If you've played the AD&D game for any amount of time, you are already quite familiar with a number of spell characteristics such as range, duration, area of effect, and other such attributes. Some characteristics are fixed values, while others may vary with the caster's level. Player's Option: Spells & Magic introduces the new characteristics of casting subtlety and sensory signature , which describe the obviousness of a spell's casting or effects.
In addition to perception characteristics, we'll also take a look at spells that may create knockdowns (a concept from the Player's Option: Combat & Tactics book), as well as spells that require attack rolls on the part of the caster.
Casting Subtlety[]
In many situations, a wizard or priest couldn't care less who sees him casting a spell. When an archmage is getting ready to electrocute a band of ogres with his chain lightning spell, he usually doesn't take any steps to conceal what he is doing and casts the spell in the most expedient fashion possible. On the other hand, some situations require great delicacy on the part of the character. When a wizard wants to charm a guard-captain in front of the captain's detachment of soldiers, he'll have to be very careful not to tip his hand.
Naturally, some spells are more subtle than others. There are a number of factors to take into consideration—the number of components required, the size of the material components, the length of the casting time, and whether or not the spell requires some unusual behavior or speech on the part of the caster.
Noticing Spells: Who notices when spells are being cast? Generally, anyone who is directly observing the caster notices the strange gestures or air of concentration that characterize a spell. Depending on the lighting conditions and the amount of distractions nearby, an observer might be able to notice the spellcaster's actions from as far as 30 to 50 feet away. Casual observers—people who are on the scene, but don't have any particular reason to be watching the spellcaster—rarely notice the spell unless it's unusually obvious. If it's important to know whether or not a particular NPC or monster notices the spellcaster's actions, the DM can make an Intelligence check for that character (Intelligence acts as a measure of a character's perceptiveness).
Subtlety Rating: A spell's subtlety rating is the overall measure of how easily the caster's actions are detected by an observer. In some cases, the spell is automatically detected; any character within 10 feet who specifically watches the spellcaster (for example, someone engaged in melee with the caster, or a vigilant guard) will automatically notice that the character is attempting a spell. However, if an Intelligence check is used to determine whether or not a character notices a spell, the subtlety rating is used as a modifier to the character's roll.
The spell's subtlety rating is figured as shown in Table 39 : Spell Subtlety Modifiers.
Casting time is an important factor in the subtlety of a spell, since the longer the character is involved in the spell, the more likely it is that someone will notice him. The number of components involved measures how complicated the spell is and how difficult it is to cast. Last but not least, some spells clearly require some unusual actions or behaviors that may be hard to disguise. However, if the caster can mask his actions by performing them in a place or manner that wouldn't be suspicious (for example, dancing or clapping in a street carnival, or shouting on a crowded battlefield) this last modifier can be negated.
The spell's subtlety rating is the total of its modifiers. It is applied to an observer's Intelligence when rolling an Intelligence check to see if he or she notices the physical act of spellcasting. Remember, in many cases an Intelligence check is completely unnecessary—a wizard who casts a spell in a pitch-black room won't be seen by anyone, while a priest who uses magic in a crowded town market is probably going to be noticed by someone nearby.
Vorgaad, a necromancer, is enjoying a stout ale in his favorite taproom when a pushy paladin challenges him over some trifling issue of raising decently buried townsfolk and using them for his own evil ends. Vorgaad sighs and orders his minion Azoth to accept the paladin's challenge. Accompanied by a large number of tavern-goers, all concerned step outside into the torchlit yard of the inn. Vorgaad decides that the paladin will cut Azoth to pieces if he doesn't do something and decides to use stoneskin on Azoth to even the odds. Stoneskin has a casting time of 1 and requires verbal, somatic, and material components. As a result, its total subtlety rating is 4. In addition, the DM rules that the act of sprinkling granite and diamond dust over Azoth is strange enough for an additional +1 bonus, giving anyone nearby a +5 bonus to their chance to detect Vorgaad's spell. However, the light in the courtyard, the din of the crowd, and the spectacle of Azoth taunting the paladin all help Vorgaad remain unnoticed; taken together, these reduce the bonus to 0. Any bystander who succeeds in an Intelligence check sees Vorgaad cast his spell.
