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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jgsugden" data-source="post: 1114185" data-attributes="member: 2629">The vast majority? No.. I just ran down the list by CR in the back of the 3.5 MM. It looks closer to 50-50 than I thought. Not a vast majority by any stretch of the imagination. When you consider encounters with larger numbers of less powerful creatures, you'll find that far more than 50% of your foes will be instantly destroyed with one failed save versus a disintegrate spell.A reasonable, standard, 11th level wizard casting disintegrate will have a 22 int (16 base, +2 raises, +4 enhancement bonus) and perhaps spell focus. That gives him a DC of (10 + 6 for int + 6 for level + a possible 2 for spell focus) 22 to 24. To make a save versus DC 22 or 24, that giant needs to roll a 6 or 8. 25% or 35% chance to fail. If the wizard instead used a hold monster, he would up the chances by 25% (50% to 60% failure). If he used a reflex save spell against the giant, the chances go up by a further 20% (70% to 80%). The disintegrate is a bad choice to use. That was my point.As for disintegrate killing half the PCs out there, it may deal enough damage to do it if everything goes poorly for the PC, but that does not mean it is a signficant threat. It certainly doesn't kill better than in 3.0. A PC with a reasonable con score and a strong fort save can take a disintegrate and keep on going. A rogue, wizard or cleric can easily have a pretty good touch AC (14 to 18). A standard NPC wizard (via the DMG) should have a DC19 for his disintegrate spell and a range touch attack of +8. The combined odds of 1.) The target PC having few enough HPs that a disintegrate is likely to kill him (when fully healed), 2.) the target PC being hit by the ranged touch attack, and 3.) the target PC failing his fort save is pretty low, regardless of the class of the PC. It is still a scary proposition, but far from the most dangerous thing the PC is likely to face.</blockquote>

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