Level: 7
Range: 1"
Duration: Special
Area of Effect: Special
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 turn
Saving Throw: Special

When
this spell is CAST, a clap of thunder
sounds and a billowing cloud of smoke
erupts from the caster.

Within this
cloud appears a flaming chariot pulled
by two fiery horses. This vehicle moves <cf. MP, Appendix II, for details of fire horses>
24" on the ground, 48" flying and can
carry up to nine man-sized creatures
(the caster need not be among them).

The chariot will feel uncomfortably hot
to approach, and merely touching one
of the horses will do 3-24 points of fiery
damage, but boarding or touching the
chariot will do no damage. Anyone in
the chariot may control the path of the
chariot by verbal command, causing
the flaming steeds to stop or go, walk,
trot, run or fly, turn left or right, rise,
or descend. The vehicle and steeds can
be harmed by water (one quart will
cause 1 hit point of damage) or by magical
weapons. The steeds are AC2, and
can be dispelled by inflicting 30 hit
points of damage each upon them. The
steeds and chariot can be forcibly
returned to the Elemental Plane of Fire
by use of such spells as dispel magic,
holy/unholy word, etc. Fire or electricity
will not harm the chariot or steeds,
but cold-, ice-, or water-based magic
will do them double damage.

A death chariot closely resembles a
Chariot of Sustarre, save that its
enchantments are less stable and more
temporary; at the end of 1 turn after
casting (or at any time previous to that,
if the caster wishes), the death chariot
will suddenly explode in a gigantic ball
of fire and vanish (along with its steeds).
All in the chariot or within 3? will take
10-40 points of fiery, damage (save
equals half damage); passengers will
suffer a further 2 hp of blast shock (as
oxygen is consumed in the blast, and air
rushes back in to fill the void), and -- if
the chariot vanishes in midair -- falling
damage applies unless magical items or
spells afford escape. Readily combustible
materials such as cloth, wood,
paper, and oil will be consumed in the
blast (add flaming oil damage to any
chariot passenger carrying it upon
their person). All other items (including
scrolls and spell books) gain a saving
throw vs. fireball. If items also suffer a
fall (i.e., from a midair death chariot
blast), they must also save against its
effects. The bringing of an alchemy jug
or decanter of endless water into or
onto the chariot will cause it to immediately
explode.

Note that a druid could
well deceive others into thinking the
death chariot is a Chariot of Sustarre by
touching them before they enter the
chariot and accompanying them. The
druid causes the chariot to explode by
act of will, not verbal command, so he
or she could "bail out" before igniting
the trap-or, alternatively, ride the
chariot in safety for a short trip (i.e.,
across a chasm, down from a cliff, tower,
battlement, etc.) and then leave it as
a fiery trap, or even send it back at a
pursuing enemy before causing it to
explode. Attempts to charm, sleep, or
hold the fiery steeds will be unsuccessful.

The maximum duration of existence
of a death chariot (if not exploded
earlier) is 1 round per level of the caster;
if kept until maximum duration, the
chariot will fade away harmlessly, and
not explode.

MC: The material components
of the spell are a small piece of
wood, bark, or handful of shavings, two
holly berries, and a fire source at least
equal to a torch.
 

LETTERS

Chariot of confusion
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Dear Dragon,
“Pages from the Mages IV” in issue #97 was <link>
indeed well written, but one part didn’t make
sense to me. In the second paragraph of the
description of the Death Chariot spell on page 34,
it states: “. . . at the end of 1 turn after casting
(or any time previous to that if the caster wishes),
the death chariot will suddenly explode in a
gigantic ball of fire and vanish.” This is fine,
except that at the end of that paragraph, the text
contradicts itself: “The maximum duration of
existence of a death chariot (if not exploded
earlier) is 1 round per level of the caster; if kept
until the maximum duration, the chariot will fade
away harmlessly, and not explode.”

Is the maximum duration 1 turn, or 1 round
per level? Does the chariot explode at maximum
duration, or fade away harmlessly?

Todd Shafritz
Aurora, Colo.
(Dragon #99)
 

Hmmmm. I guess we can‘t squirm our way
out of this one, so the only thing to do is back up
and pretend we’re still editing the manuscript. If
we had it to do over again, we’d change the text
to say that the caster can will the chariot to explode
at any time (presumably after all of his
enemies have climbed on), but if the chariot is
allowed to remain in existence up to the maximum
duration of 1 round per level, then it will
simply fade away without blasting the passengers
at the same time. If that answer doesn’t satisfy
you, then hop aboard my chariot and we'll discuss 
it further. 

-- K M
(Dragon #99)
 
 
 
 

Book of Num "the Mad"

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Books of the Forgotten Realms