Fan of Flames

Fan of Flames is a solid spell choice that is likely the first AOE spell that the average Mage gets access to. Let’s see what interesting things that I can do with it. First the break down of the spell …

Fan of Flames

Arcane 1
Type: blast, elemental (fire)
Range: 0’
Duration: instantaneous

This spell hurls bolts of searing flame in a fan 40’ long and 20’ wide stretching from the caster’s hands. Each creature of the caster’s choice within the fan must make a Blast saving throw. If the save fails, the creature suffers 1d8 damage. If the save succeeds, the creature suffers half that damage.

The fan of flames can also damage structures in its area of effect. It deals 1d8 / 3 structural damage to wood structures and 1d8 / 10 structural damage to stone structures. (It might deal less if the structure is not entirely in its area of effect.) It causes combustibles (such as military oil or petards) to ignite.

Fan of Flames (1): Blast, 1d8 damage per level (35), maximum 1d damage (×0.1), selective targeting with area of effect (x3), elemental - fire (x1), target 40’ long x 20’ wide cone (x3.25), range 0’ (×0.4), duration instant (×1), save for half spell effect (×.75), arcane (×1), total cost 10.237

So Fan of Flames is a product of Minor Experimentation, neat. Not by much but it’s over the 10 points for 1st level spells. So this means I’ve got another 4.7 points or so to max out the spell. But 4.7 points isn’t a lot of points with this spell. Fan of Flames is in a pocket that limits easy expansion. Let me demonstrate with a few builds.

You can up the damage …

Fan of Flames, Improved Damage (1): Blast, 2d4 damage per level (44), maximum 1d damage (×0.1), selective targeting with area of effect (x3), elemental - fire (x1), target 40’ long x 20’ wide cone (x3.25), range 0’ (×0.4), duration instant (×1), save for half spell effect (×.75), arcane (×1), total cost 12.87

… or you can up the AOE of the cone …

Fan of Flames, Improved AOE (1): Blast, 1d8 damage per level (35), maximum 1d damage (×0.1), selective targeting with area of effect (x3), elemental - fire (x1), target 60’ long x 10’ wide cone (x4.5), range 0’ (×0.4), duration instant (×1), save for half spell effect (×.75), arcane (×1), total cost 14.175

… but you can’t do both and stay at first level with the spell as is.

Fan of Flames, Improved Damage and AOE (2): Blast, 2d4 damage per level (44), maximum 1d damage (×0.1), selective targeting with area of effect (x3), elemental - fire (x1), target 60’ long x 10’ wide cone (x4.5), range 0’ (×0.4), duration instant (×1), save for half spell effect (×.75), arcane (×1), total cost 17.82

You can remove the Blast save for half damage from the spell and make it a no saving throw allowed spell …

Fan of Flames, No Save (1): Blast, 1d8 damage per level (35), maximum 1d damage (×0.1), selective targeting with area of effect (x3), elemental - fire (x1), target 40’ long x 20’ wide cone (x3.25), range 0’ (×0.4), duration instant (×1), no save (×1), arcane (×1), total cost 13.65

… but without removing something large from the formula you can’t get several of the above effects in. You could remove the selective targeting, the Fuck Yo Friends option, increase the damage, increase the AOE, and remove the save. All of that gets you this …

Fan of Flames, FYF (1): Blast, 1d12 damage per level (52), maximum 1d damage (×0.1), elemental - fire (x1), target 60’ long x 10’ wide cone (x4.5), range 0’ (×0.4), duration instant (×1), no save (×1), arcane (×1), total cost 12.48

… which makes for a nasty little spell but removing the selective targeting really limits the utility of the spell. What makes it shine is being able to cast it into a melee and not risk other members of your party. Now let’s see what I can do with a more powerful version of this spell, in the third level range.

Fan of Flames, Improved (3): Blast, 1d8 damage per level (35), maximum 3d damage (×0.33), selective targeting with area of effect (x3), elemental - fire (x1), target 40’ long x 20’ wide cone (x3.25), range 0’ (×0.4), duration instant (×1), save for half spell effect (×.75), arcane (×1), total cost 33.78

This is a quick and dirty upgrade. Just raise up the damage and you’ve got a lovely little spell. It’s not Fireball, but most spells aren’t, but it is pretty decent especially with the Elementalism Proficiency effect per die and -2 to saves. You can also make …

Fan of Flames, Improved (3): Blast, 1d8 damage per level (35), maximum 2d damage (×0.25), selective targeting with area of effect (x3), elemental - fire (x1), target 40’ long x 20’ wide cone (x3.25), range 0’ (×0.4), duration instant (×1), no save (×1), arcane (×1), total cost 34.125

… a nasty no save spell as well by sacrificing a die of damage. Speaking of which it just occurred to me that you could make a version of this with a concentration duration by removing the selective targeting …

Fan of Flames, Concentrated (1): Blast, 1d8 damage per level (35), maximum 1d damage (×0.1), elemental - fire (x1), target 40’ long x 20’ wide cone (x3.25), range 0’ (×0.4), duration concentration (×4), save for half spell effect (×.75), arcane (×1), total cost 13.61

… or a third level version …

Fan of Flames, Concentrated (3): Blast, 1d8 damage per level (35), maximum 2d damage (×0.25), elemental - fire (x1), target 40’ long x 20’ wide cone (x3.25), range 0’ (×0.4), duration concentration (×4), save for half spell effect (×.75), arcane (×1), total cost 34.125

That’s a decent breakdown of what you can do with the spell with a few little tweaks. I personally like the concentration version of the 1st and 3rd level Fan of Flames. It’s a flamethrower but the utility limits the effectiveness. It’s a good tradeoff. It also makes a spell that is really useful in a battlefield situation where you can get to the front lines to let it loose.