School: Chronomancy (Divination)
(Intended for use with the Chronomancer subclass)

When Lifeline Ping is cast, the caster establishes a temporary link to the subject's lifeline. A magical pulse is sent along the line in both directions, reflecting back whenever it reaches the points of the recipient's birth and death. Using the echo principle, the caster acquires a general idea of the length of the lifeline in each direction. If the subject's age is known or can be guessed, it is then a simple matter of calculating the ratios to discover with fair accuracy how much life the person has left.

After 6th level, the caster acquires an innate feeling for the spell's mystical echo and can instantly know the subject's age, as well as how much life it has left, without having to make any calculations.

Note that creatures who have traveled through time have incontinuous lifelines as a result of their travels, and this spell will only yield the length of time that creature existed in reality after returning from their last trip through time, and before next departing through time again in the future.

A saving throw is not permitted, but physical contact must be maintained throughout the casting. The subject would have to either be a willing participant, or be unable to struggle away.

The material component necessary for a Life Sounding is an unblemished silver weight on a 1-foot length of silver chain. The weight must be replaced with a fresh silver weight after every casting.

Based on 2e AD&D spell Life Sounding, from the Chronomancer suppliment (TSR 9506).