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Powers & Pantheons Version[]

This spell is a priestly variant of the 2nd-level wizard spell alter self with a significantly longer duration. When this spell is cast, spellcasters can alter their appearance and form-including their clothing and equipment - to appear taller or shorter; thin, fat, or in between; human, humanoid, or any other generally man-shaped bipedal creature. Casters' bodies can undergo limited physical alterations and their sizes can be changed up to 50%. If the forms they select have wings, the priests can actually fly, but only at one-third the speed of true creatures of that type and with the loss of two manoeuvrability classes (to a minimum of E). If the forms have gills, the casters can breathe under water as long as the spell lasts. However, casters do not gain any multiple attack routines or additional damage allowed to assumed forms.

Casting priests' attack rolls, Armor Classes, and saving throws do not change. The spell does not confer special abilities, attack forms, or defenses. Once a new form is chosen, it remains for the duration of the spell. Casters can change back into their own forms at will; this ends the spell immediately. Casters who are slain automatically returns to their normal forms.

This spell has a peculiar curse associated with it as well. For every day this spell is employed without recasting it, the spellcaster's true appearance becomes more an more diabolical in appearance. Although this transformation provides no new abilities or defenses, for every three days this spell is in effect without being recast, the spellcaster's Charisma permanently drops by 1 (except with respect to other worshipers of Gargauth) to a minimum of 3. This drop in Charisma is not noticeable until the spell expires. Further applications of the mask of Gargauth spell cloak any drop in Charisma attributable to this spell but do not stop further decreases from occurring.

The material components of this spell are an unblessed broken horn manifested by Gargauth (as described above in Other Manifestations) and the priest's holy symbol.

Priest's Spell Compendium Version[]

This spell is much like the 2nd level wizard spell alter self, but with a significantly longer dura­tion. When this spell is cast, caster can alter both appearance and form – including clothing and equipment – to appear taller or shorter, thin, fat, or in between; human, humanoid, or any other gener­ally man-shaped bipedal creature. The caster's body can undergo limited physical alteration: size can be changed up to 50%. If the form selected has wings, the priest can actually fly, but only at one-third the speed of true creatures of that type and with the loss of two maneuverability classes (to a minimum of E). If the form has gills, the casters can breathe underwater as long as the spell lasts. However, a caster does not gain any multiple attack routines or additional damage allowed to the assumed form.

The priest's attack rolls. Armor Class, and saving throws do not change. The spell does not confer special abilities, attack forms, or defenses. Once a new form is chosen, it remains for the duration of the spell. A caster can change back to his or her own forms at will; this ends the spell immediately. A slain caster returns to his or her normal form.

This spell has a peculiar curse associated with it as well. For every day this spell is employed without recasting it, the spellcaster's true appear­ance becomes more and more diabolical in appear­ance. Although this transformation provides no new abilities or defenses, for every three days this spell is in effect without being recast, the spell-caster's Charisma permanently drops by 1 (except with respect to other worshipers of Gargauth) to a minimum of 3. This drop in Charisma is not noticeable until the spell expires. Further applications of the mask of Gargauth spell cloak any drop in Charisma attributable to this spell but do not stop further decreases from occurring.

The material components of this spell are an unblessed broken horn manifested by Gargauth and the priest's holy symbol.

Notes: Granted by the evil demigod Gargauth of the Forgotten Realms setting.

Horn of Gargauth[]

Sometimes Gargauth manifests as an unnatu­ral horn – a solitary horn growing from an animal's head. This gives the animal a goring attack of 1d6. The animal is tainted with Gargauth's evil, becoming increasingly foul-tempered and mali­cious. About 10 days later, the horn falls off, split­ting into two pieces, and the animal sickens and dies. If an opposing priest performs a ceremony involving blessing both pieces, then Gargauth and his minions are barred from the area (about a 10-mile radius) for a year.

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