Best element for Energy Substitution?

[Valtu]

I'm pretty much finished leveling my character for tonight's session, but I do get a feat that I haven't decided upon yet. This is for the character in my signature.

I'm considering Energy Substitution. If I go that route, which element do you think would be best? I'm thinking acid*, but wanted to get some other opinions.


Here's some more character detail, if anyone is curious:

I have a couple fire spells, (which is definitely the most ubiquitous element out there), and just got Lightning Leap with this level (which I'm dying to use!).

The other metamagic feats I have are Sculpt Spell and Empower Spell. I'm going to buy a metamagic rod or two, definitely a Maximize Spell rod, and maybe an Empower for free uses to supplement my limited ones.


*I'm trying to bold the main points in my posts recently, since I tend to ramble sometimes :smallredface:

[Nightraiderx]

The only two that will persist into higher levels is fire and ice because there are alot of metamagic that synergizes best with them. And there is +1 metamagic in frostburn and sandstorm that can ignore resistance and deal half damage to immune targets. (one is slightly better than the other b/c one has a subtype exception to this rule, but still works.) Fire is the most common element resisted, followed by cold. I would check out those two books and see what style you would want. Lightning would be a third choice because born of three thunders is a fun feat and sonic is the least resisted element, both at +0 metamagics, you'd just have to get around stun, but bowling people over can be fun. Up to you just throwing stuff out there.

[Agincourt]

Since you have fire and electric damage cold or acid are your best bets (sonic being an invalid choice for the feat). You are likely to encounter fewer enemies that have acid resistance/immunity than cold resistance/immunity. I agree with you that acid is likely the better choice.

On the other hand, if you later plan to take Flash Frost Spell from PHII, cold can be a good option for energy substitution.

You did not say, what sort of spellcaster are you? That could modify my answer if you are a prepared spellcaster instead of a spontaneous one.

[Piggy Knowles]

A funny thing about fire and cold: while they are the two most commonly resisted energy types, there are only a handful of creatures that actually resist both. So, if you have a fairly strong [fire] and [cold] spell, and the knowledge to know which one to use, you can actually do pretty well.

[Valtu]

I'm a Sorcerer primarily. I have this setup:

Monk-1, Sorcerer-6, Enlightened Fist-5

My levels in Enlightened Fist allow me to channel touch (and eventually rays, a few more levels in) through Unarmed Strikes (or Monk weapons) by using a Stunning Fist attempt, so I'm going to be using a lot of touch spells, but I do still have the obligatory Fireball, and I like having the option of hitting from a distance when necessary. I also have Combust, a 2nd level touch spell that does as much damage as Fireball but no save for half damage (Reflex to save from catching fire instead).

We have another caster in the party, a Wizard Master Specialist, specializing in Evocation (specifically spells like Fireball, in fact it's his chosen spell for Arcane Thesis). I don't believe he's taking Energy Substitution though, so it'll probably really come in handy for me to have it.

It's also tempting to take a feat like Extra Stunning, so I can use my abilities more, but I can do that 8 times a day right now, so I think I may do that later (or not at all, as I'll get an extra attempt each time I level as it is).

If I had more spells known/per day (I'm effectively a 10th level Sorcerer, since the Monk level and Enlightened Fist level both didn't advance me.)

Actually. . . .I keep forgetting this, but my next Enlightened Fist level also doesn't advance me (then the rest do), so I'll be 3 caster levels short.

Should I wait on Energy Substitution and go for Practiced Spellcaster, so I can regain lost caster levels (at least as far as variables are concerned)? I wasn't going to bother since it was only 2, but soon it'll be 3 levels I'm missing out on, so now that is starting to sound pretty appealing.

[Agincourt]

I would not take Extra Stunning. First, as you get higher in level, stunning enemies is going to be rare. The DC is just not high enough to be a credible threat to most enemies at your current level and it is only going to get worse. You're also going to find an increasing number of enemies are simply immune to stun. Finally, you're going to get more stuns per day regardless of what you do, simply by leveling.

Personally, I'd prefer to make up the lost caster level with Practiced Spellcaster over the Energy Substitution. The evoker in the party should be able to cover most energy types if he's choosing his spells wisely. Having a higher Caster Level will come in handy in so many ways.

[Valtu]

I would not take Extra Stunning. First, as you get higher in level, stunning enemies is going to be rare. The DC is just not high enough to be a credible threat to most enemies at your current level and it is only going to get worse. Your also going to find an increasing number of enemies are simply immune to stun. Finally, you're going to get more stuns per day regardless of what you do, simply by leveling.

Oh I don't actually use the Stunning Fist ability itself, I just channel energy/spells through Unarmed Strikes and it's keyed off of how many uses of Stunning Fist I get per day. I've never actually used Stunning Fist :smalltongue:

The Extra Stunning thing was me thinking out loud, and not going back to edit the post afterward, mostly. It really is between Energy Substitution and Practiced Spellcaster.



Personally, I'd prefer to make up the lost caster level over the energy substitution. The evoker in the party should be able to cover most energy types, if he's choosing his spells wisely. Having a higher Caster Level will come in handy in so many ways.

The evoker might have a spell or two of another level, but even that is a maybe. He's all blasting, all the time (aside from the occasional utility spell, like Teleport. . .actually, maybe just teleport haha), and it's all fire. Actually refers to his character as a fireball wizard, so. . . no to the choosing spells part.

Practiced Spellcaster is looking more and more attractive to me by the second. I might see if our DM would allow a metamagic rod of Energy Substitution (although I wonder if he did, would I have to dedicate it to an energy type, like you do with the feat? Other party members are certainly doing much cheesier things already, particularly our evoker lol).