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288 views12 pagesDragon Magazine - 309
Speeding up combat; War Spells
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Available Formats
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/ 12
SHUT UP
AND ROLL!
Ways To
15:
‘ombat
by Carla Harker
Speed Up
PLAYER |: “I cast magic
missile at the orc.”
PLAYER 2: “No, don’t do
that! The fighters will
take him out easily. Use
one of your darts.”
PLAYER !: “Ohyokay.\I’m,
going to use a poison-
tipped dart. Let me look
up the damage this kind
of poison does.”
PLAYER 3: “Hey, I
reloaded my crossbow at
the end of my last turn.”
PLAYER 4: “Yeah, and I
wanted to take my 5-
foot step.”
DM: “So, whose turn is
it anyway?”
34 July 2003,
jombat is an important part of the
Ge rules, but lets face i, even
#h€ tnost experienced players and
DMS can spend farstoo long resolving
‘the actions in a round. Such delays can
lead to frustrating: game experiences
because the characters can't achieve as
much as they would if combat were
‘resolved more efficiently.
{F the above exchange sounds famil-
iar, try some of the suggestions pre~
sented below for speeding up combat in
your game. Some are for players, some
are for DMs, and some are for every
one at the table.
FOR PLAYERS
Any player can use the following tech-
niques to speed combat along. Try them
and see how much more your charac-
ters can get done during a game session.
before it's your tur. Don't chat,
nap, or stare off into space while
waiting for your turn; pay attention to
what others are doing, You shouldn't
| Know what you're going to do
have to ask, “OK, who's stil alive? Who's
this guy? When did he run up to me?
Make use of the time between turns by
‘analyzing the battlefield and coming up
with a plan of attack. When you don’
pay attention, you force everyone else
40 wait while you catch up.
Don’t offer suggestions to other
players unless they request
advice. Encouraging suggestions
from others can turn every round of
combat into a committee decision. Some
players lke to suggest actions that might
benefit their own characters more than
they benefit the group. Others suggest
only actions that fit in with their partic~
lar styles of play. But players should
never feel pressured to play a certain
‘way; its the diversity of styles that adds
spice to a gaming group.
When someone asks for ideas,
responses should be brief, and the DM
should step in if the process is faking
100 long or it seems that the player is
being pressured to make decisions
according fo the standards of others. Write down the descriptions of
your character's skill, feats,
and spells, and attach those
notes to your character sheet. Ever
have an exchange like the following
during a game?
Player 1: “Tin going 10 cast veil.”
DM: “Whats the duration, and does it
have a saving throw?”
Player 1: “Um, I don’t know. Let me
ook it up.”
‘Some DMs might have every detail of
every spell in the game memorized, but
i's unreasonable to expect that. IF you
attach the descriptions of your charac-
ter’s skils, feats, and spels to the char=
acter sheet, you won't have to make
everyone wait while you page through
the Player's Handbook in search of
information about how they work. Some
DMs might not want you to bring all
your books to the gaming rable anyway.
Don’t communicate in-game
information if your character is
Tot in the area, is unconscious,
or otherwise would not be able 10
speak. Suppose the paladin visits her
deity’s temple and therefore misses out
when the rest of the party gets into a
braw/ at the local tavern. Since she
can't provide her last potion of cure
light wounds to the now-unconscious
monk, she shouldn't be able to suggest
that the fighters drag the monk to
safety either. In the same vein, the
‘monk should not ask someone fo rescue
her while she's unconscious.
IF a particular combat is going to last
for a long time, the DM might wish to
waive this rule so that players who are
‘out of the picture won' be bored. For
the most part, however, if cireumstances
exist in the game that would prevent a
real person from speaking to comrades,
the same limitation applies to your PC.
