Earth Sight Edict 404

From: Almanac of the Verdant Eclipse 821

Description: The caster chooses a point on the ground they can see. For the next 10 minutes, they can “see” through that point as if it were their own eyes, with full 360-degree vision, up to 120 feet in all directions (even through solid earth and stone). They can use this to scout an entire dungeon floor, find hidden chambers, or see the roots of the problem (literally). The caster’s own body is blind and deaf while using this ability.

Roleplay: The caster places their hand on the Almanac and chants, their eyes rolling back and becoming milky white. Their perspective crashes down into the dirt, feeling the cool press of soil and stone. They don’t just “see” a 3D map; they perceive it. They feel the scuttling of insects, the slow creep of roots, and the hollow emptiness of a hidden tomb, all as a single, overwhelming sensory input.

Lore

This spell is the “oddball” in the Almanac of the Verdant Eclipse. It wasn’t born of the Codex’s cosmic madness or the Daoist amulet’s nurturing life. It was born of pure frustration.

Zharan the Whisperer, the original author of the Eclipsed Codex, was obsessed with the heavens. Kai, the Daoist sage, was obsessed with the soil. When they merged their knowledge, Zharan found himself infuriated by Kai’s insistence that “the earth has all the answers.” Zharan, a man who saw in vast, clean, cosmic lines, found the earth to be a “muddy, disorganized mess.”

He created this spell as an “Edict”—a command—for the earth to show him its math. He wanted a clean, 3D map.

The spell’s designation, “404,” was Zharan’s original project number, which he bitterly annotated as “Truth Not Found.” When he cast it, he hated it. He wasn’t shown a map; he was assaulted by the feeling of a million crawling insects, the slow, groaning shift of stone, and the suffocating dampness of soil. He found the sensory input to be chaotic, useless, and terrifying.

Kai, the Daoist, tried it next. When he surfaced 10 minutes later, he was serene. “The earth-mother is happy to show you her home,” he said. “You just have to be polite enough to feel the roots and listen to the worms.”

The spell remains a perfect fusion of the Almanac’s three parts: The Codex’s power to see the unseen, the Ofuda’s focused insight, and the Daoist amulet’s deep, physical connection to the soil.

The Use

This is the ultimate strategic divination tool for any static location. Its 1/day use means it’s a major tactical decision, not a simple convenience.

The caster plants their “sensor” on a single point of ground. From that point, a 120-foot-radius sphere of perception expands through solid matter. The caster isn’t “seeing” in the traditional sense; they are perceiving a perfect, 360-degree, three-dimensional “model” of everything in that sphere.

They can perceive:

The exact layout of dungeon corridors, rooms, and passages.
The location of hollow spaces, revealing secret passages or hidden chambers.
The complex mechanisms of traps—the counterweights, pressure plates, and magical sigils inside the walls.
The physical location of all creatures, whether they’re sleeping, standing guard, or waiting in ambush.
The location of significant material deposits, like a vein of ore, a cluster of magical crystals, or a massive root system.

Specifics & Stats

Tier Level: 3
Spell Name: Earth-Sight Edict 404
Frequency: 1 charge (recharges once per day at dawn).
Mana Cost: 100 Mana
Casting Time: 1 Minute (The caster must be kneeling, with at least one hand on the Almanac and the Almanac itself touching the ground point).
Duration: 10 minutes (concentration).
Range (Placement): Touch.
Range (Effect): 120-foot radius sphere, centered on the placement point, ignores all non-magical solid matter. (Magical wards or solid force-walls block it).
Cost (Scroll): As a one-use Tier 3 ritual scroll, this would cost between 900-1200 Gold.
Requirements:
- Must be Tier 3.
- Must be attuned to and holding the Almanac of the Verdant Eclipse 821.
- Requires Adept Skill in Arcana (to handle the power) and Agriculture or Nature (to understand the “language” of the earth).
Skills (Boosted): While the spell is active, the caster can make Perception or Investigation checks for anything within the 120ft sphere, using the Almanac’s high Magic Attack stat in place of their normal skill bonus.
Tags: Tier 3, Divination, Earth, Primal, Sensory, Channeled, Ritual, Almanac-Spell, Concentration, Scouting, Mapping, Vulnerable, Debuff, Subterfuge, Detection, Information

Roleplay & Tactics

Roleplay: You’re not just watching a screen; you become the earth. As your eyes roll back, your normal senses are gone. You are blind and deaf. Your party members are just warm, hollow, vibrating “shapes” standing on your new “skin.” You feel the cold, heavy weight of 50 feet of granite, the claustrophobic press of a narrow passage, and the movement of a rat’s feet on stone 80 feet away.

