AD&D 2nd Edition

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Category Archives: 4th Level


Rainbow Pattern

Range: 10 yards
Components: S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: 30 ft cube
Saving Throw: Neg.

By means of this spell, the wizard creates a glowing, rainbow-hued bank of interweaving patterns. Any creature caught in it ma become fascinated and gaze at it as long as the effect lasts. The spell can captivate a maximum of 24 levels, or Hit Dice, of creatures – 24 creatures with 1 Hit Die each, 12 with 2 Hit Dice, etc. All creatures affected must be within the area of effect, and each is entitled to a saving throw vs. spell. An attack on an affected creature that causes damage frees it from the spell immediately. Creatures that are restrained and removed from the area still try to follow the pattern.

Once the rainbow pattern is cast, the wizard need only gesture in the direction he desires, and the pattern of colors moves slowly off in that direction, at the rate of 30 feet per round. It persists without further attention from the spellcaster for 1d3 rounds. All affected creatures follow the moving rainbow of light. If the pattern leads its subjects into a dangerous area (through flame, off a cliff, etc), allow a second saving throw. If the view of the lights is completely blocked (by an obscurement spell, for instance), the spell is negated. The wizard need not utter a sound, but he must gesture appropriately while holding a crystal prism and the material component, a piece of phosphor.

Polymorph Self

Range: 0
Components: V
Duration: 2 turns/level
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: The caster
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast, the wizard is able to assume the form of any creature, save those that are noncorporeal, from as small as a wren to as large as a hippopotamus. Furthermore, the wizard gains its physical mode of locomotion and breathing as well. No system shock roll is required. The spell does not give the new form’s other abilities (attack, magic, special movement, etc), nor does it run the risk of the wizard changing personality and mentality. When the polymorph occurs, the caster’s equipment, if any, melds into the new form (in particularly challenging campaigns, the DM may allow protective devices, such as a ring of protection, to continue operating effectively).

The caster retains all mental abilities, including spell use, assuming the new form allows completion of the proper verbal and somatic components and the material components are available. A caster not used to a new form might be penalized at the DM’s option (for example, -2 penalty to attack rolls) until he practices sufficiently to master it. Thus, a wizard changed into an owl could fly, but his vision would be human; a change to a black pudding would enable movement under doors or along halls and ceiling, but not the pudding’s offensive (acid) or defensive capabilities. Naturally, the strength of the new form is sufficient to enable normal movement.

The spellcaster can change his form as often as desired for the duration of the spell, each change requiring a round. The wizard retains his own hit points, attack rolls, and saving throws. The wizard can end the spell at any time; when voluntarily returning to his own form and ending the spell, he regains 1d12 hit points. The wizard also will return to his own form when slain or when the effect is dispelled, but no hit points are restored in these cases.

Polymorph Other

Range: 5 yds/level
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Permanent
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: 1 creature
Saving Throw: Neg.

The polymorph other spell is a powerful magic that completely alters the form and ability, and possibly the personality and mentality, of the recipient. Of course, while a creature with a lower Intelligence can be polymorphed in form into something with a higher Intelligence, it will not gain that creature’s mental ability. The reverse – polymorphing a higher Intelligence creature into one of significantly lower Intelligence – results in a creature much more intelligent than appearances would lead one to believe. The polymorphed creature must succeed on a system shock (see Table 3) roll to see if it survives the change. After this, it must make a special Intelligence check to see if it retains its personality (see following).

The polymorphed creature acquires the form and physical abilities of the creature it has been polymorphed into, while retaining its own mind. Form includes natural Armor Class (that due to skin toughness, but not due to quickness, magical nature, etc), physical movement abilities (walking, swimming, and flight with wings, but not plane shifting, blinking, teleporting, etc), and attack routines (claw/claw/bite, swoop, rake, and constriction, but not petrifaction, breath weapons, energy drain, etc). Hit points and saving throws do not change from the original form. Noncorporeal forms cannot be assumed. Natural shapeshifters (lycanthropes, dopplegangers, higher level druids, etc) are affected for but one round, and can then resume their normal form.

If slain, the polymorphed creature reverts to its original form, though it remains dead. (Note that most creatures generally prefer their own form and will not willingly stand the risk of being subjected to this spell!) As class and level are not attributes of form, abilities derived from either cannot be gained by this spell, nor can exact ability scores be specified. When the polymorph occurs, the creature’s equipment, if any, melds into the new form (in particularly challenging campaigns, the DM may allow protective devices, such as a ring of protection, to continue operating effectively).

