| Author |
 Topic  |
|
|
GMWestermeyer
Learned Scribe
USA
215 Posts |
 Posted - 15 Jan 2011 : 04:48:20
|
Can anyone tell me what TSR book or magazine this 2e spell originally came from? I'm reasonably certain it was an FR spell.
Blood Stars
Evocation/Alt
Level-2
Range-90 yards
Components-V,S,M
Duration-Special
Casting Time-2
Area of Effect-1 target per star
Saving Throw-Negates
This spell causes 9 glowing red stars to shoot from the casters hands, these stars can shoot all at one target or each at a seperate target. each attacks its target with a Thaco of 9. If a hit, each causes 1 hp of damage (2 vs undead) and forces a save versus poison at -2. If the save is failed the target suffers a -2 AC, Thaco, and ability check penalty for 1d4 rounds, as the target is wracked with pain. This is cumulative per star. The material component is a drop of the casters own blood.
|
"Facts are meaningless. You can use facts to prove anything that is even remotely true."
Homer Simpson, _The Simspons_ |
|
|
Thauramarth
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
729 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2011 : 09:00:41
|
quote:
Originally posted by GMWestermeyer
Can anyone tell me what TSR book or magazine this 2e spell originally came from? I'm reasonably certain it was an FR spell.
Blood Stars
Evocation/Alt
Level-2
Range-90 yards
Components-V,S,M
Duration-Special
Casting Time-2
Area of Effect-1 target per star
Saving Throw-Negates
This spell causes 9 glowing red stars to shoot from the casters hands, these stars can shoot all at one target or each at a seperate target. each attacks its target with a Thaco of 9. If a hit, each causes 1 hp of damage (2 vs undead) and forces a save versus poison at -2. If the save is failed the target suffers a -2 AC, Thaco, and ability check penalty for 1d4 rounds, as the target is wracked with pain. This is cumulative per star. The material component is a drop of the casters own blood.
Odd. I just checked the Wizard's Spell Compendium, which lists a spell called "Blood Stars", with the same principle (glowing red stars) but all parameters (number, THACO, damage, etc.) different. It's upgraded to a 7th level spell, and is noted as "Updated from DRAGON Magazine."
That means it's probably in the Dragon Magazine Archive (which I have), but has not yet been indexed by my Vista index (which indicidentally reminds me that I should install Google Desktop Search). I'd wager it would be in one of the "Mages Three" articles, but can't be sure. Google busy indexing my HD, so I could get back to you later. |
 |
|
|
Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36803 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2011 : 15:42:03
|
| I checked The DragonDex, and found the spell (as bloodstars) in Dragon 200, page 24 -- and it was indeed a Wizards Three article. That source also lists it as a 7th level spell. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen!  |
|
|
|
GMWestermeyer
Learned Scribe
USA
215 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2011 : 16:45:41
|
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
I checked The DragonDex, and found the spell (as bloodstars) in Dragon 200, page 24 -- and it was indeed a Wizards Three article. That source also lists it as a 7th level spell.
I'm sorry, I should have mentioned it's NOT the 7th level spell. :( I have the Spell Compendium and the Dragon Archive CDs and found those citations. :( I copied the spell stats given above onto the sheet for one of the recurring villains/NPCs in my FR campaign (The Spellblade, a female drow F/M).
The spell was very popular in my campaigns, several PCs and NPCs have it and use it. I KNOW I got it from a TSR source, I first used it in the mid-1990s, and I know those stats are correct, but I can't find the damn thing. :( Back then i wasn't as careful about citations as I am now and didn't write down the source. :( I thought it was from A Wizard's Three article, but it doesn't seem to be. I also thought maybe it was in the original Myth Drannor or Undermountain boxed sets. I searched the Myth Drannor set, no dice. But my copy of the Unbdermountain set is partially destroyed, and the relevant section is missing.
Thanks very much for helping! |
"Facts are meaningless. You can use facts to prove anything that is even remotely true."
