Rednog's Identifier
(Divination)
Reversible

Range:  1 foot
Components:  V, S, M
Duration:  1 round per level
Casting Time:  1 round per detection desired
Area of Effect:  One effect per level maximum
Saving Throw:  Special

With this spell it is possible to positively identify functions, keywords and even curses on items - even those items where the curses are normally undetectable. Note that curses are detected first. This spell forces the wizard to save once per try to identify one of the above. If failed, the wizard loses one hit point permanently and the item has to save versus disintegration. If this saving throw fails as well, it explodes in a circle of raw magical energy with the force of a 10d6 fireball in a 20-foot radius. There is no saving throw nor will magic resistance help to reduce the effect - not even a scarab of protection will work. If the wizard succeeds, he first determines the curses, then the weakest to the most powerful functions and then the key and trigger words for the functions (again, from the weakest to the most powerful). If he fails to save but the item is not disintegrated, but he cannot try to identify that specific function in that specific item again until he has earned a new level. The wizard has up to one try per round to determines abilities. He can try to identify several different items. He cannot move around after casting this spell, so he has to have all items to be identified within easy reach of him (as they have to be within 1 foot of him when he casts the spell). Note that they do not have to be touched, so no bad effects happen to the character unless the item explodes. Note also that artifacts cannot be destroyed with this spell: the character is only shifted to the creator or to an outer plane if he tries that (note that on some planes, like Ravenloft, this does not work).
The reversed version of this spell, hide, causes any kind of magic identification or even of normal kind (such as bardic knowledge) to fail utterly. The material component is a complete and unbroken eggshell in which the yolk has been replaced with a 1000 gp diamond.

