Winter Wonderland, Part II
Last week I brought you the first part of an article entitled “Winter Wonderland” that I wrote for Open Gaming Monthly a little while back. Today, I thought I’d finish that article. So grab a cup of cocoa and get ready, because these spells are frosty.
CREATE ICEBALL
School transmutation; Level bard 1, druid 1, magus 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, T (cold or colder)
Range 10 feet
Target up to 1 snowball/level
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
You wave your hand, and the light and fluffy snowballs you indicate harden and grow sharp, menacing spikes made of black ice. The affected snowballs can still be thrown, as normal, but deal 1d6 plus the attacker’s Strength modifier points of piercing damage and 1 point of cold damage in the event of a successful hit. The snowballs’ range increment remains 15 feet, and is not affected in any way by this spell.
FREEZE OVER
School evocation (cold); Level bard 1, cleric 1, druid 1, ranger 1, sorcerer/wizard 1
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, F (a piece of glass in the shape of a perfect cube)
Range touch
Target body of water touched
Duration instantaneous; see text
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
At your touch, the water turns frigid and begins to harden into ice, which quickly spreads outwards. You freeze a volume of water equal to one 5-ft. cube per caster level, centered on the touched point. If the touched body of water is small enough, this may freeze the entire body of water. Otherwise, the ice takes whatever shape the caster desires, provided that it is a single mass comprised of the appropriate number of 5-ft. cubes. Any creatures in an area that freezes in this way are automatically pushed to the edge of the ice without taking any damage, and this movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity. If this would push them against a solid surface, or if the entire body of water becomes frozen, then they are pushed up onto the surface of the ice, instead.
The water remains frozen until it melts naturally. The amount of time required for it to do so depends on the temperature in the area, as outlined below.
MAGE’S ICY SURFACE
School evocation (cold); Level bard 2, magus 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, T (cold or colder)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area 40-ft.-radius emanation
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw see text; Spell Resistance no
Tiny motes of frost sprinkle from your fingertips in a wide arc, settling on the ground in the affected area and turning into a sheer plane of supernaturally slippery ice.
Moving across the slippery ice is very difficult. A creature can move across the ice at 1/4 their normal movement speed without penalty. A creature attempting to move at half its normal movement speed or faster is carried forward by his own momentum, and has difficulty turning. Creatures moving at half their normal speed or faster in the affected area can only move in straight lines while moving across the affected area. A successful Acrobatics check (DC 10) allows such a character to exchange 10 feet of movement in order to make a single 90 degree turn as part of his movement. Only one such turn can be made per round.
Additionally, a creature attempting to move at its normal movement speed or faster must succeed on an Acrobatics check (DC 20) or slide an additional 5 feet across the ice, in the same direction it was already moving. For every 5 points by which the creature fails to meet the DC, he slides an additional 5 feet (so a result of 19 would cause the creature to slide 5 feet, while a result of 15 would cause him to slide 10 feet, and a result of 10 would cause him to slide 15 feet, and so on). Additionally, failing this check means that the creature must succeed on a Reflex save or fall prone at the end of his additional movement. Standing up from prone on the ice is difficult as well, and requires a successful DC 8 Acrobatic check.
Finally, characters attempting to run on the affected area suffer a -5 penalty on all Acrobatics check and Reflex saves made as a result of this spell.
MAGE’S SNOWBALL
School evocation (cold); Level magus 0, sorcerer/wizard 0
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, T (cold or colder)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect one snowball
Duration instantaneous and 1d4 rounds; see text
Saving Throw Fortitude partial; Spell Resistance yes
You hold out your outstretched palm, and a perfect sphere of tightly packed and glistening snow forms within it. This is not normal snow, but a magical construct which is colder and more disorienting, exploding in a dazzling shower when it strikes something. Make a ranged touch attack. If the attack hits, the target takes 1d2 points of cold damage. Additionally, if the target takes at least 1 point of cold damage as a result of this spell, he must succeed on a Fortitude save or be dazzled for 1d4 rounds.
