Spells of Mass Destruction

[jeff37923]

I'm gonna ask for a little help, here. I'm looking for the most devastating area effect direct damage-causing spells known to 3.x Dungeons & Dragons. I want the magical equivalent of nuclear bombs, nerve gas, and germ warfare. What spells would you fine folks suggest for this kind of mayhem?

What do I need them for? I'm going to blow up the game world prior to my players entering it.

 

[Crothian]

Arcane Evolved has aone devistatingly powerful 10th level spells. There are also the Epic spells.

 

[demiurge1138]

The Book of Vile Darkness has Apocalypse from the Sky, a vicious 9th level spell, requiring a good-aligned artifact as a material component, that deals 10d6 energy damage in a 5 mile radius, IIRC. More than enough to annihiliate crops, forests, livestock and most people, as well as damage or destroy every building in the area.

Demiurge out.

 

[A'koss]

While it's not D&D 3.x, I remember an old Mayfair box set for 1st ed. called Archmagic and in it there were some of the most uber spells you can imagine - some of them were pretty creative too as I recall. Wouldn't take much to translate them to 3rd ed if you could get your hands on it.

Cheers!

 

[RandomPrecision]

You're the DM, you should be telling us what spells exist.

But otherwise, the epic level handbook has seeds that will let you create just about anything. For things that already exist, some Widened Apocalypse from the Sky spells will take out quite a large area, and with the Violate Spell feat, they take out large areas for good. Evil deities can take out quite a bit too.

 

[Alzrius]

This isn't quite up to the level of devestation that you want, but Dragon #309 had an article (3.5E) introducing war magic. What is was was that casters needed a special feat, and they could cast the new spells there. The new spells were basically existing spells, one level higher, with their effects exponentially greater (e.g. force missile storm is like magic missle, but it's 2nd-level, and targets 25 creatures per caster level...with a maximum of one missile per creature, in a 60 ft. radius).

 

[philreed]

While it's not D&D 3.x, I remember an old Mayfair box set for 1st ed. called Archmagic and in it there were some of the most uber spells you can imagine - some of them were pretty creative too as I recall. Wouldn't take much to translate them to 3rd ed if you could get your hands on it.

I have that. It's a fun supplement.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

Widen spell is your friend here!

Storm of vengance is a 360ft radius effect. Doing 6D6 damage... that's not nice!

Sunburst is 80' radius. Hurts a fair bit. Although war magic doesn't seem very Pelor, radiant servants would make that a 160' radius.

Gate could bring in horrors that could lay waste to armies, huge areas of countryside, etc. The planar binding effects could do similar although with less impressive beasties.

In the right situation. Cloudkill could be very nasty - lasts for ages and it's lethal to weaker opponents. Seems nerve gassy to me?

Although I'd figure creating some epic level spells is the way to go if you wanted to trash really huge areas!

 

[JoeGKushner]

I have that. It's a fun supplement.

So where is the Ronin Arts book to pay homage to it? That mechanical dragon rocked in that book!

 

[Razuur]

AE has a particularly nasty spell called "Invoked Apocalypse"

Just the name sounds scary.

Razuur