The Deafening Word of Truth

Effect

The theurge utters a secret which is magnified into a destructive blast of sound. It affects all in a cone up to one hundred feet long and fifty feet wide at the end, inflicting damage and knocking down light wooden construction. Lesser foes are knocked down, deafened by the word for an hour thereafter and forced to spend their movement action standing up again. The magnitude of the damage done depends on the significance and importance of the secret. A petty secret that isn’t even embarrassing to the caster inflicts no damage at all to hearers. An embarrassing or awkward secret that isn’t otherwise important inflicts a 1d10 damage die on those in the effect. A secret that exposes the caster to significant danger, reveals a weakness that enemies can exploit, or would incur the anger of a dangerous enemy inflicts a 1d20 damage die on those in the effect, and forces all targets to save versus Hardiness or be stunned and unable to act for a round. While the caster may not leave any survivors to discuss the secret, the invocation’s symbolic significance has its effects. Any secret used to power this spell is treated as common scholarly knowledge for the purpose of Knowledge gifts and similar powers, even if no other living creature knows it.