Moon Bolt (Spell Compendium)

[Thump]

Had so many ****s and giggles with this spell. Our DM threw some kind of giant at us, and on the first turn, my 10th level druid does the following:

Esther (my character): Alright, stupid giant, take THIS! (To DM) I cast Moon Bolt on the gia-

DM: Hold up, what's Moon Bolt?

Me: Moon Bolt is a 4th level druid spell that deals 1d4 STR damage per three caster levels, and he gets a save for half.

DM: Fortitude?

Me: Yes.

DM: *rolls, facepalms*

Me: Did you roll a 1?

DM: Yes. How much STR damage?

Me: *rolls* 12 points.

At that point, the DM facepalmed so hard I thought he broke a fingerbone or something.

DM: You just realize you broke the BBEG's muscle, right?

Me: Yes. :smallbiggrin:

Thoughts on this spell?

[Snowbluff]

Taking Str dmg even with a successful save is the next best thing to no save! :smallbiggrin:

[Madara]

If it was a giant, it should've still had plenty strength left to run away, but not enough to be a boss.

[Namfuak]

Not moon bolt, but we were fighting a giant as well. He hit our rogue for something like 30 damage one round. I then hit him with an empowered ray of enfeeblement, upon which I rolled a 6+2+4=12 strength damage. Needless to say, the next time he attacked and hit he did much less damage.

[AvocadoAvenger]

Many spells in the spell compendium tend to be better then PHB spells. For a druid, you should look at the Giants wrath spell, it tends to be a very viable combat option for it's level.

[Chronos]

If it was a giant, it should've still had plenty strength left to run away, but not enough to be a boss.Well, it wouldn't be paralyzed by that, certainly. But 12 strength damage to anything that uses equipment is a pretty safe bet to put it over its maximum encumbrance, since a giant is probably also wearing very heavy equipment.

And the OP's situation was less than a 1 in 1000 chance (1 in 1280, to be exact). A more typical result would be something like 4 Str damage.