Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ycore Rixle" data-source="post: 1289431" data-attributes="member: 675">Frank, I agree with your comment about empowered (or even maximized) Scorches later on. Not looking at my books right now, but I believe a maximized Scorch tossed by an 11th-level caster does 72 points of damage if all three rays hit on a ranged touch attack. Granted, that's become a fifth-level spell. But if you are, say, a 5thSor/Ftr2/Disciple of Asmodeus 10, and you happen to call your scorching rays the Flames of Nessus (not that I'm thinking of any NPC in particular <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />), then you can easily get a +14 ranged touch attack and have a really nice chance of toasting the party's mages, rogues (no evasion or improved evasion allowed), and even cleric types real good. Is it too good? Well in my opinion not really, but it is pushing the top end of balance. I think it joins the ranks of magic missile and fireball as very powerful spells for their level.Pie, I agree web and glitterdust are powerhouses for their level. Probably more so than scorching ray, because that one doesn't come into its own until higher levels. I don't think ray is in the same league as Melf's, though. Aside from the forced concentration checks, which will probably be made at higher levels anyway, I think scorch owns Melf's because of its ability to do damage now rather than an accumulated damage over time. Also, with regard to your question about level, our campaign is 15th/16th level. Spell resistance isn't a huge concern because most of the enemies are either human or have a pretty low SR that the characters can overcome. Also, most of the casters that have to choose between Scorch or Melf's are NPC villains - and thus they will be firing at the party, which no doubt colors my view of the relative usefulness of the two spells.</blockquote>

Verification