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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Felon" data-source="post: 3615767" data-attributes="member: 8158">Energy Spheres is a spell found in the Spell Compendium. I find it interesting for a number of reasons. I'd like to hear your thoughts on it.It's a 4th-level sor/wiz evocation school spell that creates five spheres, one for each of the different energy types (acid, cold, fire, electricity, and sonic). They can inflict 5 points of damage for every five caster levels. The spell is close range (25+5ft/2levels), but within that range the spheres can be directed to attack any number of targets as long as they're all within 30 feet of each other. In addition, each sphere grants energy resistance equal to the amount of damage it deals (5 per five levels), although once a sphere absorbs damage it's destroyed.In evaluating Energy Spheres, there are a number of things to consider as strengths and/or drawbacks: <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Its damage is fixed. Pretty distinctive for what is basically a blasting spell.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> It has a duration of 1 round/level, with no concentration required to maintain it (although it is a standard to direct the balls to attack). </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> Iit has all five energy descriptors (unlike, say, the prismatic/rainbow spells which can inflict multiple types of damage). </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> It isn't an area affect spell, it just hits like it had a 15 foot radius (similar to chain lightning, but with no limit on the number of targets that can be hit). </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> It allows a Reflex save for half damage, and has to beat Spell Resistance.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul"> It doesn't cap out until 20th level.</li> </ul>One thing a mage will encounter with Energy Spheres is that it takes you on a real rollercaster ride due to the way the damage scales. Although it could just as easily have been designed so that a sphere inflicts 1 point of damage per level, the designers went with 5 per five levels instead. This means it's a great spell at 10th level, a so-so one at 13th, and then becomes pretty fair again at 15th (particularly compared to any other 4th-level blast you'd be packing at that level).Another rollercoaster factor to consider is that of foes with multiple energy resistances. Energy Spheres is a lot more useful against the goblins, giants, and dragons in Red Hand of Doom than it is against the fiends in Expedition to the Demonweb Pits.Then there's the issue of figuring out how to improve it. The base damage total (from all spheres before SR, saves, and resistances) comes out to 5 damage/level, which is ahead of the average damage produced by a 1d6/level direct-damage spell (or even a 1d8/level). However, the typical bread-n'-butter metamagic feats for blasting spells don't apply to Energy Spheres. Empower and Maximize Spell won't improved fixed damage. It doesn't affect an area either, so its scope can't be improved with Sculpt Spell, Widen Spell, or Explosive Spell. I think the key to milking Energy Spheres is simply getting caster level boosts wherever you can find them. This is facilitated by the spell having so many descriptors, which makes reserve feats a real boon. If you have Fiery Burst, Storm Bolt, and Clap of Thunder, then that's +3 bonus. The effect is reciprocol as well; one Energy Spheres is all you need to keep all them functioning. Currently, I have an evoker 3/master specialist 5. He's got Fiery Burst, and at 9th level, he'll get a caster level bonus from the Master Specialist's 6th-level class feature. He also uses the evoker alternative class feature from Unearthed Arcana that trades off a familiar for a +1 caster level with one type of energy spell. If I snag Arcane Thesis as my 9th-level bonus feat, I'll have a nice cushy +5. That means at 10th level, the spheres will smack for 15 points each instead of just 10. That's 75 damage before Reflex saves and resistances are applied, and remember a single casting pretty much lasts an entire battle. So, any thoughts? How does it rate against other 4th-level direct-damage spells?</blockquote>

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