Does anyone have any experience with the second level a arcane spell - Decastave? I have a player who wants to use the Tome of Battle strike Insightful Strikes through the Decastave "weapon." Not really certain about this one. Anyone have any thoughts?
After looking up the spell, it's in Unapproachable East. (Faerun books usually seem to be a bad sign.)
The spell lets you conjure a 1d6 weapon for rounds per level. The weapon is effectively Ghost Touch (+1) from being a force weapon and is thundering (+1d8 on a crit, DC 14 save for permanent deafness), and is a Touch Attack to hit.
Insightful strike is make a melee attack. You substitute a Concentration check for damage. Strength, a weapon’s magical properties, and any other extra damage you normally deal doesn't modify this check, including extra damage from class abilities, feats, or spells.
So the end result is you make a touch attack to do concentration damage and can hit incorporeal creatures, but no longer get benefits from thundering, other buff spells, power attack, weapon focus or any of the like.
I don't think it winds up being strong at all compared to what other martial characters are hitting for once you get some other multiplier on power attack, like a +1 valorous weapon or leap attack. I can see it being pretty nifty in some situations, but all in all you don't want to build a character who is part spell caster plan to run into melee. (Yes... I like the idea of a gish but would never really play one...) I do admit it looks like a schtick for a wizard who dipped warblade, possibly to go into jade phoenix mage, which could be pretty strong. In this particular instance, though, I think it would probably wind up being an ok to good trade/tactic, but not a broken one.
Thanks for the feedback!!