Sighing Chain

This spell brings into being a shimmering silver-blue chain of force that coils snakelike around a single chosen target creature. The spell's name comes from the loud, continuous sighing sound the chain makes as it loops and writhes around the creature. The chain surrounds the creature automatically. Its movements do not require the caster's continued attention; the caster is free to work other magic or even leave the scene.

The creature within the sighing chain is not prevented from moving about or performing desired actions, but the chain imposes a -2 penalty on the creature's attacks, damage rolls, and saving throws; adversely affects ability checks and movement rate by 2; and increases the casting time of any spell cast by a spellcasting enchained creature by 2.

Creatures trying to pull at the chain suffer 2d4 points of bludgeoning damage per tug, and such attempts are always futile. Foes of the creature trying to strike at it past or through the chain suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls, but are otherwise unaffected by the chain.

Aside from waiting for its disappearance at the expiration of the spell, the chain can be gotten rid of by dispel magic, by destroying it, or by the death of the creature. If the chained creature dies and the spell has not expired, the caster can direct the chain to move to another creature, coiling and writhing at MV 9. To enchain this subsequent creature requires a successful attack roll at the caster's THAC0 and directing the chain consumes the spellcaster's action for that round. This is the only way a sighing chain can change creatures. If the chain is not directed to a new creature in the round following the death of the first, it dissipates.

To destroy a sighing chain, it must be dealt 21 points of damage. It is only AC 6, but the nature of the magic causes all damage done to it by any spell or being, not just the chained creature, to be visited point-for-point on the chained creature. Thus, the creature must suffer 21 points of damage to be free of a sighing chain that is “killed.”

The material component of this spell is a length of at least three joined links of chain of the finest steel or of any pure metal.