A Deep Dive into AD&D 2e Spells: Grease

1st Level Spells, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Old School, Spell Deep Dive, Wizard Spells
  • Level: 1
  • Range: 10 yards
  • Components: V, S, M
  • Duration: 3 rounds + 1 round/level
  • Casting Time: 1
  • Area of Effect: 10′ x 10′ square area
  • Saving Throw: Special

If there is a spell that perfectly encapsulates the chaotic, emergent gameplay of old-school dungeoneering, it is Grease. Belonging to the school of Conjuration, this spell summons a layer of mundane, slippery animal fat. It doesn’t explode, it doesn’t mind-control, and it doesn’t manipulate gravity. Yet, in the hands of a creative tactician, a 10-by-10 foot slick of butter can completely dismantle a charging cavalry, disarm a warlord, or turn a staircase into a lethal meat grinder.

Functional Overview

Upon casting, the wizard coats a material surface (or a specific object) in a thick, fatty layer of grease.

  • Area Denial (The Floor): Creates a 10′ x 10′ slippery square. Any creature entering or caught in the area must Save vs. Spell or slip and fall.
  • The Escape Clause: Those who succeed on their save can carefully reach the nearest non-greased surface by the end of the round. Those who fail and remain in the area must save every round to escape.
  • Targeting Items: The spell can be cast on objects—a rope, a ladder, or a weapon. If a creature is wielding the greased item, they must Save vs. Spell or immediately drop it. They must continue to save every round they attempt to use it.
  • DM Adjudication: The spell text explicitly encourages DMs to adjust saving throws based on the terrain (e.g., running down an incline).
  • Instant Dismissal: The caster can end the spell instantly with a “single utterance,” making it highly controllable.

Tactical Insights & Exploits

When analyzing how veteran tables leverage the game’s physics and action economy, Grease proves to be a massively versatile utility tool:

1. The Targeted Disarm

While using Grease on the floor is the standard application, casting it on an enemy’s weapon is a highly underutilized exploit. If you cast it on an Ogre’s massive club or an elite mercenary’s magical sword, the target must immediately save or drop their primary damage source. Even if they pick it up, they must pass a save every single round they try to swing it. For a 1st-level spell slot, you effectively shut down a martial threat’s offensive capabilities.

2. The Staircase Trap

The spell notes that a creature charging down an incline has “little chance to avoid the effect.” Smart dungeoneers never fight on even ground if they can help it. Luring an enemy patrol to the top of a stone stairwell and casting Grease on the steps forces the enemy to not just slip, but to tumble down a jagged incline, allowing the DM to apply substantial falling or bludgeoning damage on top of the crowd control.

3. The Flammability Debate

Because the material component is “a bit of pork rind or butter” and the spell creates a “layer of a fatty, greasy nature,” it has been a staple table tactic for decades to ignite the grease. While the RAW (Rules As Written) AD&D 2e text does not explicitly state the grease is flammable, most old-school DMs rule that hitting a 10×10 patch of animal fat with a torch or Burning Hands turns it into a blazing inferno. This transforms a simple crowd-control cantrip into a horrific, area-of-effect fiery trap.

4. The Valve of Retreat (Dismissal)

The ability to end the spell with a “single utterance” makes this the ultimate choke-point tool. A wizard can grease a 10-foot dungeon corridor to halt an advancing horde of goblins. Once the party’s archers have pelted the slipping goblins with arrows and the party needs to advance, the wizard simply speaks a word, the grease vanishes, and the frontline fighters can safely charge in.

Research & Acquisition

Grease is a foundational Conjuration spell, teaching apprentices how to summon physical matter from the ether.

  • Research Time: 1d10 + 1 weeks.
  • Financial Investment: 100–1,000 gp.
  • Material Components: A bit of pork rind or butter. (Easily obtained from any tavern or ration pack).

Theoretical Variants

Conjurers who focus on battlefield control often tweak the chemical composition of this spell during research:

  • Corrosive Sludge (Level 2 Research): Alters the fat into a mild acidic compound. In addition to the slipping hazard, any creature that falls prone in the area suffers 1d4 points of acid damage per round until they escape the sludge.
  • Frictionless Field (Level 3 Research): Expands the area of effect to a 20′ x 20′ square and imposes a -2 penalty to the saving throw, creating a massive hazard specifically designed to break up large infantry formations or cavalry charges.
  • Adhesive Coating (Level 2 Research): A direct inversion of the spell’s concept. Instead of eliminating friction, it maximizes it. It functions similarly to a localized Web spell, forcing creatures to save vs. spell or have their boots glued to the floor, reducing their movement to zero for the duration.

The Verdict

Grease is the thinking player’s crowd control. It doesn’t rely on bypassing high hit-point pools or overcoming magic resistance to deal damage; it relies on gravity, friction, and the physical environment. Whether you are disarming a death knight or turning a ramp into a slide of doom, it remains one of the most reliable and entertaining utility spells in the AD&D 2e arsenal.