By the use of this spell, a cleric can tell if a tar- get creature is alive. The magic will detect life in the recipient of a feign death spell, or someone in a coma, deathlike trance, or state of suspend- ed animation. |f cast upon the body of a creature that is engaged in astral travel, it will reveal that the creature is alive. The spell works on plants and plant creatures as well as animals. The spell’s range is diminished if more than a one-inch thickness of wood or stone lies between the cleric and the subject. Each inch of thickness of a wood or stone barrier is treated as 10 feet of open space. A barrier of metal of any thickness will cause the spell to fail and be ruined. Any form of mental protection, including those of psionic or magical nature, will likewise ruin the spell without any- thing being detected. The spell will detect the first living creature that lies along the cleric’s line of sight (and within range), or else the first creature that crosses the line-of-sight path before the duration expires.