The creature retains its mental abilities, including spell use, assuming the new form allows completion of the proper verbal and somatic components and the material components are available. Creatures not used to a new form might be penalized at the DM’s option (for example, -2 to attack rolls) until they practice sufficiently to master it. When the physical change occurs, there is a base 100% chance that the subject’s personality and mentality change into that of the new form (i.e., a roll of 20 or less on 1d20). For each 1 point of Intelligence of the subject, subtract 1 from the base chance on 1d20. Additionally, for every Hit Die of difference between the original form and the form it is assuming, add or subtract 1 (depending on whether the polymorphed form has more Hit Dice [or levels] or fewer Hit Dice [or levels] than original, respectively).

The chance for assumption of the personality and mentality of the new form is checked daily until the change takes place. A subject acquiring the mentality of the new form has effectively become the creature whose form was assumed and comes under the control of the DM until recovered by a wish spell or similar magic. Once this final change takes place, the creature acquires the new form’s full range of magical and special abilities. For example: If a 1 Hit Die orc of 8 Intelligence is polymorphed into a white dragon with 6 Hit Dice, it is 85% (20 – 8 Intelligence + 5 level difference [6-1]=17 out of 20 = 85%) likely to actually become one in all respects, but in any case, it has the dragon’s physical and mental capabilities. If it does not assume the personality and mentality of a white dragon, it knows what it formerly knew as well.

The wizard can use a dispel magic spell to change the polymorphed creature back to its original form, and this requires a system shock roll. Those who have lost their individuality and are then converted back maintain the belief that they are actually the polymorphed creature and attempt to return to that form. Thus, the orc who comes to believe he is a white dragon, when converted back to his orc form, steadfastly maintains he is really a white dragon polymorphed into the shape of an orc. His companions will most likely consider him mad. The material component of this spell is a caterpillar cocoon.

Plant Growth

Range: 10 yds/level
Components: V, S
Duration: Permanent
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: caster’s level(2) x 100 sq. ft.
Saving Throw: None

When a plant growth spell is cast, the wizard causes normal vegetation to grow, entwine, and entangle to form a thicket or jungle that creatures must hack or force a way through at a movement rate of 1 per round (or 2 if the creatures are larger than man size). The area must contain brush and trees for this spell to work. Briars, bushes, creepers, lianas, roots, saplings, thistles, thorn, trees, vines, and weeds become thick and overgrown so as to form a barrier.

The area of the effect is the caster’s level, squared, times 100 square feet. This area can be arranged in any square or rectangular shape that the caster desires. Thus, an 8th-level wizard can affect (8×8=) 64 x 100 square feet, or 6,400 square feet. This could be an 80 foot x 80 foot square, a 160 foot x 40 foot rectangle, a 640 foot x 10 foot rectangle, etc.

Individual plant girth and height is generally affected less than thickness of brush, branch, and undergrowth. The spell’s effects persist in the area until it is cleared by labor, fire, or such magical means as a dispel magic spell.

Phantasmal Killer

Range: 5 yds/level
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 rd/level
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: 1 creature
Saving Throw: Special

When this spell is cast, the wizard creates the illusion of the most fearsome thing imaginable to the victim, simply by forming the fears of the victim’s subconscious mind into something that its conscious mind can visualize – the most horrible beast. Only the spell recipient can see the phantasmal killer (the caster sees only a shadowy shape), but if it succeeds in scoring a hit, the subject dies from fright. The beast attacks as a 4 Hit Dice monster. It is invulnerable to all attacks and can pass throughout any barriers. Once cast, it inexorably pursues the subject, for it exists only in the subject’s mind. The only defenses against a phantasmal killer are an attempt to disbelieve (which can be tried but once), slaying or rendering unconscious the wizard who cast the spell, or rendering unconscious the target of the spell for its duration. To disbelieve the killer, the subject must specifically state the attempt and then roll an Intelligence check.

Special modifiers apply to this attack:
Condition Modifier
Surprise -2
Subject previously attacked by this spell +1
Subject is an illusionist +2
Subject is wearing a helm of telepathy +3
Magic resistance, bonuses against fear, and Wisdom adjustments also apply.

