Libra - Spell

erik_the_guy

First Post
Level 2 utility spell for Wizards, Warlocks, and maybe clerics

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Libra, Level 2 Utility
Asking the cosmos for guidance, you attempt to learn more about your foe, identifying its weaknesses and learning other pieces of trivial information.
Encounter - Standard action, Implement
Range 20 squares
Target: one creature
Attack: Int or Wis vs. Special (you hit if your attack would hit against the targets fort, ref or will defense).
Hit: You become aware of which of your target's defenses is the lowest, out of fortitude, reflex, and will. If more than one defense is tied for lowest, you become aware of each.
Sustain minor: If the monster is within range you may make a monster knowledge check against it (p.180, players handbook). Use the arcana skill for this check if Libra is based on Intelligence and the religion skill if it is based on Wisdom. Add +5 to this check if you hit with the spell's initial attack. You may retry each time you sustain the spell.
Special: When you choose this power you decide whether to base the attack off of Intelligence or Wisdom, this decision is permanent. It also affects the skill you use for monster knowledge checks.
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Purpose of the spell: Fighters and other weapon-toting classes get that proficiency bonus to hit that spell casters do not. The game balances this by making most monsters have at least one or two defenses lower than AC, and allowing wizards to target these defenses. With some monsters the low defenses are obvious; most players know to target an ogres will , and to avoid its fortitude. With others it is not so obvious; did you know that the Shambling mounds lowest defense is will, but the stormrage shambler's lowest defense is reflex?

That is where Libra comes in handy, giving wizards a hint on which spells to use rather than leaving them to blindly attack defenses that are 5 points higher than others. Libra takes a lot of "trial and error" out of combat. It allows wizards to identify the target's lowest defense so they do not end up behind other classes in terms of damage output because they wasted too many actions against high defenses. Libra is good once per encounter against a single foe, and requires an attack roll to help balance it out (although the attack roll is at a benefit because it targets the lowest defense).
 
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I'd have to say it would be even better if this were an encounter power as opposed to a daily. If it is kept as a daily, might I suggest making it a minor action? I don't think knowing which stat is the lowest (not numerical numbers) once a day is powerful enough to be on par with other wizard utilities of the level.

Regardless, I'll be implementing this myself; one of my players (a wizard, lol) always seems to miss.

Either way, excellent work!
 


First of all, I'd lose the attack roll, and make it an Arcana check against a DC equal to the target's lowest defence.

I'll also give it a Sustain: minor, and allow the caster to either switch targets or re-try the Arcana check against the same target each round.

With respect to standard/minor action and daily/encounter ability, I think a good way to balance it would be either to make it a standard action encounter ability or a minor action daily ability.
 

This is already covered by Monster Knowledge checks.

So if anything, I'd make it an encounter power and have it grant a +10 bonus to a Monster Knowledge check (the bonus applies to any knowledge-based skill, even untrained). And yeah, parcel it as a minor action with the check itself.

Also... why Libra?
 

This is already covered by Monster Knowledge checks.

So if anything, I'd make it an encounter power and have it grant a +10 bonus to a Monster Knowledge check (the bonus applies to any knowledge-based skill, even untrained). And yeah, parcel it as a minor action with the check itself.

Also... why Libra?

Libra is a spell from Final Fantasy which pretty much does what is described above... identifies monsters and their weaknesses.

And I would also agree with you, knowledge skills do this fairly well...
 

I'd have to say it would be even better if this were an encounter power as opposed to a daily. If it is kept as a daily, might I suggest making it a minor action? I don't think knowing which stat is the lowest (not numerical numbers) once a day is powerful enough to be on par with other wizard utilities of the level.

Regardless, I'll be implementing this myself; one of my players (a wizard, lol) always seems to miss.

Either way, excellent work!

Thanks, yeah I wrestled with the idea of making it encounter, I think I will. In this case I think I will make an encounter utility.

If its is going to be a daily I'd make it an area spell.

Either way (daily or Encounter), I'd make it into a minor

Minor? Hmm... identify the targets lowest defense and then attack it in one turn... I think that might be a little powerful. I'm going to change it to an encounter but keep it as standard. You give up one attack to gain a decent bonus on the remainder of your attacks against that creature for the rest of the encounter (and for all eternity I guess). Thanks for the comment.

First of all, I'd lose the attack roll, and make it an Arcana check against a DC equal to the target's lowest defence.
I think making an arcana check against the target is a little overkill for the attack roll, that's about +8 or more to hit at level 1, and against their lowest defense, but I really like the idea of making an arcana check. I'm going to add the ability to make an arcana check to gain monster knowledge, since this really fits with the idea of scanning them.

I'll also give it a Sustain: minor, and allow the caster to either switch targets or re-try the Arcana check against the same target each round.
Maybe I won't let them re-roll the attack each turn now that its an encounter, but I'm going to add in a sustain power to gain monster knowledge.

With respect to standard/minor action and daily/encounter ability, I think a good way to balance it would be either to make it a standard action encounter ability or a minor action daily ability.
I think I will go with the standard encounter route.

This is already covered by Monster Knowledge checks.
Not quite, the monster knowledge checks often reveal some weaknesses, but many don't tell you which defenses to target. The astral stalkers description for example, tells you almost nothing about how to fight them, while Libra would reveal that you want to target its will or fortitude defenses (which are 6 points lower than the other two).

So if anything, I'd make it an encounter power and have it grant a +10 bonus to a Monster Knowledge check (the bonus applies to any knowledge-based skill, even untrained). And yeah, parcel it as a minor action with the check itself.
I really like the idea of granting a monster knowledge check with a bonus, it fits the spell's original purpose so closely. It is also balanced since monster knowledge checks rarely reveal game-breaking information.

Also... why Libra?
Good question. Libra is a name of a spell in the final fantasy series, which tells you an enemie's HP, MP, weaknesses, strengths, and sometimes other information. It has also been called "scan" in some translations. I'm not sure where the word comes from, maybe the latin libra, a unit of measure. The french word for book, livre, also comes from libra.
 
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Not quite, the monster knowledge checks often reveal some weaknesses, but many don't tell you which defenses to target. The astral stalkers description for example, tells you almost nothing about how to fight them, while Libra would reveal that you want to target its will or fortitude defenses (which are 6 points lower than the other two).

Nah, I don't mean the Lore checks, I mean the Monster Knowledge checks as per the PHB p. 180.

It doesn't specifically state that it tells which is the lowest defence however I'd say that this is well within the realm of the skill check.
 

In any case, I'm choosing to keep the spell and make it available in my campaign because it can often reveal more important information than a monster knowledge check. The main reason for this is the identification of lower defenses. Many utility spells replace or empower certain skills, so this is just one example. As long as the skill is balanced and players use it, it is fine with me.
Also thanks for making the difference between monster knowledge and lore clearer. I'm going to include this in the spell.
 

I hope you don't mind if I totally yoink this for a class I'm working on (Swordsage). It's completely perfect for the intentions of the class.
 

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