Topic: chain lightnig issue

[mrfantastic]

see attachment..my questions are :

1) all targets make a rr since 1st target or only when jump on a wall a column or the ground etc ?

2) 100' each other mean 1st target must be in 100' of second target and second to tird target but tird target must still be within 100' of 1st target or we suppose is 100+100+100 etc?.


storm chain lvl 25 spell same list state this : as chain lightning, exept that one additional chain is released for every 10 lvl of the caster. my question is :

are 2 chain lightnig in total 1 base +1 additional (25:10=2.5 rounded down to 2)  or 3 chan lightning in total 1 base +2 additional ?

ty in advance i have my personal opinion cause the spell is pretty clear , but my players always want to see the things in way to powerful. i think rr is applicable since 1st target and addizional are 2 for 3 in total but since target get rr is reasonable and when it arc on objects it make rr vs itself that mean u have 50% chance of attaching same foe multiple time

[mrfantastic]

i put spell here cause attachement is on approval

chain lightning lvl 16 state this:
caster creates a bolt of lightning which jumps from target to target until the number of targets attacked equals the caster's lvl/5. caster directed spell bonus apllies only to 1st target. each target must be within 100' of each other to be affected, otherwise the bolt will simply dissipate. A target may be attacked more than one by the same bolt. A bolt may arc to an object such as a column of stone, a statue, a door, a wall, a floor, or even the ground, and proceede from there.Each target make a rr with no modifier. If target is successful, he is not attacked during that jump. If unsuccessful, apply elemental defenses normally.

then the spel give some penalty in base of at for rr result.
there is a note that state : if the bolt fail a rr vs itself while arcing to an inanimate object, it has grounded out and presents no further threat.

i have another question too: if a target success his rr is it considered attacked or only who fail is considered a valid target ??

[Nightblade42]

I agree, the spell description is pretty clear.  How I read it is this:

Spell Caster casts Chain Lightning at four targets.  The first target is 10' away from the caster; the second is ten feet from the first (20' from the Caster).  The third is fifty feet away from the third (70' from the Caster) and the fourth is fifty feet from the third (120' from the Caster).

Let's say target # 1 makes his RR.  He is considered grounded & not attacked (as per Spell Description).  Targets number # 2, 3, 4 fail their RRs & suffer the effects of a Lightning Bolt attack.  All are within 100' of each other and so all are targets of the spell.

As I read it.

Hope this helps.

Nightblade ->--

[mrfantastic]

ty for ur time....what do u think about directerd spell skill bonus is it wasted if 1st target make his RR or u apply it at 1st target who fail his RR ?

[Nightblade42]

That's an interesting one.  I'd probably be generous & allow the DSpell bonus to apply to the first RR success.  But you could have it only apply to the first target.

Nightblade ->--

[Spectre771]

"caster directed spell bonus apllies only to 1st target"

As stated in the spell description, Directed Spells only applies to 1st target.  Pass or fail RR, it applies only to the first target.

Also something to consider... the 100' distance doesn't automatically mean the targets are in a straight line.  1st 10', 2nd 30', 3rd 50' =/= total of 90' from caster.  They could be standing side by side in front of the caster. 

I do interpret the 100' maximum to mean 100' from the last target struck, not 100' from the caster.  This is a pretty powerful spell so I would allow 3 people, 100' apart from each other, in a straight line, to be struck by this spell.  i.e.: The final target being 300' from the caster.

[OLF, i.e. Olf Le Fol]

This is a pretty powerful spell (…)

Actually, from my experience, it is… not. It suffers from the same problem as the triads spells: with no directed spell applicable after the first target (but other parameters, such as foremost the range penalty…), it's almost useless if most targets are farer than 13 m from the spellcaster.