Ravingdork
2010-02-11, 01:28 PM
Delayed Blast Fireball
School evocation [fire]; Level sorcerer/wizard 7
Duration 5 rounds or less; see text
This spell functions like fireball, except that it is more powerful and can detonate up to 5 rounds after the spell is cast. The burst of flame deals 1d6 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 20d6). The glowing bead created by delayed blast fireball can detonate immediately if you desire, or you can choose to delay the burst for as many as 5 rounds. You select the amount of delay upon completing the spell, and that time cannot change once it has been set unless someone touches the bead. If you choose a delay, the glowing bead sits at its destination until it detonates. A creature can pick up and hurl the bead as a thrown weapon (range increment 10 feet). If a creature handles and moves the bead within 1 round of its detonation, there is a 25% chance that the bead detonates while being handled.
My confusion is stemming from the bolded text within the body of the spell's text.
What is the significance of treating it as a thrown weapon with a range increment (and an attack roll against a single target?) if it simply explodes as an area effect that forces a save? How is this rule intended to be handled? If I hit somebody with it directly, do they not get a save like Meteor Swarm or something?
Why not just have the text say the bead can be thrown and detonated within 50 feet? The only reason an attack roll would be required at all is to get the bead through a narrow opening. That way there is no confusion whatsoever.
Also, what happens if the bead leaves the spell's range? For example, a wizard casts the spell in a populated bar with a 5 round duration, then teleports 100 miles away. Does the bead still explode even though it is now outside spell range? Or is the effect negates just as a fireball launched outside of spell range would be?
School evocation [fire]; Level sorcerer/wizard 7
Duration 5 rounds or less; see text
This spell functions like fireball, except that it is more powerful and can detonate up to 5 rounds after the spell is cast. The burst of flame deals 1d6 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 20d6). The glowing bead created by delayed blast fireball can detonate immediately if you desire, or you can choose to delay the burst for as many as 5 rounds. You select the amount of delay upon completing the spell, and that time cannot change once it has been set unless someone touches the bead. If you choose a delay, the glowing bead sits at its destination until it detonates. A creature can pick up and hurl the bead as a thrown weapon (range increment 10 feet). If a creature handles and moves the bead within 1 round of its detonation, there is a 25% chance that the bead detonates while being handled.
My confusion is stemming from the bolded text within the body of the spell's text.
What is the significance of treating it as a thrown weapon with a range increment (and an attack roll against a single target?) if it simply explodes as an area effect that forces a save? How is this rule intended to be handled? If I hit somebody with it directly, do they not get a save like Meteor Swarm or something?
Why not just have the text say the bead can be thrown and detonated within 50 feet? The only reason an attack roll would be required at all is to get the bead through a narrow opening. That way there is no confusion whatsoever.
Also, what happens if the bead leaves the spell's range? For example, a wizard casts the spell in a populated bar with a 5 round duration, then teleports 100 miles away. Does the bead still explode even though it is now outside spell range? Or is the effect negates just as a fireball launched outside of spell range would be?