Fire Class

[Nifft]

If by fix you mean turn an underpowered choice into a overpowered choice that punishes those with forethought and preparation, then yes.

Yep, sounds right.

Cheers, -- N

 

[blargney the second]

Druid.
-blarg

 

[Dragonwriter]

The simplest is Sorceror or Wizard with the Energy Substitution (fire) feat from Complete Arcane or a Warlock with "Brimstone Blast" for an eldritch essence.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

just wondering from above. the comment about warmages, are you saying they're better than 'good' or worse?

I meant that Warmages were underpowered, which seems to be the general consensus. I mean, if it were just core + CArc (the book they're in) being used, maybe they'd do evocation better than sorcs and wizards. But with all the awesome feats and alt class features for wizards, and the patently ridiculous sorc-only spells (Wings of Cover, for example) and bloodline feats (the ones that give 9 spells known in one shot), they just can't compete. And when you add in that damage focused casters are already a weak choice...

As for Searing Spell, it does raise the spell level by 1. I don't think it's that broken, if you're willing to pay the cost, or spend feats to get it for free (Practical Metamagic; Arcane Thesis). I've been in a game that allowed it on metamagic rods, too. Never seemed too bad. I know anecdotal experience doesn't prove anything, but I think a creature's inherent resistances / immunities don't factor for much in terms of CR. A lot of times, it seems rather arbitrary. Just why are demons immune to electricity and have a combined +1 element advantage over devils in resistances/immunities?

On the note of the Energy Sub. (Fire) comment, it reminded me of my number 1 maxim for building a single-element based damage mage: Nab Energy Substitution ("Anything but fire!"). The reason being the most powerful and abundant elemental spells tend to be fire, since the game seems to assume it'll be getting hosed the most by monsters. Even for a fire mage, there's lots of good spells already using fire. If you're going ot cast spontaneously, consider grabbing Energy Sub in something else (acid's a good choice) to cover those times fire just won't work. Note if the creature's actually of the fire subtype, not even Searing Spell will help.