Bind Weapon: Please Critique

[Farland]

Disclaimer: I am nowhere close to being a balance expert. End Disclaimer
I really like this spell. It has a very cinematic feel to it. I would like to see the 1 ray/round restriction go away. (and it will when I steal it for my campaign) I like the idea of a 17th level arcane caster disarming a group of thugs all at once rather than firing 1 ray per round to disarm them. It just seems more right.

JMO

Thanks Fat Daddy, and I've been thinking about it since Ceratitis mentioned it. My only problem is that with the touch attack and the high STR check, a 17 level caster could disarm an entire high level adventuring party in one round, and you know how high level PCs tend to tailor all their feats to one weapon and then spend all their money buffing that weapon. So this idea gives me pause, because a 2nd level spell shouldn't be that powerful. Do you think that might be a problem?

 

[ValhallaGH]

Do you think that might be a problem?

I do, that's why I applauded the restriction.
But hey, some people are cool with that sort of game. More power to them. Just as long as they don't ask me to play.

 

[Corbert]

I like the spell as is, and I applaud the restriction too . I think the spell would have to be researched to an at least 5th level variant (pretty much guessing here ) to get all your rays in one round.

 

[Comicguy68]

change the ray?

How about instead of having the caster cast more rays at higher levels, have the ray affect more weapons at higher levels. At first level, the ray can only affect one weapon that it is fired at. At every fourth level after that, the ray can affect another weapon (i.e., at 5th level the ray can affect 2 weapons, at 9th level the ray can affect 3 weapons, etc.). For each magic enhancement to a weapon, that weapon counts as another weapon. I.E., a +1 scimitar counts as two weapons (scimitar as a weapon, +1 enhancement as a weapon). A flame burst +2 scimitar counts as 4 weapons (scimitar as weapon #1, flame burst as weapon #2, +2 enhancement as weapon #3 and #4, one for each +1).

 

[Satori]

How about scaling the STR check based on level?

i.e. Defender must make an initial STR check vs DC (10 + 1/2 levels) and a "Recovery" STR check vs DC (15 + 1/2 levels).

It would even out the power at lower levels, but still make it useful at higher levels. A DC 18/20 for a 3rd level encounter is pretty huge (most saving throw DCs will be around 15-17 based on stat spread), but that DC begins to look awful puny once you encounter high level Barbarians and Fighters with maxed STR and STR boosting items.

Just a thought.