Athena’s Battle Guidance

Spell Rules by Edition

What Changed?

The original divine guidance spell belongs to Relics & Rituals: Olympus. Other editions may have analogous tactical magic but do not publish its two-attack +10 effect under this name. The older concealment procedure is not interchangeable with modern disadvantage or the Pathfinder class spell lists.

Using Athena’s Battle Guidance in Play

Cast the spell when a key enemy must be struck soon, not as general protection for the whole encounter. A warrior facing a concealed duellist might wait until the enemy emerges from cover, then use two decisive melee attacks to push through a dangerous defence. The three-round limit means that postponing the blows wastes the divine opening.

The spell is especially dramatic when facing a rival shield-bearer in a narrow passage or an assassin striking from dim light. Athena’s favour manifests as a moment of calm calculation rather than a new attack or raw extra damage. The caster still needs legal reach, an available attack and an eligible creature.

Counterplay and GM Rulings

• Two attacks only: count the next two melee attack rolls, whether or not they hit. The benefit ends after those attacks.
• Three rounds: unused bonuses expire when the original three-round duration passes.
• Concealment: the source removes the miss chance for those attacks, but it does not necessarily allow the caster to locate an otherwise unknown or invisible target.
• No ranged attacks: bows, thrown weapons and ranged touch attacks do not qualify.
• Dispel or counterspell: use the selected d20 edition’s ordinary rules; do not impose modern concentration where the source gives none.

Worked Combat Example

A paladin casts Athena’s Battle Guidance before closing with a concealed swordmaster. On the paladin’s next melee attack, the +10 insight bonus applies and the usual miss chance for the swordmaster’s concealment does not. Whether the sword strikes home or fails to beat Armour Class, that is the first of the two attacks allowed by the spell. The next melee attack receives the same benefits, provided it occurs before the third round has passed. If the paladin instead fires a bow, the spell grants no bonus to that ranged attack.

If the swordmaster retreats out of melee reach, the magic does not drag them back or extend the paladin’s weapon. Position and access to the target still matter. Similarly, removing a concealment miss chance is not a general ability to perceive invisible or otherwise unlocated enemies. For a hidden enemy, the Games Master should first establish whether an attack can legally be directed at their square under the original rules. This maintains the distinction between divine combat insight and divination that reveals a creature’s location.

Related Spells and Deities

Athena embodies the wisdom behind this divination. Compare the group-focused Athena’s Blessing and the defensive Athena’s Grace.