Question about stacking

[Deathslayer7]

I have a PC who is trying to argue this:

The PrC The Stormcaster from Stromwreck has a 5th level ability called Thunderbolt. What that allow you to do is this:

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa125/death_slayer7/Thunderhead.png

Would that stack with a spell in Spell Compendium called "Thunderhead" which deals lightning damage 1/round for every round?

Example: Round 1: cast Thunderbolt, make one save
Round 2, cast thunderbolt again, make two saves now, or one save?

[MesiDoomstalker]

I have a PC who is trying to argue this:

The PrC The Stormcaster from Stromwreck has a 5th level ability called Thunderbolt. What that allow you to do is this:

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa125/death_slayer7/Thunderhead.png

Would that stack with a spell in Spell Compendium called "Thunderbolt" which deals lightning damage 1/round for every round?

Example: Round 1: cast Thunderbolt, make one save
Round 2, cast thunderbolt again, make two saves now, or one save?

You wouldn't need to cast Thunderbolt again (if I'm reading what you said right) as it will deal damage again next round. Likewise, since its lightning damage, the ability is automatically applied so bonus Sonic damage and a second save for the ability.

[herrhauptmann]

Why not throw in Thunderhead (1st level)?
A first level spell, a reflex save each round to avoid getting zapped. If they get zapped, they got a chance of losing their next action...

Anyway, I'd say that the two separate castings of thunderbolt (without your thunderbolt class ability) would cause them to make two saves a round during the time the spells overlap.

[Anxe]

By RAW? He's gonna be making 2 saves on the second round.

By balance issues? One save on the second round.

[Flickerdart]

By RAW? He's gonna be making 2 saves on the second round.

By balance issues? One save on the second round.
Why would two saves be unbalanced? The guy's invested five class levels into a trick that offers the target a ton of saves to resist (if the initial Reflex save succeeds, the spell deals no damage and the stun doesn't activate, and then a successful Fortitude negates the stun - and only casters tend to have both of these saves as poor ones), has to waste additional spell slots and standard actions just to stunlock one guy, and then the save DC is crap because it's a 1st level spell. Assuming that Stormcaster starts at 6th like most PrCs, he's level 11 when using this ability, meaning his DCs are 5 points below what monsters of that level are designed to fight. Also? SR negates.

[ericgrau]

It's ambiguous as technically it might even only add the damage once and cause one save, both at the time of casting... or it could do both every single time it deals damage. I think a fair answer that also fits within the various possibilities would be to add the sonic damage every time damage is dealt but only face a possible stun the first time a creature is damaged.

[Dictum Mortuum]

It does say any spell you *cast* . Obviously the author had one-round blasts in mind, not effects that can be repeated.

[Xtomjames]

This really comes down to what one interprets a Casting to be.

First I'll state, in at least my copy of the spell compendium, there is no spell "thunderbolt". You're thinking of the spell "Thunderhead" page 219.

That said the special ability specifically says a Casting, as in a single casting of the spell. This mean in the first instance of the lightning strike from the spell the ability would go off, subsequent bolts of electricity from the spell (which is a duration spell) do not count as a new casting of the spell so the special ability does not go off there after or apply to any of the lightning bolts created after the initial one.

[Deathslayer7]

This really comes down to what one interprets a Casting to be.

First I'll state, in at least my copy of the spell compendium, there is no spell "thunderbolt". You're thinking of the spell "Thunderhead" page 219.

That said the special ability specifically says a Casting, as in a single casting of the spell. This mean in the first instance of the lightning strike from the spell the ability would go off, subsequent bolts of electricity from the spell (which is a duration spell) do not count as a new casting of the spell so the special ability does not go off there after or apply to any of the lightning bolts created after the initial one.

Sorry. yes i meant thunderhead and I changed it in the opening post. And the special ability says "any spell cast" which that would be a spell cast by him.

But thank you all for the input.