Scattergloom

This spell brings into being six amorphous masses of magical darkness, like wispy, opaque black shadows. They appear instantly within spell range and whirl about at random speeds and in random directions.

They serve to hamper the aims of any beings who are within spell range, or firing into the area, so that all attack rolls are at -3, and aimed spells are penalized by the same or a lesser amount (a +1 THAC0 penalty or a bonus to the target’s saving throw).

Two of the six “shifting shadows” this spell creates are under the limited control of the scattergloom caster; they can be directed to “cloak” or enshroud one target being each (both cannot be attached to the same being). The choice of target can be made at any time during the spell and is irrevocable once made. A shadow takes one round to “attach” itself to a target being.

An unwilling target of a controlled shadow receives a saving throw against the spell. If successful, the caster loses all control over that shadow, and it accompanies the target only for one round (moving away at random thereafter).

An enshrouded target suffers a -4 penalty to all attack rolls (-2 if the being possess the blindfighting proficiency), a negation of any damage bonuses normally possessed, and a -4 penalty on both Armor Class and saving throws (note that this penalty is not applied to the saving throw against the shadow’s attachment).

The caster of a scattergloom spell can always see through its shadows clearly and suffers no ill effects from being shrouded. This spell is often used to enshroud its caster (to conceal identity), with the second controlled shadow being “set” across a window or to block out light, so as to conceal the caster’s presence.

The two “controlled shadows” can also be shaped by the caster to appear as if they are undead shadows or an unknown sort of creature with limbs, jaws, wings, and the like, and moved about by the silent will of the scattergloom caster as if they are attacking specific beings or objects. This shaping can be maintained even if the shadows subsequently “cloak” a being—so that the moving being might appear to others to be some sort of shadow creature.

Any “shadow” created by a scattergloom spell vanishes upon contact with a dispel magic spell or any magical barrier created by a fourth or higher level magic.