This is overwhelming. The first time you cast this, you might need to make a Magic Defense check to avoid being stunned for a round by the sensory overload. You’d describe things in alien terms: “I feel a cold, hollow space to the north, 40 feet down. It’s… ’empty’ in a way that feels ‘carved.’ I feel… metal… something sharp and cold, nested in the wall just past the archway.”

Tactics: This spell defines the “breach and clear” phase of an encounter.

The Sitter: The caster is 100% vulnerable. They are blind, deaf, and immobile for up to 10 minutes. The rest of the party’s only job is to form a defensive perimeter around the caster. If a patrol stumbles upon you, the caster is a free target.
The “AWACS”: The caster is the “eyes in the sky” (or rather, “in the dirt”). The player (caster) becomes the map-maker. They should be drawing the map for the party in real-time, placing “X”s for enemies, and “T”s for traps.
Counter-Ambush: This is the perfect anti-ambush tool. The caster drops, spends the minute, and says, “Okay. There are six of them. They’ve barricaded the main hall. Two are in the alcoves with crossbows, and they’ve got a tripwire 10 feet past the door.” The party can now plan the perfect counter-attack, perhaps by…
Finding the “Other” Way: “The main hall is a death trap. But… 30 feet to the left, I feel an old, dry sewer pipe. It’s narrow, but it bypasses the barricade and comes up behind them.”
The Big Weakness: This spell is useless for anything above the ground. It won’t see the sniper on the roof, the gargoyle on the wall, or the invisible stalker floating in the air. It is the Earth-Sight Edict. Its power stops at the surface of the soil.

This spell’s activation is a profound sensory transfer. The avatar’s external senses shut down almost completely, replaced by a raw, alien feed from the earth itself.

Sight

What is Perceived: Total blindness. The avatar’s physical eyes see nothing.
Description: The world goes black as the avatar’s eyes roll back, becoming milky and unfocused.
Positives: Eliminates visual distractions, forcing 100% reliance on the spell’s new sensory input.
Negatives: The avatar is completely blind to their immediate surroundings. They cannot see the ally tapping their shoulder or the enemy swinging a sword at their head.

Hearing

What is Perceived: Total deafness.
Description: All external sound ceases, replaced by a deep, sub-audible thrum that feels like it’s vibrating inside the avatar’s bones.
Positives: Eliminates auditory distractions, allowing focus on the earth-sense.
Negatives: The avatar is deaf to shouted warnings, approaching footsteps, or the ‘shing’ of a drawn blade.

Touch

What is Perceived: A sudden, intense connection to the ground.
Description: The avatar feels the texture, temperature, and material of the ground they are kneeling on with supernatural clarity. This sensation radiates up their arms from the Almanac.
Positives: Confirms the connection and helps ground the avatar’s mind.
Negatives: The avatar’s physical body goes numb. They lose all other tactile sensation, such as the feel of their armor, the wind, or a hand grabbing them.

Smell & Taste

What is Perceived: Nothing. These senses shut down.
Description: The avatar no longer smells the dungeon mold or tastes the dry air.
Positives: Removes potential distractions.
Negatives: The avatar cannot smell smoke, poison gas, or the foul reek of an approaching monster.

Earth-Sense (Extra-Sensory)

What is Perceived: A perfect, 360-degree, three-dimensional “map” of all physical matter within 120 feet.
Description: This is not sight. The avatar feels the density and shape of things. Stone is “heavy” and “cold.” Earth is “light” and “damp.” Air is “empty.” Metal is “sharp” and “unnatural.” A hidden chamber is a “cold, hollow ‘bubble’” inside the “heavy” stone.
Positives: Grants perfect, instantaneous knowledge of an entire area’s layout, including secret doors and traps.
Negatives: It’s an overwhelming, alien data-stream. A new user might be stunned by the sheer sensory input. It cannot perceive anything non-physical, like illusions, light, or sound.

Haptic-Vibration Sense (Extra-Sensory)

What is Perceived: Movement.
Description: The avatar feels the vibrations of everything within the sphere. They perceive creatures as “vibrating hollows” (life-forms) moving through the static “heavy” (stone) and “light” (earth) map. They feel the scuttling of a rat, the “heavy, rhythmic thud” of an armored guard’s patrol, and the ‘click-click-click’ of a trap mechanism resetting.
Positives: This is the “creature-detector” aspect. It reveals all movement, even from things standing still (perceiving their breathing or heartbeat as a micro-vibration).
Negatives: It can be too sensitive. A dungeon full of rats, dripping water, and shifting earth might create a “noisy” feed that makes it hard to pick out the real threats.

