Inspired by the recent Spell Compendium threads, share what you feel is the "worst" spell in 3.5 and why you think so. Worst is entirely your definition.
Me:
Magic Missile
It does force damage and autohits. Boring. Give me something creative. Something individualistic. Something to descern 1 wizard from the thousands of wizards that came before it that also took magic missile.
Some of the spells I dislike:
wind walk
If the spell works as advertised it makes for a bad game. Essentially all the PCs become invisible and really fast. So they then float through the adventure while trying to avoid the encounters. This is not a particularly exciting way to play D&D. Its eventually not even fun for the players but then they have to try and rationalize why they would explore a local normally and risk life and limb when they could float silent and invisible through it.
gate
Its unbalanced - you can use 9th level magic to gate in a Solar which has 4 9th level spells. Its like a spell that makes more spells of the same level.
RPG Superstar 2010 Top 16
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Magic Missile
It does force damage and autohits. Boring.
(Unless you dress it up. One of my players described her missiles as looking like miniscule dragons, launching themselves at opponents, ducking and weaving around obstacles, before impacting with claws out and fangs bared.)
There are a number of "old maid" spells, which sorcerers never learn and wizards rarely prepare. (Honestly, how many arcanists consider greater magic weapon a must-have?)
My favorite contenders for lame spells are command plants and control plants. Quick now: what's the difference? If it helps any, in 3.0, they were named control plants and command plants respectively.
Inspired by the recent Spell Compendium threads, share what you feel is the "worst" spell in 3.5 and why you think so. Worst is entirely your definition.
Me:
Magic Missile
It does force damage and autohits. Boring. Give me something creative. Something individualistic. Something to descern 1 wizard from the thousands of wizards that came before it that also took magic missile.
Hey! Magic Missile is an important, crucial spell of D&D lore!
There are a number of "old maid" spells, which sorcerers never learn and wizards rarely prepare. (Honestly, how many arcanists consider "greater magic weapon" a must-have?)
I do. What with all the DR/epic guys, it's nice to only need a +1 greatsword and a GMW spell.
RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
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Magic Missile
It does force damage and autohits. Boring.(Unless you dress it up. One of my players described her missiles as looking like miniscule dragons, launching themselves at opponents, ducking and weaving around obstacles, before impacting with claws out and fangs bared.)
That's what I love to do.
I played an arabian-esque sorcerer about a year ago, I just made basic flavor changes to his spells.
Mage Armor became "Blessing of the Eastern Wind" and was described as whipping winds coming off his body that deflected incoming attacks. Same effect, just a different descriptor.
Magic Missile was "Fire of Heaven", and was described as the caster praying to the sun and actual beams of sunlight took fiery form and shot from the sky towards his enemies.
(Unless you dress it up.Magic Missile
It does force damage and autohits. Boring.
Put a pig in a fancy dress, put lipstick on it, teach it to squeal in a human sounding way, take it out dancing, and at the end of the day, its still a pig.
Give that spell all the fluff you want. Its still as exciting as a first level warrior swinging a sword without the excitement of an attack roll.
Blight, hands down.
My druid has just attained 7th level. He can transform into thousands of different creatures, his animal companion is either a ferocious killing machine or an unhittable juggernaught. He can call down columns of fire from the sky to blast the perverters of nature. He can walk through a nest of assassin vines without fear of getting grappled. He can bring his companions back from the dead!
Or...he can automatically kill any a single plant (of any size!). Hmm. But wait, I can use it to damage plant creatures! Oh but flame strike does just as much damage to multiple plant creatures.
Yeah....
Inspired by the recent Spell Compendium threads, share what you feel is the "worst" spell in 3.5 and why you think so. Worst is entirely your definition.
Me:
Magic Missile
It does force damage and autohits. Boring. Give me something creative. Something individualistic. Something to descern 1 wizard from the thousands of wizards that came before it that also took magic missile.
Same here. I can count on one hand (hell, on three fingers) the number of wizards I've played who actually ever prepared Magic Missile.
IMO, a lot of the stuff from the Spell Compendium is just way to situation specific to be all that useful. Yeah, most of them are useful spells, but onyly if you had the dumb luck or divine foresight to prepare them that day.
Find Traps.
Hands down, the worst 3.5 spell ever. By anyones definition.
EDIT:: Sorry, forgot to add why.
It gives the Cleric the ability to detect traps as a Rogue, EXCEPT:
1) Search isn't a class skill for the Cleric.
2) The Cleric receives 2+Int Bonus skill points, and Int isn't (usually) and important stat for Clerics.
3) It provides a maximum of +10 to the check. (1/2 Caster Level)
4) And, you can't do a damn thing with them when - I mean if - you find them.
