Hello crazed Amians!

Question 1.) I had a few thoughts regarding some of the effects of the divination spell Premonition. The description states that it allows you to see glimpses into the future, and we're to assume that it is in such a way that you can avoid blows (Or at least the damage from some) Does this effect give you a mind's eye landscape in your head that is the image of the world around you- but a split second ahead? Or does this act more like Spider Senses, a quick flash of a stab behind your back that allows you to react just at the right time?


Question 2.) In regards to True Sight, it allows you to see at a greatly enhanced level, including through illusions such as invisibility and can pierce the darkness. So what exactly does this do to your eye? Does this enhance depth perception, light receptors, or does it simply provide a "lens" over your eye that allows you to see with the given effects? Also, if such a lens existed, could a person still see with their eyes closed? Does this True Sight pierce the darkness of being blind?


These questions are kind of abstract, and I would be really impressed if the source material covered these kinds of things. So I'll give a brief summary of what I'm trying to do to give a little insight into the direction of the questions/answers.

I'm in the process of making a Cleric of Labelas Enoreth who fights with Zen Arcane Archery. In the attempt to emulate his God's sacrifice (Giving his eye to see into the future), I will likely be experimenting with Divine "sights" and blindfolded archery (Hopefully not in a way that kills everyone around me, hah!) I wouldn't think that this kind of thing can be accomplished easily, and I'd definitely consider a custom spell to work toward too-- I'm just curious of how hard I might have to work.

According to this resource, the material component for True Seeing is "an ointment for the eyes that costs 250 gp and is made from mushroom powder, saffron, and fat". Presumably this means that to cast true sight means to spread a purplish goop over one's eyes.

From that same resource, regarding seeing with eyes closed: "True seeing, however, does not penetrate solid objects. It in no way confers X-ray vision or its equivalent."

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"A somebody was once a nobody who wanted to and did." - Anonymous

Premonition works in a way that allows you to avoid a blow entirely (if it is absorbed completely by the DR), or, allows you to react to make a blow less damaging if it does more damage than what the DR can absorb (a flesh wound, as opposed to a fatal blow).

However, your magical paradigm and skill can and will affect how Premonition imparts its warning. At the very least, and with casters less skilled in this sort of magic, it may give them the faint impression that they should step a little to the left. And lo' and behold, they do so and an arrow impacts where they were just standing. As a caster's skill and predilection for this sort of magic increases, it may be more precise glimpses into the future that are gleaned from the spell. You may see the same arrow in your mind's eye, rather than getting a faint impression, and know through foresight to step to the left.

It is always easier for divine casters to predict the future, as they serve divine patrons, who have a rather unique perception of time. Arcane casters are able to accomplish similar feats, but it require much more effort. So, what Premonition does for your caster should take these things into account.

True Sight does not change your eye physically, as that would make the spell a transmutation, and not a divination. What it does do is impart an aura of mystically heightened senses, that a wizard may describe as being ''attuned to the auras created by several illusory spells, such as invisibility and image spells.'' If you are blind, True Sight does not grant vision. As an ironic aside, what is known as 'The Diviner's Curse,' is being blinded in the course of casting a divination or scrying spell. Typically in strenuous or extenuating circumstances. However, more than one would-be divination apprentice who tried casting scrying spells before they were ready has been blinded for their folly.

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Playing:
Marcus Valis

Okay, okay. So the eyelid can easily count as a wall that the True Sight can't puncture. So that answers that question. But another question on True Sight. Let's say I only covered a single eye. Would a focused True Sight cover enough of the gap from the loss of depth perception to at least make it "equal"?

And on the matter of Premonition, as an epicly focused diviner and priest of Labelas, could it be reasonable to envision his personal effect as a blanket with woven time? And instead of shapes, people, and colors as the eye might see normally, he instead feels the plucks of chords as shudders of time and decision? I suppose this brings another question entirely. How different is one God's divine blessing from another God's divine blessing. Would Labelas's premonition be anything different from say, Shar's? Even if to the same effect, would it be delivered differently?


I think you spoke of that kind of thing here. Can my own magical paradigm be "improved"? Trained? Expanded upon, even if using the same base spell?


I think with what I'm going for, Premonition will be much more useful and Lore consistent with Labelas's own powers. But what about the PnP spell Arcane Eye? Is there an equivolent in the Divine sector?

To perhaps answer a bit of my own question, or at least provide more insight (Because I'm enjoying researching this on my own too), Clerics don't seem to have something as similar as an Arcane Eye. At least from what I've seen- BUT, they're still capable of Scrying. So they must be capable of producing sensors, right?

You touch on an interesting thing here. This is roughly how my own wizard explains how divination on the near future can happen. Essentially, probability and actuality being two intertwined forces. However, Premonition does not effect your natural vision, so no, it would not grant a change to how your cleric normally sees things. However, it may make them more attuned to the ''forces of time and fate'' in a rather intangible way. One that may make most people think your character something of an eccentric. Premonition works in glimpses and senses in regards to an impending threat to the caster, not an entirely altered view of things as they are.



All divinely granted spells carry their own unique flavor, in how they are cast or how they manifest. The same is true with arcane casters, who have unique paradigms and flavor of their own. However, the effect of the spell remains the same, for all intents and purposes. However, a Premonition granted by Shar may leave the caster feeling... ill-fated, or burdened by despair at being reminded by what they can never hope to avoid.



I take it, you are wondering if a base spell can be improved upon? Yes. My own wizard has made his own improvements on the spell in question, based on his own eccentricities and obsessions. Much of magical research is improving upon what has already been discovered/revealed and improving upon it.


Well, there is nothing mechanically or inherently superior to a Premonition granted by Labelas. However, with your caster's own focus on divination, yes.



Nope. Typically, arcane casters have more versatility with divining the here and now (having Arcane Eye, for example.) Divine casters more ease in the future (with Augury, for instance.)

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Playing:
Marcus Valis

Hmm. Interesting. And the idea isn't for Premonition to enhance his actual sight, but for him to temporarily "blind" himself with a blindfold and make enough sense of his visions/glimpses through the spell Premonition to be able to operate in combat effectively-- By either premonition alone or some enhanced version of the spell. Or even a combo of spells (And maybe Scrying sensors. Put a mirrored lens on the inside of the blindfold or something.)

This would hold meaning with him because it's a "Sight without Sight". But if the premonition works to allow him to avoid impending threats, how much would that really give him? Maybe in a dire combat scenario it'd be fine, but lounging about normally I suppose he wouldn't actually be receiving many "glimpses"? That being said, I'm not trying to walk around blindfolded. The idea was before/during combat, he blinds himself and becomes guided by Labelas's blessings.

From what I'm getting, it doesn't sound like it's impossible, it just sounds like it's going to take quite a bit of work. Lot's of hours spent training, becoming used to it- reacting to the effects. It takes years for people to interpret their surroundings. And that's with the help of others who see the same thing. I can imagine it would be rather strenuous to make sense of a world that only a rare few "see" or catch glimpses of through premonitions.

Being blind however does have its own feat called Blind-Sense, which the the "blind" version of True Sight.