From the Magic of Faerun Errata:
Ball Lightning
Evocation [Electricity]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./levels)
Effect: One lightning ball 2/levels
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes
You create one 3-foot-diameter ball of concentrated electricity per 2 levels (maximum 15 balls) that shed light as candles and move under your control. A ball of lightning deals 2d6 points of electricity damage to anything it touches, including creatures that attack it or move through it. When you create the balls of lightning, you mentally program them to move as you desire, even around corners. Once programmed, a ball's orders cannot be changed. A ball can move up to 100 feet per round and flies with perfect maneuverability. When a lightning ball strikes a creature, the ball stops and remains in place for the remainder of the spell's duration. A ball dissipates if the distance between you and it exceeds the spell's range. A ball can only "see" under the available light conditions (including the light the ball itself sheds). For example, you could program one lightning ball to follow the left wall of a corridor and strike the first creature it "sees," another to follow the right wall and do the same, and the remainder to follow 5 feet behind you in a semicircle. The first two lightning balls would turn corners to remain following the walls, even if this took them out of your line of sight, and strike the first creature they "see," which would cancel their program and leave them in their target's square. Directing the balls is a free action on the round the spell is cast and a move-equivalent action on any other round. A creature struck by a lightning ball or that touches one with natural or melee weapons gets a Reflex saving throw for half damage. Damage from multiple balls resting in the same square stacks. A creature struck by multiple balls of lightning in a round (or entering a square with multiple lightning balls) gets a saving throw for each. A creature with SR makes separate SR checks against each lightning ball, with success meaning that ball cannot harm the creature.
Material Component: A handful of copper and iron pellets
Now, as I underlined, the spell states that:
1. the ball's order cannot be changed, ok; I have to read it as "in the rare cases the ball cannot accomplish the task in the round you gave the order, that order cannot be changed 'till the ball accomplish it, which will be in the second/third round at most, given the maximum range and the ball's speed"
2. "A ball that strikes a target remains in place for the remainder of the spell duration." and "[...] strike the first creature they "see," which would cancel their program and leave them in their target's square". That is consistent, a ball is directed, then srikes, then is stuck there for the spell's remaining rounds. Fine. But there's a problem:
3. When you create the balls of lightning, you mentally program them to move as you desire and Directing the balls is a free action on the round the spell is cast and a move-equivalent action on any other round.
Now, if you program the balls to move the same round the spell is cast, and it is a free action, why is there an option to command them during the spell duration (as a MEA)? Is it by chance for the times the balls aren't immediatly directed against a target and strike it in the same round? Given the example in the description, I'd read it this way: the two balls that are directed behind the corner and strike cannot move anymore, even if you try to command them. During the spell's duration, the other three that are following you can be ordered anytime with a MEA to attack someone. When they reach him and hit him, they're stuck in place in the same way the others are, and your command upon the five spheres is lost, they simply stay in the square 'till the spell ends.
Am I reading this correctly?
Ball Lightning
Evocation [Electricity]
Level: Sor/Wiz 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./levels)
Effect: One lightning ball 2/levels
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes
You create one 3-foot-diameter ball of concentrated electricity per 2 levels (maximum 15 balls) that shed light as candles and move under your control. A ball of lightning deals 2d6 points of electricity damage to anything it touches, including creatures that attack it or move through it. When you create the balls of lightning, you mentally program them to move as you desire, even around corners. Once programmed, a ball's orders cannot be changed. A ball can move up to 100 feet per round and flies with perfect maneuverability. When a lightning ball strikes a creature, the ball stops and remains in place for the remainder of the spell's duration. A ball dissipates if the distance between you and it exceeds the spell's range. A ball can only "see" under the available light conditions (including the light the ball itself sheds). For example, you could program one lightning ball to follow the left wall of a corridor and strike the first creature it "sees," another to follow the right wall and do the same, and the remainder to follow 5 feet behind you in a semicircle. The first two lightning balls would turn corners to remain following the walls, even if this took them out of your line of sight, and strike the first creature they "see," which would cancel their program and leave them in their target's square. Directing the balls is a free action on the round the spell is cast and a move-equivalent action on any other round. A creature struck by a lightning ball or that touches one with natural or melee weapons gets a Reflex saving throw for half damage. Damage from multiple balls resting in the same square stacks. A creature struck by multiple balls of lightning in a round (or entering a square with multiple lightning balls) gets a saving throw for each. A creature with SR makes separate SR checks against each lightning ball, with success meaning that ball cannot harm the creature.
Material Component: A handful of copper and iron pellets
Now, as I underlined, the spell states that:
1. the ball's order cannot be changed, ok; I have to read it as "in the rare cases the ball cannot accomplish the task in the round you gave the order, that order cannot be changed 'till the ball accomplish it, which will be in the second/third round at most, given the maximum range and the ball's speed"
2. "A ball that strikes a target remains in place for the remainder of the spell duration." and "[...] strike the first creature they "see," which would cancel their program and leave them in their target's square". That is consistent, a ball is directed, then srikes, then is stuck there for the spell's remaining rounds. Fine. But there's a problem:
3. When you create the balls of lightning, you mentally program them to move as you desire and Directing the balls is a free action on the round the spell is cast and a move-equivalent action on any other round.
Now, if you program the balls to move the same round the spell is cast, and it is a free action, why is there an option to command them during the spell duration (as a MEA)? Is it by chance for the times the balls aren't immediatly directed against a target and strike it in the same round? Given the example in the description, I'd read it this way: the two balls that are directed behind the corner and strike cannot move anymore, even if you try to command them. During the spell's duration, the other three that are following you can be ordered anytime with a MEA to attack someone. When they reach him and hit him, they're stuck in place in the same way the others are, and your command upon the five spheres is lost, they simply stay in the square 'till the spell ends.
Am I reading this correctly?
