45 replies to this topic

[discharger12]

I've noticed that some spells have names attached to them. I was wondering if any particular stories come with the spells, and who was the person each spells was named after?

Right out of the handbook:

-Larloch's Minor Drain (btw, would this mean there is a major drain?)
-Argannazar's Scorcher
-Melf's Acid Arrow
-Melf's Minute Meteors
-Otilukes' Resilient Sphere
-Tenser's Transformation
-Mordenkainen's Sword
-Khelben's Warding Whip (who I recall is mentioned numerous times)
-Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting

There are also some ToB spells, but all I can think of are the Bigby's.

I'd imagine it's relevant that these are all wizard spells. Are wizard spells created, and cleric/druid spells not?

[NiGHTMARE]

With the exception of the first two, they're mages from the Greyhawk setting. Some of them (f.ex Bigby, Melf and Mordenkainen) have appeared in various Greyhawk modules, sourcebooks & novels, though others (e.g. Abi-Dalzim) are merely names associated with certain spells. There are a few other Greyhawk mages who've lent their names to spells, such as Rary, Leomund, and Nystull.

Greyhawk's Khelben is (IIRC) the grandson of the FR Khelben, though I'm not sure which of them is supposed to be the one who invented the spell.

Larloch is an FR character; he's an ultra-powerful Lich who lives a short distance north of Baldur's Gate. Though he's thoroughly evil and commands scores of undead followers, he generally seems to keep himself to himself.

Edited by NiGHTMARE, 21 March 2005 - 04:24 AM.

[Chevalier]

-Larloch's Minor Drain (btw, would this mean there is a major drain?)
-Argannazar's Scorcher
-Melf's Acid Arrow
-Melf's Minute Meteors
-Otilukes' Resilient Sphere
-Tenser's Transformation
-Mordenkainen's Sword
-Khelben's Warding Whip (who I recall is mentioned numerous times)
-Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting

There are also some ToB spells, but all I can think of are the Bigby's.

WoW you are New here!!!! Who is Bigby, Tenser and Morenkainen?????? Next you will ask who is Gygax!

[Echon]

Agannazar is a Forgotten Realms wizard.

-Echon

[Archmage Silver]

Larloch is an FR character; he's an ultra-powerful Lich who lives a short distance north of Baldur's Gate. Though he's thoroughly evil and commands scores of undead followers, he generally seems to keep himself to himself.

He did destroy some mage group who tried to bring forth the lost power of Netheril... the mages did have some minor artifacts and before they could find more and establish some power, Larloch destroyed them. But that's about all, he doesn't bother the Realms too often.

[discharger12]

-Larloch's Minor Drain (btw, would this mean there is a major drain?)
-Argannazar's Scorcher
-Melf's Acid Arrow
-Melf's Minute Meteors
-Otilukes' Resilient Sphere
-Tenser's Transformation
-Mordenkainen's Sword
-Khelben's Warding Whip (who I recall is mentioned numerous times)
-Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting

There are also some ToB spells, but all I can think of are the Bigby's.

WoW you are New here!!!! Who is Bigby, Tenser and Morenkainen?????? Next you will ask who is Gygax!

Who is Gygax?

[Archmage Silver]

WoW you are New here!!!! Who is Bigby, Tenser and Morenkainen?????? Next you will ask who is Gygax!

Who is Gygax?

You asked for it, Chev...

[Cat87]

I'm probably going to feel like a fool for asking this as I've been playing BG2 for the past 4 years, but who is Gygax?

[NiGHTMARE]

The creator of D&D.

[Chevalier]

WoW you are New here!!!! Who is Bigby, Tenser and Morenkainen?????? Next you will ask who is Gygax!

Who is Gygax?

You asked for it, Chev...

Yep I did!!!!!!


This all happened because of him and I would say Tolkien. Now someone will ask who he is??

[Arachnos]

With the exception of the first two, they're mages from the Greyhawk setting.  Some of them (f.ex Bigby, Melf and Mordenkainen) have appeared in various Greyhawk modules, sourcebooks & novels, though others (e.g. Abi-Dalzim) are merely names associated with certain spells.  There are a few other Greyhawk mages who've lent their names to spells, such as Rary, Leomund, and Nystull.

Greyhawk's Khelben is (IIRC) the grandson of the FR Khelben, though I'm not sure which of them is supposed to be the one who invented the spell.

