Creatures immune to critical hits are immune to this spell.
When you cast this spell, choose a limb and a disease. The limb on the target shrivels and blackens, becoming lifeless, dessicated flesh. Damage is dealt according to the limb chosen. Vital "limbs", such as humanoid's head, cannot be chosen. However, the head of a Hydra could be destroyed with this spell.
| Limb | Initial Damage | Hacking Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Leg or Arm | 2d6 + 1 pt/caster level | 1d8 |
| Shin or Forearm | 2d4 + 1 pt/caster level | 1d6 |
| Foot or Hand | 1d6 + 1 pt/2 caster levels | 1d6 |
| Toe or Finger | 1d4 + 1 pt/2 caster levels | 1d3-1 (min 0) |
The above stats are geared for humanoids. The DM may use different values for different creatures or limbs. However, damage should never exceed 12 points + 1 per caster level, nor should damage be less than 1 point per two caster levels.
Initial damage is dealt when the limb withers. It must then be hacked off before the end of the next round (causing the extra hacking damage) or the victim contracts the chosen disease, whose incubation period is shortened to 1 day. Leaving the limb on even longer may cause gangrene or other debilitating effects. And if it isn't removed before the onset of the disease, the victim will die rather than show symptoms.
Natural or magical regeneration cannot be used to restore the lost limb until the latent magical energy is removed with either dispel magic or remove curse. The caster may also dismiss this energy as a free action.
The target is entitled to a Fortitude save to save his limb. If he succeeds, he still suffers the full initial damage, but may roll the "hacking damage" die and subtract that roll from the damage dealt. (Example: A fighter survives an attempt by a 20th-level disjoiner to destroy his leg. He rolls 2d6 (4+2), adds 20 for the disjoiner's level, then subtracts 1d6 (5), for a total of 21 points of damage.) The target must also make a second Fortitude save with a +5 luck bonus to his roll, or contract the disease.
This spell is also known as The Harlot's Curse, as a wiley female disjoiner, about 200 years back, frequently used this spell on men who had crossed her, relieving them of the rather important limb they had below their waist.