Blind Warrior by Losev Fyodor
The Southlands Campaign Setting by Kobold Press is full of neat and amazing things, although one of the persistent novelties is the concept of combat divination. In short, they are new Pathfinder spells meant to reflect sixth senses of diviners who foresaw enemy actions and can react in time to them. Divination spells in the core rules are usually not of immediate use in combat, taking time to cast or more for scouting purposes, so the combat divination spells in Southlands get around that by being cast as an immediate action (or reaction interrupting the enemy's turn).
Southlands got a partial conversion to 5th Edition, but my favorite spells were absent. Fortunately they are open content, so I took the time to convert them.
Special Note: Although they may only select spells of the abjuration and evocation schools, it may be thematically appropriate to allow eldritch knights an exception in learning combat divination spells.
Combat Divination Spells by Class
Bard
2nd—anticipate attack, distraction cascade, distracting divination, seer's reaction, soothsayer's shield
3rd—avoid grievous injury, scry ambush, sudden slip, targeting foreknowledge
5th—sidestep arrow
6th—energy foreknowledge
Cleric
2nd—anticipate attack, distraction cascade, distracting divination, insightful maneuvers, seer’s reaction, soothsayer’s shield
3rd—avoid grievous injury, scry ambush, sudden slip, targeting
foreknowledge
4th—anticipate arcana
5th—sidestep arrow
6th—energy foreknowledge
Druid
2nd—anticipate attack, distraction cascade, seer’s reaction, soothsayer’s shield, sudden slip
3rd—avoid grievous injury, scry ambush, targeting foreknowledge
5th—sidestep arrow
6th—energy foreknowledge
Paladin
2nd—insightful maneuvers
Ranger
2nd—anticipate attack, distraction cascade, insightful maneuvers, seer's reaction, soothsayer's shield
3rd—scry ambush, targeting foreknowledge
5th—sidestep arrow
Sorcerer
1st—alter arrow’s fortune, anticipate weakness, foretell distraction
2nd—anticipate attack, distraction cascade, distracting divination, insightful maneuvers, seer’s reaction, soothsayer’s shield3rd—avoid grievous injury, scry ambush, sudden slip, targeting foreknowledge
4th—anticipate arcana
5th—sidestep arrow
6th—energy foreknowledge
Wizard
2nd—anticipate attack, distraction cascade, distracting divination, insightful maneuvers, seer’s reaction, soothsayer’s shield
3rd—avoid grievous injury, scry ambush, sudden slip, targeting foreknowledge
4th—anticipate arcana
5th—sidestep arrow
6th—energy foreknowledge
Combat Divination Spells
Alter Arrow's Fortune
1st-level divination (bard, cleric, druid, ranger, sorcerer, wizard)
Casting Time: 1 reaction
Range: 120 feet
Components: S
Duration: instantaneous
Anticipate Attack
2nd-level divination (bard, cleric, druid, ranger, sorcerer, wizard)Casting Time: 1 reaction
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
In a flash of foreknowledge, you spot an oncoming attack with enough time to avoid it. Upon casting this spell you may move up to 5 feet that does not provoke opportunity attacks. You may make this move even if you used your movement speed for this turn. If this move creates enough distance between you and an attacking foe to be out of its range, it wastes its attack.
Anticipate Arcana
4th-level divination (bard, cleric, sorcerer, wizard)
Casting Time: 1 reaction
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
Your foresight gives you an instant to ready your defenses against a magical attack. When a foe has cast a spell requires a saving throw or ability check to resist, this spell grants you advantage against that specific spell's effect. This advantage dissipates as soon as you make the first roll against the spell.
Anticipate Weakness
1st-level divination (bard, cleric, druid, ranger, sorcerer, wizard)
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: instantaneous
With a quick gaze into the future, you pinpoint where a gap in your foe’s defense is about to be, and then you strike. Upon casting this spell, you gain advantage on your next single attack this round.
Avoid Grievous Injury
3rd-level divination (bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, wizard)
Casting Time: 1 reaction
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: instantaneous
When a foe has successfully struck you but before it deals damage, as the attack gets through your defenses, you receive a foretelling that helps you to dodge just enough to keep the blow from being mortal. Upon casting this spell when you would suffer a critical hit, you impose disadvantage on the target's roll, effectively forcing them to reroll.
