AD&D 2nd Edition

Everything I have for Second Edition

Category Archives: Arcane Magic


Bigby’s Interposing Hand

Range: 10 yds/level
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 rd/level
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None

The Bigby’s interposing had spell creates a man-sized to gargantuan-sized magical hand that appears between the spellcaster and his chosen opponent. This disembodied hand then moves to remain between the two, regardless of what the spellcaster does or how the oppone3nt tries to get around it. Neither invisibility nor polymorph fools the hand once a creature has been chosen. The hand does not pursue an opponent. The size of the hand is determined by the wizard, and it can be from human size (5 feet) all the way up to titan size (25 feet). It provides cover for the caster against the selected opponent, with all the attendant combat adjustments. It has as many hit points as the caster in full health and has an Armor Class of 0. Any creature weighing less than 2,000 pounds trying to push past the hand is slowed to half its normal movement. If the original opponent is slain, the caster can designate a new opponent for the hand. The material component of the spell is a soft glove.

Avoidance

Range: 10 yards
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Permanent until dispelled
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: Up to 3 ft cube
Saving Throw: Special

By means of this spell, the caster sets up a natural repulsion between the affected object and all other living things except himself. Thus, any living creature attempting to touch the affect object is repulsed (unable to come close than 1 foot), or repulses the affected object, depending on the relative mass of the two (a halfling attempting to touch an iron chest with an avoidance spell upon it will be thrown back, while the chest will skitter away from a giant-sized creature as the creature approaches). The material component for the spell is a magnetized needle. The spell cannot be cast upon living things; any attempt to cast avoidance upon the apparel or possessions of a living creature entitles the subject creature to a saving throw vs. spell. The reverse of this spell, attraction, uses the same material components and sets up a natural attractions between the affected object and all living things. A creature is drawn to the object if the creature is smaller, or the object slides toward the creature if the creature is larger. It takes a successful bend bars/lift gates roll to remove the enchanted object once it has adhered to an object or creature.

Animate Dead

Range: 10 yards
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Permanent
Casting Time: 5 rounds
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None

This spell creates the lowest of the undead monsters-skeletons or zombies-usually from the bones or bodies of dead humans, demihumans, or humanoids. The spell causes existing remains to become animated and obey the simple verbal commands of the caster. The skeletons or zombies can follow the caster, remain in an area and attack any creature (or just a specific type of creature) entering the place, etc. The undead remain animated until they are destroyed in combat or are turned; the magic cannot be dispelled. The following types of dead creatures can be animated:

  1. Humans, demihumans, and humanoids with 1 Hit Die. The wizard can animate one skeleton for each experience level he has attained, or one zombie for every 2 levels. The experience levels, if any, of the slain are ignored; the body of a newly dead 9th level fighter is animated as a zombie with 2 Hit Dice, without special class or racial abilities.
  2. Creatures with more than 1 Hit Die. The number of undead animated is determined by the monster Hit Dice (the total Hit Dice cannot exceed the wizard’s level). Skeletal forms have the Hit Dice of the original creature, while zombie forms have one more Hit Die. Thus, a 12th level wizard could animate four zombie gnolls (4 x [2+1 Hit Dice] = 12), or a single fire giant skeleton. Such undead have none of the special abilities they had in life.
  3. Creatures with less than 1 Hit Die. The caster can animate two skeletons per level or one zombie per level. The creatures have their normal Hit Dice as skeletons and an additional Hit Die as zombies. Clerics receive a +1 bonus when trying to turn these.

This spell assumes that the bodies or bones are available and are reasonably intact (those of skeletons or zombies destroyed in combat won’t be). It requires a drop of blood and a pinch of bone powder or a bone shard to complete the spell. The casting of this spell is not a good act, and only evil wizards use it frequently.

Animal Growth

Range: 60 yards
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 rd/level
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: Up to 8 animals in a 20 ft cube
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is cast, the wizard causes all designated animals, up to a maximum of eight, within a 20 foot square area to grow to twice their normal size. The effects of this growth are doubled Hit Dice (with improvement in attack rolls) and doubled damage in combat. The spell lasts for one round for each level of experience of the wizard casting the spell. Only natural animals, including giant forms, can be affected by this spell. The reverse, shrink animal, reduces animal size by half and likewise reduces Hit Dice, attack damage, etc. The component of both versions of the spell is a pinch of powdered bone.

Airy Water

Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 turn/level
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: 10 ft radius sphere or 15 ft radius hemisphere
Saving Throw: None

The airy water spell turns normal liquid, such as water or water based solutions, into a less dense, breathable substance. Thus, if the wizard wanted to enter an underwater place, he would step into the water, cast the spell, and sink downward in a globe of bubbling water. He and any companions in the spell’s area of effect can move freely and breathe just as if the bubbling water were air. The globe is centered on and moves with the caster. Water-breathing creatures avoid a sphere (or hemisphere) of airy water, although intelligent ones can enter it if they are able to move by means other than swimming. No water-breathers can breathe in an area affected by this spell. There is only one word that needs to be spoken to actuate the magic; thus, it can be cast under water. The spell does not filter or remove solid particles of matter. The material component of the spell is a small handful of alkaline or bromine salts.

Advanced Illusion

Range: 60 yds + 10 yds/level
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 rd/level
Casting Time: 1 rd
Area of Effect: One 40 ft cube + one 10 ft cube/level
Saving Throw: Special

This spell is essentially a spectral forces spell that operates through a program (similar to a programmed illusion spell) determined by the caster. It is thus unnecessary for the wizard to concentrate on the spell for longer than the round of casting it, as the program has then started and will continue without supervision. The illusion has visual, audio, olfactory, and thermal components. If any viewer actively attempts to disbelieve the spell, he gains a saving throw vs. spell. If any viewer successfully disbelieves and communicates this fact to other viewers, each such viewer gains a saving throw vs. spell with a +4 bonus. The material components are a bit of fleece and several grains of sand.

