Death Chariot (Priest Spell)

When this spell is cast, a clap of thunder sounds and a billowing cloud of smoke erupts from around the caster or at a spot within 10 yards of him or her. Within this cloud appears a flaming chariot pulled by two fiery horses. The chariot moves at MV 24, Fl 48 (D) and can carry up to nine man-sized creatures. The caster need not be among them. The chariot feels uncomfortably hot to approach, and merely touching one of the horses inflicts 3d8 points of fire damage, but boarding or touching the chariot does no damage. Anyone in the chariot may control its path by verbal command, causing the flaming steeds to stop or go, walk, trot, run, or fly, turn left or right, or rise or descend.
The vehicle and steeds can be harmed by water or by magical weapons. (One quart of water causes 1 point of damage.) The steeds and chariot are AC 2 and can be dispelled by inflicting 30 points of damage upon each of them. The steeds and chariot can be forcibly returned to the Elemental Plane of Fire by the use of such spells as dispel magic and holy word. Fire and electricity harm neither the chariot nor the steeds, but cold-, ice-, and water-based magic cause them double damage. Attempts to charm, sleep, or hold the fiery steeds are always unsuccessful. Bringing an alchemy jug or a decanter of endless water into the death chariot causes the chariot to explode immediately for the effects given below.
A death chariot closely resembles a chariot of Sustarre, save that its enchantments are less stable and more temporary. The caster may set the spell to work one of two ways: Either the death chariot is preset to explode at any time from one round to the end of one turn after the spell is cast, or the caster may retain detonation control of the chariot by accompanying it in person. This control does not preclude the caster from taking other actions or casting spells and does not mean that the caster has to verbally "steer" the death chariot himself or herself. Note that a priest could well deceive others into thinking the death chariot is a chariot of Sustarre by touching passengers before they enter the death chariot and accompanying them.
If the death chariot is preset to detonate, then at the designated moment it suddenly explodes in a gigantic ball of fire and vanishes along with its steeds. All in the chariot or within 30 feet take 10d4 points of fire damage. (A successful saving throw vs. spell halves damage.) Passengers suffer a further 2 points of blast shock as oxygen is consumed in the blast, and air rushes back in to fill the void caused by it. If the chariot vanishes in midair, they also take falling damage unless magical items or spells afford escape.
Readily combustible materials such as cloth, wood, paper, and oil are consumed in the blast; flaming oil damage should be added to the damage total for any chariot passenger carrying oil on their person. All other items— including scrolls and spellbooks—gain an item saving throw vs. magical fire to survive the blast. If items suffer a fall from a midair death chariot blast, they must also make successful item saving throws vs. fall or be destroyed.
If the casting priest accompanies the chariot, she or he causes the death chariot to explode by act of will, not verbal command. The caster could bail out before igniting the trap, ride the death chariot in safety for a short trip (for example, across a chasm or down from a cliff, tower, battlement, etc.) and then leave it as a fiery trap, or even send the aeath chariot back at a pursuing enemy before causing it to explode. The maximum duration of a death chariot if it is not detonated is one round per level of the caster. If kept for its maximum duration, the death chariot fades away harmlessly.
The material components of the spell are a small piece of wood, bark, or a handful of wood shavings, two holly berries, and a fire source at least equal to a torch.
Notes: Granted by the nature god Silvanus of the Forgotten Realms setting.
Category:Priest Spells
Category:Spells from Faiths & Avatars
Category:Spells
Category:Spells from Priest's Spell Compendium