Complete Arcane - Whirling Blade

[Elder-Basilisk]

This is one of those interesting spells that is generally better for multiclassed mages than single classed ones. A single classed mage can do scorching ray or aganazzar'a scorcher for more damage in general. He usually doesn't want to carry around a big weapon (which he'll invest lots of money in to make it more effective), invest feats in Power Attack, Arcane Strike, etc, and prep wraithstrike (or get sneak attack somehow) in order to create an effect (damage in a line) that can be just as readily achieved with a lightning bolt, or aganazzar's scorcher (or scorching ray against single targets).

However, if your character has a +1 holy guisarme of wounding, Power Attack, and Arcane Strike, you can cast wraithstrike, drop a high level spell into Arcane Strike, and do some serious damage.

 

[Caliban]

Hmm... Sculpted Spell with Whirling Blade.

 

[Oberyn]

So no one at all is going to challenge the sneak attackr ule? i would say for gestalts at least the sneak attack damage should only apply once. Otherwise my sorc6/rog6 in my game would be able to do 6d6+7... to ever creature in a line within 30 feet. and if he used sculpt spell and even the archmages ability to drop a 7th lvel slot for that spell at will... i believe i will be changing this spell in my game.

 

[Shellman]

I would rule the other way - you get sneaks within 30', but not beyond that. If you make it too good, the item crafters in your group will make your life miserable; it's only a 2nd level spell after all.

The problem with that ruling: this is not a ranged sneak attack. The weapon is making a melee attack.

 

[Shellman]

So no one at all is going to challenge the sneak attackr ule? i would say for gestalts at least the sneak attack damage should only apply once. Otherwise my sorc6/rog6 in my game would be able to do 6d6+7... to ever creature in a line within 30 feet. and if he used sculpt spell and even the archmages ability to drop a 7th lvel slot for that spell at will... i believe i will be changing this spell in my game.

Wrong, once the spell is cast and the weapon is thrown it is making a single melee attack against each target along the 60 ft line.

The only time sneak attack would apply in this case is against those targets that are denied there Dex bonus to AC and they happen to be standing along a single line up to 60 ft away.

 

[Bront]

So no one at all is going to challenge the sneak attackr ule? i would say for gestalts at least the sneak attack damage should only apply once. Otherwise my sorc6/rog6 in my game would be able to do 6d6+7... to ever creature in a line within 30 feet. and if he used sculpt spell and even the archmages ability to drop a 7th lvel slot for that spell at will... i believe i will be changing this spell in my game.

Since this is a line of effect and technicaly the caster isn't threatening so there is no flank (Unless you rule he's threatening from the direction of the attack, which means he'll also hit an ally), so you can only get the sneak attack if they're flat footed, so it would take a bit of setup to get 12 guys in a row all flat footed, or even more than 4. I don't see it as a big issue.

 

[Oberyn]

the man has made his guy with initiative through the roof. while id obut he will get full effect every time. he could only get 6 guys anyways since sneak attack only works within 30'.

These PC's are quickly learning how to herd enemys. But since this spells is made for multiclass characters gestalts can make it truly brutal.

 

[Bront]

It's treated as a Melee attack though, so it works for all 60'.

Personaly, I don't like the flatfooted before your initiative rule, and only use it for a supprise round. Too often both sides are expecting combat.

And, in order to get those 6-12 guys, they need to be herded into a line, which should be unlikely before combat.

If you can consistantly hit more than 6 flatfooted people with this spell even before initiative, the the GM needs to learn how to space out his encounters better.

 

[Oberyn]

because due to some nice racial mods all of the caster like people have high initiatives and two of them can move quite a few creatures if they fail a will save. Also it is a normal melee attack which means he would get to hit all twelve but only get sneak attack on the first 6.

This isnt a case that would happen often but it isnt a case i want to deal with. Although the simple imagry of that attack would be amazing.
"two tall dark elves in gleaming black armor glare at you, suddenly thier eyes begin to glow and before you can react you and your comrads are placed into a line while a small teifling woman jumps out of the shadows and chants a mystical word. all of the sudden a spinning blade is going down the line slicing the throats of your first 6 friends..."

 

[Bront]

I think you're missing the point of the melee attack statement. That means that the effecive attack range is 5', so each attack is a sneak attack. It's part of the magic. It's not like a normal ranged attack where sneak attack only applies to the first 30'