The fireball spell through the editions

[Quasqueton]

The fireball spell through the editions.

Dungeons & Dragons [original edition] (OD&D)

Fire Ball spell
A missile which springs from the finger of the Magic-User. It explodes with a burst radius of 2" (slightly larger than specified in CHAINMAIL). In a confined space the Fire Ball will generally conform to the shape of the space (elongate or whatever). The damage caused by the missile will be in proportion to the level of its user. A 6th level Magic-User throws a 6-die missile, a 7th a 7-die missile, and so on. (Note that Fire Balls from Scrolls (see Volume II) and Wand are 6-die missiles and those from Staves are 8-die missiles.

Expert Dungeons & Dragons (ED&D)

Fire Ball spell
This spell creates a missile of fire that bursts into a ball of fire 40' across (20' radius) when it strikes a target. The fire ball will do 1-6 (1d6) points of fire damage per level of the caster to each creature within the sphere of fire. EXAMPLE: A fire ball cast by a 6th level magic-user will burst for 6-36 (6d6) points of damage. If the victim of the fire ball saves vs. Spells, the spell will only do half damage.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons [1st edition] (AD&D1)

Fireball spell
A fireball is an explosive burst of flame, which detonates with a low roar, and delivers damage proportionate to the level of the magic-user who cast it, i.e. 1 six-sided die (d6) for each level of experience of the spell caster. Exception: Magic fireball wands deliver 6 die fireballs (6d6), magic staaves with this capability deliver 8 die fireballs, and scroll spells of this type deliver a fireball of from 5 to 10 dice (d6 + 4) of damage. The burst of the fireball does not expend a considerable amount of pressure, and the burst will generally conform to the shape of the area in which it occurs, thus covering an area equal to its normal spherical volume. [The area which is covered by the fireball is a total volume of roughly 33,000 cubic feet (or yards)]. Besides causing damage to creatures, the fireball ignites all combustible materials within its burst radius, and the heat of the fireball will melt soft metals such as gold, copper, silver, etc. Items exposed to the spell's effects must be rolled for to determine if they are affected. Items with a creature which makes its saving throw are considered as unaffected. The magic-user points his or her finger and speaks the range (distance and height) at which the fireball is to burst. A streak flashes from the pointing digit and, unless it impacts upon a material body prior to attaining the prescribed range, flowers into the fireball. If creatures fail their saving throws, they all take full hit point damage from the blast. Those who make saving throws manage to dodge, fall flat or roll aside, taking 1/2 the full hit point damage --- each and every one within the blast area. The material component of this spell is a tiny ball composed of bat guano and sulphur.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Second Edition (AD&D2)

Fireball spell
A fireball is an explosive burst of flame, which detonates with a low roar and delivers damage proportional to the level of the wizard who cast it--1d6 points of damage for each level of experience of the spellcaster (up to a maximum of 10d6). The burst of the fireball creates little pressure and generally conforms to the shape of the area in which it occurs. The fireball fills an area equal to its normal spherical volume (roughly 33,000 cubic feet--thirty-three 10' x 10' x 10' cubes). Besides causing damage to creatures, the fireball ignites all combustible materials within its burst radius, and the heat of the fireball melts soft metals such as gold, copper, silver, etc. Exposed items require saving throws vs. magical fire to determine if they are affected, but items in the possession of a creature that rolls a successful saving throw are unaffected by the fireball.

The wizard points his finger and speaks the range (distance and height) at which the fireball is to burst. A streak flashes from the pointing digit and, unless it impacts upon a material body or solid barrier prior to attaining the prescribed range, blossoms into the fireball (an early impact results in an early detonation). Creatures failing their saving throws each suffer full damage from the blast. Those who roll successful saving throws manage to dodge, fall flat, or roll aside, each receiving half damage (the DM rolls the damage and each affected creature suffers either full damage or half damage [round fractions down], depending on whether the creature saved or not).

The material component of this spell is a tiny ball of bat guano and sulphur.

Dungeons & Dragons [3rd edition] (D&D3)

Fireball spell
A fireball spell is an explosion of flame that detonates with a low roar and deals 1d6 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 10d6) to every creature within the area. Unattended objects also take this damage. The explosion creates almost no pressure.

