Special Notes (HLC)

__TOC__
The DM should find the following information useful when characters engage in magical duels.
==Magical Items and Preexisting Spells==
Because a dueling arena is a mental construct, it is not possible to carry any sort of equipment into it; the opponents enter the arena only in their minds. Certain items, however, can affect the course of a duel.
Items that actually store spells or spell energy can be employed to create spells during a duel. Such items include rings of spell storing, magical scrolls, and rods of absorption. A scroll of protection creates a defensive effect with a power rank of 15 and a movement of 1.
Items that create spell-like effects usually cannot be used in a duel. Such items include all wands, staves, potions, and miscellaneous magical items, as well as most rods.
The combatants, however, can agree in advance to incorporate such items into a duel. The arena must be altered to allow the items to function, and an additional turn of preparation time is required for each class of item to be allowed. If only one particular item is to be allowed, an extra turn of preparation is required.
For example, Delsenora and Calvin decide to have a friendly spellcasting contest, but Calvin wishes to employ his wand of conjuration in the duel. If the pair spends two turns creating the arena, either character could use any wand. If the pair spends three turns preparing, only Calvin's wand of conjuration can affect the duel—the extra time might be well worth Calvin's patience.
A spell-like effect from an item works just like the spell it simulates. When in doubt, the item creates a leech effect that inflicts a maximum of 6d6 points of damage. A leech from a staff drains a maximum of 8d6 dice of damage, while other items inflict a maximum of 9d6 points of damage. An effect from a device uses the device level to determine the saving throw, not the wielder's level (see page 144).
Magical bonuses for protective devices, such as enchanted armor and rings of protection, increase the wearer's power score against spells, but not for personal combat. For example, a priest with a power score of 11 wearing plate armor +2 and a ring of protection +1 has an adjusted power score of 14 against spells. Armor class has no effect on a duel; items such as bracers of defense do not help the wearer. Defensive bonuses to saving throws apply to any saving throw the character makes in the duel. Magical armor can provide saving throw bonuses against missiles and attack/defense spells (see DMG, Chapter 9).
Attack bonuses from magical weapons increase the character's power score for personal combat, but not against spells. In other words, magical weapons only help when the two magical constructs engage in melee combat instead of casting spells at each other.
Effects from other magical items and spells that are activated and in place on a character when an arena is constructed usually have no effect on a duel. However, the arena can be constructed to allow them to operate. An extra turn of preparation time is required for each effect to be incorporated. Once incorporated, an effect remains in place until it is dispelled or its duration expires.
A preexisting effect can profoundly influence on a duel. For example, a minor globe of invulnerability makes the protected character immune to all 1st- through 3rd-level spells. The globe can be dispelled, but a dispel magic spell would have to reach the character's space before it could take effect. A simple protection from evil spell renders the recipient immune to any attack/defense spell that summons creatures. Characters should exercise considerable care before agreeing to allow an opponent to enter the arena with a magical effect already in place. The durations for all preexisting conditions begin on the first round of a duel, not when the spell is initially cast during the arena creation process.
Certain magical effects prevent an arena from being formed; these include the spells antimagic shell, prismatic sphere, Otiluke's resilient sphere, Otiluke's telekinetic sphere, any wall spell, and scrolls of protection from magic. None of these effects can be incorporated into an arena, even if both opponents agree.
==Specialist Wizards==
Specialist wizards' saving throw adjustments for spells within their schools of specialization apply during duels unless the characters choose to forgo them. Such adjustments require an extra turn of preparation when building the arena. Specialists are free to use any available bonus spells during a duel.
Specialists also suffer from a disadvantage in duels; spells from their opposition schools gain an extra power rank. For example, dispel magic spells have a rank of 13, not 12, when used against illusionists because Abjuration is opposed to Illusion. The bonus represents the specialists' lack of experience when dealing with magic from their opposition schools.
A dueling arena provides a stable magical environment, and wild surges and level variations never occur within them. It is possible to construct an arena that allows level variations, but both combatants must be wild mages and wild surges still are impossible.
In a duel, level variations raise or lower a spell's power rank.
For example, Johan the Rat casts an unseen servant spell, which normally has a power rank of 10. If Johan rolls a level variation of –5, that particular unseen servant spell has power rank of 5.
A spell's other dueling characteristics and effects can also be altered by a level variation. For example, if Johan were a 13th-level wild mage and cast a fireball spell with a level variation of –5, the fireball spell's power score would be reduced to 7 and the spell could inflict only 8d6 points of damage. The spell's movement also would be reduced from 5 to 4.
Elementalists' saving throw adjustments apply during duels. The elementalist ability to cast a spell at higher level than normal does not apply unless both combatants are elementalists. If used, the casting level increase boosts the spell's power score and other characteristics in the same manner as described above.