Distraction Cascade
2nd-level divination (bard, cleric, druid, ranger, sorcerer, wizard)
Casting Time: 1 reaction
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: instantaneous
Small actions have a ripple effect on reality, and with a flash of foresight you throw a foe off balance. Upon casting this spell, you may target one creature about to be attacked by one of your allies. That creature must succeed at a Wisdom saving throw or have the next attack by one of your allies gain advantage on their attack roll against them.
Distraction Divination
2nd-level divination (bard, cleric, sorcerer, wizard)
Casting Time: 1 reaction
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: instantaneous
Foresight tells you just when and how to be just distracting enough to foil an enemy spellcaster. You can interrupt a foe’s spellcasting attempt, forcing that target to make a Constitution saving throw or fail to cast the spell.
Energy Foreknowledge
6th-level divination (bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, wizard)
Casting Time: 1 reaction
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: instantaneous
As your foe’s spell fills your vision, you thank the fates that you had the foresight to prepare the proper countermeasures. You may use this spell after being targeted by an enemy’s spell that has an acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder descriptors, but before the results of the spell’s success or damage are known. When you cast this spell, you gain resistance against the type matching the spell targeting you.
Alternatively, if you already have an ongoing protective spell on you that has an elemental or energy component, you instead may alter that spell so its type is the same as the spell targeting you. You still gain resistance, but the change to the ongoing protective spell only lasts for the foe’s single spell, after which it reverts to the type it had when it was cast. Energy Foreknowledge's effect also only lasts for this single spell.
Foretell Distraction
1st-level divination (bard, cleric, ranger, sorcerer, wizard)
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: instantaneous
Thanks to your foreknowledge, you know just when your foe will take his or her eyes off of you. Upon casting this spell you may gain advantage on any Charisma (Deception) or Dexterity (Stealth) checks to use the hide action. This bonus lasts for the rest of your turn.
Insightful Maneuvers
2nd-level divination (cleric, paladin, ranger, sorcerer, wizard)
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
With a flash of insight, you know just how to maneuver your foe to your advantage. You gain advantage on your next Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) check.
Scry Ambush
3rd-level divination (bard, cleric, druid, ranger, sorcerer, wizard)
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: instantaneous
You foresee your foe’s attack moments before it begins, giving you time to prepare yourself. You can cast this spell when you are surprised in an ambush as combat is announced but before initiative has been determined. Doing so negates the surprise for you (meaning you can take normal actions on the first turn of combat).
Seer's Reaction
2nd-level divination (bard, cleric, druid, ranger, sorcerer, wizard)
Casting Time: 1 reaction
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
Your foreknowledge allows you to act before others because you knew this was going to happen. This spell can be cast as combat is announced, but before initiative has been determined. You gain advantage on the initiative roll.
Sidestep Arrow
5th-level divination (bard, cleric, druid, ranger, sorcerer, wizard)
Casting Time: 1 reaction
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
With a sudden vision of the immediate future and a few strategic steps, you place a foe in the way of certain danger. You may cast this spell while a foe is targeting you with a ranged attack, including ranged spells, when another foe is within 10 ft. of you.
When you do so, you may move up to your normal speed within the reach of that nearby foe, putting him or her in the way of the ranged attack. Resolve the ranged attack with the nearby foe as the target instead of you.
Soothsayer's Shield
2nd-level divination (bard, cleric, druid, ranger, sorcerer, wizard)
Casting Time: 1 reaction
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
Knowing the next attack is coming before it lands gives you the chance to shift and potentially avoid ever being hit. This spell must be cast when a creature attacks you, but before the outcome of that attack is known. This spell imposes disadvantage on that specific creature's attack roll.
Sudden Slip
2nd-level divination (bard, cleric, druid, sorcerer, wizard)
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
You set a series of small events in motion that cause the targeted creature to make a Wisdom saving throw or drop one held, nonmagical item. If the target is holding more than one
nonmagical item and fails a Wisdom saving throw, the item dropped is random. This spell does not affect held magical items.
Targeting Foreknowledge
3rd-level divination (bard, cleric, druid, ranger, sorcerer, wizard)
Casting Time: 1 reaction
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
Sometimes, it only takes a small shift to make an attack that much more deadly. This spell must be cast when you have already made a successful attack, but before the damage of that attack is known. The spell adds an additional 2d6 damage to your attack of a damage type identical to your attack.
