Given my tendency to be a pyromaniac (when given a chance), I prefer to cast fire-related spells. And there are no fire spells more iconic than fireball! Without a doubt, this spell gives you the most bang for your buck, but does have a tendency to hurt as well as help when it's not placed just right... We're able to take this one ALL the way back to the beginning of the game; to a time before D&D was even it's own game!
CHAINMAIL (1975)
This is the game system used to run D&D combats. "What?" you say. Yes, that's right, D&D combat originally used the Chainmail miniatures rules. More specifically, the "Fantasy Supplement" of those rules beginning near the back of the rulebook. Here, wizards were mysterious figures with mighty spell powers, and could choose to use deadly missiles such as fireball or lightning bolt (chosen before play began). This was carried over in the DUNGEON! boardgame where wizards selected a number of fireballs, lightning bolts, and teleport cards at the start of the game. But I digress... In this miniatures game, there were no memorized spells, and a wizard who had fireball as their attack spell could lob them all day long! A fireball had a hit area equal to that of a large catapult shot (3½" diameter circle). Such missiles (and this is where the term "casting" or "throwing" spells comes from) had a range of up to 24", with the center of the hit area at the range determined by the caster. This spell destroyed any forces or creatures in its hit area (with some exceptions). The spell could be cast as direct fire or indirect fire, with the range being called before the hit area was placed. Heroes (4th level fighters), Super Heroes (8th level fighters), and Wraiths all got saving throws to see if they survived the missile attack. Giants could be routed, pushed back 1 move, or be completely unaffected depending on their save roll. Dragons were driven back 1 move. Air and Water Elementals were driven back 1 move as well. Of course, all this is on a battlefield, not in a dungeon. There are no levels of spells, but there is spell complexity. So, essentially, a wizard's main means of attack was by lobbing fireballs (or lightning bolts), and possibly other spells based on their complexity and the wizard's actual "level."
D&D (Original White Box) (1974)
Although technically published before Chainmail, D&D grew out of miniature rules, so I gave Chainmail the first billing. This is the first listing of the spell "fireball" in an actual D&D rule book!
Fire Ball: A missile which springs from the finger of the Magic-User. It explodes with a burst radius of 2" (slightly larger than specified in CHAINMAIL). In a confined space the Fire Ball will generally conform to the shape of the space (elongate or whatever). The damage caused by the missile will be in proportion to the level of its user. A 6th level Magic-User throws a 6-die missile, a 7th a 7-die missile, and so on. (Note that Fire Balls from Scrolls (see Volume II) and Wands are 6-die missiles and those from Staves are 8-die missiles) Duration: 1 turn. Range: 24".
As you can see, the spell references Chainmail rules (which is why I listed them first). The spell is listed as a 3rd level spell on the Magic-User Spell Table, which is first attainable as a Thaumaturgist (5th level Magic-User). This version of the spell does not have material components. It retains the same 24" casting range from Chainmail, but got bumped up in diameter (now 4" diameter sphere). The die type (although not specified) is a d6 (the only die type used in this version of the game). The duration listed 1 turn, but this is a player's turn, not a "turn" as in 10 minutes of exploration in the dungeon. The term "instantaneous" has not yet been coined for such spells. Seems a powerful and useful spell in this version of the game, although a saving throw was still allowed to all characters for half-damage (I suppose that 0-level characters would still be slain by the spell automatically since they only had less than a full HD of hit points anyway).
AD&D 1st Edition (1978)
Fireball (Evocation)
Level: 3
Range: 10" + 1"/level
Duration: Instantaneous
Area of Effect: 2" radius sphere
Components: V, S (hmm, there is a material component to this spell)
Casting Time: 3 segments
Saving Throw: ½Explanation/Description: A fireball is an explosive burst of flame, which detonates with a low roar, and delivers damage proportionate to the level of the magic-user who cast it, i.e. 1 six-sided die (d6) for each level of experience of the spell caster. Exception: Magic fireball wands deliver 6 die fireballs (6d6), magic staves with this capability deliver 8 die fireballs, and scroll spells of this type deliver a fireball of from 5 to 10 dice (d6 + 4) of damage. The first of the fireball does not expend a considerable amount of pressure, and the burst will generally conform to the shape of the area in which it occurs, thus covering an area equal to its normal spherical volume. [The area which is covered by the fireball is a total volume of roughly 33,000 cubic feet (or yards)]. Besides causing damage to creatures, the fireball ignites all combustible materials within its burst radius, and the heat of the fireball will melt soft metals such as gold, copper, silver, etc. Items exposed to the spell's effects must be rolled for to determine if they are affected. Items with a creature which makes it saving throw are considered as unaffected. The magic-user points his or her finger and speaks the range (distance and height) at which the fireball is to burst. A streak flashes from the pointing digit and, unless it impacts upon a material body prior to attaining the prescribed range, flowers into the fireball. If creatures fail their saving throws, they all take full hit point damage from the blast. Those who make their saving throws manage to dodge, fall flat or roll aside, taking ½ the full hit point damage -- each and every one within the blast area. The material component of this spell is a tiny ball composed of bat guano and sulphur.
