Hi all, I know this spell I'd quite situational and usually there is a better alternative at this particular spell level for a Cleric. I was wondering though if you were a bad touch Cleric and wanted to prepare this spell which enemies would be ideal to target with this spell?
http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/prd/ultimateMagic/spells/fleshwormInfestatio n.html
The staggered condition would not be too much of a problem for spell casters as they can do a lot with just a standard action and the hp/dex damage would be inconvenient but not the worst thing to happen so long as dex wasn't dumped; if the 1d6 damage is enough of a problem to impact concentration many casters have other powers to draw upon.
It would however significantly reduce the effectiveness of anything that depends on full round attacks. Your best target would be dex based/unchained rogues as they have weak fortitude, the staggered condition reduces the number of attacks they get dex damage causes longer term problems for their hit chance, damage, AC, initiative, reflex saves and skill checks.
The target needs to be something that will fail many Fort saves and which you can hit with a melee touch attack, and which isn't an offensive spellcaster. That's a fairly narrow category. Dragons & other big creatures would be a decent target except that they would tend to make Fort saves; small, high-dex enemies like rogues/fey may be hard to hit with touch attacks; spellcasters can just suck up the effects and nail you to the ground with their favourite spells.
Basically to use this at all you need to overcome one of those weaknesses. Heavy debuffs to make the fort saves fail, or personal buffs to let you see and touch those quick fey, or have someone in the party give the spellcasters a solid reason to move so that staggered means something to them.
Quickened True Strike + Heightened Reach Fleshworm Infestation = Cruise Control for awesome.
Quickened True Strike + Heightened Reach Fleshworm Infestation = Cruise Control for awesome.
Unfortunately not on the Cleric spell list
The target needs to be something that will fail many Fort saves and which you can hit with a melee touch attack, and which isn't an offensive spellcaster. That's a fairly narrow category. Dragons & other big creatures would be a decent target except that they would tend to make Fort saves; small, high-dex enemies like rogues/fey may be hard to hit with touch attacks; spellcasters can just suck up the effects and nail you to the ground with their favourite spells.
Basically to use this at all you need to overcome one of those weaknesses. Heavy debuffs to make the fort saves fail, or personal buffs to let you see and touch those quick fey, or have someone in the party give the spellcasters a solid reason to move so that staggered means something to them.
Hmm ya heavy debuffs are the a staple with this character, Vision of Madness (-4 to attack rolls and saves, level 8 cleric) followed by a Bestow Curse (lesser persistent rod applied) for a further -4 to saves resulting in a total of -8 to saves, then perhaps a Fleshworm infestation on a dragon, too bad it would require a Persistent metamagic rod and not a lesser version of it. Would you say a -8 to fort saves would be good enough before attempting the Fleshworm infestation on an adult black dragon (Fort save +14 normally)?
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Quickened True Strike + Heightened Reach Fleshworm Infestation = Cruise Control for awesome.Unfortunately not on the Cleric spell list
haha, erpderp moment :P
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Hmm ya heavy debuffs are the a staple with this character, Vision of Madness (-4 to attack rolls and saves, level 8 cleric) followed by a Bestow Curse (lesser persistent rod applied) for a further -4 to saves resulting in a total of -8 to saves, then perhaps a Fleshworm infestation on a dragon, too bad it would require a Persistent metamagic rod and not a lesser version of it. Would you say a -8 to fort saves would be good enough before attempting the Fleshworm infestation on an adult black dragon (Fort save +14)?
+14 - 8 = +6. It'd be against a DC of 14 + your Wis bonus. If that's +6 as well then they need to roll a 14 to save; with persistent that's about a 1 in 9 chance. +5 makes 13 required, about 1/6 w/persistent, +4 makes 12 required, ~ 1/5. Spell resistance applies as well of course, and if the dragon makes the save vs. bestow curse their odds go up substantially.
But yes if you can land a -8 Fort save penalty first then it's a very solid option against melee beasts.