I had an inspiration! You know those movie scenes where someone's face appears in someone else's fire, and they have a conversation? Maybe the evil sorceress is castigating her incompetent minion, or perhaps the evil magician is taunting a driven heroine with plans that she'll be too late to stop. It could even be that a kindly shaman is giving encouragement disguised as an urgent request (or vice-versa) to the uncertain heroes. Well, now you can too!
Fireside Chat:
School divination (scrying), illusion (figment); Level bard 4, cleric 6, druid 5, sorcerer/wizard 5
Casting Time 10 minutes
Components V, S, M/DF (a fire), F (a silver mirror worth 1,000 gp)
Range see text
Effect magical sensor and illusory double
Duration 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
This spell functions like scrying, except that if there is a fire bigger than your head within 10 feet of the subject at any time while the spell is active, then the sensor moves to it and stays there even if the initial subject moves around; if more than one fire qualifies, then you choose which one. As soon as the sensor has moved to a fire, an illusory double of you appears in that fire (as major image), except that it is visible even if you are not (as mislead). Once each subsequent round, as a free action, you can instantly move the sensor and figment together to another large-enough fire within 10 feet of them; if their current fire is extinguished and you cannot move them to another, then the spell immediately ends. Pyrotechnics and quench may operate normally through the sensor/figment pair, but only on the fire that your image is in.
This is my first time writing up a spell in a very, very long time, so (gentle) advice would be appreciated.
I'm bad at names because of my campy sense of humor. (My second choice was campfire video-conferencing.) Any suggestions?
Elemental Ventriloquism
That allows a more generic spell where they can use a bowl of water, a fireplace fire, a wisp of dense air, or a cloud of dust...you know you have seen all four forms of fantastical communication.
That allows a more generic spell where they can use a bowl of water, a fireplace fire, a wisp of dense air, or a cloud of dust...you know you have seen all four forms of fantastical communication.
Ventriloquism is specific to sound, but otherwise that's great. Elemental surrogate? Elemental avatar? No wait, elemental projection! Yes, I think that captures the essence of it.
Okay, here's my re-write. It seems a bit awkward to me, but maybe that's the price to pay for versatility.
Elemental Projection:
School divination (scrying), illusion (figment); Level bard 4, cleric 6, druid 5, sorcerer/wizard 5
Casting Time 10 minutes
Components V, S, M/DF (one element), F (a silver mirror worth 1,000 gp)
Range see text
Effect magical sensor and illusory double
Duration 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw Will negates; Spell Resistance yes
This spell functions like scrying, except that if there is a large-enough volume (bigger than your head) of the chosen element within 10 feet of the subject at any time while the spell is active, then the sensor moves to it and stays there even if the initial subject moves around; if more than one such volume qualifies, then you choose which one. As soon as the sensor has fixed on a position like that, an illusory double of you appears there (as major image), except that it is visible even if you are not (as mislead). Once each subsequent round, as a free action, you can instantly move the sensor and figment together to another large-enough volume of the chosen element within 10 feet; if their current position is rendered invalid (such as by a fire being extinguished) and you cannot move them to another, then the spell immediately ends. Subject to GM discretion, non-damaging elemental spells may operate normally through to the projection, but no farther; for example, in the case of a fire projection, pyrotechnics and quench might work on the fire that your image is in.
