HD Spells

[thatguy73]

Can anyone clarify for me exaclty how spells with descriptions of, for example, "puts to sleep 4HD of creatures," or "fascinaters 2d6 HD of creatures," and others of that sort work. For some reason or another that always seems to be a matter of contention at games I've attended recently. We're all fairly new to D&D, and despite my research I haven't found anything yet that cleary explains it in a manner everyone has understood.

[Ragitsu]

I read this thread's title as "High Definition Spells".

[Jjeinn-tae]

Pretty much exactly what it says, Sleep puts to sleep a total of 4 HD of creatures.

So lets use player characters as an easy measure of HD since they have 1HD per level and I won't have to look into the SRD. If you have a party of four, each level 1, they will all fall asleep should they not make their saves.

It gets a little more complicated in other situations, if one of the four were level 2, then one of them would not be put asleep assuming all the first ones (closest to the center target of the spell) fail their save, as the total HD is 5. This keeps with a 5th member, the furthest will only fall asleep if enough of the closer characters have succeeded their saves so that the spell has enough HD left to put to sleep.

Fascinate works pretty much the same way except you roll first (and it might be target-able, I forget).

Make sense?

[Diarmuid]

In the monster description, in the line that shows their Hit Points, it will list how many HD (Hit Dice) were taking into account to come to the Hit Point total.

For your sleep example, if you had (3) 1 HD creates and (1) 2 HD creature, the spell would effect the (3) 1 HD creatures but not the (1) 2 HD creature. The spell has 4HD it can impact and only a creature who's full HD are accounted for are impacted. Most of these effects start with the lowest HD targets in the AE so the 1HD guys would be effected first.

[thatguy73]

Alright, thanks guys, I think I have a better understanding of this now. I'm glad to say that these boards seem to be full of people who are legitamtely helpful rather than people out to eat newbies.
Thanks again, guys.

[Keld Denar]

Mmmmmm, newbie...the other other other other other other other other other white meat!

*Om nom nom nom nom nom nom nom*

j/k! <3

[Glimbur]

Alright, thanks guys, I think I have a better understanding of this now. I'm glad to say that these boards seem to be full of people who are legitamtely helpful rather than people out to eat newbies.
Thanks again, guys.

We like talking to people who are knowledgeable and insightful. If we scare off new people rather than helping them, the community stagnates.

Taking people out of combat entirely with one failed save is why Sleep is considered a Save or Lose, and it's often a better use of your time than a magic missile.