Dragon 325 Energy Substitution - Correct?

[Imhotepthewise]

Pg. 58 War Magic Article. Is there a typo in Energy Substitution feat? No sonic? Sonic is energy per the PHB. Usta be in that feat from Tome and Blood.

 

[MerricB]

Pg. 58 War Magic Article. Is there a typo in Energy Substitution feat? No sonic? Sonic is energy per the PHB. Usta be in that feat from Tome and Blood.

It's very unlikely that it's incorrect - Sonic energy is a problem as so few monsters have immunity or resistance to it. Thus, it is almost always (about 99.9% of the time) the best choice for Energy Substitution. This has been fixed in 3.5e.

Cheers!

 

[Obfuscated]

Yep, Sonic's a goner

It's true, most abilities or even spells that used to have Sonic energy references are no more (or weakened in strength, in the case of spells). There just aren't enough creatures with sonic resistance to make it comparable to fire, electricity, or even acid.

 

[Hammerhead]

Which was why Energy Substitution was useful, it allowed an evoker to bypass monster elemental resistance. I never saw it as a problem, just a useful feat. I know that none of my arcanists would ever take a non-Sonic Energy Substition...what would be the point? It's like saying that Weapon Specialization is a problem because it allows you to do more damage.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

Which was why Energy Substitution was useful, it allowed an evoker to bypass monster elemental resistance. I never saw it as a problem, just a useful feat. I know that none of my arcanists would ever take a non-Sonic Energy Substition...what would be the point? It's like saying that Weapon Specialization is a problem because it allows you to do more damage.

It's more like if WS allowed you to bypass an DR regardless of what weapon you had.

 

[Kirin'Tor]

Which was why Energy Substitution was useful, it allowed an evoker to bypass monster elemental resistance. I never saw it as a problem, just a useful feat. I know that none of my arcanists would ever take a non-Sonic Energy Substition...what would be the point? It's like saying that Weapon Specialization is a problem because it allows you to do more damage.

What you just said proves that it was a problem...if something is so good that no-one ever wants to take anything else (or another form of the same thing), then it's probably too good.

It can't be compared to WS or WF, or even GWF \ GWS...if _every_ fighter took WS, then it could be assumed it was out of balance...as it stands, many fighters take WS, but some take the Power Attack or Dodge Tree first...

 

[coyote6]

Somewhere, I saw a feat that was effectively Sonic Substitution -- except it decreased the size of the spell's damage die by 1 step. So a 10th level sonic-substituted fireball would do 10d4. IMO, that ought to be fairly balanced.

 

[Scion]

What you just said proves that it was a problem...if something is so good that no-one ever wants to take anything else (or another form of the same thing), then it's probably too good.

It can't be compared to WS or WF, or even GWF \ GWS...if _every_ fighter took WS, then it could be assumed it was out of balance...as it stands, many fighters take WS, but some take the Power Attack or Dodge Tree first...

Really, even now acid isnt much different than sonic.

Even then though, I never saw any casters take it in any form in games I have been in (one thought about going elemental savant, so they almost took it, but decided on something else instead).

It isnt that it was so incredibly effective, more that it made some choices easier. If one was a blaster type mage who already bought all of the other feats that make your blaster spells better (depending on how you look at it that could be from zero up to about 3 unless one goes to a ton of different sources) then it was one of the only choices left to get some versitility, not even extra power really.

Fighters get 11 bonus feats, if they only had 15 choices for those 11 feats then most fighters would pick effectively the exact same thing. Same sort of situation here. There were/are so few feats that really help certain areas at all that 'any' feat that comes close will be picked more often by those types. Sortof like weapon focus, most fighter types I have seen have picked up weapon focus for their favored weapon. It is great, it gives a +1 to attacks and opens up a ton of other feats. Substitution was merely one of the very few feats that actually worked towards a certain goal.

Too much? I've no idea, never saw any problem with it, but that doesnt mean there wasnt one. Still though, the dreadful lack of choices for certain builds will mean that any feat that comes close to helping will be picked more often, whether it is powerful or not. Being able to actually use ones abilities seems pretty nice, especially when resistances/immunities are so incredibly common as levels go up. DR is as well, but by and far it is easier to get around DR, or even failing that to beat through it. One can attack a nearly unlimited number of times per day, the same cannot be said for spells, especially when not even all of ones slots are full of them.

I suppose now acid is the new pick of choice since it generally isnt worthwhile to pick anything else. Will they be taking that away next?

 

[beaver1024]

For wizards this means nothing. Since wizards have to prepare metamagicked spells in advance energy substitution metamagic feat is worse than useless because they just wasted a feat when they can choose which energy type spell to prepare anyway. The class that this really hurts is the sorcerer. As if they need any more straight jacketting as it is.

 

[Evilhalfling]

So if sonic is so much better than why allow it as a option for every psion?
yes fire & cold do 1d6+1 (per level) and sonic is (1d6-1) per level - hmm
that means a 5th level caster will break even vs resitance 10 and loose out with sonic after that - except against objects.

nvr mind.
the wizard in my current game has sonic subsitution, but his current enemies are aware and tend to double up with fire and sonic protections.