L^: mu9	-	R#: 0	-	D^: 1t*
C^: v	-	CT: 7	-	S^: S
A^: 2" diameter sphere	-	-	-	-

Effect: This spell enables the magic-user to conjure up an opaque globe of shimmering,
multi-colored spheres of light to surround him or her which give protection from all forms of attack.

This scintillating sphere flashes all the seven colors of the visible spectrum,
and each of these spheres of color has a different power and purpose.
Any creature with fewer than eight hit dice will be blinded for from 2 to 8 turns by the colors of the sphere.
This phenomenon is immobile and only the spell caster con pass in and out the prismatic sphere without harm.
Note that typically the upper hemisphere of the globe will be visible,
as the spell caster is at the center of the sphere,
so the lower half is usually hidden by the floor surface he or she is standing upon.
The colors and effects of the prismatic sphere, os well as what will negate each globe, are:
 
 
 

Color of Globe	Order of Globe	Effects of Globe	Spell Negated By
red	1st	prevents all non-magical missiles -- inflicts 10 hit points of damage	cone of cold
orange	2nd	prevents all magical missiles -- inflicts 20 HP of damage	gust of wind
yellow	3rd	prevents poisons, gasses, and petrification -- inflicts 40 hit points of damage	disintegrate
green	4th	prevents all breath weapons -- save vs. poison or dead	passwall
blue	5th	prevents location/detection and psionics -- save vs. petrification or turned to stone	magic missile
indigo	6th	prevents all magical spells --  save vs. wand or insane	continual light
violet	7th	force field protection - save vs. magic or sent to another plane	dispel magic

Note that a rod of cancellation will destroy a prismatic sphere.
Otherwise, anything entering the sphere will be destroyed, any creature subject to the
effects of each and every globe as indicated, i.e. 70 hit points of damage
plus death, petrification, insanity and/or instantaneous transportation to
another plane, and only the four latter effects are subject to saving throws.
The individual globes may be destroyed by appropriate magical attacks in
consecutive order, the 1st globe destroyed before any others, then the 2nd,
etc.

DMG: At the commencement of this spell,
each color is shimmering,
but each represents a successive layer,
rather like an onion.
The first MUST be brought down before the second can be affected, etc.
Any creature passing through gets the effect of each and every color layer still existing.
 
 

ADQ: What happens when an anti-magick
shell hits a prismatic sphere, or a sphere of
annhilation? What about a sphere of
annhilation hitting a prismatic sphere?
ADA: An anti-magick shell will penetrate a
prismatic sphere through the 5th (blue)
layer, but no further. 2 effects will thus
remain, the indigo and the violet. Note that
the sphere's effects are merely suppressed
while within the shell's radius; they will
function normally as parts of the sphere
remaining outside of the shell, and will
reactivate when the shell no longer blankets
them (unless the sphere's duration expires
before then).
    A sphere of annihilation is NOT a magickal
device per se; it will simply eat everything
in the way -- creatures, objects, magickal effects,
etc. -- unless controlled and stopped.
(Polyhedron #22)

ADQ: Can someone other than the caster
walk through a prismatic sphere, or does
the 7th layer (force field) keep anyone
from entering?
ADA: Anyone ccan penetrate a prismatic
sphere, simply by taking the damage (a
total of 70 HP) and making all the required
saves. The "force field" is different
from a wall of force, else the caster would
not be able to penetrate it either.
(Polyhedron #25)

ADQ: The description of the 9th-level
M-U spell prismatic sphere in the
PH specifies that the
7th sphere confers force field protection.
Is this protection akin to a wall of
force? If so, the 7th sphere is equal to
all 6 former spheres put together, and
the M-U could not CAST spells out of
it. This makes the prismatic sphere spell
an expensive delay only for the M-U,
and leaves the mage's comrades out
in the cold.
ADA: No, the force field is NOT a wall of
force. It is exactly as the spell description
states -- a barrier which sends anyone
trying to penetrate it to another <dimension> unless
a save vs. spells is made. If the save is
successful, the attacker may pass through it
to the mage. Note, however, that said attacker
is once again subject to all the effects
on his way out, and must make a new save
vs. that effect and each of the others for
which one is required to Escape.
    There is nothing in the spell description
to indicate that the creator of the sphere
cannot CAST spells out of it. Indeed, the
caster may pass through the sphere with no n
ill effects, and his spells can as well,
(Polyhedron #31)

Prismatic Sphere: The DMG is explicit 
that the sphere can only be brought down 
(if one is using the correct spells, 1 at a 
time, for each of the 7 globes, rather 
than having a rod of cancellation, etc) if 
the globes are negated in the correct 
order, starting with the red and finishing 
with the violet. 
(Imagine #29)
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edena_of_Neith
Gary, did you intend that Prismatic Sphere be usable only for defense?

Absolutely intended as a a defensive spell.
If any player suggested his PC was sticking a hand or head outside the sphere, regardless of the direction, I'd allow any spell cast against the sphere to penetrate it where flesh replaced its surface

I won't comment on the part where the workings of magic seem to be misunderstood 

Cheers,
Gary
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by haakon1
'Cause it's magic. 

That, sir, is precisely the correct answer <cool>

Cheers,
Gary

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edena_of_Neith
(humor)

How come, when the Prismatic Sphere was created, that it did not immediately disintegrate the soil it touched (half the Sphere goes into the ground), thus causing the soil above and within the Sphere to fall into it, and thus eviscerating all the soil the mage was standing on, until he was standing on his own Sphere? (of course, this would have been bad for the mage's fellow party members, who would have fallen INTO the Sphere, and thus suffered all of it's effects, and ...)

Because a Prismatic Sphere is activated by the morphic field unique to living things. This includes inanimate objects associated with a living things, such as rocks thrown by the living, or sticks held by the living. For all intents and purposes this includes golems, constructs, and animated items since they mimic the living. Since dirt etc. is not living, and has no association with the living, Prismatic Sphere has no affect. Though it does play hob on earthworms and soil bacteria. Fortunately, being extremely thin, the sphere has no real effect on terrain. Though early versions often left what came to be known as "Prismatic Sphere Divots" in the ground. Some as deep as 5'.
 

Yah, tha's it... What Mythusmage said 

Cheerio,
Gary

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edena_of_Neith
Just meant as humor. Obviously, no mage and his party sank due to a Prismatic Sphere! Not in any game I was in, at least.

OTOH, it is a possibility for a party of annoying PCs 

Cheers,
Gary