Broken spells?

[kreynolds]

When did you drop the H from the 'IMO' in your sig?

A while back...when I fully realized I wasn't humble about my opinions.

 

[kreynolds]

Miasma thread...

James. Here's the thread I was talking about. I found it very informative.

 

[James McMurray]

James. Here's the thread I was talking about. I found it very informative.

Thanks! I like that interpretation of the spell, as its certainly more balanced. However, I don't see where it can be inferred from the wording of the spell itself. Oh well, Miasma is one of the spells we nixed from my game anyway.

A while back...when I fully realized I wasn't humble about my opinions.

I seem to remember rudely suggesting you do something along those lines at one point.

Back to the topic at hand.

Gate is most definitely broken as written. However, if you add some roleplaying repercussions to summoning massively powerful outsiders, it can be ok. Additionally, and this is something I may add into my campaign, you could allow creatures a will save to avoid being pulled through. This would stop all but the most focused of caster from yanking in dragons and Solars to fight for them.

In my campaign, a cleric gated in a Solar to fight several demons, and when the battle was over two rounds later, the Solar left, upset that it had been forced into servitude for such a lowly cause. Later, while the party was in another battle, the Solar gated out the Cleric that had gated him in, and made him do menial tasks while the Solar did his work.

Also, note that Gate as written is the ultimate assassination tool, all you have to do is go to another plane than your target, gate them in, and force them to stand perfectly still while your friends repeatedly Coup De Grace them. This is another reason why you might want to apply a Will save to negate being called.

Even with that, Gate would still be incredibly effective as a transportation tool.

Telekinesis is overpowered if you allow people to carry around 500lbs of shurikens (or other light weapons) and throw them around.

Feeblemind is definitely too powerful as written. It is devestating to casters, and having a +4 to the save DC makes it an almost certain kill against them.

 

[Darkness]

Any forgotten realms spell can be broken !

Blindsight.

 

[kreynolds]

I seem to remember rudely suggesting you do something along those lines at one point.

I dont' remember that. In any case, I think I took it out when I was at my worst. I new I wasn't being so deferential about my opinions, so it seemed appropriate to yank that puppy out. Also, I noticed that having the H in there actually caused more trouble than not having it in there. With the H, I'd get sarcastic responses like "That is your humble opinion, right?", and it was there in the sig so people wouldn't have to ask that question in the first place. Without the H, it seems that most people pretty much just accept that what I post is my opinion. For the most part, that's true, it is just my opinion. I try to state otherwise when that's not the case.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Mord's Disjunction is broken, since it wreaks havoc with the treasure and CR system. If you're going to permanently destroy treasure, then you have permanently weakened your characters. If they have to keep back-up items at home, then

1) They're weaker, since they carry only half the gear they are supposed to carry.
2) What happens when they get their back-up gear, only to see it get hit by the same spell?

Also note that RP penalties do not balance the spell. If forced to choose between getting the PC's treasure after he dies or stripping off their buffs and items now and winning (or at least surviving), the BBEG who can cast that spell will cast that spell.

Plus, it's poorly designed. Who wants to go to the DMG and look up the caster level of every item? Every item? Most PCs don't have the exact same small number of powerful items that the iconics have in Enemies and Allies. And furthermore, at what point in the sequence is your Cloak of Resistance +4 forced to save or destroyed? This is very important.
**************************************************
Telekinesis can be broken oh so easily.

 

[Malin Genie]

I would say that Polymorph Self and Polymorph Other are gamebreakers as written. For a 4th level spell, the party fighter can gain reach, huge strength and constitution, and natural armour (as a troll - if you are a 14th level caster and go Stone Giant it is worse!)

I would change Polymorph to be more in line with Wild Shape - equipment (other than normal clothing) is absorbed into the form, *even if* the form is humanoid/monstrous humanoid/giant.

That keeps the spel as versatile and useful, but reduces some of the gamebreaking impact.

 

[Number47]

Divine Power is very questionable. I wouldn't go so far to say that it is out and out broken, but is certainly wide open to abuse.

There are a number of spells that are broken for the DM to use, but not players. Mordenkainens Disjunction, Geas, Disintegrate, Gate, Antimagic Field all fall into these distinctions.

 

[James McMurray]

Why do you say they are broken for the DM, but not the players? Disjunction I can kinda see, as it destroys the monetary values per level, but the rest?

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

NPC advantage: an NPC can cast roughly four times as many spells in an encounter than a PC, since they can expect to expend all of their spells. Furthermore, magic items for spellcasters usually aren't as good as magic items for non-spellcasting classes, so their lack of gp compared to the PCs isn't such a big deal.

That's why so many BBEGs are mages, and not fighters.