Spellfire rules question.

[Snowbluff]

What action do you need to ready to absorb spell?

Can you absorb spells affecting you?

Can you absorb SLAs, which can be absorbed by a proper Rod of Absorption?

None of this makes any sense.

[Lord Vukodlak]

What action do you need to ready to absorb spell? You ready a standard action.


Can you absorb spells affecting you?No because the spells are absorbed before they take effect.


Can you absorb SLAs, which can be absorbed by a proper Rod of Absorption? Yes, I even recall an example from 3.0 of absorbing beholder eye rays.(they were spell-like instead of supernatural then)


None of this makes any sense.It all makes sense.

[Snowbluff]

You ready a standard action.
[quote] Really? Because it doesn't specify an action type. Could you only ready standard in 3.0?

I'll see if I can dig up the old DMG...
[QUOTE]No because the spells are absorbed before they take effect.
Makes sense.


It all makes sense.

How so? I can't imagine anyone sitting still a whole fight trying to absorb some spells. It seems like a rather gimped mechanic.

[Phelix-Mu]

Points:

1.) The mechanic is terribly gimped. This stuff was the bee's knees (man, I've been overusing that phrase) back in 2e. Now, it's strictly useful for healing or one-big-shot blasting, providing you can reliably charge yourself up out-of-combat. The in combat mechanic is almost unusuably bad.

2.) 3.0. They really should have updated it, cause it sucks as written. Ranged touch and allows Reflex for half, fixed DC, bad elemental types. The good points are the range (very nice), the fact that you can charge up outside of combat, and that it all keys off a nice stat to have a good score in anyway (avoiding wizzies that need a good Cha, for instance).

3.) Don't get me started on Spellfire Channeler. Spellfire Hierophant is a little better, but still.... Compared to Shandaril or however it was spelled in 2e, this is all pretty lackluster.

Really, what the spellfire needs is a good dose of homebrew. I may post my personal makeover someday. Ran a dwarven runesmith that had a dose of spellfire, and managed to get some homebrew rules for it approved.

[tyckspoon]

How so? I can't imagine anyone sitting still a whole fight trying to absorb some spells. It seems like a rather gimped mechanic.

It is. Spellfire in-game is pretty terrible. If you want something like what is depicted in the out-of-game fiction, where Spellfire is an all-consuming force worth starting wars and breaking worlds for.. well, you're gonna have to homebrew something fierce, and then your DM will probably ban it for being broken :smalltongue:

[Lord Vukodlak]

Really? Because it doesn't specify an action type. Could you only ready standard in 3.0? Readying is a standard action. It doesn't matter if the readied action is move or even free readying is always a standard action.


How so? I can't imagine anyone sitting still a whole fight trying to absorb some spells. It seems like a rather gimped mechanic.
Its just not that good an ability, it works better on Boss NPC's who are likely targets of focus fire and may have had time to learn the PC's tactics.

Say BBEG Wizard readied an action to absorb the barrage of spells the PC's will unload in the first round, including a greater dispelling and a dimensional anchor. His defensive buffs remain in place and he still has the option to escape.

The most use a PC will get out of it is in expending the energy for a little extra healing and they simply recharge between adventures using allied spell casters.


3.0. They really should have updated it, cause it sucks as written. Ranged touch and allows Reflex for half, fixed DC, bad elemental types. The good points are the range (very nice), the fact that you can charge up outside of combat, and that it all keys off a nice stat to have a good score in anyway (avoiding wizzies that need a good Cha, for instance).
I have a race in my setting the Hash'ilk'Khan who are innate spellfire wielders but they can use it more effectively.
1: They can use it to fuel spellcasting like rod of absorption
2: They heal 5 points of damage per stored spell level.
3: Single targeted spells that fail against their SR are also asborbed.
4: The reflex save on the blasts is removed, not that they really use that part

I also have these spellfire golems(based of strength instead of con) that absorb spells directed at them, there fists hit with a targeted greater dispelling and any magic they dispel is also absorbed.