Spellfire only for npc's or do you allow for your pc's?

[Sir ThornCrest]

I have only glanced over the spellfire page and I dont really know the details on it, my experience is only being attacked by somebody with it. Its my turn to DM this month so I want to surprise my players, by intriducing a elven sun worshipping maiden fully loaded at about a cr of 9. We lost that book in a fire (ironic, no?) can somebody out there inlighten me on the details of spell fire, abilities, powers, prereqs, brief description etc. A pre thank you for any info....

Another question on spellfire- Does your DM allow you to play with it? Or is it deemed a campaign buster?

Sir ThornCrest

 

[Henry]

As for the details of Spellfire, I'm afraid all I can give you is the basics: can hold a max number of spellfire levels equal to CON, and can use them as a ranged attack for 1d6 per spellfire level, or cure wounds at 2 hp per spellfire level.

I've seen tons of discussion on Spellfire, but the best so far is at Sean Reynolds' site

http://p082.ezboard.com/fseankreynoldsboardsfrm20.showMessage?topicID=7.topic

Which is a good thread to look at concerning the balance behind spellfire.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

My DM let me use it. He running WLD and said we could "only" use stuff from WotC.

There are certainly some limits on it which make it less powerful than some claim. Sure, a spellfire wielder can store up a lot of energy and blast away. But one or two powerful blasts and he's done for the day (with spellfire, anyway). And the healing benefit is pretty tame (and a requires a touch, to boot). So, one or two decent sized blasts in a battle and he's on to other tactics, unless an enemy charges him up--which only works if he readies an action to absorb the energy. So, if the characters does nothing but ready the action, he'll be able to absorb more spell energy. And then, on a later round, blast away again. If he isn't being targeted by spellcasters, well, then the spellfire wielder can't do anything once the energy is gone. That's a pretty significant drawback. And unlike counter-spelling, where you don't have to ready the action if you have the right feat (Reactive Counterspell), there's no "official" feat to make the energy absorbing easier for a Spellfire Wielder.

But just wait til my Pixie Warmage takes the Spellfire Channeller prestige class!

 

[Darkness]

I have no mechanical objection to spellfire in the hands of a PC. I certainly don't think it's too powerful.

 

[Psion]

Whether or not it's a campaign breaker (I've honestly not studies it's merits and flaws enough to form an opinion), it's not part of my game. It's a world specific mechanical edifice like Kender that I wouldn't allow unless I had good reason I felt it belonged in my game.

 

[haiiro]

I have no mechanical objection to spellfire in the hands of a PC. I certainly don't think it's too powerful.

Same goes for my FR campaign. None of the PCs have taken it, though one was thinking about it before the player dropped out of the group.

 

[UltimaGabe]

A PC in one of my recently-started games was interested in being a Spellfire wielder- after having played a character with a few levels of the class in a previous campaign. Considering the prerequisites, and the limitations, and the fact that she'd have to give up spellcasting levels to get it anyway (as she'd be starting as a spellcaster), I told her a very simple way to get it all (well, a bit less power, but more goodies and more uses of it) with none of the costs:

Just be a Warlock.

Eldritch Blast is less powerful, but it's got unlimited uses, and Invocations (even one from a single level of the class) can provide a huge benefit in an area she may not have thought of. Plus, there's absolutely no prerequisites to meet (aside from alignment).

 

[Michael Morris]

Spellfire is WAY watered down in 3e as compared to it's depiction in Ed Greenwood's tales.

[sblock]I mean, at 1st level Shandril took out Manshoon and the dragon he rode in on.[/sblock]

No, I don't allow spellfire. If true to the story it's game busting. Yet I won't insult the story by allowing something watered down either.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I run a FR campaign, but don't allow spellfire -- and I don't care that it was Ed Greenwood's idea. I don't care for the flavor of it, and mechanically -- well, you either water it down so it's balanced, in which case it doesn't track with the story concept (everyone in the world hunting down the spellfire user) or you go with story-appropriate abilities and break the game.

 

[Nebt Bhakau]

We had to ban Spellfire in our game. Gameboard in the mall had it on sale, 50 cents for a box of starters. All our players went out and bought some, pretty soon nobody wanted to play D&D anymore. It was always "I lay out my sixth realm!" and "Drizzt is the bomb, he can attack twice!" and "Menzoberranzan is so broken, flyers can't attack it!"