AD&D 2nd Edition

Sphere: Elemental (Fire)
Range: 40 yards
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 7 rounds
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: Special

By means of the heat metal spell, the caster is able to make ferrous metal (iron, iron alloys, steel) extremely hot. Elven chain mail is not affected, and magical metal armor receives an item saving throw vs. magical fire. If this is successful, the heat metal spell does not affect it.

On the first round of the spell, the metal merely becomes very warm and uncomfortable to touch (this is also the effect on the last melee round of the spell’s duration). During the second and sixth (next to the last) rounds, heat causes blisters and damage; in the third, fourth, and fifth rounds, the metal becomes searing hot, causing damage to exposed flesh, as shown below:

(*) On the final round of searing, the afflicted creature must roll a successful saving throw vs. spell or suffer one of the following disabilities: hand or foot-unusable for 2d4 days, body-disabled 1d4 days, head-unconscious 1d4 turns. This effect can be completely removed by the 5th-level priest heal spell or by normal rest.

Note also that materials such as wood, leather, or flammable cloth smolder and burn if exposed to searing hot metal. Such materials cause searing damage to exposed flesh on the next round. Fire resistance (spell, potion, or ring) or a protection from fire spell totally negates the effects of a heat metal spell, as does immersion in water or snow, or exposure to a cold or ice storm spell. This version of the spell does not function underwater. For every two experience levels of the caster, the metal of one man-sized creature can be affected (i.e., arms and armor, or a single mass of metal equal to 50 pounds weight). Thus, a 3rd-level caster would affect one such creature, a 4th- or 5th-level caster two, etc.

The reverse of the spell, chill metal, counters a heat metal spell or else causes metal to act as follows:

(*) On the final round of freezing, the afflicted creature must roll a successful saving throw vs. spell or suffer from the numbing effects of the cold. This causes the loss of all feeling in a hand (or hands, if the DM rules the saving throw was failed badly) for 1d4 days. During this time, the character’s grip is extremely weak and he cannot use that hand for fighting or any other activity requiring a firm grasp.

The chill metal spell is countered by a resist cold spell, or by any great heat – proximity to a blazing fire (not a mere torch), a magical flaming sword, a wall of fire spell, etc. Underwater, this version of the spell inflicts no damage, but ice immediately forms around the affected metal, exerting an upward buoyancy.