Unfocused Blast

[dentrag2]

Unfocus
Feat
Requirements: Able to cast 2nd level arcane spontaneous spells
Effects: A spell slot may be used to cast a Unfocused Blast, a bolt of pure force energy. This bolt does double the spell level minus 1. First level spells are 1d6, fifth level spells are 9d6, + the spontaneous caster levels. This bolt has a range of 30 feet, and deals [Force] damage. This is a supernatural ability, and does not allow spell resistance.

Suggestions? Improvements? Criticism? (Constructive, please)

This was meant for sorcerors, because fluff wise, in 3.5ed, it says that they have to learn to focus their energy. So why can't they chose to not focus it but still use it as a weapon?

[insecure]

I would tone it down to 1d6 damage per spell level, 1d3 for level 0 spells, to not make it more useful than some other spells. For example, if you take this feat, you don't really have to learn pure damage spells, since you just can convert non-damaging spells into, well, pure damage. By the way, I'd give the blast the [force] descriptor.

But that's just my own opinion.

[BizzaroStormy]

Socerers can already do that with the Draconic Breath Feat.

[AstralFire]

Socerers can already do that with the Draconic Breath Feat.

Draconic whatever sucks.

I'm talking flavor-wise. Mechanically I think they do too since they're feat chains, but that's just from memory.


I would tone it down to 1d6 damage per spell level, 1d3 for level 0 spells, to not make it more useful than some other spells. For example, if you take this feat, you don't really have to learn pure damage spells, since you just can convert non-damaging spells into, well, pure damage. By the way, I'd give the blast the [force] descriptor.

But that's just my own opinion.

Sure, it's real nice for level 1, 2, 3, maybe 4 spells. Any higher and it sucks. Not a knock on you, OP, I think it's a good idea - just that it needs some work.

I'd probably change it to CL+spell level, must be a spell of 1st level or higher. This gives Sorcerers a lot of Eldritch Blasts at very short range by mid levels, but longevity doesn't really correlate very well with actual usefulness, and the peak blast at 20 is 29d6; Meteor Swarm does 32d6 (24d6 of that in an area), Tornado Blast does 30d6 (20d6 in an area) with area dispersal, and Energy Ray Fire or Cold does 20d6+20, which is like 34d6. Inferno Blast deals 100 damage in an area + weapon damage, which is roughly equal to 29d6 damage in the area.

At 10, for an earlier comparison, you're dealing 15d6 damage to one target at really short range - compare to the popular Flame Strike, which does 10d6 damage in an area, half of it sacred damage. So you just gained access to a moderately decent single-target damage instead of a save or die (like Phantasmal Killer) or an even easier save-or-suck-so-we-can-plan-safely-and-or-divide-and-conquer (Otiluke's Resilient Sphere, Hallucinatory Terrain, Bestow Curse, Hold Monster, etc). I would honestly prefer that most times, as a DM.

So it's notably lesser than things already designated for damage, which are themselves designated as lesser than normal spell options, in return for giving spontaneous casters some of the versatility they really need. Seems fair. I'm torn on whether it should skip SR or not.

That way it also gives Bards and Hexblades a real blasty option, and bards particularly are so far behind on that front it's ridiculous to consider them for it.

[MythMage]

The blast should require a ranged touch attack to hit.

2d6 damage per spell level is a hair high in my opinion. I'd say 1d6 plus 2d6 per spell level above 1st. That keeps it competitive without overshadowing real spells:

1st level - comparable to shocking grasp or burning hands
2nd level - scorching ray deals more damage (but this energy is force).
3rd level - fireball does the same damage to an area (again, this is typed though)
...and everything above that is going to be more efficient.

A 0-level spell might be allowed to deal 1 point of damage with this feat, if I were feeling generous.


I'd probably change it to CL+spell level
That's stronger than many real spells (which deal CL d6 damage or less). It would be absolutely overpowered for the poor man's pseudo-spell that this feat is supposed to represent.


Energy Ray Fire or Cold does 20d6+20, which is like 34d6
I'm afraid your math is a little off here. d6 is 3.5 average damage, so 20d6+20 is 90 average damage, minimum 40 and maximum 140. 34d6 is 119 average, min 34, max 204. If you really want a comparable Xd6 value for 20d6+20, that would be 26d6 (avg 91, min 26, max 156).

