Mindshatter (Enchantment/Charm)

Sphere: Thought

Range: 3 yards/level

Components: V, S, M

Duration: Special

Casting Time: 1 round

Area of Effect: One creature

Saving Throw: Neg.

This spell allows the priest to create one specific form of insanity in the
subject. Five forms of insanity are possible through this spell.

Schizophrenia: This form of insanity is characterized by personality loss. The subject has
no personality of his own, so he selects a role model and makes every possible
attempt to behave like that character. The chosen role model will be as
different from the subject as possible. (Thus, an insane wizard might begin to follow
the habits of a warrior.) Obviously, a warrior who believes himself to be a
wizard will be unable to cast spells (he might think that he’s casting spells, or he might construct a sophisticated series of
excuses explaining why he’s “not in the mood for magic” at the moment). A
character who emulates a member of another class does not gain any of the skills of
that class and makes all attacks and saving throws as appropriate to his true
class. Certain consequences might arise if the character’s emulation causes him to
break restrictions of his class. For example, a priest emulating a warrior
might break his deity’s prohibition against edged weapons, or a paladin might
emulate a Neutral Evil thief. Both will suffer the appropriate consequences as if
they had been compelled to violate their beliefs while charmed. Such characters will certainly have to atone for their actions once they
return to normal.

Dementia praecox: The subject is totally uninterested in any undertaking. Nothing seems
worthwhile, and the individual is lethargic and filled with tremendous feelings of
boredom and dissatisfaction. No matter how important the situation, it is 50%
likely that the subject will ignore it as meaningless.

Delusional insanity: The subject is convinced that he is a famous figure: a monarch, demi-god, or
similar personage. Characters who fail to recognize the subject with the honor
he deserves incur great hostility or disbelief. The subject acts appropriately
to a station that he does not hold. He directs orders at real and imaginary
creatures and draws upon resources that do not exist.

Paranoia: The subject is convinced that “they” (whoever they are) are spying on him and
plotting against him. Everyone around the subject, even friends and allies, is
part of the plot. If any other character acts in a way that the subject can
interpret as reinforcing this delusion, the subject has a 20% chance of reacting
with violence.

Hallucinatory insanity: The subject sees, hears, and otherwise senses things that do not exist. The
more stressful the situation is to the subject, the more likely he will
hallucinate. Although most hallucinations are external to the subject (that is, he
perceives creatures, objects, and conditions that do not exist), there is a 10%
chance that any hallucination will involve the subject’s self-perception. For
example, the subject might suddenly believe and act as if he had sprouted wings,
grown to giant size, etc.

When this spell is cast by a priest of 13th level or lower, the DM chooses or
randomly selects one of these forms of insanity (and should feel free to invent
other interesting symptoms). If the priest is 14th level or higher, he can
personally select the form of insanity to afflict the subject.

While under the effect of this spell, the subject can cast spells and use
innate powers; the use of these abilities will be in accordance with the symptoms
of the insanity, however. Player characters affected by this spell should be
encouraged to role-play the appropriate effects to the limit.

The duration of this spell depends on the sum of the subject’s Intelligence
and Wisdom scores. A saving throw is allowed on a periodic basis depending on
this total. The spell is broken if a successful saving throw is rolled. Refer to
the table that follows.

The effects of this spell can be removed by a limited wish, wish (or equally powerful magic), or by a heal spell cast for this specific purpose.

The material component is a small bust of a human head, about 3″ in height,
made from fine, delicate china. The priest shatters this bust during the casting.

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