Difference between revisions of "Insect Plague (spell)"

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The swarm terrifies creatures with less than 12 h.p., causing them to flee the swarm once the first bite has occurred.  All others must make a [[Morale|morale check]] or do likewise.  Very few creatures will choose to ignore the insects — though very large creatures and those who can only be [[Magic to Hit|hit by magic]] will ignore them.
 
The swarm terrifies creatures with less than 12 h.p., causing them to flee the swarm once the first bite has occurred.  All others must make a [[Morale|morale check]] or do likewise.  Very few creatures will choose to ignore the insects — though very large creatures and those who can only be [[Magic to Hit|hit by magic]] will ignore them.
  
== Spells vs. Swarm ==
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== Spells vs. the Swarm ==
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Things that affect natural insects have some practical value.  Heavy [[Smoke|smoke]] causes insects to clear a 5 ft. around the smoke.  A bonfire will do likewise, but a [[Torch|torch]] will have no effect.  A [[Wall of Fire (spell)|wall of fire]] and other enduring fire spells form a shield against the swarm.  A [[Fireball (spell)|fireball]] clears away the insects inside the blast radius ... but the empty circle will fill up again at a rate of 10 ft. per round.  Other damage spells affect the swarm similarly.
  
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If the spell is used in conjunction with [[Summon Insects (spell)|summon insects]] or [[Creeping Doom (spell)|creeping doom]], the spells operate independent of each other, to mutual effect.
  
Heavy smoke will drive off insects within its influence. Fire will also drive insects away. A wall of fire and other lasting fire spells will form a shield against the insects, but a fireball will simply clear the insects in its blast area—the empty circle afterwards filling at a rate of 10’ per round. Other spells affect the insects similarly. If used in conjunction with summon insects, both spells operate unaffected by each other.
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[[Dispel Magic (spell)|Dispel magic]] disperses the cloud, if the spell's range can penetrate to the swarm's centre.  
  
[[Dispel Magic (spell)|Dispel magic]] will disperse the cloud, if it can be cast at the insect swarm’s center point. [[Invisibility (spell)|Invisibility]], [[Protection from Malevolence (spell)|protection from malevolence]], [[Shield (spell)|shield]] or other similar spells will offer no resistance; the spells [[Armour (spell)|armour]] and [[Phantom Armour (spell)|phantom armour]] will soak up damage caused by the insects; [[Withdraw (spell)|withdraw]] will enable the cleric to bat away insects and take no damage each round provided they do nothing else and [[Sanctuary (spell)|sanctuary]] will provide complete immunity.
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[[Invisibility (spell)|Invisibility]], [[Protection from Malevolence (spell)|protection from malevolence]], [[Shield (spell)|shield]] provide no benefit; the insects land on everything solid and don't need [[Roll to Hit|to hit]] in order to cause damage.  [[Armour (spell)|armour]] and [[Phantom Armour (spell)|phantom armour]] soak up insect damage[[Withdraw (spell)|withdraw]] gives the caster time to bat the insects away, rendering them harmless, though half the time inside withdraw must be used for defense.  [[Sanctuary (spell)|sanctuary]] provides complete immunity.
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[[Category: Clerical Spells]][[Category: Druidical Spells]][[Category: Don't Review until 2023]]

Latest revision as of 16:58, 9 January 2022

Insect Plague (spell).jpg

Insect plague conjures a horde of hopping, creeping an flying insects that form in a thick cloud, obscuring vision and causing 1 hit point (h.p.) of damage to all creatures within the area of effect, per round.

Insect Plague
Range 360 ft.
Duration 10 rounds per level
Area of Effect 360 ft. circle, 60 ft. high
Casting Time 3 rounds
Saving Throw none; see text
Level cleric (5th); druid (5th)

The caster is able to designate the centre of the cloud, which must be within the spell's range — thus the caster could affect areas as far as 540 ft. away.

The radius of the swarm is huge, 36 combat hexes; once the plague has been conjured, however, it cannot move. Within the swarm, visibility is limited to 4 hexes, or 20 ft. Spellcasting inside the cloud is impossible, as the caster cannot hope to concentrate.

Effect

The swarm terrifies creatures with less than 12 h.p., causing them to flee the swarm once the first bite has occurred. All others must make a morale check or do likewise. Very few creatures will choose to ignore the insects — though very large creatures and those who can only be hit by magic will ignore them.

Spells vs. the Swarm

Things that affect natural insects have some practical value. Heavy smoke causes insects to clear a 5 ft. around the smoke. A bonfire will do likewise, but a torch will have no effect. A wall of fire and other enduring fire spells form a shield against the swarm. A fireball clears away the insects inside the blast radius ... but the empty circle will fill up again at a rate of 10 ft. per round. Other damage spells affect the swarm similarly.

If the spell is used in conjunction with summon insects or creeping doom, the spells operate independent of each other, to mutual effect.

Dispel magic disperses the cloud, if the spell's range can penetrate to the swarm's centre.

Invisibility, protection from malevolence, shield provide no benefit; the insects land on everything solid and don't need to hit in order to cause damage. armour and phantom armour soak up insect damage. withdraw gives the caster time to bat the insects away, rendering them harmless, though half the time inside withdraw must be used for defense. sanctuary provides complete immunity.