Hydraulic Torrent Question

[Fedorchik1536]

Hydraulic Torrent description says:

Quote:

Against immovable objects this stream instead allows you to make a Strength check to destroy the target. When attempting to break an object, the stream has an effective Strength equal to your caster level plus the ability score modifier as above. The Break DC depends on the object you're trying to break (see Damaging Objects for sample Break DCs for various objects.)

Which seems kinda underwhelming, since torrent from wizard 5 would have around 9 effective Strength and -1 penalty on break checks. Considering usual break DCs for solid objects you'll probably need caster level 10 or higher to have decent chance to break anything. Which is lame.

Am I reading this spell wrong?

[Diego Rossi]

How many doors you have seen being broken down by a fire hose or the water cannons used by the police? But at the same time they can easily bull rush people.

I would say that this spell depicts well that effect.

[Ryu Kaijitsu]

I have to agree on this one, too bad as it would be fun otherwise, but you don't usually use pressured water to ... oh, never mind

This spell basically represents a fire hose, but yea, I can see a stronger version of it which should exist

[Fedorchik1536]

I disagree with that, since fire hoses operate at ~ 1500 kPa which is enough to crack your ribs and blow some 'simple doors' into pieces.
BTW, we are talking about 3rd level spell and I naturally expect a little more from it. :(
Too bad it's not my misread.

Thanks for answers!

[Ryu Kaijitsu]

simple doors are of weak wood, and most windows out of glass, even a STR 9 person can break these easy, so its not unrealistic

water can still not break down metal doors at this estimated pressure level, but I would like to see a lvl 5 or 6 spell that would be much stronger

[Diego Rossi]

Breaking a simple wooden door: DC 16. With a Str of 9 you have a 25% chance. Fully acceptable for a spell whose main function isn't to open doors.

PRD wrote:

Breaking Doors: Dungeon doors might be locked, trapped, reinforced, barred, magically sealed, or sometimes just stuck. All but the weakest characters can eventually knock down a door with a heavy tool such as a sledgehammer, and a number of spells and magic items give characters an easy way around a locked door.

Attempts to literally chop down a door with a slashing or bludgeoning weapon use the hardness and hit points given in Table: Doors. When assigning a DC to an attempt to knock a door down, use the following as guidelines.

DC 10 or Lower: a door just about anyone can break open.

DC 11–15: a door that a strong person could break with one try and an average person might be able to break with one try.

DC 16–20: a door that almost anyone could break, given time.

DC 21–25: a door that only a strong or very strong person has a hope of breaking, probably not on the first try.

DC 26 or Higher: a door that only an exceptionally strong person has a hope of breaking.

A simple lock has a DC of 20. A specialized spell, Knock, has a 70% chance of success if you cast it at minimum level.

Against an average lock it has a 45% chance of success.

It seem reasonable that a more versatile spell that can be incidentally used to break open doors would have a lower chance of success eve if it is of a higher level.