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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Celebrim" data-source="post: 4963574" data-attributes="member: 4937">Hmmm....The maximum theoretical damage is 10d4+10, more than double magic missile, albiet in practice it will probably do less damage.It has three modes of operation allowing it to be optimized as needed.One of those modes of operation is a ranged area attack. Mainly, I feel that this spell is too complicated.  The calculation for spell DC of the area attack is so convuluted - requiring you to first compute a custom attack roll and then use that to compute a custom DC that depends on not one but two variables and involves division - that its unintentionally funny.   And then, you have to compare the saving throw vs. the outcome and do subtraction to figure out what happened, and only then can you throw some other amount of dice for damage.  It's just too much.The first weakness of this spell is that you never actually realize the maximum damage (10d4+10).  Realistically, you are going to do alot less damage.  Exactly how much less on average I'm not sure, because doing the math to figure that out simply isn't worth it!  The main weakness of this spell though is against creatures with DR and/or energy resistance.  It's sorta balanced, although it feels to me like its too much wish fulfillment and too little trade off.I'd like to see this spell rewritten in a way that is vastly simplified and requires much less calculation.  I'd like to see this spell written in a way that it is simple enough that it doesn't require a flipping pages in a book whenever you want to cast it.   Some suggestions:1) When used as an area attack, make the area of effect constant (20' diameter circle maybe), use a standard reflex save to avoid, and do constant damage (1d6 + 1 damage/per 2 remaining stakes) keeping the minimum 5 stakes to use it this way.2) Elimenate the custom BAB, and just say that this is standard ranged melee attack with some constant like +2 bonus to hit.3) Change the damage to 1d6+1 to compensate for the reduced number of attacks per round.  I think this is reasonable given the weakness of this spell compared to autohitting force damage volleys.4) Change the volley power to give you a +1 to hit and +1 to damage on the attack for each additional stake you put into an attack.  Critical hit multiplies all damage.5) Elimenate the spell expiration so that you only have to track stakes remaining, not both stakes remaining and rounds remaining.  Make this a standard held spell that you can hold indefinately until you run out of stakes or cast another spell.These changes make the spell far more abstract in its operation - there isn't a direct correlation between what you do and how the spell behaves cinematically - but in practice its probably doing about the same damage with far less calculation and delay to the game.</blockquote>

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