2 quick questions: 1) Celerity and 2) chain spell Any Help Please?

[Cephid]

just briefly:
Can Chain spell work with rays? (single target greater than touch).
If so, can it work with scorching ray? (with 3 initial targets)


I have heard Celerity is overpowered, particularly with contingency.
Is that true?
Is it overpowered without cotingency?
Is there any errata?
Or should the spell just be banned?
Can you casr it in a surprise round?


opps, that was longer than I meant.
oh well, thanks for any help.

 

[Cephid]

anyone...?

Does anyone know of any other posts they can point me to?

 

[Jack Simth]

Celerity is very overpowered, yes.

It trades actions now for actions later, and actions (ESPECIALLY for mages) are one of the most valuable things in combat. An extra action NOW often means that the action later you gave up doesn't matter. This can be as simple as the Sorcerer-10 casting Invisibility, walking up to the party, casting Enervation, then casting Celerity and Dimension Dooring away to safety. Sorcerer can keep it up for as long as he has spell slots. The action now (Celerity to Dimension Door away) means the lost action later (due to daze) doesn't matter (he's safe and out of combat time).

When you add Contingency into the mix, it becomes an "I go first" button, regardless of how much effort anyone else has put into their initiative, in many cases. When you add Foresight into the mix, it becomes an "I go first" button - ALWAYS. And going first, when you're a Sorcerer or Wizard, usually amounts to winning (or at least not losing) if you've got a mind to make sure of it.

 

[Cephid]

Celerity is very overpowered, yes.QUOTE]
So do most DM's just not allow it? or is there a fix?

errata? etc.

 

[Jack Simth]

So do most DM's just not allow it? or is there a fix?

errata? etc.

No, no errata. Many DM's simply ban it. Some ban it indirectly (escalation of power - if you use cheese, so will NPC's). Others don't ban it until after they've seen it in play, others don't care.

There's no real fix for the spell.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Chain spell does not work with rays. It works with targeted spells. A ray is not a Target: creature spell (in all cases I recall).

The celerity line of spells are broken beyond fixing. The only defense against them is a duelward or similar capability, but the extra action is a huge benefit. Add in the fact that it's not even your turn and the benefit is incalculable.

 

[Cephid]

Thanks a lot everyone.
That saved some future headaches.
I'll have to leave chain spell untill I can chain power words (with improved meta magic)

Cheers