SyrkthTheGreedy
2008-02-22, 12:57 AM
This is a question about the energy resistance rules for D&D 3.5 ed.
A group of my buddies and I were discussing the effect of energy types on game play and the combat/encounter system in general when I asked if it would be acceptable for my mage, who is themed around northern climes and ice and snow (but who isn't using the Frostburn supplement) to substitute cold damage in for other damage types.
For example, rather than learning fireball, he learns iceball, thus turning the type and damage to cold and never learns fireball.
The somewhat divided concensus (which is important since we collectively DM in the campaign world) was that my mage should take Energy Substitution, rather than create new spells or learn ones with cold damage subbed in, as there are more fire resistant foes than cold resistant ones in the various MMs and just subbing in or researching new spells when my mage levels is too overpowering.
I find this not to be worth the wasted feats given that creating a new spell (costs, time etc) are just as important as a feat to a straight up mage. That and on a roleplaying level, Energy Substitution just feels like an uncreative and cookie cutter solution.
On top of this I don't know that there are more fire resistant creatures in the MMs et al. Is there an index of the energy resists out there that I can't find in the books or online?
Is cold a more powerful energy than fire if used as a substitute? Enough to bar icy ray rather than scorching ray etc etc?
Anyhoo, I could use the help.
A group of my buddies and I were discussing the effect of energy types on game play and the combat/encounter system in general when I asked if it would be acceptable for my mage, who is themed around northern climes and ice and snow (but who isn't using the Frostburn supplement) to substitute cold damage in for other damage types.
For example, rather than learning fireball, he learns iceball, thus turning the type and damage to cold and never learns fireball.
The somewhat divided concensus (which is important since we collectively DM in the campaign world) was that my mage should take Energy Substitution, rather than create new spells or learn ones with cold damage subbed in, as there are more fire resistant foes than cold resistant ones in the various MMs and just subbing in or researching new spells when my mage levels is too overpowering.
I find this not to be worth the wasted feats given that creating a new spell (costs, time etc) are just as important as a feat to a straight up mage. That and on a roleplaying level, Energy Substitution just feels like an uncreative and cookie cutter solution.
On top of this I don't know that there are more fire resistant creatures in the MMs et al. Is there an index of the energy resists out there that I can't find in the books or online?
Is cold a more powerful energy than fire if used as a substitute? Enough to bar icy ray rather than scorching ray etc etc?
Anyhoo, I could use the help.