[AstralFire]

That's stronger than many real spells (which deal CL d6 damage or less). It would be absolutely overpowered for the poor man's pseudo-spell that this feat is supposed to represent.

Many real spells suck. Like most of the necromancy school for Arcane casters. Bear in mind that this is for spont. casters only, moreover.

The only good ones that deal CLxd6 damage past about level 4 or 5 do so in an area or don't have the damage as their important effect.

No one. Ever. Takes. The arcane blasts available to the Celestial Mystic or whatsitsname from BoED or the Archmage, the damage is so pitiful it's not even worth expending the slot unless you need to kill a rat or something. Reserve feats are also generally a lot better. (The Wizard corresponding type of feat, which removes a lot of their remaining restrictions.)


I'm afraid your math is a little off here. d6 is 3.5 average damage, so 20d6+20 is 90 average damage, minimum 40 and maximum 140. 34d6 is 119 average, min 34, max 204. If you really want a comparable Xd6 value for 20d6+20, that would be 26d6 (avg 91, min 26, max 156).

'kay. I messed up on one (and I know what I did, too; I ended up doubling the number of additional die I guessed from 7 to 14 for some reason). Energy Ray's also by far the worst of the list presented, and still has much better range than this does.

[MythMage]

Many real spells suck. Like most of the necromancy school for Arcane casters. Bear in mind that this is for spont. casters only, moreover.

The only good ones that deal CLxd6 damage past about level 4 or 5 do so in an area or don't have the damage as their important effect.

No one. Ever. Takes. The arcane blasts available to the Celestial Mystic or whatsitsname from BoED or the Archmage, the damage is so pitiful it's not even worth expending the slot unless you need to kill a rat or something. Reserve feats are also generally a lot better. (The Wizard corresponding type of feat, which removes a lot of their remaining restrictions.)
This is all true, but I should note that even with my suggestion of reducing damage, this feat is better than the class features you mention. Also remember that this is just one feat giving you what is essentially a free spell known for every spell level. That spell known needs to be weak in order for the investment to not be overpowered.

However, it could perhaps stand to be better. How about this instead?

First of all, this should be a supernatural ability and not allow spell resistance. The damage dice should be equal to double spell level minus 1. So, 1st level spell slot is 1d6, 2nd is 3d6, 3rd is 5d6, 4th is 7d6, and so on. +1 damage per caster level. 1d6+6 from those useless 1st-level slots at sixth level, when this feat is first available, which is better than you can get from any real 1st-level spell. 5d6+6 damage when your fireballs are only dealing 6d6, which is pretty good considering it comes with the aforementioned boost for 1st-level slots and didn't cost you a spell known slot.

[AstralFire]

That works out pretty nicely.

[dentrag2]

This is all true, but I should note that even with my suggestion of reducing damage, this feat is better than the class features you mention. Also remember that this is just one feat giving you what is essentially a free spell known for every spell level. That spell known needs to be weak in order for the investment to not be overpowered.

However, it could perhaps stand to be better. How about this instead?

First of all, this should be a supernatural ability and not allow spell resistance. The damage dice should be equal to double spell level minus 1. So, 1st level spell slot is 1d6, 2nd is 3d6, 3rd is 5d6, 4th is 7d6, and so on. +1 damage per caster level. 1d6+6 from those useless 1st-level slots at sixth level, when this feat is first available, which is better than you can get from any real 1st-level spell. 5d6+6 damage when your fireballs are only dealing 6d6, which is pretty good considering it comes with the aforementioned boost for 1st-level slots and didn't cost you a spell known slot.

Good idea, i'll make it so.

[Draken]

Reword the prerequisite to be a bit cleaner and matching th eusual text.

"Prerequisites: Able to spontaneously cast 2° level arcane spells."

Other than that, nice.

[Knaight]

I could see a good prestige class that specializes in this. Something like not getting an additional spell caster level at 1 and 10, where they get increased range, filters that change things a little(ie they place them around, and they change blasts through them. Some defensive filters, some offensive filters, eldritch blast style blast shapes, all of which comes to throwing raw magic, of different density and such. Or that could be a feat chain.