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<blockquote data-quote="CapnZapp" data-source="post: 7398756" data-attributes="member: 12731"><p>I'm pretty sure it isn't, at least not in games with feats, items and multiclassing.</p><p></p><p>At level 17, any character can do a hundred damage in a turn. Maybe not without resources, but certainly not as "the One Big Thing Today".</p><p></p><p>So, to deserve the Crown of the Wizard character's accomplishments, to make it something you choose over the other level 9 spells, it probably needs to do two or three times that amount. Yes, even considering the 100% success rate. A level 17 Wizard dropping his biggest bomb on a single target should in my opinion at the very least reproduce the efforts of the entire party, and that's upwards of 500 damage. If we consider the "miss chance" to be roughly 50% that's 250 effective damage. Thus "two or three times" the raw amount. </p><p></p><p>But it's <strong>bad for the game</strong> to have an insta-win button like that. It's actively good for the game to keep the spell limited to a fairly weak limit of 100 hp.</p><p></p><p>I honestly think there is no design space for a single-target spell even better than Power Word Stun, Forcecage, Maze or Feeblemind. Solo BBEGs have a tough time as it is. Adding a way to circumvent Legendary Saves is really wrong, and we should not go there. Just contrast the discussion around Contagion.</p><p> </p><p>Fixing the "do you know its current HP" issue is a worthwhile endeavor, however. The suggestions by Schmoe and Dave2008 seem useful in that regard.</p><p></p><p>If I had to upgrade PWK I would add flexibility instead. Make it <strong>Power Word: Whatever*</strong>, giving several options, much like Command, so the spell can be used in as many situations as possible. As a minimum, allow it to replicate any lower-level Power Words.</p><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 9px">*) Not Power Word: XXX <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /></span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CapnZapp, post: 7398756, member: 12731"] I'm pretty sure it isn't, at least not in games with feats, items and multiclassing. At level 17, any character can do a hundred damage in a turn. Maybe not without resources, but certainly not as "the One Big Thing Today". So, to deserve the Crown of the Wizard character's accomplishments, to make it something you choose over the other level 9 spells, it probably needs to do two or three times that amount. Yes, even considering the 100% success rate. A level 17 Wizard dropping his biggest bomb on a single target should in my opinion at the very least reproduce the efforts of the entire party, and that's upwards of 500 damage. If we consider the "miss chance" to be roughly 50% that's 250 effective damage. Thus "two or three times" the raw amount. But it's [B]bad for the game[/B] to have an insta-win button like that. It's actively good for the game to keep the spell limited to a fairly weak limit of 100 hp. I honestly think there is no design space for a single-target spell even better than Power Word Stun, Forcecage, Maze or Feeblemind. Solo BBEGs have a tough time as it is. Adding a way to circumvent Legendary Saves is really wrong, and we should not go there. Just contrast the discussion around Contagion. Fixing the "do you know its current HP" issue is a worthwhile endeavor, however. The suggestions by Schmoe and Dave2008 seem useful in that regard. If I had to upgrade PWK I would add flexibility instead. Make it [B]Power Word: Whatever*[/B], giving several options, much like Command, so the spell can be used in as many situations as possible. As a minimum, allow it to replicate any lower-level Power Words. [SIZE=1]*) Not Power Word: XXX ;)[/SIZE] [/QUOTE]
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