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Enlarge person was a transmutation spell that doubled the height of one humanoid with a corresponding increase in mass.[3] Earlier versions of this spell were called Aksa's growth[1] or simply enlarge and worked on both humanoids and objects, but to different degrees. Enlarge was reversible, and the shrinking spell was called reduce.[4][5][9] With the Sundering the spell changed name to simply Enlarge/reduce but worked much the same way.[10]

Effects

The transmutation version of this spell instantly doubled a person's height and increased their mass by a factor of 8. All clothing, equipment, and items carried were also doubled in each dimension, but any item that left the possession of the recipient immediately reverted to its original size. Enlarged people had greater strength and increased reach, but less dexterity. Enlarged weapons did more damage, but projectiles or thrown weapons reverted to original size, doing normal damage (possibly enhanced by the double-size weapon that fired it or the strength of the arm that threw it). This version of the spell had a range of 25 ft (7.6 m) and a duration of 1 minute for first-level casters. Range increased 5 ft (1.5 m) and duration increase by 1 minute for every two experience levels the caster had obtained.

There were two alteration versions of this spell, both called enlarge, that differed slightly in range, scope and duration. Both worked on any single creature or symbiotic or communal entity (like an ant colony) or one object. The oldest version could affect up to 10 ft3 (0.283 m3) of living matter or half that amount of non-living matter, per level of the caster. Its range was 5 yd (4.6 m) per level and duration was 10 minutes per level. The newer alteration spell could affect 10 ft3 of either living or non-living matter per level, with the same range but half the duration (i.e., 5 minutes per level).

The amount of growth or shrinkage was also experience level-based for both alteration versions, and the formulas were fairly complicated. For the oldest version, a creature could be step-wise increased up to a maximum of triple their original size. For non-living matter the maximum was double the size. For reduce, the minimum size was one-third and one-half respectively. The newer alteration version had no upper limit, it was simply 10% growth per level of the caster. For the newer reduce, the step sizes changed when the target reached certain arbitrary thresholds, and the minimum size was 0.1 in (0.25 cm).

Magic properties were not altered by any version of this spell—a magic sword had the same bonus regardless of size, and a potion had to be fully consumed regardless of volume. Any unwilling target of this spell could resist its effects with sufficient fortitude.

Enlarge person countered and was countered by reduce person. Likewise, enlarge countered and was countered by reduce.[4][5][9]

After the Sundering the spell could enlarge or reduce a person as before but it simply made the target a size smaller or larger. The effect would last for up to a minute and a target that was made larger would cause more damage wile a smaller one less so. Every thing the target carried would change with the body but if something is dropped it would revert to its original size.[10]

Components

All versions of this spell had verbal and somatic components and required a pinch of powdered iron for the material component.[4][5][9][3][10]

History

The spell was invented by the Netherese arcanist Aksa the Destroyer in −2135 DR.[11]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 slade, Jim Butler (October 1996). “The Winds of Netheril”. In Jim Butler ed. Netheril: Empire of Magic (TSR, Inc.), pp. 23, 108. ISBN 0-7869-0437-2.
  2. Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2014). Player's Handbook 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 207–211, 237. ISBN 978-0-7869-6560-1.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Template:Cite book/Player's Handbook, 3.5 Edition
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 David "Zeb" Cook (August 1989). Player's Handbook (2nd edition). (TSR, Inc.), p. 133. ISBN 0-88038-716-5.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 David "Zeb" Cook (April 1995). Player's Handbook 2nd edition (revised). (TSR, Inc.), p. 173. ISBN 0-7869-0329-5.
  6. Cook, Findley, Herring, Kubasik, Sargent, Swan (1991). Tome of Magic 2nd edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 149. ISBN 1-56076-107-5.
  7. Richard Baker (1996). Player's Option: Spells & Magic. (TSR, Inc), pp. 180, 184. ISBN 0-7869-0394-5.
  8. Sam Witt (March 1994). The Complete Sha'ir's Handbook. Edited by Dezra D. Phillips, C. Terry Phillips. (TSR, Inc.), p. 124. ISBN 1-56076-828-2.
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Gary Gygax (1978). Players Handbook 1st edition. (TSR, Inc.), p. 65. ISBN 0-9356-9601-6.
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford (2014). Player's Handbook 5th edition. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 237. ISBN 978-0-7869-6560-1.
  11. slade, Jim Butler (October 1996). “The Winds of Netheril”. In Jim Butler ed. Netheril: Empire of Magic (TSR, Inc.), p. 26. ISBN 0-7869-0437-2.
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