Spirit Bind
When cast near the corpse of a newly dead individual, this spell binds an individual's life force to its
physical remains, preventing a spirit's departure to
the afterlife. The (presumably unwilling) spirit of the
deceased is entitled to a saving throw vs. spells to
resist the effect (made as if still alive), modified by a
-1 penalty for every three levels of experience past
the 1st of the priest (-2 penalty at 7th level, -3 at 10th
level, to a maximum of -6 at 19th level).
Spirit bind must be cast on the body of the deceased
within one round of the individuals' death for every
level of experience of the caster. Thus a 10th-level
priest may bind the spirit of an individual who was
dead for up to a turn. If successful, the spirit bound
corpse takes on a pale silvery or mauve radiance.
Normal animals and even monsters of low intelligence will involuntarily shun this necromantic aura.
While under the effect of this spell, a cadaver
becomes immune to the normal effects of rot and
decay. Spirit bind may thus be employed to preserve a
body for a subsequent raising or resurrection, for which
the spirit bound individual is considered to have been
dead for less than a day. Furthermore, because of the
strong, necromantic link already forged between the
spirit and the body, the victim receives a -10% bonus
on his or her system shock roll.
However, this spell is more often put to much
darker ends by death priests. Note that, for the
deceased, being spirit bound is not a pleasant experience. The spirit may not be aware of its current location or the passage of time (or so good-aligned
priests who employ this spell may like to think), but
it is most certainly aware of being trapped or constrained. Once bound to its body, a spirit is much easier to coerce with threats of permanent imprisonment
and to interrogate with Speak With Dead spells. Some
sages speculate spirit bind may be also involved in
the loathsome creation of a flesh golem.
While immune to normal decay and dissolution (and
the ravaging of animals and dumb monsters), the spirit
bound corpse is in no way protected from destruction by
a sentient creature or individual. Should its body be
destroyed, the spirit instead becomes bound to the last
area resided by the physical remains. Such a restless,
quasi-liberated spirit might become a non-corporeal
undead (such as an apparition, banshee, haunt, poltergeist, wraith, ghost, or spectre). A spirit imprisoned in
this manner may only be released by casting the reverse
of this spell (see below) or Dispel Evil (dispel magic and
remove curse are ineffective). Because of the considerable
dangers for the subject and moral quandaries involved,
good-aligned priests are naturally reluctant to employ
spirit bind except in the most dire emergencies.
Reverse: Spirit Release
The reverse of this spell, spirit release, severs a spirit's ties with the material world and is a common practice at formal funerals. Unwilling, non-corporeal undead are entitled to a saving throw to resist the spell's effects, subject to the same penalties as outlined for spirit bind. If failed, the undead spirit departs for the outer planes and is effectively dispersed. Note that neither version of this spell affects corporeal undead (such as ghouls, liches, and vampires), nor do they affect extraplanar creatures.[Complete Book of Necromancers]
Reversible
Sphere: Necromantic(Necromancy)
Level: 3
Range: 10 yards
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Permanent
Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: One corpse
Saving Throw: Negates
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Permanent
Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: One corpse
Saving Throw: Negates
the priest's holy/unholy symbol and a recently deceased corpse
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