Lots of goodies in this description. Also it's fun to note that the spell here is called fireball, but in the previous version was referred to as fire ball. This is an important distinction that will come up again! Here is the first time this spell is called an "evocation"; although it doesn't mean much in this version of the game, it is a flavorful tidbit that defines the type of magic involved (and useful for detect magic spells, although it's pretty much over before such a spell could be cast). The range is curiously cut down from the original 24" range - now one has to be 14th level before such a range can be achieved! The duration is listed as instantaneous, meaning that its effects happen instantly and are over in a flash (cannot be dispelled, since there is no duration). The area of effect is the same as original D&D, and that saving throw is there to help others survive the terrible death by ignition. My only concern here is that the fire is hot enough to set everything in the area on fire and melt soft metals, but if you have a spellbook in a leather backpack that you are carrying, and you save vs. Spell, you take half damage but the spellbook is just fine... Yeah, right... Strange physics aside, the part about the level ability of wands and staves is lifted directly from original D&D; curiously, fireball scrolls got a bump up, allowing them to be up to 10th level in casting ability! Now, a fireball isn't a Hollywood pyrotechnic explosion - in other words, there isn't appreciatively much pressure behind the blast. However, it does say that it is a "burst of flames," and superheated air is going to have some pressure behind it, magic or no. It might be just enough to knock you off your feet in a narrow corridor, but it must be present, especially when trying to conform to a limited volume. If a fire is hot enough to instantly fuse soft metals together, it's gonna hurt! A lot! Perhaps they should have said that at 10th level the flames are hot enough to melt soft metals, at 15th it basically incinerates all soft goods, etc. But they didn't because it's a game, and it's no fun to be incinerated by a single spell. That being said, it's very tricky casting a fireball in a confined space such as a dungeon (especially the ones Gygax used to run, with every square filled by room, corridor, or other feature)! Note the volume listed as 33,000 cubic feet. That's 33 squares on a dungeon corridor that's 10' x 10' x 10' on the map. [The note about cubic yards is an error - as stated at the beginning of the spells section, only ranges change to yards outdoors; areas of effect remain in scale feet only.] Placement of a fireball is tricky - one has to be able to place it for maximum damage output while keeping one's own party out of the blast radius. This is harder to do than you think! Still, it's one of the best spells to use on large quantities of low-level creatures such as kobolds, goblins, orcs, giant rats, bat swarms, skeletons, zombies, hobgoblins, etc. Against higher-level creatures it can be beneficial in knocking down hit points, but most of the higher-level creatures are magic resistant or fire resistant (fire giants, red dragons, devils, demons, etc.). The old invisible wall of force trick to taunt the magic-user into casting fireball and then laughing as he and his party fries in their own spell has been done before. However, it's still a great gag to play, and humbling to the magic-user's player who then has to apologize for causing the near-total-party-kill. That being said, it's important to realize that premature impact of the fireball could really harm the casting party. Imagine using the spell distance distortion on a wall to make it appear further away that it actually may be! Or using an illusion to make a stone wall appear to be a clear, long corridor. Such dupes could cause a catastrophe for the magic-user lobbing such a spell as fireball (or even other spells like lightning bolt which rebounds when a solid surface is struck). The worst thing about a party being struck by a fireball is having to see what survived the blast. Those who made their saves are in the clear; those who did not save must roll for all their exposed belongings, including armor, weapons, and gear! Oh, how many magic items were snuffed out of existence by a failed saving throw on the Item Saving Throw chart! Remember kids, your Dexterity Reaction Modifier applies to saves against a fireball! So too do magic armor bonuses and possibly shield bonuses (if its a large shield - a buckler won't do). Those magic items that fail are completely and utterly destroyed! But, if your DM is a stickler for sympathetic magic, a wand of fireballs or powerful staff will likely succeed if it has fireball or other fire spells as it's main focus (a sword +1 flametongue shouldn't have to save, but a Holy Avenger +5 should). Remember those bonuses to magic item saving throws! The last thing to note here is that the spell DOES have a material component - they just forgot to put the "M" in the components at the top of the spell listing.
