VAMPIRE SPAWN (TEMPLATE)
MINDSHADOW MADNESS (SIDEBAR)
Disease Infection DC Incubation Damage
Mindshadow madness Special 30 Varies Special
Arcane spellcasters run many risks when wielding the magic within their grasp, particularly when dealing with wild magic or trying to defend themselves from magic that rebounds upon them, discharges uncontrollably, or explodes wildly. (See the wild magic rules on pages 54-56 of the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting and Sean K. Reynold’s open-game-content rules at http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfiles/prestige/wildmagic_open.html.) The result is often death and destruction, sometimes on a grand scale. Sometimes the result is a loss of intellect. Wits lost in this fashion can cause a condition known as mindshadow madness, a type of supernatural disease. An arcane spellcaster who loses 8 or more temporary or permanent points of Intelligence
• while in a wild magic area (even if on a coexistant plane such as the Ethereal Plane),
• as a result of a magical backlash of wild magic, pure or raw magical energy (including Spellfire), or the Weave itself,
• as a result of a rebounded spell (such as a spell turning), or
• as a result of spells (such as feeblemind) enhanced by wild magic points
will succumb to mindshadow madness unless the victim makes a Will saving throw (DC 30). The victim will then heal the ability damage normally, unaware of their malady. The disease’s incubation period is equal to the length of time it takes the victim to heal their Intelligence damage. A rare magical affliction, the origin of mindshadow madness is one of the most arcane bits of knowledge, unknown to all but the most devout students of the Art (Gather Information check, DC 30;
Knowledge [arcana] check, DC 25; or bardic lore check DC 30).
This little-known affliction is curable by greater restoration, heal, limited wish, mass heal, miracle, restoration, and wish spells.
However, the madness makes the victim dangerous to approach, and therefore cures put into effect are few. Mindshadow madness sharpens the perceptions and creative thought of the afflicted or “mindshadowed,” but also plunges the victim into a shadowy world of mind images and feelings that stream in at the victim constantly from all of the known planes of existence. Once the incubation period is over, the victim’s alignment shifts to chaotic neutral, and he or she begins to stutter or utter nonsense words. Then the victim becomes governed by visions, and his or her behavior undoubtedly becomes odd to those who cannot see what the victim perceives. The mindshadowed then involuntarily begin casting random spell at random targets.
Victims of mindshadow madness cast spells as sorcerers – spells return to them spontaneously and will even come at random to their minds if they had no magic memorized when driven mad. Moreover, the mindshadowed cast spells as if they were using a spell-completion item, such as a wand; regardless of the spell cast, the casting time is always 1 action and the mindshadowed needs no material components or focuses. The mindshadowed do not need to rest or sleep, but nevertheless recover spells every day cycle. A mindshadow madness victim can never gain more spells than his or her natural capacity. Any vacant spell slots in their memories are filled by random spells (use the random arcane scroll tables on pages 200-201 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide or some other random chart of spells). Victims of this madness can always cast any spell that comes to them perfectly, even if it is an unfamiliar magic.
The images confronting the mindshadowed overwhelm their perception of the real world, so they may not recognize friends, foes, or relations – or even fully comprehend their surroundings or situation. Someone who speaks to them is typically seen as a talking monster or nightmare of some sort or other. In a similar manner, the ground, sky, and such things as trees and buildings are overlaid by slowly shifting images and hallucinations. This altered perception seldom seems to cause the mindshadowed harm by leading them to walk off cliffs or step off roofs – the mind seems to recognize terrain dangers and fashion fantastic images that guide the afflicted safely through the purely physical hazards of their surroundings – but it does lead to erratic behavior. For example, spells may be cast at inappropriate or unwise times or targets; prudence seems to be something entirely lacking in mindshadow victims and in their ultimate form, wizshades.
An additional danger the mindshadowed pose is their randomly manifested power of empowered spell turning.
Whenever any magic comes into contact with the mindshadowed, there is a 30 percent chance the magic rebounds on its source as if it were enhanced by the Empower Spell feat. This is an involuntary power that operates as a free action in addition to any spellcasting undertaken by the mindshadowed in the same round.
Arcane spellcasters taken by the madness are usually destroyed by their fellows if they become a direct danger to other wizards, cities, or the doings of rulers or cabals of wizards. Groups of wizards often make pacts at mage fairs to hunt, capture, and cure (or destroy) particular known victims of mindshadow madness. Nevertheless, despite such efforts, the majority of arcane spellcasters afflicted with this madness receive no treatment and either bring about their own deaths through misadventure, leave for other planes at their own behest to suffer unknown fates, or lapse slowly into wizshades.
The mindshadowed become wizshades only slowly. At the end of every month of madness, a percentile roll is made.
The initial chance to become a wizshade is 20 percent, but it increases by 1 percent for every additional month of madness, plus an additional and cumulative 1 percent if the mindshadowed has caused the death of a living being or beings through the use of its magic during that month. Once the roll “succeeds” and the transformation into a wizshade begins, only a miracle or wish can restore the mad victim to a sane, mortal state. During the transformation, the physical body of the victim along with all worn or carried nonmagical items, dissolves into many-hued mists and swirls away into the upper reaches of the air. Magic items and artifacts actually rise up and then teleport away to random locations across the wizshade’s plane of existence.
CREDIT
Author Thomas M. Costa, based on original material by Jeff Grubb and others. The wizshade originally appeared in MC7 Monstrous Compendium Spelljammer Appendix (1990), Ruins of Undermountain (1991), Volo’s Guide to All Things Magical
Skill Points: (2 x Int score) + (2 x EHD) = 40 +18 = 58; class skill max ranks = HD +3 =13
Skills: Concentration 10 +1 Con +5 race = +16, Knowledge (arcana) 10 +6 Int +5 race = +21, Knowledge (the planes) 6 + 6 Int +5 race = +17, Listen 5 + 1 Wis +5 race = +11, Scry 6 + 6 Int +5 race = +17, Search 6 + 6 Int +5 race = +17, Spellcraft 10 +6 Int +5 race = +21, Spot 5 +1 Wis +5 race = +11
Feats: Int bonus +1/4 EHD = 5 +2 = 7
Challenge Rating: 12 for hp, +1 for speed, spellcasting/spell-like, ethereal vortex, saves/abilities, skills/feats, +2 for AC, incorporeal, SR, spell invulnerability = 25 /3 = 8
Spellcasting DC: 10 + Cha mod + spell level = 15 + spell level