Ice Storm (spell)

Ice storm is a spell that's able to produce two distinct effects, depending upon the casters wish — either the violent clatter of a hail storm, in which large stones strike at victims from above, or a driving sleet, turning the air itself into a grey blur as particles of ice are flung through the air in a slanting blast.

Ice Storm

Range	10 ft. per level
Duration	1 round
Area of Effect	see text
Casting Time	2 rounds
Saving Throw	none
Level	mage (4th)

In either case, the effects of the spell appear instantaneously and irrationally, so that the air is made suddenly full of ice, force and motion; then, just as rapidly, the presence of hail stones falling down or lashing sleet simply evaporates when the spell's duration — a mere 12 seconds — simply clears. Faced with the abrupt and irrational, effect, all persons caught in it, regardless of damage suffered or their relationship to the caster, are effectively stunned for the round following the manifestation.

Ice Storm

The stones created with this iteration are as large as apricots or cranapples, which pound down with brutal force in a dense barrage that batters everything caught within a circle that is 40 feet wide (8 combat hexes). All within suffer 3-30 damage from the effect; items of glass must make a saving throw vs. "normal blow", with ceramics and mirrors making save against "frost"; held shields make save "crushing blow."

Afterwards, the ground is left strewn with hailstones, many whole and many shattered by impact. In open ground, the stones may lie ankle-deep only in pockets, collecting in hollows, against walls, around bodies, at the feet of trees or wherever the force of the fall drives them together. Most of the area will be covered with a rough scatter of ice. Grass has been flattened, leaves and small branches are torn down, loose soil will be pocked. The footing within the area is only briefly slippery; a movement stride of greater than 3 requires a dexterity check or the individual will fall; any move above stride-5 is impossible. This effect only lasts for three rounds following the dweomer's effect.

Driving Sleet

This form causes a slanting blast of ice to occur in a circle of 80 feet across (16 hexes), striking those caught in it with hard, wind-thrown particles. The sheet does not merely fall, it drives through the air, striking faces, eyes, hands, exposed skin and gear, while turning the whole affected space into a flashing confusion of motion. Creatures within are blinded: sight is overwhelmed by flying ice, streaming wetness, stinging cold and the need to shield the eyes. No action can taken for the round of the spell or the round after, as described above, but at the same time, no damage is sustained either.

The ground following the effect is coasted with slush in a slick glaze, reducing movement over it's surface to no better than stride-1 for the first three rounds thereafter, and stride-3 for two rounds after that. Attempts to move faster will result in a dexterity check with a -4 penalty; any movement above stride-4 is impossible.

This latter effect functions as a gust of wind with respect to disrupting effects such as a fog cloud or wall of fog.