SPELLS AND MAGIC

Magic Spells

Q. How many spells can we expect to see?
A1. (T.C. - RPG Vault) We are implementing a few hundred spells of levels 0 through 5.

A2. (S.M. 3/27) Here is the spell list as of the end of March. While there may be a few additions, removals, or changes, I think this will probably be the list of spells we will be shipping with (actually I think we're are going to do about another 30 more, but I'm not going to promise it). Everybody thank Huy Nguyen for working major overtime to get all of these done.

[(I.B. 4/2) For a good spell reference, check out Eye-On-Troika's spell compendium.]

Aid Animal Growth Animal Trance Animate Dead Bane Barkskin Bestow Curse Bless Bless Water Blight Blindness Deafness Blink Blur Break Enchantment Bulls Strength Burning Hands Call Lightning Calm Animals Calm Emotions Cats Grace Cause Fear Chain Lightning Chaos Hammer Charm Monster Charm Person Charm Person or Animal Chill Metal Chill Touch Circle of Doom Clairaudience Clairvoyance Cloudkill Color Spray Command Cone of Cold Confusion Consecrate Contagion Control Plants Cure Critical Wounds Cure Light Wounds Cure Minor Wounds Cure Moderate Wounds Cure Serious Wounds Curse Water Darkvision Daze Death Knell Death Ward Delay Poison Desecrate Detect Chaos Detect Evil Detect Good Detect Law Detect Magic Detect Secret Doors

Detect Undead Dimension Door Dimensional Anchor Discern Lies Dismissal Dispel Air Dispel Chaos Dispel Earth Dispel Evil Dispel Fire Dispel Good Dispel Law Dispel Magic Dispel Water Displacement Disrupt Undead Divine Favor Divine Power Dominate Animal Dominate Person Doom Emotion Endurance Endure Elements Enlarge Entangle Entropic Shield Expeditious Retreat Faerie Fire Fear Feeblemind Find Traps Fire Shield Fireball Flame Strike Flare Fog Cloud Freedom of Movement Gaseous Form Ghoul Touch Giant Vermin Glitterdust Goodberry Grease Greater Magic Fang Greater Magic Weapon Guidance Gust of Wind Halt Undead Haste Healing Circle Heat Metal Hold Animal Hold Monster Hold Person Hold Portal

Holy Smite Ice Storm Identify Improved Invisibility Inflict Critical Wounds Inflict Light Wounds Inflict Minor Wounds Inflict Moderate Wounds Inflict Serious Wounds Invisibility Invisibility Purge Invisibility Sphere Invisibility to Animals Invisibility to Undead Keen Edge Knock Lesser Restoration Lightning Bolt Mage Armor Magic Circle against Chaos Magic Circle against Evil Magic Circle against Good Magic Circle against Law Magic Fang Magic Missile Magic Stone Magic Vestment Magic Weapon Meld Into Stone Melf's Acid Arrow Mind Fog Minor Globe of Invulnerability Mirror Image Mordenkainens Faithful Hound Negative Energy Protection Neutralize Poison Obscuring Mist Open Close Orders Wrath Otilukes Resilient Sphere Phantasmal Killer Poison Prayer Produce Flame Protection From Arrows Protection From Chaos Protection From Elements Protection From Evil Protection From Good Protection From Law Rage Raise Dead Ray of Enfeeblement Ray of Frost Read Magic Reduce

Remove Blindness Deafness Remove Curse Remove Disease Remove Fear Remove Paralysis Repel Vermin Resist Elements Resistance Restoration Righteous Might Sanctuary Scare Searing Light See Invisibility Shatter Shield Shield of Faith Shillelagh Shocking Grasp Shout Silence Slay Living Sleep Sleet Storm Slow Soften Earth and Stone Solid Fog Sound Burst Spell Resistance Spike Growth Spike Stones Spiritual Weapon Stinking Cloud Stoneskin Suggestion Summon Monster I Summon Monster II Summon Monster III Summon Monster IV Summon Monster V Summon Nature's Ally I Summon Nature's Ally II Summon Nature's Ally III Summon Nature's Ally IV Summon Nature's Ally V Summon Swarm Tashas Hideous Laughter Teleport Tree Shape True Seeing True Strike Unholy Blight Vampiric Touch Virtue Web Wind Wall

Total Count: 224

A3. (S.M. 3/27) One of the reasons I posted this list this month was because "technically" this was our "Final Spells Added" milestone.

Q. Will there be cantrips (0th level spells)?
A. (H.N. 2/27) yes, there are 0th level spells.

Q. Will any spells higher than the 5th level be implemented?
A. (T.C. - Game Banshee - 2/3) A limited number of higher level spells are available on scrolls.

Q. Will all the spells be useful, or will there be a bunch of duds?
A. (S.M. 3/28) Every spell in that list has many uses in the game. We specifically excluded those that didn't have any (or only one single) use in the game. That was the cut off reason for most of the spells. I would say we only didn't include about 10-20 because of time.

Q. Will every casting class and clerical domain have enough unique spells to cast?
A. (S.M. 3/28) We also have 100% coverage on 100% of the domains, and I would guess every class has at least 8 (probably at least 10) and on average 15 or more spells to pick from per level.

