I'm building a Wordcaster Sorcerer and been trying to go through word combinations and came across one that seems a bit...shall we say crazy?
Corrosive Bolt
Duration: 2 Rounds
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
A wordspell with this effect word deals 1d4 points of acid damage per level of the wordcaster (maximum 5d4). On the following round, the target takes this damage again. Hitting a target with a wordspell with this effect word requires a ranged touch attack.
Level 2.
So this is level 2 with a 2 round duration. For free, I can add the lengthy meta word. Now this is 4 rounds of damage, still level 2 (limited by meta words per day).
I'm crossblooded with Orc/Draconic. This gives me +2 to each hit die. If I also take point blank shot, I can get another +1 due to the nature of wordcaster spells:
"If the wordspell deals energy damage, this word creates a ray that requires a ranged touch attack to hit"
So now I'm doing 5d4+15 damage for 4 rounds from a level 2 slot (or 3 if I need to change the element type to match my bloodline).
Throw Intensify on for + 1 level (10d4+30) for 4 rounds.
And finally empowered for a +2 slot (15d4+45) across 4 rounds from a level 5/6 slot (depending on element).
Even without maximize (which may not even be worth it) this is 240 damage minimum with no save, no SR. Maxed out, 420.
So am I missing something?
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Well, first your bonus from point blank shot is just +1, not +1 per die. So that brings you down to 5d4+11 at 5th level for a level 2 slot, which admittedly is still reasonably impressive damage. I'm not sure the lengthy word actually does anything in this case - sure your duration goes to 4 rounds, but the word description doesn't say it takes the damage every round, it says you take it twice. So by a strict reading you gte 2 rounds of damage then 2 rounds of basically nothing.
So at level 5 you are doing 10d4+21 (Point Blank Shot damage is the same type as the spell, but not part of the spell so it doesn't repeat) for an average of 46 with a level 2 slot. That's not bad.
At level 10 with Intensify you can hit 10d4+21 on the initial bolt, giving you 20d4+41 total. Average 91, still pretty good for single target level 3 spell.
Toss Empower on there and you get 136 average for a level 5 spell.
I'd argue that the spell description does not preclude the spell from damaging the target each round after they've been hit. My reasoning for this is that the spell's duration is normally 2 rounds, so any language saying the spell dealt its damage again in any following rounds rather than just the next round would've been superfluous.
In the vein of common sense, this spell belongs to the Conjuration school, which means the player literally creates acid and fires it at the enemy. Since the duration is doubled, we can infer that the acid now covers the enemy for 4 rounds instead of 2. Why would this acid stop dealing damage after the second round?
As much as I like the system, WOP requires a lot of RAI interpretation. Considering the limitations on a WoP caster, having a good Damage over Time acid spell isn't going to kill the game.
That said, Lengthy Corrosive Bolt is nasty; Lengthy Wrack/Corrosive Bolt is even nastier.
Corrosive Bolt
Duration: 2 Rounds
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
A wordspell with this effect word deals 1d4 points of acid damage per level of the wordcaster (maximum 5d4). On the following round, the target takes this damage again. Hitting a target with a wordspell with this effect word requires a ranged touch attack.
Level 2.
So this is level 2 with a 2 round duration. For free, I can add the lengthy meta word. Now this is 4 rounds of damage, still level 2 (limited by meta words per day).
I'm crossblooded with Orc/Draconic. This gives me +2 to each hit die. If I also take point blank shot, I can get another +1 due to the nature of wordcaster spells:
"If the wordspell deals energy damage, this word creates a ray that requires a ranged touch attack to hit"
So now I'm doing 5d4+11 damage for 4 rounds from a level 2 slot (or 3 if I need to change the element type to match my bloodline).
Throw Intensify on for + 1 level (10d4+30) for 4 rounds.
Once you can cast a fifth level spell skip the intensify and empower and instead apply the Boost meta word to the target word select.
