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Spell Focus 3.5: WAH! Was it that bad?
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<blockquote data-quote="(Psi)SeveredHead" data-source="post: 1040227" data-attributes="member: 1165"><p>That seems pretty decent - but did he only prepare <em>one</em> non-mind-affecting offense spell for each spell level? It seems like he prepared two or more mind-affecting spells for each spell level - putting all the eggs into one basket, so to speak.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>This is a bad idea if you ask me. [OT digression] This reminds me of the 1st-level Hennet's progression in the PHB. Did he not take Mage Armor? What happens if enemies attack him from both ways, and the fighter can't save his behind?</p><p></p><p>Besides, Magic Missile is useless until 3rd-level (IME) and Sleep is less useful than Color Spray, especially for a sorcerer. [/Digression]</p><p></p><p>If you ask me, he should trade a Sleep spell for somthing else.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>This is a 1st-level wizard. It's a serious bug of 3e (and 2e) that 1st-level wizards are <em>very</em> weak. It wouldn't matter how many spells the sorcerer knows ... with only three or so spells per day he is going to run out anyway.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I feel your pain, too. I have an 8th-level wizard with very few spell slots. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f641.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":(" title="Frown :(" data-smilie="3"data-shortname=":(" /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I think this <em>is</em> a bad idea. This is just my XP, but my wizard (a 8th-level gnome) has Spell Focus (Conjuration) and Spell Focus (Necromancy). My only <em>big gun</em> is <em>fear</em> and I only prepare it once per day. (I also have Dimension Door and Greater Invisibility.)</p><p></p><p>As you can see, I've focused somewhat (overly?) on defense. If I hadn't done so, I would trade out Dimension Door for Otiluke's Resilient Sphere. I would definitely <em>not</em> prepare <em>fear</em> twice.</p><p></p><p><em>Fear</em> is also more useful than <em>dominate person</em> because it works on nearly any creature I run into that has a mind, whereas Dominate Person won't even work on a tiefling! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f621.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":mad:" title="Mad :mad:" data-smilie="4"data-shortname=":mad:" /></p><p></p><p>There are many way to keep out <em>fear</em> including <em>remove fear</em> but <em>protection from good</em> is a more likely spell to be known/prepared by an opponent, since it has uses other than preventing mind control. In other words, I picked a spell with worse defenses against it <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /> that is also more useful than Dominate Person <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>He should have used Web <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>They could still take multiple Spell Focus and not take Greater Spell Focus. It's never a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket (see the 3.0 ranger's favored enemy). The sample wizard has put his eggs in very few baskets. Instead of taking Greater Spell Focus, he should have taken another Spell Focus instead.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>First of all ... that's a bad idea again. Just because a sorcerer take Spell Focus doesn't mean he should take so many Enchantment spells. </p><p></p><p>[OT digression] Charm Monster is not a combat spell, Dominate Person is nearly useless due to the target restrictions, and Hold Person is useless for the same reason.</p><p></p><p>Confusion and Hold Monster are the good ones. [/OT digression]</p><p></p><p>Indeed, I can't picture a wizard or sorcerer taking Spell Focus (Enchantment) until 9th-level. Of course, that's just my XP.</p><p></p><p>To make matters worse, he has hosed himself if he faces opponents with high Will saves. Even if he doesn't have Spell Focus (Necromancy) he will still find his Blindness/Deafness spell more useful against a high-Will save opponent than Confusion. At least this is my XP ... at low levels the saving throw spread isn't as great and depends more on stats than on levels.</p><p></p><p>PS if you ask me, if your DM doesn't change Spell Focus and ban Greater Spell Focus, you should wait until the higher levels to take Greater Spell Focus. I can't picture what a sorcerer is doing <em>trying</em> to take GSF twice at 9th-level. He doesn't have the feat slots, he knows he doesn't have the feat slots ... he should try another tactic.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="(Psi)SeveredHead, post: 1040227, member: 1165"] That seems pretty decent - but did he only prepare [i]one[/i] non-mind-affecting offense spell for each spell level? It seems like he prepared two or more mind-affecting spells for each spell level - putting all the eggs into one basket, so to speak. This is a bad idea if you ask me. [OT digression] This reminds me of the 1st-level Hennet's progression in the PHB. Did he not take Mage Armor? What happens if enemies attack him from both ways, and the fighter can't save his behind? Besides, Magic Missile is useless until 3rd-level (IME) and Sleep is less useful than Color Spray, especially for a sorcerer. [/Digression] If you ask me, he should trade a Sleep spell for somthing else. This is a 1st-level wizard. It's a serious bug of 3e (and 2e) that 1st-level wizards are [i]very[/i] weak. It wouldn't matter how many spells the sorcerer knows ... with only three or so spells per day he is going to run out anyway. I feel your pain, too. I have an 8th-level wizard with very few spell slots. :( I think this [i]is[/i] a bad idea. This is just my XP, but my wizard (a 8th-level gnome) has Spell Focus (Conjuration) and Spell Focus (Necromancy). My only [i]big gun[/i] is [i]fear[/i] and I only prepare it once per day. (I also have Dimension Door and Greater Invisibility.) As you can see, I've focused somewhat (overly?) on defense. If I hadn't done so, I would trade out Dimension Door for Otiluke's Resilient Sphere. I would definitely [i]not[/i] prepare [i]fear[/i] twice. [i]Fear[/i] is also more useful than [i]dominate person[/i] because it works on nearly any creature I run into that has a mind, whereas Dominate Person won't even work on a tiefling! :mad: There are many way to keep out [i]fear[/i] including [i]remove fear[/i] but [i]protection from good[/i] is a more likely spell to be known/prepared by an opponent, since it has uses other than preventing mind control. In other words, I picked a spell with worse defenses against it :D that is also more useful than Dominate Person :D He should have used Web :D They could still take multiple Spell Focus and not take Greater Spell Focus. It's never a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket (see the 3.0 ranger's favored enemy). The sample wizard has put his eggs in very few baskets. Instead of taking Greater Spell Focus, he should have taken another Spell Focus instead. First of all ... that's a bad idea again. Just because a sorcerer take Spell Focus doesn't mean he should take so many Enchantment spells. [OT digression] Charm Monster is not a combat spell, Dominate Person is nearly useless due to the target restrictions, and Hold Person is useless for the same reason. Confusion and Hold Monster are the good ones. [/OT digression] Indeed, I can't picture a wizard or sorcerer taking Spell Focus (Enchantment) until 9th-level. Of course, that's just my XP. To make matters worse, he has hosed himself if he faces opponents with high Will saves. Even if he doesn't have Spell Focus (Necromancy) he will still find his Blindness/Deafness spell more useful against a high-Will save opponent than Confusion. At least this is my XP ... at low levels the saving throw spread isn't as great and depends more on stats than on levels. PS if you ask me, if your DM doesn't change Spell Focus and ban Greater Spell Focus, you should wait until the higher levels to take Greater Spell Focus. I can't picture what a sorcerer is doing [i]trying[/i] to take GSF twice at 9th-level. He doesn't have the feat slots, he knows he doesn't have the feat slots ... he should try another tactic. [/QUOTE]
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