You add +10 to your saving throw against nuclear bombs!


I think I read this in a Dungeons & Dragons manual. It’s a magic spell called Agnihotra that puts a shell around you to resist nuclear fallout when an atom bomb goes off, only in this case, it’s real…well, as real as the delusions of a freaky Hindu mystic can make it, which isn’t very. But at least it’s illustrated and explained!

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When a nuclear device is detonated, it gives rise to raja-tama predominant vibrations of the Absolute Cosmic Fire element. Discordant subtle sounds accompany these frequencies. These subtle sounds have a subtle harmful effect on the mind and intellect of the people in the vicinity of the nuclear attack. It can range from depression, to negative thoughts, to fogging up of the intellect.

When the ritual of Agnihotra is performed, it gives rise to sattva predominant vibrations of the Absolute Cosmic Fire element. The fire created from Agnihotra disintegrates the raja-tama particles and therefore purifies the environment at a spiritual level. It also creates a subtle protective sheath around the person performing the ritual. This sheath is highly sensitive to anything related to the Absolute Cosmic Fire element and from the subtle dimension this sheath looks reddish.

The raja-tama predominant Absolute Cosmic Fire particles (emanating from a nuclear device detonating) strike in a very harsh and callous manner. The protective sheath intuitively knows in advance when they are coming near it and as a reflex action it sends the Absolute Cosmic Fire frequencies from within it towards the raja-tama predominant particles with tremendous force. This destroys the raja-tama predominant Absolute Cosmic Fire particles which give rise to the sound frequencies. As a result, the destructive Absolute Cosmic Fire from the detonated nuclear device loses its power.

I think the author has only recently discovered the word “subtle”, and kind of likes it even if he isn’t 100% clear on what it means. This is also the first time I’ve heard that one of the serious effects of fallout is that it emits sounds that make you depressed.

In addition to subtle diagrams, there are subtle tables that tell you the degree and duration of your protection depending on your spiritual level (see, I told you! It’s D&D!) It doesn’t, however, tell you how they determined the degree of protection from fallout that you get — they must have sent teams of mages into radiation filled chambers to get the LD50. It is also unfortunately missing the specification of the material components required to cast the spell; you probably need to pay up some cash to get all the details. But who wouldn’t want to make sattva vibrations to zap the raja-tama particles?