Mind Spike

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• Level: 2
• School: Divination
• Class: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
• Casting Time: Action
• Range: 120 feet
• Components: S
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You drive a spike of psionic energy into the mind of one creature you can see within range. The target makes a Wisdom saving throw, taking 3d8 Psychic damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. On a failed save, you also always know the target's location until the spell ends, but only while the two of you are on the same plane of existence. While you have this knowledge, the target can't become hidden from you, and if it has the Invisible condition, it gains no benefit from that condition against you.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 1d8 for each spell slot level above 2.

Tactical Usage

Mind Spike excels as both a damage-dealing and tracking spell, providing persistent enemy location awareness that transforms battlefield dynamics and pursuit scenarios. Cast this early in encounters to establish ongoing surveillance of key enemies while dealing meaningful psychic damage. The 1-hour concentration duration provides extended tracking that outlasts most combat encounters.

Target prioritization should focus on enemies likely to flee, turn invisible, or attempt tactical repositioning. Enemy spellcasters, rogues, and mobile threats become prime candidates for mental marking. The spell prevents hidden conditions and negates invisibility benefits, making it invaluable against elusive opponents.

The 120-foot range allows safe casting from tactical positions while the no line of sight requirement for ongoing tracking means marked enemies remain detectable regardless of barriers or concealment. This makes Mind Spike exceptional for urban pursuit, dungeon navigation, and wilderness tracking scenarios.

Spell Combinations

Mind Spike creates powerful synergies with spells that benefit from guaranteed target location. Sacred Flame, Eldritch Blast, and other targeted attacks gain significant advantages when the caster knows exactly where invisible or hidden enemies are positioned. Area effect spells can be precisely targeted on concealed foes.

Pursuit scenarios benefit from combining Mind Spike with movement enhancement magic like Misty Step, Dimension Door, or Fly. The persistent tracking allows rapid closing of distance with fleeing enemies while maintaining perfect positional awareness throughout the chase.

Team coordination improves dramatically when combined with communication spells like Message or Sending. Share exact enemy positions with allies, enabling coordinated attacks on targets that believe themselves safely hidden. Familiar or summon spells can provide additional surveillance while the spiker maintains distance.

Material Component Details

Mind Spike requires only somatic components, making it one of the most accessible tracking spells available without material cost restrictions. The single-component requirement allows casting even when hands are otherwise occupied or when verbal components might compromise stealth operations.

Discrete casting becomes possible in social situations where obvious spellcasting might create diplomatic complications. The somatic-only nature means the spell can be cast silently, making it valuable for covert surveillance operations or when maintaining the element of surprise.

Component reliability ensures the spell remains available even in situations where equipment has been compromised or when operating in environments where complex spellcasting might be dangerous or impractical. This accessibility makes Mind Spike a dependable tactical option.

Creator Notes

Mind Spike provides excellent intelligence gathering capabilities that can significantly impact encounter dynamics and story pacing. The persistent tracking effect means enemies cannot simply disappear after initial contact, creating ongoing tension and preventing easy escape from consequences.

Stealth encounter balance requires consideration of how the spell affects traditional hiding and ambush tactics. Invisible enemies lose much of their tactical advantage, while shapeshifters and illusionists find their deception capabilities reduced. Plan alternative challenge elements when mental tracking is available.

The concentration requirement creates meaningful tactical decisions about resource allocation and spell maintenance. Characters must weigh the value of ongoing tracking against other concentration effects, creating strategic depth in spell selection and battlefield management.

Environmental Interactions

Mind Spike creates a psychic link that transcends most environmental barriers and conditions. Physical obstacles, magical darkness, and weather effects cannot interfere with the mental connection established between caster and target. Underground areas and complex terrain become easier to navigate with marked enemies.

Planar boundaries affect the spell's tracking capabilities - the effect only functions while both caster and target remain on the same plane of existence. Dimensional travel, plane shifting, and banishment effects can break the connection, providing escape options for desperate enemies.

