Shadow Scry (Wizard Spell)

By casting this spell, a dragon can use a shadow within its lair as a form of scrying device. The shadow chosen as the spell focus must be in the dragon's line of sight, no more than 10 yards distant.
Once the spell is cast, the dragon can contact another shadow within its lair and see out of it as if the dragon was actually standing within that shadow, regardless of the shadow's size or shape or the boundaries of the dragon's lair. The dragon can see everything within sight from the contacted shadow-including the passage of in­visible creatures-the dragon's normal visual capabilities function normally through the shadow scry spell. Shadows outside the lair cannot be reached.
(The DM must use common sense when de­ciding the extent of the dragon's lair. For exam­ple, while a dragon may claim an entire forest as its territory-and may well control such a large amount of terrain-its lair should be regarded as the area where the dragon sleeps, keeps its treasure, and generally feels most comfortable and powerful.)
As long as the spell remains in effect, the dragon can switch shadows to inspect different areas, or view the same area from separate shadows to gain a different vantage point. How­ever, only one shadow can be contacted at a time. The spell does not allow the dragon to cast other spells through the link between shadows; it allows vision only.
Switching from one contacted shadow to an­other requires a round and the mental command of the casting dragon; the shadow used as the shadow scry focus does not change. While com­plete concentration is not required for this spell, a small amount of attention is needed. If the dragon casts another spell, moves more than 10 yards away from the focus shadow, or no longer wishes to use the spell, the spell immediately ends.
Like normal scrying magic, shadow scry is revealed by a detect scrying spell. The contacted shadow radiates a faint dweomer, and, once de­tected, such spells as dispel magic or screen can be used against it (the former spell negates the shadow scry if cast successfully). Detection-and location-obscuring magic impedes the spell's effectiveness just as it impedes all other divination magic. Eliminating shadows with bright light or utter darkness prevents the spell from working in the illuminated or darkened area, but the dragon caster could still view these areas from a shadow just outside such effects.
Notes: Restricted to dragons. Uncommon for shadow dragons; otherwise, very rare. (Updated from Dragon Magazine.)
Category:Wizard Spells
Category:Spells from Wizard's Spell Compendium
Category:Spell from Cult of the Dragon
Category:Spells