And it is a personal spell, before some one thinks it might be useful to place on a Rogue or other skill monkey.
Find Traps.
Hands down, the worst 3.5 spell ever. By anyones definition.
EDIT:: Sorry, forgot to add why.
It gives the Cleric the ability to detect traps as a Rogue, EXCEPT:
1) Search isn't a class skill for the Cleric.
2) The Cleric receives 2+Int Bonus skill points, and Int isn't (usually) and important stat for Clerics.
3) It provides a maximum of +10 to the check. (1/2 Caster Level)
4) And, you can't do a damn thing with them when - I mean if - you find them.And it is a personal spell, before some one thinks it might be useful to place on a Rogue or other skill monkey.
Before the last campaign I ran, I would have agreed with you, but I have a resourceful player. The cleric in the rogue-less party would use Imbue with Spell Ability to give the ranger Find Traps, so they had no trouble finding traps. A cleric has to be 7th level for this to work, but after that, it saved them a lot of trouble.
It helped that the cleric had the Initiate of Gond feat, so Disable Device was a class skill. Dispel Magic was used to remove magical traps.
I think Zone of Truth is one of the worst. The caster cannot tell if it worked because it allows a saving throw, and it is not a targeted effect.
Blink
I banned this spell in first and second edition because of the horrible mechanics. "OK, what segment was that attack in? We need to roll special initiative. Um, you blinked out now where did you reappear?"The third edition version was not much of an improvement.
I can't say this spell has seen a lot of use but I'm not really sure whats wrong with the mechanic...OK I looked it up and I see your problem. Reminds me of the web spell come to think of it. Its not so much that the spell does not work as there are so amny ifs and buts in the spell its not nearly as simple as it should be.
The blink spell should have been:
"If you cast blink their is a 50% miss chance as if you were incorporeal. If the spell or attack effects incorporeal creatures then there is no miss chance. There is a 20% chance that your spells or attacks fail."
There thats it
OK there'd have to be a section in the FAQ covering questions like:
Can I walk through walls while incorporeal?
Answer: No
Well can I at least...
Answer: No!
Web
Is another spell that annoys me. Its not really completely busted but more complex then it needs to be. There is already an entangled condition in the game. I'd rather that the entangled mechanic was robust enough that it pretty much covered most situations and then the spell web could just entangle victims as could spiders webs etc.
Essentially the entangle mechanic should have come with some kind of a non static DC so that it could handle weaker versus more powerful things that cause entanglement and it needs to address being entangles by something thats going to hold you fast in place versus something where your hindered but still mobile. Its already most of the way there but it could have been fine tuned a little more and spells and monsters could have related more to this mechanic instead of often inventing an entirely new sub mechanic for each individual spell or monster.
I'm not fond of spells that detect alignment. Lawful people can act chaotically; evil people can perform acts of mercy. What about people who do bad things for good reasons? Say that a man believes he is protecting children by murdering a known child molester--would he register as good or evil (or do motive and action cancel each other out and register as neutral)? If anything, I would prefer that such spells detect an emotional state--angry, scared, amorous, etc.
I consider the mirror image mechanic to be more complicated than it needs, like web.
Frankly, I've read it who knows how many times, and I still don't quite understand how it's supposed to work or if I'm applying it right.
I'm not fond of spells that detect alignment. Lawful people can act chaotically; evil people can perform acts of mercy. What about people who do bad things for good reasons? Say that a man believes he is protecting children by murdering a known child molester--would he register as good or evil (or do motive and action cancel each other out and register as neutral)? If anything, I would prefer that such spells detect an emotional state--angry, scared, amorous, etc.
There's a good variant in Heroes of Horror in which you only show up as evil if you are performing an evil act.
Circle of Death
It's a 6th-level spell that only affects 9HD or lower. And, it has a prohibitive material component. A maximized fireball is likely more efficient, reliable, and versatile, all for the same level...and all you need to do is pinch some bat guano.
Hmm...maybe not...ewww....
I'm not fond of spells that detect alignment. Lawful people can act chaotically; evil people can perform acts of mercy. What about people who do bad things for good reasons? Say that a man believes he is protecting children by murdering a known child molester--would he register as good or evil (or do motive and action cancel each other out and register as neutral)? If anything, I would prefer that such spells detect an emotional state--angry, scared, amorous, etc.
...oh yes. Alignments are tricky concept to put in mechanics to start with and that spell is just rubbing it in.
