Breathe Fire / Lightning Stare / etc. in 4e

[Peter V. Dell'Orto]

A question for DF mages in specific but also for 4e in general:

How do the various Breathe X / X Stare spells work now in 4e? In 3e, it was clear:

Turn 1: Concentrate, 1 of 2.
Turn 2: Concentrate, 2 of 2.
Just prior to this turn, roll for the spell. If it succeeds:
Turn 3: Attack with the spell.

In 4e, it's less clear, because the spells have a one-second duration, cannot be maintain, and are Regular spells.

If it is . . .

Turn 1: Concentrate, 1 of 2.
Turn 2: Concentrate, 2 of 2, roll the spell.
Turn 3: Attack.

. . . you get a spell that is finished on turn 2, but cannot be fire off until turn 3. What happens if you get interrupted between them?
Also, it's just an attack, with melee weapon ranges, so presumably it's a melee weapon (Breathe Fire specifically back-references Flame Jet, which is a melee weapon) and can use All-Out Attack, Move and Attack, etc. normally. What if you don't or can't attack? The spell is just "lost"?

I'm debating a few ways of handling these:

- Do the above. Kind of sucks, from actual play experience.

- Treat it as a Melee spell with long Reach. So you can charge it and hold it, and then unleash it later but it counts as a Melee spell on as usual (per Magic p. 11).

I'm leaning towards the second one, with the addition downside that you can't talk when any "Breathe" spell is held ready and charged. Not sure what to do with Lightning Stare. Maybe the eyes crackle and it's easy for monsters to spot (Per bonus) and gives you Per penalties equal to the dice of damage of the spell.

Any suggestions on these, or experience in actual play in DF games especially?

Peter

PS - Please don't turn this into a "magic is broken" thread. I don't care if it's broken right now, I care about how to make these spells playable and useable with a focus on DF.