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| #1prausMay 29, 2008 14:49:01 | This is a question about the Heat Drain spell in the Spell Compendium, page 112. In the list of cleric spells, this spell's description says: Heat Drain: Subject takes 1d6 cold damage/level, you gain equal amount of HP. However the actual spell text says this: You drain the heat from all living creatures within the area except you. This influx of warmth heals and empowers you. All affected living creatures take 1d6 points of cold damage per caster level (maximum 20d6). For every living creature that takes damage from this spell, you gain 2 temporary hit points. The temporary hit points last for up to 1 minute per level. The spell never specifically spells out that you gain an equal amount of HPs as damage done. It only says you are healed (though it doesn't say how much) and empowered and then it says you gain temporary hit points for each creature effected. Is this just a badly worded spell? Did they intend you to be healed for the same amount as damage you do? Does anyone know if this spell has been rewritten to be clearer? |
| #2entropy_judgeMay 30, 2008 10:10:25 | When the text within a product contradicts itself, our general policy is that the primary source (actual rules text) is correct and any secondary reference (such as a table or character's statistics block) is incorrect. Exceptions to the rule will be called out specifically. Heat Drain wasn't in the list of spells, so that's what you've got to go on. I don't have the book, so I can't look at it, but from what you posted, there's contradiction in the spell description itself - either equal to the damage dealt or 2 HP per creature damaged. As a DM I'd probably rule for the 2 temp HP per creature drained, but I'd have to see the actual description to be sure. |
| #3prausMay 30, 2008 15:37:48 | Heat Drain wasn't in the list of spells, so that's what you've got to go on. I don't have the book, so I can't look at it, but from what you posted, there's contradiction in the spell description itself - either equal to the damage dealt or 2 HP per creature damaged. As a DM I'd probably rule for the 2 temp HP per creature drained, but I'd have to see the actual description to be sure. Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. You are probably right about the actual interpriation of the spell and what they meant for it to do. Gaining what 40, or even 60 or more dice of healing does seem a bit powerful. Especially when you consider you're doing 20 dice of damage to several enemies. Just damaging 5 enemies (which is not hard for a 20ft radius burst) would be 100 dice of healing! Thanks for the info though ![]() |