==The Spoils of Victory==
The combatants are free to decide when a duel ends and what happens to the character who loses the duel, but the general terms must be set in advance. A magical duel always ends when one combatant runs out of spells or runs out of hit points; the combatants choose one or both conditions to apply. The combatants can choose additional conditions for ending the duel, such as when an opponent reaches half hit points or when an opponent casts a certain type of spell. Preparing the arena requires an extra turn for each extra condition and two extra turns if the condition does not apply equally to both opponents.
For example, if Calvin and Delsenora wish to conduct a duel in which the first character to cast an Evocation spell loses, they need one extra turn to build the arena. If they wish to end the duel only when Delsenora casts an evocation spell—leaving Calvin free to use them throughout the duel—they need two extra turns to complete the arena.
Once conditions for ending the duel are set, the duel automatically ends when the condition is met, even if the opponents change their minds. A character can always end a duel early by surrendering and accepting defeat.
The extent of the duel's consequences depends on the combatants' resolve and how many levels of spells the combatants invest when forming the arena. Some common terms are listed below:
===Friendly Competition===
The spellcasters are more interested in who can win than in harming each other. There is little risk to either character, but a treacherous opponent could use the duel to delay his adversary and perhaps gain the upper hand in a future confrontation.
0–6 Spell Levels: All spells cast during the duel remain in the characters' memories. The opponents' hit point totals return to normal when the duel ends, though the loser looks a little worse for the wear.
7–12 Spell Levels: The winner retains all spells cast during the duel, and the winner's hit point total returns to normal when the duel ends. The loser suffers 2d6 points of temporary damage and forfeits 2d4 levels of spells.
13–18 Spell Levels: The winner loses 1d6 levels of spells used during the duel. The winner's hit point total returns to normal when the duel ends. The loser suffers 4d6 points of temporary damage, which automatically returns an the rate of one hit point per round, and forfeits 4d4 levels of spells.
19+ Spell Levels: The winner loses 4d6 levels of spells used during the duel. The winner's hit point total returns to normal when the duel ends. The loser suffers 8d6 points of temporary damage and loses 8d4 levels of spells.
===Death===
The opponents intend to inflict harm upon each other. Timid characters might contribute very few levels of spells to the arena to avoid serious harm.
0–6 Levels of Spells: All spells cast during the duel remain in the characters' memories. The loser suffers 2d6 points of damage and must save vs. death or die.
7–12 Levels of Spells: The winner loses 1d6 levels of spells cast during the duel. The loser suffers 4d6 points of damage, loses 4d4 levels of spells, and must save vs. death or die.
13–18 Levels of Spells: The winner loses 2d6 levels of spells cast during the duel and suffers 1d6 points of temporary damage. The loser suffers 6d6 points of damage, loses 8d4 levels of spells, and must save vs. death or die. Even if successful, the character must pass a system shock roll or fall unconscious for 2d6 turns.
18–22 Levels of Spells: The winner loses 4d6 levels of spells cast during the duel and suffers 2d6 points of temporary damage. A magical explosion envelops the loser, inflicting 8d6 points of damage. The losing character must save vs. breath weapon. If the save fails, the character dies and all of his equipment must save vs. magical fire or be destroyed. If the save is successful, the character loses consciousness for 2d6 turns. In either case, there is 20% chance the character is blown to another plane. The character also loses 12d4 levels of spells.
23+ Levels of Spells: The winner loses 2d6 levels of spells cast during the duel and suffers 4d6 points of temporary damage. An intense magical explosion envelops the loser and inflicts 10d6 points of damage. The character must save vs. breath weapon. If the save fails, the character dies and all his equipment must save vs. lightning or be destroyed. If successful, the character loses consciousness for 2d6 turns. In either case, there is a 40% chance that the character is blown to another plane. The character also loses 18d4 levels of spells.
===Service===
The combatants agree to perform some task if they are defeated. The tasks to be performed can be agreed upon before the duel begins or left to the victor's discretion. The duel has the same effects on the combatants as a friendly competition, with the following additional effects:
0–6 Spell Levels: The loser is charmed (as a charm person spell) by the winner. If a service has been agreed upon in advance, any orders not related to the task allow the charmed character a saving throw to negate the spell. If no task has been agreed upon in advance, the charm functions normally.
7–12 Spell Levels: The loser is charmed as above, and the winner can implant a suggestion (as the 3rd-level wizard spell). If a service has been agreed upon in advance, there is no saving throw vs. the spell if it pertains to the service. If the loser resists the suggestion, the charm remains in place.
13–18 Spell Levels: The loser is charmed and subject to suggestion as above, and the winner may place a geas (as the 6th-level wizard spell) on the loser. If a service has been agreed upon in advance, there is no saving throw vs. the spell if it pertains to the service.
Resisting the geas has no effect on the charm or the suggestion.
19+ Spell Levels: The loser falls completely under the winner's will and can be dominated (as the 5th level wizard spell domination). If the domination is broken, the winner can immediately geas the loser. The winner is free to issue any commands he wishes within the limits of the domination and geas spells. Even if a service has been agreed upon in advance, the winner may alter the deal. The geas can be lifted only by a wish, dispel magic, or remove curse spell cast by a character of higher level than the winner.