Boost: Instead of one target, the wordspell affects up to one target per caster level, no two of which can be more than 30 feet apart. The range increases to medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./ level). If used with an effect word that deals energy damage, the wordcaster must make multiple ray attacks for each target (they cannot be made as melee touch attacks). This boosted target word increases the level of all the effect words in the spell by 3 levels.
Your fifth level Corrosive Bolt + Lengthy + Boost Selective spell now allows you to fire at 10th level 10 rays each doing 5d4+11 each round for four rounds. Each ray does 20d4+44 and you have 10 rays. So if all your rays hit you could inflict 200d4+440 points of damage.
That makes sense with the distinction between a "roll" and "per die rolled." That actually makes things easier because part of me really didn't want to take PBS. Without the potential extra 60 damage, it's not quite worth always standing that close. Corrosive bolt would still have its purpose (As Jesterle just detailed) for the ultimate crowd damage spell.
That makes sense with the distinction between a "roll" and "per die rolled." That actually makes things easier because part of me really didn't want to take PBS. Without the potential extra 60 damage, it's not quite worth always standing that close. Corrosive bolt would still have its purpose (As Jesterle just detailed) for the ultimate crowd damage spell.
Note there is nothing in the rules that says you can not target all the bolts at one creature.
Personally I think the Boost to the Selective rule is broken but it is awesome.
That makes sense with the distinction between a "roll" and "per die rolled." That actually makes things easier because part of me really didn't want to take PBS. Without the potential extra 60 damage, it's not quite worth always standing that close. Corrosive bolt would still have its purpose (As Jesterle just detailed) for the ultimate crowd damage spell.Note there is nothing in the rules that says you can not target all the bolts at one creature.
Personally I think the Boost to the Selective rule is broken but it is awesome.
That is incorrect.
Boost: Instead of one target, the wordspell affects up to one target per caster level, no two of which can be more than 30 feet apart. The range increases to medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level). If used with an effect word that deals energy damage, the wordcaster must make multiple ray attacks for each target (they cannot be made as melee touch attacks). This boosted target word increases the level of all the effect words in the spell by 3 levels.
It adds a ray per additional target, not a number of rays that can be fired at a single target.
[That is incorrect.
It adds a ray per additional target, not a number of rays that can be fired at a single target.
Boost: Instead of one target, the wordspell affects up to one target per caster level, no two of which can be more than 30 feet apart. The range increases to medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level). If used with an effect word that deals energy damage, the wordcaster must make multiple ray attacks for each target (they cannot be made as melee touch attacks). This boosted target word increases the level of all the effect words in the spell by 3 levels.
I disagree it allows you to target up to one target per level but it never states that you can't choose the same target multiple times.
[That is incorrect.
It adds a ray per additional target, not a number of rays that can be fired at a single target.
Boost: Instead of one target, the wordspell affects up to one target per caster level, no two of which can be more than 30 feet apart. The range increases to medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level). If used with an effect word that deals energy damage, the wordcaster must make multiple ray attacks for each target (they cannot be made as melee touch attacks). This boosted target word increases the level of all the effect words in the spell by 3 levels.
I disagree it allows you to target up to one target per level but it never states that you can't choose the same target multiple times.
If you select only one target, you don't get the extra rays, since you only "make multiple ray attacks for each target". Thus, there's no way to get multiple rays and then aim them all at one target.
I can see reading this effect in this manner and it does make it less overpowered. It is still extremely powerful effect.
I have a question though how would you duplicate "Scorching Ray" using the Word spell rules?
Note Scorching Ray is the only spell that I have found that provides multiple rays and thus I was basing the effect of the boosted selected target word on its applications but I can see the difference in the wording of the two effects.
I can see reading this effect in this manner and it does make it less overpowered. It is still extremely powerful effect.
I have a question though how would you duplicate "Scorching Ray" using the Word spell rules?
Note Scorching Ray is the only spell that I have found that provides multiple rays and thus I was basing the effect of the boosted selected target word on its applications but I can see the difference in the wording of the two effects.
You wouldn't duplicate Scorching Ray (or any other specific spell) with Word Spells. You can come close on some, but they are generally a weaker option that offers more versatility.