Elemental - Fire
By means of the heat metal spell, the caster is able to make ferrous metal (iron, iron alloys, steel) extremely hot. Elven chain mail is not affected, and magical metal armor receives an item saving throw vs. magical fire to avoid being heated. The material component is a holy symbol.
On the first round of the spell, the metal merely becomes very warm and uncomfortable to touch (this is also the effect on the last melee round of the spell's duration). During the second and sixth (next to the last) rounds, heat causes blisters and damage; in the third, fourth, and fifth rounds, the metal becomes searing hot, causing damage to exposed flesh, as shown below:
Metal Temperature Damage per Round
very warm none
hot 1d8 points
searing* 2d8 points
* On the final round of searing, the afflicted creature must roll a successful magic save or suffer one of the following disabilities: hand or foot--becomes unusable for 2d4 days; body--becomes disabled for 1d4 days; head--fall unconscious for 1d4 (x10) minutes. This effect can be completely removed by a Cure Serious Wounds or by normal rest.
Note also that materials such as wood, leather, or flammable cloth smolder and burn if exposed to searing hot metal. Such materials cause searing damage to exposed flesh on the next round. Fire resistance (spell, potion, or ring) or a protection from fire spell totally negates the effects of a heat metal spell, as does immersion in water or snow, or exposure to a cold or ice storm spell. This version of the spell does not function under water. For every two experience levels of the caster, the metal of one man-sized creature can be affected (i.e., arms and armor, or a single mass of metal equal to 50 pounds of weight). Thus, a 3rd-level caster would affect one such creature, a 4th- or 5th-level caster two, etc.
The reverse of the spell, chill metal, counters a heat metal spell or else causes metal to act as follows:
Metal Temperature Damage per Round
cold none
icy 1d3 points
freezing* 1d6 points
* On the final round of freezing, the afflicted creature must roll a successful magic save or suffer from the numbing effects of the cold. This causes the loss of all feeling in a hand (or hands, if the DM rules the saving throw was failed badly) for 1d4 days. During this time, the character's grip is extremely weak and he cannot use that hand for fighting or any other activity requiring a firm grasp.
The chill metal spell is countered by a resist cold spell, or by any great heat--proximity to a blazing fire (not a mere torch), a magical flaming sword, a wall of fire spell, etc. Under water, this version of the spell inflicts no damage, but ice immediately forms around the affected metal, exerting an upward buoyancy. |