Reveal Secrets

All right, my trustworthy students especially those of you who aspire to become investigators or support the work of kingdoms and law. The spell I’m teaching you today is called Reveal Secrets, and it does exactly what it claims.
This spell compels a target to reveal a secret related to a specific topic you choose but only briefly. The target will speak no more than ten words before the effect fades. Even so, ten words can be more than enough if you ask the right question and choose your topic carefully.
The spell works as long as the target truly believes the information is a secret and believes it relates to the topic you suggested. If the spell succeeds, the target typically does not remember being prompted about the secret. If the spell fails, however, they will remember and they will know you were trying something.
Now, before any of you get clever ideas about using this on friends to dig up personal gossip, or using it to “discover” secret passcodes, hidden vaults, or private locations remember this: using this spell outside of legal authority and ethical cause can bring harsh punishment. This magic exists to help people and protect communities finding a missing person’s location, uncovering hidden threats, or extracting critical information when time and lives are at stake.
And do not overestimate it. This is not a perfect truth spell. Strong-willed targets often resist it, and even when it works, you are only nudging a secret loose. Worse: the answer you get may not be the answer you meant to ask for. If your topic is vague, you may receive something irrelevant or misleading not because the spell lies, but because your wording was careless.
So choose your topic precisely. Use the spell wisely, morally, and lawfully.
And for the record: I am not responsible for what you do with it or for the punishment that follows if you misuse it.

Effect

When you cast this spell, you ask the target whether it has a secret about a specific topic that can be described in 10 words or fewer. This can concern a person, place, or thing (such as a town’s mayor, the ring worn by a traveling merchant, or the bridge spanning a nearby river) or an easily distinguished event (such as a historic battle or a recent rash of disappearances). If the target knows a secret about the topic (information it believes isn’t common knowledge and which it would not normally tell you), it states it has a secret. The target doesn’t mention anything about the secret and doesn’t remember telling you it has a secret. If the target succeeds at its saving throw, it isn’t compelled to reveal whether it knows a secret and is aware that you asked.

Gestures & Ritual

There are two common ways to cast Reveal Secrets.
The first is subtle: you enchant your voice, lean close, and whisper the incantation and the chosen topic into the target’s ear while holding one finger near your lips like sealing the secret as you draw it out.
The second is direct: you lock eyes with the target, raise a finger between your brows, and enchant your gaze. Then you speak the incantation and the topic aloud, pushing the compulsion through eye contact and intent.

Related School

School of Enchantment

Related Element

Will, Light, WInd, Dark

Effect Duration

1 round

Effect Casting Time

Standard

Range

Creature Touched

Level

LV1