Spellfire Wielder in 3.5 edition?

[peacenlove]

Spellfire wielder is an oddball feat from magic of Faerun which lets you absorb targeted spells, fire rays of energy and heal for limited amounts of health.


A spellfire wielder can ready an action to absorb spells targeted at her as if she were a rod of absorption. She gets one level of spellfire energy for every spell level absorbed and can store a number of spellfire energy levels equal to her Constitution score.

from the rod of absorption (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/rods.htm#absorption)

the important part.

Absorption requires no action on the part of the user if the rod is in hand at the time.

I am confused. Would a spellfire wielder in 3.5 edition not need an action to absorb spells? If yes I guess immunity to targeted spells/rays while not flatfooted (correct?) would be too much for a feat obtainable at 1st level. Is there a way to tone it down without making it as useless as the 3.0 version?
Maybe expending your immediate action and raising the prerequisites to 7th level or more would make it more balanced?

I am interested in this feat because I am going to be soon playing a shadowcaster/dread witch (houserule: shadowcaster counts as an arcane caster, can use sorcerer tricks for bonus mysteries and can count sorcerer spells as mysteries) and I am looking for ways to give him protection and some at will decent powers.
The DM is VERY lenient, being used to Tier 2 games (psion/ardent power), however advice for Tier 3 (tome of battle) games would be also welcome.

[supermonkeyjoe]

I think the "as if she were a rod of absorption" effect is activated by the readied action, once the action is readied then no other action would be required to absorb spells.

[Zombimode]

Readying an action is a standart action. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialInitiativeActions.htm#ready)

[peacenlove]

I think the "as if she were a rod of absorption" effect is activated by the readied action, once the action is readied then no other action would be required to absorb spells.

Full text of spellfire here spoilered for length.

Persons gifted with the spellfire ability can do amazing things, dependent upon their skill, talent, and the amount of magical energy they have within them at the time. In general, spellfire can be used to heal, create blasts of destructive fire, or absorb magical effects it contacts, although the exact effects vary by circumstance and user. Talented wielders can release multiple blasts at once or even fly using the ability.

A spellfire wielder can ready an action to absorb spells targeted at her as if she were a rod of absorption. She gets one level of spellfire energy for every spell level absorbed and can store a number of spellfire energy levels equal to her Constitution score.

As a standard action, she may expend these spellfire energy levels as a ranged touch attack (maximum range 400 feet), dealing 1d6 points of spellfire damage per level expended (Reflex half DC 20). Spellfire damage is half fire damage and half raw magical power, just like the damage of a flame strike spell is half fire and half divine energy. Creatures with immunity, resistance, or protection against fire apply these effects to half the damage.

A spellfire wielder can also heal a target by touch, restoring 2 hit points per spellfire energy level expended for this purpose.

Unlike most supernatural abilities, spellfire is affected by spells and magic items that affect spell-like abilities, such as a rod of absorption or a rod of negation (if pointed at the manifestation rather than the wielder). It can be thwarted or counterspelled by dispel magic, and theoretically a spellfire wielder could counterspell another's spellfire. However, spellfire is a supernatural ability and does not provoke an attack of opportunity when used, nor is it subject to spell resistance.

Assuming your ruling is correct, a rod of absorption is a permanent magic item and no duration is listed for how long the spellfire wielder can absorb spells. While in 3.0 edition (IIRC) a rod of absorption indeed required a standard action to absorb a spell and absorbed the next spell targeted at you. This seems problematic because I ready an action when I get the feat and I can absorb spells indefinitely.

Sorry if I am looking too much into it. I am looking equally for a RAW answer as well as ways to fix the feat into playable levels.

EDIT: Since reading zombimode's post I would absorb spells until I took another action. That is more helpful than it's 3.0 counterpart where I could absorb only one spell. Maybe I will suggest this ruling until something else comes up.

[Fizban]

I was introduced to Spellfire by a forgotten realms novel titled Spellfire. As one might expect, the main character (a waifish teenage girl) with the titular ability was completely untouchable by magic and killed things without even trying, the worst offender of the trope I'd seen.

Then I looked up the mechanics and laughed my ass off at how completely useless they were. Yes, readying an action requires an action. Better pray that you fight a lot of spellcasters who inexplicably target you and only you with single target spells, and have no defenses or mentionable hit points with which to negate your lame touch attacks for puny damage, with reflex save for half. Bonus: does not even work on supernatural abilities, making the climactic point of the book even more hilariously incorrect with "did not do the research."

The full mechanics for Spellfire are in Magic of Faerun. I thought they got updated in the Player's Guide to Faerun, but it appears not. The former also has the Spellfire Channeler prestige class, while the latter has the epic version Spellfire Heirophant. And in case you're wondering: no, neither of these makes it anywhere near worth it. You still fail at everything forever, even if you dip warlock to recharge yourself at-will.

[dextercorvia]

I was introduced to Spellfire by a forgotten realms novel titled Spellfire. As one might expect, the main character (a waifish teenage girl) with the titular ability was completely untouchable by magic and killed things without even trying, the worst offender of the trope I'd seen.

