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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lonely Tylenol" data-source="post: 1885914" data-attributes="member: 18549">Ahh...  You see, the default assumption we make for balance discussion is that your campaign is a standard rules-as-written campaign.  The design assumption is that a party should face 3 or 4 level-appropriate challenges before they must rest.  If your campaign differs from the basic design assumptions, you should understand that the game balance will not operate normally in your situation.  The designers cannot foresee all campaign circumstances, and so they must balance these classes based on the assumption that most people play a "normal" campaign.  Those of us who don't play by normal rules, and I'm one, must make small tweaks to preserve balance, with the understanding that this is a consequence of changing the rules to suit our purposes.  But when we come here to discuss balance, we need to default to the "standard" rules.  The sorcerer uses scorching ray until 12th level without choosing any spells with a larger range?  Man, that sorcerer is just asking for it, isn't he?But back on the subject of fireball.  Allow me to submit that fireball always does at least twice the number of dice of damage as Eldritch Blast.  And that if a reflex save is made (assuming the enemies don't ALL have the fairly rare Evasion ability), it does no less than the same number of dice of damage as Eldritch Blast.  Unlike EB, it does that damage to mulitple targets.  Certainly, fire resistance plays a part, but unless the enemy is naturally fire resistant (and the sorcerer would in this case choose to use a different spell against it, or perhaps use Energy Substitution), the sorcerer can choose to use a different spell.  Like Lightning Bolt.So Fireball does at least as much damage, and hits more targets.  If the save is failed, it does twice as much damage.  So even if you hit only one enemy, and he makes his save, you're doing as much as the warlock can do.  But you're unlikely to hit only one enemy with a fireball, or with a lightning bolt, for that matter.  And if you're a good sorcerer with a high Cha, some of your enemies will probably fail their saves...especially if you focus on blasting the things with crappy reflex saves.But, EB has some advantages.  It has no energy type and can be used many times each day.  It can be augmented to carry special effects.  It can, at higher levels, be made to affect several targets at close range.On the one hand, being a sorcerer is good.  On the other hand, being a warlock is good....just like almost any class.  Wizards are fantastic party killers.  So are clerics.  A fighter can take down party members in one or two hits if he gets in close, and a rogue can sneak attack party members with poor Spot rolls, eliminating valuable casters and support crew (like the warlock).  An let's not forget assassins.  If the GM plays them correctly/smartly, they will each be a major problem for a party.</blockquote>

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