AD&D 2nd Edition

Range: 30 yds
Components: V, M
Duration: 1 hr + 1 hr/level
Casting Time: 3
Area of Effect: 1 creature
Saving Throw: Neg.

When this spell is cast by the wizard, he influences the actions of the chosen recipient by the utterance of a few words – phrases or a sentence or two – suggesting a course of action desirable to the spellcaster. The creature to be influenced must, of course, be able to understand the wizard’s suggestion – it must be spoken in a language that the spell recipient understands. The suggestion must be worded in such a manner as to make the action sound reasonable; asking the creature to stab itself, throw itself onto a spear, immolate itself, or do some other obviously harmful act automatically negates the effect of the spell. However, a suggestion that a pool of acid was actually pure water and that a quick dip would be refreshing is another matter. Urging a red dragon to stop attacking the wizard’s party so that the dragon and party could jointly loot a rich treasure elsewhere is likewise a reasonable use of the spell’s power. The course of action of a suggestion can continue in effect for a considerable duration, such as in the case of the red dragoon mentioned above. Conditions that will trigger a special action can also be specified; if the condition is not met before the spell expires, the action will not be performed. If the target successfully rolls its saving throw, the spell has no effect. Note that a very reasonable suggestion causes the saving throw to be made with a penalty (such as -1, -2, etc) at the discretion of the DM. Undead are not subject to suggestion. The material components of this spell are a snake’s tongue and either a bit of honeycomb or a drop of sweet oil.