Steeldance
- SchoolEvocation, Artifice
- ComponentsV, S, M
- Range10 ft./level
- Area60-ft.-radius sphere
- Casting time3
- Duration2 rds.
- SaveNone
This spell causes four whirling long swords or scimitars to appear out of thin air and fly about inside the area of effect at MV 18 (A), striking at foes for two rounds before vanishing again. Each blade strikes with a THAC0 of 6 and inflicts 6 points of damage per successful attack. For determining what they can hit, the swords are considered +4 magical weapons, but they give no bonuses to THAC0 and damage. Each blade is AC -3 and has 12 hit points. If a foe hits a blade for more than that amount of damage in a single attack during its brief existence, it winks out immediately. The blades are subject to spell damage if magic is used against them.
Each blade strikes at a target chosen by the caster, but the spell's area of effect is stationary. If the target or targets flee out of the spell's reach, the blades cannot follow.
The steeldance spell requires four bladed weapons of any size, from as long as the caster's forearm to tiny replicas. Knives or daggers are commonly used. The blades are not consumed and can be reused.
Notes: Rare in the Forgotten Realms setting; virtually unknown elsewhere.
Sources: Wizard's Spell Compendium