Is Wraithstrike the wrong level?

[Seeten]

Lets say I am level 12 as a Gish, and have Wraithstrike optimized. I'll also have 1-2 metamagic feats for metamagicking Wraithstrike. Lets say Heighten, and Extend.

I can now fill all level 2 slots, all level 3 slots, all level 4 slots and all level 5 slots with wraithstrikes. How many encounters does it take to blow thru these?

Alternatively, soon, the party will be meeting many wraiths and ghosts =)

 

[Nail]

Err.....a Heightened Wraithstrike will do what, now?

 

[Nail]

Ah-ha. I bet I see the problem:

You *can* fill higher level slots with lower level spells. No need to Heighten them.

 

[wildstarsreach]

Lets say I am level 12 as a Gish, and have Wraithstrike optimized. I'll also have 1-2 metamagic feats for metamagicking Wraithstrike. Lets say Heighten, and Extend.

I can now fill all level 2 slots, all level 3 slots, all level 4 slots and all level 5 slots with wraithstrikes. How many encounters does it take to blow thru these?

Alternatively, soon, the party will be meeting many wraiths and ghosts =)

Yet another reason that wraithstrike should with all of it's advantages be higher level. If it was sixth level, an extended spell would be worth it but too many more wouldn't.

 

[Seeten]

Ah-ha. I bet I see the problem:

You *can* fill higher level slots with lower level spells. No need to Heighten them.

Might as well empower, extend, still, silent, or whatever them, also. Why not? Heh.

If your built to wraithstrike, you have a LOT of slots to use on wraithstrike.

 

[Nail]

No argument there. As a 2nd level spell, there are lots of slots above it to fill.

 

[Infiniti2000]

Ah-ha. I bet I see the problem:

You *can* fill higher level slots with lower level spells. No need to Heighten them.

It depends on whether you're in a (lesser) globe of invulnerability (and how you rule said globe).

 

[wildstarsreach]

Here is something to consider. The closest equivalent.

True Strike. 1st level, stand action, next attack, +20 to attack, ignores miss chance. This spell companion attack is subject to DR if itd attack was melee/ranged attacks with weapons and not spells.

Wraithstrike. 2nd level, swift action, all attacks that round, anything from 0 to +60? since it changes attacks to touch attacks. As touch attacks, this spells affect bypasses DR.

A quickened true strike would be 5th level. A second level spell if extended for this affect a second attack or seventh level spell for persistant spell to make this last all day.

This spell should be at least 5th if not sixth which is what my original thread started. Looking at comparable power levels of spells should be the gage for allowing spells or not. Wraithstrike is not a fairly balanced spell from this perspective. From levels 9-20, it is easy to abuse by focused melee spellcasters.

 

[Slaved]

As touch attacks, this spells affect bypasses DR.

This is not true. Besides, it does not hurt your point any to just leave it off.

 

[Hypersmurf]

From an in-game point of view I see no reason why it would be "hard to utilize Strength based damage" with "ghostly and nearly transparent weapons".

There are two cases I can find in the Core rules that could be used as precedent to support this line of argument.

The first is ghosts, who can manifest in an incorporeal state. Incorporeal creatures have Str --; the sample ghost has a Str of 16. Against an ethereal creature, the sample ghost's incorporeal touch attack deals 1d6+3 damage; against a material creature, it only deals 1d6. The Str bonus is inapplicable, since as an incorporeal creature, the ghost has a Str of -- on the material plane. But with his Ghost Touch bastard sword, he deals 1d10+3 regardless of whether he's attacking an ethereal or material opponent. To the material opponent, the sword is considered corporeal; thus, apparently, it includes the Str bonus even though the ghost is incorporeal.

By extrapolation, we might rule that a 'ghostly' weapon would not include the Str bonus, even if the wielder were corporeal.

The second is the Flame Blade spell, which states "Since the blade is immaterial, your Strength modifier does not apply to the damage." This might be considered a precedent that could be applied to other immaterial blades - such as one rendered 'ghostly' by a spell, perhaps.

I think the Wraithstrike spell as written does not prohibit Str bonus to damage; but I think one might make the case that such a ruling is not completely out of left field...

-Hyp.