Detachment (Extra-Sensory)

What is Perceived: A profound sense of disconnection from the avatar’s body.
Description: The avatar’s mind is no longer in their body. Their consciousness is now centered on a point in the dirt 120 feet below them. Their own body just feels like a distant, warm, “vibrating hollow” sitting on the “skin” of their new awareness.
Positives: Allows for incredible, objective focus on the tactical layout.
Negatives: This is the spell’s greatest weakness. The avatar is 100% “not home.” They are completely helpless, vulnerable, and unaware of any direct threat to their physical self.

Tale of Ground-Eye Edict
(This is from the Third Scribe’s telling, which is known to be full of [cracks].)

In the time of the Gilded Kings, there was a man, Varrus. He was a [Stealer-Man], and his hands were [quiet] and [quick]. Varrus had a [desire] for the King’s gold, but the King was a [suspicious-man] and kept his gold not in a tower, but in a [Stone-House-Below-The-Ground].

This [Stone-House] had no windows. It had no doors. It was said only the [earth-worms] knew the way in. It was full of [Men-Who-Wait] (guards) and [Metal-Teeth-That-Bite] (traps).

Varrus, in his [searching], found the [Book]. The Almanac of the Verdant Eclipse. He was a [smart-man] and understood the [writing]. He found the [Chant 404]. “This,” he [spoke-to-himself], “is the [earth-worm].”

He went to the [Hill] that sat above the King’s [Stone-House]. He put the [Book] on the dirt. He knelt. He [spoke] the Edict.

His [Head-Eyes] became [like-milk]. His [Head-Ears] were filled [with-stone]. He was [Not-Home] in his body. His [Seeing-Self] fell. It fell into the dirt.

The [feeling] was [loud]. It was not sight. He [felt] the [heavy-cold] of the [Stone-House] walls. He [felt] the [hollow-places] where men walked. He felt the [warm-shaking] of the [Men-Who-Wait]. He [counted] them. Twelve [warm-shakings]. He [felt] the [cold-metal] of the [Metal-Teeth]. He [felt] their [hunger] to move. He [smiled] (but his [meat-face] did not smile, it was [like-stone]).

He [searched] with his [Ground-Eye] for ten [short-times] (minutes). He found the [Gold-Room]. It was [screaming] with the [cold-heavy-song] of much metal. And! He found the [Way]. A [pipe-for-old-water], long forgotten. It was [empty] and [dark]. It led from a [creek-bed] right to the [Gold-Room].

He was [Happy]. He [knew] the [map]. He [drank] the [knowledge] until the spell was [finished].

But. The [Hill] was not [empty]. While Varrus was [dreaming-in-the-dirt], he was [blind] and [deaf] to the [Above-Ground]. A [Forest-Thing], a great [Wolf-with-Hunger], came upon the [meat-man] who was [praying-to-the-dirt]. Varrus was [Not-Home]. The [Wolf-Thing] [smelled] the [meat-man] and was [glad].

Varrus’s [Seeing-Self] [woke-up]. He was [pulled] back into his [Head-Eyes]. The [first-thing] he saw was not the [Hill]. It was the [teeth] of the [Wolf-Thing]. He [knew] everything about the [Stone-House-Below-The-Ground]. He [knew] nothing about the [Wolf-On-Top-Of-Him].

Moral of the Story: A [Man] who [sees] the [Gold] under the [Earth] cannot [spend] it if he is [Eaten] on the [Hill].

Suggested conversions to other systems:

Call of Cthulhu (7th Edition)

Edict of the Subterrane Type: Ritual Casting Time: 1 minute (10 combat rounds) Cost: 8 Magic Points, 1d4 Sanity

Mechanics: The investigator must kneel and place the Almanac on the ground, tracing the Edict’s sigil in the dirt. For the next 10 minutes, the Keeper must truthfully describe the layout of all physical structures, hollow spaces, and the precise location of any moving creatures within 120 feet, even through solid matter.

During this time, the caster is completely helpless—functionally blind, deaf, and immobile.

Furthermore, the sensory overload is traumatic. The first time the investigator uses this spell, and every time they fail a Hard POW roll when casting it, they are stunned for 1d10 rounds after the spell ends, babbling about “the crawling weight” or “the sound of the stone.”