Note that characters can sometimes deceive intelligent enemies by pretending to cast spells. The would-be trickster should have some idea of what he's doing; otherwise he's just flailing his arms around and shouting nonsense (which might be a distraction in and of itself!) It also helps a lot if the target of the charade has seen that particular character use magic before since the whole act is much more credible when it follows a real spell. Consider how fast a band of trolls might scatter if they'd just been fireballed and then observe the same wizard getting ready to cast another spell!
| Modifier | Condition |
|---|---|
| +1 | Casting time of 4 or higher |
| +2 | Casting time of 7 or higher |
| +3 | Casting time of one round or more |
| +5 | Casting time of one day or more |
| +1 | Includes verbal component |
| +1 | Includes somatic component |
| +1 | Per three material components included |
| +1 | Spell includes unusual action (singing, clapping, etc.) |
| +2 | Spell requires dramatic action (shattering gem or breaking item, capering and dancing, shouting, etc.) |
| +4 | Spell requires very obvious action (a full religious ritual, drawing a circle on the ground with powder, etc.) |
| +6 | Character going out of his way to be noticed |
| –2 | Poor lighting |
| –1 | Background noise can mask sounds |
| –2 | Distracting activity nearby |
Sensory Signature[]
Another characteristic of spells is their sensory signature, or just how noticeable the effects of the spell are. A lightning bolt includes a blinding flash of light and a deafening clap of thunder; clearly, it is much more noticeable than a shocking grasp or an unseen servant. Many spell effects are completely undetectable; for example, a charm person, polymorph self, or feeblemind spell may wreak all kinds of havoc with the subject, but outside observers can't see, smell, or hear anything when the spell is cast that lets them know that magic was just employed. Sensory effects fall into (naturally) five major categories: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste.
Sight: Spells that create matter, project energy, or create visible changes in the subject have a visual sensory signature. Any creature close enough to see the effect will be aware of the fact that a spell has been cast.
Hearing: Most spells with visible signatures also have an audible signature as well, even if it's a weird hum, buzz, or ZOTTT! as the magic affects its target. A few spells have particularly noticeable audible signatures, such as lightning bolt, shout, and other such deadly enchantments. Very few spells have an audible signature without some form of visual signature as well.
Smell: Enchantments such as stinking cloud and cloudkill are the obvious offenders in this category, but other spells may leave olfactory signatures behind, particularly spells that start fires. The pungent fumes of a pyrotechnics or incendiary cloud spell may easily be the first thing an observer notices, even before he sees the smoke.
Touch and Taste: Usually, if a character's close enough to notice a spell's effect by these methods, he's already quite aware of the fact that magic has been used against him. However, in some cases, this might be a character's only way to detect a spell. For example, a character who has been magically blinded and deafened would still feel the warmth of a distant fireball on his face or feel the tremors caused by a priest's earthquake.
| # of Targets Affected |
Area Affected |
Visible at Range (Size Category) |
|---|---|---|
| Self | Caster | 20' (S) |
| 1 Target | 5' sq. or 2' rad. | 50' (M) |
| 2–9 Targets | 30' sq. or 15' rad. | 200' (L) |
| 10+ Targets | 40' sq. or 20' rad. | 500' (H) |
| 40+ Targets | 100' sq. or 40' rad. | 1,000' (G) |
Strength of Sensory Signatures[]
All sorts of conditions may influence the obviousness of a spell; a lightning bolt may be reduced to a dim, distant flash in a deep fog, but the crack of the thunderbolt will still be quite audible! The number of creatures affected by a spell can be used as a rough measure of the strength of a sensory signature, as shown in Table 40 : Sensory Signatures.
For example, a fireball normally affects a 20-foot radius, so it would be considered a huge signature detectable at a range of 500 feet under good visibility conditions. On the other hand, polymorph other affects only one target, so it would be a medium signature spotted at a range of 50 feet. Obviously, the DM has a great deal of latitude here; spells break the rules of the game, and many defy classification.