You point your finger and determine the range (distance and height) at which the fireball is to burst. A glowing, pea-sized bead streaks from the pointing digit and, unless it impacts upon a material body or solid barrier prior to attaining the prescribed range, blossoms into the fireball at that point. (An early impact results in an early detonation.) If you attempt to send the bead through a narrow passage, such as through and arrow slit, you must "hit" the opening with a ranged touch attack, or else the bead strikes the barrier and detonates permaturely.

The fireball sets fire to combustables and damage objects in the area. It can melt metals with low melting points, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, and bronze. If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the fireball may continue beyond the barrier if the area permits; otherwise it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does.

Material Component: A tiny ball of bat guano and sulfur.

Dungeons & Dragons [4th edition] (D&D4)

A globe of orange flame coalesces in your hand. You hurl it at your enemies, and it explodes on impact.
Area: burst 3 within 20 squares
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Damage: 3d6 + Intelligence modifier fire damage
Miss: Half damage

Quasqueton

 

[Quasqueton]

“thirty-three 10' x 10' x 10' cubes”

If the mage (with the party at P) throws a fireball into room A (30’x30’ with 10’ ceiling), the blast will fill the room, and the back blast will carry 50’ down the hall (engulfing the party), fill room B (30’x30’ with 10’ ceiling), continue another 50’ down the hall, and partially fill room C.

***     ***     *
*A**P****B*******C*
***     ***     *

Not too many people threw fireballs around in dungeons.

Fireball – when you absolutely positively have to kill every mamma jamma in the dungeon.

Quasqueton

 

[Nellisir]

[The area which is covered by the fireball is a total volume of roughly 33,000 cubic feet (or yards)]

33,000 cubic yards sounds like big-size fun. Clean out all 20 levels of a dungeon at once.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

That points out one of the sillier things in OD&D/AD&D rules -- measurements are feet indoors, and yards outdoors. Bows and spells become significantly more effective if you take them outside. Just don't ask what happens if you're in a room shooting out the door into the outdoors, or vice versa.

 

[Thanee]

Not too many people threw fireballs around in dungeons.

Lightning bolts must have been much more fun, anyways. *bounce* *bounce*

Bye
Thanee

 

[green slime]

“thirty-three 10' x 10' x 10' cubes”

If the mage (with the party at P) throws a fireball into room A (30’x30’ with 10’ ceiling), the blast will fill the room, and the back blast will carry 50’ down the hall (engulfing the party), fill room B (30’x30’ with 10’ ceiling), continue another 50’ down the hall, and partially fill room C.

***     ***     *
*A**P****B*******C*
***     ***     *

Not too many people threw fireballs around in dungeons.

Fireball – when you absolutely positively have to kill every mamma jamma in the dungeon.

Quasqueton

Yeah, those were the days.... *smiles fondly*

 

[Scribble]

That points out one of the sillier things in OD&D/AD&D rules -- measurements are feet indoors, and yards outdoors. Bows and spells become significantly more effective if you take them outside. Just don't ask what happens if you're in a room shooting out the door into the outdoors, or vice versa.

BZZZT BZZZZTTTT ****WARNING PARADOX**** BZZZZZT

Good job destroying the world man, thanks a lot!

 

[Mishihari Lord]

“thirty-three 10' x 10' x 10' cubes”

If the mage (with the party at P) throws a fireball into room A (30’x30’ with 10’ ceiling), the blast will fill the room, and the back blast will carry 50’ down the hall (engulfing the party), fill room B (30’x30’ with 10’ ceiling), continue another 50’ down the hall, and partially fill room C.

***     ***     *
*A**P****B*******C*
***     ***     *

Not too many people threw fireballs around in dungeons.

Fireball – when you absolutely positively have to kill every mamma jamma in the dungeon.

Quasqueton

I far prefer the old version. I like the idea that magic is tricky and dangerous and will come back and bite you if you're not careful or don't kow what you're doing.

As a DM I also loved watching PCs fireball themselves and their friends.

 

[Quasqueton]

duplicate post

 

[Quasqueton]

Looking at the specific text of the spells, I find the subtle changes the most interesting. The mentions of melting metals, the spelling of sulphur/sulfur, streak vs. pea-sized bead, the spelling of the spell (two words vs. one word). Much of the text in AD&D1, AD&D2, and D&D3 seemed to be copy and paste, so the subtle changes had to be intentionally made.

Quasqueton