2,284 B.C: The Divine Edict
Ding his Hating, Sargon conquers al oF
‘Mesopotamia and mos of is bordering nations,
Fighing no Fewer than thiry-foer wars withoa!
loss. After his ca, his chlsien take on the
thant of din'y 2s part of ther rule power,
Their claim of dine hertge allows the Sargonids
to orgeniae and accomplish many great undertk-
ings, bo domestically end miliary, However,
“vine eis” also become noorious 09 excuses
for fervent believes to commit increible atrock-
tes intherrames of ther dees,
2,250 B.C The Composite Bow
During the reign of Naram-Sin, the last great
Tuler of the Sargorid Dynasty, the most
probably your friend, and at least
to some extent, a game is a social
perfectly natural thing to do, But when
tions while he's trying to run a combat,
If your PC spent as much time deci
course of action as many players do, your PC
would be ai pile of goo in no time.
the excessively demanding one or the
fone whose turn it is. Not only is forcing
such a choice discourteous to both the
DM and the other players, it gets the
DM off track. He is the one person
who absolutely must pay attention dur-
ing each combat round, so if he gets
distracted, play invariably slows down.
Don't overanalyze. Making plans
while waiting for your turn is a
good habit, but analyzing every
last detail might not be productive.
Player 1: “Well if I cast that spel,
won't I provoke an attack of opportu-
nity? Where is he? Can he reach me
from there? It looks lie fm 3 feet away
from him. How many hit points does he
stil have? Does he-"
Player 2: “For the love of Tempus,
you're soth level and i's one Kobold!
Just attack it”
I's easy to waste time trying to think
of every possibilty and completely
ignore the obvious. What would you do
if you really were the character in the
above situation? Would you cast the
spell? IF an ankheg were looming over
you, having already killed your horse,
how much time would you spend trying
devasslng weapon yer is developed. Made of
bone, wood, and animal sinew, the composite
bow & 2 weapon of incredible power, capable
‘of launching arrays thr car punch ‘hrough an
‘enemys leather armor at 309 yards, The
Sumerians use the compose bow 10 deedly
cect, raising the lthary of mass combat by
at easton order of magnitude, Their success
ensures thatthe composite Low has a place n
every major conc for the next two mlenni
2,193 BCE: The Fall of sumeria
‘The ast Sargonid ruler, Naran-Si’s son, is
asssieled. Sumeria crumbles, 2nd the area
Tein ina constant stare of war wth no real
Unty forthe next mens,
to decide whether you should roll avay
from it, attack it, or cower and hope it
thinks you're dead? If your PC spent as
much time deciding on a course of
action as many players do, he would be
2 pile of goo in no time. Pretend i's you
in the situation described and react.
Don't worry i it's not the statistically
best thing you could have done-the
game will be more realistic that way. Not
ling ona C >
fe
only does overatiayzing slow down play,
it also ruins the suspension of disbelief
that’s so important in a game setting
Ulimately, it's the DM who is responsible
for maintaining the pacing of a game.
The following suggestions can help keep
the action moving.
Don't allow a character to act out
of turn. You're in charge of your
game, s0 i's up to you to decide
what the characters can and can't do.
Players offen forget what they wanted to
do or think of free actions their charac-
rers should have taken after their turns
are over=for example, the player of the
party rogue might decide after her turn
that she wanted to reload her crossbow.
You might be tempted to go ahead and
allow such afterthoughts as a courtesy
to your players, but this sort of gen-
erosity can quickly cause the situation to
get out of hand. A constant stream of
free actions and backup actions men-
tioned out of turn disrupts the flow of
combat and distracts everyone. Soon, no
one can remember whose turn was next.
Free actions are indeed free, bur they
SUnEEnSEEIENEnnninmmmememmmnmemenemmememneneeeeee
‘The fall of Sumeria and the subsquent dis-
pers ofits paople spreads Sumerian utr,
‘ustoms, and mary advancemen's far od
‘vides Al he ivizedresfons of the word gin
{rom the knowledge of he fallen empire,
2,000 B.C: The Celtic Migrations
The mary poser ro he Cla ban
ingraing from eastern Europe and the Middle
‘East, probebly to avoid war in the Mesopotamian
reglon, Trade allows many of these proto-Cele
tribes fo sort Sumerian knowledge and ils,
including she secrets of bronzesmifing, Slowly,
the barborin 1nbes in Europe and Asta beg to
‘gion superior weapons and become forces 10
be reckonad wi,
wwepaizo.comidragon 35 ‘must happen on the character's turn.
