Echoes

This spell causes every sound within the creature's hearing to reverberate loudly in its mind, as if in an echo chamber. It becomes very difficult for the creature to understand speech, to pick out one sound from another, and the like. The recipient often tries to tiptoe in an exaggerated fashion, trying to reduce the noise level that only he hears.

Sometimes the creature merely collapses in a moaning heap. No coordinated action with other creatures is possible for the victim, who often lashes out at anyone attempting to contact him closely. Attack rolls, saving throws, and Armor Class have a -2 penalty. If a saving throw vs. spell is successful, the penalties are reduced to -1.

The victim's auditory nerves receive a great hammering. Creatures with keen hearing (such as cats, bats, predators in general, rabbits, and so on) flee and hide in order to find quiet, or simply crouch in a corner. A silence or deafness spell can mutually cancel the echoes spell if cast directly for this purpose.

The material component is a little tin gong or cymbal, which is struck as the spell is cast.

Notes: Very rare spell. Known to be in the Cyclopedia Phantastica Vol. III. (Updated from Dragon Magazine.)