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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 913090" data-attributes="member: 3146">That might be an accurate analysis if 20 HD creatures WERE CR 20. However, they start showing up around CR 8 and 9. The bigger elementals, elder arrowhawks, dire bears, legendary animals, anything advanced by HD, etc. have those kind of hit points around level 10--when 10d6 is the most damage a wizard can do with a single spell.The double empowered fireball--or even a double empowered cone of cold (30d6 effectively) won't do much to a 20th level fighter with 20d10+100 hp. He can take at least two of those (assuming failed saves and no resistance or evasion) and still have hit points left. (Of course, the wizard would probably be better off spending those slots on Meteor swarms--24d6 with no save is better than 30d6 with a save) but the fighter can still take two of those before he starts to get worried. And, at that level, trading two rounds of 9th level direct damage to force the cleric to cast an 8th level Mass Heal (even with the cap on heal, it would work out to about the same as the TWO meteor swarms) is not a good trade.</blockquote>