Only ifthe rules say a particular action
‘can be initiated outside the character's
turn should you allow itand there are
precious few such actions.
Demonstrate the action. Using
miniatures and terrain provides
you with an easy way fo show
players how combat is unfolding. So act
ut the battle scene for them. Explain
fo the player exactly what her charac~
ter sees when the ankheg is looming
over her prone body. The better play-
cers understand what's going on, the
faster they can make decisions about
their characters’ actions
Push for commitment. Sometimes
players just have trouble with
‘commitment, especially when they
have alot of options.
Player 1: ‘Tm thinking of atacking the
wraith with my dagger.”
DM: “Roll fo see i you hit. Does the
dagger have any magical properties?”
Player 1 °No, wat! Maybe 1 should
cast Melfs acid arrow instead"
DM: “OK, roll your atrack.”
Player 1: ‘No, no. Im just thinking about
it. How about magic missile instead?”
DM: “Which is it?”
Some players make a habit of speak
ing their ideas aloud without ever com-
mitting fo one course of action.
Sometimes they doit to feel you out—to
see what your reaction isto their sug
gestions. Other times, they doit because
they’re really not sure what to do.
her prone body.
1,994 BCE: The First Asian Empire
Ate thousands of yeas of interment warfare
‘aneng smal seements the first dynasty of
rulers emerges in Asia. But the Xia Dynasty's
hold on tis fervtory tenuous a best, since
constant vasions from barbarians tothe north
gp is conta in constant ox
Chinese martial innovations begin coming to
igh obit 32 tme, Eventual te Asians!
_adioncements are shared wth nations 10
the west.
1,900 BCE: The Discovery of ron.
Tha development of ironworking by the Hires
In Anatoli modern-day Turkey begin 052
‘modest undertaking, Iron inthis eras worth
36 July 2003
Whatever the reason, if the habit gets
cout of hand, you must be willing to stop
it by saying, “OK, that’s what you did.”
However, if you do decide to take this
route, be sure to warn your players
beforehand that you're going to con.
sider whatever they first say to be what
their characters are saying or doing.
Alternatively, you can tell your play
ers that not making a decision in a rea-
sonable amount of time will result in
that character spending his or her turn
frozen in indecision. Having characters
lose turns when their players can't
Explain to the player exactly what her char-
acter sees when the ankheg
looming over
decide on actions is a very harsh solu-
tion, though, so consider how bad the
problem is and whether your group
might respond to a gentler tactic before
you implement this one.
Don't be afraid to wing it. Don't
[Qesicesiess
that your players have time 10
run to the loca pizza palace for the buf=
fet. IF i's not an issue you can resolve
quickly. make an on-the-spot decision
and stick with it.I you later find out you
were wrong, change the rule after the
game, or at least after that combat. But
don't go back and replay that battle or
modify the outcome.
Furthermore, don't let your players
argue their rules points into the ground
during combat. Such discussions only
serve to slow down the game and
frustrate those who want to get on with
it, Make a house rule that everyone must
save rules-lawyering for after the game.
sore thn gold sat Used pamary for
jeneley at fis Alhough onworkersaikcky
{evel the alls to ke wespons, on
sbaggers ae considered ile mare than
precios arto.
eanwh, na age between the na
Mesopotamian eiy-sates of Babylon and Ashu,
‘ad he Hes aren the thick ff Bu despite
the deadly pois ofthe uation an eit on
vere spstns th His manage to pos
ton thenatves as raers and bul ava car
tne empire ha! sethes From Mesopeamia
{> the Medteranan and ester Europe
‘iregh ther rade, thy srasd many o he
advanced weapons ofthe Mesoptanian reson
fo other parts a the Medteranaan. Traugh
Get the players to help you look
] | up rules. If there's a disputed
issue and you simply can't come
up with an on-the-spot ruling that
sounds fair, have all the players pull
ut their Player's Handbooks and
‘Dunacon Masrer’s Guides and help you
find the answer. Six heads are better
than one, and i's likely that someone in
your group remembers reading about a
specific applicable rule or example at
some time. Joint issue resolution is a
_good way to get your players involved
in the game, and it has the edded bene-
fit of giving them more exposure to the
rules. (Just don’t let them bicker if they
find conflicting examples.) If you hold
‘enough joint rules searches, your group
might not have to look up as many
roles in the furure.
