Level: Cleric 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Area: Cone-shaped emanation
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
You can sense the presence of taint in nearby objects and creatures. The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area or subject:
1st Round: Presence or absence of taint within the area.
2nd Round: Number of tainted creatures in the area and the strength of the strongest tainted aura present. If you are free of taint, if the strongest tainted aura is overwhelming (see below), and if the strength of the tainted aura is at least twice your character level, you are nauseated for 1 round and the spell ends.
3rd Round: The strength and location of each tainted aura. If a tainted aura is outside your line of sight, you discern its direction but not its exact location.
Aura Strength: The strength of a tainted aura depends on the corruption or depravity score (whichever is higher) of the creature you are detecting, or the amount of taint bestowed by an object, location, or creature without a taint score.
| Taint Score | Taint Bestowed | Aura Strength | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 01 | Faint | |
| 2–6 | 1 | Moderate | |
| 7–14 | 1d2 or 1d3 | Strong | |
| 15+ | 1d4 or more | Overwhelming | |
| |||
If an aura falls into more than one strength category, you learn about the stronger of the two.
Length Aura Lingers: How long the aura lingers depends on its original strength:
| Original Strength | Duration of Lingering Aura |
|---|---|
| Faint | 1d6 minutes |
| Moderate | 1d6×10 minutes |
| Strong | 1d6 hours |
| Overwhelming | 1d6 days |
Each round, you can turn to detect things in a new area. The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.
Source: Heroes of Horror, page 128.