Moldvay Basic/Expert Sets (1981)
Going chronologically, this ruleset contains the next iteration of the spell. However, it's more tied to the original D&D White Box set in how it's presented, and creates the rift that starts the divergence of the two version of D&D (Advanced and B/X or BECMI).
Fire Ball
Range: 240'
Duration: instantaneousThis spell creates a missile of fire that explodes into a ball of fire 40' across (20' radius) when it strikes a target. The fire ball will cause 1-6 (1d6) points of fire damage per level of the caster to all creatures within the area. If a victim of a fire ball saves vs. Spells, the spell will only do ½ damage. EXAMPLE: A fire ball cast by a 6th level magic-user will burst for 6-36 (6d6) points of damage.
How concise and elegant this version of the spell seems (the above is the amalgamated version from the Basic and Expert rule books). Note the presentation - it is identical to the fire ball spell listed in the D&D White Box, including range (24" = 240'). The instantaneous duration makes sense given the length of a basic combat round (10 seconds). There is no explanation of how the explosion occurs in a confined space - that's up to the DM to decide. It also states nothing about items being set on fire - again, this is the DM's prerogative. It simply gives the information necessary to run the spell as a combat spell cast during a combat round. Pure, simple, and uncomplicated. That's pretty much all I have to say about this version of the spell. It's included only to show the difference between Advanced D&D and regular D&D.
2nd Edition AD&D (1989)
Fireball (Evocation)
Range: 10 yards + 10 yards/level
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Instantaneous
Casting Time: 3
Area of Effect: 20-foot radius
Saving Throw: ½A fireball is an explosive burst of flame, which detonates with a low roar and delivers damage proportional to the level of the wizard who cast it - 1d6 points of damage for each level of experience of the spellcaster (up to a maximum of 10d6). The burst of the fireball creates little pressure and generally conforms to the shape of the area in which it occurs. The fireball fills an area equal to its normal spherical volume (roughly 33,000 cubic feet - thirty-three 10' x 10' x 10' cubes). Besides causing damage to creatures, the fireball ignites all combustible materials within its burst radius, and the heat of the fireball melts soft metals such as gold, copper, silver, etc. Exposed items require saving throws vs. magical fire to determine if they are affected, but items in the possession of a creature that rolls a successful saving throw are unaffected by the fireball.
The wizard points his finger and speaks the range (distance and height) at which the fireball is to burst. A streak flashes from the pointing digit and, unless it impacts upon a material body or solid barrier prior to attaining the prescribed range, blossoms into the fireball (an early impact results in an early detonation). Creatures failing their saving throws each suffer full damage from the blast. Those who roll successful saving throws manage to dodge, fall flat, or roll aside, each receiving half damage (the DM rolls the damage and each affected creature suffers either full damage or half damage [round fractions down], depending on whether the creature saved or not).
The material component of this spell is a tiny ball of bat guano and sulphur.
Alright, this spell is pretty much the same as the 1st edition with just a few edits. The first is the range - now expressed in yards, not feet (or scale inches)! This means that the range is 3x the range of an AD&D 1st edition fireball indoors, and the same outdoors. They corrected the "M" omission in the Components line! However, they put a cap on the damage that the fireball can do - limited now to 10d6 maximum. How dare they? I don't know many magic-users that ever made it past level 12, but this is a deal-breaker for me (I like liches being able to cast high damage dice fireballs, thank you very much!). They did a good job of explaining the volume a bit better. And the spell still melts soft metals and causes everything in the radius to catch fire (except, of course, those characters who manage to save vs. Spells). They spell out the item saves a bit better too. The rest is pretty much the same.... until that last bit about the DM rolling the damage for the spell! When did that become a thing? A player should ALWAYS get to roll their own spell damage! It's one of the perks of being a wizard!
3rd Edition D&D (2000)
Fireball
Evocation [Fire]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: 20-ft. radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: YesA fireball spell is a burst of flame that detonates with a low roar and deals 1d6 points of fire damage per caster levels (maximum 10d6) to all creatures within the area. Unattended objects also take this damage. The explosion creates almost no pressure.
