Storm of Blades spell question

[Tristan Windseeker]

I had a few questions about the new Storm of Blades spell from People of the Sands.

Quote:

Storm of Blades
School conjuration (creation); Level cleric 3, magus 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
Casting Time 1 standard action components V, S, M (a sword) range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target one creature
Duration instantaneous
Saving Throw none; Spell Resistance no
You create floating swords of the type used as the material component for this spell (such as a rapier or scimitar) and magically propel them at your target. You can create one sword for every 2 caster levels that you possess, up to a maximum of five swords at 10th level. You must have line of effect between you and the target, and the target must be within the spell’s range. You make a ranged attack roll for each sword (with no penalties for range increments or using melee weapons as ranged weapons); each attack has the same threat range and critical modifier and deals the same damage as a standard sword of the type expended. Swords created by this spell disappear after striking (or missing) their targets.

Do the blades simply do the base damage for each sword, or do they add Strength to damage as well?

Also, would "lead blades" work on the blades from this spell? I would assume no, as the spell says there are no penalties for using melee weapons as ranged weapons, but lead blades requires melee attacks.

Also, if a large creature cast this spell at an opponent, would the base damage for each blade be higher?

Thanks!

[Archaeik]

As I read it, it is base damage only.

Lead Blades would not work, SoB is instantaneous, so you won't have time to tack it on between the time the swords are conjured and the time they are launched. (Lead Blades on the material component will not affect "standard damage").

Lead Blades wrote:

All melee weapons you are carrying when the spell is cast deal damage as if one size category larger than they actually are.

*The only potential caveat to this would be an incredibly specific casting of Contingency. (and even this is using a loose definition of "carrying")

"damage as a standard sword of the type expended"
I would say this includes the size modifier, others may disagree.
"Standard" to me, means "ordinary, non-magical", not necessarily "restricted to medium size because that's standard for PCs".
Keep in mind that the material component you use is annihilated by this spell. It could get fairly pricey (although not unsustainable) to continually cast this with very large weapons.
(It's fairly laughable, although also RAW, that the M component of this spell is of negligible cost, if it's printed exactly as you posted. Pretty sloppy, even if it saved word count.)

[blackbloodtroll]

Your Storm of Blades, is different from this one.

[Turey]

We were wondering many of the same things, especially the size question. If it retains size modifiers to damage, carrying around a couple of large or huge size weapons for large burst attacks could be very effective. If size does not matter, well, let's just say that the local blacksmith is going to be very busy making tiny-size greatswords for the foreseeable future.

The other question we have relates to Magus spell combat. If you declare a spell combat using this spell, (which requires that one hand has your magus weapon and the other is empty) then use one of your sword attacks as a disarm, which lets you take their sword for free, does that disrupt the spell combat, since you no longer have a hand free? Can you still cast the spell, using the enemy's sword as the component (Material Components may not count as taking up a hand when casting?)

We've worked up this really cool disarm Magus based around taking the enemy's magic sword, turning it to dust, and firing a bunch of swords back at them as a result. We want to know if it works RAW, or if we need to use Still Spell or something.

[Archaeik]

RAW probably doesn't mesh too well with that particular sequence of events...
But, it should be arguable how the material component functions while casting the spell.

If the component sword doesn't force you to use both hands during casting (and I don't see that it explicitly states that it does), you should be able to cast it successfully with the same hand that has/holds the material component.

RAW probably does shut down Spell Combat entirely when your hand is no longer free.
The other issue is you can't interrupt your attacks to cast and then resume them. Although, I would probably allow you to cast the spell immediately following the disarm, and then end your action.

Additionally, I'm of the opinion that magical items should, at a minimum, receive a save vs being used as a material component, or more likely should not even be a valid component. (Given the omissions in the description, I find it likely that the author was treating the sword as a focus rather than a material component. Or it was changed in editing, possibly because a focus makes it "too useful", especially so for a Magus.)

[Djelai]

A few more questions:

Quote:

You make a ranged attack roll for each sword (with no penalties for range increments or using melee weapons as ranged weapons);

1) What about penalties for non-proficiency or inappropriate size?

2) If I mimic this spell with Shadow Conjuration, how many saves the target will roll? Only one, or one per sword?

[Raphael Valen]

-awaken dead thread- lol anyway anyone know if they plan on changing up the whole sacrificing a sword for this spell thing? i mean that could get expensive lol

[Raphael Valen]

hmm or can it be a wooden sword version? XD

[Dekalinder]

I would like to poit out that the attack is NOT touch, is ranged, and you can't use weapon enchant bonus. Bottom line, you are probably missing everything since you are 5-10 to hit below your normal with classes that already have lower to hit than say barbs or inquisitors, against regular AC.