Fiery Burst: Overpowered?

[frankthedm]

The other thing is its not even spell like its supernatural. There are no components, no indication at all the person is casting it. He could stand there with things catching on fire, and no one could tell its him.

Maybe in your game. A burst of fire centered on a person is not going to leave questions who to blame. When you fart fire all around you, people notice.

The appearance of a supernatural ability fall under the DM's discretion. I can understand a enchantment or befuddling ability having no outward sign, but an evocation effect c should look as over-the-top as a Dragonball Z "Powah Up!" stance provided it did not draw AoOs patently obvious.

 

[Stalker0]

Well let's look at the RAW on this one. All fiery burst does is create a radius of fire within 30 feet at you. The fire doesn't shoot from you (like scorching ray) or even start from you (like fireball specifies).

Now, if a dm wants to say it does, fine okay. But there is nothing to indicate that interpretation by the book. If a character is in a bar having a drink, and wants to catch something on fire, its going to be very hard for someone to notice he's doing it.

 

[Crothian]

But there is nothing to indicate that interpretation by the book. If a character is in a bar having a drink, and wants to catch something on fire, its going to be very hard for someone to notice he's doing it.

He's at least looking at the area that he is targeting and as people have said taking a standard action to do something. Now it might not be automically apparent but at the same time it is not completely concealed. THe rules don't say what it takes to notice that someone is using a supernatural ability, so if is a bit faulty to assume it will be very hartd to notice it. As you argue the rules don't say it is easy to notice it, the rules also don't say it is very hard to notice it.

 

[Stalker0]

As you argue the rules don't say it is easy to notice it, the rules also don't say it is very hard to notice it.

The rules also don't say with a DC 100 spot check you can see things that don't exist

My contention is, what is there to pick up on? The ability doesn't require concentration, so the normal "scrunching of the face to cast a spell argument" doesn't make sense. There's no telltale indication that the ability comes from you, yet elsewhere in the rules there are descriptions of abiilties that indicate they come from you (fireball was my example here). The ability does not provoke an AOO, so there is no lowering of the guard.

All you can say is that the guy was looking at the area that caught on fire, for less than 6 seconds.

 

[Crothian]

My contention is, what is there to pick up on? The ability doesn't require concentration, so the normal "scrunching of the face to cast a spell argument" doesn't make sense.

That's not correct. They don't require concentration checks. That is a mechanical term that they don't require. So, one very well may have to "scrunching of the face".

 

[Wish]

Three things:

1) Most reserve feats seem a little underpowered, if anything, to me.

2) I'd be willing to bet that most of the folks here who suggest that it be obvious that the ability is coming from the PC wouldn't think twice about letting, for example, a disguised kyton use its animate chains ability undetectably. This seems like just an attempt to keep the PCs down.

3) The one reserve feat I think might be really worthwhile is the polymorph based feat. It can give temporary hit points with a swift action.

 

[Crothian]

2) I'd be willing to bet that most of the folks here who suggest that it be obvious that the ability is coming from the PC wouldn't think twice about letting, for example, a disguised kyton use its animate chains ability undetectably. This seems like just an attempt to keep the PCs down.

Is this based on anything other then your attempt to make it seem like folk here want to keep the PCs down? And how much is this bet going to be? I could use the Christmas cash

 

[Darklone]

I don't know what Stand Still is, but that's two feats the wizard is going to regret unless he's doing a lot more then being a wizard

Stand Still is the psionic feat that allows you to stop someone with an AoO instead of causing damage

Since you probably need Wild Talent or something else as well, it's even more feat cost intensive.

Granted, the wizard can be built more effective, but I do like strange builds for strange campaigns

 

[frankthedm]

2) I'd be willing to bet that most of the folks here who suggest that it be obvious that the ability is coming from the PC wouldn't think twice about letting, for example, a disguised kyton use its animate chains ability undetectably. This seems like just an attempt to keep the PCs down.

A junior fireball should look like a junior fireball.

 

[Cabral]

Stand Still is the psionic feat that allows you to stop someone with an AoO instead of causing damage

Stand Still is the General feat from the Expanded Psionics Handbook and is available via the SRD. Its only prerequisite is a 13+ Str.