I have a beef with druid spells (Complete Divine)

Newbie

First Post
Hello Everyone,
I have a beef with whoever made the druid spells for the complete divine. I am a level 16 Druid (Dwarf) and I was really looking forward to the new spells in the complete divine, although there are several cool spells in there, but they are so powerful that if I actually used it in game I would feel bad because of the DISGUSTING amount of power in them. So please if you can find a flaw in my logic or explain to me why these are not ridiculously powerful please, put in your two cents.

Ps. There are more then likely more then this but these are the ones that come to mind.

Brilliant Aura
Level: Druid 7
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 Standard action
Range: Close (25 ft 5ft/2 levels)
Targets: 1 person per 2 levels, all of whom must be within 30 ft. of each other
Duration 1 Round/level
Saving throw: will negates harmless

You limn your allies in a glowing nimbus, transforming their attacks into brilliant energy.
Each person affected by this aura gives off light as a torch (20-foot radius). Their weapon attacks (melee or ranged) function as if their weapons were brilliant energy weapons: they ignore nonliving matter and armor and enhancement ac bonuses do not count against them. The attacks cannot harm undead, constructs, or objects. In addition, all attacks gain an enhancement bonus on damage equal to one half the casters level (maximum +10).

So that would make 7 people have + 7 brilliant energy weapons at level 14 when you get the spell, we at this point don’t even allow brilliant energy weapons at the table, so this spell just seems to be absurd.


Languor
Level: Druid 4
Casting Time: 1 Standard action
Range: Close (25 ft 5ft/2 levels)
Effect Ray
Duration 1 Round/level
Saving throw: will negates
Spell resistance: Yes

This spell causes creatures it hits to become weak and slo, A subject who fails a will save is slowed as the spell and suffers a cumulative enhancement penalty to Strength equal to 1d6 –1 per two caster levels ( minimum addition penalty of 0, maximum of –10) each round. If the subject’s strength drops below 1, it is helpless. The spell’s slow effect counters and is countered by haste. However, the Strength penalty is not countered by haste.
Ok, level Four spell that not only slows but does and average of 8 (1d6 + for being level 8) str dmg per round! That would bring any fighter/barbarian to his feet in 2 rounds, if he isn’t to his feat he is at least a worthless fighter. The main reason I have a big problem with this spell is similar strength tapping spells do MAYBE 2d6 per cast, not per round.

Next

Miasma
Level: Druid 6
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 Standard action
Range: Close (25 ft 5ft/2 levels)
Target: One Living Creature
Duration: 3 Round/level
Saving throw: See Text
Spell resistance: Yes

By filling the subject’s mouth and throat with unbreathable gas, you prevent him from doing much more then coughing and spitting. The subject can hold his breath for 2 rounds per point of constitution but must make a Constitution check (DC 10 +1 per previous success) each round thereafter to continue doing so. Failure on any such check(causes the subject to fall unconscious (0hp). On the next round, the subject drops to –1 hit points and is dying; on the third round, he suffocates (see suffocation, page 304 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide).

So maybe I got the wrong Idea, but as long as they don’t have spell resistance they have to sit there and cough and spit for 33 rounds (3 rounds per level based on an level 11 char when they get the spell) or suffocate and die? Are you kidding me its like hold person but if we don’t kill you will have to make a constitution check not fortitude of 43 to actually live though it….are you joking? This must have been in the errata right?

Ok last one…for now

Slime Wave (dragon slayer!)
Level: Cleric 7, Druid 7
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 Standard action
Range: Close (25 ft 5ft/2 levels)
area: 15-ft Radius spread
Duration: 1 Round/level
Saving throw: reflex negates
Spell resistance: No

You create a wave of green slime that begins at the range you choose and violently spreads to the limit of the area. The wave splashes and splatters as it passes; some slime clings to any wall or ceiling. Green slime devours flesh and organic materials on contact, and even dissolves metal. Each creature is covered with one patch of green slime for every 5 feet of its face
A patch of green slime deals 1d6 points of temporary Constitution damage per round while it devours flesh. Against wood or metal, green slime deals 2d6 points of damage per round, ignoring metals hardness but not that of wood it does not harm stone.
On the first round of contact, the slime can be scraped off a creature (most likely destroying the scraping device), but after that it must be frozen, burned, or cut away ( applying damage to the victim as well). Extreme cold or heat, sunlight, or a remove disease spell destroys the green slime. Unlike normal green slime, the slime created by this spell gradually evaporates, disappearing by the end of the duration.

