Firehail

Created by John DesMarais

6th level Cleric spell
Range 40"
Duration:  1 turn/level
Area of Effect:  40" diameter, 10" high cylinder
Components:  VS
Casting Time:  1 round
Saving Throw: None

Explanation/Description:  When this spell is cast by the cleric, a 
storm of driving hail, accompanied by peals of thunder and constant lightning, 
comes into being.  The hail is the size of large marlbles, and burns with a 
magical fire. It obscures vision, limiting it to 5'.  Creatures caught 
within the spell's area of effect sustain 2 hit points of damage for 
each round they remain in it due to the combined damage of cold, heat, and 
buffeting hail.  

Any normal flora caught in the hail will generally be destroyed.  Crops will be pulverized or burned, trees which fail to save against normal blow will be split asunder, and all objects (including houses, trees, clothing, parchment, etc.) which are exposed to the hail must save successfully versus magical fire or be set ablaze.  In any case, any structure not made of stone or hard metal will automatically sustain one point of structural damage by the end of the storm.  Likewise, all fragile objects, (such as vials, windows, ceramics, etc.) must successfully save versus normal blow or be broken by the hail. 

The lightning and thunder do no damage per se, but contribute to the effect of demoralization. All creatures with 2 or fewer hit dice will automatically drop any objects carried and flee as quickly as possible in a straight line in a a random direction until they are a not less than 24" distant from the storm. Creatures with 5 or fewer hit dice which fail their morale check at -2 will behave likewise.  

Spells such as Create Water or Cloudburst will have no direct effect on 
the Firehail buy may extinguish a burning object started by the Firehail 
for up to 1-4 rounds before possibly being set ablaze again.  Large area 
spells of fire, such as Fireball or Flamestrike will negate the damage of the 
Firehail in their area for one turn.  Large area cold spells such as Cone of 
Cold or Wall of Ice will negate the spell for one turn.  A Supernatural Storm 
spell will blow all hail out of the area for the duration of the Supernatural 
Storm spell.  However, a Gust of Wind or similar spell will only cause 
the hail to whirl and drive and will have no damage-reducing effects 
whatsoever.   Lightning simply has no effect on the Firehail spell.

The spell requires a misshapened quartz resembling hail.