Level: Cleric 7, Sorcerer 7, Wizard 7
Components: V, S, M$
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: 0 ft.; see text
Effect: One symbol
Duration: See text
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell allows you to scribe a potent rune of power upon a surface. When triggered, a symbol of weakness causes one or more creatures within 60 feet of the symbol (treat as a burst) to suffer 3d6 points of Strength damage.
Unlike symbol of death, symbol of weakness has no hit point limit; once triggered, a symbol of weakness simply remains active for 10 minutes per caster level.
Any creature that enters the area while the symbol of weakness is active is subject to its effect, whether or not that creature was in the area when it was triggered. A creature need save against the symbol only once as long as it remains within the area, though if it leaves the area and returns while the symbol is still active, it must save again.
Until it is triggered, the symbol of weakness is inactive (though visible and legible at a distance of 60 feet). To be effective, a symbol of weakness must always be placed in plain sight and in a prominent location. Covering or hiding the rune renders the symbol of weakness ineffective, unless a creature removes the covering, in which case the symbol of weakness works normally.
As a default, a symbol of weakness is triggered whenever a creature does one or more of the following, as you select: looks at the rune; reads the rune; touches the rune; passes over the rune; or passes through a portal bearing the rune. Regardless of the trigger method or methods chosen, a creature more than 60 feet from a symbol of weakness can’t trigger it (even if it meets one or more of the triggering conditions, such as reading the rune). Once the spell is cast, a symbol of weakness’s triggering conditions cannot be changed.
In this case, “reading” the rune means any attempt to study it, identify it, or fathom its meaning. Throwing a cover over a symbol of weakness to render it inoperative triggers it if the symbol reacts to touch. You can’t use a symbol of weakness offensively; for instance, a touch-triggered symbol of weakness remains untriggered if an item bearing the symbol of weakness is used to touch a creature. Likewise, a symbol of weakness cannot be placed on a weapon and set to activate when the weapon strikes a foe.
You can also set special triggering limitations of your own. These can be as simple or elaborate as you desire. Special conditions for triggering a symbol of weakness can be based on a creature’s name, identity, or alignment, but otherwise must be based on observable actions or qualities. Intangibles such as level, class, Hit Dice, and hit points don’t qualify. For example, a symbol of weakness can be set to activate when a lawful good creature approaches, but not when a paladin approaches.
When scribing a symbol of weakness, you can specify a password or phrase that prevents a creature using it from triggering the effect. Anyone using the password remains immune to that particular rune’s effects so long as the creature remains within 60 feet of the rune. If the creature leaves the radius and returns later, it must use the password again.
You also can attune any number of creatures to the symbol of weakness, but doing this can extend the casting time. Attuning one or two creatures takes negligible time, and attuning a small group (as many as ten creatures) extends the casting time to 1 hour. Attuning a large group (as many as twenty-five creatures) takes 24 hours. Attuning larger groups takes proportionately longer, as the DM sees fit. Any creature attuned to a symbol of weakness cannot trigger it and is immune to its effects, even if within its radius when triggered. You are automatically considered attuned to your own symbols of weakness, and thus always ignore the effects and cannot inadvertently trigger them.
Read magic allows you to identify a symbol of weakness with a DC 19 Spellcraft check. Of course, if the symbol of weakness is set to be triggered by reading it, this will trigger the symbol.
A symbol of weakness can be removed by a successful dispel magic targeted solely on the rune. An erase spell has no effect on a symbol of weakness. Destruction of the surface where a symbol of weakness is inscribed destroys the symbol but also triggers it.
Symbol of weakness can be made permanent with a permanency spell. A permanent symbol of weakness that is disabled becomes inactive for 10 minutes, then can be triggered again as normal.
Note: Magic traps such as symbol of weakness are hard to detect and disable. A character with the trapfinding class skill (only) can use the Search skill to find a symbol of weakness and Disable Device to thwart it. The DC in each case is 25 + spell level, or 32 for symbol of weakness.
Material Component: Mercury and phosphorus, plus powdered diamond and opal with a total value of at least 5,000 gp.
Source: Player’s Handbook (version 3.5), page 291.