D&D historian extraordinaire Jon Peterson has just posted a new article which deals with - amongst other things - the origins of D&D's fireball spell. It goes back to before D&D, and before Chainmail (the game from which D&D evolved in the 1970s) to a two-page ruleset which predated it, and which includes dragons, orcs, fireballs, and ents used to replay epic battles from Lord of the Rings. Of most interest is how wizards "can cast a fire ball" up to 24" as a burst effect. It even has a saving throw (a roll of 5-6 on a d6).
The article is, as always, a fascinating read. Check it out here.
The article is, as always, a fascinating read. Check it out here.