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Message: <blockquote data-quote="demiurgeastaroth" data-source="post: 389826" data-attributes="member: 7532">------------ demiurge: Welcome to the boards! -----------Thank you. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> ------------ The problem with your solution is that it is, in fact, very weak. Damage equal to CLx5, and only on a touch attack compares very poorly with other spells of similar potency. Since most direct-damage spells that require a touch attack remove the need for a saving throw (as per ELH's guidelines for creating new spells) ------------I agree that is supposed to be the case, bu ti don't think it makes sense particularly with regard to ELH level games. A touch spell at this kind of level is really only going to fail on a roll of 1 excepot against unusual opponents (Monks, for instance). A saving throw is much more dicey (pun intended).------------ we can compare the damage directly with traditional blast spells.We see that it compares poorly. At 11th level, Harm does 55 damage. At this level of spell, it is clearly outmatched by, say, Maximised Fireball or Empowered Flame Strike, which, in addition to inflicting a similar amount of damage, inflict this amount of damage over a wider area. Your fix makes Harm from a 'must-have' spell to a 'don't-bother' one. -----------No offence, but I think comparisons with fireball are irrelevant, since it is an Arcane spell and they are meant to do more damage.With Flame Strike, you hit a 10' square - in many encounters, you will probably only be able to catch one enemy with this (some enemies will in fact be large enough to occupy the whole area).In addition, many, many creatures have fire resistance, reducing the spells damage - and the saving throw is pitiful.IMC it is very rare for a flame strike to inflict anywhere near its maximum potential.Also note that an empowered flame strike for a CLERIC is 7th level, at which point the cleric will do 65 points with Harm compared to 63 for Flame strike: if the enemy fails its save and has no energy protection.I think this means Flame Strike and Harm are reasonably balanced with each other - there are situations where one is better than the other, and neither completely overwhelms the other.Demiurge</blockquote>

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