A priest with access to this spell need not fear most routine falls, since the casting of the wind column creates a pillar of strong winds to slow his descent. The spell is most effective in areas or regions where a strong breeze is available, such as the heights of a mountain or the mast of a ship at sea. In areas of dead, calm air, it is much more difficult to muster the windpower necessary to arrest the caster's fall. The caster's rate of descent (and risk of damage) varies with the strength of the prevailing winds, as shown below.
If the wind is very strong, the caster can even choose to gain altitude instead of falling, although he can rise no higher than 5 feet per level above his original height before the wind column loses cohesiveness and he starts to fall again. However, a priest could use this to leap out a castle window and allow the winds to bear him to the roof of the tower, if the conditions are right.
| Wind Strength |
Falling Rate ft./sec. (ft./rd.) |
Damage Sustained |
|---|---|---|
| Very strong | 2(120) | None |
| Strong | 4 (240) | None |
| Moderate | 8 (480) | 1 per 10 ft.1 |
| Light | 16 (960) | 1d2 per 10 ft.2 |
| None | 32 (2000) | 1d3 per 10 ft.3 |
- 1 Maximum of 8 points
- 2 Maximum of 10d2 points
- 3 Maximum of 12d3 points
If you prefer to use the combat round scale from Player's Option: Combat & Tactics , rounds are approximately one-tenth as long, and movement per round is reduced accordingly. For example, in moderate winds, the caster will fall about 48 feet per round in the Combat & Tactics scale.
Notes: Uncommon for druids (PO:SM).