[UnLimiTeD]

I wonder how exactly "Flame Burst" from Shadow Spells functions.
Also somewhat discussed here.
First of, I'm assuming the description/classification is misleading, and the flame portion flying around is actually indirect.
But as for the actual question:
Flame Burst throws a sheet of Flame in a direction with the first action of the mage in every combat turn.

• Is it always the same direction, or chosen at will by the magician?
• If the former, is it a cardinal direction, relative to earth, or is it relative to the mage?
• Further, can direction be specified as a specific target, say, "That troll over there"?
• Can a mage sustain multiple instances of the spell at once?
• It is a beam of sorts, or an arc? How wide is "one direction"?

Any ideas?

[Jack_Spade]

I always imagined it to be akin to the care bear stare - just instead of happiness it's fiery doom.

All in all it's a pretty hard to use spell. I'd mainly use for alchemical traps.

[UnLimiTeD]

So the answer is more or less "no one quite knows". ^^

[Reaver]

So the answer is more or less "no one quite knows". ^^

Bingo.

But there are some assumptions you can make...

Waves travel in a direction, thus they would travel toward your troll target..... as opposed to towards you!

But, I guess it could 'bounce' off a structure and change direction of the wave....?

[Rosa]

The wording of the spell description "desperate and uncaring " makes it sound like the direction is random,  though that would render the spell useless in my opinion,  so I would rule it like you choose the direction when you have first action in a round.  The flame burst itself could perhaps be force meters in length and start at the casters feet and expand outwards and be force meters wide at its max range so it created a cone like area of effect.  Either that or just play it as a flamethrower spell that travels in a straight line from the caster again up to a max range of force meters hitting everything in its path.