Heart Blight (Priest Spell)

With this spell, an evil necromancer priest may exert his or her dark will on the still-beating heart of any living victim, provided the target remains in clear view (line of sight) and within the spell's range. After casting the spell, the priest must focus his or her entire concentration on the victim's heart for three rounds, during which time the caster may not cast other spells or engage in melee. The priest may, however, walk, talk, and take ordinary defensive precautions while the spell runs its course through the victim.
During the first round of the spell, the victim must make a saving throw vs. death magic with a –2 penalty. This saving throw is modified according to the victim's hit point adjustment due to Constitution (+1 bonus for 15 Con, +2 for 16 Con, and so on; see page 15 in the (PHB) for more on this).
If the victim makes this first saving throw, the spell fails to take hold of his or her heart and has no further effect. If the victim fails the save, however, then he or she suffers a massive spasm of pain in the chest (similar to that felt in a heart attack), inflicting 1–8 points of damage on the victim and completely incapacitating the individual for one excruciating round.
During the second round, the victim is entitled to another saving throw, this time with a –1 penalty (plus any bonuses for Con). As before, if the victim makes the save, the spell ends with no further effect. If failed, however, the victim's chest pain intensifies, as if a searing band of iron were being slowly tightened around the heart. The character experiences severe dizziness, disorientation, and terrible shooting pains in the arms, jaw, and left shoulder.
Meanwhile, the victim loses 25% of any remaining hit points, is paralyzed with pain for 2–5 rounds, and immediately loses 2–5 points of Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity. Providing the victim survives the final stage of the spell (see below), these lost points are regained at a rate of 1 point in each these three ability scores per day.
On the third round of the spell, the target must make a (third, unmodified) saving throw vs. death magic or suffer a massive heart attack, resulting in immediate death (onset time is 1 round, during which time, the victim is completely incapacitated). Alternatively, a kind DM might decide that the final phase of the spell merely plunges the victim into a deep, death-like coma, lasting 1–4 days and resulting in the permanent loss of 1 point of Constitution.
This deadly spell may be thwarted in a number of ways. Successfully casting dispel magic on either the victim or the priest will disrupt the heart blight, as will casting a simple protection from evil spell on the victim or wearing a scarab of protection (this drains a charge, however). Furthermore, the victim may be entitled to repeat a saving throw with a +2 bonus if treated by another character with the healing non-weapon proficiency. Finally, the spell is immediately broken if the victim is transported out of range or removed from the priest's line of sight. Because of its murderous effect, this spell is only granted to wicked priests by the gods of Death, Disease, and Evil.
Notes: Common for evil necromancer-priests.
Category:Priest Spells
Category:Spells from Book of Necromancers
Category:Spells