The Mind is a Labyrinth (the Oneiromancer's Last Word)

The Mind is a Labyrinth

An illusion style maze spell

“The mind is a labyrinth, ladies and gentlemen, a puzzle. And while the paths of the brain are plainly visible, its ways deceptively apparent, its destinations are unknown. Its secrets still secret. And, if we are honest, it is the lure of the labyrinth that draws us to our chosen field to unlock those secrets. Others have been here before us and have left us signs, but we, as explorers of the mind, must devote our lives and energies to going further to tread the unknown corridors in order to find ultimately, the final solution. We have to see, we have to know... “

Dr. Philip Channard, Hellbound: Hellraiser 2

DCC version

The Mind is a Labyrinth

Level 2 Range:  3’/caster level

Duration: number of rounds = to target’s Personality plus Intelligence

Casting time one action Save: Will v. Spellcraft DC

General - an illusion spell that traps a single target within their own mind for a time, taking the form of a labyrinth-prison made out of their own unconscious thoughts. Possibly before setting the target’s mind against itself. At higher results the maze becomes a quasi real labyrinth with randomly generated numbers of rooms, eventually the victim’s anxieties becoming manifest as The Minotaur. The minotaur is a psychic composite which must be defeated or the victim will forever be lost to the labyrinth.

Manifestation 1.  With a bullish snort and a scrape of one foot, smoke billows out of the caster’s nostrils streaking towards the target, writhing phantom shapes in the fog. 2.  A dazzling array of multi coloured sigils erupts from the caster’s mouth, swimming toward the target at dizzying speed  3.  The caster whispers the blackest secrets of the target, and an inky blackness momentarily covers the face of the target.   4.  The caster speaks the targets name and as much of their true name as is known, causing a dark plum ichor to erupt from the target, covering their face immediately. 5. A pulsating black and white beam 6. For a moment the target's body is revealed as transparent and containing naught but a series of nested mazes.

Corruption 1.  In a bone wrenching transformation, one foot assumes the form of a misshapen hoofed thing.  Movement speed reduced by 5’ and wearing shoes will be difficult.  2. Slowly over a period of hours mysterious blue, pink, and green whorls will appear on the caster's skin, glowing softly, covering their body in a map of some great far maze (Wizards who study the whole image over time may gain a +1 to alll spellcraft checks v. the caster) 3. For one hour a day every day, the caster will experience acute vertigo; the complete loss of balance and disorientation makes combat and adventuring impossible. But it only lasts an hour. Starting now. 4. Caster, when alone, will hear strains of eldritch, inhuman music that will appear to emanate from within the walls of their home, the sky, and other inappropriate places. Unsettling but only distracting. 5. The caster unintentionally absorbs a potent, visceral image from the target's mind - caster develops a phobic reaction to the random image. Will require DC 15 Will save at times to successfully confront. 6. Numbers. On some level, and for the rest of their days, the caster will constantly hear the sound of their own voice, counting. It will never stop.

Misfire -  1. Caster releases “Creature from the Id” and must be dealt with it.  2.  Caster is consumed by fear of madness for the next d24 days  3. The caster is subjected to a small plague of ‘hobgoblins” for the next d5 days (harmless ethereal manifestations of the caster’s fears and anxieties) 4. There is a tremendous blue light - everyone must save v. will or find themselves in the same labyrinth.   There is no minotaur; the caster must be slain for anyone to escape. Meanwhile everyone is sleeping, their minds trapped within the target’s brain. If the target dies, everyone dies. 5. A tremendous miscalculation of energies upsets the flow of the Phlogiston; everyone in a 25' radius of the caster will be bodily whisked in a grinding and crackling tunnel of green light into another place in space and time. Containing an actual labyrinth, and an actual minotaur. 6. With the great sound of a tolling bell only the caster can hear they are nearly deafened by the tremendous volume and vibration of their bodies' own internal processes. For the next d3 +5 hours, the caster is lost in an involuntary clairvoyant journey through the labyrinth of their own insides. (DC 15 Will save to avoid perm. loss of d3 personality points. ) In the meantime, anyone approaching the apparently catatonic caster will hear the growling of a bull or larger beast.

Spell check results

1 Lost, failure, and worse! Roll 1d6 modified by luck: (0 or less) corruption + patron taint + misfire; (1-3) corruption (4+) misfire

2-11 Lost, failure.

12-13   Failure but the spell is not lost.

