Quote Originally Posted by tuggyne View Post
Hmm. A plausible reasoning. I take it you're voting polymorph (3), then?
Yes, thanks; at the time I wrote the post I was working through the reasoning and didn't double-check the max votes for a topic, but I think polymorph etc is definitely worthy of 3 votes, given my reasoning of "not only awful but unavoidably awful" for it.

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Another, lesser contender that is worth mentioning: mirror image is bad enough (frighteningly powerful for its level, not to mention the confusion it has spawned -- quick, do a Google search on 'mirror image' 'magic missile', among others), but greater mirror image (PHB II) is ... bad.

First of all, if you have any problem with how mirror image works / protects you via-effective-hefty-miss-chance from ANYTHING that targets you until images are gone / how images can or can't be targeted, you have the same problem with greater mirror image.

Secondly, a Quickened mirror image would be a 6th level spell*, whereas greater mirror image is a 4th level spell and is strictly superior. Not only does the greater version always fill up to the maximum 8 images, and regenerate "popped" images as long as there is at least one, but spawning the spell as an immediate action against any significant targeted attack rather than merely a swift action is so much better it's not even funny.

*Assuming anyone used Quicken Spell by itself rather than a metamagic rod or Divine Metamagic and armor made entirely out of nightsticks.

So... yeah. Greater mirror image pretty arguably earns a vote.

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Of course, this gets into kind of a broader pet peeve of mine -- swift and immediate actions generally. On the face of them, they stink of a backdoor revival of 3.0 haste, not to mention introducing them into a campaign creates an entire game mechanic which is generally most accessible to the game's already-strongest characters (full casters) and least accessible to the mechanically weakest characters (non-casters w/o ToB).

For immediate actions specifically there is a style issue for me -- automatically giving casters the potential power of a Magic: The Gathering "blue deck"'s Interrupt actions. I'm fine with feather fall as a grandfathered special case (it worked just fine before we defined "immediate action" to be a general type), but otherwise I'd feel tempted to ban-by-default other immediate actions. (It would be rough on ToB characters, and I'm not sure what I'd do there.)

As for swift actions, I'd be tempted to actually limit swift-action casting only to spells cast via full-BAB-with-specific-spell-list classes (e.g. ranger, paladin, hexblade, duskblade, etc), so as to let some of the "lesser" classes have a small amount of "gish" capability without handing out a second spell per round to full casters (or even full-on gish).

I just don't like the mindset of "hey! we've created a new type of action that you can take every round, only, you have to be a spellcaster to do it, otherwise you just have to sit there and waste your "immediate action" while your spellcasting buddies get even cooler than you than they already were."

Not sure if this should really be a formal vote (A) because at least part of my objection is personal/stylistic and (B) I'm not sure about voting against an entire game mechanic, but I thought it was a point worth making.

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More on topic in terms of a specific immediate action that I find mind-boggling is the Abrupt Jaunt ACF (PHB II) for conjurer wizard-specialists.

I mean... the default position of a familiar is sitting in a wizard's pocket granting, oh, 3 hit points or +2 Fort saves (for standard familiars, assuming you don't have access to hummingbird). Whatever.

Instead, you could have Int-bonus-times-per-day, total immunity from attack rolls (that you see coming, at least). Also? Potential immunity from targeted spells requiring line-of-sight (if you're within 10' of something that blocks line of sight) and potential immunity from area effects (that don't extend at least 10' in every direction around you).

Also? No mention is needed of needing line-of-sight, so you can happily Abrupt Jaunt right through doors, walls, whatever. (Or out of a grapple, even Swallow Whole, assuming it managed to happen by surprise when you couldn't Abrupt Jaunt away in the first place.)

Also? It's a conjurer ability, never mind they are already one of the better possible specializations for wizard -- why not give them an ACF which is arguably better than all the other Immediate Magic specialist wizard ACFs added together?

Also? A 1st level ability which arguably approaches the utility of greater mirror image, usable 3+ times per day.

Also? It's a (Sp) ability that is (Ex).

WHAT.

(Sure, just teleport right out of that antimagic sphere so you can hurl your "Conjured" nonmagical-magical energy orbs back into it, why not.)

Abrupt Jaunt definitely gets one vote. (It only doesn't get more votes because it's pretty specific and can be readily solved with one judicious stroke of a DM banhammer without really adversely affecting the rest of the game.)

...this should place my total votes so far at 5 (polymorph 3, gr. mirror image 1, Abrupt Jaunt 1).