Q. Where is Otto's Irresistible dance? Leomund's Secure Shelter and Secret Chest? Tenser's floating disc?
A. (H.N. 3/27) Otto's irresistible dance is a level 8 sor/wiz, level 6 bard spell - not for this game. both Leomund spells mentioned are still on the list of spells to be implemented, so once I can get around to them... for ToEE, secure shelter will most likely change in functionality to simply allow you to rest wherever you are with no encounters. useful when deep in a dungeon... as for Tenser's, the usefulness of the spell when weighed against the special cases it would need means it is probably tossed out (if it hasn't been already). and, given options like Leomund's chest, there are several other (better) ways to increase your carrying capacity/avoid encumbrance.

Q. Why were spells like light left out?
A. (S.M. 3/27) Since we have prerendered backgrounds changing the local lighting of an area isn't really possible. And unless the spell has ulterior effects wasn't even considered (e.g. light, dancing lights). We wanted, and still do want, to include darkness and daylight (e.g. of spells that effected dynamic lighting AND had significant gameplay effects) and a lot of the other spells that are on the list but we eventually had to stop putting programmer time on spells and get some other key features and bugs fixed.

Q. Will the wall spells make it in?
A. (S.M. 3/27) The only reason [walls] aren't on the list is because they couldn't get done in time for this month. We had wanted to do the walls, and Mike even did art for the Wall of Ice (and it could even be broken thru by attacking, etc,. and of course it looked freakin bitchin, thanks Mike!!!). And really, they weren't impossible to do, but there were just so many of them and they each would take a few days work. They couldn't get done in time for this month so "officially" we had to drop them. Thats not to say they can't reappear in later months. Just don't expect them, or any other spell to be added.

Q. Why were the illusion spells left out?
A. (H.N. 3/28) illusion spells are difficult to do correctly in a CRPG - I don't think any implementation of, say, Major Image or Creation, we could do would be satisfactory to anyone. and the time spent trying to make them work would probably be the equivalent of 5 or 6 other spells we could do. actually, coverage of the school of illusion (sor/wiz, levels 0-5) isn't so bad, I'd say around 33% - considering most illusion spells are PnP-ish.

Q. Will the cleric spell "Sanctuary" be in the game?
A1. (T.C. 3/17) Sanctuary is in. It was a priority 1 spell for us, given that I consider it a mainstay for clerics and that it is a domain spell as well. Anyway, you cast it and then any NPC has to make a Will save to hit you. The spell breaks if you do anything hostile, but you can cast inoffensive spells. Spellmaster Huy can give you more details, I am sure.

A2. (H.N. 3/17) sanctuary is in, and it was a pain to make it work right! so use it A LOT pleeeeease! oooh, Heighten Spell sanctuary to level 5... interesting will save DC then....

Q. What other spells have a chance of making it in?
A1. (H.N. 3/28) a portion of the unimplemented spells are still on my "unofficial" spell todo list ...I can think of Shield Other as another spell that was passed over for presumably whatever reason I can't think of right now, and I'd like to touch again.

A2. (H.N. 3/28) in particular, darkness, evervation, flame arrow, flaming sphere, polymorph, and the walls are still on my list. tiny hut could be reinterpreted as a lower level version of the Secure Shelter implementation we were thinking of (maybe halve the chance of random encounters)...

A3. (H.N. 3/28) Interposing Hand I wanted to do, but we couldn't think of a way to make this look *REALLY* good visually, and still keep the spell 100% the same; if we figure out something or come up with a satisfying modification, it may be back on the list

A4. (S.M. 3/27) I believe "Shatter" is actually going in as a modified spell. It doesn't behave 100% as the PHB describes shatter to behave. Rather than damaging items I think it does damage to crystalline things and other creatures of the earth domain. Don't worry it will be called out both in the manual and the in game documentation.

Q. Will Summon Monster and Summon Nature's Ally be separate spells?
A. (H.N. 2/27) Yes

Spellcasting and Magic Effects

Q. How will the teleport spell work?
A1. (H.N. 3/28) the only implementation of teleport right now is to essentially be the worldmap shortcut. out of combat, it allows you to bring up the worldmap anywhere, and travel to a known destination without random encounters. not exactly the 3rd edition spell, we know, but this was the best way to integrate a worldmap "shortcut" (given the choice between an item or a spell or an Orb of the Moons that could do this), and teleport was given this functionality. sorry for the Ultima reference

A2. (H.N. 3/28) teleport will technically be teleport without error ...for obvious fun reasons!

A3. (H.N. 3/31) [Teleport is] currently [limited to] wiz/sor 5 and travel domain 5 only

Q. How does dimension door differ from teleport?
A. (H.N. 3/28) dimension door is the one currently used in combat/dungeons to move the caster to non-worldmap destinations. teleport may be changed/added so that it functions like dimension door, only with the entire party (probably out of combat). the problem of course, with spells such as these, is bypassing scripted areas/events, where dependencies may break. we'll see

Q. Will certain spells have costs other than memorizing a spell?
A1. (H.N. 2/11) I just finished the XP and GP (gold) costs for spells that require them :)

A2. (T.C. 3/31) Spells that have significant material components (i.e. components with a GP cost specified in the spell) will cost gold to cast. So while you don't need 500 gp diamond to cast Raise Dead, you do need 500gp. For spells like Fireball that need bat guano and sulfur, you don't need anything nor do you need to spend any gold. We just assume you have those components on you. I mean, who doesn't carry bat guano around?

