Melf's Minute Meteors

This spell enables the wizard to cast small globes of fire (one for each experience level he has attained), each of which bursts into a one-foot-diameter sphere upon impact, inflicting 1d4 points of damage to the creature struck. It can also ignite combustible materials (even solid planks). The meteors are treated as missiles hurled by the wizard with a +2 bonus to the attack rolls and with no penalty for range. Misses are treated as grenade-like missiles that inflict 1 point of damage to creatures within three feet.

The spell can be cast in either of two ways:

A) The wizard discharges five meteors every round. Note that this carries over into at least the following round.

B) The wizard discharges only one meteor per round. In addition to releasing the missile, the caster can perform other actions in the round, including spellcasting, melee, or device use. Spells requiring concentration force the wizard to forgo the rest of the missiles to maintain concentration. Also, if the wizard fails to maintain an exact mental count of the number of missiles he has remaining, he has involuntarily lost the remaining portion of the spell.

The spell ends when the caster has fired off as many meteors as he has experience levels, when he forgoes casting any still remaining, or when a successful dispel magic spell is thrown upon the caster.

The components necessary for the casting of this spell are nitre and sulfur formed into a bead by the addition of pine tar. The caster must also have a small hollow tube of minute proportion, fashioned from gold. The tube costs no less than 1000 gp to construct, so fine is its workmanship and magical engraving, and it can be reused.

Commentary

One of the most frequently overlooked functions of Melf's minute meteors (or any flame-producing spell, such as fireball) is its ability to ignite combustible materials. In the right situations, this ability is capable of producing a startling amount of damage, rivaling and often exceeding the damage caused by spells of much higher levels.

[Player's Handbook]
[Complete Wizard's Handbook]

School: Evocation, Alteration
Level: 3
Rarity: Uncommon

Range: 70 yards + 10 yards/level
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 3
Area of Effect: 1 target per meteor
Saving Throw: None

Material Components:
nitre, sulfur, pine tar, and a small hollow tube of minute proportion, fashioned from gold. The tube costs no less than 1000 gp to construct