PDA

View Full Version : Volcano [Spell]



Fizban
2006-10-05, 10:20 PM
I've been replaying golden sun lately, and came up with this idea for a spell(s):

Volcano
Conjuration (creation) [fire]
Sor/Wiz/Drd 7
Components: V, S
Casting time: 1 standard action
Range: close (25' + 5'/level)
Effect: one blast of lava
Duration: instantaneous (see text)
Saving throw: see text
SR: no

A fountain of lava bursts from beneath your enemy, searing the target to the bone. The target must be within 10' of the ground and have a line of effect to the ground, or the spell fizzles. When struck, the target takes damage as if immersed fully in lava (20d6), or as if partially submerged (10d6) on a succesful reflex save. Afterwards any lava that does not cling to the target disappears. The lava continues to deal damage equal to half the initial damage (10d6 or 5d6) for 1d3 rounds.

Eruption
Sor/Wiz/Drd 8

As Volcano, except it may also affect targets adjacent to the primary target. Targets adjacent to the primary target must make a reflex save or be affected as if partially submerged in lava.

Pyroclasm
Sor/Wiz/Drd 9

As Volcano, except that it affects targets near the first. The primary target is affected as normal. Creatures adjacent to the primary target affected the same way. Creatures between 5 and 10 feet from the target must make a reflex save or be affected as if partially submerged.


My main concern is that Volcano is too powerful, and that Pyroclasm is too weak when compared to Transmute Rock to Lava and the more official volcano style spell I can't remember.

Fax Celestis
2006-10-06, 12:04 AM
Volcano could probably be level 6, Eruption level 7, and Pyroclasm level 8.

I mean, for Volcano, certainly, 20d6, wow. But it's got a Reflex save, and only hits one target. I'd venture to say that as a Conjuration spell, SR doesn't apply. But if it did apply as say, an Evocation spell, it'd easily be level 6.

Edit: Give it a material component ("a piece of obsidian worth at least 50 gp" comes to mind.) and/or a focus, and there you go.

Abd al-Azrad
2006-10-06, 12:10 AM
Looks fine as a spell. The only problem I have with it is that its damage jumps immediately to 20d6- no CL-based damage. It doesn't gain power as you gain levels, is my concern.

Fizban
2006-10-06, 01:58 AM
I would have given it CL based damage, but I wanted to do lava as it was already presented since I've been thinking about doing one of these anyway.

So let's say that I set the max damage at 1d6/level, but keep it with no SR. Drop the levels by 1 each?

Misplaced_Jedi
2006-10-06, 11:20 AM
First off, I really like the idea of the spell, and its given me some ideas of my own (read: geyser, perhaps?). That said, the first thing that hit me was

The lava continues to deal damage equal to half the initial damage (10d6 or 5d6) for 1d3 rounds.

Now, granted, there's plenty out there with immunity or resistance to fire, but a 7th level spell that can do 50d6 fire damage on a single failed Reflex save? I don't really have a suggestion, just raising a concern for one of our more experienced board-junkees to address. Basically, show me how I'm overreacting so that I can use this spell!

Abd al-Azrad
2006-10-06, 11:34 AM
Basically, show me how I'm overreacting so that I can use this spell!
Well... Disintegrate can do 40d6 on a failed save, and that's a sixth level spell. But I think the larger problem is this spell deals 20d6 on a successful save.