Awaken Construct. It is supposed to allow constructs to roll up INT, WIS, and CHA and go on about their awakened existence. Except is allows spell resistance. Meaning golems are immune to it. And the description specifies humanoid, non-animate object type constructs. That leaves ... humonculos? Nope. Shield Guardian? Yeah. A ninth level spell that effects just one thing out of the entire monster manual. Serious dumbness.
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Explosive Runes - Infinite traps, which are permanent till dispelled, for zero cost.
Better still, fill up a room with said infinite traps (cast at high level), and fling in a dispel from a scroll or wand (caster level 5), and watch as 'one or two' get dispelled with no effect, whilst ('infinity minus one or two') traps go off, for (infinityd6 damage), all via one standard action.
Someone was napping when that one was written.
I have it in my books for my current character, but simply refuse to use it, since I don't want an arms race.
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Here is a spell I am having difficulty with now, that is Core.
Glitterdust. 2nd level, save or effectively dead.
The problem isn't particularly with the spell but with things that help the caster bring the DC for the Will save up to 23ish.
Got a tough melee battler that is CR12? One second level spell can ruin him unless you get all metagamey and start tossing about items to negate that spell.
I hate spells like that. They really do ruin a dramatic encounter.
Explosive Runes - Infinite traps, which are permanent till dispelled, for zero cost.
Better still, fill up a room with said infinite traps (cast at high level), and fling in a dispel from a scroll or wand (caster level 5), and watch as 'one or two' get dispelled with no effect, whilst ('infinity minus one or two') traps go off, for (infinityd6 damage), all via one standard action.Someone was napping when that one was written.
I have it in my books for my current character, but simply refuse to use it, since I don't want an arms race.
I kinda like that spell. Oh, by the way...
Mordenkainen's Disjunction
The spell is the best friend of the rat bastard DM.
I used it in my Age of Worms game; the result? The characters with good will saves lost nothing while the single character with a lousy will save lost ALL of his items.
Just a cruel cruel spell.
Mordenkainen's Disjunction
The spell is the best friend of the rat bastard DM.
I used it in my Age of Worms game; the result? The characters with good will saves lost nothing while the single character with a lousy will save lost ALL of his items.
Just a cruel cruel spell.
Cruel? Yes. Fun for a DM? Hell yeah.
I have to use that spell.
Here is a spell I am having difficulty with now, that is Core.
Glitterdust. 2nd level, save or effectively dead.
The problem isn't particularly with the spell but with things that help the caster bring the DC for the Will save up to 23ish.
Got a tough melee battler that is CR12? One second level spell can ruin him unless you get all metagamey and start tossing about items to negate that spell.
I hate spells like that. They really do ruin a dramatic encounter.
I'm not really sure what to do with spells like this. There are tons of spells that essentially fall into this category, Dominate Person for example has essentially the same effect (make save or your out of the combat) and even charm person.
I'm not really sure how we make it so that the game can handle these spells much beyond what has been done within the context of 3.5 (saves tend to rise faster then spell DCs - until your players start min-maxing).
I don't see banning all of them so I'm not really sure of a solution to this.
Mordenkainen's Disjunction
The spell is the best friend of the rat bastard DM.
I used it in my Age of Worms game; the result? The characters with good will saves lost nothing while the single character with a lousy will save lost ALL of his items.
Just a cruel cruel spell.
Best tweak I have heard for that spell is from the Killer DM Runs Age of Worms campaign thread.
Change it to a temporary (1d4+1) minutes of the items being dispelled. But if cast on an unattended item it can permanently dispell the item as per the original version of the spell.
This means in combat the spell disables the items still (with the Will save) but the victims (if they make it out alive) don't permanently lose their items and the spellcaster (if the victims don't make it out alive) get the items. Who wouldn't develop that version of the spell?
Fire Seeds
Sixth level spell with up to 20d6 fire damage, no reflex save on a ranged touch attack and with a thrown range of 100'.
A wee bit over powered I would say.
Oh I hate wind walk too.
RPG Superstar 2008 Top 32, 2011 Top 16
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Fire Seeds
Sixth level spell with up to 20d6 fire damage, no reflex save on a ranged touch attack and with a thrown range of 100'.
A wee bit over powered I would say.
The range is a bit high, but other than that I don't see it as overpowered at all. 2nd level spell scorching ray from an 11th level caster can do 12d6 fire damage with a ranged touch attack, so an 11th level caster using a 6th level spell should be doing more damage.
The range is a bit high, but other than that I don't see it as overpowered at all. 2nd level spell scorching ray from an 11th level caster can do 12d6 fire damage with a ranged touch attack, so an 11th level caster using a 6th level spell should be doing more damage.Fire Seeds
Sixth level spell with up to 20d6 fire damage, no reflex save on a ranged touch attack and with a thrown range of 100'.
