Concussion Blast

[SolidSnake]

I know this power has been an issue of contension for some time, but I was wondering what people thought on its power level. I realize that this power has a few very important PROS:

1. No save
2. Force effect damages incorporeal creatures
3. Automatically hits
4. No Energy Resistance

I'm wondering if everyone thinks that 1d6 dmg/2PP augmentation is fair. Does anyone think that increasing the damage dice would be too unbalancing. I was thinking d8 would be alright, but somewhere I read people were trying d12 (i'm not sure if I agree with this).

 

[SolidSnake]

bump.

 

[Thanee]

It's also noteworthy, that this power can be used to damage objects, but more importantly, that it ignores concealment ('cept total concealment)!

Still, I think d8's wouldn't be too unreasonable given the high augmentation cost. d12's would be too much (that would basically be like 2d6).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Piratecat]

It's always a good idea to cut-n-paste the spell/power from the SRD if it isn't well known.

Concussion Blast
Psychokinesis [Force]
Level: Psion/wilder 2
Display: Auditory
Manifesting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./ level)
Target: One creature or object
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Power Resistance: Yes
Power Points: 3

A subject you select is pummeled with telekinetic force for 1d6 points of force damage. You can choose to have the power deal an equal amount of nonlethal damage instead. Concussion blast always affects a subject within range that you can see, even if the subject is in melee or has cover or concealment (you cannot use this power against creatures with total cover or total concealment).

Nonmagical, unattended objects (including doors, walls, locks, and so on) may also be damaged by this power.
Augment

You can augment this power in one or both of the following ways.

1. For every 2 additional power points you spend, this power’s damage increases by 1d6 points.
2. For every 2 additional power points you spend, this power can affect an additional target. Any additional target cannot be more than 15 feet from another target of the power.

Right now this power is a 2nd lvl magic missile that only does 1d6 pts of damage (no save.) Each addition of 1d6 effectively boosts the spell up a level, so while a 3rd lvl fireball does 5d6 damage (avg 17.5 dmg less any fire resistance, save for 8 pts) this does 2d6, avg 7 pts at the same level. I agree, it seems quite weak.

One option might be to increase the starting damage to 3d6 instead of 1d6.

 

[Darklone]

While the power is weak at low levels, it's a real nice power to dump soooo many PPs into it at higher levels and give the BBEG a real bad day since he can't counter it at all. Magic Missile can be countered with shield.

 

[Piratecat]

Well, when you put enough PPs into it to make it the equivalent of a 9th lvl spell, it still only does 8d6 (avg 28). That's absurdly low for a 9th lvl spell equivalent.

EDIT - fixed mistake.

 

[juampa81]

The power is fine as written. Compare it to magic missile, 1d4+1 has an average damage of 3.5, exactly as 1d6. Hits automatically, no save, medium range, but concussion blast has only one target (unaugmented). It is a 2nd-level power, where magic missile is a 1st-level spell. The augmentation cost/benefit is cheaper than magic missile: for each level (2 PPs) the power is augmented, it deals an extra die of damage, when magic missile needs two levels for an extra die. There is no cap to the augmentation, while the spell is capped at 5d4+5.

I think the power is fine.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I don't think I'd increase the starting damage to 3d6 - that would move it into the "1d6 per pp" territory and its other factors would make it to strong at that point.

It might be worth increasing the base damage to 2d6 and then +1d6 per 2pp. The interesting line in its augmentation though is the ability to also target more than one individual. I think it works out that the maximum total damage caused comes when the augmentation is split roughly equally between extra dice damage and extra targets

Let's see, as written:

5pp
2d6 to 1 target or 1d6 to 2 targets

7pp
3d6 to 1 target, 2d6 to 2 targets or 1d6 to 3 targets

9pp
4d6 to 1 target, 3d6 to 2 targets, 2d6 to 3 targets...

11pp
5d6 to 1 target, 4d6 to 2 targets, 3d6 to 3 targets, 2d6 to 4 targets

...

19pp
9d6 to 1 target, 8d6 to 2 targets, 7d6 to 3 targets, 6d6 to 4 targets, 5d6 to 5 targets...

The 11pp example is particularly interesting - it could do 5d6 force damage to one individual, or 1d6 force damage to 5 individuals (basically equivalent to 1st level MM from a 9th level caster, but this is the equivalent of a 5th level power) - but it could also do 3d6 force damage to 3 targets, for a maximum damage potential of 9d6 inflicted against an opposing party, in situations allowing it - better than you could achieve with magic missile. 4 levels better though?

It seems that it is a cool power but not terribly effective. At higher levels the fact that there is no energy resistance is good, but even cast as a 9th level power (17pp) it will only be doing 8d6 damage. A wizard could use MM + quickened MM to do == 10d6 force damage to a single target back at 11th level.

 

[Henry]

It does surprise me that after powering up so many other things, that they de-powered concussion from 3d6 in the old rules to 1d6 in new. For breaking objects, you are better off using an energy power set to sonic damage, and for damaging people you are better off using cold or fire, even with the saves.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Now if the scaling gave +1d6 per 2pp AND +1 target per 2pp it would be a worthwhile spell.

I wouldn't mind a 9th level spell that did 8d6 force damage to 8 targets.