Homer Simpson, _The Simspons_ |
|
|
|
Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36803 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2011 : 17:04:24
|
If it was in a Wizards Three article, that was its first appearance.
It's not in either of the Ruins of Undermountain boxed sets. I just checked. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
|
|
|
GMWestermeyer
Learned Scribe
USA
215 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2011 : 20:10:59
|
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
If it was in a Wizards Three article, that was its first appearance.
It's not in either of the Ruins of Undermountain boxed sets. I just checked.
Thank you.  Dagnabit. Waht more infuriating is I know a few years back I did this dance and found the spell source... that's where I got the spell stats. But I apparently lost the source.
Hmmmm... thinking over the modules I was running at the time, perhaps it is in one of the Avatar modules, or the Haunted Halls of Eveningstar module, I still have those, I'll check there and let folks know if i find anything.
Thanks again for the help! |
"Facts are meaningless. You can use facts to prove anything that is even remotely true."
Homer Simpson, _The Simspons_ |
|
|
|
Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
|
|
GMWestermeyer
Learned Scribe
USA
215 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2011 : 17:03:27
|
quote:
Originally posted by Alystra Illianniis
Have you tried looking in the back of the Wiz Spell Compendium under the errata sections? I seem to recall this version of the spell too, so that section of the books might list the original source of that version.
I checked, no dice. I'm just kicking myself for not noting the spell's source when I first copied the stats. So frustrating! |
"Facts are meaningless. You can use facts to prove anything that is even remotely true."
Homer Simpson, _The Simspons_ |
|
|
|
Faraer
Great Reader
3308 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2011 : 23:28:51
|
| It's not on my pretty damn comprehensive Realms spell list. |
|
|
|
George Krashos
Master of Realmslore
Australia
6666 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2011 : 17:18:49
|
You might also check out the spell 'poisonstar' in the Ruins of Myth Drannor boxed set Campaign Guide (p.66). It's very similar.
-- George Krashos
|
"Because only we, contrary to the barbarians, never count the enemy in battle." -- Aeschylus |
|
|
|
Bladewind
Master of Realmslore
Netherlands
1280 Posts |
|
|
Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36803 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2011 : 20:35:54
|
quote:
Originally posted by Bladewind
What does the 7th level version look like? I can't imagine the spell written in the OP being derived from a spell nearing 7th level, with its measely damage and rather unimpressive effect.
The 7th level spell does a good amount of damage.  |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
I am the Giant Space Hamster of Ill Omen! |
|
|
|
GMWestermeyer
Learned Scribe
USA
215 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2011 : 21:59:59
|
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
You might also check out the spell 'poisonstar' in the Ruins of Myth Drannor boxed set Campaign Guide (p.66). It's very similar.
-- George Krashos
Dang it, that plot thickens. 'poisonstar' is WAAAAY to similar to be unrelated. It was also designed by Greenwood.
I had assumed that bloodstars was from Ruins of Undermountain and that he later adjusted the spell til it became the 7th level version in Dragon #200 the Wizards Three. But 'poisonstar' has pretty much the same stats, just a different material component and different name.
So, was there a 2nd level Bloodstars spell? Wooly Rupert says its not in the RoUM set, wish I could check myself, I have a vague idea that it wasn't in a 'standard' spell format but was rather described within a paragraph. But perhaps i'm just confusing it with Whirling Blade, which also became a favorite spell in my campaign around that time.
Maybe I just got myself all turned around. I might have got it the name confused with poisonstars. Both are developed by Greenwood afterall.
Ugh. :(
|
"Facts are meaningless. You can use facts to prove anything that is even remotely true."
Homer Simpson, _The Simspons_ |
|
|
|
The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31772 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jan 2011 : 00:16:10
|
quote:
Originally posted by George Krashos
You might also check out the spell 'poisonstar' in the Ruins of Myth Drannor boxed set Campaign Guide (p.66). It's very similar.
-- George Krashos
Oh, you know, I'd forgotten about that particular spell. And I always did like it, but never dropped it into any of my games. Hmmm. |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Help finding the source of this spell?
