I have a beef with druid spells (Complete Divine)

[shilsen]

You forgot Quill Blast

 

[Storyteller01]

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.

The spell description (as written at the beginning of the thread, anyway) did say that the penalty was cumulative...

 

[Testament]

Cumulative in that the strength penalty goes off each round.

 

[ThirdWizard]

Cumulative in that the strength penalty goes off each round.

That doesn't sound cumulative. That would be non-cumulative. It says a "cumulative ... penalty to Strength ... each round." Cumulative means you add them up.

 

[Testament]

That's what I meant Third Wizard. Probably could have said it better, I meant that each round, you take the penalty and it adds up.

There's a reason I refer to the spell as Cripple. Its of limited usefulness, owing to the save negating the effect completely, but for taking down an enemy fighter, or a Giant, it can't be beaten.

 

[Newbie]

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.

Ah that makes sense, but it also does say you can only hold your breath if you make a constitution check, so from what i understand its not an automatic thing but you still make a good point.

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.

From Dictionary.com...

cu·mu·la·tive

1. Increasing or enlarging by successive addition.
2. Acquired by or resulting from accumulation.
3. Of or relating to interest or a dividend that is added to the next payment if not paid when due.
4. Law.
1. Supporting the same point as earlier evidence: cumulative evidence.
2. Imposed with greater severity upon a repeat offender: cumulative punishment.
3. Following successively; consecutive: cumulative sentences.
5. Statistics.
1. Of or relating to the sum of the frequencies of experimentally determined values of a random variable that are less than or equal to a specified value.
2. Of or relating to experimental error that increases in magnitude with each successive measurement.

I think the first one answers that.

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.

Good point, I saw enhancement bonus and for sure thought strike and damage.
But still +7 dmg and brilliant energy for the party? still seems better then quil blast

You forgot Quill Blast

The only reason that seams not that bad is its targeted around you and says it hits creatures not enemies so that seems like it would hit your allies if you werent carful, other then that its a pretty good spell.

 

[Testament]

The spell description of Miasma says "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." So against a big con target, all it does is keep 'em quiet. Good wizard hunter though, since they're likely to fail the inital save that the errata added.

On Languor, most stat attacking spells of that level do DAMAGE, not just a penalty. With 4th level spells, arcane casters are letting off Enervation, which causes negative levels, one of the most feared effects in existence.

Quill Blast, on the other hand, is insane. Thanks to Natural Spell, you can deliver it with impunity (Bird form, anyone?), and even if the victims pass the reflex save, big targets still get their saving throws utterly hosed. Metamagic versions are worse, and with Sudden Maximise...I don't even want to think about it.

 

[werk]

I think they are fine spells. Maybe a little overpowered but if you are using all of the complete books, on both sides, it probably balances out somewhat. I'm from the Terry Brooks school of druids, where they are actually powerful. I like the druid upgrade in 3.0 and 3.5, personally. I've been toying around the idea of running a party of nothing but druids and barbarians to see how they do in most situations.

QuillBlast is rough, and we've discussed it before.
Would be nice to make a celestial/fiendish dire porcupine that can quillblast 3/day. Have your party trip over one and see if the spell is overpowered...

 

[ThirdWizard]

That's what I meant Third Wizard. Probably could have said it better, I meant that each round, you take the penalty and it adds up.

There's a reason I refer to the spell as Cripple. Its of limited usefulness, owing to the save negating the effect completely, but for taking down an enemy fighter, or a Giant, it can't be beaten.

Ah, sorry, misunderstood.

Honestly, I'm surprised some of these spells have been reprinted. They're just over the top.

 

[Corlon]

What does this quill blast spell do?