The fifth PDF in the
Behind the Spells series from
Ronin Arts,
Dancing Lights provides a background for, alternative uses of, and a game based on the titular spell. The length (5 pages) and layout are typical of the products in this series, and I noticed no grammatical or stylistic mistakes in the text.
Of all the PDFs in this line that I've reviewed so far, I found that this one provided the least interesting background. It's serviceable, but nothing in it provided me with a plot hook or a thought that could spur an adventure on to me. For people following the line in its entirety, the origin does contain an easter egg, tying aspects of the spell back into the work of the creators of
magic missile and
fireball (as well as mentioning the creator of
fire shield — potentially a sign of things to come?). I liked this because it created a sense that the background of any one spell was related to the background of others, giving the series an almost implied setting and a cohesion that will be very helpful to DMs that choose to utilize all of these PDFs.
That said, as disappointed as I might have been with the background, I found the mechanical material in the PDF to be excellent. The two alternate uses of the spell (as a fake magical attack or a ghostly flanker) are creative and not unbalancing, given the small bonuses they grant and the requisite Will save. I should note that I was extremely happy to see a return here to actual alternate uses rather than suggestions for countering the spell. Also, the variant spell,
projectile interceptors, was clever and makes for a nice low-level defensive spell with a little bit of flavor (the idea of floating balls of luminescent goo really intrigued me — I'm not sure what this says about me, but hopefully nothing). All excellent material and things I would definitely use in my game.
The PDF finishes with a game, named after the spell, which combines a mage duel with musical chairs. I'm not sure I'd ever use it in my game, and the mechanics struck me as slightly wonky on a first read. They read very well the second time, but for someone that would have to teach it, it concerns me that the first read was slightly confusing — all in all, it might be the type of game that functions best when taught using actual play, so it would be best if the DM made sure he was clear on the rules and sequence right away. The thing I liked best about the game, though, was that it was tied into something the players would be familiar with right away. The basic concept, given how it's identical to musical chairs, aids in play because nothing needs to be explained save the mechanics. A very good choice.
Ultimately, I think this might be close to my favorite PDF in the line so far, as I feel as though I could happily use the bulk of the mechanical material in my game.
Score: 5 (excellent alternate uses of the spell and spell variant)
