Fireball is a anti-climatic spell ?

[Rashak Mani]

Well I must first say that I have played some Arcane Spellcasters in the Past but they either didnt use much Fireball or they didnt have it ...

Then suddenly my evil character at last gets a 3rd lvl spell and I finally got a chance to burst a fireball onto something... and... well... lets say it wasnt anything great... kind of dissapointing... I always thought of the Fireball as the ultimate damage dealing spell... the D&D archetype spell...

Some of you play high level PCs... I dont much... and 5d6 damage I should have known was wimpy. Against single opponents magic missile has dealt some great damage compared to fireball... (my DM does tend to send out solo big monsters)

Anyone else feels this way too ? Am I overreacting ? Should the DM be taking the wording of the spell more into account with the everything catching fire ?

 

[BenBrown]

It depends, of course, on how you use it.

If you fight big monsters, fireball isn't all that wonderful.

It's an area of effect spell, though, which means that it is best used for getting multiple targets.

assuming half die plus con bonus for critter hit points, 5d6 will generally take out any 2hd monsters and most 3hd monsters.

Use it on a dragon? eeeh.

Use it on a horde of orcs? bye-bye horde!

 

[The Sunderer]

I have always thought that fireball was anti-climatic as well... Every mage strives for that 5th level, but at the end of the day Fireball at that level doesn't really do that much damage (Average of 10 with saving throws)

Dispel Magic is much better choice IMHO

 

[SableWyvern]

I dunno.

I ran my first AD&D campaign a year and a half ago (2nd ed). A combination of my inexperience and that of the players meant the six member party of around 10th level was completely obliterated by three or four giant skeletons and their fireballs.

Remember, its an area effect spell. There are much better spells for taking down lone tough guys. Use it to weaken large numbers of tough guys or completely destroy large numbers of weak ones.

Sunderer: get 4 opponents in the area of effect, assume two make their saves and two fail, and you've just done an average of 60hp damage.

 

[Holy Bovine]

Fireball is way overrated. Even Lightning Bolt is only slightly better.

Haste will be the 3rd level spell my Sorcerer picks up first, followed quickly by Dispel Magic.

 

[Crothian]

Fireball has its uses, multiple targets in a cluster close together. No, one spell is the perfect choice. I think many people over rate Haste as well. Dispel Maigic is byfar the most versitile. Slow is also a really good choice since will saves are ussually the worst for many creatures.

 

[CRGreathouse]

It's almost as if the designers wanted more than one useful spell per level - how odd.

 

[Angelsboi]

Three words.

Empowered.

Maximized.

Boom.

 

[Rashak Mani]

Magic Missile Empowered and Maximized is good too... cheaper too...

 

[Rel]

I can't believe I get to be the first one to post this:

Fireballs generate a lot of heat so I guess enough of them could be seen as "anti-climatic". But if you only cast a few they aren't going to change the weather. That's rather anti-climactic



Sorry.