The following suggestions apply to
everyone at the gaming table, players,
and DM alike.
Come prepared. For a player,
] adequate preparation means
having your character's com-
bat statistics noted in a format that's
easy for you to read, having your dice
con the table, and having everything you
need to play nearby.
For the DM, proper advance prepa-
ration means ensuring that all your
monsters’ statistics are calculated and
handy, that you've read the adventure
completely, and that you have an
approximate idea of what should hap-
pen when. Experienced DMs realize
that you can never be prepared
‘enough, but the less offen you have to
hit the books, the more time you can
spend grabbing the players’ attention
with your exciting battles.
‘al they succeed in Keeping the ar of ron-
Smihing secret,
1,800 BCE: The Bronze Age in Europe:
Bronzesnthing now stars fo become common-
lave in Europe. The weapons crested in this
ptt ofthe weld ar substandard compared
wh those ma nthe Mido Est, but the
skill ofthe European bronzesmiths continues
Tavolve,
The impact of the Bronze Age's arrival in
Europe i as profound ast was in the Mile
Ess. The Use of bronze fer fools andl weapons
‘lows the tribes of Europe to organiza, grow
‘more civized, and become dealer opponents. pee
Te ees
coe
Leena ee
sn aa,
sEreun ese
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Peuager es
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eee
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Soe
ara
damage had he only scored a hit.
I 4°. the Golden Rule. Try
0 eliminate habits that distract
‘other players, such as compul-
sive dice roling. Don't get up from the
table right before your turn unless it's
an emergency. Turn off your cell
phone. In other words, treat your fellow
players as you would like to be treated,
I all else fails, use a timer. If
Jong time to finish their turns,
a timer can speed things along without
forcing the DM to decide arbitrarily
\when each player's time is up. If you
haven't made a decision by the time the
timer rings, your character stands
around for that turn, uncertain what 10
do. The amount af time allotted to each
player should be fair but not unduly
long. It isnt necessary to limit every-
one to 6 seconds just because thas
the length of a round; the average
player does need more time than that
fo come up with a plan of action. Start
with 30 seconds per player and add or
subtract time as needed until everyone
is comfortable with the system.
Although it sounds eminently fai, tim-
ing combat rounds should be a last
resort. Whether you use a stopwatch
1,740 BCE: The Fall ofthe Middle Kingdom
‘The Egyptian Enpire’s najurl borders have
‘prevented invasions for more than a thousand
‘years, Wirh only minor uprisings inside is
‘awn borders to challenge its armies, Egypt as
had ne reason fo upgrade its miltary prowess.
The soldiers who make up is infanry year 0
‘armor and are sil armed primary with sin-
ple Baws, sfone maces, stone axes, and a pre-
‘lous Few bronze weapons. Peace hes ade
Exypt ripe for conquest.
‘Sweeping down from Canaan in the Middle
Ens, the Hyksos invade Lower Egypt from the
horthe The invaders wear the best bronze and
Teather armor of the era and wield penetrating
axes and short bronze swords. Their tactics
hidden behind the DM's sereen or an
hourglass set out for everyone to see
people always feel pressured when such
a system isin place, Furthermore, most
people make more mistakes when they
know they're being timed than they
‘would otherwise.
Discontinue any of these techniques
that they end up decreasing the fun of
the game. Ths final suggestion isthe
most important one ofall None of these
techniques are worth using if they make
‘everyone miserable. f the group truly
enjoys commiitee-style combat, keep
IF the players insist that they must be
able to speak while their characters are
Unconscious, then so be it, DEID is a
‘game, and as such the important issue is
‘whether everyone is having fun, And
that means everyone-both the person
who enjoys analyzing his character's
every move and the one who doesn't
like to wait 45 minutes for her next turn.
