Lightning Bolt

Casting this spell causes a bright thin spark about the thickness of a string to fly forth from the caster's pointing finger, which indicates the direction. The spark stretches as fast as an arrow's flight until it reaches the caster's chosen distance (but not more than the range given above) or strikes a solid or liquid surface, at which point it explodes into a full-fledged bolt of lightning extending another 60 feet further. The lightning bolt passes through an area 5 feet wide, arcing and jumping, so that while it is not actually 5 feet wide, for game purposes it is treated as if it were. Those within the area of the lightning bolt suffer 1d6 points of damage per caster level, with a saving throw vs. Spells allowed for half damage. If a lightning bolt is targeted at a body of water it explodes at the point of impact, as described above, but within the water volume struck it expands like a fireball to a maximum radius of 20 feet instead of performing as it does in the air. If a lightning bolt is cast underwater it explodes in the same way, but at the tip of the caster's outstretched finger. The lightning bolt sets fire to combustibles and damages objects in its path. It can damage metals with a low melting point; metals such as gold, silver, lead, copper, or bronze may be softened briefly and thus deformed, but the lightning does not persist long enough to actually melt the metal items unless they are very small (such as a thin gold neck chain for example). If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the bolt may continue beyond the barrier if the spell’s range permits; otherwise, it may reflect from the barrier back toward the caster, or in a random direction at the GM's option. Creatures already affected by the lightning bolt do not take additional damage if struck by the reflection of the same bolt.