Sterilize, a Healer Spell from OD&D

[Mr.PC0X]

So, for reasons I won't go into, I have chosen to focus more on older editions of D&D rather than what has become of 5e, and I genuinely enjoy a lot of what I can find. But, to those I consider far more knowledgeable than I, I have a question.

In the 3rd Issue of Dragon Magazine, a few new classes were added to the then Original Dungons and Dragons, of the subject today is the Healer.

One of it's spells: Sterilize, as 7th level spell, stated as follows "this spell will cleanse any room of any infection, mold,
slime, or nasty creatures, up to 5 hit die." That's it, that's all. So my question is, to those who understood this original edition better:

A: How large of an area would this resonably affect?
B: Does this spell function 1) As sleep does in 5e with a fixed number of hit dice it can use to deal damage to all targets in the area, or 2) simply kill everything in the area that would have 5 hit dice or less?

[LibraryOgre]

So, for reasons I won't go into, I have chosen to focus more on older editions of D&D rather than what has become of 5e, and I genuinely enjoy a lot of what I can find. But, to those I consider far more knowledgeable than I, I have a question.

In the 3rd Issue of Dragon Magazine, a few new classes were added to the then Original Dungons and Dragons, of the subject today is the Healer.

One of it's spells: Sterilize, as 7th level spell, stated as follows "this spell will cleanse any room of any infection, mold,
slime, or nasty creatures, up to 5 hit die." That's it, that's all. So my question is, to those who understood this original edition better:

A: How large of an area would this resonably affect?

Somewhat arbitrarily, 40' radius from caster.

My rationale is to look at the RC 7th level spells, notably Earthquake and Holy Word. Earthquake starts at 60' square (meaning a square 60' on a side, not 60 square feet), while Holy Word is a flat 40' radius.

B: Does this spell function 1) As sleep does in 5e with a fixed number of hit dice it can use to deal damage to all targets in the area, or 2) simply kill everything in the area that would have 5 hit dice or less?

It is a 7th level spell. It'll kill all that stuff with 5hd or less.

Rules Cyclopedia isn't the OLDEST D&D... I know of folks who play nothing but the first boxed set. However, it is one of the best editions, with some sensibilities similar to the earlier games.

[Mordar]

Somewhat arbitrarily, 40' radius from caster.

My rationale is to look at the RC 7th level spells, notably Earthquake and Holy Word. Earthquake starts at 60' square (meaning a square 60' on a side, not 60 square feet), while Holy Word is a flat 40' radius.

It is a 7th level spell. It'll kill all that stuff with 5hd or less.

Rules Cyclopedia isn't the OLDEST D&D... I know of folks who play nothing but the first boxed set. However, it is one of the best editions, with some sensibilities similar to the earlier games.

I seem to recall other spells with a "room" as the area...I would probably be a little more lenient in the size, but draconian in the application, and go any structural space bounded by floor, walls and ceiling not extruding into adjacent areas. Its magic. Magic knows what a room is, even if there aren't closed doors.

But yeah, all the poor little slimes, molds and puddings 5HD or less just stop being.

- M

[LibraryOgre]

I seem to recall other spells with a "room" as the area...I would probably be a little more lenient in the size, but draconian in the application, and go any structural space bounded by floor, walls and ceiling not extruding into adjacent areas. Its magic. Magic knows what a room is, even if there aren't closed doors.

Part of the reason I'd go with a reasonably firm radius is "room" can get pretty weird. What if you cast it in the middle of a field? What if you cast it in a giant cave?

[Mordar]

Part of the reason I'd go with a reasonably firm radius is "room" can get pretty weird. What if you cast it in the middle of a field? What if you cast it in a giant cave?

Understood - that's why I said the "draconian" part. In olden days of yore I wouldn't have allowed it to cast in a field. A cave, yes...so long as it was part of a cave network. Then the players and I would fight about it, drink Mountain Dew and play Atari, then come back to the game.

- M

[Mr.PC0X]

Somewhat arbitrarily, 40' radius from caster.

My rationale is to look at the RC 7th level spells, notably Earthquake and Holy Word. Earthquake starts at 60' square (meaning a square 60' on a side, not 60 square feet), while Holy Word is a flat 40' radius.