Q. Can we use counterspells to cancel an enemy mage's spells?
A1. (S.M. 3/28) I know that delay is in, and readying an action (for a spell to be cast, an enemy to enter a threatened area, or another creature to act) is being worked on. I am hoping that Sean will have readying an action to counterspell, but I'm not sure it is in, or if it will make it. Really is cool, useful, and we hope it can get in. I think it makes dispel magic a super powerful spell.

A2. (H.N. 3/28) I hope will make it in too. as steve said, it would be a time issue.

Q. Can we get a damage bonus by using a touch-based spell while sneaking?
A. (H.N. 3/28) optional rules from expansion books aren't high on our priority lists and probably aren't on our deliverables for milestones, unfortunately. although I agree, dealing sneak attack damage with a rogue/mage on ranged touch spells wouldn't be too terribly hard.

Q. Can all the spells in the game be cast instantly on the caster's turn?
A. (T.C. 2/5) We have some full-round spells.

Q. Will clerical spontaneous casting be allowed?
A. (H.N. 3/17) yep - "spontaneous casting" is in! in case it hasn't already been covered: if you are tending towards good, then you can convert non-domain cleric spells into Cure Wounds spells; evil-tending to Inflict Wounds spells.

Q. Can we choose what we summon?
A. (H.N. 2/27) Yes

Q. Will the player have full tactical control over summoned creatures?
A. (H.N. 2/27) summoned creatures are party followers; fully controllable followers in general are still being considered

Q. Do summoned creatures have any effect on the amount of experience gained from the combat?
A. (S.C. 2/27) Currently, summoned monsters DO NOT eat or earn experience. Killing them won't earn you XP either.

Q. If outside of combat I cast a buff spell that has a duration of 1 round, how many seconds will it last? 6? 10?
A. (S.M. 2/5) IIRC, 10 rounds is 1 minute so if it lasts 1 round it should only last 6 seconds.

Q. Will dispel magic work on persistent area effect spells (grease)?
A. (S.M. 2/5) I'll bug Huy about this one, I'm not sure. I think it will.

Magical Abilities

Q. Will turn undead and rebuke undead be implemented?
A. (H.N. 3/19) yep - both are in! commanding undead is even better than rebuking!!

Q. Will there be familiars?
A. (S.C. 2/6) Familiars will be implemented AT LEAST as a nameable item (think Boo) which will grant the corresponding stat/skill bonuses. On the cool stuff list is having those items be useable so you could send them out in the game as a scout or to deliver ranged touch attacks. This is of questionable use in PnP as if they get killed you have to pay a huge experience point penalty.

Q. Will familiars keep the [gold] requirement?
A. (S.M. 2/11) We hope so. We are planning for them to still cost the [gold] requirement. (Technically familiar summoning isn't in yet.)

Q. Will the feats like "Maximize Spell" (maximizes spell damage +3 Level) and "Empower Spell" (50% more damage + 2 level) be in the game?
A1. (H.N. 1/14) I can only vaguely say, (PH) item creation and metamagic feats are on the list - so don't worry too much!

A2. (H.N. 3/4) all 8 from the PHB (empower, enlarge, extend, heighten, maximize, quicken, silent, still) [are in the game]

Magical Errata

Q. Will there be psionics?
A. (S.M. 3/19) No there will not be psionics.

Q. In Greyhawk, will spellbooks (for us wizards) actually be an item, per 3E D&D?
A1. (S.M. 2/1) We considered implementing spellbooks as objects but found that they didn't add to the fun of playing the game. All it introduced was a possibility of your book being lost (often unfun) and then if we were to implement it that way, we had better come up with a reason for you to lose it (otherwise we implemented code for no reason). So we decided not to implement it that way.

A2. (S.M. 2/1) In ToEE, since you can't ever lose your spellbook the Spell Mastery feat is technically useless. Thus we left it out. While it is cool for a wizard to prepare his spells without his book, if he always has his book why include the feat.

Q. Will you be able to add spells to your spellbook?
A. (S.M. 2/1) Wizards should be able to scribe scrolls into their spellbooks in the game, however you wont ever find an entire spellbook to scribe in.

Q. Isn't there a 1d3 roll when finding a scroll to determine the number of spells on it? If so, is this implemented into to Greyhawk: ToEE?
A. (S.M. 2/3) I don't think we are going to implement multiple spells per scroll. There is a possibility, but its low on the cool things to add list.

Q. Are there any cool spell effects that aren't common in other DnD PC games?
A. (T.C. - Game Banshee - 2/3) My favorite spell right now is Magic Missile. Not only does it look (and sound!) cool, but the missiles are individually targetable, just like in the PnP game.