spells that lost popularity in 3.0/3.5

[lukelightning]

The thing about stoneskin is that it used to be a spell to protect you for a short time from super tough monsters pounding on you. Now it's a spell to protect you from low-level mooks. Even a lowly ogre is still quite a threat to you. And the way damage output from monsters really skyrockets, it's less and less useful as you encounter more and more dangerous things.

 

[Kurotowa]

You don't need to penetrate DR to deliver effects like this, other than poisons.

There was some debate by the group over that point at the time.

Whenever damage reduction completely negates the damage from an attack, it also negates most special effects that accompany the attack, such as injury type poison, a monk’s stunning, and injury type disease. Damage reduction does not negate touch attacks, energy damage dealt along with an attack, or energy drains. Nor does it affect poisons or diseases delivered by inhalation, ingestion, or contact.

Our DM ruled that the Slaying Arrow's death effect fell into the first catagory, being most similar to the monk's stunning first. It wasn't a ruling I've questioned since. Though if you have an FAQ citation to the contrary I'll gladly take it for future reference.

 

[Kormydigar]

Yep, poor old Hold Person used to be a Cleric's best friend, now it's a spell that rarely sees the light of day...

Yup. Who needs Hold Person anyway. A combination of Slow and Entangle do the trick. Once slowed, a target is denied full round actions which are required to break out of an Entangle. A virtual death sentence ( very much like a tiny net )

 

[Shadeus]

The Strength spell used to be the must have spell for all fighters in 1e. What was it, 2d4 Str for an hour per level? So you have fighters with a 24 strength running around kicking the hell out of everything. Of course, a 24 Str back in the day was devastating one short of being titan strength!

The 3.5 Bull's strength gets used until fighters get their strength modifying items (usually close to level 6). Then it never sees the light of day again.

 

[Pyrex]

I always found Lightning Bolt cool, but they nerfed it to much in 3.5 ... has to start at your position, no split to 10feet, smaller Range and lightning is no better than fire versus most Monsters.

That's not quite right. As a Line, if you fire a Lightning Bolt down the border-line of two squares, it *is* 10' wide.

 

[ken-ichi]

Yup. Who needs Hold Person anyway. A combination of Slow and Entangle do the trick. Once slowed, a target is denied full round actions which are required to break out of an Entangle. A virtual death sentence ( very much like a tiny net )

Well you can Start a Full-Round action by spending a Standard action and then spending another Standard action on your next turn to complete it. So it slows you to 1 check every two rounds rather than 1 check every round. Yep works like it should when you slow someone to half speed.

 

[MerricB]

I always found Lightning Bolt cool, but they nerfed it to much in 3.5 ... has to start at your position

Has been true in every edition of D&D. 3E is no exception. "Must start at your fingertips".

Cheers!

 

[Evilhalfling]

The Strength spell used to be the must have spell for all fighters in 1e. What was it, 2d4 Str for an hour per level? So you have fighters with a 24 strength running around kicking the hell out of everything. Of course, a 24 Str back in the day was devastating one short of being titan strength!

The 3.5 Bull's strength gets used until fighters get their strength modifying items (usually close to level 6). Then it never sees the light of day again.

Str was never that good ... 1st ed was a bonus based on class and it maxed out quickly - after 18 str it only added +10% so a fighter with an 18/01 (+1,+3) would only reach 18/81 (+2,+4)
you had to be in a good starting place and lucky to get +2,+2 out of it, and sometimes you got nothing.

 

[Mycanid]

Great thread folks!

I agree on the sleep and hold person votes maself....

 

[Lanefan]

Re: Lightning Bolt

Has been true in every edition of D&D. 3E is no exception. "Must start at your fingertips".

In 1e it had a range (I forget what it was, but it was relatively long) and generated your choice of a 5'x80' bolt or a 10'x40' bolt; the range was more than 80', implying that it could start some distance away from you. It had to keep going away from you; you couldn't cast a bolt that went across your field of view, for example, but it *could* start at a distance. (and if it has to start at your fingertips now, that makes it useless for taking out enemy back-liners...you'll mow down your own front line in the process...)

Taking out the rebounding effect was a horrible 3.0 nerf...ditto for the loss of fill-the-volume fireballs...

Lanefan