Question on Flame Blade...

[RigaMortus]

Unless your wildshapes are all used up for the day... Then Flame Blade would be the contingency plan

 

[DarkMaster]

In 3.5 tower shields grant a +4 shield bonus to AC from all directions. They can still be used to gain cover, but the default usage is +4 shield bonus to AC. Getting cover requires you to give up all your attacks. I wish they han't been so vague though. Does "give up all your attacks" mean that you have to use a standard action to get cover, or can you still cast spells and get the cover? Can you cast attack spells, or would that not be allowed because you have to "give up all your attacks."

Thanks

I would allow two flame blades at the same time, like I allow a caster to send a second acid arrow even if the first is still in effect.

 

[James McMurray]

Sounds good, and since there's no rule stating which way to go, neither of us has to worry about the stigmata of using a ... dare I say it... House Rule.

I'm not sure how allowing two flame blades would change the average damage, and I'm too lazy to calculate it right now, but I bet it puts Flame Blade even farther ahead of 1 Flame Strike + wildshape.

It'd also be intersting to look at using Flame Blade in conjnction with wild shape (such as into an Ape). 3 flame blade strikes plus a claw plus a bit could be nasty, even if it does greatly lower your damage for claw and bite.

Kinda makes me want to make a druid if one of my characters dies.

 

[Caliban]

In 3.5 tower shields grant a +4 shield bonus to AC from all directions. They can still be used to gain cover, but the default usage is +4 shield bonus to AC. Getting cover requires you to give up all your attacks. I wish they han't been so vague though. Does "give up all your attacks" mean that you have to use a standard action to get cover, or can you still cast spells and get the cover? Can you cast attack spells, or would that not be allowed because you have to "give up all your attacks."

According to the latest Sage Advice, it's meant to be a Standard Action to get total cover, and it's still not 360 degree total cover, you have to pick a side of your square that the shield is facing.

 

[James McMurray]

Cool, I thought I'd read that somewhere but I'm way too lazy to go looking through my Dragons.

 

[Caliban]

On another note, I really don't think Flame Blade has an 18-20 crit range. You use it like you would use a scimitar, but it's still a spell, and the effect is a beam of energy. So it would have the same crit range as any other spell: 20.

Because you use it like a scimitar, any scimitar specific feats would apply (weapon focus, specialization, improved crit).

 

[DarkMaster]

On another note, I really don't think Flame Blade has an 18-20 crit range. You use it like you would use a scimitar, but it's still a spell, and the effect is a beam of energy. So it wouldhave the same crit range as any other spell: 20.

Because you use it like a scimitar, any scimitar specific feats would apply (weapon focus, specialization, improved crit).

.
Well, since they don't mention it, I would still use 18-20

 

[Caliban]

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Well, since they don't mention it, I would still use 18-20

That's just it. They don't mention using a different crit range, so you should use the crit range for a spell, not the crit range for a sword.

 

[James McMurray]

You wield this bladelike beam as if it were a scimitar.

If you're wielding a scimitar, do you have a 18-20/x2 threat or a 20/x2? It seems to me that the Flame Blade is meant to have an 18-20/x2 threat.

 

[Caliban]

If you're wielding a scimitar, do you have a 18-20/x2 threat or a 20/x2? It seems to me that the Flame Blade is meant to have an 18-20/x2 threat.

But your not wielding a scimitar, are you? You are wielding a 3 foot long, blazing beam of red hot fire.

You wield it as if it were a scimiter, not "it is treated as a scimitar".

The base crit range is determined by the weapon, not by how you wield it (although how you wield it can improve the crit range). Otherwise you could wield a greataxe like a scimitar and get a better crit range.

It doesn't do damage like a scimitar (it does 1d8+ caster level), it doesn't attack like a scimitar (it's a touch attack), why would it crit like a scimitar? The spell certainly doesn't say that it crits like a scimitar.