===Prize===
The combatants are vying to possess some tangible object. In most cases, the character monitoring the duel holds the object and presents it to the winner. The duel itself can be fought to the death, for service (particularly useful if the item being fought over is not present at the dueling site), or can be friendly.
===Spell Loss===
Spells lost after a duel are gone from the character's memory as though cast normally. Spells contributed to the arena are always lost. If a character loses a random number of spell levels, he must lose as many spells form memory as are required to meet the total.
For example, Delsenora loses a friendly contest to Calvin. She loses the fireball spell she contributed to the arena and the die roll indicates she must lose four more levels of spells. Delsenora chooses spells from her list of memorized spells to meet the requirement; she can lose four 1st-level spells, two 2nd-level spells, or any other combination of spells that equals or exceeds four levels.
When a character loses spells after a duel, any material components required to cast the spells are consumed, but the character can regain the spells normally.
The winner cannot lose more levels of spells than were cast during the duel, but the loser can. If a character loses more levels of spells than were memorized before the duel, he loses one point of Intelligence/Reason (if a wizard) or one point of Wisdom/Intuition (if a priest) for each excess level lost. The loss is permanent if the duel was being fought to the death. Otherwise, one point is restored for each full day the character rests. A restoration spell can restore permanently lost points, and a heal spell can restore temporarily lost points.
===Damage===
The temporary damage a character suffers after a duel automatically returns at a rate of one hit point per round. If temporary damage reduces the character's hit point total to –10 or less, the character dies. If the character's hit point total is 0 to –9 he is unconscious until his hit points rise to at least 1.
A victorious character cannot suffer more temporary damage than was suffered in the duel. The loser, however, can suffer more normal damage than was suffered during the duel—the shock of defeat is what inflicts the damage. The Death From Massive Damage rule does not apply in duels (see DMG, Chapter 9).
===Charm===
The mental effects from a duel fought for service are unaffected by any form of special resistance, including magic resistance, racial resistance to charm effects, and resistance due to high ability scores. The winner bores directly into the loser's psyche and takes control.
===System Shock===
The force of the defeat can overwhelm the loser's body and knock the character out for a short time. A heal spell restores the character to consciousness. Anyone with a weapon can kill an unconscious character with a single blow.
===Blown to Another Plane===
The loser is hurled through a dimensional rift, leaving behind a pile of dust. The DM can randomly determine which plane the character is blown to or can choose a plane appropriate to the campaign. Any equipment destroyed in the blast remains behind. A wish can recover the lost character.
===Death===
The force of the defeat kills the character outright. If the character is not blown to another plane, there is a 50% chance the body disintegrates, leaving only a pile of dust. If not disintegrated, the character can be raised, resurrected, or reincarnated normally, but regeneration is ineffective. Only a wish can restore a disintegrated character to life.
===Outside Interference===
Any kind of attack, successful or not, on a character involved in a magical duel disrupts the arena and ends the duel. Both characters are assumed to be the victor for purposes of the duel's aftereffects, but the duel's other terms and conditions are rendered invalid.
It is possible for onlookers to shout advice to combatants, provided that the protective spell surrounding them allows communication. Touching the combatants, handing them equipment, or casting spells on them automatically ends the duel.
Attacks against the mediator of the duel and attempts to breech the protective spell cast by the mediator have no effect on the duel.
==The Role of the Mediator==
The character engaged to oversee a magical duel is the person who decides how isolated the combatants are. A fairly impenetrable defensive spell, such as prismatic sphere or a hemispherical wall or force, insures that no one can easily disrupt the proceedings. A fairly weak spell, such as protection from evil 10' radius, offers the combatants very little protection.
The mediator's secondary roll is keeping things honest. It is his responsibility to make sure the combatants do not employ magical items in an attempt to gain an unfair advantage. It is traditional for the mediator to search each combatant for contraband before construction of the arena begins. Prohibited items are usually confiscated and held until the duel is completed. Careful mediators usually insist on physically searching each combatant to foil nondetection spells and amulets of proof against detection and location, which can defeat divination spells.
The mediator can end the arena construction process just by touching one of the combatants. The mediator can end the duel itself in a similar manner. A dedicated mediator resists attempts to disturb the combatants, but mediators with less resolve have been known to flee when challenged.
The mediator knows how much time each caster spends contributing spells to the arena, and some judges have been known to intervene, ending the duel for good or for ill.
The mediator is under no special compulsions toward fairness or honesty unless duelists take precautions. A geas spell can help insure a mediator's fairness, but powerful characters can usually avoid the worst effects of violating the geas. It is best if both combatants agree on a mediator they can trust.
If the protective spell the mediator casts over the duelists is large enough, the character can include himself in the spell and be protected along with the combatants. Some spells, such as prismatic sphere, allow the caster free passage in and out, which makes them ideal for mediators who want to keep an eye on the situation outside the arena as well as the battle taking place in the arena.