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.