- See also Symbol (Wizard Spell) and Symbol (Priest Spell).
This spell allows the caster to scribe any one of the potent runes described below. A symbol can be quickly scribed in the air or on some surface, or carefully inscribed on a surface.
A quickly scribed symbol has a casting time of 3. The resulting rune becomes active immediately. It lasts one turn per caster level and glows faintly while it lasts. Symbols of fear, hopelessness, pain, or persuasion can be used in this manner. Symbols of death, discord, insanity, sleep, stunning, and spell loss cannot.
The only material components required are a small amount of mercury and phosphorus.
A carefully inscribed symbol has a casting time of one turn. The symbol is inactive when finished and remains so indefinitely until triggered. Once triggered, it becomes active and glowing, usually lasting one turn per caster level. Some symbols can burn out more quickly. For example, a symbol of death ends when it has slain 80 hit points worth of creatures, or after one turn per level of the caster, whichever comes first.
The material components for a carefully engraved symbol are mercury and phosphorus, plus powdered diamond and opal worth at least 5,000 gp each.
To be effective, a symbol must always be placed in plain sight and in a prominent location; covering or hiding the rune renders the symbol ineffective. As a default, a symbol is triggered whenever a creature does one or more of the following, as selected by the spell caster: reads, touches, or passes over the rune; looks at the rune; or passes through a portal bearing the rune. In this case, “reading” the rune means any attempt to study, identify, or fathom its meaning. Throwing a cover over a symbol to render it inoperative triggers it if it reacts to touch. To trigger a symbol, a creature must be within 60 feet of the rune.
The caster can set special triggering conditions of his own. These can be as simple or elaborate as the caster desires. Special conditions for triggering a symbol can be based on a creature's name, identity, or alignment, but otherwise must be based on observable actions or qualities. Intangibles such as level, class, Hit Dice, or hit points don't qualify. For example, a symbol can be set to activate when a lawful good creature approaches, but not when a paladin approaches.
A symbol's triggering conditions are defensive. A touch-triggered symbol remains untriggered if an item bearing the symbol is used to touch a creature. Likewise, a symbol cannot be placed on a weapon and set to activate when the weapon strikes a foe. Once cast, a symbol's triggering conditions cannot be changed.
The caster ignores the effects of his own symbols, and cannot inadvertently trigger them. When scribing a symbol quickly, the caster can instantly attune any number creatures to the symbol, rending them immune to its effects, provided the creatures are within 60 feet of the rune when it is created and that the caster is aware of their presence.
When creating a carefully inscribed rune, the caster can specify a password of phrase that prevents a creature using it from triggering the symbol. The caster also can attune any number or creatures to the symbol, but this can extend the casting time. Attuning one or two creatures takes negligible time; attuning small group (up to 10 creatures) takes an hour. Attuning an entire household (up to 25 creatures) takes a day. Attuning larger groups takes proportionately longer, as the DM sees fit.
When triggered, a symbol affects all creatures within a 60-foot radius, except for the caster and any individuals attuned it. If a symbol has a pass-phrase, anyone using it remains immune to that particular rune's effects so long as the individual remains within 60 feet of the rune. An individual who leaves the radius and returns must use the pass phrase again.
Once triggered, a symbol remains active until its duration expires; creatures that subsequently meet an active symbol's triggering conditions suffer its effects. The symbols described below are the most commonly known.
Lesser Symbols[]
Fear: This symbol can be scribed quickly or carefully engraved on a surface. Creatures within the radius are afflicted by a powerful version of the 4th level wizard spell, fear. If scribed in the air, this symbol imposes a -4 penalty to saving throws against the fear effect. If the rune is carefully engraved on a surface, the saving throw penalty increases to -8.
Hopelessness: All creatures within the radius must attempt saving throws vs. spell, at a -4 penalty if the rune is carefully engraved on a surface. If the saving throw fails, the creature suffers from hopelessness for 3d4 turns. It submits to simple demands from foes, such as to surrender or get out; the effect is similar to the 3rd level wizard spell, suggestion. If no foes are present to make demands, there is a 25% chance that the creature takes no other action than to hold its ground. If the creature remains free to act there is a 25% chance it will retreat from the nine at its normal movement speed. In either case, the creature can defend normally if attacked.
Pain: Creatures within the radius suffer wracking pains that reduce Dexterity scores by two points and impose a -4 attack penalty. Both effects last 2d10 turns. This symbol can be scribed quickly or carefully engraved on a surface.
Persuasion: This symbol can be quickly scribed or carefully engraved on a surface. Each creature within the radius must attempt a saving throw vs. spell, at a -4 penalty if the rune is carefully inscribed on a surface. If the saving throw fails, the creature becomes the same alignment as the caster for 1d20 turns. During this time, an affected creature becomes friendly to the caster as though subjected to the 1st level wizard spell, charm person.
Greater Symbols[]
Death: One or more creatures within the radius, whose total hit points do not exceed 80, are irrevocably slain as though struck by the 6th level wizard spell, death spell. This symbol must be carefully engraved on a surface.
Discord: All creatures within 60 feet immediately fall into loud bickering and arguing. Meaningful communication is impossible. If the affected creatures have different alignments, they are 50% likely to attack each other. Bickering lasts 5d4 rounds, fighting lasts 2d4 rounds. This symbol must be carefully engraved on a surface.
Insanity: One or more creatures within the radius, whose hit points do not exceed 120, become insane and act as though affected by the 4th level wizard spell, confusion. Insanity lasts until a heal, restoration, or wish spell is used to remove the affliction. This symbol must be carefully engraved on a surface.
Sleep: Creatures within the radius fall into a catatonic slumber if they have 8+1 Hit Dice or less (characters are affected if 8th level or less). Sleeping creatures cannot be awakened for 1 d 12+4 turns. This symbol must be carefully engraved on a surface.
Spell Loss: Any creature within the radius immediately loses 1d4 spells from memory. The DM should determine which spells are lost randomly. Creatures with no memorized spells are unaffected. Creatures that have some memorized spells, but not enough to satisfy the loss, suffer no effect beyond the loss of all memorized spells. This symbol must be carefully inscribed.
Stunning: One or more creatures within the radius, whose total hit points do not exceed 160, are stunned for 3d4 rounds. Stunned creatures drop what they are holding and cannot take any meaningful actions. They cannot communicate, employ spells, use magical items, initiate psionic abilities, use spell-like powers, fight, or move freely, Movement is limited to one-third the creature's current movement rate, or a rate of 3, whichever is less. Attacks against stunned creatures gain a +4 bonus. This symbol must be carefully engraved on a surface.
A successful dispel magic removes the effects of a symbol from a creature, unless the symbol's effect is instantaneous (death, spell loss) or the description specifies another remedy (insanity).
Permanent Symbols[]
A symbol can be rendered permanent with the 8th level wizard spell permanency, provided the rune is carefully engraved upon a permanent, non-portable surface such a wall or door. A permanency spell indefinitely extends a symbol's basic duration of one turn per caster level. When triggered, a permanent symbol usually glows for about a turn each time it is activated, but there is no limit to the number of times it can be triggered. If the symbol can affect
For the curious, here is the original text of the priest's symbol spell.