Spell changes

Changes to Spell Foci

Spell Foci have been changed and augmented greatly on Arelith, and often alter or expand the potential of spellcasting classes. Changes to Spell Foci are listed under Feat Changes.

Spell Components System

Spell components are used in casting Arcane Spells of Levels 7-9 and the Console Commands gained through Epic Spell Focuses in magic schools. One charge of a component pouch is consumed when casting a Level 7 Spell, two for a Level 8 Spell, three for a Level 9 Spell, and five for the Console Commands. If a character lacks sufficient components, then the spell will fail, and will still be lost.

Spell components, and the spell components pouch, can be made through the crafting system.

Changes to Summoning Spells

Summoning of Elementals

Findable as loot around Arelith are four "elemental books", called "Book of Fire", "Book of Water", "Book of Air" and "Book of Earth". In addition to being usable to summon a very weak elemental once per day, if you have one of these in your inventory when you cast a Summon Creature spell that summons a Greater, Huge or Elder Elemental, you will only ever get one of the same type as the book(s) you own. So with a Book of Fire, you have a 100% chance of a Fire Elemental, with a Book of Fire and a Book of Earth, you have a 50% chance of a Fire Elemental and a 50% chance of an Earth Elemental, and so on.

This does not work for the Druid spell Elemental Swarm: you still get four different elementals.

Gate & Dragon Knight

Gate: Good Characters will now summon an Astral Deva when casting this spell. Neutral and Evil Characters still summon a Balor. Note that unlike with the Balor, no "Protection" spell is required to control the Deva once summoned.

Epic Spell: Dragon Knight: Good Characters now summon a Silver Dragon with this spell, whilst Neutral Characters summon a Prismatic Dragon. Evil Characters still summon a Red Dragon. If a character has any Pale Master levels, however, they summon a Dracolich irrespective of their alignment.

Summon Creature in the Underdark

Summon Creature I-VI provide different summoned allies when cast in the Underdark. The elementals summoned by Summon Creature VII-IX do not change.

• Summon Creature I = Rat
• Summon Creature II = Dire rat
• Summon Creature III = Worg
• Summon Creature IV = Dire Spider
• Summon Creature V = Grey render
• Summon Creature VI = Hell hound

Note that this is dependent on the character's location, not place of origin. A Kobold casting Summon Creature III on the Surface would summon a Dire Wolf, an Elf casting it in the Underdark would summon a Worg.

Changes to Groups of spells

• Death Armor, Elemental Shield and Acid Sheath do not stack; the last spell cast overrides the others.

• The spells Greater Magic Weapon, Magic Weapon, Holy Sword, Flame Weapon, Darkfire and Keen Weapon can not be stacked; the last spell cast overrides the other. Furthermore, these spells will not work on any weapon which has any magical properties at all (including weapons other than Bronze which have been created by crafting). Note that Bless Weapon and Blade Thirst may both be stacked with one another and any one of the above spells, and will work on any kind of weapon.

• Darkfire and Flame weapon are capped so that the Caster Level cannot count as anything higher than 10.

• Darkfire, Flame Weapon and (Greater) Magic Weapon last turns/level.

• Bigby's Interposing Hand, Bigby's Forceful Hand, Bigby's Grasping Hand and Bigby's Crushing Hand all have a Reflex Save. Note that Bigby's Clenched Fist does not have a Reflex Save, since already has a Fortitude Save.

• All of the Planar Binding spells last 1 turn/caster level.

• Invisibility, Improved Invisibility and Invisibility Sphere last rounds/level. The Concealment element of Improved Invisibility remains unchanged.

• Dismissal and Banishment block all summoning spells in the area where they were cast, for 30 and 60 seconds, respectively.

• Multiple castings of the same persistent area of effect spell can not be stacked completely: a new casting centered within the AoE of a previous casting will override the old casting. Multiple castings can partially overlap, as long as the center of the second spell is outside the AoE of the old spell. AoEs cast by different casters will still stack.

Necromancy changes

Casters can have up to one minion per Spell Focus in Necromancy (min 1). The first is summoned as a usual creature (i.e. in the summon slot). The second and third, if applicable, take up henchman slots. Each distinct spell can only summon one minion (so casting animate dead twice won't net you a second minion, even with GSF). There are three streams of undead (zombie, ghoul and wraith). Zombie is the default. PCs can do rituals to change stream.

There are 4 tiers of creature. Tier 2 kicks in at level 11, Tier 3 at 16, and Tier 4 when you have the Mummy Dust spell. Your effective level is the sum of your Cleric, Wizard, Sorc and PM levels. (Bard is not currently included, but may be added in future).