MAGE’S SNOWBALL STORM
School evocation (cold); Level bard 4, magus 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, T (cold or colder)
Range long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area 20-ft.-radius burst
Duration instantaneous and 1d4 rounds; see text
Saving Throw Reflex half, Fortitude partial, see text; Spell Resistance no
With a wave of your hand, hundreds of snowballs appear in the air and fly into the designated area, pelting all within with loosely-packed balls of snow. Each creature in the affected area takes 1d4 points of damage per caster level (to a maximum of 10d4 at 10th level), half of which (rounded up) is cold damage, the other half of which (rounded down) is nonlethal damage. A successful Reflex save halves this damage.
Additionally, any creature that takes at least 5 points of cold damage as a result of this spell must succeed on a Fortitude save or be sickened for 1d4 rounds, as they are distracted by supernaturally cold snow getting under their clothes, on their face, in their hair, etc.
SNOW SPHERE
School conjuration (creation); Level druid 3, magus 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, T (cold or colder)
Range medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect 5-ft.-diameter sphere
Duration 1 round/level
Saving Throw Reflex negates; Spell Resistance no
A man-sized ball of compact snow appears and begins to roll about at your command, crushing those it comes into contact with. The sphere appears in a square of your choice within range. It can moved up to 30 feet in a given round on a flat surface, or 60 feet going all downhill or 15 feet going all uphill. Directing the sphere to move is a move action, otherwise it merely stays at rest (assuming it is on a flat surface, otherwise it automatically rolls downhill at a rate of 60 feet per turn).
If the sphere enters a space with a creature, that creatures takes 2d6 points of damage, half of which is cold damage and half of which is nonlethal damage. Additionally, the sphere makes a bull rush attempt. The sphere’s CMB for this purpose is equal to your primary spellcasting ability score (Intelligence for wizards, Charisma for sorcerers, etc.) plus any size bonuses, as appropriate (see below). If the sphere has moved at least 20 feet this round, it gains a +2 bonus on the bull rush attempt. As with all bull rush attempts, the sphere cannot bull rush a creature more than one size category larger than itself.
If the sphere successfully bull rushes the target, and the target is at least one size category smaller than the target, then target is engulfed into the sphere of snow. Such a creature is considered pinned, moves into the sphere’s square, and moves with the sphere wherever it goes. The sphere’s CMD for the purposes of escaping from it is equal to 10 + twice your primary spellcasting ability score modifier. If the sphere successfully bull rushes a target that is not at least one size category smaller than itself, the target is pushed, as normal for a bull rush attempt. The sphere always chooses to move with the target as far as it can.
Finally, as the sphere travels over snow-covered ground, it picks up more snow and continues to grow, increasing in size. The following table indicates how many squares of movement over snow is required to reach a certain size.
SNOWMAN SIGHT
School divination (scrying); Level bard 2, druid 2, inquisitor 2, ranger 2, sorcerer/wizard 2, witch 2
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S, T (cold or colder)
Range touch and medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level); see text
Target snowman touched
Duration 10 min./level
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
You press your fingertips against the eyes of a snowman, and suddenly you see not through your own eyes, but through its coal-black ones. This spell creates an invisible magical sensor on the eyes of the affected snowman. For the spell’s duration, as a swift action, you can switch between your own sight and seeing through this magical sensor. While viewing through the magical sensor, you see exactly what the snowman would see if it possessed sight, but are considered blind for the purposes of seeing from your own body.
Once you have cast the spell, you are free to move away from the snowman, but can only view through its eyes when you are within medium range (100 ft. + 10 ft./level). If you go beyond that range, you are unable to see through the snowman’s eyes until you move within that range again.
Unlike other scrying spells, this spell does not allow magically or supernaturally enhanced senses to work through it, however, the spell itself provides some supernatural enhancements to your vision: while viewing through the snowman’s eyes, you can see through fog (but not smoke), snow, sleet, and hail as though it were not there, and these conditions do not impose any penalties on Perception checks made to view things through the snowman’s eyes. Additionally, while viewing through the snowman’s eyes, you may choose to see through snow on the ground, and objects made of snow, as though you had x-ray vision. You may suppress or resume this ability as a swift action.
SUMMON SLEIGH
School conjuration (summoning); Level ranger 3, sorcerer/wizard 2, summoner 2
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S, M, T (a fresh carrot; cold or colder)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect one sleigh, and creatures to pull it
Duration 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
You summon a sleigh, as well as a team of four dogs to pull it. The dogs arrive already hitched to the sleigh, well-rested, fed, and ready to serve. They serve willingly, and are well-trained, but are not combatants, and will not attack, even if commanded. The dogs can pull the sleigh at a speed of 50 ft. (100 ft. per round when double-moving, 200 ft. per round when running), provided that it is not carrying more than 600 lbs., otherwise they pull it at a speed of 40 ft. (80 ft. per round when double-moving, 160 ft. per round when running). The dogs are not able to pull the sleigh if it is loaded with more than 1,800 lbs. The dogs and sleigh can move over snow-covered terrain without penalty.