The trick is to find a middle ground
where everyone can enjoy the game, ©
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have been forged in the pressure cooker of
Mesopotamia, Most important, they ride in
Single-avle war chariots lined with quivers of
arrows and use composite bows that can kil
Egypilan infantry at three times the range of
the antiquated Egyprian simple bow. The
‘maneaverobisty of the chariots on the flat
battleleids of Egypt proves to be the downfall
Of the Egyptian troops, who are unable fo
engage or return fire against thelr attackers
‘The Middle Kingdom fall, and the face of
Ezy i forever changed.
1,600 BCE: The Rise of the Mycenaeans
(h th Greck peninsula, the Mycenacens bulls
‘vast commercial empire and an advanced
ulin, Their miliary power is substandard
compared to thal of thir Mesopotamian
elghors, ut because of their central fea=
tion, they manage to dominate the area, Using
routes established in building thelr vast vrading
empire they bagin to spread thelr cure,
offen by force, thrauhout the northern
Mediterranean region.
Mycenaean soldiers are outfitted wih
bronze armor and spears and carry large
ound shields called hoplons. The soldiers
themselves become knawn as hopes, ater
these shields
wwwpaizo.comidragon 37 by Sean K Reynolds - illustrated by Mike Vilardi
egends abound of wiz
ards single-handedly
burning entire armies to
J ash, sinking islands, carv-
ing passes through
mountains, or raising legions of the
dead. Druids create volcanoes, evil
priests infect entire cities with mummy
rot, and holy champions of good banish
fiends from every corner of the world.
What few realize is that although magic
of this scale normally requires a spell-
caster of significant experience, meth=
ods do exist for accomplishing such
wonders with less power, albeit in a lim:
ited Fashion.
‘While many spells in the Player's
Handbook (such as fireball, lightning
bo, cloudkil, and meteor swarm), are
suitable for use in large battles, true
scholars of the arcane recognize a
small group of specialized spells cre-
ated specifically for military use. These
so-called war spels are dificult to cast
and require expensive components, but
they also affect many more creatures
‘and much greater areas than other
spells of the same levels do. A war spel
has the war descriptor and requires
specialized knowledge to cast (see
Casiing War Spells, below). Although
“war” is not a school or subschool of
magic, there are spellcasters who
choose fo focus their arcane studies on
war spells, just as there are those who
prefer fire magic of all kinds and those
who focus on spells that call upon evil
powers or darkness.
WHAT MAKES A SPELL
‘A. WAR SPELL?
‘A war spel is more complex than a
conventional spell of the same spel
level, and its effects are correspond-
ingly greater in magnitude. While a typi-
cal conventional spell affects an area no
greater than about 1.200 square feer (a
2o-foot-radius spread at ground level,
such as a fireball would produce), a war
spell typically affects about 10,000
square feet (approximately a 60-Foot-
radius spread at ground level, or a
square 100 feet on a side)
‘While significant increases in scale can
be accomplished via metamagic feats
(such as Widen Spell which increases a
spal's numeric measurements by 100%
ai.a cost of +3 spel levels), even this,
‘technique cannot usually make a conven
tional spell match a war spel in scab
‘example, a fireball i
+3 levels), but its
Falls well short of the"6o- i
spread typical for a war’ Spe
‘War spells achiove their dramatic
increases in scale through several
means. Most require complex rituals
that signficamly increase the casing
times, a8 well as elaborate and expen-
sive material components to harness the
necessary magical energy Despite hav-
ing a dramatically increased area and
range, a war spell is usually close to the
spell level of a similar conventional spell.
For example, the war spall rling ref
very similar to flaming sphere except
on a larger scale and yet roting fire is
only one level higher than its conven-
tional counterpart.
CASTING WAR SPELLS
The acquisition and casting of a spell
with the war descriptor requires spe-
{,000 BCE: Slege Warfare and Cavalry
‘Assjia, now on of the doninant powers in
‘Mesopotamia, begins a campaign of conquest.
lis struggle for supremacy ebbs und lows for
te certuries, bur is mifary leaders make
‘enormous srdes i the development of rw
strategies and technologies.
