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The Serpent’s Sibilant Whisper

Grimoire of Cosmic Entities Volume One By Eli Atkinson, William Church and Serge W. Desir, Jr.
Original Concept by Serge W. Desir, Jr.

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The Serpent’s Sibilant Whisper
Enchantment (Charm) [Evil, Mind-Affecting]
Spellcraft DC: 126
Components: V, XP
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: See below
Target: One creature
Duration: 9 days
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

To Develop: 1,134,000 gp; 23 days; 45,360 XP. Seeds: charm (DC 14), compel (DC 19), contact (DC 23). Factors: one action casting time (+20), communicate regardless of language (+4), conceal enchantment (ad hoc +18), 9 day duration (+21), no somatic component (+2), unwilling victim (ad hoc +20), increase save DC for antithetical actions by +1 each day over 8 days (ad hoc +8), effectively increase final save DC to resist becoming a thrall by an additional +9 (+18), specified and difficult removal process (ad hoc +10). Mitigating Factors: burn 4,900 XP (-49), caster possesses the Dark Speech feat (ad hoc -2).

One of The Overlords favorite forms of Forbidden Magic, the serpent’s sibilant whisper allows him to tempt any and all beings, even across planar boundaries. He knows well that in the hearts of all beings that there is a degree of evil and the desire to control the destinies of others. The Lord of the Nine has uncovered many ways to awaken these attitudes and this is one of most insidious means in doing so. However, due to his time spent ruling the Nine Hells of Perdition, Asmodeus has given knowledge of this terrible spell to the greatest of his Cardinals over the years. Now, those with the money and the desire have the capacity to learn this terrible spell.

Serpent’s sibilant whisper may be cast so long as the caster knows the name and general identity of the intended victim. The spell may reach the victim anywhere save places designated as “dead magic areas” (although the usual rules on epic magic apply within an anti-magic field or similar), within a Divine Shield, or within the realm of a cosmic entity or god (except on a successful opposed rank check). The victim receives a Will save to avoid the attack; the only indication the victim receives of an attack is a momentary feeling of something slithering up her body and constricting her. If the victim fails the saving throw, for the next nine days, she is charmed by the voice in her head. The voice always sounds like the victim’s and is often perceived as typical thinking, although with a certain degree of insistency that feels almost like a sixth sense. The caster, for his part, may now see and hear what the victim sees and hears, although that is the extent of his sensory knowledge of the victim’s condition.

The caster may offer suggestion and advice to the victim as per the charm seed with the exception of saving throw modifiers. If the whispered advice offers the victim an option antithetical or immoral to the victim’s alignment, she receives a Will save to avoid the effect. For each day that the victim’s soul is constricted by the serpent, the Will save DC to overcome ethical and/or moral issues increases by +1. Either way, the usual goal of the casting of this spell is to lead the victim down a dark path and into damnation. Thus, every three actions the victim undertakes that directly perpetuate Lawful Evil principles result in the victim’s alignment shifting one step closer to Lawful Evil. For example, if the victim is convinced to allow the assassination of a Lawful Neutral judge, thereby paving the way for a thieves’ guild leader to get away on a technicality of the law, the action (or inaction, in this case), counts as Lawful Evil for the purpose of this spell. If and when the victim becomes Lawful Evil, she gains one last save with a -9 penalty (this stacks with the daily increases on the DC). If she fails, not only does she become Lawful Evil permanently, she also becomes a permanent thrall to the caster, even if she does not know this explicitly.

It is very difficult to identify and overcome this terrible spell. Any attempt to discern enchantment effects, like the use of Sense Motive, are confronted by a -9 penalty on the check per day that the victim is under the influence of the serpent. true seeing may be used to identify the spell, but only if the intended purpose is to find some force controlling or manipulating the victim; even so, true seeing only offers a 33% chance of revealing anything unusual. Once this spell is identified, the examiner sees a large, reddish, serpentine shadow on the victim. For more recent castings or for victims who have overcome the temptations, the snake is small and perched at the shoulder near the ear; older castings or those in which the victim has gone almost completely into the lure of Lawful Evil, the serpent’s coils are wrapped around the victim’s body, its tongue lodged in the victim’s ear.

Once the serpent is uncovered, only greater restoration followed immediately by a miracle can cancel the effect (it is possible that the caster will notice what is going on if he has Sense Motive and/or Spellcraft).

XP Cost: 4,900 XP.

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