Blast-globe

Blast-globes, also known as blast globes, were a favored magical weapon of the Zhentarim. Their destructive potential was awesome.

Description
Each blast-globe resembled an irregular cluster of a dozen or so glassy spheres. Once activated, the spheres separated and began to hover and spin lazily around each other, glowing with a white, faint inner radiance; past one minute, they instead pulsed with bright, inner fire.

The version best known after carried a slight inner fire even when not yet activated.

Powers
Blastglobes were not magically reinforced; their magic dissipated if even one sphere was cracked. They remained inert until activated with a command word; on activation, they took a minute to power up. If smashed during this minute, they unleashed a chain lightning effect. After the minute had elapsed, their full powers manifested, and they could be thrown or otherwise smashed. As soon as they made contact with a solid, they dealt out an absolutely devastating explosion to all within ; the explosion extended all the way to with only mildly reduced force, and flinging all living creatures within the area up to  away. As a small mercy, the roiling air around them cushioned any further damage on impact. Any unattended item within the area was about as likely to be blown to cinders as it was if it had been disintegrated; attended objects were still very, very likely to be crushed by the force of the explosion. People within were at risk of deafening for around five minutes, maybe eight at the most.

The version best known after was more stable, without any risk of chain lightning during activation, and they could be directed to strike instead of hurled; they possessed a reach of  on their own power. They were also much more mild in their destructive effects, dealing mostly fire damage as a powerful fireball, and a small amount of sonic damage. Targets inside the area were also likely to get deafened for around seven minutes. They were also flung up to away from the epicenter. A key difference, however, was that the globe reformed at the user's hand; it would be ready to attack again the next day.

History
Blast-globes were initially devised by Isilger Mountrant, who shared the secret with Alvagaerus Firthond, who was in turn mind-reamed and slain by Sememmon, who shared the secret with other high-ranking members of the Zhentarim. As of the early 1370s, fewer than 100 blast-globes were thought to exist; the secrets of their construction were left only with Manshoon, Sememmon, and maybe other high-ranking members of the Zhentarim: many of the latter perished in the fighting between Shandril Shessair and the beholders of Zhentil Keep in.

Construction
Isilger Mountrant's original version employed a number of spells, including disintegrate and fireball. The version most common after employed instead fireball and shout only.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Shadows of Doom