The Official Somatic Component Handbook

Fully and completely approved by Noone Atall at WotC.

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Dispel Magic

Abjuration

Level:Brd 3, Clr 3, Drd 4, Magic 3, Pal 3, Sor/Wiz 3 Components:V, S Casting Time:1 standard action Range:Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level) Target or Area:One spellcaster, creature, or object; or 20-ft.-radius burst Duration:Instantaneous Saving Throw:None Spell Resistance:No You can use dispel magic to end ongoing spells that have been cast on a creature or object, to temporarily suppress the magical abilities of a magic item, to end ongoing spells (or at least their effects) within an area, or to counter another spellcaster’s spell. A dispelled spell ends as if its duration had expired. Some spells, as detailed in their descriptions, can’t be defeated by dispel magic. Dispel magic can dispel (but not counter) spell-like effects just as it does spells.Note: The effect of a spell with an instantaneous duration can’t be dispelled, because the magical effect is already over before the dispel magic can take effect.You choose to use dispel magic in one of three ways: a targeted dispel, an area dispel, or a counterspell:Targeted DispelOne object, creature, or spell is the target of the dispel magic spell. You make a dispel check (1d20 + your caster level, maximum +10) against the spell or against each ongoing spell currently in effect on the object or creature. The DC for this dispel check is 11 + the spell’s caster level. If you succeed on a particular check, that spell is dispelled; if you fail, that spell remains in effect.If you target an object or creature that is the effect of an ongoing spell (such as a monster summoned by monster summoning), you make a dispel check to end the spell that conjured the object or creature.If the object that you target is a magic item, you make a dispel check against the item’s caster level. If you succeed, all the item’s magical properties are suppressed for1d4 rounds, after which the item recovers on its own. A suppressed item becomes nonmagical for the duration of the effect. An interdimensional interface (such as a bag of holding) is temporarily closed. A magic item’s physical properties are unchanged: A suppressed magic sword is still a sword (a masterwork sword, in fact). Artifacts and deities are unaffected by mortal magic such as this.You automatically succeed on your dispel check against any spell that you cast yourself.Area DispelWhen dispel magic is used in this way, the spell affects everything within a 20-foot radius.For each creature within the area that is the subject of one or more spells, you make a dispel check against the spell with the highest caster level. If that check fails, you make dispel checks against progressively weaker spells until you dispel one spell (which discharges the dispel magic spell so far as that target is concerned) or until you fail all your checks. The creature’s magic items are not affected.For each object within the area that is the target of one or more spells, you make dispel checks as with creatures. Magic items are not affected by an area dispel.For each ongoing area or effect spell whose point of origin is within the area of the dispel magic spell, you can make a dispel check to dispel the spell.For each ongoing spell whose area overlaps that of the dispel magic spell, you can make a dispel check to end the effect, but only within the overlapping area.If an object or creature that is the effect of an ongoing spell (such as a monster summoned by monster summoning) is in the area, you can make a dispel check to end the spell that conjured that object or creature (returning it whence it came) in addition to attempting to dispel spells targeting the creature or object.You may choose to automatically succeed on dispel checks against any spell that you have cast.CounterspellWhen dispel magic is used in this way, the spell targets a spellcaster and is cast as a counterspell. Unlike a true counterspell, however, dispel magic may not work; you must make a dispel check to counter the other spellcaster’s spell.

Somatic Component:

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Identify

Editor’s note: We make exception towards our policy of only listing somatic components, for legibility.

Divination Level:Brd 1, Magic 2, Sor/Wiz 1 Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material/Divine Focus Casting Time:1 hour Range:Touch Targets:One touched object Duration:Instantaneous Saving Throw:None Spell Resistance:No

The spell determines all magic properties of a single magic item, including how to activate those functions (if appropriate), and how many charges are left (if any).

Identify does not function when used on an artifact.

Material Component

A pearl of at crushed and stirred into wine (totaling in atleast 100 gp in value) with an owl feather; the infusion must be drunk during spellcasting.

