Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="erik_the_guy" data-source="post: 4372310" data-attributes="member: 70483">Level 2 utility spell for Wizards, Warlocks, and maybe clerics-----------------------------------------------------Libra, Level 2 UtilityAsking the cosmos for guidance, you attempt to learn more about your foe, identifying its weaknesses and learning other pieces of trivial information.Encounter - Standard action, ImplementRange 20 squaresTarget: one creatureAttack: Int or Wis vs. Special (you hit if your attack would hit against the targets fort, ref or will defense).Hit: You become aware of which of your target's defenses is the lowest, out of fortitude, reflex, and will. If more than one defense is tied for lowest, you become aware of each.Sustain minor: If the monster is within range you may make a monster knowledge check against it (p.180, players handbook). Use the arcana skill for this check if Libra is based on Intelligence and the religion skill if it is based on Wisdom. Add +5 to this check if you hit with the spell's initial attack. You may retry each time you sustain the spell.Special: When you choose this power you decide whether to base the attack off of Intelligence or Wisdom, this decision is permanent. It also affects the skill you use for monster knowledge checks.-----------------------------------------------------Purpose of the spell: Fighters and other weapon-toting classes get that proficiency bonus to hit that spell casters do not. The game balances this by making most monsters have at least one or two defenses lower than AC, and allowing wizards to target these defenses. With some monsters the low defenses are obvious; most players know to target an ogres will , and to avoid its fortitude. With others it is not so obvious; did you know that the Shambling mounds lowest defense is will, but the stormrage shambler's lowest defense is reflex? That is where Libra comes in handy, giving wizards a hint on which spells to use rather than leaving them to blindly attack defenses that are 5 points higher than others. Libra takes a lot of "trial and error" out of combat. It allows wizards to identify the target's lowest defense so they do not end up behind other classes in terms of damage output because they wasted too many actions against high defenses. Libra is good once per encounter against a single foe, and requires an attack roll to help balance it out (although the attack roll is at a benefit because it targets the lowest defense).</blockquote>

Verification