Spell Failure Effects [Archive] - Wizards Community

Spell Failure Effects [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Elgeis
04-07-07, 05:34 PM What happens when a Wizard/Sorcerer spell fails with a roll of a "1". I was told that some armor/stuff they have is obliterated by magical energy but I cant seem to find it in the book on how to do it.

Also what happens when a Holy or Nature spell fails (pally/cleric/druid) when healing a party member, or attacking undead.

Lost,
Elgeis
Fireclave
04-07-07, 05:55 PM If you roll a one on a spell failure attempt, nothing extra happens. You lose the spell as normal. That's it. Anything else is a house rule.

Edit: You might be referring to what happens when you roll a 1 on a saving throw against a spell. If you fail a saving throw by rolling a 1, items exposed to the spell can damage as well. The rules for this are on pg 177 of your PH.

Healing spells normally don't fail when using them on allies. A creature can always choose to fail a save. It's simply assumed that if you are casting a cure spell on an ally, or any beneficial spell for that matter, your buddy is standing still and choosing to fail his save to benefit from the spell. No attack or saving roll required. If, for some reason, your ally doesn't want to be cured, he can attempt to a will save for half (as per the spell description).

When using a cure spell offensively against undead, the cure spell damages them instead. You always assume a creature is making a saving throw against an offensive spell, so the undead gets a will save for half damage and you still have to hit with an unarmed touch attack.

Also, there is no difference between a Druid's cure spell and a Cleric's cure spell. Both are divine spells that conjure positive energy. One is not a "nature" spell and the other a "holy" one. In fact, a divine wand or scroll of Cure Light Wounds can be used by both a Druid and a Cleric since they both cast divine spells and both have that spell on their spell lists.
Burgundy Lotus
04-07-07, 11:09 PM A Use Magic Device check might result in something like that (DMs option) but there isn't a chance of a regular spell failing like that, they just fizzle and do nothing.
tos_shai_hulud
04-07-07, 11:46 PM A Use Magic Device check might result in something like that (DMs option) but there isn't a chance of a regular spell failing like that, they just fizzle and do nothing.

Although the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/planes.htm#wildMagic) does contain rules for wild magic. This could occur any time a caster level check is failed. Since it is not a skill check, you may decide that a natural one is a critical failure. Perhaps on a critical failure, roll twice on the chart for wild magic.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Elgeis 04-07-07, 05:34 PM	What happens when a Wizard/Sorcerer spell fails with a roll of a "1". I was told that some armor/stuff they have is obliterated by magical energy but I cant seem to find it in the book on how to do it. Also what happens when a Holy or Nature spell fails (pally/cleric/druid) when healing a party member, or attacking undead. Lost, Elgeis
Fireclave 04-07-07, 05:55 PM	If you roll a one on a spell failure attempt, nothing extra happens. You lose the spell as normal. That's it. Anything else is a house rule. Edit: You might be referring to what happens when you roll a 1 on a saving throw against a spell. If you fail a saving throw by rolling a 1, items exposed to the spell can damage as well. The rules for this are on pg 177 of your PH. Healing spells normally don't fail when using them on allies. A creature can always choose to fail a save. It's simply assumed that if you are casting a cure spell on an ally, or any beneficial spell for that matter, your buddy is standing still and choosing to fail his save to benefit from the spell. No attack or saving roll required. If, for some reason, your ally doesn't want to be cured, he can attempt to a will save for half (as per the spell description). When using a cure spell offensively against undead, the cure spell damages them instead. You always assume a creature is making a saving throw against an offensive spell, so the undead gets a will save for half damage and you still have to hit with an unarmed touch attack. Also, there is no difference between a Druid's cure spell and a Cleric's cure spell. Both are divine spells that conjure positive energy. One is not a "nature" spell and the other a "holy" one. In fact, a divine wand or scroll of Cure Light Wounds can be used by both a Druid and a Cleric since they both cast divine spells and both have that spell on their spell lists.
Burgundy Lotus 04-07-07, 11:09 PM	A Use Magic Device check might result in something like that (DMs option) but there isn't a chance of a regular spell failing like that, they just fizzle and do nothing.
tos_shai_hulud 04-07-07, 11:46 PM	A Use Magic Device check might result in something like that (DMs option) but there isn't a chance of a regular spell failing like that, they just fizzle and do nothing. Although the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/planes.htm#wildMagic) does contain rules for wild magic. This could occur any time a caster level check is failed. Since it is not a skill check, you may decide that a natural one is a critical failure. Perhaps on a critical failure, roll twice on the chart for wild magic.