Somatic Component

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Crushing Despair

Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting] Level:Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 4 Components:V, S, M Casting Time:1 standard action Range:30 ft. Area:Cone-shaped burst Duration:1 min./level Saving Throw:Will negates Spell Resistance:Yes

An invisible cone of despair causes great sadness in the subjects. Each affected creature takes a -2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls.

Crushing despair counters and dispels good hope.

Somatic Component

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Cat’s Grace

Transmutation Level:Brd 2, Drd 2, Rgr 2, Sor/Wiz 2 Components:V, S, M Casting Time:1 standard action Range:Touch Target:Creature touched Duration:1 min./level Saving Throw:Will negates (harmless) Spell Resistance:Yes

The transmuted creature becomes more graceful, agile, and coordinated. The spell grants a +4 enhancement bonus to Dexterity, adding the usual benefits to AC, Reflex saves, and other uses of the Dexterity modifier.

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Align Weapon

Transmutation [see text] Level:Clr 2 Components:Verbal, Somatic, Divine Focus Casting Time:1 standard action Range:Touch Target:Weapon touched or fifty projectiles (all of which must be in contact with each other at the time of casting) Duration:1 min./level Saving Throw:Will negates (harmless, object) Spell Resistance:Yes (harmless, object)

Align weapon makes a weapon good, evil, lawful, or chaotic, as you choose. A weapon that is aligned can bypass the damage reduction of certain creatures. 

This spell has no effect on a weapon that already has an alignment.You can’t cast this spell on a natural weapon, such as an unarmed strike.

When you make a weapon good, evil, lawful, or chaotic, align weapon is a good, evil, lawful, or chaotic spell, respectively.

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Expeditious Retreat

Transmutation Level:Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1 Components:Verbal, Somatic Casting Time:1 standard action Range:Personal Target:You Duration:1 min./level (D) This spell increases your base land speed by 30 feet. (This adjustment is treated as an enhancement bonus.) There is no effect on other modes of movement, such as burrow, climb, fly, or swim. As with any effect that increases your speed, this spell affects your jumping distance (see the Jump skill).

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Sanctuary

Abjuration Level:Clr 1, Protection 1 Components:Verbal, Somatic, Divine Focus Casting Time:1 standard action Range:Touch Target:Creature touched Duration:1 round/level Saving Throw:Will negates Spell Resistance:No Any opponent attempting to strike or otherwise directly attack the warded creature, even with a targeted spell, must attempt a Will save. If the save succeeds, the opponent can attack normally and is unaffected by that casting of the spell. If the save fails, the opponent can’t follow through with the attack, that part of its action is lost, and it can’t directly attack the warded creature for the duration of the spell. Those not attempting to attack the subject remain unaffected. This spell does not prevent the warded creature from being attacked or affected by area or effect spells. The subject cannot attack without breaking the spell but may use nonattack spells or otherwise act. Somatic Component:

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Reduce Person

Transmutation Level:Sor/Wiz 1 Components:V, S, M Casting Time:1 round Range:Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target:One humanoid creature Duration:1 min./level (D) Saving Throw:Fortitude negates Spell Resistance:Yes

This spell causes instant diminution of a humanoid creature, halving its height, length, and width and dividing its weight by 8. This decrease changes the creature’s size category to the next smaller one. The target gains a +2 size bonus to Dexterity, a -2 size penalty to Strength (to a minimum of 1), and a +1 bonus on attack rolls and AC due to its reduced size.

A Small humanoid creature whose size decreases to Tiny has a space of 2½ feet and a natural reach of 0 feet (meaning that it must enter an opponent’s square to attack). A Large humanoid creature whose size decreases to Medium has a space of 5 feet and a natural reach of 5 feet. This spell doesn’t change the target’s speed.

All equipment worn or carried by a creature is similarly reduced by the spell.

Melee and projectile weapons deal less damage. Other magical properties are not affected by this spell. Any reduced item that leaves the reduced creature’s possession (including a projectile or thrown weapon) instantly returns to its normal size. This means that thrown weapons deal their normal damage (projectiles deal damage based on the size of the weapon that fired them).

Multiple magical effects that reduce size do not stack.

Reduce person counters and dispels enlarge person.

Reduce person can be made permanent with a permanency spell.

