Enlarge (spell)

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Enlarge (spell).jpg

Enlarge permits the caster to expand or shrink the size of the recipient, as well as his or her carried equipment, for the duration of the spell, increasing the recipient's mass and size. A greatly enlarged creature is profoundly dangerous in an open space, as enlarge enhances speed and weaponry. However, by a nagging quirk of the spell's magic, enlarge has no effect on the recipient's hit points, nor the recipient's action points (AP). However, there are changes that must be taken into account.

Enlarge
Range 5 ft. per level
Duration 5 rounds per level
Area of Effect 1 object or creature; see text
Casting Time 1 round
Saving Throw negates; see text
Level mage (1st)

The change in size takes place with remarkable speed, transforming the recipient within the space of about 10 seconds; the recipient must expend 4 AP or a complete round during the process. Apart from this, the recipient will feel no ill-effects. From their perspective, it will be as if the world has shrunk.

Growth

Once the recipient is affected, his or her size and mass is increased by up to 20% per level of the caster. It's important to understand that while mass is increased arithmetically, the affected character's height is increased geometrically.

For example, Yuers the 6th level mage decides to enlarge his ally Zephan by 120%. Zephan's is normally 6 feet tall and weighs 250 lbs. To calculate Yuers' new weight, we need only multiply 250 by 220%, giving us a total of 550 lbs. However, Zephan is not made to be 13+ feet high! He expands three dimensionally, in all directions; so to calculate his adjusted height, we must find the cube root of his original weight (6.3) and compare that with the cube root of 550 (8.19). We then calculate 8.19/6.3 and multiply that (1.3) against Zephan's former height. We thus find that Zephan is now 7 ft., 10 in. tall. Cube roots, incidentally, can be calculated easily through excel.

Stride

While the recipient's AP are not adjusted by the spell, the length of the character's stride has increased according to the change in height. We can therefore use the cube root ratio to determine how many more hexes the recipient can cover with the normal number of steps. In the example above, Zephan has increased his stride by 130%. Thus, while his former maximum speed 8 hexes per AP, his adjusted maximum is now 10.

Encumbrance

The enlarged character's increase in mass also increases the character's capacity for encumbrance — even though the spell does not enhance the character's strength or other ability stats.

For example, if Zephan has a strength of 17, he has a potential to carry as much as 264 lbs. before he becomes immovable. Once his mass is increased to 550 lbs., however, this maximum becomes 581 lbs. BUT, the equipment that was carried is also enlarged, so that if he were formerly carrying 100 lbs. of equipment, that same enlarged equipment now weighs 220 lbs. Still, Zephan's capacity for carrying additional weight is greatly enhanced.

Objects will remain enlarged only if they continue to be held or carried by the spell's recipient. Enlarged objects will, if put down or dropped, return to their normal size. Thus, if Zephan wanted to carry even more, he could shuffle off his back pack and let it fall to the ground. The dweomer would then cease to affect his backback, returning it to normal size ... whereupon Zephan could pick it up again, although he couldn't wear it as a backpack.

This effect denies special advantages to the use of enlarged flasks of oil, vials of holy water, the exchange of enlarged valuable coins and other similar imagined benefits. The spell will transform a single gold coin or a single vial of holy water — though the water contained in the vial would diminish when emptied from the vessel, and the liquid itself isn't an "object."

Damage by weight
Adj. Weight
(lbs.)
as per normal weapon damage
1-3 1-4 2-5 1-6 2-7 1-8 2-8 1-10 1-12
1 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-2
2 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-1 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2
3-4 0-1 0-1 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2 0-2 1-2 1-2
5-7 0-1 0-2 0-2 0-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-3
8-12 0-2 0-2 1-2 1-2 1-2 1-3 1-3 1-3 1-4
13-20 0-2 0-2 1-2 1-3 1-3 1-4 1-4 1-4 2-5
21-33 0-2 1-2 1-3 1-4 1-4 1-4 2-5 1-6 1-6
34-44 1-2 1-3 1-4 1-4 1-6 1-6 1-6 1-8 1-10
45-54 1-3 1-4 2-5 1-6 1-6 2-7 1-8 1-8 1-10
55-299 normal damage for all weapons
300-349 1-3 1-4 1-6 1-6 1-8 2-8 1-10 1-10 2-12
350-399 1-3 1-4 1-6 2-7 2-8 1-10 1-10 1-12 3-12
400-449 1-4 1-4 2-7 1-8 1-10 1-10 1-12 2-12 3-12
450-524 1-4 2-5 1-8 2-8 1-10 1-12 2-12 3-12 2-16
525-649 1-4 1-6 2-8 1-10 1-12 2-12 3-12 3-12 2-16
650-749 2-5 1-6 1-10 1-10 2-12 3-12 3-12 2-16 2-20
750-874 1-6 2-7 1-10 1-12 3-12 3-12 2-16 2-16 2-20
875-999 1-6 1-8 1-12 2-12 3-12 2-16 2-16 3-18 2-20
1000-1099 1-6 2-8 1-12 3-12 2-16 2-16 2-16 2-20 2-24
1100-1274 2-7 1-10 2-12 3-12 2-16 2-16 2-20 2-20 4-24
1275-1474 1-8 1-10 3-12 3-12 2-16 2-20 2-20 2-24 4-24
1475-1624 2-8 1-10 3-12 2-16 2-20 2-20 2-20 3-24 4-24
1625-1974 1-10 1-12 2-16 2-16 2-20 2-20 3-24 4-24 4-32
1975 or more 1-10 2-12 2-16 2-16 2-20 2-24 4-24 4-24 4-32

Combat

Like other carried items, the recipient's weapons are also enlarged — and in the hands of a more massive combatant, the potential damage caused by these weapons in combat are also increased. For example, if Zephan were using a long sword that would normally cause 1-8 hit points (h.p.), the increased size of the weapon now causes 2-12 h.p. At the same time, Zephan's ability to wield this massive weapon is unchanged, so that he's able to strike with it as quickly and as often as before.

However, in the case of a fired weapon or one that's hurled, this enlarged effect is denied. A enlarged hand axe in Zephan's hands would cause 1-10 damage, but the moment he let it go, the hand axe would revert to its normal size and cause 1-6 damage on a hit. Likewise, a fired arrow would shrink once it was fired. For game purposes, it's assumed the missile's trajectory and potential to hit are unchanged by this shrinking effect.

If Zephan were to fumble his long sword, it would revert to its normal size; and wouldn't become enlarged again when picked up. Further, it's smaller size would be useless in Zephan's enlarged hands. Therefore, Zephan would have to abandon the weapon in favour of another carried on his person — though he could use his fists. In general, his grappling, pummelling and overbearing potential is greatly enhanced. On the table shown, fists count as ordinarily causing 1-4 minus 1 damage. Zephan's fists would cause 1-6 minus 1. As with all pummelling, his strength bonus would be applied.

Magic spells are unaffected by the dweomer, should a spellcaster be enlarged.

Shrink

The reverse of the spell, shrink, enables the caster to reduce the size of the recipient. This too reduces the size of all that the character carries, affecting weapons, stride, size and mass. As before, it leaves the recipient's hit points and action points. Most ability stats are unaffected, but the character's strength bonus are lessened, though penalties to hit and damage are never accrued by this decrease.