Scorching Ray

[Caliban]

Here... I totally agree. My point is not, and has never been, that it's a balanced rule. As I said, my group limits SA's to once per round (this was imposed when another person was DMing, and I use it when I'm DMing too). I doubt SAs were supposed to be quite as common as they ended up being. The "spirit" of the rule is almost certainly not that you should be able to deal a hojillion d6 damage with Scorching Rays. Your way may even be how it's supposed to work, and they forgot to put it in the rulebooks. More likely, I think, they figured the "volley" attack rule, without shuriken, was specialized enough they could just put it under the only "volley" attack in 3.5, Manyshot, and not worry about it.. forgetting about that new ray spell they added.

But, I'm arguing that, as far as the rules are concerned, it's legal. It's certainly not balanced. It's most likely not what they intended. But it's what the 3.5 rules say happens.

*sigh* So this has just been mental masturbation. Whatever makes you happy.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

IMO, the real comparison for scorching ray until clvl 6 or so is Flaming Sphere. 4d6 in one round with a ranged touch vs. 2d6/round for 1 round/level with a reflex save (at the cost of 1 MeA/round). There's certainly room to argue for Flaming Sphere until 7th level or so when scorching ray's damage potential doubles and the save on flaming sphere is getting easier to make. Acid arrow may seem like the more obvious comparison, but it's always been a loser of a second level spell and the only reason it ever looked good was that it was about the only second level damage spell out there. In 2e, its advantage was that the wizard or sorceror couldn't use the second level slot for more magic missiles or chromatic orbs. In 3.5e, its advantage is that it doesn't suffer from SR. (Comparing Scorching Ray to a non-standard spell like Aganazar's scorcher isn't obviously in Scorching Ray's favor until 11th level).

At low levels, scorching ray is a decent spell but isn't overpowering by any stretch of the imagination. At mid levels, scorching ray is still a decent attack spell but is competing for space with utility spells like Alter Self, False Life, See Invisibility, Levitate, Spider Climb, Rope Trick, etc.

And, at high levels, scorching ray is about the only second level attack spell worth bothering with. But that's alright. (It's shut down by Resist Energy, natural energy resistance, Spell Immunity, etc). It also makes a very good spell to empower, maximize, and quicken. Take away scorching ray and you're left with magic missile, ray of enfeeblement, and enervation for those feats.

I don't think there's anything unbalanced about it.

 

[Darklone]

Didn't you just say you were going to house rule it instead of play it by the books...?

That's my problem, I lose control of what's a houserule, my interpretation of the rules and the rules like they are supposed to work... I need whiskey.