Miasma: Slow Inevitable Death?

[Vellinax]

Miasma is a spell on page 91 of MoTW.

The way I read this spell is that the target eventually will die, unless the target has spell resistance.

I know the spell may take a long time to kill, but it seems inevitable.

Anyone reading this differently? I hope I'm incorrect as a 4th level spell shouldn't automatically kill a target (even if it takes 40 rounds).

 

[seankreynolds]

Miasma is a spell on page 91 of MoTW.

The way I read this spell is that the target eventually will die, unless the target has spell resistance.

I know the spell may take a long time to kill, but it seems inevitable.

Anyone reading this differently? I hope I'm incorrect as a 4th level spell shouldn't automatically kill a target (even if it takes 40 rounds).

Well, the spell does have a duration, so once the duration ends the creature can breathe normally again.

 

[Morose]

It's extremely slow, has a duration, and has a medium range increment. In my opinion it's worthless except for roleplaying situations. There are much deadlier spells available at 4th level. You can run away when you get hit with Miasma or better yet... just go thwump the caster until dead.

 

[green slime]

But would it be possible to extend extend miasma to cause this slow inevitable death?

The duration would then extend quite a bit...

MotW has yet to reach my Scandinavian outpost, so I'm just wondering. Don't know anything more than what the previous posters have claimed.

 

[Morose]

It would be possible... sure. But we're talking roughly 30 rounds before an average threat (to a 7th level party) would suffer any negative effects from Miasma. Do you really think that the target isn't going to A) escape or B) be killed by the party or C) have killed the party during 30 rounds? We're talking 3rd Edition here... I don't know about you guys, but I think the longest combat I've ever been in went a whopping 12 rounds. So again... what's the point? It's a good torture spell ("Tell us what we want to know or we'll kill you... sloooowly... muahahaha!") but in those types of situations there are lots of ways to slowly kill someone (heck, just slowly prod them with a dagger). So again, it's mostly there for RP flavor AFAIK.

 

[green slime]

It would be possible... sure. But we're talking roughly 30 rounds before an average threat (to a 7th level party) would suffer any negative effects from Miasma. Do you really think that the target isn't going to A) escape or B) be killed by the party or C) have killed the party during 30 rounds? We're talking 3rd Edition here... I don't know about you guys, but I think the longest combat I've ever been in went a whopping 12 rounds. So again... what's the point? It's a good torture spell ("Tell us what we want to know or we'll kill you... sloooowly... muahahaha!") but in those types of situations there are lots of ways to slowly kill someone (heck, just slowly prod them with a dagger). So again, it's mostly there for RP flavor AFAIK.

Like I said I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THIS SPELL.

I've been in combats that lasted MUCH longer than 12 rounds...

I was just pointing out that the short duration can be manipulated.

 

[Archer]

Sure, the spell has a duration but unless you have 2.5 pts of constitution per level of the caster you will die before the spell ends.

If you or the caster run away and get outside of the range does that end miasma?

The spell seems to imply that the target is stunned for the duration as they can do nothing but sputter and choke but doesn't explictly use game language.

 

[sinmissing]

I wound think that the range of the spell is only important when the spell is initially targetted.

 

[Polydamas]

If I recall correctly, you're holding your breath to avoid the effects of the spell, correct? This would see to rule out casting speels wit a verbal component. Pretty nasty w/ no save.

 

[Archer]

Its just another ridiculous spell like harm that can kill anything with no save except it takes a little longer and you don't have to touch the victim.

No one is reading the spell wrong or misunderstanding it. Killing the caster doesn't help, running away doesn't help. Either dispel it or die with no save. (if you don't have 2.5 x the caster level CON score, that is)

Its as powerful as any 9th level spell and a lot more likely to kill someone that many other 9th level spells yet it is only a 4th level spell. Go figure.