Stinking cloud, worth the effort?

[Jormund]

I was just thinking if this spell has the worth to be memorized in every wizards repertoire, or to be picked by a sorceress.. is the area of effect save-or-suck worth it?

i wouldn't normally ask about petty thing like this if i did not need an expert opinion on this... so what do you think about it?

Well, i'm asking because i need to pick new spells for my sorcerer, and i'm not entirely sure what spells to pick. We have a druid, barbarian and a bard in our party..

[Temp]

Stinking Cloud is always worth the effort.

The best strategy for Save-or-lose spells with a Sorcerer is to grab a low-level area spell for each save (Usually Glitterdust/Web/Stinking Cloud) and the Heighten Spell feat at sixth level followed by Rapid Metamagic (CM) at ninth.

But even un-Heightened, the visibility reduction keeps it at least somewhat useful at higher levels.

[Jasdoif]

Stinking cloud makes people nauseated. Take a look at what nauseated means:

Nauseated creatures are unable to attack, cast spells, concentrate on spells, or do anything else requiring attention. The only action such a character can take is a single move action per turn.

And the effect persists until 2 to 5 rounds after it gets out of the cloud.

So basically they're unable to hurt you or your allies, and they're reduced in speed if they try to get away (since they can't double move and can't run).

[Murderous Hobo]

Stinking cloud is pretty good, you'll want to pick some other save-or-suck spells that save against other attributes too though.

edit:

Ninjaded.

[Jormund]

Thanks, that'll help me a lot. Now i don't have to be unsure about the spell selections.. i just hope i'll have use for the spell before long.

[Saph]

It's not shabby. Crippling if it works. The problems are a) lots of things have good Fort saves and b) lots of things are immune to nausea.

Great against arcane casters and skillmonkey types, though.

- Saph

[Morty]

I personally find one major quirk in Stinking Cloud, namely that it hampers the whole party. Sure, enemies are standing around being sick, but party can't do much to them either, since they'd be affected as well. That said, I don't use cloud spells, so I might have overlooked something.

[Temp]

I personally find one major quirk in Stinking Cloud, namely that it hampers the whole party. Sure, enemies are standing around being sick, but party can't do much to them either, since they'd be affected as well. That said, I don't use cloud spells, so I might have overlooked something.

Well, the goal usually isn't to cast it on your party, but to put it in the middle of the baddies and to either whack them as soom as they stagger out or to blast the area while they're still inside.

[edit:]Cloudkill's the only Cloud Spell that has to originate in your area. Maybe that was the problem you saw with SC?

[horseboy]

Well, the goal usually isn't to cast it on your party, but to put it in the middle of the baddies and to either whack them as soom as they stagger out or to blast the area while they're still inside.

[edit:]Cloudkill's the only Cloud Spell that has to originate in your area. Maybe that was the problem you saw with SC?

Or the fighter's working with you and has a reach weapon. Love that Gusarme

[Fax Celestis]

One could also use Shape Spell metamagic to make holes for your allies.

[Swooper]

I personally find one major quirk in Stinking Cloud, namely that it hampers the whole party. Sure, enemies are standing around being sick, but party can't do much to them either, since they'd be affected as well. That said, I don't use cloud spells, so I might have overlooked something.

Just fit your team out with gas masks and you can't lose

Seriously, though, the idea is to take several combatants out of the fight for long enough to deal with their buddies. By the time the ones who were left out/made their saves are dead, the rest should have wiped the vomit off their clothes and staggered out of the cloud, so you can mop them up. Or you can wait for them, or you can blast them from outside the cloud with impunity.

[Chronos]

I personally find one major quirk in Stinking Cloud, namely that it hampers the whole party. Sure, enemies are standing around being sick, but party can't do much to them either, since they'd be affected as well. That said, I don't use cloud spells, so I might have overlooked something.

If you've got some summoning available in the party, elementals and devils, among others, are all immune to Stinking Cloud, so you can cast them into the area with no problem. Undead and constructs, too, for that matter. And if you're using it against the right sorts of enemies, your melee characters probably have better saves than the targets, so they're likely to get away with just wading in, too.

The fact that the cloud persists can also be used to your advantage, if you use it in combination with something that prevents the enemies from moving out. So even if they make their save the first round, they might not on the second or third. The low-level combination of Web + Stinking Cloud can't be praised enough.

[Fax Celestis]

The low-level combination of Web + Stinking Cloud can't be praised enough.

Especially since it targets two different saves. If you could find a low level AoE Will save or suck/be paralyzed, you could paste all three over the area and make people's lives really hell.

[Amiria]

Especially since it targets two different saves. If you could find a low level AoE Will save or suck/be paralyzed, you could paste all three over the area and make people's lives really hell.

(Sculpted) Glitterdust ?

[Arbitrarity]

Glitterdust?

Slow, maybe. Problem is neither of those persist, and slow stacks poorly with stinking cloud. Glitterdust it is