The sleigh itself takes up a space 5 ft. by 10 ft., and can comfortably seat four Medium-sized characters. At the end of the spell’s duration the sleigh and dogs vanish.
SUMMON GREATER SLEIGH
School conjuration (summoning); Level sorcerer/wizard 5, summoner 4
Casting Time 1 round
Components V, S, M, T (a handful of oats; cold or colder)
Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect one sleigh, and creatures to pull it
Duration 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
As summon sleigh, except that the sleigh is larger, and instead of four dogs, is pulled by a team of eight spectral reindeer. The reindeer are capable of flight, and are able to pull the sleigh at a fly speed of 80 ft. (160 ft. per round when double-moving, 240 ft. per round when running) with clumsy maneuverability, provided that the contents of the sleigh weigh less than 1,500 lbs. If the sleigh is carrying more weight than that, then they are unable to make it fly, and must move along the ground at a speed of 40 ft. (80 ft. per round when double-moving, 160 ft. per round when running). The reindeer are not able to pull the sleigh if it is loaded with more than 4,500 lbs. The reindeer and sleigh can rest upon snow as though it were a completely solid surface, move over snow-covered terrain without penalty, and cannot fall into snowdrifts or otherwise sink into the snow.
The reindeer themselves are spectral, and appear as faintly blue translucent images, with faint, twinkling lights reminiscent of stars dotting their spectral forms. They are incorporeal, and cannot be harmed, but are still able to pull the sleigh. Though the reindeer are capable of passing through solid objects, they will not do so willingly, making this of little benefit in attempting to navigate the sleigh in small spaces.
The sleigh takes up a space 10 ft. to a side, and can comfortably seat eight Medium-sized creatures. At the end of the spell’s duration, the sleigh and reindeer vanish.
WARDING WREATH
School abjuration; Level bard 4, cleric 3, druid 4, sorcerer/wizard 5, witch 4
Casting Time 1 minute
Components V, S, F, T (a wreath made of holly; cold or colder)
Range see text
Effect wards one building
Duration 1 hour/level
Saving Throw Will partial, see text; Spell Resistance no
At your touch, the wreath begins to glow with a faint but unmistakable golden light. In order for this spell to have any effect, the wreath must then be hung outside the entrance of some sort of building or other enclosed space (such as the front door of a house, above a cave entrance, and so on). The wreath then wards the enclosed space, providing a number of beneficial effects. The wreath can only ward an area of up to 500 square feet per caster level (to a maximum of 5,000 square feet, at 10th level), and if the enclosed space is larger than that, only the 500 square feet/level of area nearest the wreath gains the benefits. Even if the enclosed area is smaller than the square footage allowed, this spell can only grant its benefit to one enclosed structure (such as a house, castle, or cave), and the benefits do not extend beyond that structure’s borders.
The temperature in the warded area is kept at a comfortable warmth, and the entire warded area remains in the warm temperature category (61 - 85° F). Any attempt to magically alter the temperature in the warded area fails unless its caster succeeds on a caster level check (DC 11 + your caster level).
Additionally, the wreath provides a magical barrier that is difficult for incorporeal creatures to cross. Any incorporeal creature attempting to enter the warded area must succeed on a Will save, or be unable to enter the warded area for the spell’s duration. This same protection applies to the wreath itself, and any incorporeal creature attempting to remove or destroy the wreath must succeed on a Will save or be unable to do so for the spell’s duration.
Finally, the wreath fills the warded area with a sense of calm and peace, making it difficult to perform violent acts in the warded area. Each creature in the warded area that attempts to take a hostile action (such as making an attack roll or combat maneuver check, or casting a spell that deals damage or allows a saving throw that is not denoted as “harmless.”) must succeed on a Will save or be unable to perform that action. Such a creature can attempt a new saving throw each round to perform the action.
If the wreath is removed or destroyed at any point during the spell’s duration, the spell ends immediately.