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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mengu" data-source="post: 5312224" data-attributes="member: 65726">In the hands of an initiative optimized wizard, fireball in a first round with an action point softens so many targets, it makes the job of a striker that much easier to drop things. Looking at the new and improved Lightning Bolt, it seems like a perfect combo. Fireball, action point, and lightning bolt the 3 things you happened to hit with the fireball. With Wand expertise, you're ignoring cover the monsters may be providing each other, with a Dragontooth Wand you're dealing decent damage with decent accuracy, with Evocation Apprentice (which by 5th level every essentials wizard will have) and probably a feat or two (from Implement Focus, Destructive Wizardry, Elemental Empowerment, Hellfire Blood, Dual Implement, etc) you're boosting damage. So damage with the fireball could be in the order of 25-26 points, and lightning bolt would be 18-19, both dealing half damage on a miss. At level 7-8, you're looking at monsters with 85-100 hit points, and if both powers connect you're looking at bloodying or nearly bloodying a couple monsters, and softening up a bunch of others.It's simpler than Stinking Cloud for sure, but doesn't have the tactical fun you can have with Stinking Cloud. A moment like the Warlock hitting a target with Dire Radiance, action point Diabolic Grasp them into the Stinking Cloud, only to have the enemy walk out of it taking more damage from the Dire Radiance is pretty priceless. Dropping Stinking Cloud on top of the guy that just got immobilized by Infernal Moon Curse, is also rather fun. The damage build up from Stinking Cloud can surpass that of a fireball quickly.And both powers have a situational nature, where Fireball requires that enemies not be spread all over the place, and that your wizard goes before your allies get stuck in melee, and Stinking Cloud Requires that you don't hinder your group with the blocked LoS, possibly denying your rogue easy flanks or your barbarian a path to charge.I would have been very happy with Fireball as 3d6, pushed 1, knocked prone, but c'est la vie.</blockquote>

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