14-17  The caster puts the target to a quasi conscious state resembling sleep for the spell's duration; During this time the target wanders aimlessly through a small unremarkable labyrinth ( a spiral or other similar form) otherwise free of damage or incident until the spell ends.

18-19 The target is placed into an involuntary sleeping state for the spell's duration and immediately begins dreaming. In the dream they are trapped in a small and repetitive maze of d4 features, d6 rooms, and d12 hallways. It is disorienting in terms of both time and space but at this level there is no game effect it must be described. .

20-23 The target becomes lost in a dizying mental maze for the duration of the spell, while otherwise being magically kept sleeping. It is disorienting in terms of both time and space, magickal or additional contact outside of their own mind labyrinth is now impossible. Further it is impossible to determine precise distance or tell how much time has passed.

24-27   As above; however now the labyrinth becomes  a quasi-real psychic plane (only for the target) with d14 randomly generated hallways, d8 chambers, d12 doors distributed randomly, and d10 strategically located mirrors or other reflective surfaces.  (Using a book of mazes is not out of line here.) A successful will save (DC 20) made at the mid-point of the spell's duration may reveal one of the reflective surfaces to contain a way out which will end the spell's effect early.

28-29  As above save the labyrinth contains d24 hallways and corridors, d20 doors, d16 ramps, staircases, drop offs, and pits, d14 dead-ends or apparent dead ends,  and d12 rooms or chambers each of which is a different colour or labeled number. Further, the caster may if desired, dictate the shape and dimensions of the labyrinth (i.e. the caster may draw a map of said labyrinth rather than leting the Judge determine).  Also, there are now two reflective surfaces of note. One is a shortcut out of the spell's duration, and one represents the death urge. Stepping into it ends the spell duration tho the target must now make a DC 20 Fort save or their heart will stop.

30-31   As above; however now the labyrinth is much larger (step each category up one level of the die chain). Now the target’s anxieties become manifest as The Minotaur.  The Minotaur must be defeated or the victim will forever be lost to the labyrinth, regardless of spell duration. The minotaur has identical ability scores, hit points, class, and abilities to the target.  It may appear as their duplicate, their shadow, or an actual minotaur; whatever the sum of the target's fears would appear as. IT must be sought out in the labyrinth; likely the Minotaur will keep moving, drawing the target into an ambush spot. If the minotaur slays the character in the labyrinth, their body dies, the character dies, and the spell ends.

32+  As above save there are now 1d14 ramps, staircases, or slides, 1d10 doors, 1d12 small rooms (each one a different colour), 1d116 winding hallways, all identical, 1d16 reflective surfaces, 1d20 pits, drop offs, gaps/chasms, or cracks, always positioned to initially be in the target’s way. and of course the Minotaur. The minotaur need not be sought out. Now it stalks you.   The minotaur has ability scores identical to the target’s +2, they have the full hp total of the character plus 16, and an AC of 16.  HD are identical to the target;  it immediately begins seeking the character out but will defer to pursuit over slaughter initially. If the character surrenders they die. If the minotaur kills them in the labyrinth, they die. Only the destruction of the minotaur by the target will free them.

Note: Should the minotarur be defeated:  For results of 30 plus, there is a chance that the minotaur will recur on the anniversary of its defeat for many years; each year. On the anniversary of the minotaur's defeat, the character must make a will save (DC 15 +1 per year following) or return to the labyrinth (at the original spellcheck) when next they go to sleep. This is the source of another name for the spell in the great illusionist grimoires - Oneiromancer's Last Word.

LotFP version

The Mind is a Labyrinth

Range:  short (5'/caster level)
Duration: sum of target's wis & cha/rounds

Casting time 1 round
Save: Magic

The spell traps the target in a labyrinth prison made out of their own mind, possibly before setting it against itself.  A successful casting leaves the target motionless and apparently  comatose, their mind swimming with hallucinatory dreams for an indefinite period of time, trapped in a mindscape of their own fears, insecurities, and hangups.

Once the spell has taken effect, the target will find themself alone in a surreal labyrinthine maze that twists and turns in ways not possible outside of one’s own mind.  
Each labyrinth consists of a number of empty or mostly empty rooms, hallways, chambers, ramps, stairs, and the like, all somewhat identical, warping in ways that such things may not in physical reality.  If it is desirable to detail, for each level of the caster, the target’s perceptual labyrinth wlll contain

1d4 ramps, staircases, or slides

1d6 doors

1d8 small rooms (each one a different colour)

1d10 winding hallways, all identical

1d12 reflective surfaces, pits, drop offs, ledges, and other movement obstructions.
The labyrinth may conform to any shape the caster desires (tho they need not specify). It is permissible for the caster to have a map drawn for these purposes.