A wee bit over powered I would say.
20d6 maximum is higher then a delayed blast fireball. It can also be "delayed" for 10 min/level and handed to another player to fire. Also scorching ray requires three ranged touch attacks. If the caster had to throw it or a maximum of 5d6 per acorn that I could see.
But I see your point with scorching ray. I was thinking more about comparing it to delayed blast fireball, disintegrate, flamestrike and the like.
Edit: Scorching ray is often considered a "must have" due to its damage growth.
touch of fatigue, because it has a cool name and a not so cool effect.
So how about these "fixes" (which I am using in my next campaign)?
Oh and keep adding more unbalanced or crap spells.
Spell Change Summary
Blade Barrier
Duration is now 1 round/level not 1 minute /level.
Call Lighting
This spell functions indoors (igniting flammable materials) but not underground or underwater.
Circle of Death
The maximum affected HD is the caster level -3.
Explosive Runes
The spell now requires a material component of 25gp worth of ruby and diamond dust.
Fire Seeds
Duration is now 1 minute per level (not 10 minutes per level). The acorn grenade version of the spell has a maximum charge of 6d6 per acorn.
Glitterdust
The spell now has no saving throw. A creature becomes dazzled (-1 penalty on attack rolls, Search checks, and Spot checks) not blinded when within the glitterdust area.
Polymorph
The spell is removed.
Righteous Might
Altered as per the official errata.
Scorching Ray
Now has a fortitude save for ½ damage.
Spiritual Weapon
Limited to one attack per round.
Wind Walk
The spell is removed.
So how about these "fixes" (which I am using in my next campaign)?
Oh and keep adding more unbalanced or crap spells.Spell Change Summary
** spoiler omitted **
I require a material component of 100 gold for explosive runes in my games... It's an extremely abusable spell, especially with the amanuensis spell from the Spell Compendium.
As for fire seeds vs. delayed blast fireball, DBF also has a max of 20d6. Also, the 100' thrown fire seed does grant a save to the victims of the area damage (just not the direct target) AND the damage must be divided among the seeds (which can be thrown only one at a time).
I require a material component of 100 gold for explosive runes in my games... It's an extremely abusable spell, especially with the amanuensis spell from the Spell Compendium.
As for fire seeds vs. delayed blast fireball, DBF also has a max of 20d6. Also, the 100' thrown fire seed does grant a save to the victims of the area damage (just not the direct target) AND the damage must be divided among the seeds (which can be thrown only one at a time).
I have upped the explosive runes cost to 50gp has I will be playing a low treasure (1/2 treasure) low magic campaign.
Your right about the delayed blast fireball being max of 20d6. But the fire seeds can be loaded into one acorn. The DBF effects more creatures but the fire seeds allows no save.
I just want it to not be loadable into just one acorn is all.
Plus couldn't they throw multiple acorns if they had multiple attacks? (And even a +6 bonus will hit almost all touch ACs.)
Mordenkainen's Disjunction
I don't even honestly know if the spell has been kept in 3rd edition, but i banned it from my campaign a long time ago. And i managed to convince my fellow DMs to do the same, for the sake of conformity.
I just cannot accept a mere spell being able to destroy an artifact or a relic, when there are some specific ways to do so.
And this is not only to preserve my nasty NPC's artifacts, that's valid for my players too. The very few of them who managed to get such a treasure along time would hate to lose it because of a stupid spell...
Also:
Word of Recall
Now: When you designate the sanctuary it must be a very familiar place (see teleport for guidelines) and you must be at the location when designating it.
Changed from: You must designate the sanctuary when you prepare the spell, and it must be a very familiar place.
Discern Location
Now allows a will save with a DC of 21 + Appropriate Modifier (a inherent 5 above the normal DC)
I require a material component of 100 gold for explosive runes in my games... It's an extremely abusable spell, especially with the amanuensis spell from the Spell Compendium.
As for fire seeds vs. delayed blast fireball, DBF also has a max of 20d6. Also, the 100' thrown fire seed does grant a save to the victims of the area damage (just not the direct target) AND the damage must be divided among the seeds (which can be thrown only one at a time).
I have upped the explosive runes cost to 50gp has I will be playing a low treasure (1/2 treasure) low magic campaign.
Your right about the delayed blast fireball being max of 20d6. But the fire seeds can be loaded into one acorn. The DBF effects more creatures but the fire seeds allows no save.
I just want it to not be loadable into just one acorn is all.
Plus couldn't they throw multiple acorns if they had multiple attacks? (And even a +6 bonus will hit almost all touch ACs.)