Then I looked up the mechanics and laughed my ass off at how completely useless they were. Yes, readying an action requires an action. Better pray that you fight a lot of spellcasters who inexplicably target you and only you with single target spells, and have no defenses or mentionable hit points with which to negate your lame touch attacks for puny damage, with reflex save for half. Bonus: does not even work on supernatural abilities, making the climactic point of the book even more hilariously incorrect with "did not do the research."

The full mechanics for Spellfire are in Magic of Faerun. I thought they got updated in the Player's Guide to Faerun, but it appears not. The former also has the Spellfire Channeler prestige class, while the latter has the epic version Spellfire Heirophant. And in case you're wondering: no, neither of these makes it anywhere near worth it. You still fail at everything forever, even if you dip warlock to recharge yourself at-will.

I'm fairly certain that the book predates the 3.0 mechanics. It came out during 2e. There were 2e mechanics, but I believe they came after the book as well.

[hamlet]

I was introduced to Spellfire by a forgotten realms novel titled Spellfire. As one might expect, the main character (a waifish teenage girl) with the titular ability was completely untouchable by magic and killed things without even trying, the worst offender of the trope I'd seen.


If you thought the 3.5 version was bad, you should see the 2nd edition version when the power creep was in full tilt in the Realms. It was absurd and you could do lots of special things with Spellfire. Like raising the dead and teleporting.

[peacenlove]

My thoughts exactly :smallamused:

Yes it is as I feared, this feat is unsalvageable. Back to the drawing board I guess :smallsigh:

Last question: Would you think that eliminating the "readied action" clause (in effect absorbing spells with no action expended, like an ACTUAL rod of absorption does) would make the feat overpowered? With the limitation that you must be aware of the attack in question?
It's like giving the player a 50k gp magic item with some additional restrictions and no spending charges on free spells, however without the 50 spell levels limit.
From what level would that feat be reasonable?


If you thought the 3.5 version was bad, you should see the 2nd edition version when the power creep was in full tilt in the Realms. It was absurd and you could do lots of special things with Spellfire. Like raising the dead and teleporting.

From what book is this? Seems like a nice expansion to the normal spellfire uses.
Also if I take it, I might make the spellfire prestige class into a chain of feats. This would be useful.

[hamlet]

From what book is this? Seems like a nice expansion to the normal spellfire uses.
Also if I take it, I might make the spellfire prestige class into a chain of feats. This would be useful.

Volo's Guide to All Things Magical.

It was not nice. It was byzantine and absurd. Basically, how to build a Mary Sue character without even trying.

[PlzBreakMyCmpAn]

Cons:
Teleportation and flying are more useful than healing. Too bad no one bothers with that crappy PrC.

The good part doesn't work with Su's. AMF does, but removes your magic too.

The damage gives an AC touch and a reflex save.

Fire immunity is plentiful.

DC20, while not bad, doesn't scale well.

You can't protect a party with this... unless they all take the feat.

By RAW, you can't move to intercept a ray.



Pros:
You don't have to be aware of the targeted spell or ray.

You can ready the action to be a free action as the rod. You have infinite free actions. As long as you set the conditions to multiple spells or SLAs, you can absorb up to your max each turn

Your max spell levels absorbed are off of CON

You can absorb friendly spells.

With a high con and enemies that either have no reflex saves or no evasion, you can do a large amount of damage for low levels. My max con build would guarantee a 400' touch attack of 20d6 at level 1. Something immune to fire and with a good reflex score would still take 5d6.

You can absorb dispels from counterspelling antimage casters.




See my FF Character Ability (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=12144.0) thread at BG (Celes anyone?) for

[Luckmann]

Volo's Guide to All Things Magical.

It was not nice. It was byzantine and absurd. Basically, how to build a Mary Sue character without even trying.

What makes it Mary Sue-esque? Something being overpowered does not a Mary Sue make.

[Halae]

You can ready the action to be a free action as the rod. You have infinite free actions. As long as you set the conditions to multiple spells or SLAs, you can absorb up to your max each turn

I'd argue that readying an action takes a standard action, but frankly, this makes too much sense not to use. It means that you can absorb magic while you're awake, but not when unconscious or flat-footed, which makes it somewhat balanced

[PlzBreakMyCmpAn]

'ready the action to be a'

You can ready actions of different lengths, so long as you still have that action left and it fits your condition. It's a good thing a character has infinite free ac

[Curmudgeon]

Spellfire has only one useful application: for a non-spellcaster to tap into unused spell energy from the casters in the party, and later release it as a blaster. That's a reasonable choice for a high-CON melee specialist, as it gives them a handy ranged attack for the price of just one feat.

[Jane_Smith]

My dm for one of my games allowed me to take this feat, and made a few small additional clauses to what the feat can absorb;

"Any spell or spell-like ability that includes you in its area of effect"

"Any spell or spell-like ability that targets your eidolon, animal companion, familiar, cohort, or paladin mount if you are within 5 feet of it."

"The damaging effect only requires a ranged touch attack, the DC is removed, and now deals full untyped raw magical fire damage. The target hit and damaged by this ability is subject to greater dispel magic effect with an effective caster level based on the number of spellfire levels used for the blast."

"You may only heal a creature up an amount equal to its constitution score per day safely. Any further healing fails and deals spellfire damage. This hard cap remains the same even if multiple sources of spellfire healing are applied and is shared between them."

[Douglas]

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