Fireballs into melee?

[Dirigible]

In 2nd Ed, there was a proficiency called Tactics of Magic. A sucessful prof check prevented you doing stupid things like hitting yourself or friends with a fireball or lightning bolt.

Perhaps if you gave area spells a range increment (100' ?) and made an attack roll using Spellcraft skill.

 

[S'mon]

I use spellcraft checks for precise placement of area-effect spells. I suggest ranged touch attacks have a 100' range increment.

 

[wraith8]

My concentration check is not to high, i mean its just like aiming a gun..... someone whos distracted will not have pinpoint accuracy and the concentration needs to be perfect. This stops square counting till much higher levels........ Besides, when I made the players in my game fight two tarrasques, i found it funny when one character missed both his meteor swarms and hit the whole party, killing them instantly......

 

[Anabstercorian]

I don't even know how to respond to that sort of nonsense.

 

[wraith8]

Nonsense? It was an epic campaign about a wizard who was planning on making a clone of tarrasque to do his bidding. Well instead of attacking the wizard before the clone was done or attacking the original tarrasque before the clone was done they decided to wait.

The party's three level 30 fighters got killed before the two lev 30 wizards got there. One wizard having a concentration skill of +37 (items upgraded it), thought of dc 39 aint that hard. He rolled a 1 and hit him and the other wizard killing them instantly.

 

[DiFier]

Wow yeah that is funny. Congrations on another TPK. /sacrasm

While I do think that It seems a little odd to be able to totally aim a area effect spell tere is a chance that even a person standing dead center of the effect will not be fully effected. (heck if he's a rogue he might not take any damage at all) that doesn't make much sence either. but those are the rules. they are standard.

I guess the if someone house ruled the fireing into Mele -4 to the spell DC (for those enemies that are fighting the wizards allies) I wouldn't be too bothered by it.

as for the 30 plus spell level concentartion check. that is insane. A 5th level wizard would never cast fireball. even if he had max concentration 8 ranks, a high con 18 (+4) he still couldn't make that con check. so you are saying that you deciede that randomlly when he wants to cast fireball you will have him make a Concentration check that he cannot succed at and then either kill him and perhaps the entire party, or have him waste the spell totally or miss. (and perhaps take out some of the party which could be himself) This could be abused alot.

Do you make your players roll to keep from tripping when they walk on flat surfaces for 1d6 points of damage? Do you have then roll to see if they acidentially bump into things as they walk around them (1d4 pts of damage)?

 

[wraith8]

Well in the heat of battle i roll a d10 and if it lands on 10 i roll a d6 and dependion nthat something happens to one of the characters. If the d6 comes up as a 6 the character trips in battle and breaks an arm, causing him pain requiring a concentration chdck of dc 25 if he wishes to keep fighting.....

 

[DiFier]

Is your name deviant boy?

 

[wraith8]

No Why?

Seriously, my games are only played by those who know my rules and are prepared........ They are very very difficult to survive. However I currently have a 3 month campaign going and the characters who are playing have leveled from level 15 to level 22 (6 characters playing, all very good players ). They are now on their way, though they dont know it, to a battleground between silver and red dragons (1 great wyrm of each, 2 very old of each, 6 adults of each, and 12 wyrmlings.) Itll be interesting to see how they do

Sure they'll be helped by the fact that the dragons will attack each other but itll be messy and thats what i like.
Im a mean dm.

 

[wraith8]

Well that was quick, i just told the group of the situation and the two sorcerers just teleported and impriosned the great wyrm red dragon and both very old red dragons.... The rest of the red dragons fled and a silver dragon has joined them on their quest (very old silver).