If the visibility is poor, the ranges listed above could be reduced by as much as 50 to 75 percent. However, simple darkness may not conceal spells with brilliant or fiery effects; if anything, a fireball or lightning bolt is even more visible at nighttime than it is in daylight!
Spells can usually be heard or smelled at half the range they can be seen and felt at one-tenth the visibility range. The roar of a fireball normally carries for 250 feet or so, even if the blast itself is out of sight around a corner or behind a hill. A deafened character who isn't looking at the blast can still feel the heat of the fireball from as far as 50 feet away. However, sound and smells may not propagate in a perfect circle from the spell's targeting point—if there's a strong wind blowing, the faint stench of a stinking cloud may be noticeable a mile or more downwind, while stone walls and large areas of still water may reflect or bounce sounds to several times their normal carrying distance.
Sensory Signatures by School[]
While each school of magic includes a variety of different spells, it's possible to make some general observations about each school. Both priest and wizard spells of the listed type share some common sensory signatures.
Abjurations: Spells of this type fall into three loose categories—those that create barriers, those that enhance the recipient's resistance to attack, and those that directly attack the offending creature or object. Barriers include spells such as protection from evil, minor globe of invulnerability, antimagic shell, or prismatic sphere; generally, these spells have a normal visible signature for their size, but don't produce odd smells or sounds. Spells that enhance resistance include sanctuary, nondetection, or protection from normal missiles. These enchantments have small signatures or no discernible signatures at all. Abjurations that attack the offending creature include fire trap, repulsion, or banishment; they may include sight and sound signatures as normal for their area of effect. The following are some specific examples:
Protection from evil: moderate visual;
Minor globe of invulnerability: small visual;
Banishment: small visual, small audio.
Alterations: This broad school includes spells designed to accomplish a multitude of effects. As a gross generalization, all alterations have the signatures derived from their areas of effect with a couple of notable exceptions. Alteration spells that affect other spells (the so-called "metamagic" spells, like far reaching or Rary's mnemonic enhancer) and spells that imbue the caster with a quality that doesn't change his appearance (comprehend languages, fly, or water breathing, for example) usually have no signature at all. Specific examples appear below:
Burning hands: moderate visual and audio;
Haste: no signature at all;
Animal growth: moderate visual and audio.
Conjurations: Most conjurations involve visual sensory signatures since people on the scene notice whatever it is that just appeared, but audio signatures are unusual. Instead, olfactory signatures—strange smells and odors— often accompany spells of this school. Also, tactile sensations such as chills, goosebumps, or nausea may come into play when doors to other dimensions are opened in the vicinity. The following are specific examples:
Unseen servant: small audio and tactile;
Monster summoning: moderate visual;
Power word: small audio and tactile.
Divinations: A great number of divinations have no sensory signature at all since they impart information directly to the caster's awareness. However, some divination spells (such as detect magic) cause the items or objects in question to glow, so that anyone nearby can see them.
Enchantments: Spells of this type that directly manipulate the subject's mental or emotional state have no signature to speak of, but a few spells of this type that relay compulsions or orders, or affect objects instead of people (command, bind, ray of enfeeblement, snake charm, trip, or snare, to name a few examples) have normal sensory signatures as appropriate for their areas of effect.
Charm person: no sensory signature;
Hold person: moderate visual/tactile signature;
Ray of enfeeblement: small visual/audio signature.
Illusions: In one sense, illusions are nothing more than sensory signatures with no reality attached to them. The central spells of this school—phantasmal force and its various improvements and refinements—are designed to create the largest "signature" possible and may easily be observed from quite a distance away. A few illusion spells work directly on the mind of the subject and have a much smaller sensory effect; these include misdirection, phantasmal killer, or eyebite. Illusions that mask or conceal something else have no true sensory signature in and of themselves; if an invisible wizard was surrounded by a glow or gained a pungent odor, the spell would be worthless!
