share long-duration spells that would annoy psi-hounds

[Axelmania]

looking to brainstorm interesting ideas that would create a sort of "noise pollution" for magic scents to make it harder to find IMPORTANT spells

Mystic Alarm (2nd level spell BOM 95 only 5 PPE to cast, 1 year per level) seems like potentially one great way. The downside is that it's easy to negate (touch the object) but there could be ways around that.

Like for example: cast MA on thousands of pebbles and bury those pebbles underground so no creature is likely to accidentally come along and step on it. Psi-Hounds would be smelling magic underfoot and the CS would need to excavate to touch and deactivate the spell, and they'd probably be very scared to do that since they don't necessarily know that it's a harmless spell like Mystic Alarm, it might be something dangerous such as Wards.

Watchguard (BOM 103) only lasts hours but has the advantage of not being dispellable by touch, giving you some versatility if you need to pass through an area quickly and can't take time to bury pebbles deeply...

Although, this just gave me an idea: couldn't you cast "Mystic Alarm" on a bullet and then fire the bullet into the ground as a cheap way of quickly burying something? Although I can't find any studies on how many feet bullets will travel, I imagine going through soil slows them down pretty quickly.

Instill Knowledge (BOM 108) because it can enchant living targets, giving you a mobile "magic smell".

Compulsion (BOM111) lasts 24 hours (also keep in mind stuff like Energize Spell on same page)

Fire Blossom (also BOM111) is awesome, 1 month per level, only mage or recipient can activate it. The magic item made is only 3 inches tall, and it can be moved around, so you could drop it inside some roaming vagabond's backpack. There's no mention of range needed to activate it, so I assume it's probably touch? Otherwise you could leave it in a backpack, fly a plane 2 miles away and then activate it and set the bag on fire. Then again... I think you can do something like that with a TTGD spell (forget name, "red crystals" or something? book not on hand at moment) it mentions putting them in gas tanks.

Magic Pigeon (BOM 113) is another well known one (lasts months per level, mobile)

Memory Bank (same page) there's already a thread arguing about whether it counts as a spell on its target or the caster, best not to bring that here.

Sheltering Force (BOM114) lasts hours

Fire Globe (BOM120) lasts week/level, obviously Blossom is better if all you want is magic to be sensed. Though I dunno, perhaps Psi-Hounds could tell a Globe "smells stronger" than a Blossom due to the PPE/level? Assuming you couldn't actually see either of them (inside a backpack)

Ley Line Time Capsule (BOM121) might be the best though ... 50 yrs per level and there's an option to cast it away from ley lines! Unfortunately much like "Mystic Alarm" it can be negated as soon as someone gets ahold of it (opens the capsule). Still sounds like a great idea for burying stuff for long-term annoyance.

Lifeward is also on 121 but there might be some controversy I recall as to whether it senses like an active magic prior to the armor being destroyed.

Luck Curse or Minor Curse (BOM122) is day/level. We're creeping up into higher-level spells with higher costs here, which become less convenient for spamming in multiple locations. Plus the idea is sort of not to actually harm your subjects (just make them magic-smelly)

[Orin J.]

my answers to this when i had to rewrite the siege on tolkeen were wards and circle magic. permanent area wards of protection by infliction of attraction of entities and circles of direction of those same entites means psi-hounds are beset by immaterial poltergeists they can't really do much to get rid of and ruin their ability to track things.

and since they just come flooding out every time a rift opens, and the tolkeen defenders are abusing rifts anyways.....

[Axelmania]

how do you inflict attraction of entities?
or 'circles of direction'?
these custom?

[Orin J.]

how do you inflict attraction of entities?
or 'circles of direction'?
these custom?

yeah, those are both ones you have to assemble instead of the premade examples. wards in particular are stupidly flexible if you have prep time and a willingness to research it.

[Library Ogre]

You know, pretty much ANY ward from a diabolist would be something they would detect. Even something as simple as an alarm ward (audible) would twig as an active magical effect.

I wonder if you could set alarm wards into the dog-hearing range. So setting multiple alarms, each that go out in the range to annoy only dog boys...

[Axelmania]

You know, pretty much ANY ward from a diabolist would be something they would detect. Even something as simple as an alarm ward (audible) would twig as an active magical effect.

I wonder if you could set alarm wards into the dog-hearing range. So setting multiple alarms, each that go out in the range to annoy only dog boys...

at least with Diabolists there is the limitation that they need components and some decent prep time, though the PPE cost is paltry there are also daily activation limits grandfathered from 1st ed

[Library Ogre]

You know, pretty much ANY ward from a diabolist would be something they would detect. Even something as simple as an alarm ward (audible) would twig as an active magical effect.

I wonder if you could set alarm wards into the dog-hearing range. So setting multiple alarms, each that go out in the range to annoy only dog boys...

at least with Diabolists there is the limitation that they need components and some decent prep time, though the PPE cost is paltry there are also daily activation limits grandfathered from 1st ed

For alarms, it's not much of either... alarms take 1 melee round, and can be drawn or painted in any substance. As for the limits, it's PE per day, then 2*PE per day at level 3, and 3*PE at level 9... meaning, IMO, most will be 2*PE. 18 wards, at 4 wards/minute, means that with 4.5 minutes of work, they can set annoyance alarms for the day.