Arcane Power- Wizards Stretched Thin

[Klaus]

It's not necessarily an oversight, but more a misunderstanding of how the Flight rules work. I admit I had to read the MM and DMG entries a few times, plus the rules for fighting in 3D, before I could grasp what was going on.

If you don't have Hover and don't move at least 2 while flying, you fall. Creatures with Fly fall "safely" their Fly rating, but since this doesn't grant Fly a PC will have a Fly of 0. Then they crash, taking fall damage (DMG p.48). Since there's no way for a non-Sorcerer PC to fly on their turn (it's a Move action for the Sorc) they will fall, and the DMG specifically says "at the end of your turn". The Sorcerer can still use his Move to stay aloft, but he will provoke AoOs (though I'm not sure how it would work with 3 dimensions) from moving since you cannot shift.

It's useful for tossing a Rogue up onto a high ledge to engage those pesky sharpshooters, and for keeping the Sorcerer out of harm's way - but just hope you don't get stunned.

That's the right answer, right there.

Dominant Winds lets the caster or the target fly Dex-modifier squares during the caster's move action. Then the flying stops. No fly speed + not landed = falling damage.

In essence, Dominant Winds lets the caster, as a move action, give himself or one ally a successful jump of Dex-modifier squares. No big deal, the Rogue has been doing that since level 2. Sure, the caster could spend a standard, move and action point to give out 3 Dex-modifier flights.

 

[OchreJelly]

I could be wrong about this but isn't there also an attack penalty for fliers? Wouldn't that be a fair trade-off if the read is that the caster can continually fly?

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I could be wrong about this but isn't there also an attack penalty for fliers? Wouldn't that be a fair trade-off if the read is that the caster can continually fly?

Only for clumsy fliers. But the trick is that the spell simply allows you to fly for the moment of its duration the distance specified. You don't get a fly speed, so the biggest benefit is that you can ignore obstacles or difficult terrain and maybe jump onto things (or down).

 

[D'karr]

I don't see this as a problem. It is an at-will, which is going to take up your MOVE action. At the end of the action, you can convert your standard to a MOVE and do it again or you can attack. Then you can use an Action Point to do it again or attack. At the end of your turn, you are no longer flying. So you have either landed in one of those flights or you fall. If you have someone else move, they don't even get to attack, since it's not their turn.

This is not IMBA... LOL

 

[chaotix42]

I don't see this as a problem.

Yeah, the general consensus is that since the power doesn't give you a fly speed you can't stay aloft between uses of the power. That way, it's not a big deal at all.

I blew it out of proportion a bit, sorry guys!

Also, I totally derailed the thread! Probably should have started a Sorcerer Impressions thread...

 

[MrMyth]

"I'm staying in the air where things can't touch me".

I've got to agree with others on being pretty sure this power doesn't let you stay in the air. You use a move action, which lets you fly up into the air. After that free action? You don't have a fly speed - having ended up off the ground, you simply fall. Just like if an ally who could fly flew you into the air and let go.

Yes, they could probably stand to state that explicitly, but I see nothing indicating you somehow gain the ability to hover in the air once the single free moment of flying is complete.

 

[MrMyth]

So, I picked up a copy of Arcane Power yesterday. I was very excited to see what kinds of goodies it contained for my dwarven wizardess. I was distressed to see that most of the feats for wizards had fairly high ability score prerequisites. While most can be met, it sure puts a strain on a character that you also want to take sorcerer multiclass feats with (the new one of which also has fairly tough ability score prerequisites). Discuss.

The thing to keep in mind is that once enough feats like that are out there, it is a self-solving problems. Each unique build has its own selection of quality feats to choose from. An optimized build has to make hard choices over whether it wants a powerful Dex-based feat or a powerful Wis-based feat or a powerful Con-based feat.

The real issue is making sure each selection has its own quality options - if the Dex-based feats are just better than Con-based ones, characters will have an easy choice to focus on. Thus far, though, they seem to have a good selection all around.

I'm actually rather happy with this - between this and the extra focus on different Implement Mastery choices, you can build a lot of wizards that feel quite distinct in actual play.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I've got it today.

I'm very glad to see some wizard powers which vary by 'implement specialisation'. The wizard gets on the same page as everyone else at last! Huzzah!

I'm not glad to see that the illusion spells from Dragon just went straight in without any further review - e.g. we still have a spell which is more effective when it misses than when it hits (immobilises, save ends on a hit. immobilises until end of your next turn on a miss)

 

[Felon]

Yeah, the general consensus is that since the power doesn't give you a fly speed you can't stay aloft between uses of the power. That way, it's not a big deal at all.

I blew it out of proportion a bit, sorry guys! ..

Don't be so hard on yourself. I've a strong suspicion that the consensus here will not be the one arrived at in general gameplay. At-will flight will be taken for exactly what it sounds like it is: at-will flight. Going on about how the power lets you fly but doesn't give you a fly speed is going to sound like pretzel logic.

 

[SoulStorm]

Don't be so hard on yourself. I've a strong suspicion that the consensus here will not be the one arrived at in general gameplay. At-will flight will be taken for exactly what it sounds like it is: at-will flight. Going on about how the power lets you fly but doesn't give you a fly speed is going to sound like pretzel logic.

I agree with this statement. It is a flight speed as a move action, just like actual flight. I don't see any difference or have a problem with at-will flight at 16th level for a thematically appropriate class. Makes more sense for a storm sorcerer specifically, but I don't know how WOTC could have designed the power to make such an exception other than to make it a paragon path power.

In fact, I'll take it a step further. As written, I believe the power allows the sorcerer to carry a passenger by using a double move.