Blades in the Dark

Ritual: The Earth-Sight Tier III Ritual

Mechanics: This spell can be performed in two ways:

During Downtime: The caster (and any assistants) can perform this as a Ritual to Gather Information for a score. The GM sets a 4-segment clock (e.g., Peer Beneath the Veil). The caster rolls Attune or Study. On a 6, fill 2 segments. On a 4/5, fill 1. On a 1-3, a complication occurs (the ritual attracts an echo, the caster takes 2 Stress, etc.). When the clock is full, they gain a detailed map and all relevant tactical information (guards, traps) for the target location.
During a Score: This is a Desperate Attune action that takes one minute.
- 6: You get the full picture. The GM draws the map, shows you the hostiles, and reveals the traps.
- 4/5: You get the map, but… you’re exposed. You take 2 Stress from the psychic assault, AND the GM gets to start a new 4-segment clock, like Patrol Spots Helpless Caster.
- 1-3: You are overwhelmed by the chaotic senses. You take 3 Stress, are left blind and deaf for 1d4 minutes, and you saw nothing useful.

Dungeons & Dragons (2024 Revision / 5e)

Earth-Sight Edict 3rd-level divination (ritual)

Casting Time: 1 minute Range: Self Components: V, S, M (The Almanac of the Verdant Eclipse 821, which you must touch to the ground) Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Mechanics: You kneel and touch the Almanac to a point on the ground. For the duration, you gain a special sense with a 120-foot radius centered on that point. You perceive the precise layout of all structures, hollow spaces, and the location of traps, mechanisms, and creatures within this sphere. This sense can penetrate any non-magical barrier, including solid stone, earth, or wood, but is blocked by magical wards (such as wall of force or private sanctum).

While you are maintaining concentration on this spell, you are Blinded and Deafened to your own immediate surroundings.

Knave (2nd Edition)

Spell: Earth-Sight Edict Source: Almanac of the Verdant Eclipse

Casting Time: 1 minute (10 rounds). The caster must be kneeling and touch the Almanac to the ground. Duration: 10 minutes.

Mechanics: The caster’s mind projects into the earth, granting them perfect knowledge of the layout of all structures, hollows, creatures (living or dead), and mechanisms (traps) within 120 feet, ignoring non-magical materials.

While this spell is active, the caster’s HP drops to 0. They are not dead, but they are Helpless (blind, deaf, and unable to act).

If the caster takes any damage while in this state:

The spell ends immediately.
The caster’s HP returns to 1.
The caster must make a CON save. On a failure, they suffer a Wound from the psychic shock of being ripped from the earth.

Fate (Core System)

Edict of the Stone’s Truth This is a powerful ritual Stunt.

Mechanics: Once per session, you can perform this ritual. This requires 10 minutes of uninterrupted concentration. When you do, you automatically succeed at a Create an Advantage action using Lore to discover the complete physical layout of the area (a large dungeon floor, a mansion, etc.). You gain three free invocations on the new Situation Aspect (e.g., The Dungeon’s Secrets Revealed).

The Catch: While performing this ritual, you are completely helpless, blind, and deaf. If you are interrupted (i.e., the GM makes a hostile move), the ritual fails, and you must take a Mild Consequence (like Sensory Overload or Psychic Scars) from the shock.

Numenera & Cypher System

Earth-Sight Edict This is a high-level ability granted by the Almanac of the Verdant Eclipse (Artifact).

Level: 7 Action: 1 minute (cannot be used in combat) Effect: For the next 10 minutes, your mind perceives a perfect 3D map of all physical matter, creatures, and mechanisms within a long distance (approx. 120 ft), ignoring non-exotic materials. The Catch: For this entire 10-minute duration, your physical body is stunned, helpless, and completely unaware of its immediate surroundings. Your Speed and Intellect defense rolls are reduced by three steps (to a minimum of 0). Depletion: 1 in 1d20 (This ability triggers the artifact’s Depletion roll).

Pathfinder (2nd Edition)

Earth-Sight Edict Spell 5 Traits: Divination, Concentrate, Earth Tradition: Primal Cast: 1 minute (Somatic, Verbal, Material) Range: Self Area: 120-foot emanation Duration: Sustain, up to 10 minutes

Mechanics: You send your consciousness into the ground, gaining earth-sense 120 feet. You can perceive the exact physical layout of the area, including creatures and mechanisms, through up to 5 feet of non-magical solid matter. This sense is blocked by 1 foot of metal or any magical ward.

