What's so great about the Rune Domain?

[EroGaki]

A buddy of mine absolutely loves the Rune domain. I'm not sure what he sees in it, to be honest. The bonus feat is great; the rest of it doesn't speak to me. Blasting Rune feels random to me; the creature has to step in the square to be affected, but unless you are in a tight area, like a small hallway, there is a decent chance it could be missed, thus wasting it. The fact that it is invisible is a double edged sword; your enemy can't see, and therefore can't avoid it, but neither can your allies. The ability wouldn't be so bad if you could create it in a square already occupied, but as is, it is too unpredictable for my taste.

Could anyone give me some imput on this? Am I not thinking this through?

 

[Drkfathr1]

Maybe its just a matter of taste. Maybe he really likes it for the flavor rather than just for the mechanics?

 

[ruemere]

Swarms. A few golem types. Add invisibility (for yourself) and you can pull do a Rambo to goblins. Also allows to a few energy damage types on demand.

It's not much, but with a little creativeness could be made to work.

Regards,
Ruemere

 

[EroGaki]

Maybe its just a matter of taste. Maybe he really likes it for the flavor rather than just for the mechanics?

Normally, I'd be inclined to agree, except that according to my friend, the rune domain is "the most powerfully awesome domain in the PH." His words, not mine.

 

[Disquisition]

Normally, I'd be inclined to agree, except that according to my friend, the rune domain is "the most powerfully awesome domain in the PH." His words, not mine.

To put it simply, it's not. But it's not awful either.

Scribe Scrolls aside, the Blast Rune ability is, at low levels, one of the better damage-based magical effects a cleric has access to based purely on the fact that it requires no attack roll and offers no save. All you have to do is get an enemy to stand on it.

At higher levels it retains some of its utility by merit of Spell Rune, which allows you to effectively deliver pesky melee touch spells (bestow curse and slay living come to mind) at a range.

Its most powerful aspect, though, is that (at mid to high levels), in a very tactically-minded party, it's a great pre-encounter effect; the damage isn't devastating, but it's still damage, and if you can throw a few runes down before combat and then lure an enemy into them, that's a few hit points you don't have to use actual spells to deal with, and could end up shaving a round or two off the combat (which means a round or two of attacks you don't have to suffer). It's certainly not the kind of thing that's possible in all (or even most) combats, but there'll be plenty of opportunity for it in your average dungeon crawl.

 

[frankthedm]

Does the player like Proximity Mines in FPSs that have those?