Cursespewing Weapon ability is badly broken... fix ?

[Rashak Mani]

Unless your facing 1 hit 1 kill weak humanoids... chances are you're going to get hit back... and -4 to attacks means the equivalent of a 4 AC bonus.

We are playing a 7th lvl Drows campaign (9th equivalent due to ECL)... DC 15 Will is no small deal. Even Mages will have to make a good save roll. Tough creatures with low Will saves that you have to whack a lot are also the ones that will survive long enough to make the curse worthwhile.

My fighter/kensai character has whirlwind too... hehe... I still think that cursespewing is strong... but the arguments presented really show its not so obviously broken. Thanks.

 

[Rashak Mani]

Would it be better than Keen ability ?

 

[Goolpsy]

Oh amazing... KEEN!.. well ehm.. statisticly everything is better than Keen, though people seems to belive that keen changes the damage alot. Well.. whatever makes them happy

 

[The Souljourner]

It's definitely better than any other +1 abilities. Curses are very powerful, and getting them for free every attack is crazy. Sure, at 20th level DC 15 ain't great, but a fighter with a +5 cloak of resistance is only likely to have +12 or so.

I believe the fix is to not allow it.

-The Souljourner

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

Well, I'd definately pop Cursespewing on just about any weapon, if'n I could.

Heck, why not.

--fje

 

[gabrion]

Well, I'd definately pop Cursespewing on just about any weapon, if'n I could.

Heck, why not.

--fje

Exactly. And IME, when people say this kind of thing about an ability, it needs nerfing. I'd go for 3x/day.

 

[Goolpsy]

Exactly. And IME, when people say this kind of thing about an ability, it needs nerfing. I'd go for 3x/day.

ehm... most people i've seen takes Keen as a MUST does that need a fix too? Even though its the weakest +1 ability out there.. and certainly weaker than a normal +1..

 

[Rashak Mani]

How about once a round and the creature once it sucessfully saves its not subject to the curspewing any more ?

Running a combat simulator... getting a +1 enhancement was a bit better than Keen as far as damage output. Keen isn't as bad as you guys make it out to be.

 

[interwyrm]

what about compared to +1d6 elemental damage?

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Not quite. The big difference with a spell storing sword is that, unless the DM ruled that it used the caster's save DC, I wouldn't put a bestow curse in it past level 8 or so. And even if I didn, I'ld probably pick -6 con or 50% chance to act instead of -4 to all rolls. The preferred spells for a spell storing weapon would be things like poison (from a druid), empowered shocking grasp, empowered magic missile, vampiric touch, touch of idiocy, and deific vengeance or inflict serious wounds. All of those either don't allow saves or still have a significant effect even on a successful save.

So, a spell storing sword would have a very different effect than a curse spewing weapon--even if it were usable on every hit instead of once until recharged. (And until recharged is a much stronger ability than 1/day or even 2/day since it will often be recharged after every fight).

The problem I have with it is that it's about the same as a spell storing sword (depending on interpretation on what the DC of the stored spell is deterimined) with the HUGE advantage that it's usable every hit, instead of once, until recharged.

Sure the spell storing weapon has more 'flexability' but there are really only 3 or 4 spells worth storing in it.

As a DM, I'd be tempted to limit it's use to 3 or 5 times a day, determined by the wielder just like the spell storing sword. As a player It would definitely be worth trying to find out how effective it is.