Lightning Bolt

As the caster completes this spell, he or she unleashes a bolt of lightning from the spell’s point of origin, which may be as far away from the caster as the spell’s maximum range. The bolt extends in a straight line from the caster beginning, at whatever point along the spell’s range the caster desires, and may extend beyond the spell’s range. The bolt deals 1d6 damage per caster level to all creatures standing in the bolt’s area of effect. Creatures that make successful saving throws suffer half damage. The area of effect may be either a branching, forking maelstrom of electricity 10 ft wide and 40 ft long, or it may be a concentrated blast 5 ft wide and 80 ft long. The length of the bolt itself is not affected by the caster’s level, only the range at which the caster may cause the bolt to originate.

All items hit by the full force of the bolt must make item saving throws or be destroyed. The force of the bolt is often sufficient to blast doors into smouldering ruin. If the bolt strikes an object that does not conduct electricity, such as a stone wall, it will be deflected backward toward the caster (potentially inflicting a second shock upon those in the target area). Note that the length of a deflected bolt is not increased; the bolt will only rebound for the distance remaining in its original area of effect.