Vaz
2013-03-22, 09:26 AM
Fireball is a bog standard spell, used as the "go to" for damage rating. However, despite the splash, it's not a particularly brilliant spell (although the Metamagic Energy Substitution is a decent work around the resistances).
However, I've never understood why something that's only 5x5x5 gets affected in the same manner by a Fireball, as a character who is also 20x20x20.
What I nominate is that each area damage spell affects a each 5x5x5 cube individually. Say for example, a Fireball doing 5d6 damage to a single 5x5x5 (1 cube) completely engulfs an Ogre with 10x10x10 (8) cubes. So it now takes 40d6 damage.
While this may seem unfair, it would obviously require a balancing of the spell damage, but also applying Fire Resistance to each cube; say FR5 would affect it in a manner of applying to each 5d6 in this instant.
If the system was overhauled to have area effect spells have more of an affect the greater surface area you have, what would be a nominal amount, as currently area effect spells are of limited use against "Big bads"; in favour of sniping spells, like Disintegrate which then do the same damage regardless of where you hit. Perhaps this could be limited by a huge great dragon being less bothered by the damage that a ray does to him putting an inch thick gash in his leg than a Fireball targetting every single reachable location on his body.
However, I've never understood why something that's only 5x5x5 gets affected in the same manner by a Fireball, as a character who is also 20x20x20.
What I nominate is that each area damage spell affects a each 5x5x5 cube individually. Say for example, a Fireball doing 5d6 damage to a single 5x5x5 (1 cube) completely engulfs an Ogre with 10x10x10 (8) cubes. So it now takes 40d6 damage.
While this may seem unfair, it would obviously require a balancing of the spell damage, but also applying Fire Resistance to each cube; say FR5 would affect it in a manner of applying to each 5d6 in this instant.
If the system was overhauled to have area effect spells have more of an affect the greater surface area you have, what would be a nominal amount, as currently area effect spells are of limited use against "Big bads"; in favour of sniping spells, like Disintegrate which then do the same damage regardless of where you hit. Perhaps this could be limited by a huge great dragon being less bothered by the damage that a ray does to him putting an inch thick gash in his leg than a Fireball targetting every single reachable location on his body.