Alternate Vampiric Touch

[Knight-of-Roses]

From the SRD:

Vampiric Touch
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Living creature touched
Duration: Instantaneous/1 hour; see text
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

You must succeed on a melee touch attack. Your touch deals 1d6 points of damage per two caster levels (maximum 10d6). You gain temporary hit points equal to the damage you deal. However, you can’t gain more than the subject’s current hit points +10, which is enough to kill the subject. The temporary hit points disappear 1 hour later.

Note this is the same level a Wizard/Sorcerer is getting Fireball and Lightning Bolt which hit multiple targets, at range, for 1d6 per level (still max 10d6 though).

For my campaign, I am thinking of having the effect be the following:
You must succeed on a melee touch attack. Your touch deals 1d8 points of damage per two caster levels (maximum 10d8) with a bonus equal to your spellcasting ability (Intelligence for Wizards, Charisma for Sorcerers, and so on). However, you cannot inflict more than the subject’s current hit points +10 in damage, which is enough to kill the subject.

You gain the hit points inflicted as damage, this has two effects:

• First, you heal any damage you current have at the rate of each for two points inflicted, you heal one point of damage. You must heal as much damage as you can up to the amount of damage inflicted.
• Second, any remaining damage becomes temporary hit points equal to the remaining damage. The temporary hit points disappear 1 hour later.

If VT is to be the Necrourgist's primary 3rd level combat spell, I want it to be as cool as FB/LB and at least not entirely less effective as a combat spell.

Thought, opinions, suggestions?

 

[Knight-of-Roses]

I know with 4e coming out next year, fine tuning 3.x stuff is not of great importance but surely someone must have an opinion on this?

Thank you.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Its also close to a big holiday

Personally I would add a Will save for half damage and have the gained temporary hit points be half damage inflicted. Otherwize, looks solid enough to get into my game.

There was a thread around here recently about having temp HPs stack and 'bleed off' at a given rate, that would be a good addition to this.

 

[Meeki]

The great thing about vampiric touch is that there is no save and that its untyped damage. I wouldnt add a save.

Bumping up the damage and allowing it to heal a bit seems alright. As is I think it is a weak 3rd level spell but again no save no type damage is HUGE.

 

[Knight-of-Roses]

True, but it also means that your d4 HD wizard has to get in close enough to touch your enemy (or you burn an extra spell for Spectral Hand) and the damage stages up pretty slowly at 1 die/2 levels, but it is getting pretty impressive around 14th caster level.

 

[Meeki]

Maximized Empowered Vampiric Touch (with your version), when you can cast that at level 15 (assuming wizard)

7d8 max (56) + empowered (28) = 84

mmmmm... Now that is a vampiric touch lol No save, no damage type but SR. Straight, pure damage with some nice temp hp's.

 

[Vahktang]

my question is how much does it max out?
Can you, like, summon creatures, or fast heal your buddies, take up like, 170 temporary HP from the party over a minute's time and then go to town?

 

[Knight-of-Roses]

Why not? You can with VT right now. Not how I would recommend burning spell slots, but if that is what you want to do . . .

 

[Vahktang]

Why not? You can with VT right now. Not how I would recommend burning spell slots, but if that is what you want to do . . .

Magic item, then.
36,000 gp or so would be once/rd at an average of 11 pt/shot.
a minute later and the spellcaster has 100+ HP for an hour or so.

 

[Muddman]

No need

I don't think buffing this already powerful spell is at all needed. Here is why:

Yes Fireball and Lightning bolt do damage to multiple enemies at range, but VP has no save and is untyped damage. That means nothing is immune or even resistant to it. Fireball is fine but against anything with fire resistence its worthless and anything with a decent save will likely make the saving throw at higher levels since its a low level spell. So its average damage output is all of 15 at higher levels and thats if your enemy hase no resistence. Average out put of vampiric touch (as is) is way higher!

Lets say a mage is 10th level and has both spells memorized. He casts fireball and rolls average damage and the creature makes the save. Thats 15 hit points. The monster charges and hits the mage for 15 points also (ouch). Now he casts VP and sucks away 5d6. Creature takes another 15 points, but he gets the 15 hp back! Sounds better than stepping back 5 ft and casting lightning bolt, doesn't it? Now at 20th level, the same mage is doing still only 15 pts with fireball but now an average of 30 pts with vampiric touch and getting 30 temp hp back with no opportunity of a save.

At lower levels, yes, VP kind of sucks, but in high level havoc VP is a much better spell! One small suggestion too, cast spectral hand and cast VP from a distance, which removes the spell's one downside (being next t the target). That balancing

Believe me, I used to game with the power gamer to end all power gamers and he used the current VP like it was going out of style. He used that spell and metamagiced versions of the spell so much his character's title was the Life Leech. He said it was the best attack spell period and had a long list of reasons why. Untyped damage, could be cast from a distance with a simple spectral hand, no save, no evasion, no mettle, and the caster gets more hit points!

Long story short, buffing an already strong spell isn't neccessary.

Good luck