Serenade (spell)

Serenade is a form of charm spell produces feelings of love in one intended listener. The casting time includes the performance of song, poetry or played music, which softens the heart of the listener; upon the tenth round, the spell is discharged and the recipient is permitted to make a saving throw. Success negates the charm.

Serenade

Range	60 ft.
Duration	10 rounds or 1 day per level
Area of Effect	1 creature
Casting Time	10 rounds
Saving Throw	negates
Level	bard (2nd)

However, even if the charm fails, the caster is allowed to make a charisma check; if this succeeds, the intended will feel compelled to listen for the duration of the spell. In this case, the caster may ask to perform the next night, and will get the answer, yes, with perhaps more. The caster won't know the effects of the serenade until this point; the listener's answer will make the truth clear.

The caster may attempt to serenade a specific listener once per day. If the serenade is disturbed in the first ten rounds, before the spell is discharged, then the spell is ruined. This will be done most likely by a family member or servant. It is not impossible that the caster will be attacked for the serenade; but if the attack is not organized before the spell's 10 round duration is completed, or if the recipient fails the saving throw after the discharge, it will do nothing to damage the effects of the spell.

Love

If the saving throw fails, the listener will instantly fall in love with the caster. He or she will then act as a person in love — not automatically obeying the caster's every order, but wishing to please the caster, fetch things for the caster and be near the caster. He or she will run away immediately if asked; or will wait for the caster to return, for the duration of 1 day per the caster's level. In any case, when the longer period of the spell passes away, the recipient will have to "reconcile their feelings" ... unless they are likewise serenaded again, before the spell wears off. Once an individual has been captured by the spell, and come to their senses, they cannot be serenaded again.

Nevertheless, once the recipient has felt love for the caster, there is a chance the "reconciliation" will be that he or she actually does love the caster; after all, the caster is almost certainly a bard, and bards will always have a significant charisma. This chance equals 5% per level of the caster, plus the caster's charisma. Thus, a 5th level caster with a 17 charisma would have a 42% chance of having a charmed recipient fall in love after the spell's effect has worn off.

Scandal

There is no limit to how many listeners may be serenaded over the caster's lifetime, or how many of these will fall completely in love with the character because of it. Since the spell may be cast once per day, and potentially lasts longer than a day, more than one charmed lover may be present at any given time. At the moment of "reconciliation," the number of charmed or uncharmed lovers that are present has no effect on the percentage chance of the recipient falling in love.

However, that being said, lovers that have come to their senses will insist on the banishment of every other lover, charmed or not, that's present. If this demand is refused, the lover will do nothing — until the caster leaves the scene, whereupon the lovers will viciously fight one another, until someone has taken at least four damage ... whereupon a truce will be declared. This will happen nearly every day, potentially ending in one of them being killed, unless steps are taken to keep the various lovers apart when not in the presence of the caster.

The spell is therefore somewhat complicated ... but then matters of love usually are.