Phantasmal force: visual signature by area affected;
Wraithform: small visual/tactile signature;
Eyebite: no sensory signature.
Invocations: Without question, the school of invocation/ evocation includes the most spectacular spells available to a wizard or priest. Like it or not, a wizard who throws fireballs and lightning bolts is creating a fireworks show that people can see and hear for quite a distance away. Blinding flashes of light and deafening peals of thunder leave no doubt in the observer's mind that magic is at work here. Here are some classic examples:
Magic missile: moderate visual signature;
Fireball: huge visual, moderate audio/tactile;
Cloudkill: large visual, large olfactory.
Necromancies: While spells of this school can be extremely potent, the flash and bang of a powerful invocation isn't found in most necromancy spells. Most necromancy spells affect only a single subject at a time. Tactile sensations such as chills, nausea, or disorientation are somewhat more common in necromancy than thunderous detonations or weird haloes of light. The following are some good examples of necromancy spells:
Enervation: small visual/audio/tactile;
Animate dead: moderate visual/tactile;
Cure serious wounds: small visual/tactile.
Spells with Attack Rolls[]
A small number of spells require the caster to make an attack roll in order to deliver damage or other effects to the victim. Some of these can be very potent, but their power is limited by the requirement to actually touch the subject with a successful attack roll. Generally, the caster can execute a touch attack (or roll an attack roll) as soon as he finishes casting the spell, or he can delay until the end of the current round and then make his attack. However, if the caster doesn't attempt to discharge the spell in the round in which it is cast, it is wasted unless the spell has a duration of more than one round. For example, cause light wounds must be used in the same round in which it is cast, but since chill touch lasts a minimum of four rounds, the caster doesn't have to "use it or lose it" in the round he casts the spell.
A number of spells don't require the caster to actually injure the target or breach the victim's armor; even a glancing touch will be sufficient to discharge the spell's effects on the target. Spells of this type ignore the portion of the victim's Armor Class that is derived from wearing armor. In other words, only Dexterity-based and magical adjustments help a character's Armor Class against some magical attacks.
Oromonos the wizard takes a dislike to an obnoxious guard and decides to teach him a lesson with a shocking grasp. Since the spell only requires the wizard to make contact with the target, the DM rules that the guard's plate mail +1 won't help him. Only the 1-point Armor Class bonus for the armor's enchantment counts for the guard's AC, which makes him AC 9 to Oromonos's attack instead of his usual AC 2.
Which spells qualify as spells that bypass armor? Basically, this is a judgment call for the DM. In order to gain this advantage, the spell description should clearly imply that the spell would take effect even if it struck the victim on the breastplate instead of requiring the caster's hand to actually touch exposed skin. Another way of looking at it is this: Does the spell emulate the action of a normal weapon, such as a sword, arrow, or dagger? If it does, the spell definitely requires a normal attack roll on the part of the caster, but if the spell affects the victim's life force or achieves its effect from simple contact, the subject's armor is ignored.
Spells that directly affect the subject's life force include most of the necromantic touch spells (chill touch, vampiric touch, energy drain, etc.), the various cause wound spells and other reversals of healing spells such as poison, slay living, and destruction. The victim's armor does not help to protect him from these attacks. Spells that somehow change or alter the victim's status, such as imprisonment, plane shift, or dispel evil also ignore armor.
A second category of spells that can affect the victim through his armor includes spells that produce energy or forces against which armor is useless. For example, shocking grasp, chromatic orb, watery double, produce flame, fire seeds, or crystalbrittle can affect an armored or unarmored person equally well.
Some spells that use attack rolls but ignore the victim's armor appear in Table 41 : Armor-Breaching Spells.
Spells that create physical attacks or emulate the effects of weapons include such enchantments as ice knife, hovering skull, Mordenkainen's sword, and spiritual hammer. Since these spells manifest as tangible weapons and are wielded in the same way, the subject is allowed the full benefit of his or her armor. See Table 42 : Armor-Observing Spells.
