Dance of the Fallen

Dance of the fallen is often used to capture, disarm, or force to flee or surrender foes to whom the caster has no wish to do lasting harm. Dance of the fallen is very similar to blade barrier, except that it creates a wall of body parts, not of edged weapons. A dance of the fallen calls up a whirling cloud of severed limbs, some bony and some still bearing flesh, but all curiously bloodless. These remains are said to be summoned from recent battlefields, and they rotate at high speed around a central point, forming an immobile barrier. The plane of rotation of the body parts can be horizontal, vertical, or any angle in between the two. The area of effect of the dance of the fallen is set mentally by the caster upon casting the spell (from as little as a 5-foot-diameter cylinder that is 5 feet tall or thick to as large as a 60-foot-diameter cylinder that is 20 feet tall or thick) and cannot be altered thereafter.

Any creature trying to pass through the barrier suffers 4d6 points of damage and must make a Constitution ability check to avoid being struck senseless. All fragile worn or carried items must make a successful item saving throw vs. crushing blow or be destroyed. Beings who insist on trying to cross through the dance of the fallen and are not rendered immediately unconscious take 1d3+2 rounds to cross through the area of effect and must take damage and make Constitution checks each round.

Beings within the barrier's area of effect when it forms must make a saving throw vs. spell. If the saving throw succeeds, they escape the barrier by the most direct route and suffer no damage. If they saving throw fails, they suffer the full damage of the dance of the fallen. Any other intended action than leaving the area when the barrier is formed—such as a charge toward the caster—invites the full effects of the dance of the fallen.

Only 25% of the damage done by dance of the fallen is permanent; the rest is temporary and returns after 1d4 hours are spent resting. Beings reduced to 0 hit points or lower by this spell are rendered unconscious and ejected from the area of effect. They regain consciousness in 1d6 turns or more quickly (1d6 rounds) if a successful healing proficiency check is made upon them. The cloud of limbs remains until the spell expires and then fades silently away. It can also be dismissed instantly by the caster at any time.

The material component of this spell is a handful of bone shards or hair of any type.

Notes: Granted by the god war god Tempus of the Forgotten Realms setting.