Part 11: Bonus Update 8.5: Level 3 Spells
Bonus Update 8.5: Level 3 Spells
Our party is now a respectable level 5. Lots of things can still kill them, but now they have a wider variety of ways to fight back. Let's take a guided tour of the level 3 cleric and sorcerer spells.
Level 3 Cleric Spells
1. NAME: Create Food
COST: 3 SP + 1 Gem
TYPE: Non-combat
TARGET: Spell caster
DESCRIPTION: Adds 6 food units to caster's food supply. Caster may then distribute food among other party members, if he/she desires.
This is a pretty time-consuming way to get any decent amount of food, and a bit of a waste of a gem. Still, if you're wounded and out of food in the middle of a dungeon and need food right away, this can be a life-saver.
2. NAME: Cure Blindness
COST: 3 SP
TYPE: Anytime
TARGET: 1 character
DESCRIPTION: Restores sight to that character, instantaneously removing the blinded condition.
Blindness isn't really such a crippling condition that it's worth wasting your cleric's turn to cure it.
3. NAME: Cure Paralysis
COST: 3 SP
TYPE: Anytime
TARGET: 1 character
DESCRIPTION: Restores movement to that character, instantaneously removing the paralysed condition.
Paralysis, on the other hand, is deadly. Resting cures it, but it won't wear off on its own during battle, so if your entire party is paralysed it's game over. The trouble is that most enemies that cast paralysis spells (notably Harpies and Clerics) cast it on your whole party at once, so your cleric won't be able to keep up with curing everybody.
4. NAME: Lasting Light
COST: 3 SP
TYPE: Non-combat
TARGET: Entire Party
DESCRIPTION: Bestows 20 light factors on the Party, for use in dispelling darkness.
"Well, I've already shown you where this spell is useful. We're likely to encounter many areas of magical darkness in our travels, making this spell an important asset."5. NAME: Produce Flame
COST: 3 SP
TYPE: Combat
TARGET: 1 monster
DESCRIPTION: Attacks monster with a jet of flame that inflicts 3-18 damage points, providing monster is not immune to fire.
Another direct-damage spell. It's not terrible, but since its damage doesn't scale with level it becomes obsolete fast.
6. NAME: Produce Frost
Exactly the same as Produce Flame, except it does cold damage.
7. NAME: Remove Quest
COST: 3 SP
TYPE: Non-combat
TARGET: Entire Party
DESCRIPTION: Releases Party from its commitment to a quest.
As long as we have a quest active, other characters will refuse to hand out any other quests to us. If we ever want to pike out on a quest, this is the spell to use.
8. NAME: Walk On Water
COST: 3 SP + 1 Gem
TYPE: Non-combat
TARGET: Entire Party
DESCRIPTION: Creates a floating sand dune upon which the Party may walk. Lasts 1 day.
One of the best utility spells in the game. It appears in all of the first five Might and Magic games, and is equally useful in every single one of them.
Level 3 Sorcerer Spells
1. NAME: Fire Ball
"Oh boy! Did someone say 'fireball'?"COST: 1 SP per experience level of caster + 1 Gem
TYPE: Combat
TARGET: 1-5 monsters not in hand-to-hand combat
DESCRIPTION: Rolls a deadly ball of fire into the monsters' midst, inflicting 1-6 damage points per level of experience on each monster.
The "not in hand-to-hand combat" part is actually just a suggestion, although, as you'll probably see next update, it's a fairly good suggestion. This is a very powerful spell against anything that isn't heavily resistant to fire.
2. NAME: Fly
COST: 3 SP
TYPE: Non-combat, Outdoors
TARGET: Entire Party
DESCRIPTION: Grants magical flight to all characters, allowing the Party as a whole to move to any other outdoor area. The Party will land in the safest square in that area.
Another great utility spell. There are other ways to travel long distances quickly, but this is probably the most convenient if you know what outdoor area your destination is located in.
3. NAME: Invisibility
COST: 3 SP + 1 Gem
TYPE: Combat
TARGET: Entire Party
DESCRIPTION: Drops a cloak of invisibility over all characters, greatly decreasing the monsters' chances of hitting them.
I'll sometimes cast this at the start of a difficult fight. It seems to help a little.
4. NAME: Lightning Bolt
COST: 1 SP per experience level of caster + 1 Gem
TYPE: Combat
TARGET: 1-3 monsters
DESCRIPTION: Blasts the monsters with a gigantic lightning bolt that inflicts 1-6 damage points per level of experience on each monster.
Hits fewer targets than Fireball, but does electrical damage and can safely be used on targets in melee. If anything, I use this spell even more often than Fireball.
5. NAME: Make Room
COST: 3 SP
TYPE: Combat
TARGET: Entire Party
DESCRIPTION: Expands a narrow corridor or area during combat, allowing the first 5 characters in the Party to engage in hand-to-hand combat.
Isn't this what bows are for? Sure, your Cleric and Sorcerer can't use any missile weapons, but you probably don't want to risk exposing them to hand-to-hand combat anyway.
6. NAME: Slow
COST: 3 SP
TYPE: Combat
TARGET: All monsters
DESCRIPTION: Places an invisible force field around all monsters' feet, slowing them down to 1/2 their original speed and putting them farther back in order of combat.
I never really bother with this spell. I guess it's not obviously terrible like Quickness, since it can effectively give your entire party a free turn on the enemies.
7. NAME: Weaken
COST: 3 SP + 1 Gem
TYPE: Combat
TARGET: All monsters
DESCRIPTION: Drains power from all monsters, reducing each monster's Hit Points by 2 and Armor Class by 1.
I don't think I need to describe how terrible this spell is; the spell description says it all. Why are you wasting a gem and your sorcerer's turn for an offensive bonus that's only slightly stronger than a cleric's Bless spell?
8. NAME: Web
COST: 3 SP
TYPE: Combat
TARGET: 1-5 monsters not in hand-to-hand combat
DESCRIPTION: Wraps 1-5 monsters in a supernatural web, preventing them from fighting for the duration of combat or until they escape.
This spell, unlike Fireball, will just outright fail if you try to use it on enemies in hand-to-hand combat. It's a decent spell, though: a lot like Sleep, except it can work on a much wider range of opponents.