Gift of Gab: Unsend, UNSEND!
Spell Level: 2
School: Enchantment
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take when you speak to another creature
Range: Self
Duration: Instantaneous
Components: V, S, M (2 gold coins, which is consumed as tax for using the spell)
When you cast this spell, you skillfully reshape the memories of listeners in your immediate area, so that each creature of your choice within 5 feet of you forgets everything you said within the last 6 seconds. Those creatures then remember that you actually said the words you speak as the verbal component of the spell.
Review by Sam West, Twitter:@CrierKobold
We all make mistakes; we’re people, after all. Our D&D characters do too. And when they do, the consequences can be life or death. Did you insinuate the bugbear warlord looked fat? Did you decide to poke fun at the dragon’s giant eyeballs? Do you desperately want to mention the villain's lazy eye, but fear immediate and harsh repercussions? Enter Gift of Gab: if you’re the party face and known to screw up some critical conversations, Gift of Gab is here to save the day.
For a 2nd level slot, Gift of Gab isn’t something you want to use in the lower levels if you can help it. The effect its offering is more a convenience than a particularly powerful way to engage with the world. Most of the time, you’re casting it as a bandage when you horribly offend a noble or reveal a critical element of your plan to the villain. When you’re sitting on buckets of spell slots you don’t know what to do with, this can feel like a get out of jail free card you’re getting for basically nothing; if you’re levels three or four, one of your precious 2nd level slots is a tall order.
Outside of covering a slip up, Gift of Gab also can be used to dig for information discreetly. Clever roleplayers can come up with quick questions to try to learn information they’re not supposed to be poking around for; Gift of Gab can let you potentially uncover that information without it being apparent you were digging for it in the first place. Reshaping recent events, even just six seconds of them, can entirely change how you’re perceived by some characters. If discretion is the end goal, Gift of Gab is an incredible addition to your spell list.
Out of combat utility spells like this make me so happy. We need more reaction spells, we need more niche, yet powerful social spells. Gift of Gab is both, and succeeds in a way few other spells can. I really feel like this should just be a bard spell, but outside of that, Gift of Gab is a spell excellently designed that can easily slot onto any charismatic character’s sheet.
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