 | |
| Spell Information | |
| Spell level : | Innate level: 1, Sorcerer/Wizard: 1 |
|---|---|
| School : | Transmutation |
| Descriptor(s) : | Fire |
| Components : | Verbal and Somatic |
| Range : | 30-ft. cone |
| Target/Area : | Cone |
| Duration : | Instantaneous |
| Save : | Reflex 1/2 |
| Spell resistance : | Yes |
Description
Burning Hands causes a cone of fire, emanating from the caster's hands, to burn everything within a 30-foot cone. This causes 1d4 points of fire damage per caster level, up to a maximum of 5d4.
Bug Notes
Line 65 / 108: The script uses RADIUS_SIZE_LARGE, which is "20 feet". This doesn't match the 30 feet in the spell description (which would match Color Spray) and so is a much smaller area then the description suggests.
Line 74: The caster can be signalled with the signalled event on line 74 due to the oTarget != OBJECT_SELF not being put on line 71 (instead, it being on line 84). Even though this can be rare, the cone area of effect can sometimes return the caster.
Line 88: This doesn't make use of the much better NWN2 ApplyMetamagicVariableMods() function for metamagic empower/maximise.
Burning Hands is defined as a Touch ranged spell. This has weird consequences - when casting, the caster will get too close to the target (which is unnecessary) and caster familiars will be able to cast this spell (they can only cast touch ranged spells). Burning hands shares this bug with Color Spray. The actual range should be Short, same as Crushing Despair and Cone of Cold.
Gameplay Notes
This is one of the few damaging area of effect spells for a low level Wizard or Sorcerer. The damage output is much greater, and can affect more creatures, then Magic Missile - although has a dangerously short cone-based range, and a reflex save which renders it less effective against people with Evasion.
Generally, against larger groups of lower level creatures, this spell proves to be more useful then Magic Missile and other level 1 damaging spells due to it being able to affect more then one at once, and do 5d4 damage at level 5 (Magic Missile for instance would do 3 missiles at 1d4 + 1 each at level 5).
The main drawbacks are that its save means it is a lot less effective when the caster reaches medium levels, where the unresistable magical damage, and no save of Magic Missile (along with a longer range) can be more useful, even if it does a lot less potential damage (one target vs. an area of targets). Potential damage is capped at level 5, and the low save DC means mid-level creatures can likely make the saving throw for half on a very low roll.
It can also damage doors and objects to get by traps and other things that otherwise bashing and object would set off.
External resources
- NWNWiki:Burning hands