Frostburn Spells I: Obscuring Snow

[Ogrork the Mighty]

This is the first in a number of posts I'm going to make regarding spells from Frostburn that I think are overpowered/broken, but I'd like to hear feedback from others.

The PC who would be using these spells is a cold-based spellcaster for which the spells are thematically appropriate.

The first spell is obscuring snow (FB p. 103).

It's a 2nd-lvl druid spell that creates a 30-ft. radius cloud that moves with the caster and lasts 1 hour/level. The snow obscures all sight (incl darkvision) beyond 5 feet. Creatures within 5 feet have 20% miss chance and creatures beyond 5 feet have 50% miss chance and can't be targeted by sight. A strong wind can disperse the cloud, as can fire-based spells. Creatures with snowsight are immune to the effects of this spell.

So on it's face, the only significant problem I see is the 1 hour/level duration compared to the 1 minute/level duration of obscuring mist (which is a 1st-lvl spell). Basically it has the potential to provide all-day concealment.

So here's where I think the spell is broken.

Snowsight (FB, p. 104) is a 1st-lvl druid spell that lasts 1 hour/level and can be cast on others. So the party druid casts snowsight on each party member, then casts obscuring snow and the entire party has 20% to 50% concealment for 1 hour/caster level. I've seen this in action and it totally hoses the opposition. There's also the arctic haze spell (FB, p. 88) which could be used in conjunction with snowsight for the same effect.

Thoughts?

 

[frankthedm]

Thoughts?

You recognized the problems the spell will cause. Either disallow snowsight or Obscuring snow itself and your problem is solved.

Personally, I'd just tell someone with a cold themed caster that they can have thier Obscuring mist look like whirling snow rather than mist.

 

[javcs]

How many spell slots does it burn? More than half at low levels? By the point where it wouldn't burn almost all of their slots, wizards have fireball => no more snow cloud, which, since it's centered on the caster, makes the druid ground zero.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Yeah, if they're fighting a fire- or wind-wielding creature. Against everything else, they're hosed.

 

[javcs]

And against that fire or wind wielding creature, the druid has blown half his spells (at low levels).
At higher levels, it's not that big a deal - blindsense/sight, scent, and other nonvisual detection means still pin them down, or a dispel magic gets rid of it, and probably some of the snowsights.
And, if they use this tactic a lot, it will become known, and then opponents will be prepared for it.

If they're fighting something with no way to counter it, then don't close to melee inside it, pull back, and ready to attack the first guy who comes out.

Or, if you have a problem with the duration, cut the duration down.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

If they're fighting something with no way to counter it, then don't close to melee inside it, pull back, and ready to attack the first guy who comes out.

But it's mobile, so the party never comes out.

 

[javcs]

But it's mobile, so the party never comes out.

Initiative order ... they can't all stay within it all the time.

And if they still don't come out, have somebody use a one-shot item to get rid of it (scroll, last charge on a wand, that sort of thing)

 

[gnfnrf]

You should note that the spell is centered on you, lasts 1 hour per level, and IS NOT DISMISSABLE. This can be awkward.

--
gnfnrf

 

[James McMurray]

It's only trouble in conjunction with Snowsight. A ruling that prevents snowsight from seeing through magical snow makes them both useful for their level but not powerful.

 

[Nail]

If there were many common ways to counter this combo, and this combo wouldn't last all day, it wouldn't be broken.

Simple fix: Reduce duration to 1 min/level.