Scrying is the art of using device such as a crystal ball or a spell or spell like ability such as Scry that uses abilities like clairvoyance and clairaudience to see into far away places and locate objects or creatures. You cannot use this skill unles you have some magical means to scry. These items allow you to spy on others, this skill just lets you do it better. This skill also increases your chance to nitice when you are being scried.
To find a creature or object requires a scrying check. The more information known about the creature or object, the easier it is to scry. Having an image (picture) or piece of that item greatly enhances your chances of viewing the item.
| Knowledge | DC |
|---|---|
| Voodoo Doll, simulacrum, or something with a permenent magical connection (magic jar gem, etc) | +20 |
| No information at all (ie looking for a person with red hair) | 25 |
| No information at all but have connection (see below) | 20 |
| You have only heard of the object or person | 17 |
| Secondhand (you have someone at hand that has
firsthand knowledge, can provide a detailed description) or Detailed Information (information provided from tomes, a sage, the product of a legerdermain spell, or bardic knowledge, or a DC 50 check on a relevant knowledge check) | 15 |
| Firsthand (you have met the subject or seen the object personally) | 10 |
| Familiar (you know the subject well or have handled the object) | 5 |
| Related (the person is a blood relative or the item is a signature item) | 1 |
| Additional Modifiers | |
| Over 1,000 miles away | -3 |
| On a diffrent plane | -5 |
| Behind 1" or more of lead (requires epic scry) | -5 |
| Epic Item or object (requires epic scry) | see contest |
| spell or magical barriers/protections | see contest |
| to scry without being detected (*for each -1 to skill check to detect scrying or on will save) | -1* |
| Connection | Modifier |
| Likeness or picture | +5 |
| Possession or garment | +8 |
| Body part, lock of hair, bit of nail, etc. | +10 |
Scry Protections: Some spells block scrying outright. If the item or ability that allows you to scry is of lower level or ability than the power that allows you to scry, then the scrying is automatically blocked. For example if the 7th level spell, Veil is used to protect an area, it will automatically defeat scrying from the 4th level Scry spell or a simple crystal ball (10th level caster using a scry spell needed to create). A 9th level protection from scrying such as would be needed to automatically protect against Greater Scrying or a powerful crystal ball. An epic scrying device or ability is needed to pierce epic spells or find epic items or artifacts.
Contest
When protections exist, and the scrying is not automatically defeated (as listed above) a contest of scry skill vs caster level of the protection must be succeeded in order to pierce the protection. Artifacts and certain epic items can only be found through an epic scry and automatically require a contest vs the caster level of the item.
Yes. Each hour spent scrying allows for a new attempt but each attempt made in the same day is at a cummulative -2. More than 4 hours of scrying will make a character fatigued and 8 hours of scrying will make a character exhausted. 24 hours must pass from the last attempt to scry to gain a new check with no negatives.
You cannot make an untrained scrying check. An untrained scry check is simply an Intelligence check. Without actual training, you cannot succeed at DCs over 20.