(During tis pried. the Assyrians develop the
first mechanical siege weapon-the whesled bat=
{ering rar. They also introduce the use of cav-
‘ey in warfare, although the rst cavalry units
-achieve only limited effectiveness because the
leek of strups makes riders foo unsitle 10 use
their weapons to best advantage, Ths, inaniry
remains the dominast force on the bali
44 July 2003
859 BCE: Mounted Invantry
Uncle the leadership of Ashunasipal I Assyria
conquers northern Mesopotamia and ihe ofher
lands between there and he Medierranean Sea,
His rutlessness toward those who oppose bin
becomes lagandary a he orders mass bshead-
Ings, aying of enemies, and the enpaling of
whole ies,
The Assyrian miary now the peas in
the word. Ashunasirpats troops use ron sickle
‘saords and bronze armen; and their chariot
heels are prorecte wih brenze and copper
Srmor But It sone of their simpler aivance=
Iients-the closed-oe Boot-that proves integral
fo thar sucess. Other armies ofthis era wear
‘open sandals, which ae prone to wea, lave the
foo! open to damage in comb, end ae ussess
in cough weather and harsh terrain, Te closed
‘ce boots of the Assyrian solders allow them to
march in any conditions, bring war to thelr
nema wher it least expected
For the fist finein hisory, a truly integrated
army takes the fll, The Assyrian miary
includes a the elamenis of a modern erm:
inganry, archers acing os ranged suppor, war
chariots acing as moble essa ptierms and
anspor for heavy infanry, and cavalry units
acting as mabe slrmishers A superb logsnica
Cofps, complete with weaponsmihs and mele
paie eas for chaos, backs the miltary dic
Sons o erate the mest fearsome force to date. fe
cialized knowledge if he form Of the
War Magic Study feat. A spelleasier
with this feat may acquire war spells 25,
if they were normal spells of the same
spell levels (that i, a wizard may choose
war spells as the two free spells she
‘gains at each level, or she may research
them or acquire them from scrolls;
bards and sorcerers use their normal
slots for spells known; clerics acquire
them by prayer, and so forth), A caster
with the War Magic Study feat can use
783 BCE: The Founding of Rome
“he at of Rome founded by te egondary
Rous. lan cytes he region adopt 2
Gracinspire culture from Greek clones that
are areaty place on the ae pina,
Sears to care the Roman ery model act
er ha fhe Gress.
730 B.CE: The Assyrians’ Siege Warfare
[Acsyri’s seasoned warriors bagi fo expand is
borders through eecive use of sege warfare.
‘Singers and archers provide combined cover
fire fo protect siege ear while they bul
tarthen romps un tothe als oftheir enemes,
Teams of erowbar-wleling solders perched on
wooden siege rowers and scaling ladders pull
2 Wat spel Ike anfothen'Spel. A wer
Spell uses a nofial spl Sot of its level
for the punpose of, A: known, spell
preparation, and/Spellcasting. A war
spell may be algmented by metamagic
feats ust ike a normal spell. War spell
do not appear on any class spell st for
characters without the War Magic
Study fear.
Casting a war spell requires more
preparation than casting a normal
spel. The caster must have surveyed the
foose rocks directly from the walls fh conjunc
tion with 3 powerful battering tam, which is.
protected from bowfire by leather hides, sap~
pers destroy walls from their foundations.
‘Assyria feared by nations and independent
Ciiyesaies ale: Under King Tiglth-Plese is
orces conquer Damascus, Syra rael and
‘eventually the Independent state of Babylon,
‘Assyta contals is muticural feudal empire
by dlplocing native peoples and forcing them
io sete in newty conquered resfons. Ths
forced mixing of cultures keeps organited
Fesisance down, faciates establishing and
‘maintaining sat insitions (bath seca end
miliary), and provides easy labor for massive
pubic works projects
area to be targeted for atleast 1 minute
within the past 24 hours to gain familiar~
ity with the lay of the land and the subtle
influence of magic there. The use of
spas such as clairvoyance and scrying
are sufficient for this purpose. This
requirement effectively limits the use of
war spells to areas with which the caster
is very famiiar (such as the terrain
around her castle) or to battlegrounds
that she has had time to examine in
advance (such as a spot where she plans
700 B.CE: The Resurgence of Greece
Phoenician raders relgnite the cultural spark of
the Greeks. The first lage city-states emerge
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rence among them.
