Spell Shapes

[Fax Celestis]

Why are there so few Line spells? Lines are awesome, but it seems like most spells are rays, spheres, cubes, or targets.

[Gralamin]

I agree. there should also be more cylinders in my opinion, as well as shapes like Arc Lightning (Line of Lightning between two targets)

[Starsinger]

IIRC, Lightning Bolt is the only line spell in the PHB... Which is one of the reasons I always take it on a blaster caster, so I can mix it with Mastery of Elements when I get Archmage, since that and Master of Shaping are a blaster's best friends.

But I agree, there should be more lines..

[TheOOB]

I'd imagine because spreads and cones and such are more intuitive and easy to hit a large number of targets with. Also, barring outside interference, matter and energy tend to spread out equally in all directions, hence the sphere/spreads. It stands to reason that it would be easier to focus a spell into a 90 degree cone then a line.

As for cubes, they're common simple because the game is meant to be played in a square grid, they are easy to work with.

EDIT: Had to fix spelling because where their, there, and they're all are phonetically identical despite having different meanings.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

IIRC, Lightning Bolt is the only line spell in the PHB... Which is one of the reasons I always take it on a blaster caster, so I can mix it with Mastery of Elements when I get Archmage, since that and Master of Shaping are a blaster's best friends.

But I agree, there should be more lines..

Mastery of Shaping... everything can be a line anyways... no need to specifically take Lightning Bolt.

[TheOOB]

Mastery of Shaping... everything can be a line anyways... no need to specifically take Lightning Bolt.

Mastery of shaping is an archmage high arcana, most games don't get that high level/thats a long time to wait, not everyone can fit them in their build, and theres a lot of good high arcana, not even every archmage can be expected to have it.

The good thing is, however, that line spells are really easy to home brew. Most spread spells can be turned into a line without having to change spell level at all.

[Mike_Lemmer]

I think it's because it's too easy to hit your guys from the back with a line effect. Now, if it was a ray that turned into a line effect once it hits its target...

[TheOOB]

I think it's because it's too easy to hit your guys from the back with a line effect. Now, if it was a ray that turned into a line effect once it hits its target...

Not necessarily, fireball starts with about four times lightning bolts range, and it gets better over time.

[Thrawn183]

I agree that its too easy to hit your allies. I always have issues aiming because I'm trying to stand with my allies between me and the thing that makes me want to go squish, but at the same time, not suddenly have a bald party because I scorched all their hair off.

[Fizban]

How is it easier to avoid hitting allies with a fireball than a lightning bolt? I like lines because they can be shot past allies instead of just nuking the whole fight. And always remember that it doesn't have to be a strait line, it can be diagonal, or anything really. Just draw a line from you to wherever you want, and any square that has two opposite sides crossed by the line gets hit. You can cause all kinds of headaches if you angle it up or down too.

Sculpt Spell is the feat you want in this case. It lets you make anything into a line, or a cone, or a sphere, or multiple cubes, and for only +1 level at that. I don't know if prepared casters get to choose on the fly, but spontaneous doesn't have to worry about that, and I like sorcerers more anyway.

[Swooper]

Pre-3.5 Lightning Bolt bounced off solid barriers. That was a fun feature, if used correctly. :smallamused: If it hit the same thing twice, it didn't do double damage though, but it DID force another save, in case you made the first one.