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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Edena_of_Neith" data-source="post: 730856" data-attributes="member: 2020">Well now, I don't know about 3rd level spells damaging objects ten miles away!  An Epic Level spell might have such effects, but a 3rd level spell?  My 3rd level Fireball (and I noted my Fireball should be 5th level) did most of it's damage within 20 feet, and minor damage out to 100 feet.  I simply thought that a globe of air that hot (hot enough to melt soft metals, according to the old descriptions of Fireball ... anything hot enough to melt metal in an instant is truly HOT) would cause a heat flash, and a concussive blast.  In some of the settings books (paperback novels) I read, Fireball has been described as having a heat flash effect, a concussive effect, or both.  I appreciate your support, Ace.  Thank you.  I agree that too many vivid descriptions of the same spell will eventually become annoying, not to mention game-delaying.  On the other hand, I would - as a DM - try to keep magic from becoming mundane for as long as possible.  I appreciate that space considerations in the Player's Handbook prevents such lucrative descriptions of the effects of magical spells (with descriptions as long as these, they could have maybe 1/3rd as many spells in that book ...)  And yet ... magic should be magic.  MAGIC.  It SHOULD be awe-inspiring.  It should be terrifying, or overawing.  It should not be taken for granted.  Even my most powerful characters (including Edena the PC, who is an Epic character) do not cavalierly stand there and say:  I can take it ... when they see an enemy mage or magistress preparing a Fireball.  They prepare counterspells, if possible.  They hope their own magical defenses will protect them.  They hope magic armor is all it's cracked up to be.  And failing that, they dive for cover, or when everything else fails, they RUN.  Even the most powerful of characters can be incapacitated by a Fireball, even if they have spells such as Hide Life (the 9th level spell) protecting them.  At the very least, when you have turned into a human torch, that makes it a bit hard to see the foe, and properly target him, no?  When all your robes and mundane items are burning up, it makes it inconvenient to cast spells.  When your armor is melting (and armor can melt from a Fireball) all over your body in molten goo, it makes it a bit difficult to move around and fight, doesn't it?  And obviously if parts of your body melt or evaporate, this is inconvenient, even if you have Silent Spell or Still Spell or all the special Feats of high level characters.  That's not meant as a joke.  That assumes you have Hide Life or other high powered protections.  Without those protections, if you turn into a human torch or your armor melts, you are simply out of luck.  You're probably dead, and if not dead, probably wishing you were.  Even if you are not physically mutilated or destroyed ... when your magical arrows, magical bow, magical cloak, magical bag of holding (along with EVERYTHING in it, including all your monetary treasure), magical girdle of giant strength, and other miscellaneous magical items all fail their saving throws and are destroyed, your character is badly weakened.  (I could use some other words for such a situation, but Eric Noah's Grandmother would not care for them.)  Pity your character, if your magical weapons and armor also fail their saves, and are destroyed.    Pity your character, if his spellbooks fail their saves, and are burned to cinders.  Your character may be fine, but walking around the dungeon naked and helpless isn't conducive to a long and productive adventuring career.  So yeah, my characters - even the most powerful of them - do not sneer or stand around when the enemy is readying fireballs, lightning bolts, ice bursts, or similar such spells.  Take the more powerful assault spells of 6th level and higher, and you better bet my characters are VERY quick to dive for cover when they see THOSE coming!  I will post a few more descriptions of spells.  Just your common, ordinary spells from the Player's Handbook.  My descriptions may spruce up the spells.  I'm trying to add some flare to the more mundane descriptions I've read in the books.</blockquote>

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