User Guide

♦
Dragon Scales
RANGE: Touch DURATION: Long AREA OF EFFECT: 1 character
This spell causes the body of the caster, or any character touched by
the caster, to become armored in dragon scales, effectively improving
the character’s Armor Class by 2 for the duration of the spell.
♦
Lich Touch
RANGE: Touch DURATION: Medium AREA OF EFFECT: Caster
By using this spell, the caster gains both the chill touch of the lich and
invulnerability to several lich-like attacks and effects. The caster is
immune to all forms of paralysis and fear, and the caster’s touch does
1–10 points of damage as well as paralyzing the target. Creatures not
affected by paralysis are entirely immune to this spell.
♦
Otiluke’s Freezing Sphere
RANGE: Special DURATION: Special AREA OF EFFECT: Special
When casting this spell, the mage creates a small globe about the
size of a sling stone. It can be hurled by hand or in a sling, but upon
hitting the target it does 6–36 points of cold damage upon all crea-
tures within a ten foot radius. These special sling stones should be
created just before a battle in which they are to be used, for they
cannot be stored forever and disappear in time.
♦
True Seeing
RANGE: 0 DURATION: Short AREA OF EFFECT: Special
The temples and ruins of Har’Akir can be a maze to those unfamiliar
with their many twists, turns, and magical wards. With this spell, a
mage can see things as they really are. Your mage is not fooled by
illusionary walls, and invisible monsters, items, and magical effects
become visible.
74
Strategies for Using Spells
In the hostile environs of Har’Akir, the spells memorized by your
spellcaster are important to his or her strategy. In the following
section, the spells are divided into types: offensive, defensive, cura-
tive, and others, and hints are given on when each type of spell is
most effective.
Spells that are available to clerics are marked with a caret sign (^).
♦
O
FFENSIVE SPELLS
Burning Hands, ^Cause Serious Wounds, ^Cause Critical Wounds,
^Cause Light Wounds, Chill Touch, Claws of the Umber Hulk,
^Harm, Lich Touch, Shocking Grasp, Vampiric Touch
Because the spellcaster must touch his or her target for these spells to
be effective, they can put a spellcaster’s courage to the ultimate test. In
using them, the caster places him or herself in the thick of the danger.
^Flame Blade, Ice Knife, ^Magical Stone
With these spells, the caster creates a weapon and so needs not
expose him or herself to as much danger as with spells requiring his
or her touch. The ice knife and magical stone are projected weapons,
putting a little more distance between the character and the target.
Acid Bolt, Agannazar’s Scorcher, Death Spell, Disintegrate,
^Flame Strike, ^Hold Person, Magic Missile, Melf’s Acid Arrow,
^Spiritual Hammer, Spook, ^Summon Insects, Venom Bolt
These are ranged magical attacks affecting one target at a time.
The hold person spell only affects men and other humanoid creatures.
Cloudkill, Cone of Cold, Fireball, ^Fire Seed, Flame Arrow,
Flaming Sphere, Hold Monster, Hold Undead, Ice Storm,
Lightning Bolt, Otiluke’s Freezing Sphere, Slow, Stinking Cloud,
Summon Swarm
These spells affect several monsters in an area. Because of the
damage they do, they are often the preferred offensive spells of high-
level spellcasters. Look closely at the area of effect for each spell.
Spells affecting several squares are more effective against monsters
that cannot attack in groups. Spells affecting a single square are most
effective against monsters that attack in groups.
Be careful when using the ice storm and hold person spells. If the
target of an ice storm is within melee range of your character, your
character takes damage from the spell.
75