Chain lightning spell

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I may be crazy, but does chain lightning only hit opponents? I thought it would bounce from the closest target to the next closest. Last night I was goofing around and I cast it into a melee and only the bad guys took damage.

If this is correct what other spells do people use in tight quarters that do not harm your own guys.

 

Isn't that wonderful? Yes, chain lightning is allies friendly.

 

How many targets is it supposed to hit? I only get 2-3 hits when I launch it? Do the targets have to be close to each other and how close?

 

IIRC, the number of hit target depends on casters class (number of hit target's is up to casters class ?).

Use right button on spells scroll on its inscribtion in spell book and read it's description.

According 3e rules: damages primary targer at 1d6 per caster level, all secondary targets 1d6 per two caster levels. Maximum count of secondary target is equal to casters level. In 3e rules it is not allies friendly. But caster can choose number of secondary target below its minimum (to avoid allies). Any creature or object can be hit only once.

I understand it this way: caster chooses primary target, number of targets up to his caster level and casts this spell.
Then the lightning hits primary target and randomly sprarks to choosen targets within 30 feets.

IWDII implements this without choosing secondary targets but is ally friendly (who would want to hit an ally ?) on secondary targets. If you choose primary target within your allies, it hits him/her (I used this with a "not started golem in underdark", and tried now on my sorceres - she nearly died). I suppose it hits only target within 30 feets and in some sightning angle from primary target in IWDII. But maybe it hits alse objects (trees ?).

 

I think there is some sort of angle it can proceed from one victim to another since most of the time I have used it it just hits about 3/6 enemies while they are all on my fighters... or it has to have a straight line to the enemy from where it bounces? So it is not best used in cramped situations since you'll propably get one of your characters on the line and waste the rest of the spells potential..?

 

another enemy-only killer is 'wail of a banshee'. 'call lightning' too.

 

no, i think wail of the banshee can kill your party members. Thats why i go solo with a sorcerer. Or am i confused with another spell?

 

Wail of the Banshee effects your own people(other than the caster).

About the chain lightning spell, the enemies have to be at a certain distance from each other(or you from them; not too sure about that) for it to be most effective. If you were to lob it into the fray during close quarters combat it wouldn't hurt your own guys but the spell would only do damage to 2 or 3 enemies.

The best time to use it is when a group of enemies is charging at you. They'll be at a certain distacne from each other(and you) allowing the chain lightninig to bounce effectively.

 

Chain lightning:

Nowhere does it say anything about been party friendy?

 

I know from experience that it's party friendly.
Besides, the description itself doesn't state that party memebers are attcked, it only states that enemies are hit with the bolt of energy.

 

I dont think there has to be a certain distance between you or the target of chain lightning. Or how far apart different targets are, either. I've used chain lightning in complete melee and all the enemies have died. Also, i have used it when the enemies are at the very edge of my field of vision. Again, they have all died.

 

I don't know but that's the case with me. Even my high level Sorcerer has that close quarters bouncing issue.
It's like I'm in the middle of a fight against 4 or 5 Histachii(they're pretty much shoulder to shoulder), I lob a chain lightning and it only hits the target and the adjacent enemy.

Kind of weird, I wonder if anybody has the same problem.

 

Wail of Banshee doesn't have any effect on your own team. Really, i use it regularly. Yeah, the description says it does. But, my low WIS fighter never die standing beside my sorcerer while he was ...erm... wailing.

See the description for Resurrection? It says that the risen will lose a level. Anyone lost a level due to that spell?

 

where does it say that? Where are you reading that descrip from?

 

tee is right. as i said banshee doesn't kill your people. not all descriptions of a spell are right. example, disintegrate some targets who you know to have some loot, and learn the loot won't be disintegrated, neverever, as told in the description.

 

teekc, next time you play, create a new lv 1 character and do wail of the banshee next to them. They will most probably die; Unless they roll a high number. Im SURE it has happened to me.

 

I've never tried the Wail around my own party members. The only times I ever used it was during HoF, I'd send an invisible Sorceress off alone and she'd bust off a Wail in the middle of a group of enemies.

Granted it didn't always kill everything.........but that doesn't matter when you have six Apocalyptic Boneguards down their thoats.

 

Description? The in game spell description. Right clik on any spell in spell book to see their description.

Tested, lvl 30 sorcerer vs lvl 1 fighter with negative modifier on every stats. Still the fighter woundn't die. The thing is made me, for sure, to say that Wail of Banshee in IWD2 is alliance friendly is because i don't see my fighter make any saving throw.

 

Well you got me....

[edit] that is odd, because i remember that Wail of the Banshee in BG2 was party friendly, and I assumed that it was the same in ID2, and did it as soon as i got it and killed all my party (except caster). it really pissed me off and ive never tried it again since. I only do the Wail when my sorcerer or wizard or whatever is alone.

 

Boy am I dumb. I've been following this thread (since I started it) and thought it was horrid wilting that was party friendly as opposed to Wail of the Banshee. Boy was my wizard angry at my sorcerer.

Heh.