Weird Arcana - Embrace Grief (New Domain Spell)

Embrace Grief

Transmutation [Good]
Level: Cleric 2, Paladin 1
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Target: One creature
Range: Touch

Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

This spell allows the caster to transfer to him one grief afflicting the target. This can be an affliction (curse, disease, poison, drug or madness), a negative condition (like nauseated or panicked) or a negative spell (like a continual damage spell). The caster instantly suffers the chosen effect; if a saving throw is allowed (or SR applies), then the caster also can roll to resist. If the caster is immune to the effect, then he can ignore it completely.

If the chosen grief is of permanent duration (like bestow curse) or leaves permanent effects (like fleeblemind), then embrace grief must be cast until the next round after the target suffered the effect. Otherwise, only powerful magic (like break enchantment, remove curse or wish) will do.

Finally, embrace grief has a second function of narrative nature. It can be cast on a target suffering intense (and usually recent) pain of emotional nature (like the loss of a loved one or after suffering a grave betrayal). This use of embrace grief has a casting time of one minute and the target must be conscious. If successful, the target feels the lift of a heavy burden from him. His attitude regarding the caster automatically improves by one step and he gains a +1 morale bonus all his checks for the next 24 hours. Finally, the caster also gains one free Diplomacy roll to improve the target’s attitude yet further. The GM is final arbiter regarding this secondary use.

This is a domain spell; actually a Good Domain spell. This means that only clerics with the Domain of Good can cast ask for this spell. However, if another cleric find this spell in scroll form, the can add it to his spell list by meditating and making the proper sacrifices and rituals (and paying the same cost of wizard writing a new spell in his grimoire; this costs cover incenses, expensive herbs, ritual instruments and special holy symbols etc.).

In fact, if your GM allows, you can prepare Embrace Grief as your 2nd level Good Domain spell (instead of Align Weapon).

The secondary use of Embrace Grief is still too elusive for my liking but it was the best I came up; it was based on the Shield Anvil priests from ‘The Malazan Book of the Fallen’ novels.