Bloodglass

Wizard's Spell Compendium

This spell allows a wizard to roughly gauge the vital force remaining in any one living creature (including himself) within the spell's range. The chosen creature, even if it is weakened, spellbound, or otherwise unaware that a spell is being cast on it, receives a saving throw vs. spell at a -3 penalty.

If successfully cast, the intangible image of an hourglass appears, floating in the air near the caster's head. It seems to contain blood that drips from the upper compartment (the "healthy being") into the lower compartment ("blood spilled"). The dripping liquid is luminous-about equal to faerie fire-and can be seen clearly up to 50 feet away, even in darkness. The hourglass image is visible to all creatures, can be moved about as the caster desires, and need not be concentrated on to remain in existence (that is, the caster can perform other spellcasting without causing the image to disappear). The image does not automatically accompany the caster, it moves only in accordance with the caster's conscious will. If the image and caster are ever farther apart than the spell range, the image disappears, ending the spell.

This spell does not measure the precise hit points remaining to a creature, but rather the proportion of total vitality remaining (for example, if the creature has only one-quarter of its hit points remaining, the upper part of the hourglass image is a quarter full). Damage taken by the creature shows up in the glass as trickling or streaming blood, individual hit points can't be counted.

The material component is a small hourglass; this is thrown into the air as the incantation is murmured, and is consumed (amid twinkling motes of light) as the incantation is completed.