Scroll of Suggestion
by David Baldwin
Art by Roger Raupp
This scroll appears to be an official pronouncement, personal
missive, or other such innocuous document, and may be found in
treasure hoards like any other scroll. No magickal spell is required
to
read the scroll's contents. A magickal curse, however, is
worked into
the writing of the scroll such that whoever reads the scroll will immediately
become subject to the next normal suggestion heard as if
under the influence of the spell suggestion.
The victim is allowed a
save vs. spell to avoid succumbing to the suggestion, but at
the following penalties: -2 for a mildly dangerous act, -4 for a normal
request involving little echance of personal danger, and -6 for an
extremely reasonable request or suggestion involving no obvious
risk. Under no circumstances will a victim perform a life-threatening
|or| suicidal act, as per the provisions for the suggestion spell.
Hearing
such a suggestion, or making the saving throw allowed for other
types of suggestions, will void the curse and negate the effect of
the
scroll for that character.
The determining factor in defining a reasonable suggestion is its
potential to cause physical harm to the one acting upon it.
The
possibility of inconvenience or financial loss does not make a suggestion
unreasonable. For instance, a character under the effect of this
scroll would save at -6 against a suggestion to give away a magical
item or cast a certain spell on behalf of the one making the request
-- as long as relinquishing the item or casting the spell would not
put the character in immediate physical danger.
Because they are reusable, scrolls of suggestion have become
popular with many royal courts and governments. Sometimes a
messenger bearing one is waylaid by a monster; hence their appearance
in treasure hoards.
For a suggestion that is to be carried out over a span of time, the
scroll?s curse will remain in effect after the scroll is read for a
number
of days equal to the reader?s intelligence score subtracted from
22. (Creatures with intelligence of 22 or higher are immune to the
scroll?s effect.) If the reader of the scroll does not hear anything
resembling a suggestion or request by the time this duration expires,
he will not be affected. (This is highly unlikely, since the reader
is
very susceptible, and even a bit of wishful thinking will be taken
seriously.) If the reader has been affected and is trying to fulfill
a
request that takes time, the enchantment will be broken when the
duration expires, and the victim will be thereafter free of the obligation
of the suggestion.
The influence of this scroll upon an affected character may be
detected by a detect charm spell, and its effects may be removed by
a dispel magic or remove curse spell cast by a spellcaster of name
level or higher (11th level minimum for magic-users, 9th level minimum
for clerics, etc.). A wish, limited wish, or alter reality spell will
also remove this effect.
Experience Point Value: Nil
Gold Piece Sale Value: 1000