Symphonic Nightmare

Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]

Level: Bard 6
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch; see text
Target: Living creature touched; see text
Duration: 24 hours/level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

A dark and ominous aura forms around you as you complete the spell. Distant chords of a harsh and terrible symphony—as if multiple orchestras played different pieces simultaneously—echo continuously in the air as you reach for your victim.

A creature targeted by this spell loses the ability to dream during sleep or rest. Rather, in place of dreams, the subject’s slumbering mind is filled
with the sounds of a discordant orchestra. After the victim’s first attempt to sleep, it incurs a –2 penalty on Wisdom-based skill checks. This penalty persists as long as the symphonic nightmare maintains its hold. This spell affects all creatures that sleep or enter sleeplike trances, although creatures without the need to sleep are effectively immune.

In addition, the creature’s sleep is now haunted. It can no longer gain complete rest from sleeping or resting. The subject does not regain hit points or heal ability damage naturally, nor is it able to prepare spells if doing so requires a full night’s rest.

The creature is, however, now immune to the dream and nightmare spells, as well as to other effects that cause nightmares (such as the night hag’s dream haunting ability).

You can lift the effect of this curse at will, but it is otherwise difficult to remove a symphonic nightmare before its duration expires. A remove curse cast at a higher caster level than the symphonic nightmare spell removes it, as does a successful break enchantment. Otherwise, a wish or miracle is required to lift the curse.

This spell can also be cast on a creature you are scrying, or on a creature distant from you if you hold something the creature carried within the past 24 hours.

Focus: A small statue of an opened skull, within which is arranged a miniature orchestra. The quality of this component must be extraordinary, and it carries a value of 1,000 gp.

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