Hammersphere

[the_mighty_agrippa]

How do items that "allow you to cast/duplicate a spell effect" - like a hammersphere work?

For example, a hammersphere summons a giant spiritual weapon that does 3d6 damage. It has an effective caster level of 7, according to the item description.

So, I am reading that as BAB = Cleric 7 with a bonus equal to the minimum Wisdom required for a 2nd level spell (+1). So, an attack bonus of +6.

Is this right? It seems that doing it any other way (using the PCs bonuses) would make it totally overpowered for the item's price.

Thanks!

 

[UltimaGabe]

That's how it seems, yes.

 

[Rackhir]

How do items that "allow you to cast/duplicate a spell effect" - like a hammersphere work?

For example, a hammersphere summons a giant spiritual weapon that does 3d6 damage. It has an effective caster level of 7, according to the item description.

So, I am reading that as BAB = Cleric 7 with a bonus equal to the minimum Wisdom required for a 2nd level spell (+1). So, an attack bonus of +6.

Is this right? It seems that doing it any other way (using the PCs bonuses) would make it totally overpowered for the item's price.

Thanks!

I'm not seeing how using the character's bab/wis vs the item creator's bab is going to make the spell overpowered. I mean for BAB we're talking about a handful of points even at 20th level (assuming a pure fighter vs pure cleric). The spell attacks as a normal attack not a touch attack. So it's not going against a vastly reduced AC like a touch spell would. Frankly unless the character has an obscene wisdom bonus (unlikely in a fighter and no worse than a cleric casting the spell), I'm just not seeing the over powered-ness. The increased damage does bump it up a notch in terms of power, but for a mid level character it's not a huge increase and it doesn't get stat bonuses to damage.

How much does the item cost?

 

[the_mighty_agrippa]

1500 gp.

I don't know. A F20 with a hammersphere that works on his character level could activate it and then move into combat (forfeiting his one attack after movement - that is significant). But then, he could full attack every round with an independent, weapon-like spell that attacks at a BAB 20.

The same problem occurs if you let a divine caster use the Bead of Smiting from a Strand of Prayer Beads at their effective caster level - all of a sudden, you've got a throwaway item that can do good damage 1/day with no real loss of resources to the party.

 

[Rackhir]

1500 gp.

I don't know. A F20 with a hammersphere that works on his character level could activate it and then move into combat (forfeiting his one attack after movement - that is significant). But then, he could full attack every round with an independent, weapon-like spell that attacks at a BAB 20.

1,500 is definitely way too cheap unless there are some other significant limitations on the item.

Spell level x caster level x 2,000 gp for a Use-activated or continuous item works out to 2 x 7 x 2000 = 28k. Now making it usable 1/day would reduce that significantly (5.6k), but still wouldn't get it down to anything close to 1.5k. The caster level of 7 is odd though, the bonus to damage on the weapon is +1/3 caster lvs and IIRC none of the effects are caster level based.

Eh, 3d6+2 even with multiple attacks around just isn't that significant at 20th level. And there are far more lethal options at those levels.

 

[LonePaladin]

Given that the hammersphere doesn't require any concentration or actions to direct, this implies that it really doesn't have any sort of connection to the originator. In addition, it states that the damage is a flat amount, 3d6, which would replace the spell's damage. Since the item didn't include the +1/3 levels in the damage, it's best to assume you don't get it. Figuring in the minimums needed to use the spiritual weapon spell would give you this:
Range: 170 ft.; Duration: 7 rounds (D); Attack Bonus: +6; Damage: 3d6; Critical: ×3 (as a warhammer).

Except for the damage, this is no better than what a 7th-level cleric could manage, assuming he had a 12 Wisdom. It won't get iterative attacks (since it's base attack bonus is only +5).

They should've detailed exactly what its combat stats are.