Pander's Improved Identify
(Abjuration, Divination)

Range:  10 feet and 0
Components:  V, S, M
Duration:  1 round per level
Casting Time:  Special
Area of Effect:  One item per level
Saving Throw:  Special

When Pander's improved identify is cast, magical items subsequently touched by the wizard can be identified. The eight hours immediately preceding the casting of the spell must be spent purifying the items and removing influences that would corrupt and blur their magical auras. If this period is interrupted, it must be begun again with a new casting of the spell and the current spell is lost since this higher level version requires intense concentration. When the spell is cast, each item must be handled in turn by the wizard. Any consequences of this handling fall fully upon the wizard and may end the spell, although the wizard is allowed any applicable saving throw. However, immediately before handling each item the wizard may scan the items for any cursed properties from a distance of 10 feet without touching the item. The wizard has a 5% chance per level of determining if there is a curse and also the exact nature of the curse, to a maximum of 90%, rolled by the DM. Each try is treated as one reading and the wizard need not use a slot to determine the exact nature of a curse unless he wishes. This part of the divination can only detect curses, not traps. It should be noted that the wizard may not add to the list of original items that were to be examined once this condition is established. If the act of detecting for a curse actually triggers one that affects the wizard he may make a saving throw versus spell to avoid the curse in question.
The chance of learning a piece of information about an item is equal to 10% per level of the wizard, to a maximum of 90%, rolled by the DM. Any roll of 96 up to 00 indicates a false reading (91 up to 95 reveals nothing). Only one function of a multi-function item is discovered per handling (i.e., a 5th-level wizard could attempt to determine the nature of five different items, five different functions or a single item, or any combination of the two). If any attempt at reading fails, the wizard cannot learn any more about that item until he advances a level. Note that some items, such as special magical tomes, cannot be identified with this spell.
Exact attack or damage bonuses, charges of an item may be determined; one per reading. A longsword, +1/+4 versus undead has two individual functions.
After casting the spell and determining what can be learned from it, the wizard loses 8 points of Constitution. He must rest for one hour to recover each point of Constitution. If the 8-point loss drops the wizard below a Constitution of 1, he falls unconscious. Consciousness is not regained until full Constitution is restored, which takes 24 hours (one point per three hours for unconscious character).
The material components of this spell are a crushed pearl and jet gemstone (of at least 100 gp value each), and an owl feather steeped in wine, with the infusion drunk prior to spellcasting. If a luckstone is powdered and added to the infusion, the divination becomes much more potent and the functions of a multi-function item can be learned from a single reading. At the DM's option, certain properties of an artifact or relic might also be learned.