The sum of the character’s traditionally ‘negative’ psychic energies - fear, anxiety, hatred, and all manner of unbidden suppressed urges coalesce into a monstrous form, terrifying to the target.  This is the Minotaur Note that the ‘minotaur’ need not in any way resemble the traditional monster of Greek myth, though it certainly can.

Miscast Table

1 Caster releases “Creature from the Id” and must be dealt with.

2 Caster becomes trapped in the labyrinth of the target's mind. Bodily. Somehow the magic user has affected full physical immersion inside an extra dimensional extrusion of the target's mind. The target may now draw the map as though they were the caster (determined however by the caster's level, not the target's). Further, the minotaur is now under the control of the would-be target. The target can still act and move normally, while carrying on simultaneous actions controlling the internal labyrinth and it's new victim as though the caster. If the original caster dies in this way, 1d2 points of intelligence and 1d4 points of the original caster's charisma are absorbed by the target (to racial maximums) as well as one tenth of the original caster's raw experience point total. Also the would be target should again at this time save v. magic. Failing to do so means the target also gains the use of one (75%), two (15%), or three (10%) of the now dead caster's spells, regardless of class.

3 M@dnE5s  takes it’s toll - Caster is consumed by fear of madness for the next d24 days, if the caster already suffers from mental health issues, this will leave them nonfunctional for the duration, they will require taking care of or their health and life will suffer in the meantime. In any event, even the most well adjusted magic user in this situation is unlikely to do anything stressful like adventuring....or spellcasting.

4 There is a tremendous blue light - everyone must save v. will or find themselves in the same labyrinth.   There is no minotaur; instead the caster must be slain for anyone to escape. Meanwhile everyone is sleeping, their minds trapped within the target’s brain.  If the target dies, everyone dies.

5 In a bone wrenching transformation, one foot assumes the form of a misshapen hoofed thing.  Movement speed reduced by 5’ and wearing shoes will be difficult.

6 The caster is subjected to a small plague of ‘hobgoblins” for the next d5 days (harmless ethereal manifestations of the caster’s fears and anxieties)

7 or higher consult the Miscast table

Dream Dressing - or -

Unique prison of the mind table

1. Non-specified walls and surfaces appear to be made of glass, plastic, or some other transparent surface.  Viewing outward there is nothing - a translucent white mist that hovers above the ‘ground’, with inky darkness stretching beyond to infinity.
2. All non-specified interior surfaces appear to be featureless and white, with a gentle hum just audible from these surfaces.  
3. 1d12 areas above are filled with purple, pink, or white smoke.  Anyone entering an area filled with this will experience a variety of auditory hallucinations (loose memories) but nothing very coherant or helpful.
4. There is a constancy of noise 1. total quiet.  2. a blowing and gusting of wind  3. whispers  4. voices from the target's memory, remixed randomly 
5. There may be images on the walls, as though projected.   They will be distorted and unconscious images from the target's deep memory, especially those pertaining to sex, violence, and other primordial urges. 
6. Anyone in the labyrinth finds their scent-memory stimulated;  random and overpowering scent memories will waft up from recollections of their childhood - or their funnel if they are player characters.  
7. While traversing the halls, ahead there will be tortured and cacophonous laughter, while behind will appear arcane graffiti in clusters where they have stepped. Despite this, the graffiti fades once it is no longer in line of sight. 
8. Roll again. To those results add 1d3  illusory images of the target from much younger in their life.   They will act the par to the hilt and do not know they are fake. If they are killed, the target will lose the associated memories on a failed save v. magic. 
9. See 8. above. However add to the mix 1d6 'variations' of the target character; these are of differing gender, race, religion, etc. 
10. As 9 above save that there are 1d4 additional images that are identical to the target...and one of them is a doppelganger.   The doppelganger has somehow slipped across the hyperdimensional fabric to a mind where it may have a body to steal.   In all ways acting as the traditional creature, it will attempt to help the target slay the minotaur only to then turn on the target thereafter.  If successful the character becomes (physically) a doppleganger, spread through mimetic suggestion as the internal doppleganger seizes control of this body in this universe.