To Summon a Belch of Hellfire

It's an RPG standard to have some kind of magical room clearing capability but generic fireball spells seem a bit dull for LotFP. They also lack a threat of unintended consequences, or even a decent chance to harm the caster or the other characters present unintentionally. Any Magic-User causing a strange detonation ought to at least be pushing their luck a tiny bit.

TO SUMMON A BELCH OF HELLFIRE

Magic-User Level 1

Range: 10 yards/level

Duration: Instant

This spell allows the Magic-User to create a destructive explosion at will.

Upon casting this spell a melange of infinitesimal particles of alkali metals such as lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium is summoned from a far-reaching sphere of influence around the caster, plucked out of the very air and soil by paranormal forces.

These particles are gathered around a fixed point in space as a loose mineral fog, along with a concentration of ambient humidity and environmental moisture. These two vapors are then compressed into the absolute center of this fixed point by a sudden and extreme force upon each individual particle, causing the two to combine. The exposure of volatile alkali metals to liquid water causes an immediate and violent release of hydrogen gas and thermal energy; an explosion.

Casting this spell requires three rounds of uninterrupted casting. The Magic-User first chooses a fixed point in space during the first round for the explosion to emanate from.

This point must be actually experienced by the Magic-User for at least a moment as she chooses it. For example: a fixed point seen beyond an open door as it closes may be chosen, while an assumed or merely remembered point beyond an obstruction may not. This point must be within 10 yards per level of the Magic-User.

In addition, this location must be exposed to the atmosphere of the surrounding environment. It may not be the interior area of a completely solid object, nor any space within a hermetically sealed vacuum. The interior of a structure or visible object can be a valid choice, as long as it adheres to the visibility standards described above. This location is never "attached" to an object moving through space, and this location cannot be changed once the spell casting process has begun; if the Magic-User wishes to nominate a new target she must restart the casting process entirely.

The force and size of the explosion is variable, and more powerful Magic-Users are able to conjure up larger quantities of explosive material if they wish to create larger explosions. This is chosen during the second round of the spell casting. At level one the Magic-User may create an explosion that causes up to 2d6 damage, adding an additonal 1d6 for each additional level of experience if they so wish.

During the third and final round of spell casting the size of the explosion is confirmed. The explosion shall be 3 yards in diameter for each d6 of damage it is intended to cause. Neither the Magic-User nor her allies are protected from the effects of the explosion in any way by this spell; at this point if the magic user wishes to alter the location or the force and size of the explosion in any way she must restart the casting process entirely from the first step the following round, even if intending to use the exact same point in space as before.

The round after the casting is complete, but before the effects of the explosion as it is intended are unleashed, the Magic-User rolls a number of d6 equal to what would be used for the damage of the explosion; noting any that roll 1 and ignoring all others. Any of these d6 that roll 1 are in turn rolled again, continuing this process until no further 1's are rolled.

For each 1 that is rolled during this process an additional 1d6 of damage, and 3 yards of diameter, are added to the final size and force of the explosion.

The explosion normally behaves as follows: it instantly fills an area roughly in the shape of a sphere within it's diameter of effect, leaving a thick plume of grey smoke in its' wake. The wind force produced by the explosion is enough to send small, light, and unrestrained objects flying out and away from the blast point.

While producing intense heat, only the most flammable objects are in danger of being ignited by the explosion. Everything within the diameter of the explosion receives full damage unless completely protected by very significant cover, as the sheer force of the blast is enough to cause profound damage due to burst eardrums, the trauma of sheer concussive force, and the propulsion of shrapnel and environmental detritus and debris into the bodies of those in its' area of effect.

If up to 3d6 of damage were added to the explosion it indicates that there was an excess of alkali metals present in the area used to fuel the explosion, or perhaps a truly minute instance of an unusually volatile material such as francium. If 4 or more d6's of damage were added to the explosion, however, it indicates that a significant portion of fissile nuclear material, such as plutonium or uranium, was intermixed with the cloud of alkali metals, instead of the usual negligible trace levels.

This material, when compressed under great pressure and subjected to an exothermic reaction, causes a nuclear explosion. These effects must be calculated using the following formulas, which supersede all the previous ones described.

The area affected will now be a number of yards larger equal to the casters level multiplied by 3, multiplied again by the casters level multiplied by 3, finally multiplied by 100. Damage will be a number of d6 equal to the casters level multiplied by 3, multiplied by that same number again. All objects and structures within this area except for the most heavily fortified will be toppled, crushed, blown over, torn apart, and destroyed.

In addition, anything flammable within a diameter of yards equal to the casters level multiplied by 3, then multiplied by 100 instantly bursts into flames, and all flammable objects outside of this area soon begin to burn as well, creating a massive and devastating inferno.

In most cases all leftover radioactive materials will be distributed through the atmosphere somewhat evenly over the surface of the earth, thereby preventing significant damage from fallout to the surrounding area.