It is a 7th level spell. It'll kill all that stuff with 5hd or less.

Rules Cyclopedia isn't the OLDEST D&D... I know of folks who play nothing but the first boxed set. However, it is one of the best editions, with some sensibilities similar to the earlier games.

I seem to recall other spells with a "room" as the area...I would probably be a little more lenient in the size, but draconian in the application, and go any structural space bounded by floor, walls and ceiling not extruding into adjacent areas. Its magic. Magic knows what a room is, even if there aren't closed doors.

But yeah, all the poor little slimes, molds and puddings 5HD or less just stop being.

- M

The spell does not designate that there is a save, I assume there isn't one? In addition, does this spell just kill everything with 5HD or less, people included?

[LibraryOgre]

The spell does not designate that there is a save, I assume there isn't one? In addition, does this spell just kill everything with 5HD or less, people included?

7th level spell, I don't think there'd be a save. However, I would definitely NOT allow it to include people... Your quote is "this spell will cleanse any room of any infection, mold, slime, or nasty creatures, up to 5 hit die." "Nasty creatures", IMO, doesn't include people, given the example of infections, molds, and slimes. I'd include puddings and fungal creatures, so you might wipe out a myconoid colony with this, but you wouldn't be able to use it to kill a ton of orcs or trolls (unless you're going with a world where they're fungi, themselves).

[Mr.PC0X]

7th level spell, I don't think there'd be a save. However, I would definitely NOT allow it to include people... Your quote is "this spell will cleanse any room of any infection, mold, slime, or nasty creatures, up to 5 hit die." "Nasty creatures", IMO, doesn't include people, given the example of infections, molds, and slimes. I'd include puddings and fungal creatures, so you might wipe out a myconoid colony with this, but you wouldn't be able to use it to kill a ton of orcs or trolls (unless you're going with a world where they're fungi, themselves).

Personally, being lenient, I'd extend it to include vermin like rats and insects, corporeal undead like zombies, and some abberations (To use newer terms). Would this seem feasible? Though limiting it to exterminating funguses and oozes is fine.

[JusticeZero]

It's not RAW, but I would probably adjudicate the mechanics of "a room" as being similar to BX Fireball's volume based action, filling a room up to a certain size or just being a radius if used out in the open. Say, 90' radius, which is about 3,000,000 cubic feet, until stopped by a wall or doorway or some such thing. It's a huge area, but it won't go around corners or through cracks.

[LibraryOgre]

Personally, being lenient, I'd extend it to include vermin like rats and insects, corporeal undead like zombies, and some abberations (To use newer terms). Would this seem feasible? Though limiting it to exterminating funguses and oozes is fine.

I don't see a big problem; like I said, it's a 7th level spell. If you're worried about rats and insects with less than 5HD at that point, you've got more problems that will be solved by this spell.

[Mordar]

I don't see a big problem; like I said, it's a 7th level spell. If you're worried about rats and insects with less than 5HD at that point, you've got more problems that will be solved by this spell.

Yeah, I guess the idea of vermin as disease vector stands to reason. See also: Bitey Zombies.

- M

[Thane of Fife]

The spell does not designate that there is a save, I assume there isn't one?

My reading of the OD&D rules is that all spells (that affect creatures) give saves unless they specifically say that they don't. There are very few spells that actually specify if they give saves or not.



To those commenting that the spell is 7th level and should be powerful, note that the Healer class in question gets 7th level spells at level 7(!), so it should probably be more comparable to a 4th level magic-user spell.

[Duff]

Part of the reason I'd go with a reasonably firm radius is "room" can get pretty weird. What if you cast it in the middle of a field? What if you cast it in a giant cave?

I'd go with "You could cast it in a field, but there's no legitimate targets, so it would have no effect"

But I'm with Modar, any size room is fine. Most rooms will be in the normal size range. If I, as a GM with a healer in the party am putting an outrageously big room full of things that will be killed by this spell, they're there to give the healer "their moment" or I've created a long and probably boring fight.

But also, rooms only. Not caves unless there's at least one door. Not passageways. Not tents.

If they need to sterilise a space and they start building, I won't get into how much they have to build, ill make a snap decision about cash price and time that seems about reasonable and they will finish it "Just in time" if there's time pressure or "Eventually" if there's not