Well I suppose that one could load a single acorn with the whole 20d6, or throw multiple acorns if he had a higher BAB (like throwing multiple vials of holy water or another splash weapon). There's also the fact that the fire seeds does EXTRA splash damage on top of the damage it already does. But you have to remember that only the direct targets of the acorns get no save. The other victims caught in the blast do get reflex saves.
Mage’s Disjunction (SRD version of Mordenkainen's Disjunction)
This spell now has temporary and permanent disjunction variants.
Mage’s Disjunction
Abjuration
Level: Magic 9, Sor/Wiz 9
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: All magical effects and magic items within a 40-ft.-radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: No
This spell has two versions: A temporary disjunction and permanent disjunction.
Temporary Disjunction
All magical effects and magic items within the radius of the spell, except for those that you carry or touch, are temporarily disjoined. That is, spells and spell-like effects are separated into their individual components (ending the effect as a dispel magic spell does), and each permanent magic item must make a successful Will save or be dispelled for 1d4+1 minutes. An item in a creature’s possession uses its own Will save bonus or its possessor’s Will save bonus, whichever is higher.
You also have a 1% chance per caster level of destroying an antimagic field. If the antimagic field survives the disjunction, no items within it are disjoined.
Permanent Disjunction
All magical effects except for those that you carry or touch, are disjoined. All unattended magic items within the radius of the spell are also disjoined. That is, spells and spell-like effects are separated into their individual components (ending the effect as a dispel magic spell does), and each permanent magic item must make a successful Will save or be turned into a normal item. An item uses its own Will save bonus.
You also have a 1% chance per caster level of destroying an antimagic field. If the antimagic field survives the disjunction, no items within it are disjoined.
Even artifacts can be subject to disjunction, though there is only a 1% chance per caster level of actually affecting such powerful items. Additionally, if an artifact is destroyed, you must make a DC 25 Will save or permanently lose all spellcasting abilities. (These abilities cannot be recovered by mortal magic, not even miracle or wish.)
Note: Destroying artifacts is a dangerous business, and it is 95% likely to attract the attention of some powerful being who has an interest in or connection with the device.
If there's one low level spell to watch out for, it's color spray. It has the potential to (for all intensive purposes) instantly kill a great deal of creatures, and yet it is not limited by an amount of HD it can affect at one time, unlike sleep.
If there's one low level spell to watch out for, it's color spray. It has the potential to (for all intensive purposes) instantly kill a great deal of creatures, and yet it is not limited by an amount of HD it can affect at one time, unlike sleep.
Colour Spray
Now the spells effect is based off of your caster level and the opponents HD.
Color Spray
Illusion (Pattern) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 15 ft.
Area: Cone-shaped burst
Duration: Instantaneous; see text
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
A vivid cone of clashing colors springs forth from your hand, causing creatures to become stunned, perhaps also blinded, and possibly knocking them unconscious.
Each creature within the cone is affected according to its Hit Dice.
5 or more HD below your Caster Level
The creature is unconscious, blinded, and stunned for 2d4 rounds, then blinded and stunned for 1d4 rounds, and then stunned for 1 round. (Only living creatures are knocked unconscious.)
3 or 4 HD less then your Caster Level
The creature is blinded and stunned for 1d4 rounds, then stunned for 1 round.
2 HD or less then your Caster Level
The creature is stunned for 1 round.
Sightless creatures are not affected by color spray.
Material Component
Three pinches of powder or sand; one of each colour (red, yellow, and blue).
Explosive RunesBlah, blah, blah...Someone was napping when that one was written.I kinda like that spell. Oh, by the way...I prepared Explosive Runes this morning.And I memorised Energy Immunity (fire), after I covered your keyboard in slow-acting anti-kobold contact poison...
Kobold lich, Snorter, lich!
Mordenkainen's Disjunction
I don't even honestly know if the spell has been kept in 3rd edition, but i banned it from my campaign a long time ago. And i managed to convince my fellow DMs to do the same, for the sake of conformity.
I just cannot accept a mere spell being able to destroy an artifact or a relic, when there are some specific ways to do so.
I agree. Mordfenkainens Disjunction is overpowered.
But a player losing his +50 vorpal greatsword on a nat. 1 is...very, very amusing.
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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Explosive RunesBlah, blah, blah...Someone was napping when that one was written.I kinda like that spell. Oh, by the way...I prepared Explosive Runes this morning.And I memorised Energy Immunity (fire), after I covered your keyboard in slow-acting anti-kobold contact poison...
Pity it's a Force effect ;-)
Mix Explosive Runes with a sorcerer and abjuant champion. Throwing a quickened ER at someone every round?