Anti-magic fields temporarily suppress the tracking effect while the target remains within such areas, though the spell resumes normal function once the target leaves the anti-magic zone. Dead magic zones permanently end the effect if either caster or target enters such areas.

Common Rulings & Clarifications

Targeting requirements specify that the initial cast requires sight of the target, but ongoing tracking continues regardless of visibility conditions. Invisible creatures can be initially targeted if their general location is known, though the spell provides exact position awareness throughout its duration.

Hidden condition negation means affected creatures cannot benefit from being unseen or undetected against the caster, though they may still gain advantages against other party members. Stealth checks become ineffective for avoiding the spell's caster specifically.

Damage scaling with higher-level spell slots makes Mind Spike valuable throughout character progression. 4th-level casting provides 5d8 damage, while 9th-level reaches 10d8, making it competitive with dedicated damage spells while maintaining unique tracking benefits.

Concentration interaction means the spell ends if the caster loses concentration through damage, incapacitation, or choosing to concentrate on different magic. Multiple Mind Spike effects cannot be maintained simultaneously on different targets.

Alternative Applications

Investigation scenarios benefit enormously from Mind Spike's tracking capabilities when pursuing suspects, witnesses, or persons of interest who might attempt to evade questioning. Urban environments with complex layouts become much easier to navigate when tracking specific individuals.

Wilderness survival applications include marking dangerous predators or territorial creatures to maintain awareness of their movements while camping or traveling through their territory. Escort missions can use the spell to track protected individuals who might become separated from the party.

Social intrigue campaigns gain a powerful tool for surveillance operations and counter-espionage work. Track suspected agents, diplomatic contacts, or political figures to gather intelligence about their movements and associations without requiring physical pursuit.

Related Spells

Tracking magic includes Locate Creature, Scrying, and Clairvoyance for different approaches to target surveillance. Hunter's Mark provides similar damage enhancement and tracking but with different mechanics and duration. Detect Thoughts offers mental intrusion rather than location tracking.

Damage comparison with other 2nd-level spells shows Mind Spike provides competitive psychic damage while adding unique utility benefits. Scorching Ray and Spiritual Weapon offer similar damage potential but lack tracking capabilities.

Concentration alternatives include Web, Hold Person, and Suggestion for different forms of enemy control. Mind Spike provides less immediate control but offers extended intelligence value that can influence multiple encounters throughout its duration.

Scaling Analysis

Mind Spike scales excellently with character progression due to its damage scaling and utility retention. Early-level parties benefit from affordable tracking capabilities, while high-level groups use it for surgical strikes against specific high-value targets who attempt stealth or invisibility tactics.

Spell slot efficiency improves at higher levels where the additional damage dice make Mind Spike competitive with dedicated damage spells while maintaining unique tracking benefits. 3rd-level slots provide 4d8 damage, making it viable for serious combat applications.

Campaign scaling depends heavily on the prevalence of stealth-focused enemies and pursuit scenarios. Urban campaigns and intrigue-heavy adventures maximize the spell's value, while straightforward combat campaigns might find less use for the tracking components.

Narrative Flavor

Mind Spike manifestation should emphasize the violent psychic intrusion combined with the establishment of ongoing mental connection. The initial damage appears as sudden mental pain - sharp headaches, disorienting flashes, or overwhelming psychic pressure that causes the target to cry out or stagger.

The tracking connection establishes itself as an unwelcome mental presence that the target can sense but cannot remove or block. Describe this as a persistent mental itch, whispered awareness, or psychic thread that maintains constant connection regardless of distance or concealment attempts.

Different caster traditions might manifest the effect differently - warlocks could create eldritch brands that burn in the target's mind, wizards might establish geometric tracking matrices, while sorcerers could forge instinctive psychic bonds that feel more natural but equally persistent. The mental violation aspect should feel appropriately invasive and uncomfortable for affected targets.