Player's Option: Combat & Tactics: In the revised initiative system introduced in the Combat & Tactics book, spells that require attack rolls are cast as normal (i.e., on the fast, average, or slow phase, as appropriate for the casting time). After the spell is invoked, the caster may then make his attack for the round in any subsequent phase. For example, a wizard who casts chill touch, a fast spell, may then make a touch attack in the average, slow, or very slow phases. Note that the character still receives only one attack per round.
Even though the wizard will often be 'unarmed' when he uses a touch attack spell, he does not provoke an attack of opportunity since he's not attempting to initiate unarmed combat. All he needs to do is touch the subject, not land a full-force punch or wrestle with the fellow. However, a victim who is guarding will still be able to make his own attack before the wizard can deliver his touch-based attack.
| Wizard Spells | Priest Spells |
|---|---|
| chill touch (1st) | cause light wounds (1st) |
| chromatic orb (1st)1 | produce flame (2nd) |
| shocking grasp (1st) | cause blindness or deafness (3rd) |
| ghoul touch (2nd)1 | cause disease (3rd) |
| pain touch (3rd)1 | curse (3rd) |
| vampiric touch (3rd) | cause serious wounds (4th) |
| watery double (3rd)2 | chaotic sleep (4th)2 |
| fire aura (4th)1 | poison (4th) |
| mummy rot (5th)1 | cause critical wounds (5th) |
| Malec-Keth's flame fist (7th)2 | dispel evil (5th) |
| Otto's irresistible dance (8th) | plane shift (5th) |
| crystalbrittle (9th) | slay living (5th) |
| energy drain (9th) | fire seeds (6th) |
| imprisonment (9th) | harm (6th) |
| seclusion (6th)2 | |
| Sol's searing orb (6th)2 | |
| destruction (7th) |
- 1 From The Complete Wizard's Handbook
- 2 From Tome of Magic
| Wizard Spells | |
|---|---|
| fist of stone (1st)2 | snapping teeth (3rd)1 |
| ice knife (2nd)1 | turn pebble to boulder (4th)2 |
| Melf's acid arrow (2nd) | claws of the umber hulk (6th)2 |
| bone club (3rd)1 | tentacles (6th)1 |
| hovering skull (3rd)1 | Mordenkainen's sword (7th) |
| Melf's minute meteors (3rd) | shadow form (8th)1 |
| Priest Spells | |
| magical stone (1st) | flame blade (2nd) |
| shillelagh (1st) | spiritual hammer (2nd) |
- 1 From The Complete Wizard's Handbook
- 2 From Tome of Magic
Knockdowns[]
The concept of knockdowns was introduced in the Player's Option: Combat & Tactics rulebook. Knockdowns are hits that send the victim flying or put him on the ground, knocking him prone. The ability to cause a knockdown varies from weapon to weapon, and the larger the target, the more resistant he is to knockdown results. Very few attacks have the power to put a frost giant flat on his back!
While a club-wielding giant or a powerful barbarian obviously has the potential to take an opponent off his feet, many spells also have the ability to drive a victim to the ground with tremendous force, shock, or concussion. In some cases, spell energy may cause knockdowns through spasms, intense pain, or physiological shock as well as sheer impact energy.
Knockdown Die: The likelihood of a weapon (or a spell) to cause a knockdown is governed by the size of the knockdown die. Any time a character suffers damage from a spell, the caster may roll a knockdown die to see if there is a chance for a knockdown. If the number rolled on the knockdown die is higher than the victim's knockdown number, he must roll a saving throw vs. death magic or fall down.
Usually, being knocked down forces the character to spend his next action or attack standing again. Standing is treated as moving half the character's normal movement rating, so a knocked-down fighter could choose to stand in the following round and still receive his normal allotment of melee attacks, while a knocked-down archer who stood up would have to fire at 1/2 his normal rate of fire. (See What You Can Do in One Round, page 122 of the PHB .)
While a character is on the ground, he is especially vulnerable to attack. Anyone attacking the knocked-down character gains a +4 bonus to hit, and the prone character may not apply his Dexterity adjustment (if any) to his Armor Class. Obviously, it's worth the time to stand up again!
