The Spoils of Victory

The combatants are free to decide when a duel ends and what happens to the character who loses the duel, but the general terms must be set in advance. A magical duel always ends when one combatant runs out of spells or runs out of hit points; the combatants choose one or both conditions to apply. The combatants can choose additional conditions for ending the duel, such as when an opponent reaches half hit points or when an opponent casts a certain type of spell. Preparing the arena requires an extra turn for each extra condition and two extra turns if the condition does not apply equally to both opponents.

For example, if Calvin and Delsenora wish to conduct a duel in which the first character to cast an Evocation spell loses, they need one extra turn to build the arena. If they wish to end the duel only when Delsenora casts an evocation spell—leaving Calvin free to use them throughout the duel—they need two extra turns to complete the arena.

Once conditions for ending the duel are set, the duel automatically ends when the condition is met, even if the opponents change their minds. A character can always end a duel early by surrendering and accepting defeat.

The extent of the duel’s consequences depends on the combatants’ resolve and how many levels of spells the combatants invest when forming the arena. Some common terms are listed below:

Friendly Competition: The spellcasters are more interested in who can win than in harming each other. There is little risk to either character, but a treacherous opponent could use the duel to delay his adversary and perhaps gain the upper hand in a future confrontation.

0–6 Spell Levels: All spells cast during the duel remain in the characters’ memories. The opponents’ hit point totals return to normal when the duel ends, though the loser looks a little worse for the wear.

7–12 Spell Levels: The winner retains all spells cast during the duel, and the winner’s hit point total returns to normal when the duel ends. The loser suffers 2d6 points of temporary damage and forfeits 2d4 levels of spells.

13–18 Spell Levels: The winner loses 1d6 levels of spells used during the duel. The winner’s hit point total returns to normal when the duel ends. The loser suffers 4d6 points of temporary damage, which automatically returns an the rate of one hit point per round, and forfeits 4d4 levels of spells.

19+ Spell Levels: The winner loses 4d6 levels of spells used during the duel. The winner’s hit point total returns to normal when the duel ends. The loser suffers 8d6 points of temporary damage and loses 8d4 levels of spells.

Death: The opponents intend to inflict harm upon each other. Timid characters might contribute very few levels of spells to the arena to avoid serious harm.

0–6 Levels of Spells: All spells cast during the duel remain in the characters’ memories. The loser suffers 2d6 points of damage and must save vs. death or die.

7–12 Levels of Spells: The winner loses 1d6 levels of spells cast during the duel. The loser suffers 4d6 points of damage, loses 4d4 levels of spells, and must save vs. death or die.

13–18 Levels of Spells: The winner loses 2d6 levels of spells cast during the duel and suffers 1d6 points of temporary damage. The loser suffers 6d6 points of damage, loses 8d4 levels of spells, and must save vs. death or die. Even if successful, the character must pass a system shock roll or fall unconscious for 2d6 turns.

18–22 Levels of Spells: The winner loses 4d6 levels of spells cast during the duel and suffers 2d6 points of temporary damage. A magical explosion envelops the loser, inflicting 8d6 points of damage. The losing character must save vs. breath weapon. If the save fails, the character dies and all of his equipment must save vs. magical fire or be destroyed. If the save is successful, the character loses consciousness for 2d6 turns. In either case, there is 20% chance the character is blown to another plane. The character also loses 12d4 levels of spells.

23+ Levels of Spells: The winner loses 2d6 levels of spells cast during the duel and suffers 4d6 points of temporary damage. An intense magical explosion envelops the loser and inflicts 10d6 points of damage. The character must save vs. breath weapon. If the save fails, the character dies and all his equipment must save vs. lightning or be destroyed. If successful, the character loses consciousness for 2d6 turns. In either case, there is a 40% chance that the character is blown to another plane. The character also loses 18d4 levels of spells.

Service: The combatants agree to perform some task if they are defeated. The tasks to be performed can be agreed upon before the duel begins or left to the victor’s discretion. The duel has the same effects on the combatants as a friendly competition, with the following additional effects:

0–6 Spell Levels: The loser is charmed (as a charm person spell) by the winner. If a service has been agreed upon in advance, any orders not related to the task allow the charmed character a saving throw to negate the spell. If no task has been agreed upon in advance, the charm functions normally.

