Lightning bolt

Lightning bolt was an evocation spell that caused arcs of lightning to emanate from the caster's fingertips.

Effects
The searing bolt of electricity traveled in a straight line emanating from the caster. Older versions of this spell struck all in its path, while newer versions were aimed at a particular creature and then, with skill, could be forked to hit one or two other creatures.

The bolt from the older versions was powerful enough to blast a wooden door to cinders, set fire to combustible materials, splinter a hand-depth of stone, or melt soft metals such as gold, silver, copper, lead, or bronze.

A well-centered lightning bolt blast could interfere with magics of open gates, closing them after rippling through the fabric of the spell with electric feedback.

Components
The pre-Spellplague and post-Second Sundering versions of this spell required verbal, somatic, and material components including a tuft of fur and a small rod made of amber, crystal, or glass.

To inscribe this spell on a magic scroll, arcane scribes often used ink made from the horn of a behir.

History
The spell was attributed to the Netherese arcanist Volhm in and was originally called Volhm's bolt.

Notable uses
The wizard Parwyyd Hanifar used a forked version of lightning bolt to blast a number of kenkus and gargoyles in aerial combat in 1357 DR.

The following year, during the Time of Troubles, a false avatar of Selûne cast lightning bolt at Kyriani in the kitchen of Castle Waterdeep, but the bolts were caught and reflected by pots and pans.

In 1362 DR a harper wizard Brenna Graycloak was able to cast a version of a lightning bolt in a fray of battling a darkenbeast using sulfur as a component.

Appearances

 * Novels
 * Red Magic • Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor • The Summoning
 * Comic Books
 * The Forbidden Sands of Anauroch (#2)
 * Video Games
 * Baldur's Gate series &bull; Pool of Radiance: Ruins of Myth Drannor &bull; Neverwinter Nights series