Amazing new sorcerer spell -- Arcane Spellsurge

kerbarian

Explorer
Overall, I was rather underwhelmed by Dragon Magic, but it does have one incredibly powerful new sorcerer spell -- Arcane Spellsurge. It lasts for 1 round/level, and it basically gives free quickening to all spells for the duration. Specifically, any spell with a casting time of one standard action becomes a swift action, and any spell with a casting time of a full-round action [1] becomes a standard action. So a sorcerer can cast Arcane Spellsurge spell and then start firing off two spells per round (one metamagic, one not) for the duration. You'd even be able to cast an extra spell (as a swift action) on the same round you cast Arcane Spellsurge.

The reason I keep referring to it as a sorcerer spell isn't that it's sorcerer only. It is Sor/Wiz (and even Wu Jen), but wizards don't have any good way to cast spells that take a full-round action, so it's far less useful for them.

[1] WotC appears to have fallen victim to their own confusing wording here. The table says that a normal casting time of "1 full round" becomes 1 standard action. However, the text explicitly mentions that a sorcerer would be able to cast a metamagic spell as a standard action. My best guess is that casting times of either 1 full-round action or 1 full round become 1 standard action.
 

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Yes, very handy for sorcerers. It is a 7th level spell, though, but still very strong. At that level these spells easily last the entire combat encounter. 3e Haste comes back. :)

Pinotage
 


Will those people ever learn.

That particular ability (two spells a round) is to powerful no matter the level of the character or the spell giving said ability.


"Brings out the nerf-bat. WHACK. Arcne spelurge. WHACK. Rce splurg. WHACK. Cu. Mmmm. Sanity returned"
 

kerbarian said:
The reason I keep referring to it as a sorcerer spell isn't that it's sorcerer only. It is Sor/Wiz (and even Wu Jen), but wizards don't have any good way to cast spells that take a full-round action, so it's far less useful for them.

*cough* Summon Monster *cough*

When I was running my first 3E campaign, players were complaining that they didn't have any good feats to choose from (about the only sources, other than the PHB, that we were using were the class splatbooks, like Sword & Fist). I imported a few feats from the SWRPG, including Heroic Surge (which fundamentally worked like 3E Haste). HUGE mistake. Allowing spellcasters to crank out 2 "normal" spells per round definitely breaks the system.

Given that experience, no way on God's green earth I'd let this spell into my game.
 

It's like haste, but only useful for spellcasters. They should just have reprinted 3.0 Haste instead: now, it only empowers spellcasters, which makes them that much more powerful.
 



I could probably see it fly if it were 9th level and with a reduced duration, because then it would be akin to Time Stop or at least allow multiple castings of spells. Still, Time Stop is not always offensive, and is frequently used to Buff. 9th level with a duration of 1 round per 4 or 5 levels and it starts looking better.

Pinotage
 

Solarious said:
It's like haste, but only useful for spellcasters. They should just have reprinted 3.0 Haste instead: now, it only empowers spellcasters, which makes them that much more powerful.

Hey, we all know that spellcasters needed an edge over the mundanes at higher levels.

Uhm... or... :p

Bye
Thanee
 

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