Wizard Eye

Range: 0
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 rd/level
Casting Time: 1 turn
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None

When this spell is employed, the wizard creates an invisible sensory organ that sends him visual information. The wizard eye travels at 30 feet per round if viewing an area ahead as a human would (i.e., primarily looking at the floor), or 10 feet per round if examining the ceiling and walls as well as the floor ahead. The wizard eye can see with infravision up to 10 feet, and with normal vision up to 50 feet away in brightly lit areas. The wizard eye can travel in any direction long as the spell lasts.

It has substance and a form that can be detected (by a detect invisibility spell, for instance). Solid barriers prevent the passage of a wizard eye, although it can pass through a space no smaller than a small mouse hole (1 inch in diameter).

Using the eye requires the wizard to concentrate. However, if his concentration is broken, the spell does not end – the eye merely becomes inert until the wizard again concentrates, subject to the duration of the spell. The powers of the eye cannot be enhanced by other spells or items.

The caster is subject to any gaze attack met by the eye. A successful dispel cast on the wizard or eye ends the spell. With respect to blindness, magical darkness, and so on, The wizard eye is considered an independent sensory organ of the caster. The material component of the spell is a bit of bat fur.

Wall of Ice

Range: 10 yards/level
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 turn/level
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None

This spell can be cast in one of three ways: as an anchored plane of ice, as a hemisphere, or as a horizontal sheet to fall upon creatures with the effect of an ice storm.

A) Ice Plane. When this spell is cast, a sheet of strong, hard ice is created. The wall is primarily defensive, stopping pursuers and the like. The wall is 1 inch thick per level of experience of the wizard. It covers a 10 foot square area per level (a 10th level wizard can create a wall of ice 100 feet long and 10 feet high, a wall 50 feet long and 20 feet high, etc.). Any creature breaking through the ice suffers 2 points of damage per inch of thickness of the wall. Fire-using creatures suffer 3 points of damage per inch, while cold-using creatures suffer only 1 point of damage per inch when breaking through. The plane con be oriented in any fashion as long as it is anchored along one or more sides.

B) Hemisphere. This casting of the spell creates a hemisphere whose maximum radius is equal to 3 feet plus 1 foot per caster level. Thus, a 7th level caster can create a hemisphere 10 feet in radius. The hemisphere lasts until it is broken, dispelled, or melted. Note that it is possible, but difficult, to trap mobile opponents under the hemisphere.

C) Ice sheet. This caster of the spell causes a horizontal sheet to fall upon opponents. The sheet covers a 10 foot square area per caster level. The sheet has the same effect as an ice storm’s hail stones – 3d10 points of damage inflicted to creatures beneath it.

A wall of ice cannot form in an area occupied by physical objects or creatures; its surface must be smooth and unbroken when created. Magical fires such as fireballs and fiery dragon breath melt a wall of ice in one round, though this creates a great cloud of steamy fog that lasts one turn. Normal fires or lesser magical ones do not hasten the melting of a wall of ice. The material component of this spell is a small piece of quartz or similar rock crystal.

Wall of Fire

Range: 60 yards
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None

The wall of fire spell brings forth an immobile, blazing curtain or magical fire of shimmering color-violet or reddish blue. The spell creates either an opaque sheet of flame up to one 20 foot square per level of the spellcaster, or a ring with a radius of up to 10 feet + 5 feet per two levels of experience of the wizard. In either form, the wall of fire is 20 feet high. The wall of fire must be cast so that it is vertical with respect to the caster.

One side of the wall, selected by the caster, sends forth waves of heat, inflicting 2d4 points of damage upon creatures within 10 feet and 1d4 points of damage upon those within 20 feet. In addition, the wall inflicts 2d6 points of damage, plus 1 point of damage per level of the spellcaster, upon any creature passing through it. Creatures especially subject to fire may take additional damage, and undead always take twice normal damage.

Note that attempting to catch a moving creature with a newly-created wall of fire is difficult; a successful saving throw enables the creature to avoid the wall, while its rate and direction of movement determine which side of the created wall it is on. The wall of fire lasts as long as the wizard concentrates on maintaining it, or one round per level of experience of the wizard, in the event he does not wish to concentrate upon it. The material component of the spell is phosphorus.

Vacancy

Range: 10 yards/level
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 hour/level
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: 10 ft radius/level
Saving Throw: None

When a vacancy spell is cast, the wizard causes an area to appear to be vacant, neglected, and unused. Those who behold the area see dust on the floor, cobwebs, dirt, and other conditions typical of a long-abandoned place. If they pass through the area of effect, they seem to leave tracks, tear away cobwebs, and so on. Unless they actually contact some object cloaked by the spell, the place appears empty. Merely brushing an invisible object does not cause the vacancy spell to be disturbed: Only forceful contact grants a chance to note that all is not as it seems. If forceful contact with a cloaked object occurs, those creatures subject to the spell can penetrate the spell only if they discover several items that they cannot see; each being is then entitled to a saving throw vs. spell. Failure means they believe that the objects are invisible.

A dispel magic spell cancels this spell so that the true area is seen. A true seeing spell, a gem of seeing, and similar effects can penetrate the deception, but a detect invisibility spell cannot. This spell is a very powerful combination of invisibility and illusion, but it can cloak only nonliving things. Living things are not made invisible, but their presence does not otherwise disturb the spell. The wizard must have a square of the finest black silk to cast this spell. This material component must be worth at least 100 gp and is used up during spellcasting.