What have you done about Blasphemy, etc.

[DwarvenDog]

My campaign is running into problems with these spells:

Blasphemy/Dictum/HolyWord/WordOfChaos.

I'm of a mind to fix them IMC, but I was wondering whether there was a body of work already done in this forum or elsewhere that I could mine for ideas.

The Problems:

1. It's easier to boost caster level than to boost spell DC's.
2. No save, no apparent means of avoiding the effect. (beyond SR). Does Silence work? Unclear.
3. High HD, Low CR half-fiends can decimate a party of appropriate level.
4. Just about every fiend above a certain level has it.


So again, before I go tossing around my n00b-ness by reinventing wheels, I'm interested to know what's already been discussed on this topic.


thanks for any insight.

 

[styker]

I agree with the problem 1, my players discovered a way of boost the CL to aproximadelly his LEVEL + 10, so any enemy of his level would be defeated by this spell without problems.

 

[airwalkrr]

1. It's easier to boost caster level than to boost spell DC's.

Yep, and with a spell based solely on caster level that makes this a doozy.

2. No save, no apparent means of avoiding the effect. (beyond SR). Does Silence work? Unclear.

Silence works. It is a sonic effect and all sonic effects are suppresed by the silence spell. Ways for NPCs to avoid it include spell resistance, greater spell immunity, and silence.

3. High HD, Low CR half-fiends can decimate a party of appropriate level.

Absolutely, and that is exactly why they are scary. A judicious DM would not apply the half-fiendish template to monsters with high HD relative to their CR.

4. Just about every fiend above a certain level has it.

Fiends are supposed to be scary.

So again, before I go tossing around my n00b-ness by reinventing wheels, I'm interested to know what's already been discussed on this topic.

There are enough problems with the spell that I thought it merited a saving throw. IMC, characters receive a Will saving throw against the effect that can negate the paralyzed or killed state only.

 

[Cheiromancer]

I think it would be appropriate to cap the spell at caster level 20. That's what other 7th level spells are capped at (e.g. delayed blast fireball). Some will also change blasphemy's dazed condition to deafened (like holy word).

 

[maggot]

We changed blasphemy from dazed to nauseated so you could at least crawl away. And we capped the spell at caster level 20 like other such spells. Still, next campaign I'm considering a Will save.

 

[Ciaran]

We changed blasphemy from dazed to nauseated so you could at least crawl away. And we capped the spell at caster level 20 like other such spells. Still, next campaign I'm considering a Will save.

All of these seem like good solutions.

On a related note, has anyone used Blasphemy/Dictum/HolyWord/WordOfChaos in a campaign house ruled to not use alignment? If so, how did you modify the spells?