Knockdown Number: A character's resistance to knockdowns is measured by his knockdown number. Size is the most important characteristic here, although a character with a good saving throw will avoid many knockdowns regardless of his size. See Table 43 : Knockdown Numbers by Size.
| Size Category |
Knockdown Number |
|---|---|
| T | 3+ |
| S | 5+ |
| M | 7+ |
| L | 9+ |
| H | 11+ |
| G | 13+ |
Oromonos isn't done with that guard yet. Since the shocking grasp didn't deter the fellow, Oromonos throws a lightning bolt at him at point-blank range. The lightning bolt has a knockdown die of d12 (we'll discuss knockdown die sizes for particular spells in a moment), and Oromonos rolls an 8 with the d12 while he's rolling his damage for the spell. Since the guard is a human (size M) and therefore knocked down on a 7 or better, he must now make a saving throw vs. death magic or hit the turf. Although the fellow does save against the lightning bolt itself, he blows his knockdown save and winds up on the ground, wondering what hit him.
Spells and Knockdown Dice[]
Clearly, not every spell has the potential for a knockdown. Enchantments such as charm person or slow may create serious difficulties for the victim, but they're not going to throw him to the ground in the process. Other spells cause 'knockdowns' just by their nature; sleep, grease, and ice storm can put creatures on the ground by virtue of their normal effects. Table 44 : Spells with Knockdown Effects list spells that actually use the knockdown rules.
For spells from other sources, use your best judgment in assigning a knockdown die. First of all, the spell must deliver energy to the target or cause a physiological reaction that might cause the subject to lose control of his limbs—for example, the agony associated with Abi-Dalzim's horrid wilting or throbbing bones has a chance to distract even the stoutest warrior, despite the fact that neither spell actually strikes the victim with a tangible blow. You may observe that lightning bolts are particularly good for knockdowns, because they strike the target with an immense amount of energy and electrocute the victim at the same time!
Spells that stun, daze, sleep, confuse, charm, hold, trip, fumble, or tangle the opponent don't need a knockdown die; if the spell succeeds, the victim is hindered by the action of the spell itself, and a knockdown would be redundant. Last but not least, spells that simulate weapons (Mordenkainen's sword, for example) can use a knockdown die based on the weapon itself; see Player's Option: Combat & Tactics for a complete listing of weapons and knockdown ratings.
| Knockdown Spell |
Die | Knockdown Spell |
Die |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abi-Dalzim's horrid wilting2 | d12 | flame strike | d8 |
| Bigby's forceful hand | d12 | gust of wind | d6 |
| Bigby's crushing hand | d12 | harm | d12 |
| Bigby's grasping hand | d12 | holy word | d12 |
| Bigby's clenched fist | d20 | ice knife1 | d6 |
| blade barrier | d10 | ice storm (hailstorms) | d10 |
| bone club | d8 | lightning bolt | d12 |
| call lightning | d12 | magic missile | d6 |
| cause serious wounds | d10 | magical stone | d6 |
| cause light wounds | d8 | Melf's acid arrow | d6 |
| cause critical wounds | d12 | meteor swarm | d20 |
| chain lightning | d12 | Mordenkainen's faithful hound |
d10 |
| chromatic orb1 | d6 | Mordenkainen's sword | d8 |
| claws of the umber hulk2 | d10 | Otiluke's freezing sphere (globe) |
d10 |
| cone of cold | d8 | prismatic spray | d12 |
| delayed blast fireball | d8 | repulsion | d10 |
| dust devil | d6 | shocking grasp | d8 |
| explosive runes | d10 | shout | d8 |
| fire seeds (missile) | d8 | spiritual hammer | d10 |
| fire trap | d8 | tentacles1 | d8 |
| fire storm | d8 | throbbing bones1 | d8 |
| fireball | d8 | thunder staff2 | d10 |
| fist of stone2 | d8 | turn pebble to boulder2 | d12 |
| flame arrow | d10 | vortex2 | d10 |
- 1 From The Complete Wizard's Handbook
- 2 From Tome of Magic
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