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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dragonwriter" data-source="post: 5191696" data-attributes="member: 54988">Fire Bolt is only slightly better than Burning Hands for damage, and it only affects one target (rather than Burning Hands‘ area effect). And my spells/day may beat out a Sorcerer (eventually), but my available choices are considerably less. I learn 1 spell/level, flat, from a very small list. Nothing more. A Sorcerer (never mind a Wizard) will always have more spell-based options than I. I can’t even channel Fire Bolt.(By the way, I can’t quicken either. I cast spontaneously, so any Metamagic makes my casting time a whole lot longer. The only thing that comes close to Quicken is my Class Feature: Quick Cast, which is a limited number of times/day.)[sblock=Quick Comparison between Fire Bolt and a few other spells]If you want to compare Kelgore’s Fire Bolt to Burning Hands and MM (and I can‘t learn MM), like you mentioned, here’s an evaluation.Vs. Magic Missile: FB is capped at 5d6 at level 5 (average damage 20) while MM is capped at 5d4+5 (average damage 17). FB can be halved by a Reflex save (or negated by evasion). MM can only be stopped by SR, and doesn’t even require an attack roll. MM can also be spread out among multiple targets.Vs. Burning Hands: BH is capped at 5d4 (average damage 12), so it is weaker. At first glance. But BH can be used to catch several foes, increasing the damage dealt. Reflex save is a wash on this one.Vs. Color Spray: Color Spray can completely disable targets, in an area. 5d6 damage is pitiful in comparison to ending the fight.Quicken: A Wizard (and ONLY a Wizard) could quicken this, for a 5th-level spell slot. Waste of a slot. It would be much better spent on a buff like Mage Armor or an actual 5th-level spell. Never mind that Duskblades can’t quicken at all…Then there are buff, debuff, and instant-kill spells, all of which leave this in the dust. For example: Polymorph, cast by a 7th-level Wizard, shared with his familiar to have BOTH of them become 7-headed Hydras. Even Enlarge Person (another 1st-level) could easily be more effective for/on Jareth, increasing his STR, reach, etc.Honestly HM, if you’re concerned about balanced spells, just read through Core before you get scared of a little 1st-level 5d6 w/Ref half.[/sblock]Also, making it a ranged touch attack would actually favor me (high BAB, decent DEX, possibility of crit). Even a 20th-level spell caster can only get a 1st-level spell DC up to 25, at best, and that can still be beaten by a  negative Ref save on a natural 20. And Jareth isn’t going to focus like that.…I’m sorry if this sounds like I’m getting a bit riled up. This just strikes me as a knee-jerk “no.”</blockquote>

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