Holy Vesting (Priest Spell)

This spell is used to imbue readied items with magical powers. The caster touches first the destination item and then any other items that hold magic that is to be drained into the destination item. The items to be drained may be potions, spell scrolls, parchments with magical command words or inscriptions, focal stones, or existing magical items.
A holy vesting creates a shimmering distur­bance in the air between the readied recipient item and any items being drained. This shimmering remains visible until the spell ends, whereupon it fades. One power or control property is trans­ferred per round to the destination item. Often, the absorption of powers can be seen by observers due to the sequential disappearance of focal stones, spell scrolls, and the like. Powers and magical controls drained by a wondrous web are transferred intact to the destination item and are there combined harmoniously, being held within the item in stable magical stasis until the item is awakened by use of an awakening spell. (Control conditions are attached to the magics they are intended for, powers that are to work in sequence are arranged that way, and so on.)
Only existing magical items are allowed a saving throw against this spell. Any item having less than three effects or functions has a base saving throw of 9: any item with four or more effects or functions has a base saving throw of 11 and adds one point per function beyond four. If the item successfully saves against the effect of holy vesting, it is unaffected. If it fails, the holy vesting draws a random function out of it. If any of its effects or functions drain charges to function, they are affected first, and 1d4 charges are transferred per round, not the ability to perform the function. For items lacking charges, the ability to perform the effect is permanently taken from the item, pos­sibly destroying it or rendering it nonmagical. The holy vesting spell provides no mitigation or pro­tection against any explosive effects that might be built into the destruction of an item.
Holy vesting can be ended prematurely if the caster so wills. Whichever magic is in transit (if any remain untransferred when the spell is ended) is ruined and lost, but those that have already entered the destination item are unaffected, as are the powers or properties not yet taken from their origi­nal holding places. A dispel magic disrupts a holy vesting spell if the spell is not performed on an altar dedicated to the caster's deity (which provides the spell immunity from dispel magic). Other magical attacks (short of a properly worded limited wish or wish spell) do not affect the vesting. Missiles or thrown weapons that strike the caster while the spell is being cast have the normal likelihood of ruining the casting, but once the holy vesting spell is cast, they have no effect on its progress unless the caster loses consciousness or perishes, which ends the holy vesting prematurely as described above.
The material components are one drop of holy water consecrated to the caster's deity for the item to be imbued, one for each source of magic to be con­nected to it, and a stick or block of burned incense.
Notes: Very rare spell from the Forgotten Realms setting, recorded by Volo.
Category:Priest Spells
Category:Spells from Priest's Spell Compendium
Category:Spells