The Spell Orb of Cold

[darthauthor]

Questions about the Invocation Spell Orb of Cold.

1. Can it be used to put out fires?

2. Can it freeze the water of a lake or swimming pool to skate or walk on?

3. Are objects and victims frozen statues if the Mega Damage kills them?
Like you can shatter them like the video game character "Sub-Zero"
It would probably look pretty cool.
Since it is magic, could it kill a vampire? Or at least shatter a vampire?
Then they could burn the pieces or pour water over the frozen vampire statue/pieces?

4. What about a Rifts Earth zombie from the invocation spell.
After they "died" from the Orb of Cold would they just thaw out and return to active duty?

5. If you dropped it into someone's cup of coffee, would the cup be a giant ice cube?
Or if you dropped it down a well would it freeze the bucket in the water below?
I am trying to understand the scope of the damage.

6. IF someone got the "Orb of Cold" away from the caster and threw it back at them would the Caster suffer damage?

7. IF the caster cancelled the spell with the damage be cancelled as well?

[ShadowLogan]

1. I'm going to say No it cannot be used to put out fires practically. The Ice created is the size of a softball (per text) which to fight fires likely is going to take a lot more than one casting to practically fight fires (unless you are thinking of really small fire). A softball has a volume of 29cubic inches, which is about ~12.6% of a US gallon (or 0.475Liters). A firetruck pumping water to fight a fire can use up to 1500gallons per minute when hooked to a hydrant (color coded for their rate, all this data was found in a quick google search). You'd need like 8 castings of Orb of Cold to equal 1 US gallon, (to match a fire truck you'd need to do 8x1500 per minute). So its not practical.

2. No you cannot use it to freeze a large body of water. While it inflicts "numbing cold" it doesn't give any indication of freezing the target solid (or in part). I would take this to mean like having an ice pack fresh from the freezer slapped onto your bare skin.

3. Nothing indicates this happens. I'd go with not likely either, there just isn't enough time or even temperature gradient to pull it off (w/n reasonable amount of time).

4. I don't think Orb of Cold would have any effect on a Invocation Zombie, "Most psychic and magic powers have no effect, only energy." (BoM pg144 for Create Zombie Invocation Ritual). Orb of Cold might not qualify as an "energy" attack.

5a: re Coffee Cup
The Orb of Ice is the size of a Softball (per text) meaning it isn't going to fit a "normal" size cup (it'd shatter the cup from the impact damage most likely), but assuming it could fit into the cup (a Titan-size cup) it likely wouldn't shatter the cup but I don't think it would freeze the coffee solid (certainly lower its temperature)
5b: re bucket in a well
No it will not freeze the water below to trap the bucket, nor do I think it would freeze the water in the bucket either.

6. If it could be done, which I don't think it can, yes.

7. No the damage would already be done. I'd even argue the numbness could not be cancelled if the spell was canceled.

[darthauthor]

Good Answers,

Although, not as "COOL" as I had hoped (pun intended).

Changed the way I look at Orb of Cold.
I see it now, as more of a snow ball.

Which makes me wonder.
IF I hit a window or a car with one, given it does Mega Damage, does it shatter the glass?
Or destroy the WHOLE car?
Most civilan cars I recall as being maybe 100 or a few hundred S.D.C.

And even cooler could a mage drop them in a snow-ball firing / launching machine like a baseball pitching machine?
For, you know increased rate of fire or distance.

[ShadowLogan]

If a MD Orb of Cold struck an SDC it would likely obliterate it, though it is possible for it to survive (depending on the damage roll and specific SDC vehicle). The 1E Robotech Main RPG lists SDC vehicles as main body only with an SDC of between 300-400 for cars and trucks.

I don't think a mage could "stockpile" them to allow rapid fire action, a Techno-Wizard contraption could do it using the right spell chain.