READING SPELL DESCRIPTION
This section explains the game rules for spells and how to read the description of a spell. For info on casting spells, see
Casting Spells.
RANGE
This is how far from you the spell can reach when youcast it.
DURATION
This is how long
a spell remains in effect. The
duration is usually a number
of rounds, minutes, or hours.
Some spells have a duration of
“instantaneous,” which means
they happen right when you cast
them and then the magic stops,
like the burst of flame from a
burning hands spell.
EFFECT
This is the long description of what the spell does,
who it targets, and how it interacts with other rules. If the
spell allows creatures to resist it with a saving throw, the spell
description says so here, and tells you what kind of save (Fort,
Ref, or Will), as well as how to figure out what the saving
throw DC for the spell is.
Some spells affect a burst, a cone, or a line. See the diagram
for examples of how to draw these on a map grid.
SPELL AREAS
BURST
A burst is a sphere, but you draw it on the map as a
rough circle. When you cast a burst effect, choose the corner of
a square on the map to be the center of the burst. Any creature
in the area is affected, and creatures outside the area are safe.
CONE
A cone spell is like a burst, except it only makes a
quarter-circle pointing away from you.
LINE
A line-shaped spell shoots away from you in a straight
line in the direction chosen by you. Choose a corner of your
square and draw a line from there to the limit of the spell range
or until it strikes a solid barrier. Line spells aren’t blocked by
creatures, so you can hit multiple creatures with a line spell (like
lightning bolt). If the line passes through a square, it affects
creatures in that square.