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nilfery power hough Airs fends o avoid
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ally dominating the sacs through th Shier force
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Throughout the Mediterranean and becomes a
‘wwwpalzo.comidragon 45 ‘WAR MAGIC STUDY
To cas spls withthe war descriptor, a
spelkaster must have the War Magic
Study fea.
WAR MAGIC STUDY [GENERAL]
You have studied war magic and can per-
form the complex rituals necessary to
lize #
Prerequisites: Great Fortitude, iron
‘Wil, spelleester level rd
Benefit: You may acquire and cast
spel with the war descriptor.
Normal: War magic spels do not
appear on any class spell Ist fr a char-
acter without this feat. Such 2 character
cannot acquire or cast spells with the war
descriptor bur stil can aid another per:
son whois casting such a spell
bush or the site of an
spells cannot
familiar
be used in casually
) eterrain, such as dungeons or remote
wiklemess areas.
Casting Time
The casting time for a war spell is con-
siderably longer than that for 2 normal
spell-even the simplest war spell has 2
‘esting time of 1 minute, Drawing the
power for such a spell takes time, and
the process leaves the caster vulnerable
to attack, ust as casting any other spel
does. Fortunately, war spells usually have
long ranges, so the caster can normally
Position himself well away from the fight=
ing-perhaps in a spot near an office's
tent that offers a clear line of sight to
the target. Only the most brave, fol-
hardy, or well-protected spelcasters use
war spells while standing in the midst of
a battlefield; tis Far 100 easy to lose the
spell complerely because of an enemy's
blow. War spells cannot be quickened,
Most war spells have ranges in the long
category (400 fi, + 4o fi,/levell-a fact
that allows the caster to keep well out
of harm's way. The Few that have
shorter ranges’are designed to be used
‘on friendly troops before the start of
battle.
Aiming
Aiming a war spell works exactly the
same 5 ciming a normal spell. A line of
effzct f0 the target is required. Given
the long ranges often involved in cast-
"ing, precise calculations of spell bound
aries are very difficult. Therefore,
hostile spells should be cast far from
Friendly troops i at all possible; other-
wise friendly-fire casualties are likely.
War spells use the same categories
(effect, area, target, and so on) that
normal spells do.
Saving Throw
‘Alwar spell might or might not offer a
saving throw, depending upon its pre-
cise effect and the normal spell it
resembles. For example, the morning
‘mists spel allows no saving throw
because the spel it resembles (obscur-
ing mist) does not allow one. But rolling
fire, lke its counterpart flaming sphere,
does allow a saving throw. Spell resis
ance is similarly dependant upon the
effect and the conventional counterpart
of the war spel
Duration
Most war spell effects are short-lived,
dissipating either before the end of a
battle or shortly afterward. This quick
decay results from the fact that war
spells are inherently unstable, being
essentially normal spells siretched to
unreasonable limits,
Concentration
The unusual fragility of war spells is
also reflected in the concentration nec
essary fo cast them, The DC for any
Concentration check made to continue
casting or to maintain a war spell (in
response to a successful attack, for
example) is 10 higher than normal
Failure means the casting is ruined.
Fortunately, the caster provokes an
attack of opportunity only during the
round when the casting star's, not
each round that it continues. In addi-
tion, the caster’s concentration can be
aided by assistants (see Cooperative
Casting, below).
Material Components
‘A war spell’ expensive material compo-
nents help the spellcaster harness,
‘channel, and shape the magical energy
needed for the effect. Because the com-
ponents are so expensive, many casters
cannot afford to use war spells very
often. Those who can are usually in the
employ of warlords, nobles, and other
wealthy folk who are willing to absorb
the costs.
Use in Items
‘The DM must carefully adjudicate the
situation when a PC wishes to place a
war spel into a magic item, since several
of the balancing factors for these spells
(required feats, surveying the area, and
increased casting time) might no longer
be relevant when the item is used. In
such cases, the item's market price must
be adjusted upward accordingly
Cooperative Casting
Other spelicasters can aid a character
casting a war spell normally by repeat
ing portions of the verbal or somatic.
components or by helping the caster
‘manipulate the material components
So SS SS Sit SSS