Larloch is an FR character; he's an ultra-powerful Lich who lives a short distance north of Baldur's Gate.  Though he's thoroughly evil and commands scores of undead followers, he generally seems to keep himself to himself.

You're right, Khelben the Younger (the Greyhawk one) is the blackstaff's grandson. Hoever, to complicate things most citizens of Waterdeep think the Khelben in FR is the grandson. (he pulled an identity switch, as most people will accept a long-lived wizard but fewer will accept an immortal wizard). Laeral (his wife and fellow Chosen of Mystra) also pulled a similar kind of switch (everyone assumes she's named after the original Laeral, who was a famous FR adventurer 600 years ago but in reality she is the original Laeral.

Back to the spells, I think it's the original Khelben who invented most (if not all) of the named Khelben spells.

[Archmage Silver]

Back to the spells, I think it's the original Khelben who invented most (if not all) of the named Khelben spells.

I would tend to agree with you at this as Khelben the Elder has been around much longer and has more power anyway.

[Cat87]

The creator of D&D.

and then it all comes back and hits me in the face like a brick

Now I really do feel like an idiot.

[NiGHTMARE]

Back to the spells, I think it's the original Khelben who invented most (if not all) of the named Khelben spells.

I would tend to agree with you at this as Khelben the Elder has been around much longer and has more power anyway.

Still, Khelben the younger is a powerful mage in his own right, and more than capable of creating new spells.

[Deathsangel]

You're right, Khelben the Younger (the Greyhawk one) is the blackstaff's grandson. Hoever, to complicate things most citizens of Waterdeep think the Khelben in FR is the grandson. (he pulled an identity switch, as most people will accept a long-lived wizard but fewer will accept an immortal wizard). Laeral (his wife and fellow Chosen of Mystra) also pulled a similar kind of switch (everyone assumes she's named after the original Laeral, who was a famous FR adventurer 600 years ago but in reality she is the original Laeral.

Back to the spells, I think it's the original Khelben who invented most (if not all) of the named Khelben spells.

Uh... you lost me. Who of the Khelben's pulled the identity switch? I thought Greyhawk was just a setting, which was not even within the same world as Fearun. Even if that is true and the Greyhawk setting is after Fearun; it isn't logical for Khelben Blackstaff to say he is the grandson of the younger. It makes the younger older and him younger. Besides making him much (or am I wrong?) stronger then 'his dad' he also appears quite old. And am I correct to understand that Laerel is the wife of Blackstaff? Or else the story becomes even more unclear to me. Sorry I am more on lore of races and stuff

[NiGHTMARE]

Khelben Blackstaff assumed the identity of his grandson after the latter left the Realms. The real Khelben Ravencloak doesn't claim to be his grandfather.

Pretty much the only inhabitants of the Forgotten Realms who'd know there's a mage called Khelben Ravencloak in Greyhawk, would know the true identity and the immortal nature of Khelben Blackstaff anyway.

Edited by NiGHTMARE, 29 March 2005 - 06:52 AM.

[Grey Acumen]

Okay, what about

Nahal (for nahal's reckless dwoemer)

Daer'Ragh (for Daer'ragh's Aura Cleansing, Daer'Ragh's Physical Agility, and Daer'Ragh's Mental Agility)

I ran across the Daer'ragh spells while I was surfing through Shadowkeeper and I must admit, they're kickass...


And I know that they are obviously mages of some sort... but is there any place to find background on them, and also the background perhaps on what they had to go through in order to shape the spells and utilize them in such a way that they managed to get their names attached to them...

Edited by Grey Acumen, 29 March 2005 - 08:58 PM.

[NiGHTMARE]

Daer'Ragh is a vampire mage invented by Bioware, his name being a corruption of Mark Darrah, one of the programmers. He appears in Nashkel in BG1, as an easter egg (hint: you have to click on a certain grave).

As for Nahal, as far as I know he's nothing more than a name. There are other spells with his name though, such as Nahal's Nonsensical Nullifier. My guess is he's the most prominent of all wild mages, perhaps even the first wild mage.

Edited by NiGHTMARE, 30 March 2005 - 01:42 AM.

[Archmage Silver]

Yes, it seems that nothing concerning the Time of Troubles has any notes about this wild mage.

[discharger12]

Are there actually any particular stories of how this named spells (or any spells at all) came into creation? Whether by accident, or because of revenge, etc.

Or was so and so just bored?