The priest casting an augury spell seeks to divine whether an action in the immediate future (within one-half hour) will benefit or harm the party. For example, if a party is considering the destruction of a weird seal that closes a portal, an augury spell can be used to find if weal or woe will be the immediate result. If the spell is successful, the DM yields some indication of the probable outcome: "weal," "woe," or possibly a cryptic puzzle or rhyme. The base chance for receiving a meaningful reply is 70%, plus 1% for each rank of the priest casting the spell; for example, 71% at rank 1, 72% at rank 2, etc. Your DM determines any adjustments for the particular conditions of each augury.
For example, if the question is "Will we do well if we venture to the third level?" and a terrible troll guarding 10,000 sp and a shield +1 lurks near the entrance to the level (which the DM estimates the party could beat after a hard fight), the augury might be: "Great risk brings great reward." If the troll is too strong for the party, the augury might be: "Woe and destruction await!" Likewise, a party casting several auguries about the same action in quick succession might receive identical answers, regardless of the dice rolls.
The material component for an augury spell is a set of gem-inlaid sticks, dragon bones, or similar tokens of at least 1,000 gp value (which are not expended in casting). |