Somatic Component:

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Whirlwind

Evocation [Air] Level:Air 8, Drd 8 Components:Verbal, Somatic, Divine Focus Casting Time:1 standard action Range:Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level) Effect:Cyclone 10 ft. wide at base, 30 ft. wide at top, and 30 ft. tall Duration:1 round/level (D) Saving Throw:Reflex negates; see text Spell Resistance:Yes

This spell creates a powerful cyclone of raging wind that moves through the air, along the ground, or over water at a speed of 60 feet per round. You can concentrate on controlling the cyclone’s every movement or specify a simple program. Directing the cyclone’s movement or changing its programmed movement is a standard action for you. The cyclone always moves during your turn. If the cyclone exceeds the spell’s range, it moves in a random, uncontrolled fashion for 1d3 rounds and then dissipates. (You can’t regain control of the cyclone, even if comes back within range.)

Any Large or smaller creature that comes in contact with the spell effect must succeed on a Reflex save or take 3d6 points of damage. A Medium or smaller creature that fails its first save must succeed on a second one or be picked up bodily by the cyclone and held suspended in its powerful winds, taking 1d8 points of damage each round on your turn with no save allowed. You may direct the cyclone to eject any carried creatures whenever you wish, depositing the hapless souls wherever the cyclone happens to be when they are released.

Somatic Component:

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Divine Favor

Evocation Level:Clr 1, Pal 1 Components: Verbal, Somatic, Divine Focus  Casting Time:1 standard action Range:Personal Target:You Duration:1 minute

Calling upon the strength and wisdom of a deity, you gain a +1 luck bonus on attack and weapon damage rolls for every three caster levels you have (at least +1, maximum +3). The bonus doesn’t apply to spell damage.

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Charm Person

Enchantment (Charm) [Mind-Affecting] Level:Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1 Components:Verbal, Somatic Casting Time:1 standard action Range:Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target:One humanoid creature Duration:1 hour/level Saving Throw:Will negates Spell Resistance:Yes This charm makes a humanoid creature regard you as its trusted friend and ally (treat the target’s attitude as friendly). If the creature is currently being threatened or attacked by you or your allies, however, it receives a +5 bonus on its saving throw.The spell does not enable you to control the charmed person as if it were an automaton, but it perceives your words and actions in the most favorable way. You can try to give the subject orders, but you must win an opposed Charisma check to convince it to do anything it wouldn’t ordinarily do. (Retries are not allowed.) An affected creature never obeys suicidal or obviously harmful orders, but it might be convinced that something very dangerous is worth doing. Any act by you or your apparent allies that threatens the charmed person breaks the spell. You must speak the person’s language to communicate your commands, or else be good at pantomiming.

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Alter Self

Transmutation Level:Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2 Components: Verbal, Somatic Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 10 min./level (D)

You assume the form of a creature of the same type as your normal form. The new form must be within one size category of your normal size. The maximum HD of an assumed form is equal to your caster level, to a maximum of 5 HD at 5th level. You can change into a member of your own kind or even into yourself.

You retain your own ability scores. Your class and level, hit points, alignment, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses all remain the same. You retain all supernatural and spell-like special attacks and qualities of your normal form, except for those requiring a body part that the new form does not have (such as a mouth for a breath weapon or eyes for a gaze attack).

You keep all extraordinary special attacks and qualities derived from class levels, but you lose any from your normal form that are not derived from class levels.If the new form is capable of speech, you can communicate normally. You retain any spellcasting ability you had in your original form, but the new form must be able to speak intelligibly (that is, speak a language) to use verbal components and must have limbs capable of fine manipulation to use somatic or material components.

You acquire the physical qualities of the new form while retaining your own mind. Physical qualities include natural size, mundane movement capabilities (such as burrowing, climbing, walking, swimming, and flight with wings, to a maximum speed of 120 feet for flying or 60 feet for nonflying movement),natural armor bonus, natural weapons (such as claws, bite, and so on), racial skill bonuses, racial bonus feats, and any gross physical qualities (presence or absence of wings, number of extremities, and so forth). A body with extra limbs does not allow you to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal.

You do not gain any extraordinary special attacks or special qualities not noted above under physical qualities, such as darkvision, low-light vision,blindsense, blindsight, fast healing, regeneration, scent, and so forth.

