Detect Mystical Streams Spell
Detect Mystical Streams is a third-party legacy divination from Crime and Punishment (Atlas Games, 2003). It traces residual magical links left by teleportation and remote observation, allowing an investigator to work backward from a location toward the place connected to the magical event.
At a Glance
| School | Universal |
|---|---|
| Original level | Diviner 3, Inquisitor 3 |
| Casting Time | 1 action |
| Components | V, S |
| Range | 60 feet |
| Area | Quarter-circle emanation from the caster |
| Duration | Concentration, up to 1 minute/level |
| Saving Throw | None |
| Spell Resistance | No |
| Source | Crime and Punishment, Keith Baker, Atlas Games, 2003 |
Detect Mystical Streams by Edition
5.5e / 2024 — No Direct Official Equivalent
There is no official 2024 spell named Detect Mystical Streams. Modern divinations can detect magic, scry, locate creatures or reveal other information, but none reproduces this exact forensic tracing of recent teleportation and scrying events.
5e / 2014 — No Direct Official Equivalent
The 2014 spell list also has no direct equivalent. Detect Magic can reveal active magic, but it does not normally reconstruct the origin or destination of past teleportation or scrying.
Pathfinder 1e — Third-Party Conversion Only
This is not a core Pathfinder spell. Its use of Spellcraft and legacy divination terminology makes it easy to adapt, but it should remain labelled as third-party material.
When adapting it, keep the original investigative limits: the effect only detects qualifying events from the last 24 hours, and following a trace requires time plus a successful skill check.
Original d20 Rules
The spell detects residual magical streams linked to the caster’s present location, including traces from teleportation and remote-observation magic.
- 1st round: determine whether teleportation or scrying occurred in the area within the last 24 hours, and distinguish the two categories.
- 2nd round: learn how many qualifying events occurred and the approximate time of each.
- 3rd round: identify the specific spell used and begin tracing one stream toward the connected location.
| Information sought | Spellcraft DC |
|---|---|
| Rough location | 20 |
| General location | 25 |
| Precise location | 30 |
Rough location: approximate direction and distance, with an error of several miles.
General location: narrows the error to about one mile and provides a broad description of the destination area.
Precise location: reveals the exact destination point and a clearer description of the place.
A basic trace check requires 2 minutes and reaches up to 50 miles. Each additional minute extends the range by another 50 miles, limited by the spell’s remaining duration.
Studying one stream deeply enough to make the Spellcraft check takes 3 minutes. A failed check gives no false information, and the caster can retry while maintaining the spell.
What Changed?
- The spell is now clearly identified as legacy third-party material rather than an official modern divination.
- No invented 5e/2014 or 5.5e/2024 rules are supplied.
- The three-round investigation sequence and Spellcraft DCs are preserved.
- The 24-hour detection window and time required to trace a stream are stated prominently.
- Modern readers are warned that ordinary Detect Magic does not automatically perform this kind of forensic reconstruction.
Using Detect Mystical Streams in Play
This spell is strongest in investigations after magical intrusion: a sealed chamber breached by teleportation, a ruler watched by remote divination, a prisoner who vanished without opening a door, or a hidden scrying site that must be traced back to its operator.
The spell should reveal a route to further investigation rather than solve the mystery instantly. Distance, time since the event, failed checks, misleading physical evidence and multiple overlapping magical traces can all keep the scene playable.
Related Magic
Source and Provenance
Source: Crime and Punishment
Author: Keith Baker
Publisher: Atlas Games
Published: 2003
This page preserves the spell as legacy third-party d20 material and does not present it as an official spell from later editions.
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