Heart Ripper?

[Doughnut Master]

So, I was looking through the Spell Compendium in search of Assassin spells, and I came across the Heart Ripper. If the subject fails its fort save, it dies. Even if it succeeds, it's still stunned for 1d4 rounds. How is this balanced? What am I missing?

[Bang!]

So, I was looking through the Spell Compendium in search of Assassin spells, and I came across the Heart Ripper. If the subject fails its fort save, it dies. Even if it succeeds, it's still stunned for 1d4 rounds. How is this balanced? What am I missing?
The target is stunned if it has more HD than your CL (typically Character level -5 to -10).
The target only dies if it has fewer HD than your CL (and again, as an Assassin, CL will be low).
Nothing happens if the target succeeds its save.

And since it's a level 4 spell, first available at level 12 and allowing a Fort save, the target is probably going to succeed in its save.

Also: [Death], SR: Yes (and remember the low CL thing), and a list of extra possible immunities.

[TOZ]

What's the range on Heartripper again? Has the wizard been SoDing enemies at range for the past few levels? I forget.

[Popertop]

I think by that level the wizard will have either level 5 or 6 spells, so yeah, he would have been throwing around a few SoDies

[Doughnut Master]

Well I was looking at it for an Assassin. But that makes sense. I forgot about SR. Although it still wins for cool points.

On a somewhat related note of Assassin spells,

Does warding armor counteract the Find the Gap spell (first attack each round is resolved as a touch attack, disregarding armor, shield, enhancement, and natural armor bonuses)?

1a. Can this spell be combined with Arrowsplit from Champions of Ruin (essentially the same as a splitting enhancement)?

[Runestar]

By the time an assassin can cast it, wizards are already tossing 7th lv spells around.

The spell's DC is likely to be quite low (it being a 4th lv spell, and int being their secondary stat), not to mention it targets fort, so success seems quite unlikely.

Doesn't seem as strong as you are making it out to be. :smallfrown:

[Amphetryon]

There are also a couple ways to be flat-out immune to Stun, if memory serves.

[Jack Zander]

The trick is to get this spell on a full-caster's spell list. I'm sure Archivist can do it.

[Thalnawr]

Is it a Necromancy spell? I bet it'd be just lovely as an Advanced Learning for the Dread Necro.

[Parasyn]

Is it a Necromancy spell? I bet it'd be just lovely as an Advanced Learning for the Dread Necro.

yes, it is a necromancy spell.... but unfortunately advanced learning specifically says it must be a cleric or wizard spell

[Haberdashery]

Wu Jen have Heart Ripper as a 4th level spell. Heart Ripper was from Complete Arcane, and was a Wu Jen and Assassin spell, so I can only assume the update in the Spell Compendium applies to Wu Jen too.

[Anxe]

The Heart Ripper in Complete Arcane only affects "a number of creatures with HD totaling you caster level, none of which can have more than 4 HD."

It seems more like a death version of Deep Slumber to me. Course this version doesn't mention stunning people. I guess the Spell Compendium version wins.

[Zonugal]

I'm a fan of giving my Erudite's this spell.

[Forged Fury]

Wu Jen have Heart Ripper as a 4th level spell. Heart Ripper was from Complete Arcane, and was a Wu Jen and Assassin spell, so I can only assume the update in the Spell Compendium applies to Wu Jen too.
We typically assume that any spell in Spell Compendium with the same name as Complete Arcane is an update to the Wu Jen spell, even though Wu Jen are barely mentioned. For instance, Hail of Stone.

[IthroZada]

I assume the DC of the save increases exponentially if you chant "Kalima!" beforehand?

[dextercorvia]

I think the best class to take advantage of this is Chameleon. The get it at ECL 9, and can have the CL to really push the death effect.