You do not gain any supernatural special attacks, special qualities, or spell-like abilities of the new form. Your creature type and subtype (if any) remain the same regardless of your new form. You cannot take the form of any creature with a template, even if that template doesn’t change the creature type or subtype.

You can freely designate the new form’s minor physical qualities (such as hair color, hair texture, and skin color) within the normal ranges for a creature of that kind. The new form’s significant physical qualities (such as height, weight, and gender) are also under your control, but they must fall within the norms for the new form’s kind. You are effectively disguised as an average member of the new form’s race. If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on your Disguise check.

When the change occurs, your equipment, if any, either remains worn or held by the new form (if it is capable of wearing or holding the item), or melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When you revert to your true form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on your body they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items you wore in the assumed form and can’t wear in your normal form fall off and land at your feet; any that you could wear in either form or carry in a body part common to both forms at the time of reversion are still held in the same way. Any part of the body or piece of equipment that is separated from the whole reverts to its true form.

Somatic Component:

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Mage Hand

Transmutation Level:Brd 0, Sor/Wiz 0 Components:Verbal, Somatic Casting Time:1 standard action Range:Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target:One nonmagical, unattended object weighing up to 5 lb. Duration:Concentration Saving Throw:None Spell Resistance:No You point your finger at an object and can lift it and move it at will from a distance. As a move action, you can propel the object as far as 15 feet in any direction, though the spell ends if the distance between you and the object ever exceeds the spell’s range.

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Grease

Conjuration (Creation)

Level:Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1 Components:Verbal, Somatic, Material Casting Time:1 standard action Range:Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target or Area:One object or a 10-ft. square Duration:1 round/level (D) Saving Throw:See text Spell Resistance:No A grease spell covers a solid surface with a layer of slippery grease. Any creature in the area when the spell is cast must make a successful Reflex save or fall. This save is repeated on your turn each round that the creature remains within the area. A creature can walk within or through the area of grease at half normal speed with a DC 10 Balance check. Failure means it can’t move that round (and must then make a Reflex save or fall), while failure by 5 or more means it falls (see the Balance skill for details).The spell can also be used to create a greasy coating on an item. Material objects not in use are always affected by this spell, while an object wielded or employed by a creature receives a Reflex saving throw to avoid the effect. If the initial saving throw fails, the creature immediately drops the item. A saving throw must be made in each round that the creature attempts to pick up or use the greased item. A creature wearing greased armor or clothing gains a +10circumstance bonus on Escape Artist checks and on grapple checks made to resist or escape a grapple or to escape a pin.

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Eagle's Splendor

Transmutation

Level:Brd 2, Clr 2, Pal 2, Sor/Wiz 2 Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material / Divine Focus Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Touch Target: Creature touched Duration: 1 min./level Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless) Spell Resistance: Yes The transmuted creature becomes more poised, articulate, and personally forceful. The spell grants a +4 enhancement bonus to Charisma, adding the usual benefits to Charisma-based skill checks and other uses of the Charisma modifier. Sorcerers and bards(and other spellcasters who rely on Charisma) affected by this spell do not gain any additional bonus spells for the increased Charisma, but the save DCs for spells they cast while under this spell’s effect do increase.

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Speak with Animals

Divination Level:Brd 3, Drd 1, Rgr 1 Components: Verbal, Somatic Casting Time:1 standard action Range:Personal Target:You Duration:1 min./level

You can comprehend and communicate with animals. You are able to ask questions of and receive answers from animals, although the spell doesn’t make them any more friendly or cooperative than normal. Furthermore, wary and cunning animals are likely to be terse and evasive, while the more stupid ones make inane comments. If an animal is friendly toward you, it may do some favor or service for you.

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Waves of Fatigue

Necromancy

Level: Sor/Wiz 5

Components: Verbal, Somatic

Casting Time: 1 standard action

Range: 30 ft.

Area: Cone-shaped burst

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: No

Spell Resistance: Yes

Waves of negative energy render all living creatures in the spell’s area fatigued. This spell has no effect on a creature that is already fatigued.

Somatic Component: