Spell of the week: Aid and Bear's Endurance

Aid and Bear's Endurance are the quiet underachievers among low-level Cleric and Wizard spells. Both are 2nd level spells, requiring only 2 power points to cast, but their impact on combat - particularly for front line fighters whose hit points are crucial to the success of a large battle - can be very great. It is well worth considering these spells before entering combat, even though they come with a small risk. They also work well together.

Aid
Aid lasts for 1 minute (6 combat rounds) per level of the caster. Each use of the spell affects a single person or creature, increasing their hit points and improving their combat strength. The spell gives the target a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls and saving throws, and an extra 1d8 hit points + 1 hit point per level of the Cleric casting the spell. When a 5th level cleric casts this spell, it gives one target a +1 bonus on all important combat rolls and an extra 6-13 hit points for 5 minutes. These extra hit points represent a single average blow from a good two-handed sword fighter, so may well enable the average 5th level character to last an extra round in combat.

Bear's Endurance
Bear's Endurance increases one targets constitution score by 4 points for 1 minute per level of the caster. For most people, a 4 point increase in constitution represents a +2 bonus on saving throws and an extra 2 hit points per character level. This latter bonus occurs because every level a character gains grants them a roll of a dice to determine hit points, to which is added their constitution bonus. When a character's constitution score increases, so does this bonus, and it flows through every level that a character has gained. So for example, a 10th level character who gains this extra 2 hit points per level will gain an extra 20 hit points in total.

Obviously in concert these spells can be quite powerful, granting the character a lot of extra hit points as well as saving throw and attack bonusses. Unfortunately the spells have one serious downside : when they end, the hit points disappear. Should a character have less hit points remaining than they gained from the spell, they could die.

For example, Lotho at 10th level gains the effects of both spells, for a total increase of 30 hit pionts. During combat he takes heavy damage, and at the end of combat he only has 17 hit points remaining. If he does not heal himself quickly, when the spells wear off he will lose 30 hit points, taking him from 17 hps to -13 hps, and death. In order to remain conscious after the battle he needs to regain 14 hit points before the spell wears off. This is the only real drawback of this spell.

Note that there are other spells which increase traits, and have corresponding effects on various aspects of a character. These are listed here:

• Bull's strength: increases strength, and therefore attack and damage rolls
• Cat's grace: increases dexterity, and therefore initiative, armour class and missile attacks
• Owl's wisdom: increases wisdom, and therefore Cleric power points, Monk Armour Class, Perception skills like spot and listen, and Will saving throws
• Eagle's Splendour: increases charisma, and therefore Bard power points and leadership skills
• Fox's cunning: increases intelligence, and therefore spellcraft checks and Wizard Power points

Note that usually one's power points cannot fall below zero. If due to the use of one of these spells a character's power points fall below zero, they take the negative power points as hit points of damage, are stunned and also exhausted.