Shattered Kingdoms

Chain lightning does significantly less damage than fireball.

Chain lightning does significantly less damage than fireball.

c chain xxx

It's cool out here.

[HP:100] [Mana: 74] [Energy: 100] Time: 7am
Cif Plains
You utter the words, 'qpaui diesilla'.
A lightning bolt leaps from your hand and arcs to xxx.
xxx's body goes into spasms as your arc of lightning impacts him.
The bolt arcs to an air elemental!
An air elemental is unaffected by your lightning bolt!
The bolt arcs to a spirit steed!
A spirit steed's body goes into spasms as your lightning stream impacts him.
The bolt arcs to xxx!
xxx's body goes into spasms as your lightning stream impacts him.
The bolt arcs to an air elemental!
An air elemental is unaffected by your lightning bolt!
The bolt arcs to a spirit steed!
A spirit steed's body goes into spasms as your lightning stream impacts him.
The bolt arcs to xxx!
Your electrical attack barely grazes xxx, singeing him slightly.
The bolt arcs to an air elemental!
An air elemental is unaffected by your lightning bolt!
The bolt arcs to a spirit steed!
Your electrical attack barely grazes a spirit steed, singeing him slightly.
The bolt arcs to xxx!
Your electrical attack barely grazes xxx, singeing him slightly.
The bolt arcs to an air elemental!
An air elemental is unaffected by your lightning bolt!
The bolt arcs to a spirit steed!
Your bolt of lightning streams past a spirit steed.
The bolt arcs to xxx!
Your bolt of lightning streams past xxx.

[HP:100] [Mana: 71] [Energy: 100] Time: 7am
Cif PlainsYou start to concentrate.

[HP:100] [Mana: 71] [Energy: 100] Time: 7am
Cif Plains
An air elemental parries a spirit steed's bare fist!
An air elemental's shocking bite slightly singes a spirit steed's right arm.
xxx dodges an air elemental's attack.
An air elemental's shocking bite slightly singes xxx's waist.
xxx dodges an air elemental's attack.
xxx cleaves at an air elemental's chest, causing a deep gash.
xxx cleaves at an air elemental's chest, causing a deep gash.
xxx cleaves at an air elemental's chest, causing a deep gash.

[HP:100] [Mana: 71] [Energy: 100] Time: 7am
Cif Plains
c chain xxx

You utter the words, 'qpaui diesilla'.
A lightning bolt leaps from your hand and arcs to xxx.
xxx's body goes into spasms as your arc of lightning impacts him.
The bolt arcs to an air elemental!
An air elemental is unaffected by your lightning bolt!
The bolt arcs to a spirit steed!
A spirit steed's body goes into spasms as your lightning stream impacts him.
The bolt arcs to xxx!
xxx's body goes into spasms as your lightning stream impacts him.
The bolt arcs to an air elemental!
An air elemental is unaffected by your lightning bolt!
The bolt arcs to a spirit steed!
Your electrical attack barely grazes a spirit steed, singeing him slightly.
The bolt arcs to xxx!
Your electrical attack barely grazes xxx, singeing him slightly.
The bolt arcs to an air elemental!
An air elemental is unaffected by your lightning bolt!
The bolt arcs to a spirit steed!
Your electrical attack barely grazes a spirit steed, singeing him slightly.
The bolt arcs to xxx!
Your electrical attack barely grazes xxx, singeing him slightly.
The bolt arcs to an air elemental!
An air elemental is unaffected by your lightning bolt!
The bolt arcs to a spirit steed!
Your bolt of lightning streams past a spirit steed.
The bolt arcs to xxx!
Your bolt of lightning streams past xxx.

[HP:100] [Mana: 68] [Energy: 100] Time: 7am
Cif Plains
xxx quaffs a capped test tube of heal.
You start to concentrate.

[HP:100] [Mana: 68] [Energy: 100] Time: 7am
Cif Plains
An air elemental parries a spirit steed's bare fist!
An air elemental's shocking bite barely burns a spirit steed's right arm.
An air elemental's shocking bite slightly singes xxx's waist.
An air elemental's shocking bite slightly singes xxx's chest.
xxx cleaves an air elemental's chest, causing a gaping wound!
xxx cleaves an air elemental's chest, causing a gaping wound!
xxx cleaves an air elemental's forehead, causing a small wound.
xxx cleaves at an air elemental's chest, DISEMBOWELING it!

[HP:100] [Mana: 68] [Energy: 100] Time: 7am
Cif Plains
c chain xxx

xxx quaffs a capped test tube of heal.

[HP:100] [Mana: 68] [Energy: 100] Time: 7am
Cif Plains
An air elemental regains its footing.

[HP:100] [Mana: 68] [Energy: 100] Time: 7am
Cif Plains
You utter the words, 'qpaui diesilla'.
A lightning bolt leaps from your hand and arcs to xxx.
Your arc of lightning barely grazes xxx, singeing him slightly.
The bolt arcs to an air elemental!
An air elemental is unaffected by your lightning bolt!
The bolt arcs to a spirit steed!
A spirit steed's body goes into spasms as your lightning stream impacts him.
The bolt arcs to xxx!
xxx's body goes into spasms as your lightning stream impacts him.
The bolt arcs to an air elemental!
An air elemental is unaffected by your lightning bolt!
The bolt arcs to a spirit steed!
A spirit steed's body goes into spasms as your lightning stream impacts him.
The bolt arcs to xxx!
Your electrical attack barely grazes xxx, singeing him slightly.
The bolt arcs to an air elemental!
An air elemental is unaffected by your lightning bolt!
The bolt arcs to a spirit steed!
A spirit steed's body goes into spasms as your lightning stream impacts him.
The bolt arcs to xxx!
xxx's body goes into spasms as your lightning stream impacts him.
The bolt arcs to an air elemental!
An air elemental is unaffected by your lightning bolt!
The bolt arcs to a spirit steed!
Your bolt of lightning streams past a spirit steed.
The bolt arcs to xxx!
Your bolt of lightning streams past xxx.

[HP:100] [Mana: 66] [Energy: 100] Time: 7am

From my latest 'lock, and using chain lightning several times, for leveling purposes, I can confirm it doesn't ever hit the caster. It can hit everyone else, just not the caster.

Chain lightning is a ranged spell and so you can cast it without being hit regardless. But it may well be that some of the targeting changes have caused you to not be hit by the arcing, which I would have to classify as a bug. That's assuming this entire discussion is valid and that the logs in question didn't just happen to show a lucky scenario.