D&D 3E/3.5 Spellsword 3.5 (CW) - new Channel Spell is awesome!

[Elder-Basilisk]

It's good enough without messing with Solid Fog, etc.

Ray of Enfeeblement (d6+5 str penalty)
Enervation (1d4 negative levels)
Ray of Exhaustion
Disintegrate
Feeblemind

 

[UltimaGabe]

There's a combination that I think is downright deadly. Assuming it's possible to have a Spellsword capable of 9th-level spells, here's what you do:

Learn Astral Projection. Go into battle, and channel it into your sword. Remember, channelling a spell is a Move action- even if the spell you're casting has a 30-minute casting time, such as Astral Projection.

Once it's channelled, go hit an opponent. Any opponent. As long as you successfully hit, the spell goes off- no save, no spell resistance, no nothing. Once the Astral Projection spell goes off, your target is helpless. Without a save. Or spell resistance. Or anything.

Basically, WotC screwed themselves up royally with that ability.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Once it's channelled, go hit an opponent. Any opponent. As long as you successfully hit, the spell goes off- no save, no spell resistance, no nothing.

Um?

Are you suggesting that Channelling Hold Person, say, would allow you to ignore the "one humanoid" part of the Target entry and Hold an ogre?

If not, then your Astral Projection plan will be foiled by the fact that your opponent is neither a/ you, nor b/ a willing creature, and is therefore an invalid target...

-Hyp.

 

[ForceUser]

I woul probably house rule that channelled wall spells, cloud spells and non-instantaneous AE spells such as Evard's black tentacles would affect the 5-ft square the striken enemy is standing in, and that if he chose to move away from that square he'd no longer be affected. Otherwise it just gets too funky. For instance, if a channelled cloudkill only affect the victim, how does a DM adjudicate the fact that the cloudkill description says the cloud drifts away from the caster at a rate of at least 10 feet every round? For that matter, I think I'd have to rule that wall spells in general just wouldn't work in this manner - I don't see how a character can share a square with a wall of force. You're either on one side of it or the other. On the other hand, a channelled Otiluke's resilient sphere would be a clever thing indeed.

 

[MerricB]

To get around wackiness like with solid fog and wall of fire, I'd probably house rule that area and effect spells can only be channeled if they're of instantaneous duration.

Sounds fair. OTOH, seeing someone running around going "I'm burning! I'm burning!" would be fun!

Cheers!

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

No go on the personal range spells and stabbing friends.

Personal range spells arn't Touch, Ray, Area, or Targeted spells.

Unless I'm misreading this:

Channel Spell (Sp): At 4th level, a spellsword can channel any spell he can cast into his melee weapon. Using this ability requires a move action, and the spellsword uses up the prepared spell or spell slot just as if he had cast the spell. The channeled spell affects the next target that the spellsword successfully attacks with his weapon (saving throws and spell resistance still apply). Even if the spell normally affect an area or is a ray, it affects only the target. The spell is discharged from the weapon, which can then hold another spell. A spellsword can channel his spells into only one weapon at a time. Spells channeled into a weapon are lost if not used in 8 hours.

There seems to be no restriction to just 'Touch, Ray, Area or Targeted' in this description... Is it from some other part of the class description?

As I read it, you can put absolutely anything in there?

And it affects the next target you hit. Even if that is an enemy, an innanimate object, yourself or even a willing friend?

Aside from the fact that it seems a rather strange way to deliver beneficial spells?

 

[Joshua Randall]

I wrote a short, not very detailed e-mail to customer service and a much longer, detailed e-mail to The Sage. Still waiting on a reply from the latter, but I did get a reply from customer service.

My e-mail:

This question relates to the Spellsword PrC from Complete Warrior. [...]

Can the Spellsword really channel any spell he can cast, even if its an
area or effect spell with a duration? If yes, this leads to some strange
situations. For example, what would happen if you channel the spell Evard's
black tentacles? What about prismatic wall?

What if the Spellsword ends up in the same square as his target (say, by
grappling) -- is the Spellsword now subject to whatever channeled spell was
affecting only the target?

Customer service response:

According to the spell description, you can channel any spell you [are] capable of casting into the sword. If the spell would erect a wall or has some other effect
that can't be applied to a single creature, the spell would fizzle, using up a
spell slot, but would have no effects.

Sounds good so far. I think most DMs would admit that a common sense house-rule like this is a Good Thing: no, you can't channel a wall spell or a summon spell. But this still leaves the problem of area spells like cloudkill or black tentacles.

The description of this ability states that this only affects the target, so
even if you are grappled in the same square as the effect, you would not take
damage or be subject to its effects.

This takes a literal reading of the channel spell ability (which is not a bad thing: I'm a literalist myself): the channeled spell affects only the target -- not the square he's in. Just him. Now, as discussed, this seems really wacky for some area spells, and we'll have to wait for The Sage's answer to that question.

 

[Darklone]

I wouldn't mind to allow to channel a Wall of Fire through the sword... but it will be only in the square of the opponent the Spellsword hits and he can simply leave it.

 

[Celtavian]

re

I think I would let someone channel a Wall of Fire onto someone. That would look cool having them burn for quite a few rounds. I'll probably decide spell to spell.

 

[Scharlata]

Hmmmm......

I'm considering hurling a spellsword with the Improved Critical and Power Critical feats with a maximized enervation spell channelled through a keen rapier of spell storing storing a maximized enervation spell against my group of innocent PCs scoring a critical hit for 4 times 4 negative levels ........ *bwuahbwuahbwuah harharhar*

Kind regards