcane mark can ID poor fakes easily though (as they might not know to check for magic). Using the paper as a focus of divination is probably the best way, it can still be fooled by an actor.

[SteelDraco]

It's used as such by one of the magical Houses in Eberron, so presumably that was true in 3.5. I've always ruled that it could be forged to pass physical inspections, but not magical tests.

[RogueShadow3]

If someone were to duplicate it they couldn't use Arcane Mark as the description states that it is used to inscribe YOUR personal mark. That's not saying you couldn't copy a visable one but it wouldn't be magical.

[Lord Tsarkon]

Isn't Mystra dead? (Murdered by Cyric back in 2008..which started the SpellPlague)..

..I wouldn't know for sure.. since I never played 4th Edition... Time of Troubles x3 or whatevers...

Wonder if PAizo will ever shake up the Pantheon whenever a newer version of Pathfinder comes out LMFAO..

One thing I like is how the Gods don't interfer as much in Golarion as they do in Feurun... makes the game more... believable? I guess.

[Askanipsion]

Lord Tsarkon wrote:

Isn't Mystra dead? (Murdered by Cyric back in 2008..which started the SpellPlague)..

Mystra is in the process of coming back in the new current Elminister series

[the David]

What, again?