Illusion • Legacy Witch Hex
Vertigo

Vertigo convinces the victim that the ground is dropping away beneath them. Their balance fails, Dexterity falls and difficult concentration becomes harder until the spell ends.
Vertigo at a Glance
| Role | Short debuff and concentration disruption |
|---|---|
| Legacy level | Witch 1, Sorcerer/Wizard 1, Bard 2 |
| Legacy penalty | –4 Dexterity |
| Duration | 1 round/level |
Spell Rules by Edition
5.5e / 2024
Status: no named Vertigo spell in SRD 5.2.1. Do not import the flat –4 Dexterity penalty into 5.5e.
5e / 2014
Status: no core 2014 spell by this name.
Pathfinder 1e
Status: this legacy spell is not added to the Pathfinder Witch list by default. Pathfinder’s condition and ability-score rules require a deliberate conversion.
D&D 3.x Legacy
| School | Illusion (Figment) in the legacy source |
|---|---|
| Level | Witch 1, Sorcerer/Wizard 1, Bard 2 |
| Components | V, S |
| Casting Time | 1 action |
| Range | Touch |
| Target | One creature |
| Duration | 1 round/level |
| Saving Throw | Will negates |
| Spell Resistance | Yes |
On a failed save the target feels as though it is falling and cannot trust its footing. It takes –4 Dexterity and must make Concentration checks for complex tasks against the spell DC under the original rules.
What Changed?
No automatic modern conversion is assumed. The flat Dexterity penalty and legacy Concentration mechanics stay in the d20 archive.
Best Uses
Vertigo is strongest against agile enemies, climbers and spellcasters who rely on complex concentration. It is also useful when footing already matters—stairs, battlements, bridges and slick surfaces.
Counterplay and GM Rulings
- Dispel Magic: the effect is ongoing and can be dispelled under normal legacy rules.
- Concentration: use legacy Concentration only in the legacy game; modern editions resolve concentration differently.
- Falling: the spell makes the target feel as though it is falling. It does not physically move the creature.
- Illusion defenses: apply Will saves, Spell Resistance and immunity rules from the edition being played.
In Play
Vertigo is a favourite curse for stairwells, watchtowers and narrow mountain paths because the environment turns a modest numerical penalty into a much more serious tactical problem.
Related Spells
Ill Omen · Blindness/Deafness · Confusion · Witch Spell Lists
FAQ
Does Vertigo knock the target prone?
Not automatically. The preserved text applies Dexterity and Concentration penalties rather than a prone condition.
Can it make a flying creature fall?
Not by itself; resolve consequences through the edition’s movement and flight rules.
Sources and Licensing
Rules-source boundary: modern-edition status panels are kept separate from legacy mechanics. No modern conversion is implied unless a panel explicitly provides published rules.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and Revised System Reference Document rules material identified as Open Game Content is used under the Open Game License v1.0a. Original explanations, comparisons, rulings, setting material, tactical guidance and the primary illustration are SpiralWorlds editorial material except where another credit is stated.
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