Direct damage may not be the best option...

[Talya]

...but damn can it be fun.

Especially when, as a level 4 druid, you roll a crit with a Splinterbolt (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20040710a) in a forest against the level 7 boss in a large battle for 53 damage.

*SPLAT*

[dextercorvia]

...but damn can it be fun.

Especially when, as a level 4 druid, you roll a crit with a Splinterbolt (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20040710a) in a forest against the level 7 boss in a large battle for 53 damage.

*SPLAT*

Wow, that is strictly better than scorching ray, and I considered it to be a pretty good DD spell for its level.

[Urpriest]

Wow, that is strictly better than scorching ray, and I considered it to be a pretty good DD spell for its level.

It's not a ranged touch attack anymore, which can be important. But yes, that's a pretty nice spell.

[dextercorvia]

It's not a ranged touch attack anymore, which can be important. But yes, that's a pretty nice spell.

I did miss that.

[Keld Denar]

Its been said that the best role for a wizard is always have the right tool for the job. Sometimes your fighter is a tool, sometimes Black Tentacles is the right tool, and sometime the right tool is a handful of d6s to the face.

[Talya]

Its been said that the best role for a wizard is always have the right tool for the job. Sometimes your fighter is a tool, sometimes Black Tentacles is the right tool, and sometime the right tool is a handful of d6s to the face.

Aye. This one has drama, too.

There are two Talassan druids and a big bunch of hobgoblin warblades our party of 6 has attacked. The Talos-worshipping druids were about to sacrifice a dryad to some dark ritual at the center of a small stonehenge-like circle.

After summoning some wolves to help our melee types deal with the hobgoblins, my NG Lurue-worshipping druid confronted the evil druid leader in the circle and started attempting to convince the two evil druids there to stand down. Speaking in druidic, my druid questioned what type of guardians nature has when they try to kill nature's own daughters, and surely as my brothers, the druids and I could come to some peaceful arrangement. The leader sneered at me and said "Talos does not grant his divine protection to someone merely because they come from a tree."

My response, "Talos doesn't offer much protection against things that come from trees, either."

*SPLAT* - one level 7 druid is a red smear on the stones.

(to the remaining druid apprentice): "So, as I was saying, surely we can come to a peaceful accord..."

[NeoSeraphi]

Splinterbolt got nerfed to high hell in the Spell Compendium. (Deals x2 on a crit, is a druid-only conjuration spell because evocation can't have nice things, no extra damage in a forest and it plainly states that it must overcome damage reduction now)

It's nice to hear that you got the original version though. A x3 spell does indeed make people go splat! :smallbiggrin:

[Lord.Sorasen]

...but damn can it be fun.

Especially when, as a level 4 druid, you roll a crit with a Splinterbolt (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20040710a) in a forest against the level 7 boss in a large battle for 53 damage.

*SPLAT*

Seems you can also do it as a level 3 wizard. This is pretty neat.

[Incanur]

Splinterbolt got nerfed to high hell in the Spell Compendium. (Deals x2 on a crit, is a druid-only conjuration spell because evocation can't have nice things, no extra damage in a forest and it plainly states that it must overcome damage reduction now)

It does now ignore spell resistance, though, right? Still a decent spell.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

It does now ignore spell resistance, though, right? Still a decent spell.

It also makes an attack roll, not a touch attack roll, and has to get through DR, and does about as much damage as a Scorching Ray, with a better crit threat.

Personally, I'd take having to deal with SR and making a touch attack.

[Talya]

It also makes an attack roll, not a touch attack roll, and has to get through DR, and does about as much damage as a Scorching Ray, with a better crit threat.

Personally, I'd take having to deal with SR and making a touch attack.

The spell compendium version didn't change that. The original version (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20040710a) was still a normal ranged piercing attack (not touch), that had to deal with DR (although in a forested area, it overcame resistance like a cold iron & magic attack.)

The spell compendium dropped the crit multiplier from x3 to x2, and removed the bonus damage and cold iron quality for being in forested terrain.

It added SR: No, and added the magical quality to all attacks for overcoming DR.

I kinda prefer the original version, too, but it's not quite as bad a nerf as you make it sound. For a druid, the standard ranged attack may eventually be more reliable than the wizard's touch attack, anyway. 3/4 BAB instead of 1/2, and wildshape to high dex form...

[NeoSeraphi]

It also makes an attack roll, not a touch attack roll, and has to get through DR, and does about as much damage as a Scorching Ray, with a better crit threat.

Personally, I'd take having to deal with SR and making a touch attack.

It doesn't matter now. You can't choose between them. One is wiz/sorc-only and the other is druid-only.

Edit:



I kinda prefer the original version, too, but it's not quite as bad a nerf as you make it sound. For a druid, the standard ranged attack may eventually be more reliable than the wizard's touch attack, anyway. 3/4 BAB instead of 1/2, and wildshape to high dex form...

Yes, but the original version was a cool, nature-feel alternative for an evoker. Trading the DR problem for the ability to ignore energy resistance was a nice option, and allowed for evokers to have a decent non-energy backup.

Then the Spell Compendium took that away. And like everything else the Spell Compendium did, it gave Conjuration more of an advantage over Evocation.

I mean, how is that a Conjuration (Creation) spell? You HAVE the splinterbolt already, it's a FOCUS for the spell! If anything, you're making it bigger and throwing it, so it should be Transmutation, not Conjuration! ...argh!