Black Blade of Disaster

The Black Blade of Disaster enables a wizard to create and wield a long sword that acts as an weapon with additional powerful abilities.
==Description==
==Gameplay==
The caster applies this spell to self only.
Once the spell casting is finished, a rather quick animation renders this blade adjacent to the caster as it rises out of the floor.
Once the animation is progressed sufficiently, the spell created blade is usable by the caster, which supersedes the casters other main-hand weapons, including fists.
If there was an off-hand weapon equipped, it is still viable and available to use, and can be changed to a shield, or another off-hand weapon.
While the black blade is in existence, only this weapon can be wielded in melee from the main hand - the character may not change or adjust it, and if attempted, a message displays "Magical weapon in use".
The black blade bestows certain boosts to the wielder, and the weapon is wielded as a Long Sword in melee combat.
The blade strikes as a +6 Enchanted item for the purposes of what it can strike. The blade provides a 5-point THAC0 bonus, and any successful hit inflicts 2d12+5 Slashing damage.
The blade also confers "Grand Mastery" in Long Sword Weapon Proficiency for the blade's duration. This level of proficiency adds another 3-point THAC0 bonus and +5 additional damage.
However, if the character has invested any points into long sword proficiency, their innate proficiency level will override the grand mastery effect provided from the spell. This takes place after attacking once, being attacked, casting a spell, or even manipulating an item in the character's inventory - presumably any event that causes the game to recalculate stats.
When a creature is struck by the blade, there are several on-hit effects that can occur:
*100% chance the target is exposed to the Disintegrate effect. Save vs. Death (with a 4-point bonus) to negate.
*10% chance the target will suffer a Level drain effect removing 4 experience/hit dice levels, no saving throw allowed. The victim will show a lighting effect on their sprite, and a color fade, and a text will display, reading "Four Levels Drained".
*To go along with the level drain chance, the wielder is provided with 20 hit points to current HP value, and a 3D graphic and color fade effect renders on the wielder's sprite, as well as a text, reading "Healed". If the wielder had no existing damage or hit point loss, then the healing doesn't add extra HP.
The on-hit effects of the sword are assigned to the Necromancy school and are of the Offensive damage type. As such, Spell Immunity: Necromancy and the Cloak of Mirroring can negate them.
In addition to this, the effects are also coded as Power level 9 and thus can be absorbed/deflected by appropriate spell protections such as Spell Deflection, Spell Turning or Spell Trap. Repeated attacks from the blade will however rapidly exceed the protective capacity of these spells and take them down.
===Shadows of Amn===
In the original Shadows of Amn, without its expansion, the spellcaster's base THAC0 is set to 12 for the duration of the spell and every hit may slay the target if no save vs. death is made with a bonus of 4.
===Throne of Bhaal===
After the installation of the original expansion Throne of Bhaal or in any "complete" package of the original Baldur's Gate II, the slaying effect remains, but the fixed THAC0 is removed. Instead, grand mastery with Long Swords is applied, which will improve the THAC0 by 2, add 4 to the damage dealt and reduce the speed by 3; warrior/mage multi- or dual-classes will also benefit from an additional half attack per round.
On top of this, there's a 10%-chance that the target has 4 Level drain effect. A saving throw negates. It bypasses magic resistance, and the wielder simultaneously gains a +20 current Hit point gain.
==Locations==
The spell scroll is only sold by a few merchants and cannot be found elsewhere.
===Shadows of Amn===
*Sold by Ribald from his special stock after having returned from the Underdark 
===Throne of Bhaal===
*Sold at Arcana Archives 
*Sold by Karthis al-Hezzar 
*May be cast once by the Skeleton Mage in Forest of Mir – The Temple
*May be cast once by Semaj during the Pocket Plane challenge Possibilities
===Gladiators of Thay===
*Known (and cast) by Lea Gosh'Aar
*May be cast up to two times by Pol Pyrrus
*Sold by the Book Merchant 
===Unused references===
*Two additional scrolls would have been available for purchase – one in the Copper Coronet, one at the Anvil of the Right –, but the connected stores aren't accessible.
