Know Weight

When the know weight spell is cast, the wizard use it to read weight for one individual or object or compare weight for two, determining if one is strong enough to carry or support the other. The caster can use either spell function as he desires, deciding which function to use on a round-by-round basis.

Read Weight: By touching the subject and concentrating for a round, the caster knows the weight of an object or creature. The reading gives the total weight, including the weight of all items carried or supported. A different individual or object can be examined each round. The maximum weight that can be read at 1st level is one-half ton (1,000 lbs.) and the amount doubles each level thereafter, to a total of 256 tons at 10th level. If the weight of a creature or object exceeds the caster's capacity, only that fact can be determined.

Compare Weight: Alternately, the wizard can test the weight of creatures or objects against each other. He grasps one with his right hand and another with his left and holds them for a round. This reading determines if the left-hand subject can bear the weight of the right-hand subject. The answer is given as a short reply (see table).

For this use, success is the chance that a weight-stressed object will hold without breaking as decided by the DM. Movement gives the effect of carrying a burden on the individual who will bear it (a "physically dangerous" burden runs the risk of a disabling a character or possible death by exhaustion for mounts and pack animals-the nature and chance of injury is up to the DM). Reading is what the caster learns. This use of the spell does not reveal the actual weight of either subject.

Success (Object) | Movement (Creature) | Reading (Caster) -----------------+---------------------+----------------- 100% | Normal movement | Yes 75%-99% | Encumbered movement | Probably yes 40%-74% | Heavy encumbrance | Possibly yes 01-39% | Burden dangerous | Probably no 0% | Cannot be lifted | No

For example, Redolent the wizard grasps a heavily armored fighter with his left hand and a rotted bridge with his right hand. His answer is no. Then he realizes the fighter obviously can't lift the bridge and switches hands. He gets a yes answer and tells the fighter it is safe to cross. Then he lets go of the bridge and concentrates on the fighter, then on a halfling and on an elf who are with the party. From this he learns the halfling and elf have a combined weight of less than the fighter's, and can thus, safely cross together.

Notes: Uncommon for diviners; otherwise rare.