Mind Tracker (Divination)

Sphere: Divination

Range: Special

Components: V, S, M

Duration: Special

Casting Time: 1 turn/3

Area of Effect: One creature

Saving Throw: Special

The mind tracker is a magically-created creature which exists only on the
Ethereal plane. It is called into existence when the first portion of this spell is
cast.

When seen (which is seldom), the mind tracker has an indistinct body. It seems
to be a near-solid coalescence of the vaporous atmosphere of the Ethereal
plane itself. It is a roughly elliptical body with three or more limbs protruding
at seemingly random locations. The number and size of these appendages shifts
slowly, however, as new ones appear from the mist and old ones disappear. The
body of the creature averages 2 feet across and 3 feet long, though this, too,
tends to vary from minute to minute. The mind tracker has no discernible eyes,
ears, nose, or other organs. It cannot be engaged in combat; if attacked, it
simply disappears, to reappear after the danger has passed, or somewhere else
entirely if its quarry has moved on.

The ceremony which creates the mind tracker takes one turn to perform. Its
material components are a whiff of the Ethereal plane’s atmosphere and the brain
of a lizard.

Once the tracker is manifested, it must be assigned a quarry within one hour.
If no quarry is designated, the tracker dissipates and the spell is wasted.

To assign a quarry to the tracker, the priest must have the quarry within his
sight. This includes magical sight such as true seeing, but not remote sighting
devices such as crystal balls. With the quarry in sight, the priest mouths the
final phrases of the spell. From that point on, the mind tracker is mentally
tethered to the victim. It follows its quarry (staying always in the Ethereal
plane) wherever it goes. It constantly relays information about the subject to
the priest: what it is doing, where it is. The priest does not actually see an
image of the quarry, he receives `reports’ from the mind tracker. These reports
contain only such information as the tracker can gather by looking. It cannot
identify people the quarry is talking to, but can describe them in great detail.
Nor can it hear anything the quarry or anyone else says, or read writing, but
it recognizes and can report the fact that speaking or reading is happening.

While the tracker is dogging its quarry, its presence can be felt as an eery,
creepy sensation of being watched. If the victim makes an initial save vs.
paralyzation, each of the following stages lasts three hours instead of two. For
the first two hours, the quarry has a general feeling of ill ease. In the third
and fourth hours, the victim is distracted and nervous, and suffers a -1 penalty
on all saving throws. In the fifth and sixth hours, the victim is convinced
someone or something is following him and suffers a -3 penalty on saving throws
and a -2 (or -10%) penalty on all other dice rolls. After six hours the victim
is near his breaking point. He is unable to concentrate to cast spells or use
any of his class’s special abilities. All die rolls have a -5 (or -25%) penalty.
After eight hours, he must make a saving throw vs. paralyzation. If he fails,
he collapses, fevered and delirious. This state persists until the tracker
ceases to exist.

The mind tracker continues to exist for as long as the priest remains
conscious of its input. If the priest is knocked out or falls asleep, or simply
dismisses his creation, the tracker dissipates.

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