You point your finger and determine the range (distance and height) at which the fireball is to burst. A glowing, pea-sized bead streaks from the pointing digit and, unless it impacts upon a material body or solid barrier prior to attaining the prescribed range, blossoms into the fireball at that point (an early impact results in an early detonation). If you attempt to send the bead through a narrow passage, such as through an arrow slit, you must "hit" the opening with a ranged touch attack, or else the bead strikes the barrier and detonates prematurely.
The fireball sets fire to combustibles and damages objects in the area. It can melt metals with a low melting point, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, or bronze. If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the fireball may continue beyond the barrier if the area permits; otherwise it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does.
Material Component: A tiny ball of bat guano and sulfur.
Ah, I swear this version of the rules is a rules lawyer's wet dream. All the fiddly rules and sub-types that are explained in only one place in three books... tell me again how AD&D was the worst organized rules set...? Anyway, this version of the spell has some tweaks based on how 3rd edition differs from 1st and 2nd edition AD&D. We now have a fire subtype which interacts with spells that grant resistance to fire attacks and creatures that are fire resistant or vulnerable to fire attacks. Most of the rest is just like in previous versions, but WHOAH! That range is ridiculous! How can one even see that far to target a spell? I mean, sure, outside in the wilderness, you "might" be able to see that far in a desert, a plain, or on top of a hill, but never in a dungeon! Instead of a save vs. spells for half damage, it's now a Reflex save for half damage. (See what they did here? They took a save based on a type of attack and made it into a Dexterity-based saving throw automatically, without telling you that a Dex bonus will help with the save. How clever...) The area of effect is no longer a sphere, but a 20-foot "spread." This means that the effect spreads around corners and other barriers, but will only extend to the maximum distance of 20 feet from the origin point. In other words, it no longer conforms to the space and there is no calculating how many 10' cubes of volume the fire engulfs. [See image below.]
Forgive the poor scan... This diagram shows the spread of a fireball in a corridor intersection (amazingly just missing the caster... ah metagaming). This is completely different from the expanding fire burst in 1st and 2nd edition, making this spell more "player friendly" and "useful" in crowded dungeons with their 10'-wide corridors. The rest of the spell is pretty much the same as the 2nd edition version, with the crappy 10d6 maximum as well. We now have rules, however, for shooting a fireball through a small opening in a wall (and now I'm picturing photon torpedoes entering the vent shaft to blow up the Death Star...). We're back to the fireball spelling as one word (which remains constant from here on in, so I won't keep mentioning it). For something that creates minimal pressure, it sure can burn through things quickly - as stated in the final lines of text above. I don't think that an instantaneous spell can burn through a wooden door in a single round, no matter how hot it is, so this is basically a moot point, door hit points aside. We have to be grounded in reality or the fantasy doesn't really work for the game. Either a fireball EXPLODES (meaning that there is pressure from rapidly expanding gases busting through stuff) or it just expands quickly from a point of origin (or SPREADS in this case). I for one vote for the explosion!
4th Edition D&D (2008)
Fireball (Wizard Attack 5)
A globe of orange flame coalesces in your hand. You hurl it at your enemies, and it explodes on impact.Daily * Arcane, Fire, Implement
Standard Action Area burst 3 within 20 squares
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 3d6 + Intelligence modifier fire damage
Miss: Half damage.
That little bit of text gets me all the time. Basically, it's saying that the Wizard has to be level 5 to acquire this attack power (essentially the same as being a 3rd level spell in "normal" D&D). It's a daily power, however, so it can only be used once per day. Period. It's an arcane spell (not available to clerics), has the Fire descriptor (just like in 3rd edition), and can be augmented by using an implement (wand, orb, focus) to increase chance to hit or other bonuses. It's cast on your turn as a standard action and bursts with a 3 square (15') spread from the origin point somewhere within 20 squares (100') of you. Each creature in that burst area is attacked with an Intelligence attack against a Reflex defense (which acts as Armor Class here). The damage is pitiful - I hope there was a way of improving it in this version (have to admit, I don't know much 4th edition). If the attack misses, the target takes only half damage. The cool part about this is that if the attack roll scores a crit, the damage is double normal! Also, high Intelligence actually means something here, because the modifier is added to the damage roll (and is used as a modifier in the attack roll as well). Still fairly pathetic since it's a daily power with minimal damage potential.
5th edition D&D (2014)
FIREBALL
3rd-level evocationCasting Time: 1 action
Range: 150 feet
Components: V, S, M (a tiny ball of bat guano and sulfur)
Duration: InstantaneousA bright streak flashes from your pointing finger to a point you choose within range and then blossoms with a low roar into an explosion of flame. Each creature in a 20-foot radius sphere centered on that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 8d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
The fire spreads around corners. It ignites flammable objects in the area that aren't being worn or carried.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd.