==Notes==
*Spell and weapon are present in the game code of Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition and its expansion Siege of Dragonspear, but don't make an appearance in these games.
*The Black Blade of Disaster is written down in the Mage Book of Elminster, though he won't cast it.
==Errata/Bugs==
*The +5 damage bonus is not mentioned in any description, all games only state "2-24" (=2d12). 
* In the original Shadows of Amn, the spell's description states a duration of "1 round/level", where it's actually a fixed 18 rounds. This is corrected since the original Throne of Bhaal.
* Also, according to the description, the caster's THAC0 would be the same as a fighter's one of half their level – while it's actually set for all levels to the value from the example, 12.
**A change to the base THAC0 is omitted since Throne of Bhaal, but a modification of the caster's weapon proficiencies applied instead.
* Although the description speaks of the disintegration of the victims, they are actually slain in the original Baldur's Gate II; the description is fixed in the Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition.
* While the spell description states that the mage is treated as having "Grand Mastery in this weapon", it in fact grants this proficiency to all longswords for the duration of the spell, such as any long swords in the character's offhand.
* Dual-classing while under the effects of this spell permanently gives Grand Mastery in Long Swords.
* In BG2EE, most magical weapons let you dual wield without THAC0 penalty, making Two Weapon Style redundant when using this spell. Moreover, while dual wielding, the effects of Single Weapon Style apply to both weapons, meaning both main and offhand weapons score critical hits on attack rolls of 19 or higher. The +2 AC bonus, however, only applies once.
==Trivia==
The Advanced Dungeons and Dragons 2nd Edition Wizard spell Black Blade of Disaster is a very rare spell restricted to the Drow only. The blade can strike twice per round with the same THAC0 as its caster. A black blade of disaster can cut through prismatic walls and spheres, walls of force, and all other known magical barriers. It can penetrate an antimagic shell and affect objects inside. If the caster rolls a natural 20, the blade disintegrates the creature struck; nothing short of a wish will restore an individual destroyed in this fashion. All magical attacks and effects directed at the rift are absorbed. Anyone trying to seize or physically attack the blade is affected as if struck by the blade. The caster suffers 1d2 points of damage every time he strikes with the blade, as it draws off some of his life force as well. This damage does not by itself disrupt his concentration.
== Gallery ==
OG BBoD 1.png|thumb|Gorion's Ward initiates casting of the Black Blade of Disaster prior to engaging some probable adversaries.
OG BBoD 2.png|thumb|The casting and creation of the blade animation is quite lengthy.
OG BBoD 3.png|thumb|The Ward gains +20 HP from a strike with the blade on an enemy.
OG BBoD 4.png|thumb|The blade cuts and level drains 4 levels from another foe. 
==Mod content==
Spell Revisions mod has changed this arcane spell - revising its casting time, duration, effects, and description. See below:
Black Blade of Disaster
Level: 9
School: Conjuration
Range: Personal
Duration: 1 round/level
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: Special
Saving Throw: None
This spell enables the caster to create a black, blade-shaped planar rift, about 5 feet long. It jumps into the caster’s hand and is used as a normal sword, remaining there for the duration of the spell. The caster wields the blade as if proficient with the weapon and brandishes it with a base THAC0 of 0. The sword deals 2d12 damage per strike and acts as a +5 magical weapon in all regards, including hit and damage bonuses. With each hit, there is a 15% chance the victim must make a save vs. spell at -2 or be disintegrated (40d6 points of magic damage, 5d6 on a successful save).
==Mod gallery==
Mod Demon Wraith 3.png|The Demon Wraith encountered in the Watcher's Keep Teleport Maze will cast the BBoD spell and then move into melee range and attack with the blade and spells. Sword Coast Stratagems mod screenshot.
==External links==
* 
* Advanced D&D 2nd Edition Wiki - Black Blade of Disaster (Wizard Spell)
Category:Bugs
Category:Infobox upgrade
Category:Offensive damage (spell type)
Category:Weapon-summoning spells