Infernal Howl Sorcerer

[daremetoidareyo]

I'm toying with infernal howl from PHB 2, which has a pre-req of infernal heritage (stinky feat) and sorcerer 1, which provides the following benefit:

By expending one of your spell slots, you create a 30-foot cone of sonic energy. All opponents within the cone take 2d6 points of damage per level of the spell slot expended. Each target can attempt a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the level of the spell slot expended + your Cha modifier) for half damage. This is a supernatural ability.

Assuming that this becomes my only means of attack, how do I get the maximum uses per day? What I see here is a sorcerer pre-req, but no language that limits the slots spent to come exclusively from sorcerer levels.

Urpriest into mystic theurge?

druid into arcane heirophant?

[DrMotives]

Some DMs will require that those slots be sorcerer spell slots, but RAW doesn't say that. If you go epic and still want to keep max howls, you can add more sorcerer spells per day with Eunuch Warlock PrC. Of course, that also requires you be less of a man than before, but it does add bonus spells per day every class level.

[daremetoidareyo]

Some DMs will require that those slots be sorcerer spell slots, but RAW doesn't say that. If you go epic and still want to keep max howls, you can add more sorcerer spells per day with Eunuch Warlock PrC. Of course, that also requires you be less of a man than before, but it does add bonus spells per day every class level.

That eunuch class is really nice once you get ninths. Might work on a build based around a eunuch who accesses his howl ability by remembering his "operation."


Throw a little versatile spellcaster in there and you'll have a boatload of 18d6 cone effects. Widen supernatural ability for a few bigger blasts, ability focus and reverberation to bump that DC... All you need is a friend with a tripper build with immunity sonic. Kinda lends support to the arcane heirophant route. Which kind of outerplanar template gives immunity to sonic?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Just take the Dragon Shaman class in Dragon Magic instead. It gets a breath attack usable at will, which can deal a variety of different damage types including sonic damage (at level 10), plus a bunch of other class features also usable at will. You can even learn the Endure Exposure invocation and put it on all your teammates so they won't be harmed by your breath attack if they happen to be within its area.

[daremetoidareyo]

Just take the Dragon Shaman class in Dragon Magic instead. It gets a breath attack usable at will, which can deal a variety of different damage types including sonic damage (at level 10), plus a bunch of other class features also usable at will. You can even learn the Endure Exposure invocation and put it on all your teammates so they won't be harmed by your breath attack if they happen to be within its area.

I'm not so happy with the damage per turn or the flavor of dragon shaman. Dragons are lame. And dragon flavoring is uniformly unfun in my opinion.

Plus, it's weird to be targeting a fort save instead of a ref save with a cone attack, it's probably not superior, but it is different. The damage scales higher sooner. Especially once you have two classes granting 3 or 4 4th level spells. The fun thing about sonic attacks is they can, depending on rules interpretations bypass hardness. At 10d6 (~35 average damage) you are shattering most mundane weapons and most of the armor on the field. The frontliners may be passing tons of fort saves, but their armor ain't. Pair with apostle of peace to make everyone as naked as you are.

[(Un)Inspired]

Dragons are lame.

Prejudice is an ugly thing.

[daremetoidareyo]

Prejudice is an ugly thing.
Ya'll can like dragons. That's cool. I just don't like the fluff

[Sian]

Just take the Dragon Shaman class in Dragon Magic instead. It gets a breath attack usable at will, which can deal a variety of different damage types including sonic damage (at level 10), plus a bunch of other class features also usable at will. You can even learn the Endure Exposure invocation and put it on all your teammates so they won't be harmed by your breath attack if they happen to be within its area.

the class you're thinking off is Dragonfire Adept

Dragon Shaman is that scrappy thing in PHBII

[sleepyphoenixx]

I'm not so happy with the damage per turn or the flavor of dragon shaman. Dragons are lame. And dragon flavoring is uniformly unfun in my opinion.

Plus, it's weird to be targeting a fort save instead of a ref save with a cone attack, it's probably not superior, but it is different. The damage scales higher sooner. Especially once you have two classes granting 3 or 4 4th level spells. The fun thing about sonic attacks is they can, depending on rules interpretations bypass hardness. At 10d6 (~35 average damage) you are shattering most mundane weapons and most of the armor on the field. The frontliners may be passing tons of fort saves, but their armor ain't. Pair with apostle of peace to make everyone as naked as you are.

Area damage doesn't work that way. You only damage worn items when the target rolls a natural 1 on a save.

And the question you should be asking isn't "how do i get more uses?", because sorcerers generally get enough spell slots. It's "how do i make this do enough damage to justify spending my standard actions on it (and 2 feats)?".

Doing 10d6 damage at level 10 (when you get 5th level spells) isn't actually anything you couldn't do with any number of spells, most of them not requiring your 5th level slots.
Most people don't because 10d6 damage at level 10 isn't actually that much.
Those who want to blast get metamagic feats to improve their damage, which isn't an option for Infernal Howl. The only thing it has going for it is that it's (Su), but that doesn't really matter much when it doesn't do all that much.

[Khedrac]

The howl has both benefits and weaknesses.

It only affects enemies - so you can use it with your allies in front of you without issue.
I had a low-level sorceror save his party from a gelatinous cube using it - it only affects enemies so it did not get his allies who were all engulfed (it would have picked him up the next round too - that one was close, as the DM I was getting worried).

On the other hand it won't touch undead - it requires a Fort save and does not affect objects...

[atemu1234]

Sonic damage is nice. Very few things have resistance or immunity. Is it supernatural or spell like? Because Ability Focus might work, as would certain effects that can quicken it or increase damage.