[3.5] How balanced are Thri-Keen?

[Kelpstrand]

If NegativeLevels == CreatureHD
..Creature = DEATH
Else Creature = GIMPED
EndIf

Once again:
If Enervation -> Negativelevels == CreatureHD
...Creature == Not even worth a 4th level slot ///They asterisk the weirdest things///
If Creature == Gimped
...Wizard == Not killing in one round.

Wizards can do stupidly powerful AOE encounter-enders, though. A single casting of Color Spray, Glitterdust, Stinking Cloud, Evard's Black Tentacles, or others at the appropriate levels is enough for the wizard to want to waste spell slots on conjuring a lawn chair and a drink for the rest of the battle. Worse yet, if the beatstick does not have a properly optimized build, it can be outdone at its own damned job by summoning spells!

And all AoE encounter enders still require mop up by fighters, or by spending more spells. (Except Color Spray, but Fighters at level 1 are casting "Death, no Save" anyway.) And all of those except EBT require saving throws, which once again, are about a 50-50 bargain. EBT has it's own set of problems, since by the time you get it, most creatures are large or larger and have Str+BAB greater than CL+4, and so they have a greater than 50% chance to just not be grappled, in which case all you did was cast "Difficult Terrain."

No one is saying that Fighters get nice things here. The point is that it's really easy to overcompensate on giving Fighters nice but specific things, so that every fight either involves the Fighter being a badass while everyone else watches, or a monster that defeats the Fighters one trick, and the Fighter still has no nice things.

If you just give the Fighter infinite damage on a charge or full attack, all you did was say that 50% of monster have to not ever be full attacked or charged for the game to have any meaning.