Pathfinder: Biggest AoE damage?

[Jack_Simth]

Hello all,

Looking at maximizing effect on a critter with Create Spawn. What's the biggest AoE damage spell? Something that kills without damage would also work, but the idea is "huge area". Sor/Wiz or Cleric are easily on the table. Others are accessible via UMD.

Thoughts?

[Rynjin]

What level? You want consistency or a highest theoretical maximum?

[Jack_Simth]

What level? You want consistency or a highest theoretical maximum?
20th level. Things like chain gating won't work (if it's not dealt by the master, it doesn't create spawn, and so doesn't help). Can we kill a city of ten million commoner-1's in one fell swoop?

[Rynjin]

So you're more looking for "biggest area", not biggest damage.

I THINK Storm of Vengeance is the widest area damage spell by default at a 360 ft radius, but there's so many spells at this point there may be one printed that's bigger.

So using a Greater Widen Spell rod (not technically a real item, but easily ruled as a very reasonable custom magic item) you can hit a 720 ft. radius with 1d6-6d6 damage (depending on the round) that can concentrate bursts of 10d6 on sturdier targets or buildings (to get at the juicy peasant filling).

If you want to up the damage a bit, go Sorcerer, Stormborn Bloodline (to get easy spell access), and take Blood havoc for +1 damage per die, Crossblooded with Orc for another +1 damage per die.

[Jack_Simth]

So you're more looking for "biggest area", not biggest damage.

I THINK Storm of Vengeance is the widest area damage spell by default at a 360 ft radius, but there's so many spells at this point there may be one printed that's bigger.

So using a Greater Widen Spell rod (not technically a real item, but easily ruled as a very reasonable custom magic item) you can hit a 720 ft. radius with 1d6-6d6 damage (depending on the round) that can concentrate bursts of 10d6 on sturdier targets or buildings (to get at the juicy peasant filling).

If you want to up the damage a bit, go Sorcerer, Stormborn Bloodline (to get easy spell access), and take Blood havoc for +1 damage per die, Crossblooded with Orc for another +1 damage per die.

Archives of Nethys lists one:
Here (http://archivesofnethys.com/MagicRodsDisplay.aspx?FinalName=Rod%20of%20Metamag ic,%20Widenlesser), so it's been published, just hasn't made d20pfsrd.com. So that's not hard.

... ooh, Magnifying Chime (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/m/magnifying-chime/)... let's see... if I don't mind an absurd amount of setup....

Hmm... does the Portal option of Create Greater Demiplane pass spell effects? If so...

1) I make a demiplane with Create [any] demiplane, and Permanency it.
2) I make that demiplane Timeless with respect to magic via Create Greater Demiplane's ability to manipulate the time trait.
3) I use the Portal option of Create Demiplane to make an four Gates to the prime material, arranged in a square (or maybe five - put a roof on it, too)
4) Put an object in the middle, on the timeless plane.
5) Cast Magnifying Chime on the object.
6) RUN.

Every round, damage increases by 1d6 and range increases by five feet....

[Lotheb]

Control Weather is worth a look, since it has a 2 mile radius, though since you don't have direct control of the specific effects. Ask your DM whether it would count for Create Spawn. If it will work also consider Curse of Fell Seasons, which has an expensive material component and even less control, but a permanent duration so it could potentially rack up a lot of kills if you can keep getting people into the area.

[Alexvrahr]

Control winds has a 40' radius per caster level. At 20th level you should be able to boost your CL a bit above 20 with magic items or whatever, so that's about a 1000' radius or so. Widen spell won't help unfortunately, it's not a burst, emanation or spread.

You don't get to make a demiplane have a time trait with respect to magic only, it's all or nothing. Though that may not matter for your plan. The real question is whether spell effects will cross the planar portal and I have no idea what the answer is there.

[Jack_Simth]

Control winds has a 40' radius per caster level. At 20th level you should be able to boost your CL a bit above 20 with magic items or whatever, so that's about a 1000' radius or so. Widen spell won't help unfortunately, it's not a burst, emanation or spread.

You don't get to make a demiplane have a time trait with respect to magic only, it's all or nothing. Though that may not matter for your plan. The real question is whether spell effects will cross the planar portal and I have no idea what the answer is there.

Can't I?

Hmm... per that section of Greater Create Demiplane (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/c/create-demiplane/):
Time: By default, time passes at the normal rate in your demiplane. By selecting this feature, you may make your plane have the erratic time, flowing time (half or double normal time), or timeless trait (see Time).

The note says see Time. When I check the Time Trait (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/environment/the-planes#TOC-Time), specifically Timeless, I see:

Timeless

On planes with this trait, time still passes, but the effects of time are diminished. How the timeless trait affects certain activities or conditions such as hunger, thirst, aging, the effects of poison, and healing varies from plane to plane. The danger of a timeless plane is that once an individual leaves such a plane for one where time flows normally, conditions such as hunger and aging occur retroactively. If a plane is timeless with respect to magic, any spell cast with a noninstantaneous duration is permanent until dispelled.

Flowing is given a limitation (half or double), but otherwise it appears to just reference the entries. Where are you getting all or nothing?