The subject’s magic resistance is checked first; if the spell overcomes the resistance, the subject’s fear/Wisdom bonuses (if any) then apply as negative modifiers to his Intelligence check. If the subject of a phantasmal killer attack succeeds in disbelieving, and he is wearing a helm of telepathy, the beast can be turned upon the wizard, who must then disbelieve it or be subject to its attack and possible effects. If the subject ignores the killer to perform other actions, such as attacking the caster, the killer may, at the DM’s option, gain bonuses to hit (for flank or rear attacks, etc). Spells such as remove fear and cloak of bravery, cast after the killer has attacked, grant another check to disbelieve the effect.

Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere

Range: 20 yds
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 rd/level
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: 1 ft diameter/level
Saving Throw: Neg.

When this spell is cast, the result is a globe of shimmering force that encloses the subject creature – if it is small enough to fit within the diameter of the sphere and it fails to successfully save vs. spell. The resilient sphere contains its subject for the spell’s duration, and it is not subject to damage of any sort except from a rod of cancellation, a wand of negation, or a disintegrate or dispel magic spell. These cause it to be destroyed without harm to the subject. Nothing can pass through the sphere, inside or out, though the subject can breathe normally. The subject may struggle, but all that occurs is a movement of the sphere. The globe can be physically moved either by people outside the globe or by the struggles of those within. The material components of the spell are a hemispherical piece of diamond (or similar hard, clear gem material) and a matching hemispherical piece of gum arabic.

Monster Summoning II

Range: Special
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 3 rds + 1 rd/level
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: 40 yd radius
Saving Throw: None

This spell is much like the 3rd-level spell monster summoning I, except that this spell summons 1d6 2nd-level monsters. These appear anywhere within the spell’s area of effect and attack the caster’s opponents, until he commands them to cease, the spell duration expires, or the monsters are slain. These creatures do not check morale; they vanish when slain. If no opponent exists to fight and the wizard can communicate with them, the summoned monsters can perform other services for the summoning wizard. The material components of this spell are a tiny bag and a small (not necessarily lit) candle.

Minor Globe of Invulnerability

Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 rd/level
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: 5 ft radius
Saving Throw: None

This spell creates an immobile, faintly shimmering magical sphere around the caster that prevents any 1st-, 2nd-, or 3rd-level spell effects from penetrating (i.e., the area of effect of any such spells does not include the area of the minor globe of invulnerability). This includes innate abilities and effects from devices. However, any type of spell can be cast out of the magical globe, and these pass from the caster of the globe to their subject without affecting the globe. Fourth and higher levels spells are not affected by the globe. The globe can be brought down by a successful dispel magic spell.

The caster can leave and return to the globe without penalty. Note that spell effects are not actually disrupted by the globe unless cast directly through or into it: The caster would still see a mirror image created by a wizard outside the globe. If that wizard then entered the globe, the images would wink out, to reappear when the wizard exited the globe. Likewise, a wizard standing in the area of a light spell would still receive sufficient light for vision, even through that part of the light spell volume in the globe would not be luminous. The material component of the spell is a glass or crystal bead that shatters at the expiration of the spell.

Minor Creation

Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 hr/level
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: 1 cubic ft/level
Saving Throw: None

This spell enables the wizard to create an item of nonliving, vegetable nature – soft goods, rope, wood, etc. The caster actually pulls wisps of material of the plane of Shadow from the air and weaves them into the desired item. The volume of the item created cannot exceed 1 cubic foot per level of the spellcaster. The item remains in existence for only as long as the spell’s duration. The spellcaster must have at least a tiny piece of matter of the same type of item he plans to create by means of the minor creation spell – a bit of twisted hemp to create rope, a splinter of wood to create a door, and so forth.

Massmorph

Range: 10 yds/level
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: 10 ft cube/level
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast upon willing creatures of man-size or smaller, up to 10 such creatures per level of the caster can be magically altered to appear as trees of any sort. Thus, a company of creatures can be made to appear as a copse, grove, or orchard. Furthermore, these massmorphed creatures can be passed through and even touched by other creatures without revealing their true nature. Note, however, that blows to the creature-trees cause damage, and blood can be seen. Creatures to be massmorphed must be within the spell’s area of effect; unwilling creatures are not affected.

Affected creatures remain unmoving but aware, subject to normal sleep requirements, and able to see, hear, and fell for as long as the spell is in effect. The spell persists until the caster commands it to cease or until a dispel magic spell is cast upon the creatures. Creatures left in this state for extended periods are subject to insects, weather, disease, fire and other natural hazards. The material component of this spell is a handful of bark chips from the type of tree the creatures are to become.