Parameters
Components: V, S, F
Cost: 4 Int damage and 2d6 Sanity points
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft.+ 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 hour/level or until you return to your body
Attack Versus: Will negates (see text)
Details
By casting magic jar, you place your own soul in a gem or large crystal (also known as a magic jar), leaving your body lifeless. You can then attempt to take control of a nearby body, forcing its soul into the magic jar. You may move back to the jar (returning
the trapped soul to its body) and attempt to possess another body. The incantation ends when you send your soul back to your own body (leaving the receptacle empty).
To cast the incantation, the magic jar must be within range, and you must know where it is, though you do not need line of sight or line of effect to it. When you transfer your soul upon casting, your body, as near as anyone can tell, is dead.
While in the magic jar, you can sense and attack any life force within 10 feet per caster level. You do need line of effect from the jar to the creatures. However, you cannot determine the exact creature types or positions of these creatures. In a group of life forces, you can sense a difference of 4 or more HD and can determine whether A life force is positive or negative energy. (Undead creatures are powered by negative energy. Only sentient undead creatures have souls.)
For example, if two 10th-level characters are fighting a dog (2 HD) and four 1st-level guards, you could determine that there are two stronger and five weaker life forces within range, all with positive life energy. You could choose to take over either a stronger or a weaker creature, but which stronger or weaker creature you attempt to possess is determined randomly.
Attempting to possess a body is a full-round action. You possess the body and force the creature's soul into the magic jar unless your Will attack misses. Failure to take over the host leaves your life force in the magic jar and the target automatically evades any further attacks against their Will from this magic jar casting.
If successful, your life force occupies the host body, and the host's life force is imprisoned in the magic jar. You keep your Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, level, base attack bonus, base defenses, and mental abilities. The body retains its Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, hit points, automatic abilities, and natural abilities (for instance, a fish's body breathes water). A body with
extra limbs does not allow you to make more attacks (or more advantageous two-weapon attacks) than normal. You can't choose to activate the body's extraordinary or supernatural abilities. The creature's spells and spell-like abilities do not stay with the body.
As an attack action, you can shift freely from a host to the magic jar if within range, sending the trapped soul back to its body. The incantation ends when you shift from the jar to your own body.
If the host body is slain, you return to the magic jar, if within range, and the life force of the host departs (that is, it is dead). If the host body is slain beyond the range of the incantation, both you and the host die. Any life force with nowhere to go is treated
as slain.
If the incantation ends while you are in the magic jar, you return to your body (or die if your body is out of range or destroyed). If the incantation ends while you are in a host, you return to your body (or die, if it is out of range of your current position), and the
soul in the magic jar returns to its body (or dies if it is out of range). Destroying the receptacle ends the incantation, and the incantation can be dispelled at either the magic jar or the host.
Incorporeal creatures with the magic jar ability can use a handy, nearby object (not just a gem or crystal) as the magic jar.
Material Components
A gem or crystal.