Ok, so you have a huge or greater dragon, you cast this on him, they don’t have great reflex saves so he is probably screwed, seeing on how just in the first round he would take at least 9d6 point of con damage, if he lives, it doesn’t end there, it happens again next round, although there is the chance he could find something to scrape it off with the first round…yeah right, so this is a mass murdering machine for anything that is a huge creature and there isn’t even a good save, except for reflex but most big things don’t have a good reflex, again I vote this is to powerful, and if I used this in game to one round kill a great worm dragon I would feel bad.

Please don’t get mad at me, I could be very wrong, I’m wrong often. So if you agree or disagree, please tell me, don’t hurt my feelings the please.

-Newbie

ps be gentle
 

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Miasma, at least, isn't necessarily as potent as you make it out to be - a character can hold their breath (and thus act normally, not needing to hack and cough) for "2 rounds per point of constitution" note that it isn't per point of constitution bonus - that commoner with 10 con can hold his breath for 20 rounds without trouble. That Con 18 fighter, 36. At 11th, you only get 33 rounds of it. Great against spellcasters (can't speak in a strong voice, either way, so no verbal components) but rather useless against anyone else... in combat, at least, if I'm reading the spell right.
 


IIRC, Miasma was errataed to offer a fort save. Languor and slime waves also allow saves to negate. Is Languor a mind-affecting spell? Anyways, consider what happens if a character fails a save vs Charm Monster. It's pretty bad. Slime Wave could be considered a save or die spell, but it is 7th level. Remember that many dragons will be able to use their breath weapon (or their own spells) to destroy the slime.
 

Cheiromancer said:
IIRC, Miasma was errataed to offer a fort save. Languor and slime waves also allow saves to negate. Is Languor a mind-affecting spell? Anyways, consider what happens if a character fails a save vs Charm Monster. It's pretty bad. Slime Wave could be considered a save or die spell, but it is 7th level. Remember that many dragons will be able to use their breath weapon (or their own spells) to destroy the slime.


Slime Wave does look rather brutal. What do dragon reflex saves look like these days?

Remember, it's not enough that the dragon can get rid of it by using spells/breathing. That just gets the dragon back to status quo - and ready for another Slime Wave (a-comin').
 

Meh, Langour isn't that bad... its a combo slow + ray of enfeeblement, except it needs both the ranged touch AND the save. Also as a strength penalty (not strength damage), it doesn't stack with itself. And you can dispel it.
 

Dragons' reflex saves are pretty good; they take a little hit for not having a good Dex score, but they run on all good saves, based off of their racial hit dice. A dragon with a CR in the neighborhood of 13 has a Reflex save in the neighborhood of +13.
 

About the only form of balance you will find in the "complete" books is a skill called "balance" as a prerequisite.
Your DM is final arbiter - if he has any sense you have no worries.
 
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Languor has the problem of "will negates", making it nothing more than a fighter debuff. Slime Wave is nasty, but take a look at other 7th level spells, and its not that bad. The "reflex negates" part is a problem, since by the time you're slinging it, saving throws are reaching the point of absurdity on the creatures its best against.

Brilliant Aura strikes me as just a good party buff. And Languor was errataed down to a sane level.

I'm personally amazed that you missed Quill Blast on that list, which has no balancing feature.
 

Brilliant Aura doesn't quite make them act like +7 weapons; the +7 bonus is to damage only, not to-hit rolls (doesn't matter too much what with whole bit on ignoring nonliving armor, but the damage bonus is unnamed, so it stacks with bardic song, weapon enchantments, and any other effect). But yeah - if you have it every combat where you benefit from it, the party need only stock up on Construct and Undead smashing weapons - other circumstances will be rare enough that they are unlikely to be worth the investment.
 

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