Questiom on a feat - Energy Substitution

[delericho]

Though Vista and 8 are terrible, literally dozens of people never had an issue with either.

Clever.

But did Microsoft spend the last few years selling people extra software that actively made them worse, only to then advertise the very flaws they'd introduced as the need for a new version?

 

[Dandu]

Clever.

But did Microsoft spend the last few years selling people extra software that actively made them worse, only to then advertise the very flaws they'd introduced as the need for a new version?

Do you remember the phrase "Never attribute to malice what can be attributed to incompetence?"

If it were referring to Microsoft, it would have to be adjusted to "Never attribute to cleverness what can be attributed to incompetence."

 

[Grogg of the North]

I looked at the spell and feat and it looks like it's legal. A bit silly, but legal.

However, perhaps the DM just wanted a custom spell to create a column of fire or lightning, saw this spell and used it as a jumping off point. Did he not say what was being cast until one of the player's asked? Maybe that was just how the DM tried to describe it / justify it to the party?

 

[Celebrim]

Though Vista and 8 are terrible, literally dozens of people never had an issue with either.

I tended to enjoy XP and Windows 7 as well. I never got stuck with one of the systems regarded as stinkers, so I can't comment on them.

But I guarantee there are millions of people who were never affected by the bug in SSRS where sibling groupings of data robbed each other of context, resulting in improperly empty rows. In fact, I was probably one of only a handful of users that were.

This doesn't mean that SSRS is a great system or that it is crap. The existence of some users having a particular problem and others not doesn't really address whether or not a problem exists. I admit a problem existed, albeit one I think was of their own making.

A better analogy might be with a razor blade manufacturing company that, in the run up to releasing a new triple blade razor, begins using lower quality steel on its existing double blade razor and then says, "Our new triple blade razor cuts much better than our old double blade razor, try it and see!"

The old double blade razors worked fine until they change the manufacturing process. I don't deny that there was a reason to improve, but only that the particular improvement had nothing to do with the real problems.... beyond the ones they'd manufactured by crapping on their own product.

 

[Dandu]

A better analogy might be with a razor blade manufacturing company that, in the run up to releasing a new triple blade razor, begins using lower quality steel on its existing double blade razor and then says, "Our new triple blade razor cuts much better than our old double blade razor, try it and see!"

The old double blade razors worked fine until they change the manufacturing process. I don't deny that there was a reason to improve, but only that the particular improvement had nothing to do with the real problems.... beyond the ones they'd manufactured by crapping on their own product.

The analogy you're looking for is the New Coke debacle.

But that only holds up if WotC deliberately made worse products towards the end of its run.

Given that 3rd Edition started with Wizard, Druid, and Cleric in the same book as Monk, Paladin, and Fighter, along with spells like Polymorph, Magic Jar, Shapechange, Ice Assassin, Simulacrum, Time Stop, Gate, etc, I would not be too confident in that assertion.

 

[captnq]

You know, before you people comment on a spell, maybe you should know the rules.

COLUMN OF ICE
- FROSTBURN (3.5)
Conjuration (Creation) [Cold]
Duration: Permanent

1) Is it an official WotC spell?
Yes. Clearly it is.

2) What happens when you change the energy descriptor to fire? Nothing. It remains exactly the same, except that it's solid flame, not solid ice. It has the same height, width, hit points, everything. The spell does no damage in and of itself. It does, however, look damn cool.

3) The spell is Permanent, not instant. That means the spell is ON GOING. It will never melt, burn up, wash away, nothing. If you cut a chunk of ice off, it vaporizes outside the area of the spell. It lasts until someone casts dispel magic on. Not even the caster can dispel it. Whatever it's material, it only exists inside the area of effect.

Might be nice for building an ice castle, one column at a time, but otherwise, I don't see it as being that broken. I wouldn't use it, because an AMF will ruin your day.

Ironically, the spell's AoE cannot exist outside the range, so the column cannot be higher then 50 feet, if you are standing on the ground when you cast it.

 

[Dandu]

Might be nice for building an ice castle, one column at a time, but otherwise, I don't see it as being that broken.

Eh, the cold never bothered me anyways.