Ban

This ritual mystically marks the victim as an enemy of your church.

Crime and Punishment
Author Keith Baker
Series Campaign Style
Publisher Atlas Games
Publish date 2003

Transmutation

Level: Clr 3, God’s Eye 3, Inq 2, Lawkeeper 3
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft. +5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: Permanent (see text)
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: No

You can only cast this spell if you are an official representative of the church (as outlined under anathema) and you cannot use it on a person who holds a higher rank within the church than you do.

This spell has little effect on people who are not followers of your faith; for the most part, it simply means that the target can be located by the detect heretic spell, and can be targeted by special effects like the lawkeeper’s Battle Heresy ability. If the victim is a member of your faith, as long as the ban remains in effect she loses the ability to cast anathema, Atonement, ban, and excommunicate.

When you cast a ban, you must state the crime that your target has committed against your church; this message is limited to 100 words and can be examined by others who use detect heretic. Under normal circumstances no saving throw is allowed. However, if the target is a member of your church and is innocent of the crime that you’ve accused her of, she may negate the spell with a successful Will save. This spell can only be used as a condemnation; you cannot use it to secretly imprint messages for other members of your church to pick up with detect heretic.

Any higher-ranking priest from your church can remove your ban, provided that he himself is not under the effects of anathema, ban, or excommunicate; he simply makes a formal statement absolving your victim of her crime. Alternately, a lower-level priest of your religion may help your victim by casting Atonement on her behalf – although if the victim did commit the crime of which you accused her, she must honestly repent her actions. Otherwise, the only way to remove the ban is through a miracle or wish.

• Note that ‘higher-ranking’ does not necessarily mean ‘of higher level.’
• Ban is not a judicial curse; you cannot use ceremonial force to increase its power.