Seances (not a story)

Is there a "seance" spell for clerics in AD&D? If so, can someone please post a description? Thanks.

> Is there a "seance" spell for clerics in AD&D? If so, can

> someone please post a description? Thanks.

Speak with Dead:

You grant the semblance of lifr and intellect to a corpse. You may ask one question per two levels of the caster( and lasts one minute per level).The corpse's knowledge is limited to know what it knew in life, and answer are usually breif, cryptiv, and repetive. If the creatures alignment difers from that of the caster it can do a save verus will and not answer any questions.

This spell does not actully let you speak with the corspe it instead draws on the imprinted knowledge stored in the corpse. A corpse must have a mouth to speak though; with no mouth this spell can not work.

Does that what you needed? Or do you need some more information?

> Speak with Dead:

> You grant the semblance of lifr and intellect to a corpse. You may ask one

> question per two levels of the caster( and lasts one minute per level).The

> corpse's knowledge is limited to know what it knew in life, and answer are

> usually breif, cryptiv, and repetive. If the creatures alignment difers

> from that of the caster it can do a save verus will and not answer any

> questions.

Unless the cleric is a priest of Kelemvor and and the spell is cast on one of the faith's high holy days (Shieldmeet and the Feast of the Moon). Then, the priest "can talk freely with the departed for as long as desired and hold conversations, not merely put questions to them for which the answer will be a bare 'yes' or 'no.'" Faiths and Avatars

(I've got a story idea rattling around my brain pan that uses that, but it would be post-City, and I'd really like to finish City before I push too much into the future of that timeline.)

> This spell does not actully let you speak with the corspe it instead draws

> on the imprinted knowledge stored in the corpse. A corpse must have a

> mouth to speak though; with no mouth this spell can not work.

That was added in 3E unless there's a Sage Advice ruling I missed. The 2E PH description says that "their knowledge is often limited to what they knew in life" which suggests to me that whether the dead know anything more is a DM's call. And the Kelemvorite ability suggests that, at least in the Realms, the priest might actually be contacting more than just imprinted memories.

I should also note that the 2E rules say nothing about requiring a mouth, just a portion of the remains. Our house ruling is that at least some of the major bones must be intact; we've never had to deal with a really high-level priest and this spell. Y'see, a 21st level priest can Speak with a 1000-year-old corpse. Without embalming, it's going to be difficult to get enough of a body for even a 100-year-old corpse, but a 16th level priest can Speak with one.

> Unless the cleric is a priest of Kelemvor and and the spell is cast on one

> of the faith's high holy days (Shieldmeet and the Feast of the Moon).

> Then, the priest "can talk freely with the departed for as long as

> desired and hold conversations, not merely put questions to them for which

> the answer will be a bare 'yes' or 'no.'" Faiths and Avatars (I've

> got a story idea rattling around my brain pan that uses that, but it would

> be post- City, and I'd really like to finish City before I push too

> much into the future of that timeline.)

> That was added in 3E unless there's a Sage Advice ruling I missed. The 2E

> PH description says that "their knowledge is often limited to what

> they knew in life" which suggests to me that whether the dead know

> anything more is a DM's call. And the Kelemvorite ability suggests that,

> at least in the Realms, the priest might actually be contacting more than

> just imprinted memories.

> I should also note that the 2E rules say nothing about requiring a mouth,

> just a portion of the remains. Our house ruling is that at least some of

> the major bones must be intact; we've never had to deal with a really

> high-level priest and this spell. Y'see, a 21st level priest can Speak

> with a 1000-year-old corpse. Without embalming, it's going to be difficult

> to get enough of a body for even a 100-year-old corpse, but a 16th level

> priest can Speak with one.

My apologies I assumed this was operating off 3E rules. Are ya'll still writing with 3E in mind? I based my response off the 3E's PH, I did not account for the abilities of special priests, for I did not think to add it.

*laughs*

And maybe I am slightly stupid but wherever did Kelemvor come in, I don't think he specified a god, but perhaps I am mistaken.

> My apologies I assumed this was operating off 3E rules. Are ya'll still

> writing with 3E in mind? I based my response off the 3E's PH, I did not

> account for the abilities of special priests, for I did not think to add

> it.

> *laughs*

> And maybe I am slightly stupid but wherever did Kelemvor come in, I don't

> think he specified a god, but perhaps I am mistaken.

With 2E mind* Typo sorry

However do you edit on this Board?

> My apologies I assumed this was operating off 3E rules. Are ya'll still

> writing with 2E in mind? I based my response off the 3E's PH, I did not

> account for the abilities of special priests, for I did not think to add

> it.

The BG game series uses the 2E rules, with the occasional 3E bit tacked on as a sort of house rule. Since for a number of us, the game is our only exposure to D&D, I try to start with the 2E rules whenever something like this comes up. Enough has changed between editions that using the 3E rules as a reference often simply creates confusion.

> *laughs*

> And maybe I am slightly stupid but wherever did Kelemvor come in, I don't

> think he specified a god, but perhaps I am mistaken.

No, he didn't. But a story idea for a BG fic would almost certainly be based in the Realms, so any exception to the standard rules should be noted, just in case that exception makes the story idea possible.

Forex, if the PC wants a chat with Gorion, he can't ask Anomen to cast the Speak with Dead. As a Helmite, Anomen can only use the "get simple answers to questions" version of the spell. The PC would have to wait for one of the Kelemvorite holy days and get a Kelemvorite priest to act as medium, or else handwave a deific intercession that allows the conversation. (Vierna's meeting with Gorion was a delightful example of the latter.)

Thanks.

Yeah it was the info I needed

> The BG game series uses the 2E rules, with the occasional 3E bit tacked on

> as a sort of house rule. Since for a number of us, the game is our only

> exposure to D&D, I try to start with the 2E rules whenever something like

> this comes up. Enough has changed between editions that using the 3E rules

> as a reference often simply creates confusion.

> No, he didn't. But a story idea for a BG fic would almost certainly be

> based in the Realms, so any exception to the standard rules should be

> noted, just in case that exception makes the story idea possible.

> Forex, if the PC wants a chat with Gorion, he can't ask Anomen to cast the

> Speak with Dead. As a Helmite, Anomen can only use the "get simple

> answers to questions" version of the spell. The PC would have to wait

> for one of the Kelemvorite holy days and get a Kelemvorite priest to act

> as medium, or else handwave a deific intercession that allows the

> conversation. (Vierna's meeting with Gorion was a delightful example of

> the latter.)

*laughs*

Sorry I have moved out of BG mode and onto NWN, I forgot to think whether or not I was simply ahead of the curve,(It appears I was )

My apologies Keegan, hopefully I have not confused the living beejebbers out of you.