Please rate Sculpt Spell

[Rary the Traitor]

Sculpt Spell [Metamagic]

Prerequisite: Any other metamagic feat.

Benefit: You can modify an area spell by changing the area's shape. The new area must be chosen from the following list: cylinder (10-foot radius, 30 feet high), 40-foot cone, four 10-foot cubes, or a ball (20-foot-radius spread).
The sculpted spell works normally in all respects except for its shape. For example, a lightning bolt spell whose area is changed to a ball deals the same amount of damage, but the lightning ball affects a 20-foot-radius spread.
A sculpted spell uses a spell slot one level higher than the spell's actual level.


Tome and Blood, page 42.

P.S.: My apologies for stealing your trademark poll format, smetzger. I don't intend to make a habit of it.

 

[Janos Antero]

It was a decent spell for a Sorcerer I played for awhile. But I don't think in general it will do much good for your average Wizard/Cleric or Bard. It's a spell that deals with situational needs, so a cleric or wizard won't have it memorized. A bard just doesn't deal with radius effects where he may hit friends often enough to warrant it in my opinion.

 

[shilsen]

Sculpt Spell doesn't look all that good at first glance, but it opens up all kinds of possibilities for very creative spellcasting. I give it a 9.

 

[Rary the Traitor]

Sculpt Spell doesn't look all that good at first glance, but it opens up all kinds of possibilities for very creative spellcasting.

Such as? Don't be shy, tell us all about those possibilities!

 

[Shaele]

All kinds of options...

It's a brilliant feat for a sorcerer, since it lets him place area of effect spells exactly where he wants them. You don't need too many evocation spells if you know this feat:

Burning hands: 1st level cone already, or it can now be a mini-fireball (2nd level spell, 5d4 damage)

Glitterdust: Already a 2nd level cloud, now it can be a 3rd level cone or 4 targetted columns.

Flame arrow: can become a 4th level fireball or cone of fire.

If possible, the trick is to take a spell that you plan on casting a lot, with an area of effect that you'll commonly use and that the Sculpt feat doesn't offer (e.g. Lightning bolt is great, since it's normal form is a line, which the feat doesn't let you duplicate. Sculpt it into a Shocksphere, or Cone).

 

[Destil]

Re: All kinds of options...

Flame arrow: can become a 4th level fireball or cone of fire.

Since Flame Arrow has a Targets or Effect listing and not an area listing, it's not eligable for being shaped. (Of course flame arrow has it's own problems anway...)

 

[shilsen]

Such as? Don't be shy, tell us all about those possibilities!

Shaele's already listed some good examples, but one I particularly like is a Sculpted Anti-Magic Field.

 

[Pax]

Take a look at spells with small areas, that you'd like to make MUCHbigger -- and possibly a different shape.

One example: Grease.

Grease as a 40' CONE, is awfully nasty to do to people. Nail an entire stairway -- steps, walls, ceiling, handrail, people climbing it -- with one spell.

A 40' cone Glitterdust is also very useful -- easier to catch your target in the glitterdust, if you're "sounding" for invisible foes, too.

Sure, Sculpt is better for Sorcerors -- but generally speaking, what metamagic (Quicken aside) isn't better for Sorcerors than Wizards?

I gave it an 8; with the right selection of spells it can be very nice. That selection of spells isn't an especially common one, though, so it didn't get any higher.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Sculpted Faerie Fire... pweeee-etty.

-Hyp.

 

[Olive]

Re: All kinds of options...

Burning hands: 1st level cone already, or it can now be a mini-fireball (2nd level spell, 5d4 damage)

How does this work range wise? wouldn't it start on you, 20' around in every direction? Better get that endure elements cast first!