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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Enforcer" data-source="post: 3479190" data-attributes="member: 396">Energy Missile and Energy Current have such a small area of effect that their effectiveness is reduced, especially given the levels at which they can be taken by the Wilder (6th and 12th, respectively). Energy current can be defeated by a simple move action away from the Wilder, kind of limited for a 5th-level power that the Wilder can't use until 12th by spending a feat on, I think.How many more opponents can a simple fireball hit than either of these? Or a cone of cold? And how much fewer resources do any of these use due to free-spell-scaling?6th level Sorcerer with fireball (and 18 Cha): 1 3rd-level spell for 6d6 (21 average damage) to everyone in a 20 ft. radius, at a MUCH longer range, for the cost of a 3rd-level spell (5pp equivalent), yielding about 4.2 damage per pp.vs.6th level Wilder (who spent a feat on energy missile, but also has 18 Cha): up to five opponents maximum, but only if no two are further apart than 15 ft., for 8d6+8 (36 average damage) per opponent (only if surging, only if fire or cold), for the cost of a 3.5-level spell (6pp equivalent, but actually 6.6 when the enervation risk is taken into account), yielding 5.45 damage per pp.Looks to me like it comes down to how many opponents there are, and how close together they are before one can decide who's more effective. More than five opponents? Sorcerer wins--remember the overkill of the Wilder doesn't matter, every damage point beyond what it takes to kill is useless. If the opponents are reasonably spread out, the Sorcerer wins again. And the sorcerer risked nothing (no enervation), spent fewer resources (less equivalent pp), saved a feat, and hit more guys.But of course, this all assumes that pure hit point damage is always the best option. It's not (much to the dismay of melee characters as the campaign progresses). Stinking Cloud or Web or Slow are much more effective against groups of bad guys than Fireball or Energy Missile. While the latter two almost kill everyone, they don't stop the enemy from hitting back if there are folks left standing. Stinking Cloud can knock several guys right out of combat, to be picked off at leisure with fewer resources. Same with Web (which can then be fireballed for extra damage).Deekin sums it up best.</blockquote>

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