Firebrand (Reversible)

By means of this spell, which involves a pinch of sulfur and a spark of normal flame, the caster creates everburning flame that blazes until the spell duration expires without consuming the object or location it is cast upon. Instead, the conflagration sucks air into itself and somehow feeds upon the ether and spell energy for its burning.

The spell must be cast on an object or particular physical spot and cannot be subsequently transferred to another. It can be ended at any time by the deliberate will of the caster, but does not require continued concentration on the caster's part for its existence. The maximum spread of flames created by means of a firebrand spell is a volume the size of the caster's fist times the caster's level.

This spell is usually used to make a sword into a flamingbladed weapon. The spell adds 1d4+1 points of fiery damage to that of the weapon and chances of causing further combustion, but does not make any weapon a flametongue or give it any magical pluses. When cast upon a stick or pole, it can also be used to create a torch that remains alight underwater and despite gust of wind spells and the like.

The spell can also give a caster or fellow creature touched by the caster a nonpainful, noninjurious flaming hand or limb equal in effect to a normal torch or lamp. This torch is able to readily burn hair, paper, cobwebs, cloth, and other flammables and to deal to others not protected by the spell 1d6+1 points of damage per extended contact (1d4+1 for a blow, 1d4+3 for a firm grip upon an unarmored area).

Note that although this latter application of the spell can be visually impressive, care must be taken or damage results due to the flamehand thus created touching its owner's own hair, clothing, or flammable oil. Items on the caster's person ignited by the flamehand cause him or her normal burn damage.

More than one hand or foot can be affected by a single firebrand spell if the caster is of high enough level. When the spell is cast upon them, a surface area of 6 square inches per level can be affected if the appendages are placed together (for example, clasped hands). Nonliving matter used as a spell focus and then separated into smaller pieces (for instance, a flaming stick broken or a flaming blade shattered) does not become many smaller fires; only one fragment retains the magical effect, and the others do not. Note also that the bearer of such everlasting flame is in no way immune to the effects (heat, flame, smoke) of other fires.

The reverse, quenchtouch, requires a drop of water as an additional material component and is cast upon a limb or object in an identical manner to firebrand, having identical duration and area of effect properties. The effect created is painless, shimmering black flames that give off no heat nor cold and do no damage. Whenever they come into contact with flame of any sort, however, that flame is instantly and utterly quenched. Any heat in excess of the surrounding ambient temperature is drained as well.

Normal fires can be extinguished in this way. Permanent or longlasting magical (flametongue sword, fire trap, wall of fire) or natural (campfire, flaming oil) sources of fire are instantly quenched and prevented from reigniting or being set off for 1d4 rounds, determined randomly for each instance. Fires of great extent are quenched in a 40-foot-radius globe per touch of black antiflame and real flame. Fiery explosions within 40 feet of quenchtouch darkflames neutralize and destroy the darkflames, but themselves dwindle into nothingness in a scattering of sparks, inflicting only 1d4 points of damage to creatures within 40 feet of them (successful saving throws against the explosions, such as fireball, reduce injury to half damage).

Notes: Very rare spell from the Forgotten Realms setting. Known to be in Shandaril's Workbook.