Possible house rule to make Blasters Feesable.

[Metahuman1]

Ok, so, Evocation is generally regarded as a weak school of magic, and thats mostly because just spamming direct damage is a sub-par option since other classes and builds do it better, and even other casters like the mail man can do it better with out actually using Evocation spells.

Now, based on a forum post in another topic I just read, I've had an idea. What if every Evocation had a rider effect? Every Fireball and lighting bolt and other ka-boom spell forced a reflex (Or whatever save it presently does or doesn't force.) for the damage, and then if you don't manage to totally skirt damage (I.E., successful save with evasion.) they automatically inflict a negative Debuffing condition depending on things like spell level, caster level, energy type?


It's an idea that literally just popped into my head t do to the whole school, so I'd love some feedback.

[Knaight]

Blasters already are feasible, and evocation is fine. It's underpowered only relative to the potential of non-blaster tier 1 classes, and is more or less in line with most of the game.

[Darius Kane]

Bring other schools/types of caster down to Blaster level. Then Blaster will be more feasible.

[Snowbluff]

Blasters already are feasible, and evocation is fine. It's underpowered only relative to the potential of non-blaster tier 1 classes, and is more or less in line with most of the game.

This. Sure, Batman may seemingly be able to do everything, and God may make his party invincible, but Mailmen are the most reliable to get rid of something.

[HunterOfJello]

Make sure that spellcasters have access to the Spell Compendium and blasting is fine.


Bring other schools/types of caster down to Blaster level. Then Blaster will be more feasible.

Peeing in everyone else's drinks won't make your drink stop tasting like piss. It only makes everyone's drinks taste like piss.

[eggs]

Peeing in everyone else's drinks won't make your drink stop tasting like piss. It only makes everyone's drinks taste like piss.
If that means dropping other casters to the capability of mailman builds, then a bit of piss is just the start of what those drinks need.

This is a superb metaphor, by the way. :smalltongue:

[Darius Kane]

So being a slightly suboptimal caster archetype is equaled to drinking piss? Wow.
But if that's what it takes for the piss-drinker to feel better about himself, then that's the way to go. They're still drinking exquisite French champagne.

[Korivan]

I agree, blasters are already feesable. And from personally making a fireball that could kill the big T, very powerful. The biggest problem I've seen is this. Even if your a sorcerer, or better yet, a focused specialist evoker, you'll still run out of spells sooner rather then later, where the fighter is alot less likely to run out of sword. Still, if you want the world to burn in a 15ft-100ft radius at a time. Blasters are nice.

If you go with blaster, I suggest fire damage using the one feat from Sandstorm to ignore fire resistance and half damage to fire immunity. Added fun, energy admixture for some sonic damage and metamagic reducers to help ramp damage to obscene amounts without having to use infinite combos or anything too cheesy (our dms disallow just about everything from the dirty tricks handbook and more)

[Alienist]

Reserve feats are one way to blast all day long without running out.

In order to improve evocation, one way would be to allow the caster to cast more than one spell at a time. If casting an evocation spell of level 2N allow them to cast another spell of level N as well. You might want to add a proviso that if it targets hostiles it has to target the same target as the bigger evocation.

This would (among other things) allow the caster in question to get defenses up at the same time as providing some offense.

One of my pet peeves is that if you want to play using defensive spells either you have to jump through ridiculous hoops (e.g. Getting divine metamagic persist on an arcane caster) or else you're giving up making a meaningful contribution.

Another way to boost evocations would be to drop the iconic spells (e.g. Magic missile, fireball etc) down a level - magic missile becomes a cantrip, fireball becomes level 2.

Another way would be to provide a temporary (cumulative) boost to faster level when casting evocations in a row. After each evocation bump their caster level by one for the next evocation. Virtual levels drop away at 1/round if not used, and casting a non-evocation doesn't get the benefit and also resets the cumulative bonus to 0.

[Fitz10019]

Here's another option:

For every 5CLs of a specialist evoker, their area evokation effects can apply to one more square of a creature's occupied space. This would be a big (and logical) boost to their damage against Large and larger opponents. Medium and smaller creatures would not be affected.

[Feralventas]

Here's another option:

For every 5CLs of a specialist evoker, their area evokation effects can apply to one more square of a creature's occupied space. This would be a big (and logical) boost to their damage against Large and larger opponents. Medium and smaller creatures would not be affected.

It would also jump Fireball, a 3rd level spell, to being a 20d6 damage spell with no meta-magic effects applied at all, when cast at full caster level. It could also make a 5d6 damage spell a 10d6 one at 5th level.

Blasters are fine as-is when taken in the context of the core classes, and even a Wu-Jen or Warlock blaster can work out just dandy.

I haven't the foggiest notion why anyone would think something with 9th level spells, regardless of what those spells are, would need More power than is already offered. T1 isn't the Best classes, just the most powerful, and offering them more free stuff seems absurd.

[Killer Angel]

Peeing in everyone else's drinks won't make your drink stop tasting like piss. It only makes everyone's drinks taste like piss.

Last time I checked, T1 was better than piss... anyhow, that's why you learn prestidigitation. :smallamused:

[Slipperychicken]

Last time I checked, T1 was better than piss... anyhow, that's why you learn prestidigitation. :smallamused:

Purify Food and Drink. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/purifyFoodAndDrink.htm) I am no longer drinking urine :smalltongue:

Or use a Ring of Sustenance, and stop caring about this "drink" stuff mortals are always whining about.

[Psyren]

Ok, so, Evocation is generally regarded as a weak school of magic, and thats mostly because just spamming direct damage is a sub-par option since other classes and builds do it better, and even other casters like the mail man can do it better with out actually using Evocation spells.

That's not why blasting is weak. If I do 10,000 damage per casting, I don't care if the Barbarian can do 100,000 per swing - all that really matters is that the bad guys fall down on my turn.

Evocation is considered weak for four reasons:
i) A monster at 1 HP is just as dangerous as one at full.
ii) Blasting does not protect a caster from surviving melee.
iii) Spell resistance/immunity apply to most evocations.
iv) It does too little in situations where direct damage is inappropriate.

Conjuration is better because it addresses all three problems AND has blasting. It has battlefield control (i, ii and iv), summons minions (ii - iv), can get you out of a grapple (i and ii) and has instantaneous-creation-blasting (iii).


Purify Food and Drink. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/purifyFoodAndDrink.htm) I am no longer drinking urine :smalltongue:

Or use a Ring of Sustenance, and stop caring about this "drink" stuff mortals are always whining about.

You need a ring? (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/sustenance.htm) You silly breakdancing, bat-poo-flinging mortal. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/elan.htm)