While you Sustain this spell (a single action each round), you are Blinded, Deafened, and Stunned 1 as you are overwhelmed by the alien sensory input. If you do not Sustain the spell on your turn, it ends.

Savage Worlds (Adventure Edition)

Earth-Sight Power Points: 5 Casting Time: 1 minute Duration: 5 minutes Traits: Concentration

Mechanics: The caster gains a perfect “Vibration Sense” with a 24″ (120-foot) radius, ignoring non-magical barriers. They receive a perfect mental map of all structures, mechanisms, and creatures (even those standing still).

The Catch: Maintaining this spell requires Concentration (a free action). While active, the caster is completely blind and deaf to their own surroundings (automatic failure on relevant Notice rolls) and is considered Vulnerable (enemies gain +2 to hit them). If the caster takes any damage, they must make a Spirit roll or the spell ends immediately.

Shadowrun (6th Edition)

Edict of the Geosphere (Ritual, Divination, Mana)

Mechanics: This is a ritual, not a standard spell, due to its cast time and power. Time: 1 Minute (This is extremely fast and difficult) Seal: The caster (Leader) must be touching the Almanac to the bare earth or unworked stone. Test: Magic + Intuition [Astral] vs. a Threshold set by the GM (based on the area’s complexity, minimum 5). Effect: If successful, the caster (Leader) gains a perfect, 3D “geosense” of the area in a 40-meter (120-foot) radius sphere for 10 minutes. They perceive all physical structures, hollows, mechanisms, and the bio-signs of all living (and unliving) creatures. Drain: 10S. This Drain is resisted after the 10-minute duration ends, as the caster’s mind snaps back to their body. Drawback: For the entire 10-minute duration, the caster is in a catatonic trance. They are Helpless, unaware of their surroundings, and their Astral form is visibly outside their body, co-located with their physical form.

Starfinder

Edict of the Earthen Eye Mystic 3, Technomancer 3 School: Divination Casting Time: 1 minute Range: Self Area: 120-ft.-radius emanation, centered on you Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Mechanics: You touch the Almanac to the ground and begin a 1-minute chant. For the duration, you gain tremorsense 120 ft. and can perceive the precise physical layout of all structures, mechanisms (including traps), and hollow spaces within the area. This sense penetrates any non-magical material.

While you are concentrating on this spell, you are Blinded, Deafened, and Helpless. You are completely unaware of your immediate surroundings. If you take damage, you must make a concentration check (DC = 15 + damage taken) to maintain the spell.

Traveller (Mongoose 2nd Edition)

Geospatial Probe (Advanced Clairvoyance Talent)

Mechanics: This is an advanced Psionic power, not a spell. Time: 1 minute Range: Self Duration: 10 minutes Psi Cost: 8 Psi Points Check: Psionics (Clairvoyance) 10+ Effect: The Traveller’s mind projects into the earth. They gain a perfect, 3D mental map of all physical matter, structures, and life forms (perceived as vibrations) in a 40m (120-foot) radius. This power ignores non-Psi-shielded materials. Drawback: This is an Extreme Feat. For the 10-minute duration, the Traveller is in a deep “Psi-Trance.” They are completely unaware of their surroundings (auto-fail all Recon or Initiative checks) and may not take any action. If they take damage, the trance is broken, the power ends, and they must make an Endurance 8+ check or be Stunned for 1d6 rounds from the psychic shock.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (4th Edition)

Edict of the Stone’s Truth CN: 16 (Difficult) Range: Self Target: Self Duration: Willpower Bonus + SL Minutes (to a max of 10) Magic Lore: Divination or Earth (Ghur)

Mechanics: The caster must be in contact with the ground and the Almanac. If successfully cast, the caster’s mind sinks into the earth. They gain a perfect “sense” of the physical layout of all tunnels, rooms, traps (mechanisms), and moving creatures within 24 yards (approx 120ft). This is a purely sensory spell; it does not detect Daemonic or Ethereal creatures. Drawback: While this spell is active, the caster gains the Blinded, Deafened, and Stunned Conditions. These Conditions cannot be removed by any means (including Talents or other spells) until the spell’s duration ends or the caster takes a Wound. Miscast: A Fumble (doubles) on this spell is spectacularly bad. On a Minor Miscast, the caster’s mind is “lost” in the earth; they gain 1 Corruption point and the Unconscious Condition. On a Major Miscast, the caster gains the Claustrophobia (Severe) Mental Disorder, as they can never forget the crushing, suffocating weight of the earth.

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