Hailstones spell

[Oryan77]

No, you have 2 globes. You don't get the third globe until caster level 15; it's one globe for every 5 caster levels.

Thank you! I knew I had to be reading something wrong.

The way the text is written, it makes it sound like you get an extra globe every 5 levels (start with 1 globe, then get an extra at 5th & 10th level). But I should have paid attention to where it says "you have a Max of 4 globes at 20th level". That would tell me I'd have 2 globes at 11th level and not 3.

That makes a big difference

 

[Corsair]

So assuming that the enemy has a low touch AC and no fire resistance, you're actually BETTER off with Scorching ray. (12d6)

 

[Graf]

Putting up any 8th level party against a 11 CR opponet isn't "challenging them" it's really setting them up for a tpk. Once in a while, for story purposes something that powerful is interesting, but just forcing them to fight something like that is a bit silly.

Try to think about challenging them with a lower level, but better played character.

 

[frankthedm]

Is the text in the Spell Compendium book correct for this spell? It does 5d6 cold damage with a ranged touch attack per globe?

If I chose this for my 11th lvl NPC, he'd get 3 globes per casting. And as a sorcerer, he can cast this spell 6 times if he wanted. As a 3rd level spell, that's 15d6. He already has an 11 ranged attack bonus due to a high Dex. My player's 8th lvl PC's have an 11-14 Touch AC.

It looks like this spell could kill a character in 1 blast easily...2 blasts if I roll bad. Is there errata on this or anything?

No errata...Yet. Remember you are the DM, if the spell seems to strong, don't allow it into your game. Don't nail a party with a spell you feel is broken, don't hand out spells you think are broken.

New spells brought into the game are your call, not Wotc's Marketing Department. There are Rules in the DMG for adding new spells. 1000GP per spell level, 1 week per spell level, don't be afraid to use those rather than the BS line from the Spell compendium just to ADD all the SC spells onto the avaialble spell lists.

I's advise not allowing any ray spells from outside sourses without a carefull looking over. Touch attacks are in no way the equal of a saving throw.

 

[Corsair]

Saving throws are wierd. In some cases they are nearly impossible to fail (Dwarf fighter/Barbarian/Dwarf paragon + fort save = better roll a 1!) while others are nearly impossible to succeed (targetting a large dumb brute like an elemental or a giant with a will save or die spell makes a fight very anticlimactic)