YAY! Back to rules that make sense to me! Everything in the above text is the same as the other spells from 1st, 2nd, or even 3rd with a few exceptions. That range just keeps changing. It's back to a static number (150 feet) which seems to be less than the earlier versions of the game, but much less than 3rd edition! I can live with that range - it seems plausible. Notice the Dexterity Save here (5th edition version of the Reflex save) that works in the Dex bonus for the saving throw - nice work guys! The damage is fixed at 8d6 for the base level of the spell (3rd) which is much better than a 5th level wizard could achieve in previous versions of the rules! However, the upper limit for the damage is based on casting this using a higher spell slot, so 6 slots higher (basically a 9th level spell slot) nets you a total of 14d6 damage. Nothing to sneeze at! But probably still not enough to damage a legendary creature very much (especially with legendary saving throws). The mechanics of the spell work very closely to other versions, but moreso with 3rd edition, as it spreads around corners (but not in the manner of 1st and 2nd edition AD&D). It apparently only damages items that people don't have. Aww, poor little PCs must have complained about losing all their kewl magic items to spell attacks... Well, it's a nerf; not one I agree with, but it's very obviously a nerf for the players. After all, you can't loot a creature you just blew up with a fireball!
FINAL THOUGHTS
OK, so the spell has changed very little since it's first appearance in D&D rules. The most variable thing about it has been the Range, going from 24" to 10" + 1"/level, to 10 yards + 10 yards/level to 400 ft + 40 ft./level, then down to 20 squares (100'), and finally 150 feet. I'm not counting the original and Moldvay versions as these are divergent descriptions. The damage was universally 1d6/level of the caster until 2nd edition capped it at 10d6 maximum, then 4th edition reduced it to 3d6 + Int modifier. The 5th edition really boosted it back up by setting the minimum at 8d6 for a 5th level caster!
Fireball was a dangerous spell to cast in the days of 1st and 2nd edition AD&D. One had to have enough space to cast it properly or it would backwash towards the caster and/or have undesirable results (and targets)! It can still be unpredictable if casting it at a target behind an invisible barrier. Later versions take the spell and make it more tame to use, especially in a dungeon setting. Suddenly, it becomes easier to avoid your own fireball since the effect is not a set volume, but rather expands from a point to a set distance (either a 3rd edition spread, 4th edition burst, or 5th edition sphere that spreads around corners). Even though no version says it literally "explodes" outwards, that's how I always envisioned the spell working - like Hollywood pyrotechnics in an action movie or spy thriller. It's a pity it doesn't work that way... I remember casting this spell often in my youth, but later my spellcasters would stop and consider the dimensions of the area before even trying to cast this spell, for fear that it would affect my party.
It really irks me that the reason for removing the item saving throw is likely to prevent characters from damaging the loot the villains are carrying. Most DMs equip their villains so that they can escape and continue to use their magical items against the party later on, not die to a well-timed fireball and have all the items looted and dispersed among the party members. Heck, that's why Gygax's drow used non-magical magic items that disintegrated in sunlight - to arm their foes against the party with items that could not be used against anyone else! Also, hearing the players groan as a fireball goes off around them was part of the fun for the DM. Having to stop and check each exposed item meant that some of those powerful items might disappear and make the characters adventure some more to find new ones to replace those that they lost. Spells like fireball were like a reset button when the DM found it was time to remove an item he or she may have inadvertently allowed the players to keep.
The pure visual of the fireball is very iconic for fantasy wizards. Throwing around balls of fire is definitely not a very scholarly pursuit, but damn it feels good to burn stuff up! One constant throughout all the versions of the game is that fireball is a 3rd level spell. Third level is the game-changing level of spells that starts a wizard on a power-trip. Third level spells are universally available to 5th level magic-users/mages/wizards. By 5th level you effectively become the "glass cannon" that you were meant to be - taking out large groups of creatures with a single spell. Sure, you still may only have 5d4 (or 5d6) hit points, but when you cast your spells, you cause more hit points in damage than you yourself can take! That is the very definition of a badass adventurer!
No matter what version of the game you prefer, fireball is one of those iconic wizard spells that is almost always useful to have. Sure, some versions of the spell are a bit quirkier than others, but so long as you have a tiny ball of bat guano and sulfur at hand, you know your wizard can get the job done!
No comments:
Post a Comment