This spell brings into being a vivid, purple, radiant line of magical force projecting from one of the caster's hands. Weightless, it crackles and wavers constantly, yet always projects straight out from the caster's forearm, like a lance. An acid lash is 7 feet in length. It rebounds from solid barriers that restrict its full length, bending in random directions. This poses no harm to the wielder. The caster of an acid lash cannot be harmed by it.
An acid lash can be swept back and forth to strike opponents. It bends around solid bodies that it is pulled through, passing easily. Though most casters employ an acid lash against a single opponent, it can deal damage to any number of foes-or friendly beings for that matter-in certain situations. For example, it can be held across a doorway to harm all who pass through, or thrust directly out at charging foes.
An acid lash has no solidity; it is actually a corrosive field that deals 4d4 points of damage (8d4 to undead). The lash strikes with a THAC0 of 14 because of the ease of striking foes with a sideways, sweeping motion, but even if the lash is cut across a foe and back many times during a round, 4d4 points of damage is all that is dealt to a given being in a single round. The corrosive field is not hampered by armor, but as it is not true acid, it does no harm to armor, other metal, or even leathers.
While employing an acid lash, the caster cannot directly wield any two-handed weapon or any item larger than a dagger (held or thrown) in the other hand, and cannot cast any spell having a somatic component. An acid lash can be banished instantly by a silent act of will if the caster desires.
The material components of an acid lash are at least three drops of any acidic liquid.
Notes: Rare in the Forgotten Realms setting; virtually unknown elsewhere.