Character wants to create a new spell for Eldritch Researcher

[chbgraphicarts]

So, a player of mine wants to take Eldritch Researcher with his Arcanist, which requires that you design a new spell.

This is the proposed spell:

Spellblast

School: Evocation [fire] | Level: Arcanist 5th | Casting Time: 1 Standard Action | Component: V, S | Range: Close (25ft + 5ft / 2 lvs) | Effect: Ray | Duration: Instantaneous | Saving Throw: none | Spell Resistance: yes | Description: Ranged Touch Attack deals 1d6/level fire damage (max 15d6), and makes a Targeted Dispel attempt against a spell/effect of your choice on that target. On a successful hit, if the Caster Level of that spell/effect is less than or equal to 1/2 the amount of damage dealt, that spell/effect is dispelled. Cannot be used as a counterspell.

As far as I can see, it's pretty balanced for a 5th level spell, but I wouldn't mind hearing someone else's take on it.

[Nu'Raahl]

Doing a quick comparison of it to the dispel spells, this looks like a more reliable way to remove spell effects than anything else because it doesn't use a dispel check. It's also a different school than the dispell schools and it does damage.

My main concern would be how does it effect items?
For example, if this could dispell items, let's say at level 10 you are up against a fighter wearing +3 armor and riding a carpet of flying.

On the first round you could hit the carpet, it's an object controlled by a fighter o I don't think touch AC will be difficult. It's CL 10, so if you have at least all 2s on the dice, it's a carpet of falling.
Next turn you target the armor, CL 9. With mostly 2's a a couple of 1s you still dispel and now it's just masterwork armor.

Taking it a step further, at lvl 16 you fight a dwarf wielding an "Axe of the Dwarven Lords", a major artifact. In the first round you could cast a maximized spell doing a measly 90 damage and utterly demoralize every dwarf in the land.

If it doesn't affect items or objects, I don't see it as being too bad as it will just turn in to who can cast more spells, and fire resistance is pretty common. I would also make it a sorcerer/wizard spell instead of arcanist so more of your NPCs can use it.
Being evocation could be thematic as it's "burning" the spell effect away though.

[RumpinRufus]

I think it's too much damage for such a good effect. Also, what happens if you don't know which spells they have up?

I think it should make the dispel check in the normal way, and do less damage. Because right now mechanically, this is much better than Hellfire Ray, which is a higher level spell.

[chbgraphicarts]

Well, I saw not knowing the spell/effect, and needing to identify them, as a weakness of the spell.

You also don't get extra bonuses for dispelling, since it's a flat "less than 1/2 the damage dealt" rather than a Check, nor do you get your +CL Bonus to dispel.

And, of course, it allows for Spell Resistance, which Dispel Magic does not.

At lv10, when the Arcanist can first cast this, the dispel of a known spell chance is (10d6)/2, meaning the max is 30 (which is tied with any other lv10 character trying to Dispel), the minimum is 10 (which is one LESS than any other lv10 character), and the average is 18 (which is 2 worse than the average for a lv10 character).

It's also Close range, vs Medium for Dispel.

It's Targeted, vs. Dispel which can be both targeted and area.

And finally, it's ineligable to be used to counterspell, meaning you can't even burn the spell for a generic counterspell.

---

I think the total Dispel effect is substantially worse than Dispel, which is two spell levels earlier than it.

I'm also perfectly fine with it dealing more damage than Scorching Ray (a spell at over lv3 really should, frankly).

However, the 15d6 at 15 PLUS an effect is more powerful than comparable lv5 spells (like Cone of Cold or Lightning Arc).

Personally, I've never been a huge fan of Hellfire Ray; it's flavorful, but I ultimately think it's underpowered for a lv6 spell (they get sent to Hell immediately on death? Woooo, I'm so excited[/blatant_lies])

Do you think, then, that it's better for this spell to be lv6?

If it were lv6, it would also, then, fulfill the secondary requirements of Eldritch Research, which ends up killing two birds with one stone as I wouldn't have to go through the process of having him make a second unique spell.

[Emmanuel Nouvellon-Pugh]

Shift that to 1d4 damage dice and it should probably be of the abjuration school. Also the damage dispel at the end functions badly with the Maximize meta-magic.

[Under A Bleeding Sun]

Emmanuel Nouvellon-Pugh wrote:

Shift that to 1d4 damage dice and it should probably be of the abjuration school. Also the damage dispel at the end functions badly with the Maximize meta-magic.

Pretty much agree with this. A maximized one of these dispels level 19 caster levels guaranteed of a spell of his choce, while an empowered maximized (You'd need a rod) auto dispels a targeted spell of caster level 34 or less. I'd probably make the dispel work like a standard dispel myself.

[Bandw2]

I'd personally make it do a normal dispell check, and then apply 1d4 fire damage per caster level of the effect dispelled.

[Oliver Veyrac]

School: Evocation [fire] | Level: Arcanist 5th | Casting Time: 1 Standard Action | Component: V, S | Range: Close (25ft + 5ft / 2 lvs) | Effect: Ray | Duration: Instantaneous | Saving Throw: yes (reflex half) | Spell Resistance: yes | Description: Ranged Touch Attack deals 1d6/level fire damage (max 15d6). On a successful hit, make a targeted dispel check, as if done from a dispel magic spell.

That is how I would do it to allow it.

Reason why I allow it to be 15d6?

Scorching ray = 2nd level spell; max d6 is 16d6 points of damage; One Target per ray; This makes it less powerful to Arcane tricksters and the like.

Cone of Cold 60 ft cone, no attack roll, reflex half; 15d6 points of damage

Max damage for Cone of Cold & this spell = 90

Harm spell = 150 points of damage level 6. Pathfinder has no will save evasion that I am aware of.

We are combining a scorching ray (1 ray instead of 4) no multi shots. with dispel Magic

5th level seems on par.

Reason being is this spell will still be effective against creatures such as devils immune to fire, but removes a spell effect.

[RumpinRufus]

I don't know if this crosses IC/OOC bounds, but I would say you should make the player revise the spell instead of making recommendations to him.

Because, if he wants to be an Eldritch Researcher, shouldn't he have enough mastery of the magic system to design a balanced spell?

So I would just go back to him and say "it's too powerful, try again." Or even more specific criticism like "Maximize Spell would make it too strong." But don't make suggestions, let him revise it.

I mean, he's supposed to be the one that's the Eldritch Researcher.