The creatures are: Zombie stream: Zombie, Skeleton, Mummy, Mummy Lord Ghoul stream: Ghoul, Ghast, Wight, Vampire Wraith stream (coming soon but not yet available): Specter, Wraith, Banshee, Lich

Changes to Individual Spells

Acid Fog: Has no spell resistance check. Applies a 75% movement speed penalty with no save and -2 to AB and damage rolls for all creatures within the area of effect.

Blackstaff: Works on Magic Staffs and Dire Maces in addition to Quarterstaffs.

Bless: Lasts rounds/level.

Call Lightning: Damage dice are upgraded from d6s to d10s when the spell is cast outside during rain or thunder.

Cloudkill: Has no spell resistance check. Deals 1d4+1 CON damage per round to all creatures in the area of effect (fortitude save for half)

Continual Flame: Does not last forever.

Daze: Works against any creature with hit dice less than or equal to the caster's class level.

Dominate Person: Duration changed to 2 TURNS + 1 TURN / 3 caster levels. Additionally effects orcs, monstrous humanoid, goblinoid, and reptilian humanoids.

Entangle (and Vine Mine: Entangle): Has no spell resistance check.

Epic Spell: Dragon Knight: Has a random duration (30-70 turns).

Find Traps: Does not disable traps, just reveals them.

Flesh to Stone: Permanent only until the caster rests or dies.

Freedom of movement: Doesn't protect from movement speed reduction effects, including those from armour penalty, Slow and Web spells.

Gate: Duration has been increased slightly.

Grease: Has no spell resistance check.

Greater Dispelling: Caster Level bonus cap has been increased, allowing a bonus of 20 before applying bonuses from Abjuration Spell Foci.

Greater Sanctuary: Lasts rounds per level/4 and it has a cooldown timer of 240 seconds (independent of resting).

Incendiary Cloud: Damage increased to 4d6 + 1d6 per 2 levels, and creatures within the area of effect are blinded (no save)

Isaac's Greater Missile Storm: Cannot strike one target with more than ten missiles. This limits it to only producing ten missiles if only one viable target is present upon casting.

Knock: Cannot open Doors, only Containers.

Mind Fog: All creatures in the area of effect take a 2d6 will save penalty (will save for half) and are dazed for 1 round (will save negates).

Mordenkainen's Disjunction: Caster Level bonus is capped at 20, before applying bonuses from Abjuration Spell Foci.

Phantasmal Killer: Phantasmal Killer fears a target for 1 round / level on a failed will save. A target that fails their fortitude save still dies.

Protection from Alignment: Gives a +5 Saving Throw Bonus vs Mind Affecting Spells and Spell Like Abilities, rather than full immunity.

Shield: Protects against Isaac's Lesser Missile Storm if you have Spell Focus: Abjuration, and against both missile storms if you have Greater or Epic Spell Focus: Abjuration.

Sleep: Works against any creatures with hit dice less than or equal to the caster's class level, and affects (caster level + 1d4) hit dice worth of creatures. Empower Spell increases affected hit dice by 50%.

Stinking Cloud: Has no spell resistance check.

Time Stop: Only affects the area in which it is cast. Also has a cooldown timer 240 seconds (independent of resting).

True Seeing: Last rounds/level.

Vine Mine: Camouflage: Grants Hide in Plain Sight to all allies while they remain within the area of effect.

Wall of Fire: Damage increased to 2d6 + 1 per caster level, with no saving throw. Deals double damage to undead.

Web: Has no spell resistance check.

Weird: Weird fears targets for 1 round / level on a failed will save. Targets that fail their fortitude saves still die.

Bugs Affecting Spells

Please Note: These bugs are either inherent to NWN, or in some other way a long-standing & chronic problem. Incidental or minor bugs should not be mentioned here.

• Charm and Mass Charm makes the target hostile to you

• Aid fades away when the extra Hit Points are lost.

• Invisibility sphere, Magic Circle vs Alignment, Dirge etc (spells working in circle around caster and following him) are affected by lag. The effects can often be lost on transitioning, and can even fail to apply when standing still.

• Balagarn's Iron Horn is from Enchantment School, in spite of being listed as Transmutation. It can not be scribed or used by those with forbidden Enchantment School.

• Vine Mine introduces a speed bug.

• Spontaneous casters (Sorcerers and Bards) who transition whilst shapechanged can continue to lose spells each time they transition.