7–12 Spell Levels: The loser is charmed as above, and the winner can implant a suggestion (as the 3rd-level wizard spell). If a service has been agreed upon in advance, there is no saving throw vs. the spell if it pertains to the service. If the loser resists the suggestion, the charm remains in place.

13–18 Spell Levels: The loser is charmed and subject to suggestion as above, and the winner may place a geas (as the 6th-level wizard spell) on the loser. If a service has been agreed upon in advance, there is no saving throw vs. the spell if it pertains to the service. Resisting the geas has no effect on the charm or the suggestion.

19+ Spell Levels: The loser falls completely under the winner’s will and can be dominated (as the 5th level wizard spell domination). If the domination is broken, the winner can immediately geas the loser. The winner is free to issue any commands he wishes within the limits of the domination and geas spells. Even if a service has been agreed upon in advance, the winner may alter the deal. The geas can be lifted only by a wish, dispel magic, or remove curse spell cast by a character of higher level than the winner.

Prize: The combatants are vying to possess some tangible object. In most cases, the character monitoring the duel holds the object and presents it to the winner. The duel itself can be fought to the death, for service (particularly useful if the item being fought over is not present at the dueling site), or can be friendly.

Spell Loss: Spells lost after a duel are gone from the character’s memory as though cast normally. Spells contributed to the arena are always lost. If a character loses a random number of spell levels, he must lose as many spells form memory as are required to meet the total.

For example, Delsenora loses a friendly contest to Calvin. She loses the fireball spell she contributed to the arena and the die roll indicates she must lose four more levels of spells. Delsenora chooses spells from her list of memorized spells to meet the requirement; she can lose four 1st-level spells, two 2nd-level spells, or any other combination of spells that equals or exceeds four levels.

When a character loses spells after a duel, any material components required to cast the spells are consumed, but the character can regain the spells normally.

The winner cannot lose more levels of spells than were cast during the duel, but the loser can. If a character loses more levels of spells than were memorized before the duel, he loses one point of Intelligence/Reason (if a wizard) or one point of Wisdom/Intuition (if a priest) for each excess level lost. The loss is permanent if the duel was being fought to the death. Otherwise, one point is restored for each full day the character rests. A restoration spell can restore permanently lost points, and a heal spell can restore temporarily lost points.

Damage: The temporary damage a character suffers after a duel automatically returns at a rate of one hit point per round. If temporary damage reduces the character’s hit point total to –10 or less, the character dies. If the character’s hit point total is 0 to –9 he is unconscious until his hit points rise to at least 1.

A victorious character cannot suffer more temporary damage than was suffered in the duel. The loser, however, can suffer more normal damage than was suffered during the duel—the shock of defeat is what inflicts the damage. The Death From Massive Damage rule does not apply in duels (see DMG, Chapter 9).

Charm: The mental effects from a duel fought for service are unaffected by any form of special resistance, including magic resistance, racial resistance to charm effects, and resistance due to high ability scores. The winner bores directly into the loser’s psyche and takes control.

System Shock: The force of the defeat can overwhelm the loser’s body and knock the character out for a short time. A heal spell restores the character to consciousness. Anyone with a weapon can kill an unconscious character with a single blow.

Blown to Another Plane: The loser is hurled through a dimensional rift, leaving behind a pile of dust. The DM can randomly determine which plane the character is blown to or can choose a plane appropriate to the campaign. Any equipment destroyed in the blast remains behind. A wish can recover the lost character.

Death: The force of the defeat kills the character outright. If the character is not blown to another plane, there is a 50% chance the body disintegrates, leaving only a pile of dust. If not disintegrated, the character can be raised, resurrected, or reincarnated normally, but regeneration is ineffective. Only a wish can restore a disintegrated character to life.

Outside Interference

Any kind of attack, successful or not, on a character involved in a magical duel disrupts the arena and ends the duel. Both characters are assumed to be the victor for purposes of the duel’s aftereffects, but the duel’s other terms and conditions are rendered invalid.

It is possible for onlookers to shout advice to combatants, provided that the protective spell surrounding them allows communication. Touching the combatants, handing them equipment, or casting spells on them automatically ends the duel.

Attacks against the mediator of the duel and attempts to breech the protective spell cast by the mediator have no effect on the duel.

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